OHMYGOSSIP — Lee Mack’s ‘Not Going Out’ will return with a Christmas special this year.
The award-winning BBC comedy series will be coming back to TV screens over the festive period to celebrate reaching 100 episodes.
In the episode, Lee (Lee Mack) and wife Lucy (Sally Bretton) will be pulling all of the stops out to host the best Christmas ever, and invite Wilfred, a lonely pensioner from the nearby care home, over for the festive celebrations, but with instructions that he should not be allowed to drink alcohol under any circumstances.
Although Lucy wants to ensure they have “a normal Christmas where nothing goes wrong”, friends Toby (Hugh Dennis), Anna (Abigail Cruttenden) and her parents Wendy (Deborah Grant) and Geoffrey (Geoffrey Whitehead) may put paid to those plans.
Previously, Lee had spoken to British Comedy Guide about the show, and why he prefers working on it compared to stand-up.
He said: “I will always only do stand-up every few years anyway. I mean I could literally do nothing other than stand-up for the rest of my life and I would still only tour every few years because I don’t have that massive feel or need to do it all the time.
“I think the problem is I’m spoiled by working on a sitcom and on panel games with people like David [Mitchell] and Rob [Brydon] because, as I get older, my priority in life is ‘which is the most fun?’. The truth is that stand-up is great – it’s really nice to be a stand-up – but I’d be lying if I said traveling round the country wasn’t sometimes a bit solitary. You’re on stage on your own. You’ve spent a year and a half writing on your own and going around trying it out. You know, it’s a solitary existence!
“When you get on really well with your team and you’re having a laugh like on ‘Would I Lie To You?’ and on ‘Not Going Out’ you think, ‘Well this is a nice and fun.’ You’ve got a bit of banter going on and it’s more fun because you’re not driving off halfway across the country to try your new material out on a wet Wednesday night.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Meera Syal is “truly honoured” to be given the Lifetime Achievement Award at The Women in Film and Television Awards 2023.
The 62-year-old actress has carved out a successful career in television and on stage over the last 40 years and was handed the EON Productions Lifetime Achievement Award by Sir Lenny Henry at the star-studded event in London on Friday (01.12.23)
Speaking at the ceremony, Meera Syal CBE said: “I’m truly honoured to be this year’s recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, and to be celebrating this with so many inspirational, talented women that I have the privilege to share an industry with.
“The work that Women in Film and TV does to support and champion women working in this industry is unmatched and it has been a joy to be a part of it today.”
Meera is known to TV audiences for her roles in comedies such as ‘The Kumars at No. 42’ and ‘Beautiful People’ alongside Olivia Colman, but has also enjoyed an illustrious stage career having starred in the title role of ‘Shirley Valentine’ and more recently as Miss Hannigan in the West End revival of ‘Annie’.
The acclaimed actress has also dabbled in writing over the years, having written the screenplay for the 1993 film ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ and the script for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Bombay Dreams’.
Meera now joins the likes of Dame Shiela Hanock, ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ star Dame Joanna Lumley and Oscar-winning actress Dame Helen Mirren as a recipient of the prestigious awards.
Elsewhere at the awards night – which was attended by the likes of Edith Bowman, Genevieve O’Reilly, Katie Price, Laura Whitmore and Rosie Jones and hosted again by comedienne Katherine Ryan – TV star Alison Hammond accepted The EIKON Presenter Award from Carol Vorderman for her work on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ and as co-host of Channel 4’s ‘The Great British Bake Off’.
The Women in Film and Television Awards, in partnership with Sky, have been running for 32 years and nominate women from across 14 categories including directing, writing, producing, performance, business and contribution to the medium.

https://www.wftv.org.uk/awards

The full list of winners is as follows:

Sanne Wohlenberg (producer, ‘Andor’)

The ENVY Producer Award

Presented by Genevieve O’Reilly

Gbemisola Ikumelo (actor, ‘Famalam’, ‘Black Ops’)

The Argonon Best Performance Award

Presented by Mo Gilligan

Alison Hammond, presenter (‘This Morning’, ‘Great British Bake Off’)

The EIKON Presenter Award

Presented by Carol Vorderman

Lynn Saunders (Head of Liverpool Film Office, Liverpool City Council)

The Mercury Business Award

Presented by David Morrissey

Claire Ellis, Senior Dialogue Editor, Molinare TV and Film

The MBS Equipment Co Craft Award

Presented by Tom Burke

Louisa Compton, Head of News and Current Affairs and Specialist Factual and Sport at Channel 4

The BBC News and Factual Award

Presented by Victoria Derbyshire

Tobi Kyeremateng, film and TV producer (‘How to be a Person’)

The Netflix New Talent Award

Presented by Adjoa Andoh

Georgie Emary, producer (’24 Hours in Police Custody’)

The IMDb Project Management Award

Presented by Laura Whitmore

Nina Hartstone, supervising sound editor (‘Saltburn’, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’)

The Creative Technology Award

Presented by Edith Bowman

Grace Ofori-Attah, writer (‘Malpractice’)

The ScreenSkills Writing Award

Presented by Sheridan Smith

Aoife McArdle, director (‘Severance’)

The BBC Studios Director Award

Presented by Billie Piper

Tanya Motie and Ally Castle, Project Leads, The TV Access Project

The ITV Studios Achievement of the Year Award

Presented by Jack Thorne

Sarah Brewerton, Editor (‘Nolly’, ‘It’s a Sin’)

The Disney+ Contribution to the Medium Award

Presented by Susan Wokoma

Meera Syal CBE

The EON Productions Lifetime Achievement Award

Presented by Sir Lenny Henry CBE

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Josie Gibson feels “very guilty” for leaving her son while she competes on ‘I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!’
The 38-year-old presenter has five-year-old son Reggie from a previous relationship but has had to leave him for up to three weeks to compete on ITV1’s jungle reality survival show in Australia and broke down on Friday’s (01.12.23) episode over her decision.
The ‘This Morning’ host was overheard crying by former ‘EastEnders’ actress Danielle Harold, who immediately went to see what was wrong.
She said: ” I just miss my little boy. I shouldn’t have ever left him this long.”
Danielle replied: “100% you should, you’re showing him that you’re a strong mum, strong woman. So proud of you babe” and later hailed the former ‘Big Brother’ winner as the “best mum” as she tried to comfort her.
In the Bush Telegraph, Josie admitted: “Just had a little wobble. You just feel very guilty. I’ll never leave him this long again, ever.”
Elsewhere Tony Bellew, Nick Pickard. Nella Rose, Sam Thompson, and Nigel Farage were the next five campmates to face a Bushtucker Trial, and the viewing public had been voting to decide which critters they would be faced with throughout the task.
Both ‘Hollyoaks’ actor Nick and boxer Tony had to contend with snakes whilst YouTube star Nella was joined by cockroaches, ‘Made in Chelsea’ star Sam had to face toads and politician Nigel had to face rats, all attempting to find the correct key from a random bunch to unlock two stars each.
Nick, Sam and Tony all got their two stars and waited for the time to count down, whilst Nella quit the task almost immediately by crying “I’m a celebrity, get me out of here” and Nigel failed to unlock any stars within the 10-minute time limit.
In total, the gang returned to camp with six stars, which meant six meals for camp.
He quipped: “It’s nice to know what the British public think of me by sending in rats.”
At the end of the episode, it was revealed that the public had voted for Tony to face the Eaten Alive trial in tomorrow night’s episode.
‘I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!’ continues Saturday at 9.25pm on Virgin Media One and Virgin Media Player

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — ‘I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!’ star Sam Thompson is “not ashamed of having ADHD in any way”.
The 31-year-old TV star was diagnosed with ADHD and autism last year, and he’s discussed his experiences with campmates Josie Gibson and Marvin Humes.
Sam shared: “[It happened] last year, mate. There’s loads of people who are actually like of a certain age who get diagnosed way later.
“When the low bits happen, it goes low. But then the highs are really high.”
Sam explained how ADHD influences his life. The TV star also heaped praise on his girlfriend Zara McDermott.
He said: “My timekeeping is terrible. I get quite selfish, not just with her, with everyone, my mates or whatever. My listening to Zara … I’m just finding myself staring off at something completely different.”
Sam regrets that he wasn’t diagnosed with the condition earlier in his life.
He said: “I know that I would have felt better about myself at school if I’d been diagnosed with it at a younger age. I really was just like, ‘I just suck at everything.'”
Meanwhile, Josie quit the latest Bushtucker Trial after huge spiders were dropped on her head.
The TV presenter quit after she accepted that she couldn’t overcome her phobia of spiders.
Prior to the trial, Josie admitted: “I’ve got a serious phobia of spiders.
“I’m the only idiot in the world who would sign up to ‘I’m A Celebrity’ with proper phobias.”
Despite this, Josie, Marvin, Fred Sirieix, and Danielle Harold still managed to claim four out of ten stars for the camp.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Bobby Brazier is reportedly being lined up to star in a West End show once his run on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ ends.
The actor, 20, is said to have made such an impact on theatre bosses with his turn on the BBC ballroom show they want him on stage when it ends – which could see him star on both stage and in his ‘EastEnders’ role.
A TV insider told The Sun: “Bobby’s time on ‘Strictly’ certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed by theatre bosses.
“They really feel he has star quality and would put bums in seats, given his huge popularity.
“Bobby’s so graceful on the dancefloor and they believe he wouldn’t look out of place on a big musical production, or even a play.”
Bobby and his professional dance partner Dianne Buswell, 34, are currently fourth favourites to win ‘Strictly’ ahead of its quarter finals on Saturday (02.12.23) – which has a musicals theme.
On last week’s ‘Strictly’ he won praise for performing an emotional tribute to his late mum Jade Goody, who was killed by cancer aged 27 in 2009.
He and Dianne danced to ‘This Woman’s Work’ by Maxwell, a song Bobby said reminded him of his mother in a performance that left head judge Shirley Ballas, 63, and her fellow judging panellist Anton Du Beke, 57, in tears.
Bobby would be far from the first ‘Strictly’ star to move into theatre.
‘Hollyoaks’ actor Danny Mac, 35, who was a 2016 finalist on the show, went on to star in theatre productions of ‘On the Town’ and ‘Pretty Woman’.
And singer Louise Redknapp, 49, has appeared in ‘Cabaret’ and ‘Grease’ since she competed in the 2016 series of ‘Strictly’.
‘EastEnders’ actress Rose Ayling Ellis, 29, who won ‘Strictly’ in 2021 went on to make her West End debut in ‘As You Like It’.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Davina McCall will star in the ‘Doctor Who’ Christmas special.
The ‘My Mum, Your Dad’ presenter hailed it “beyond an honour” to be playing herself in the festive episode ‘The Church on Ruby Road’, which will mark Ncuti Gatwa’s first adventure as the Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson’s debut as his new companion Ruby Sunday.
Davina said in a statement: “It is beyond an honour to be asked to appear in not only ‘Doctor Who’ but also Ncuti’s first episode as the new Doctor. It was such an extraordinary experience and Russell has written you all a Christmas delight! Now I just can’t wait for everyone to see it!”
Ruby was abandoned on Christmas Eve as a baby and now lives with her mother Carla (Michelle Greenidge) and grandmother Cherry (Angela Wynter) and the episode explores the secret of her birth, while the Doctor will come face-to-face with mysterious goblins.
Anita Dobson will also feature in the episode as Mrs. Flood.
Showrunner Russell T. Davis is delighted the programme will air on Christmas Day (25.12.23).
He said: “From Day One in this job, I wanted Doctor Who back on Christmas Day! And with Ncuti, Millie, Davina and the Goblin King, I hope it’s a feast for all the family!”
Before Ncuti takes over at Christmas, David Tennant is in the midst of three special episodes for the show’s anniversary.
The returning star is playing the new Fourteenth Doctor rather than reprising his role as the Tenth, and he was back in the TARDIS over the weekend for ‘The Star Beast’, with ‘Wild Blue Yonder’ and ‘The Giggle’ to follow.
The latter will mark the end of his latest run on the show, but he isn’t ruling out another comeback in the future.
Speaking to SFX magazine, he recently said: “I think it would be disingenuous to imagine that I might never be asked again, because history would indicate that it was always a possibility.
“So I’m not going to say never because I don’t think anyone would believe me.
“That doesn’t mean I know that I ever will. But I suppose until I can’t run down a corridor it’s always a possibility. But I promise to have no plans.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Chris Kamara is going to sing on live TV to prove that he is coping with his apraxia diagnosis.
The retired 65-year-old footballer was diagnosed with the disorder in early 2022 – a condition that affects the body’s ability to perform natural motor functions – and was forced him to step away from his job as a presenter and match day reporter on Sky Sports as he struggled to get his words out and would sometimes slur because of the condition.
Now, Chris will join fellow ‘Masked Singer’ stars Russell Watson and Aled Jones for ‘Britain Get Singing’, which will air over the festive period.
The beloved pundit is nervous about performing on the programme, but wants to get on the mic so he can give hope to other people who suffer from the condition.
A source told the Daily Star newspaper: “Kammy gets nervous about doing TV as he still has problems with his speech, but he wanted to do this.
“It’s a chance for him to show that he’s not letting his situation hold him back. It’s a chance for him to inspire others.”
The upcoming talent show will stars from ‘Love Island’, ‘Coronation Street’, ‘EastEnders’, ‘The Masked Singer’, ‘Good Morning Britain’ split into five teams and test their vocal skills against each other.
Other names confirmed include Molly Marsh, Davide Sanclimenti, Kate Garraway, Charlotte Hawkins, Alex Beresford, Emma Barton, Heather Peace, Sid Owen, Claire Sweeney, Lisa George and Cherylee Houston among others.
The winning show’s team will be declared the 2023 champions. ‘Loose Women’ were crowned the victors in 2022.
‘Britain Get Singing’ will be hosted by Roman Kemp and the judging panel is comprised of Adam Lambert, will.i.am, Alesha Dixon and Jonathan Ross.
The show also supports ITV’s mental health campaign ‘Britain Get Talking’, with the individual stars taking part sharing their own mental health challenges, and is also supported by Mind and YoungMinds as well as SAMH in Scotland.
Writing in his book ‘Kammy: My Unbelievable Life’, Chris shared how he tried to keep his condition secret from his family – which includes wife Anne and his two sons – and how his speech problems shattered his usually positive mindset.
He wrote: “I worried about where I was going to end up. Would my physical and neurological deterioration just keep going and going? And I worried more about the effect it would have on those around me.
“When finally I did start to share my problems, I began to see that the future might not be so bleak.
“That a world could exist with me in it. Hopefully a me who was better, but nevertheless a version of me who I could live with. It’s hard to look back on those dark times. To the outside world I know how irrational those thought patterns must seem.
“But when the walls are closing in it’s easy to feel differently. I hope by being honest and talking about it, I can help others see that there is always another way out. There is always hope. You just have to let other people help you see it.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ bosses are concerned that more contestants will quit following two early exits already.
The ITV reality show has been rocked by the departures of restaurant critic Grace Dent and Jamie Lynn Spears – the younger sister of pop icon Britney Spears – and there are rumblings from the remaining campmates, including YouTuber Nella Rose, about walking out of the jungle ahead of the public votes.
Any more premature exits would lead to a “full-blown crisis” for producers.
A source told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “They are all struggling in that camp.
“Not just the ones who quit, everyone seems to be finding it tough this year and there is still a long way to go.
“If anyone else was to quit or leave on medical grounds now, we would have a full-blown crisis on our hands.
“Nella Rose has said she might go and she is not alone in feeling the pressure in there.”
Normally, evictions would begin on Friday (1.12.23) and run into next week until the final, but the camp may stay busier for a little longer as a result of Grace and Jamie Lynn waving goodbye to their co-stars ahead of time.
One of those early departures, Jamie Lynn, did not explain why she decided to call it quits on the ITV show – which is presented by Ant and Dec – but was nonetheless thankful to have met the “best humans” in the jungle.
In an Instagram post, she wrote: “I can’t wait to share with y’all everything about this once-in-a-lifetime experience but I don’t even know where to start when trying to describe what an incredibly special time and place I had with some of the absolute best humans I’ve ever met and consider family now.”
A spokesperson for the 32-year-old actress-and-singer cited medical grounds as the reason for her departure.
The statement read: “Jamie Lynn Spears has left on medical grounds. She has been a fantastic campmate who has triumphed at trials and bonded well with her fellow celebrities.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Nigel Farage’s girlfriend Laure Ferrari is convinced that he will leave ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ as the king of the jungle.
The divisive 59-year-old politician – who was one of the main campaigners for Brexit, which saw Britain leave the European Union – has been paid £1.5 million to take part on the ITV reality TV series and has been winning over new fans with his no-nonsense attitude and willingness to take on the dreaded Bushtucker Trials.
Laure – who will be in Australia to greet her man when he leaves the programme – believes that his performance is giving him a great chance to be crowned the 2023 winner.
In an exclusive interview with The Daily Mail newspaper, she said: “I really believe Nigel can win. He is extremely tolerant of people’s little ways, and that will gain him support from the public.
“I see it as my duty to support him. When he was invited on to ‘I’m a Celebrity…’, we talked about it. I saw it as a massive opportunity for him to shine. He was more thoughtful about it. He consulted his family and friends. It was a team effort that got him to appear.”
Nigel has raised a few eyebrows by showing off his bare backside when showering in camp, but Laure, 44, insists he has nothing to be embarrassed about because he has a lovely bottom.
She said: “Nigel has a great bottom, what’s wrong with that?’ If you’ve got it, flaunt it!”
Revealing what initially attracted her to Nigel – who she first met when she was working as a waitress in Strasbourg in 2007 – Laure added: “I was first attracted to Nigel’s values as a man. He has loyalty, empathy and never breaks his promises. I find that very attractive.

“I think the show is giving viewers the opportunity to see the Nigel that I, his family and friends, know and love.”
Laure – who now runs the think tank, the Institute For Direct Democracy in Europe, which had close links to Nigel’s former political party UKIP – believes that Nigel maybe willing to leave his GB News presenting job and return to politics full-time after completing his stint in the jungle.
She mused: “I would say that what is happening in this country is sad and worrying.
“There is only one person that can do the job [of leading the country]. So if he chose to go into politics again, he would have my support.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Ellie Taylor has given birth to her second child.
The 40-year-old comedian was scheduled to be part of the Royal Variety Performance this evening (30.11.23), but she and her husband Phil Black have welcomed their newborn baby into the world.
Taking to Instagram, Ellie shared a photo of herself cradling her bump in an shimmering outfit she had planned for the event.
In the next snap, her legs could be seen as she cuddled her bundle of joy, whose head was hidden under a red wooly hat.
She wrote: “This is the fabulous outfit I was meant to be wearing tonight while doing stand-up at the @royalvarietyperformance in front of 4,000 people, including @princeandprincessofwales.
“Swipe to see the actual outfit I’ll be wearing tonight due to the surprise early arrival of my own little HRH…”
She joked that while she’s “gutted” to be missing the event, “morphine” means she’s doing just fine.
She quipped: “Gutted to miss out but also very very happy to be wearing giant mesh knickers and saying ‘But his skin is just so SOFT!’ ten times an hour.
“Mother and baby doing well because mummy has access to morphine and baby has access to boobies.
“Wishing the rest of the performers the best night for a fantastic cause! Wishing me 12 hours sleep and a massive Pina Colada (not with the morphine, don’t worry…)”
The ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ star – who was paired with Johannes Radebe on the BBC show last year – already has daughter Valentina, five, with partner Phil.
Ellie revealed her pregnancy in September, sharing a picture of her baby bump as she gazed down at Valentina.
She said at the time: “Ratbag No.2 – inbound. Pregnancy has been a funny old topic for me over the last few years and I’ve sometimes found it tricky following prego people online.
“For anyone in a similar headspace, if the idea of the inevitable baby spam that will follow makes you feel a bit weird, then I lovingly encourage you to be kind to your brainbox and mute or unfollow me.
“I hope you’ll be back but whatever your situation, I wish you love and clarity as you continue to navigate your own journey.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Vicky Pattison has helped spread festive cheer by volunteering at Food Cycle.
The 36-year-old reality star donned a santa hat and called on people to follow her lead as she kicked off Just Eat’s Winter Meal Appeal, which aims to support those facing hunger, loneliness and the threat of homelessness.
The initiative sees the food delivery app donate 5p from every order placed between 4-11 December up to the value of £250,000 in order to provide 1.5 million hot meals to those in need, via their charity partners FoodCycle and Social Bite, while employees will also be volunteering across hundreds of good causes.
Sophie Tebbetts, CEO of FoodCycle added: “We wouldn’t be able to run our community meals without our incredible volunteers. During the winter months we have over 7,500 volunteer sessions that need to be filled, in order to run our 81 Projects across the UK.
“The Winter Meal Appeal has been pivotal in helping run our projects as well as enabling us to open in new locations. It’s great to see that this year’s campaign is highlighting the significant impact that volunteering has on community projects, like FoodCycle. By spending a few hours with a local charitable cause, volunteers can help bring communities together as well as make a huge difference to those in need this winter.”
Vicky launched the initiative as a new study showed 85% of Brits are planning to give back to those in need over the festive period by volunteering, with 8 in 10 16-24 year olds planning to do so over Christmas.
To date, Just Eat’s Winter Meal Appeal has provided one million hot and nutritious meals for those in need, and a large number of the meals are made from surplus food which would otherwise have gone to waste
Claire Pointon, Managing Director for Just Eat UK and Ireland, said: “Our long standing Winter Meal Appeal, now in its fourth year, has already helped provide millions of vulnerable people with hot food, accommodation, employment and companionship.
“At a time where many are coming together to celebrate the festive season with friends and family, there is still an urgent need to help those at risk of homelessness and hunger. Together with our charity partners, FoodCycle and Social Bite, and collectively with our employees, we are committed to giving back to those in need this winter.”
The Winter Meal Appeal also helps fund projects aimed at tackline homelessness through provision of sheltered accommodation and training programmes to help those who have experienced homelessness gain employment skills. And that’s not all, because funds have also helped community kitchens across the UK expand.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Jamie Lynn Spears has quit ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ on “medical grounds”.
The 32-year-old star has become the second contestant to leave the ITV show following food critic Grace Dent’s departure for the same reason earlier this week.
Jamie was seen breaking down in tears a number of times during Tuesday’s (28.11.23) episode despite seeming to settle into life in the Australian jungle after a challenging start.
A spokesperson for the show said: “Jamie Lynn Spears has left ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ on medical grounds.
“She’s been a fantastic campmate who has triumphed at trials and bonded well with her fellow celebrities.”
Jamie’s campmates have been informed that she has left the jungle and will not be returning – with her final appearance airing on tonight’s (29.11.23) episode.
The ‘Zoey 101’ actress – the younger sister of pop star Britney Spears – broke down in tears in last night’s episode as the camp managed to win a bar of chocolate to share and took herself away to sob.
After fellow campmates Tony Bellew and Danielle Harold checked up on her, Jamie – who is mother to daughters Maddie, 15, and Ivey, five – said: “I probably should have just let someone else eat it. I feel a little better maybe. I just needed to cry.”
Speaking in the Bush Telegraph, former boxer Tony said: “She’s just getting frustrated, she misses her kids.
“She’s so far away from home. It’s good to just go and ask someone how they’re doing. Just look out for each other. Everyone should have that attitude with everybody.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online