OHMYGOSSIP — Nicola Thorp has blasted people for caring more about Michael Jackson’s music than the voices of victims of abuse.
The ‘Coronation Street’ actress – who recently opened up about her experiences with sexual harassment – has hit out at the reaction to the controversial ‘Leaving Neverland’ documentary, in which James Safechuck and Wade Robson claim that the ‘Man in the Mirror’ singer sexually abused both of them after befriending them when they were children.
In a column for the Metro, she wrote: “After the documentary aired, public debate turned to the ‘ethical dilemma’ of whether or not we should still be listening to Michael Jackson’s records.
“I don’t care if you stop listening to his music. Start listening to victims. Don’t turn this into a consumer issue when the real concern is that we continue to facilitate abuse and the silencing of those affected by it.”
The soap star – who plays Nicola Rubinstein on the cobbles – opened up about the way people are discussing the documentary could stop victims from speaking out about their own experiences.
She explained: “I don’t care if you think Jackson is no more than a harmless eccentric, I care about how you respond to those who spoke out against him.
“I care about the children in your family who may overhear you and feel afraid disclose their own abuse. I care about the woman who sits next to you at work who has been assaulted by her partner and is scared to tell anyone in case she faces similar criticism.”
Nicola, 30, recently revealed how she was harassed by a director working on a documentary about women’s rights, and how she was once locked in a work bathroom when she was 19 until she agreed to kiss her manager.
She said that society needs to “definitely” do more to support women who have been harassed, adding: “This sort of thing is happening to women all of the time. I am not unique in that. Even though the #MeToo movement was so phenomenal and changed so much, it’s actually changed more for men.”
In Dan Reed’s ‘Leaving Neverland’ documentary, Wade – who testified under oath in Michael’s 2005 child sex abuse trial that the musician never abused him – claims that he was molested by the King of Pop from the age of seven until 14. James – who previously testified on Michael’s behalf when he was accused of sexual abuse in 1993 – claimed he was abused from the age of 10 until he reached puberty.
The Michael Jackson estate has hit back at the allegations branding both accusers “perjurers” and “admitted liars”.

Source: Female First
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OHMYGOSSIP — Joanne Froggatt has promised the ‘Downton Abbey’ movie will feature everything fans loved about the TV show.
The 38-year-old actress has reprised her role as maid Anna Bates in the upcoming big screen spin-off and though she’s sworn to secrecy about plot details, she doesn’t think viewers of the period drama, which ended four years ago, will be disappointed.
She said: “The people who love the TV series are the people who are going to want to see the movie, for the most part, so I think it’s got all the things that people loved about ‘Downton’, but elevated. It looks very cinematic; there are big, beautiful set pieces.”
Though Joanne insisted recent reports there are already plans for a second ‘Downton’ film haven’t yet been confirmed, she would happily reprise her role again for another movie.
She told The Times newspaper: “If people still want it. One step at a time, but if we can do something really quality, then yes. Never say never.”
The British actress won a Golden Globe and was nominated for three Emmy awards after the fourth series of ‘Downton’, which featured her character being raped by a footman, and she had no idea it would get “so huge”.
She recalled: “It felt like a snowball effect. I didn’t really have any idea that it was going to be so huge. I can experience that even more looking back on it, somehow. I can think now, ‘Wow, that really was incredible.’ ”
The ‘Mary Shelley’ actress is happy to still be recognised as Anna wherever she goes and doesn’t view it as a “problem”.
She said: “If I see it as a problem, then it’s going to be a problem for the rest of my life, and I want to do this job for the rest of my life.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Lucas Hedges made it “pretty clear” he didn’t want to make a movie with his father before he signed up for ‘Ben Is Back’.
The 22-year-old actor was his co-star Julia Roberts’ first choice to play her drug-addicted son in the movie, but filmmaker Peter Hedges warned her it was highly unlikely the ‘Manchester By the Sea’ star would agree to take the role.
Peter said: “He’d been pretty clear he didn’t want to do a film with me. And while I didn’t necessarily like that that was the case, I respected it and I was never going to ask him to be in it.”
Lucas admitted he wanted to forge his own career and also worried it would be “gross” having to discuss a character intimately with his father.
He said: “[It’s] so gross! A somewhat graphic, overly detail-oriented conversation about something that is my private life? The only other thing like that is sex.”
But the actor eventually relented and spent some time living with Julia, her husband Daniel Moder and their three children in California.
She explained in an interview with the Guardian newspaper: “I thought I needed to bridge the gap between the family that I have and am devoted to, and the family that I’m about to join.
“You really want to know who you’re getting into the dark of night with. And I think that we were all pretty clear on who we all were by the time we got to New York.”
And once shooting began, Lucas and Peter rarely spoke off set to the point that spending Christmas together with the rest of their family was “bizarre”.
Lucas laughed: “It was so bizarre. Christmas morning with my director? I have to get him presents? He’s giving me presents? So weird!”

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OHMYGOSSIP — John Torode and his fiancée Lisa Faulkner are to host their own Sunday morning cooking show.
The ‘MasterChef’ judge and the former ‘EastEnders’ actress – who both met when she was a contestant on the celebrity version of the BBC cooking show – will helm ‘John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen’ on ITV on which they will share their “favourite recipes” and provide cooking tips to viewers.
Speaking to The Sun’s Bizarre TV column, Lisa said: “I am really looking forward to working with John. It’s a lovely series and, even better, we get to share some of our favourite recipes and ideas with the viewers. We’re going to have a lot of fun.”
The couple got engaged three months ago when John proposed to Lisa on Christmas Day (25.12.18).
And John, 53, recently revealed that he had to wait over three hours for Lisa, 47, to accept his proposal.
He previously said: “She said yes which was really lovely! She didn’t yes for three-and-a-half hours! She was so gobsmacked and I said, ‘Are you gonna say yes?’ She said, ‘I haven’t said yes yet?’ ”
Lisa announced the happy news on her Instagram account at the time admitting it took her by “complete surprise”.
She wrote at the time: “My gorgeous John completely surprised me on Christmas Day and asked me to marry him! After waiting to tell our family when we got home we then had a few days just grinning at each other!! I’m so very happy to share our lovely news with you. Happy 2019 it’s going to be quite a year and I’m going to embrace every minute of it. All you need is love. Love is all you need.”

Source: Female First
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OHMYGOSSIP — Post Malone ordered 500 “hot” chicken wings from Nando’s for his London shows.
The heavily-tattooed rapper certainly knows a thing or two about a good chicken dish, as he worked for the US fast food chain Chicken Express as a teenager, and his old job clearly didn’t put him off eating the meat, as he reportedly splashed the cash on the impressive order for himself and his crew at his two-night stint at The O2 arena on Wednesday (13.03.19) and Thursday (14.03.19) evening.
According to a source, the ‘Better Now’ hitmaker had the restaurant at the venue “practically shut down” at 4pm to carry out his special backstage rider request.
The insider told the Daily Star newspaper: “They practically shut down Nando’s at 4pm especially for Post and his crew.
“He ordered 500 chicken wings, so regular customers were complaining because they couldn’t get in.
“Post loves his chicken hot ands says it’s the only place worth visiting whenever he’s in London.”
Post often uses his social media accounts to give reviews of the chicken shops he visits on the road.
Speaking previously about his penchant for Nando’s peri peri sauce, he quipped: “I like hot food … I feel it in my stomach, it’s a hell of a trip and a hell of trip to the toilet later.”
In 2018, the ‘Rockstar’ rapper racked up a bill of £30,000 on takeout, with a Popeye’s chicken order for Coachella costing an eye-watering £6,000.
Meanwhile, that wasn’t the only hot and saucy element to Post’s London visit.
The show’s after-party saw him turn up the heat even more, as he partied the night away at the city’s adult club Cirque Le Soir, which saw bikini-wearing pole dancers and dwarfs dress up as the musician.
The 23-year-old star had previously visited the club – which is known for its burlesque snake charmers, fire eaters and indoor funfair – with his retired Olympic sprinter pal Usain Bolt in 2017.
Describing the experience, he said: “It was a weird satanic club vibe, people dancing with horns.
“Next to us there was a lady with a big ass cloud hat – it wasn’t a lady, it was a boy, but it looked like a lady.”
The chicken-lover brings his energetic live show to Reading and Leeds Festivals this August.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Taylor Swift shook off haters who predicted her ‘Reputation Stadium World Tour’ would be a “flop”, as she collected the prize for Tour of the Year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.
The ‘Shake It Off’ singer gave an empowering speech as she collected the accolade at the ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Thursday night (14.03.19), during which she admitted the turn out for the extensive run “did wonders” for her “self-esteem”, after people said she would be playing to half empty stadiums.
She said: “One of the most wonderful things about the way that this whole tour turned out is that, for, like, the entire six months leading up to the first show of this tour, every headline that I read was, this is going to be a massive failure.
“And it really did wonders for my self-esteem. It was really great to hear people saying that I was going to be playing to nearly empty stadiums.”
The 29-year-old superstar went on to thank her fans for being the “unforeseeable factor” in her critics’ “forecast” by coming out in force at her shows last year.
She continued: “I’ve learned a lot.
“One of the things I’ve learned is that life is really unpredictable and people can make forecasts and they can make predictions, but those predictions and forecasts may not come true if there is an unforeseeable factor involved, and that unforeseeable factor in this case was my fans.”
Dedicating the award to her loyal following – who are known as Swifties – she said: “I honestly owe everything, everything in my life to you.”
The tour – which saw the ‘End Game’ hitmaker supported by Camila Cabello and Charli XCX – was in fact a huge success, with Taylor breaking her own record of having the highest grossing North American tour by a female artist, previously held by the singer’s ‘The 1989 World Tour’.
Whilst on the podium, Taylor also promised her fans that if she has new music coming out, they will be the “first” to get the scoop.
She said: “I just wanted to let you know that when there is new music, you will be the first to know.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Lilly Singh has landed her own late night talk show on NBC.
The YouTube star – who is also known as Superwoman – is “so excited” to have been given the freedom to design the format for ‘A Little Late with Lilly Singh’, a 30-minute programme that will begin on September in the network’s 1.35am slot.
Speaking to Jimmy Fallon on the ‘Tonight Show’ she said: “Ya girl is getting her own NBC late-night show.
“I’m so excited because I truly get to create a show from scratch, I get to make it inclusive, I get to create comedy segments and interview people and really create something that I believe in.”
“I’m so honoured and humbled.”
And Lilly, 30, admitted landing the job – which will make her the only female late-night talk show host on a broadcast network – is a “dream come true”.
Asked what the show will be like, she quipped: “Kind of like my YouTube channel, but just now I have more than three staff members.”
She then added: “An Indian-Canadian woman with her own late night show? Now that is a dream come true.
“I’m thrilled to bring it to life on NBC, and I hope my parents consider this to be as exciting as a grandchild.”
The ‘Bad Moms’ actress still finds her high-profile new job “surreal”.
She announced on Instagram alongside a photo of herself with Jimmy and Seth Meyers: “I can’t even believe I am writing this caption. This is so surreal.
“I’m so grateful and overwhelmed to be joining this incredible family.
“I’m numb. I can’t even process. This has been SO long in the making and I’m so happy I can finally share this with you.”
Lilly’s appointment comes a month after NBC revealed ‘Last Call with Carson Daly’ – which currently has the 1.35am slot – was to end, though the presenter will stay with the network on ‘The Voice’ and ‘Today’.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Jack Whitehall “absolutely died” on stage in front of Prince Charles.
The 30-year-old comic admitted it was an “honour” to be selected to provide the entertainment for the 70-year-old royal’s annual staff Christmas party but it was a very “weird gig” and none of his material went down well.
He recalled: “It was an honour to be asked to do the Christmas party of Prince Charles… he throws [his staff] a Christmas party each year… and I was the entertainment that year. It’s the weirdest gig ever.
“I walk out, first thing that’s weird is that they’re sat in the front row, Charles and Camilla, in thrones… Also, don’t sit in the front row because that’s your get-out-of-jail-free card as a comic, [you pick on the front row], you ask them what they do for a living… I can’t ask Prince Charles what he does for a living!
[It was a] small room, maybe 40 people, all of my material was terrible… I absolutely died.”
And things only got worse for Jack as he overheard the prince suggesting to his wife, Duchess Camilla, that they opt for a very different form of entertainment in future.
He added on ‘The Jonathan Ross Show’: “And the worst bit was, when I was walking off because nobody was applauding, it was the worst review I’ve ever got, I heard Charles turn to Camilla as I was leaving the stage and he went ‘I think next year we’ll try a magician’… There goes the knighthood!”
Jack recently hosted the BRIT Awards and while he was “so excited” to get the chance to be a part of the show opener with Hugh Jackman, he was horrified in rehearsals when his part in the spectacle was considerably scaled back.
He said: “I got to join in with that. I love ‘The Greatest Showman’ I was so excited to be a part of that. Initially I was going to sing. They were like, ‘Would you like to open the show with Hugh Jackman?’ I was like ‘Oh my God yes, that’d be amazing!’
“I thought I did [have a good voice] and they gave me that solo, the Keala solo in that song which is Whitney levels of high pitched, it’s so difficult.
“I went off, I went to a sound studio, I recorded my voice, I laid it all done and I got to the rehearsal and they went ‘We’re going to have you dancing at the back now.’ I got cut completely.”
‘The Jonathan Ross Show’ airs on ITV on Saturday (16.03.19).

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OHMYGOSSIP — Meek Mill is being honoured by his hometown for his work on criminal justice reform.
The 31-year-old rapper’s native Philadelphia declared March 15-17 ‘Meek Mill Weekend’ in recognition of his contributions to hip-hop and bringing national attention to justice reform ahead of his two shows in the city on Friday (15.03.19) and Saturday (16.03.19).
City and state officials met with Meek – whose real name is Robert Rihmeek Williams – at City Hall on Thursday (14.03.19) to reveal the honour, and the ‘Trauma’ hitmaker thanked his family and others including State Sen. Sharif Street and City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson.
Meek was joined at the event by his seven-year-old son, Murad – who, along with younger son Rihmeek, he has with former partner Fahimah Raheem – and credited the youngster as one of the driving forces behind his philanthropic efforts as he is keen to “fight for young kids”.
He said: “I think we deserve better. I’m trying to fight for young kids that I’ve spent time with and sat in prison with.
“I’ve been to prison a few times for probation violations, but the one time my city of Philadelphia showed me support is the one time I came out of prison.”
In April 2018, Meek was released on bail after being granted “extraordinary relief” by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court after the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office raised credibility questions about the officer who had arrested him on a gun and drug charge in 2007.
After his release from prison, the ‘Going Bad’ singer became an advocate for criminal justice reform.
And in January this year, he teamed up with Jay-Z and Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin to launch Reform Alliance, an organisation focused on recalibrating the injustices of the system.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Kacey Musgraves “carbed out” after awards season.
The country superstar has had a very busy few months with concerts and red carpet appearances, so as soon as she had some time off, she relished the chance to have a “cheat day” and ordered in all her favourite foods.
She said: “After the Grammys and the Oscars carpet, then I had four shows at the Ryman in Nashville, which was really awesome hometown shows.
“And then I finally was like, I’m getting my damn cheat day. So I Postmated from bed, pizza and a burger at the same time, and then I ate that. And for dinner had some pasta. I like, carbed out and then [had] handfuls of gummy bears.”
The 30-year-old singer had a hugely successful Grammy awards, scooping four prizes including the prestigious Album of the Year for ‘Golden Hour’ but the ‘Space Cowboy’ singer isn’t sure she has enough space in her “really small” house to display them all.
She told ‘Entertainment Tonight’: “Well I’m gonna give one to my grandma, one to my mama. One on the hood of my car, you know, so everybody knows.
“I don’t know. I have a really small house and I have very limited book space, but I do have a framed joint given to me by Willie Nelson. So, it seems like kind of a nice place to put it.”
The ‘Rainbow’ singer is very proud that ‘Golden Hour’ has received such a positive reception from fans.
She said: “This album is very personal to me, and I just feel like the people who have connected with it have shown it so much love and so much positivity.
“It’s just gone and done things I just really could’ve never dreamed of and it just makes me really happy. It represents a really beautiful time in my life, full of lots of change and I just want to keep doing what I’m doing. The music makes me feel good and I’m really happy that it made other people feel good.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Barbara Palvin says becoming Victoria’s Secret’s newest Angel is the “ultimate career high”.
The 25-year-old model – who has worked with the lingerie giant intermittently for over six years – will be joining the brand as their first-ever Hungarian model, and the star admitted that the new move came at a perfect time because she is “finally” happy in herself and her body.
Speaking to PEOPLE, she said: “I’ve been keeping this a secret for three months.It’s the ultimate career high!
“When I was 13, I saw the VS Fashion Show and said, ‘One day I will get there.’ Three or four years later, I shot with Victoria’s Secret PINK for the first time.
“Now, I feel like I was destined to do this. Victoria’s Secret caught me at the perfect time, because I’m finally happy with myself and my body.”
The model first walked in the legendary Victoria’s Secret Fashion show in 2012 and modelled in multiple campaigns before returning to the catwalk for 2018’s iconic New York show, and now Palvin will be joining the likes of resident Angels Elsa Hosk, Romee Strijd, Jasmine Tookes and Stella Maxwell.
Palvin – who is in a relationship with actor Dylan Sprouse – has revealed that her beau “couldn’t believe” the news but always “knew” she would make it as a permanent angel for the prestigious label.
She added: “He couldn’t believe it. Then he was like, ‘I told you. I knew it.'”
Palvin then ran downstairs at 5:30 a.m. to tell her parents the happy news.
She said: “They were half-asleep, but they were freaking out. First they thought something was wrong, but then I repeated myself and they were so happy. My mom cried a little bit, and my dad fist-bumped my shoulder, like he usually does.”
The brunette beauty posted a video on Instagram announcing the much-anticipated news on Thursday (14.03.19) where she shared a clip showcasing her previous work with lingerie brand.
She wrote: “OFFICIALLY A @victoriassecret ANGEL ! I don’t know where to begin but I’ll try : I never thought it would happen and it has exceeded all my expectations. I’m very excited to announce that I’m officially a @victoriassecret ANGEL ! Thank you for believing in me.
“There were times where I let my own thoughts hold me back and it was a hard climb away from those but my family , my team, Ed, and everyone at VS they were always there to support me and uplift me. I am proud to represent Hungary, and most importantly, all of you in this new chapter of my life! Thank you all so much again (sic)”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Ashley Graham created her own swimwear line because she couldn’t find “sexy” and “supportive” bikinis in her size.
The 31-year-old model has insisted that she chose to design her own ranges of inclusive swimwear and lingerie – named Swimsuits For All and Addition Elle respectively – because “nobody wanted to make them” for her “curvy” body.
Speaking to Vogue Australia, Graham said: “There’s still is such a lack of diversity on the runway and the luxury market.
“I didn’t have sexy, supportive lingerie that I could find for my size. And same goes with bikinis, I wanted little tiny string bikinis and nobody wanted to make them for my curvy-ass body, so I did it!
“I think what it does is it opens up the eyes to designers also and says, ‘oh wow, if she’s making these clothes, lingerie, and swim and they’re selling out, then what does that mean?’ Well it means that the curve industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and that more people should get involved.”
The brunette beauty also insisted that she “appreciates” high-end designers who create pieces for women of all “shapes and sizes”, and feel “honoured” to be part of a movement that advocates “celebrating” your curves.
She added: “I love and appreciate so much people like Prabal [Gurung], Michael [Kors], Christian [Siriano], you know, they have really committed to designing for women and representing women of all shapes, sizes, ethnicity, and ages.
“It’s an honour to work with some of these designers on custom looks that celebrate my curves and it’s so fun to be able to go into the design teams and have these raw, natural conversations with them and talk about what I want to accentuate and what fabrics I would like to wear.
“The designers who have dressed me have been really passionate about it and they’re passionate about what it means to dress a woman with curves. And I think that we need more designers like that, that are not just taking a chance but believing in the diversity of women.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Gwen Stefani’s Las Vegas residency is “draining”.
The ‘Sweet Escape’ hitmaker feels “honoured” to perform “every single night” at the Zappos Theater, inside Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino but admitted the shows take their toll on her.
She said: “It feels like a marathon! It’s so physical, it’s so emotional, it’s so draining, but it’s so rewarding.
“I feel so honoured…. It’s been pretty magic. I’m pretty lucky.”
The 49-year-old singer always feels overwhelmed when she first steps out onto the stage but she quickly finds her feet and develops a “need for attention” from the audience.
She told ‘Entertainment Tonight’: “I get up and think, ‘What am I? Who am I? What am I doing? But then something just clicks in and I just have this need for attention from these people.”
And Gwen – who has three sons from her marriage to Gavin Rossdale and is dating Blake Shelton – admitted there is a lot of pressure in having a residency because it means people have travelled from a long way to see her, so she feels “blessed” to have been trusted with the gig.
She explained: “Everyone is coming to you from all over the world and it’s just tall order. You’re up against Vegas, and all the other shows and all the other activities, and people like flew in and are having a weekend, and it’s a big deal.
“I feel really blessed. I know they’re not just handing [residency shows] out to anyone.”
For every ticket purchased for Gwen’s shows, $1 is donated to the Cure 4 the Kids Foundation, Nevada’s only non-profit childhood cancer centre and they recently named a new examination room in honour of the No Doubt frontwoman.
She said of the honour: “I walked through [the facility] today and it’s so inspiring and [I was] so blown away by the fighters, the brave kids, the families, the parents. I feel really blessed to be here.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — George Clooney tricked his housekeeper into thinking he had eaten out of a dirty nappy.
The 57-year-old actor – who has twins Alexander and Ella, 21 months, with wife Amal – is known for his love of pranks and couldn’t resist fooling the staff member with the help of a jar of Nutella chocolate spread.
Speaking on ‘Good Morning Britain’, he admitted: “I was shooting a TV show in Italy and I went and got a new nappy and I put Nutella in it and threw it in the trash can. I came in an hour later and there was an Italian housekeeper in this house that we were staying in…
“‘I said ‘Amal wants to know if the Alexander did poo poo or pee pee, poo poo or pee pee?’.
“I opened up the trash and got the nappy, I rubbed it in my face and tasted it, and she screamed and ran out of the room.”
And the ‘Money Monster’ star is hoping to pass on his love of pranks to his children.
He added: “So I’m going to teach my kids a lot of good tricks.”
While George is a hands-on dad, he still gets freaked out by the “shocking” content of their nappies.
He said: “Three days ago, my children started on what we call solid food…
“I don’t know how it goes in as a carrot and it comes out the way it comes out. But it was shocking. It was a horror film. It was terrifying.”
Meanwhile, the former ‘E.R.’ star ruled out the possibility of ever playing James Bond, insisting he is too old, but he does have an idea on who should be Daniel Craig’s successor.
He said: “I look like James Bond’s grandfather.
“I’ll say it 1,000 times – Idris Elba should be Bond, period.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Classic ‘Doctor Who’ star Anneke Wills stopped watching Jodie Whittaker in the role because she thinks the show has moved on from her time.
Anneke, 77, played companion Polly opposite both First Doctor William Hartnell and Second Doctor Patrick Troughton from 1966 to 1967 and is a favourite assistant amongst fans of the BBC sci-fi series.
The actress tuned in last year to see Jodie, 36, make her debut as the Thirteenth Doctor and first ever female Time Lord and although she thought it was great to see a woman take control of the TARDIS she turned off after a few episodes because she can’t relate to the modern series.
Speaking at a screening for a new animated version of ‘The Macra Terror’ – a ‘Doctor Who’ story from 1967 which was wiped by the BBC and lost from the archives which Anneke starred in – she said: “I have to be honest … I think Jodie is lovely … but I watched most of the first one and then I let go, because it’s not my ‘Doctor Who’.
“It’s new ‘Doctor Who’ for the new world and I’m not part of it, really, anymore – except if they ask me to be in it!”
Anneke’s co-star in ‘The Macra Terror’ Frazer Hines – who played fellow TARDIS companion Jamie McCrimmon – was also part of the Q&A and admitted he had reservations about whether ‘Doctor Who’ would work with a woman playing the part but he admits once he saw Jodie wield her sonic screwdriver he loved her in the role.
Frazer said: “I was worried that it was going to be a woman Doctor. But then when I saw it, I loved the way she kept her accent. It didn’t become terribly PC.”
Anneke along with her co-star Michael Craze – who portrayed Ben Jackson – was part of the show when Hartnell’s First Doctor regenerated to Troughton’s Time Lord and she believes that the programme wouldn’t be on air today if it wasn’t for Patrick’s performance.
She said: “If it hadn’t been Patrick who took over the role of the Doctor then we wouldn’t be sitting here today, it was because of the nature of the man, because he was so sweet and incredibly humble. If he had come in to take over the role in a more sort of Jon Pertwee way we wouldn’t have accepted it. It was because of the way that he was that the British audience could say, ‘Yes, we’ll have a completely different Doctor.’ We should always be grateful to Patrick, he’s up there and he wants us to know.”
And Frazer added: “Peter Capaldi, Peter Davison, Colin Baker all said if it hadn’t been for Patrick you would never have heard about David Tennant or Matt Smith because it would have finished. The BBC would’ve said, ‘It doesn’t work, take it off. No more ‘Doctor Who’.’
‘The Macra Terror’ sees the Doctor and his companions Polly, Ben and Jamie arrive on a human colony in the far future. Although the colony appears to be a giant holiday camp for rest and relaxation it has actually been infiltrated by a race of giant parasitic crab-like creatures called the Macra who have brainwashed the people to serve them and create a special gas they need.
None of the aired four episodes of the 1967 serial are in existence but a complete audio recording of all four parts did still exist along with still photographs and clips of the story which have been used to create the animated adventure over 50 years later.
‘Doctor Who: The Macra Terror’ will be out on DVD and Blu-ray from March 25.

Source: Female First
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OHMYGOSSIP — Shaun Ryder “stayed away” from writing love songs because they would be “hard” to perform live.
The Happy Mondays and Black Grape frontman has released his own book under Faber – named ‘Wrote For Luck: Selected Lyrics’ – which contains a collection of his lyrics complete with annotated notes, and he has admitted that when he is penning songs for an album, he likes to keep his lyrics “comical” and not too serious.
Speaking to The I Paper, he said: “I don’t want to write love songs. I’ve always stayed away from that. My love songs are pure porno. I wouldn’t write that now as a grown man. It can be hard to do it live. You’ve got to keep it comic, which is what I try to do with everything. If you keep it comic, you can get away with it.
“I’ve never gone for all that. I don’t like to make a big deal of the songs. The tortured artist thing? When I’m on stage I am f**king tortured. As a writer, my job is to write short stories. My subjects are all wacky, extreme comic-strip b*****ks. But I didn’t even want to do it at first. I was s**t. Same with the singing. I only did it cos the others tried and they were even s***ter.
“I was just writing about what was around me. We had nothing to hide. We were taking drugs and partying. Everything I do, I’d do in front of my mam.”
The ‘Step On’ hitmaker smoked his first cigarette aged just 10 years old before turning to hard drugs, but the 56-year-old singer admitted that he is happy to have given up his previous rock star lifestyle because he would never want to “embarrass” his daughter, Coco.
Opening up about if he misses drugs, he added: “No! Not any more. I was 40 and living like I was when I was 18. It wasn’t a health reason. I was like: ‘I’m an old c*** now, I don’t want to be embarrassing my kids.’ I just decided to knock it on the head.
“I know people my age still on it, and good luck to them… Bez is what you’d call a garbage head. He’ll take anything going. I get it all the time. I’ll turn up in places and there’ll be a load of charlie and booze and birds and: ‘We’re going off to this club’. I’m like: ‘I’m not in, mate, I’m off to bed, watching the news.’
“If you’re happy doing that, fair enough. But it’s not me any more. I’m just dead happy being how I am now. Even if I do look like a big toe.”

Source: IconInsider.com
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