OHMYGOSSIP — Gyles Brandreth has decided he wants to be cremated when he dies and some of his ashes used in a painting.
The 75-year-old broadcaster – who is a regular contributor on ‘This Morning’ – has beginning to have doubts about being buried in a cemetery and his mind has turned to alternatives.
Gyles – who has been married to wife Michele, with whom he has three adult children, for over 50 years – has come up with the novel idea of sharing some of his cremated remains with an artist who can immortalise him in a work of art.
Writing in The Oldie magazine, he said: “I used to think I wanted a proper burial in a graveyard, with a handsome headstone, but I am beginning to have doubts. Graveyards can be pretty bleak in winter and, over time, headstones can be moved or vandalised and inscription often fades away.
“I have always liked the story of the Yorkshire lady who put her ashes into a handsome boxwood hourglass – it looked like a large egg-timer – explaining, ‘He did nowt useful during in his life. He can do something useful now he’s dead.’
“My current idea is to bequeath a portion of my ashes to a notable artist and invite them to mix a bit of me into their paint, so that I might end up on one of their canvases, and possibly even on the wall of a great art gallery.”
Gyles likes the idea that he can live on in an artwork that can be admired for generations to come.
He added: “‘I suppose, AA Milne reflected, ‘that every one of us hopes secretly for immortality.’ If I haven’t created a lasting work of art in my time, it’s nice to think I could be a small part of one once I’m gone.
“Artists friends of mine, please note: there will be a modest legacy attached to the request.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Angela Rippon can continue to be so busy in her television career because she “doesn’t have a permanent man” in her life.
The 79-year-old broadcaster – who last year became the oldest-ever contestant on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ – was initially married to Christopher Dare but they divorced in 1989 and she is currently single, a factor which she thinks enables her to commit to work on a more full-time basis than her ‘Rip Off Britain’ colleagues.
She told Woman’s Weekly magazine: “I just love my job, and unlike Glo [Gloria Hunniford, 83] and Jules [Julia Somerville,76], I don’t have a permanent man in my life. They have children,
grandchildren, husbands or partners.
“Although I was married for nearly 30 years and I’ve had partners since, I’m a single woman and don’t have the same responsibilities to another person or people in my life that they do.”
Despite her star turn on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ – which saw her reach week nine of the competition alongside professional partner Kai Widdrington – Angela has categorically ruled out an appearance on ‘I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!’, reasoning that there would never be enough money for her to agree to a stint in the Australian jungle and that she only took part in ‘Strictly’ because she already had a love of dancing.
She said: “Absolutely not. They couldn’t print enough money to get me to do that! ‘That does not appeal to me at all. ‘Strictly’ did because I’ve been around dancers most of my life, one way or another, and I enjoy dancing, so that was in a class of its own.”
Meanwhile, Angela will celebrate her milestone 80th birthday in October and joked that she had considered going to party in Las Vegas but is now rethinking her idea.
She said: “Coming up to 80, I did have a thought that I might go to Las Vegas and spend three days on the strip and do something daft [but] I’m sort of rethinking. I shall do something, but I don’t know what!'”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Sir Lenny Henry gets a haircut every year in time for Comic Relief.
The 65-year-old comedian co-founded the charity with comedy screenwriter Richard Curtis in 1985 and has hosted almost every edition of the biennial telethon since its inception but revealed ahead of his last one this year that he doesn’t have any specific backstage “ritual” because he feels so “confident” in the role.
He said: “I don’t really have a lucky charm or a ritual. I get my hair cut. I am just very confident in the process as we have been doing this for a long time and there are so many brilliant people behind the scenes, who make the infrastructure strong. The joy and goodwill of being there on the day means that you want to make the show as good as you can. Even if something happens live like the autocue breaks or the broadcast stops, we just keep going and enjoy ourselves, and the audience seem to be with us all the way. So, I don’t need any of that stuff!”
For his final year hosting the show, Sir Lenny Henry will be joined by ‘The Masked Singer’ host Joel Dommett, former ‘Big Brother’ Davina McCall, stand-up comedian Paddy McGuiness, ‘The Weakest Link’ host Romesh Ranganathan, as well as ‘Doctor Who’ actor David Tennant and Maya Jama and Rosie Ramsey making their Red Nose Day Night of TV debut
Lenny added: “I think Comic Relief is dear to the nation because there is a sense of charity in this country that is relentless. Comic Relief has managed to take a foothold because people love to laugh, and the idea of having a laugh and raising money simultaneously is incredibly charming and attractive.”
‘Comic Relief’airs on Friday 15 March across BBC One, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from 7pm

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — The first three Celebrity House Guests for ‘Celebrity Big Brother: Late and Live’ have been announced.
The hit reality series will return to screens on Monday 4 March for the first time since 2018 and now ITV has revealed that ‘Dancing on Ice’ judge Oti Mabuse, former ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ contestant Layton Williams and radio star Jordan North will be the first famous faces to each assume the role of Celebrity House Guesst, which see them and debate alongside a star-studded cast of fellow celebrity guests immediately after the launch episode with presenters AJ Odudu and Will Best.
The hosting duo recently revealed that when it comes to their secret lineup of stars, neither of them will shy away from grilling them on their exit if it is needed.
In a joint interview, Will, 39, told the Daily Star newspaper’s HotTV column: “You have to ask the questions that people want the answers to.
“You have to hold people to account if that’s required.”
However, Will also explained that the post-evictions can be “intense” because housmates emerge from the show unaware of how they have come across on television for the past several weeks and feels he, therefore, has a duty to be “sensitive” with his line of questioning.
He said: “The interviews are intense. They come out and have no idea how they’ve been perceived on TV. Suddenly they’re confronted by us asking them questions that might be difficult to
answer. As a host, you have to be sensitive to an extent to make sure everybody is OK.”
Meanwhile, his co-host AJ – who in late 2023 saw former lawyer Jordan Sangha, 26, crowned winner of the regular series with dancer Olivia Young, 23, as runner-up – admitted that the series provides viewers with a rare chance to see a celebrity just moments after their exit so they can provide “fresh insight”, whereas in a lot of instances, the evictee has the chance to get themselves together before having to explain things.
AJ explained: “When something goes slightly south for a celebrity in the house. On a lot of shows people can sleep on it, think about it. But there is none of that on this show.
“It’s also a chance for them to say their side of the story. It’s live and direct from the horse’s mouth.
“We can find out what was running through their mind at the time they acted the way that they did. It’s a really exciting chance to get a bit of insight fresh from the house.”
‘Celebrity Big Brother’ starts Monday 4 March at 9pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Ross Kemp feels “guilty” about making a living through his hard-hitting documentaries.
The 59-year-old star has fronted a string of films focusing on topics such as prisons, drugs, and crime gangs since leaving his role as Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ‘EastEnders’ in 2006 and now also hosts the game show ‘Bridge Of Lies’ as he explained he enjoys having the balance of working between the two.
Speaking on the ‘Table Manners’ podcast, he told hosts Jessie and Lennie Ware: “Sometimes I sort of feel sort of guilty about the fact that I literally get paid to do documentaries about human suffering, so what is nice about doing a game show is that it less about human suffering and more about having a laugh and a giggle.”
The former soap star has not acted on screen for some time but admitted that when he first started his career, he was completely “wrong” about what he thought his future may look like, initially believing that he would be a jobbing actor who toured repertory theatre.
He added: “I think the world has changed. Television has changed. When I was younger…I left drama school in 1985. My first job was with John Thaw and Richard Wilson, who many people may remember as Morse and Victor Meldrew. They were a big television in their names and television was a really big deal but it’s sort of become less so with the advent of social media and podcasts.
“When I first started going out into the acting world, there were reps in every town in the UK. And I thought I was going to move around doing repertory theatre, treading the boards, and get a little job in telly. But how wrong was I?”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Susannah Constantine prioritises her physical health over looking younger.
The 61-year-old TV star – who shot to fame presenting ‘What Not to Wear’ from 2001 to 2005 with her friend Trinny Woodall – does all she can to ensure that on the inside she has a “Ferrari engine” keeping her going, even if she looks like a “rusty, old Land Rover” on the outside.
In an interview with the new issue of Closer, she said: “I don’t want to look old, but it’s now more about how healthy and young I am on the inside. It’s more about health span not lifespan. If I look like an old, rusty Land Rover – which I do on most days – I’ve still got a Ferrari engine inside me that’s working extremely well because I choose to look after myself.”
Susannah – who shares children Joe, 25, Esme, 22, and Cece, 19, with her Danish husband Sten Bertelsen – has rarely been seen on television with Trinny, 60, since their 2007 ITV docuseries ‘Trinny and Susannah Undress The Nation’ caused a commotion due to the amount of nudity it featured pre-watershed.
The controversy resulted in the programme getting axed, but Susannah insists that she and Trinny, 60, are still as close as ever and are always supporting one another.
She shared: “We’re both still very, very close friends. We’re both doing such different things now, she’s working with her passion which has always been skincare, and she’s doing phenomenally well. I’m so blown away and proud of her – she’s a powerhouse.
“We have so much to be grateful for with our careers and where it’s led us both.”
Susannah also believes that women now could learn something from the message of empowerment that she and Trinny were trying to spread in the 2000s, that clothes can be a powerful force in making you feel good about yourself.
The former ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ contestant worries about the surge in cosmetic surgery procedures and believes society is losing its way when it comes to beauty standards and expectations.
She said: “If I wake up and my confidence is low, I’ll always dress up a bit so that I look in the mirror and I go, ‘OK, you’ll do!’ It’s about understanding your own limitations and making the best of them.
“You’ve got to accept that there are things you can’t change, but changing the way you dress and wearing clothes that suit your body shape is something everybody can do. It’s almost like people have lost sight of clothes, it’s now about how many fillers you have, how big your lips can go, how much smoother can your face be at the age of 19 when it’s not even necessary. It’s all about physicality now and we were never about that, we were about trying to make the best of what you have.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Dancing on Ice’s finale will go down in history – as the first one to feature four celebrities and their pro ice-skating partners.
Adele Roberts, Greg Rutherford, Miles Nazaire, Amber Davies and Ryan Thomas remain in the competition ahead of this Sunday’s (03.02.24) semi-final, and only one of the stars is expected to be eliminated this weekend, with the other four sent through to the March 10th final.
A show source told The Sun newspaper’s TV Biz column: “Now in its 16th series, ‘DOI’ producers have made a conscious effort to reinvent the wheel this series.
“It’s going to make this Sunday’s semi-final tender than ever – the stakes are as high as can be.”
Three pairings tend to make it through to Dancing on Ice’s finale.
Last year, Olympian Nile Wilson was crowned winner of the 15th series, ahead of runner-up Joey Essex, and third-placed The Vivienne, after two stars, ‘Coronation Street’ actress Mollie Gallagher and The Wanted singer Siva Kaneswaran, were eliminated a week earlier in the semi-final.
The current 16th series has already featured plenty of change, after Stephen Mulhern replaced Phillip Schofield as co-host alongside Holly Willoughby.
What’s more, American pro skater Johnny Weir temporarily replaced show judge Ashley Banjo on the panel.
Last Sunday (25.02.24), Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards became the latest star to be eliminated from the show, after he lost out in the skate-off against former ‘Love Island’ winner Amber Davies.
Adele is currently the bookmakers’ favourite to win this year’s series, followed by ‘Made in Chelsea’ star Miles.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Laila Morse is to reprise her iconic ‘Big’ Mo Harris role in ‘EastEnders’ this spring.
The 78-year-old actress was last regularly seen in Albert Square portraying Mo back in 2021, when the character left to go on a cruise with her on/off love interest turned fiancé, Fat Elvis, but the star has since returned to Walford for guest appearances.
Laila has started filming her return to the Square, which will come alongside great-grandson Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier) this spring.
The actress said: “I’m delighted to be coming home to Walford to bring Mo back to life.
“‘EastEnders’ holds such a special place in my heart, and I can’t wait to be reunited with my on-screen family, who are like my family, as well as old and new faces.”
Chris Clenshaw, Executive Producer, added: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome back Laila Morse to the role of Mo Harris.
“Although her time away from the Square has been short-lived, the Slater family has endured a huge amount of drama since she last appeared on screen and Mo’s return will be no different.
“We’re delighted to welcome Laila back permanently as she is thrust into the heart of the drama alongside great-grandson Freddie [played by Bobby Brazier].”
Ahead of Mo and Freddie’s Walford return, an exclusive first look at Mo and Freddie’s decision to return home will premiere on the ‘EastEnders’ TikTok channel in a limited series, following both characters in Mo’s caravan where she has been living ever since leaving Walford.
In December 2021, Mo – who has spent 19 collective years on the show – ruled out ever returning to ‘EastEnders’ “full-time”.
In an interview with the Metro newspaper, she said: “I left in April. If they wanted me to go back for a one-off thing or a storyline lasting a couple of weeks I would but I wouldn’t go back full-time.
“I’m a bit too old for that. I want to do other things whether that’s travelling somewhere or riding around a country on a bike.
“I wouldn’t even mind learning how to ride a motorbike if somebody wants to teach me.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Jason Manford has joined the cast of ‘Waterloo Road’.
The 42-year-old comedian will be seen on screen during the upcoming 14th series of the BBC One drama – which initially ran between 2006 and 2015 before making a comeback in 2023 – as Steve Savage, who eventually becomes headteacher of the Manchester-based comprehensive school.
He said: “What an absolute treat it is to join the cast and crew of Waterloo Road, right here in my home city of Manchester. My kids and I binged the show on iPlayer during lockdown. It’s such a brilliant, iconic show, so I’m dead proud to now be part of its history.
“Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher and now becoming a headteacher, I know I would have been terrible!”
However, the casting of the former ‘Take Me Out’ star – who outside of appearing panel shows like ‘8 Out of 10 Cats’ has carved out a career in musical theatre with roles in ‘The Producers’ and ‘The Wizard of Oz’ – has left the future of Angela Griffin’s character Kim Campell in doubt.
The former ‘Coronation Street’ actress,47, first appeared as art teacher and pastoral care leader Kim in the first two series of the show and stayed with the show on a sporadic basis until series five, before returning as headmistress when the show was revived last year.
Series regulars Adam Thomas (Donte Charles) and Kym Marsh (Nicky Walters) will return, alongside the teaching staff played by James Baxter (Joe Casey), Jo Coffey (Wendy Whitwell), Shauna Shim (Valerie Chambers), Neil
Fitzmaurice (Neil Guthrie), Rachel Leskovac (Coral Walker), and Katherine Pearce (Amy Spratt).
Cameron Roach, Executive Producer of Waterloo Road and Founder of Rope Ladder Fiction, says: “We’re thrilled that Jason Manford is joining ‘Waterloo Road’, as the show returns for a fourth series since returning to BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
“Jason is a phenomenal comic actor, and has fully embraced the tone and spirit of the show, we can’t wait for the audience to meet Steve Savage and his son Billy. As with all of our adult cast, Jason has been an inspiring and approachable mentor to our younger cast and crew; we love that a new generation of Northern talent are able to learn their craft alongside brilliant household names. The legacy of Waterloo Road goes from strength to strength.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — AJ Odudu and Will Best have vowed to hold contestants to account on ‘Celebrity Big Brother’.
The presenting duo hosted the revival of the hit reality show ‘Big Brother’ when it moved to ITV1 towards the end of last year and now that a celebrity edition is due to launch on Monday (04.03.24) with a secret lineup of stars, both have admitted that neither of them will be afraid of grilling the housemates on their exit if it is needed.
In a joint interview, Will, 39, told the Daily Star newspaper’s HotTV column: “You have to ask the questions that people want the answers to.
“You have to hold people to account if that’s required.”
However, Will also explained that the post-evictions can be “intense” because housmates emerge from the show unaware of how they have come across on television for the past several weeks and feels he, therefore, has a duty to be “sensitive” with his line of questioning.
He said: “The interviews are intense. They come out and have no idea how they’ve been perceived on TV. Suddenly they’re confronted by us asking them questions that might be difficult to
answer. As a host, you have to be sensitive to an extent to make sure everybody is OK.”
Meanwhile, his co-host AJ – who in late 2023 saw former lawyer Jordan Sangha, 26, crowned winner of the regular series with dancer Olivia Young, 23, as runner-up – admitted that the series provides viewers with a rare chance to see a celebrity just moments after their exit so they can provide “fresh insight”, whereas in a lot of instances, the evictee has the chance to get themselves together before having to explain things.
AJ explained: “When something goes slightly south for a celebrity in the house. On a lot of shows people can sleep on it, think about it. But there is none of that on this show.
“It’s also a chance for them to say their side of the story. It’s live and direct from the horse’s mouth.
“We can find out what was running through their mind at the time they acted the way that they did. It’s a really exciting chance to get a bit of insight fresh from the house.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online