OHMYGOSSIP — Prue Leith won’t be tuning in to watch herself on ‘The Great British Bake Off’.
The 77-year-old TV chef has taken over from baking legend Mary Berry as a judge on the former BBC One show, which will make its debut on Channel 4 tonight (29.08.17) and, despite bosses being desperate for it to do well with ratings, Prue and new presenter Sandi Toksvig won’t be among the viewers because they can’t stand seeing themselves on screen.
Prue told the Daily Star newspaper: “I don’t watch myself. I can’t bear it. I’m saying: ‘Why is the cameraman taking shots of all my fat places’ and ‘Why isn’t he up here so I can’t see my double chin.'”
And Sandi, 59 – who is joined by comic Noel Fielding as the replacements for hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins for the revamped show – added: “I don’t watch myself on TV.”
Meanwhile, Prue – who will be joined by original judge Paul Hollywood – has admitted she worried she was too old to land the gig when she first went for the judging role – despite Mary being in her 80s – because she thought rival Rachel Allen would be a more popular choice because she is in her 40s.
Speaking at the launch for the new series, she said: “That’s it. She’s half my age and a very good baker and so I didn’t think about it again.”
The restauranteur also revealed that she had to audition for the role by judging a staged baking challenge in front of head judge Paul, which took her by surprise.
She said: “[It] turned out to be a full-scale audition with baking going on and people pretending to be the bakers and us having to do a judging session. I wasn’t expecting that.”
However, the 51-year-old Liverpudlian was clearly impressed by her performance and Prue had to return to the kitchen to audition for a second time, before she got the call to say she could have the job.
She said: “I thought ‘Don’t they know now?’ I went down and we did the whole thing all over again.
“Then they rang up and said: ‘Do you want the job?'”

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OHMYGOSSIP — June Brown is set to shock fans with her role in an x-rated pantomime.
The 90-year-old ‘EastEnders’ legend – who is well known for her part as Dot Cotton in the popular BBC soap – has signed up for a skit as herself in a performance of ‘Snow White – 7 Poofs And A Piano’ at Brighton’s Paganini Theatre.
An insider told the Daily Star newspaper: “June is the star attraction for the production. She jumped at the chance to sign up.
“Obviously the part is very different to what we are all used to seeing on ‘EastEnders’, which has surprised some of June’s co-stars.”
It’s also claimed that many of Dot’s fellow soap stars have been “shocked” to learn what she’ll “be getting up to” as part of the rude and raunchy production.
The source added: “Apparently, quite a lot of her cast mates are all really shocked at what saucy antics she will be getting up to during the show.”
June will be joined by other stars in the stage performance, including Chris Ellison – known for his role in ‘The Bill’ as DCI Frank Burnside – and drag artist Maisie Trollette.
The veteran actress continues to work hard after a long and successful career, and earlier this year she insisted she has no plans to retire – and it’s as much for her sanity as her financial state.
She previously explained: “As long as I am capable of ­working, and can learn lines and move around, I will carry on. I’d be utterly bored if I stopped.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — EastEnders’ Aaron Sidwell has teased that his alter-ego Steven Beale could go “full evil” over the next few weeks.
Viewers have been clung to edge of their seats during recent episodes as they’ve watched Max Branning – played by Jake Wood – manipulate the deranged restaurant worker into teaming up with him for his revenge plot after he found out he’d lied to his daughter Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) about having a brain tumour in order to get her to marry him.
But it looks like Steven’s wicked ways may turn even more sour – with someone getting really hurt – after his step-mother Jane Beale (Laurie Brett) discovers his vile plan.
Speaking to the Radio Times magazine, Aaron said: “He’s willing to go as far as it takes, whatever that might be and whoever it may hurt. We’re really going to see this tug of war – Steven’s always been this character that could go either way. He could go full evil or he could redeem himself and become the good guy. I think we’re really going to see that battle across this week especially.”
Although he’s willing to kill in order to keep his secrets hidden, Aaron believes fans will start to pity his character.
He explained: “Unfortunately he always just loves the wrong people and he’s always sought the love and attention of people that he’s really had to work for it from. He’s always felt he’s got to do these things to keep the people he loves.”
Details on the storyline are being kept tightly under wraps for the time being but it doesn’t look like it will end well for Steven, as Aaron is set to bow out later this year.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Calum Best has been catfished before.
The ‘Celebs Go Dating’ star hasn’t had much luck in the love department over the years and has admitted he was once left red faced when someone conned him into meeting them while pretending to be someone else after they spoke online.
Speaking to the Mirror Online, he said: “I was Catfished once. Once stupidly of me, when Instagram and Twitter first started coming around, there was this girl and she got in touch with me and I was so keen and so into it and I thought I can get in touch with girls so easily.
“She was like. ‘I’m staying at a hotel down the road from you’, so I went along and didn’t know if I should go and knock on the door but I went and knocked on the door and it was a completely different person to who it was.
“But they invited me in and I didn’t want to be rude so I stepped in and I was going around thinking, ‘Where am I?’ Finally I just had to say after a few minutes that I was going downstairs to make a phone call and I just did a f**king runner.
“But how cheeky is that, ‘This is me, this is me’, then you go and meet them and it’s a different person. Do you think I’m going to walk in and not know it’s not you?”
The 36-year-old model – the son of late footballer George Best – has taken part in many dating shows, including ‘Celebrity Love Island’ and ‘Famously Single’, over the years, but he thinks he’s struggling to find “the one” because of his issues.
He explained: “I think that it’s to do with my own stuff.
“There’s a lot of turmoil I dealt with growing up, whether it’s being my dad’s son, which I’m very proud of but the weird things that come with that, self love if that makes sense and kind of figuring out how to love yourself before you can love anyone else. It all sounds kind of deep, but it’s all legit.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Sharon Osbourne thinks ‘The Voice’ is a gimmick with a low success rate because the contestants are all “toads.”
The ‘X Factor’ judge has admitted she’d jump at the chance to mentor on the singing competition, which sees the panel base their decision on voice alone, if Simon Cowell hadn’t employed her for the rival show last year, but thinks the winners fail to do well once the series wraps because they’re just “backing singers” lacking the full package of a pop star.
Speaking to the Radio Times magazine, she said: “‘The Voice’ is a gimmick with the twisty chairs.
“I love the judges and if I was asked to do it and didn’t have ‘The X Factor’, course I’d do it. But you cannot judge talent on voice alone because if Mick Jagger was up there nobody would turn around. They have all these toads up there, and I’m sorry, half of them are backing singers. That’s why no stars have come from the show.”
And the 64-year-old music manager isn’t the only one who thinks ‘The Voice’ is lagging behind ‘The X Factor’ in its success rate, as Louis Walsh likes the panel – which features Sir Tom Jones – but believes the format is all wrong.
He said: “The panel on ‘The Voice UK’ are good – I’m a big fan of Tom Jones, but ‘The X Factor’ is a much better show.”
And it looks like Simon agrees as he has promised the programme will continue for at least another six years.
Asked if he thought ‘The X Factor’ would make its 20th anniversary in 2023, he said: “Yes, I do think it’ll last a little bit longer than I thought. If you’d asked me years ago how many more years I could do, I would have said: ‘If we can get to five more years then we’ve done well.’ Then you get to five years and it becomes 10.
“What I have noticed over the last two years is that I’m seeing younger and younger kids turn up to the show. That’s always the fear that you don’t stay relevant.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — John Thomson contemplated suicide after his acting work dried up.
The ‘Cold Feet’ star toyed with the idea of taking his own life after his career plummeted when the award-winning sitcom was taken off air in 2003 but, despite his “dark thoughts”, he talked himself out of ending things because of his children and he had too much to lose.
Asked whether he had ever contemplated suicide during his lowest point, the comedian told the Radio Times magazine: “There’s a force in me that won’t allow me to go that low. Too much to lose.
“Maybe before children, possibly, but not now. Not now. You contemplate. I’ve had thoughts. I’ve had dark thoughts, but never considered carrying them out.
“I could toy with the idea of it and how to do it, but not carry it out, because I’ve got something in me, call it spirit, a guardian angel.”
After ‘Cold Feet’ was axed, the 48-year-old actor struggled to find work – unlike the rest of his cast mates – because his issues with drugs and alcohol were heavily frowned upon by casting directors.
Three years later, John realised he had problems with addiction and relied on voiceover roles and parts in pantomimes to get him by.
However, his life took another turn for the worse in 2015 when his 10-year marriage to wife Samantha broke down and ended in divorce.
But, despite the struggles he faced in the 10 years away from television, John believes his voiceover work was a “life saver”.
He explained: “I was four years sober and word still hadn’t had got round the industry that I was “redeemed”.
“[Voiceovers] were my life-savers, really. Doing a commercial’s voiceover is like having a Christmas number one.”
Things turned around for John last year when ‘Cold Feet’ was given a reboot and he has since been able to draw on his own experience with depression to help play his alter-ego Pete Gifford’s battle.
He said: “I drew on my experience. That’s the thing, though – as an actor it’s best to have an interesting life because it gives you something to draw on. If you just tick along all day, you don’t have much to draw on. I’m grateful I’m rock ‘n’ roll, really.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Nicole Scherzinger doesn’t feel threatened by Alesha Dixon filling in for her on ‘The X Factor’.
The ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ judge was asked to stand in for the former Pussycat Dolls singer during the audition stage of the singing contest earlier this year after another commitment took her up her time, but the American beauty isn’t worried if the show boss Simon Cowell decides to replace her permanently.
She said: “Alesha’s my friend, so I dig her. There was one of the auditions that Mrs O [Sharon Osbourne] couldn’t make so Alesha stood in for her too, Me and Alesha were having so much fun, I don’t think Simon liked that because he couldn’t control us.
“Together we are trouble! Together we are double trouble, we have too much fun together. Simon tries to wind me up about everything.”
And, although Simon likes to wind her up by saying he’ll axe her from the judging panel, the 57-year-old music mogul has no intention of losing Nicole, 39, as she’s “great TV” and a good mentor.
He explained: “The great thing about Nicole is you throw out the bait and she takes it every time! Nicole’s been good this year.
“She came over to my house in LA when we were talking about her coming back and I said apart from being great on TV, what she did with James Arthur was amazing. So, as crazy as she is, when she’s on it and likes someone, she’s brilliant.”
And that just as well, as Alesha, 38, previously said she has no intention of leaving ‘BGT’ in order to claim a seat on ‘The X Factor’.
She said last year: “I’d be lying if I didn’t say that in the past there’s been times when I’ve considered if that would be good for me, just because I’m such a huge music fan. But I have to say the vibe of ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ is second to none… There’s just this joy about the show and I wouldn’t want to lose that.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — The stars of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ have paid tribute to the late Bruce Forsyth ahead of the new series.
The iconic entertainer – who sadly passed away aged 89 on August 18 – was an integral part of the BBC One celebrity ballroom contest for many years, and even after his retirement from the show in 2014 he continued to present charity and Christmas specials.
Speaking about the impact he will still have on the programme after his death, Ruth Langsford said at the series launch: “I don’t think he would want any of us to not be enjoying this and this was his baby and you could see that that shone out of him.
“And he was such a fabulous dancer so I think this year he will be very much in our thoughts and all of us will really be doing it for him, as well as for ourselves.”
The likes of Davood Ghadami, Chizzy Akudolu, Simon Rimmer and Mollie King are also part of this year’s lineup and The Saturdays singer is determined to do Bruce “proud.”
She said: “I think it means that as the cast of 2017 we really want to make him proud and we just want to dance our socks off and give it everything.
“He has been such a huge part of ‘Strictly’ so for us we just want to really give it out all and make him proud.”
Meanwhile, Reverend Richard Coles admitted while Bruce’s death has put a “sombre” atmosphere over the show, everyone wants to pull together and do it for a man who “was showbiz incarnate”.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Megan McKenna and Pete Wicks have slammed Chloe Sims as “nasty”.
The reality TV couple have hit out at their ‘The Only Way is Essex’ co-star after she branded their romance “toxic” and hinted they only rekindled their relationship for a ‘TOWIE’ storyline.
Megan said: “She doesn’t know us. If people are your true friends on the show or not, they will never say nasty things like that.”
Pete added: “I didn’t realise she’d said that. That’s a bit of a nasty thing to say because she knows how hurt I was and how bad I felt at the time.”
Their comments come after Chloe recently insisted nobody “cares” about their romance and urged them to keep things “private” this time around.
She said: “No one really cares about them getting back together – they need to try and keep it a little more to themselves this time.
“People aren’t really bothered which way it goes. I hope this time round their relationship isn’t as toxic – I wish them luck and I guess we will see.”
The couple split earlier this year but have since got back together, and Pete insists their relationship is now stronger than ever.
In a joint interview with OK! magazine, he said: “We had a good break apart. Although we saw each other on nights out, it was just trying our best to be civil.
“But since getting back together it’s been like a new relationship. It’s the beginning.”
Megan added: “We went to Vegas for a secret getaway, which wasn’t secret after we got pictured on the first day.
“We wanted to go away without anyone’s opinions and just enjoy ourselves. When we were there, I think that was the point when we realised it was going to work properly because we had such a good time.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Kem Cetinay has defended his presenting debut after getting Twitter abuse.
The ‘Love Island’ winner and his girlfriend Amber Davies presented the showbiz segment on ‘Good Morning’ on Monday (28.08.17) and revealed that they had been getting some negative feedback over their performance.
Speaking to hosts Ranvir Singh and Richard Madeley, Kem said: “I’m not going to lie, both of us have been getting a little bit of stick but we’re giving it a go. People are saying we don’t know what we are doing. We’re trying our best, give us a break guys!
“It’s not like we have an autocue at home, do you know what I mean?”
However, Ranvir jumped in to warn him: “Shhhh! You’re not meant to say that on here!”
Meanwhile, Kem recently revealed he feels “under pressure” after he and Chris Hughes agreed to do their own spin-off show.
The ‘Love Island’ hunks won over the hearts of the nation last month when they struck up a “bromance” inside the villa while on the quest to find love and now ITV have decided to commission a series that will focus on the duo, but they are terrified it won’t be a success.
Kem said: “There’s nothing I can say as I don’t know the full gist but when they approached us I thought: ‘Really? Is that actually happening?’ It’s going to put pressure on me and Chris, but from the reaction when we got it on Twitter I could not believe it. People went mad for it. I rang Chris and said: ‘Is this really the reaction we got?’ so I feel under pressure now.”
But the heartthrobs are confident that ITV will create a show that will be “lighthearted” and fun.
Kem explained: “The guys at ITV are amazing though, they know us better than we do and they know what we want from the show so they’ll keep it lighthearted.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Frankie Essex claims ditching ketchup helped her lose weight.
The former ‘The Only Way is Essex’ star has lost two stone in recent years and credited cutting out sauces with her success.
She told The Sun Online: “You have to eat clean – food without sauces. If you are going to have chicken and potatoes then don’t have like a creamy mushrooms sauce.
“Have the mushrooms but try and stay away from all the sauces.
“I used to love sauces, especially ketchup but I don’t have it any more. It’s full of sugar.”
And she insisted that she always tries to go to bed hungry.
She said: “If you go gym have protein.
“If you’re hungry at night time – you should go to bed hungry – but if you can’t you should have a protein shake.
“You should always go to bed hungry really, then you wake up and have breakfast.”
The blonde beauty previously revealed she found herself falling into a downward spiral after she piled on the pounds – ballooning to her biggest – and ending her toxic relationship with her boyfriend John Lyons in 2015.
She said: “I’d lost all my confidence. I had a really sh** year, probably the worst year I’ve ever had, and I was really down. I lived with my boyfriend John and I had to move out.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Colin Jackson has come out as gay.
The BBC presenter and former Olympic hurdler opened up about his sexuality on the show ‘Rainbow Heroes’, which airs on Swedish channel SVT and revealed he told his parents 11 years ago after a former partner sold a story about their relationship to a newspaper.
Colin, 50, said: “I was waiting for them in the kitchen. They walked in and they sat down.
“My mother could see my face was quite distraught. It didn’t phase them at all.
“I said ‘it’s in the paper about me and this bloke.’ It didn’t phase them at all.
“My mum went first of all ‘is the story true?’
“And I said ‘it’s true, so it’s not like I can deny it.’ And then she went ‘well, why are people so disgraceful?’
“I just realised, I’ve got the best parents.”
Although Colin told his parents the truth, he publicly denied the story and revealed he has only decided to open up now because it wouldn’t be “sensationalised”.
When asked by former athlete Kajsa Bergqvist, why he had decided to reveal all, Colin – who won a silver medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games for Great Britain – answered: “Because you asked! There’s no better reason.
“The way you asked me was a whole storytelling kind of thing and you were just interested in the way it affected me sport-wise, emotionally and my preparation.
“Lots of people who’ve asked before about it have wanted it sensationalised.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Vicky Pattison has asked Ed Sheeran to perform at her wedding.
The former ‘Geordie Shore’ star is a huge fan of the ‘Shape of You’ hitmaker and wants him to sing at her upcoming nuptials to businessman John Noble.
She told The Sun: “‘Shape Of You’ is mine and John’s song, as it is to millions of other people, so I think an acoustic, slowed-down version would make the perfect first dance.
“I’m going to put it out there in the world. I follow him on Twitter so Ed if you’re reading this, and you’re up for a lovely slice of wedding cake, let me know.”
Vicky has already lined up ‘Great British Bake Off’ winner Candice Brown to create her wedding cake and wants to land a magazine deal to make some money from her big day.
She added: “We will probably do some kind of magazine deal.
“I mean when you have Ed Sheeran as your singer and Bake Off’s Candice doing the catering it would be mad not to.”
The ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ winner – who was previously engaged to Ricci Guarnaccio – recently insisted she knows John is the one for her because he makes her feel “safe and happy.”
She said: “I know because he’s the first man who has ever made me feel happy and safe. I’m actually quite sensitive and vulnerable.”
And Vicky – who initially dated John when she was in her early twenties – still can’t see children in her future but thinks there’s a chance she could change her mind.
She said: “Kids are for me are still a big question mark. I’ve always been dead vocal about the fact I’ve never really seen them in my future and John is the same. But I think as our relationship has progressed, I’ve softened a lot.”

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