OHMYGOSSIP — ‘The Masked Singer’ will reportedly have its first ever Christmas special this year.
The decision to give the beloved ITV show a festive episode was apparently made so the channel could battle the BBC’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ for viewers’ attention over the holiday period.
A source told The Sun newspaper’s TVBiz column: “If you think the regular ‘Masked Singer’ is high octane then this takes proceedings to a whole new level.
“The characters were all brilliantly Christmassy and the party atmosphere was off the scale.
“Bosses want this to be a full scale celebration of all the fun, frivolity and laughs of Christmas as the family gather around the TV to join in.”
ITV bosses are hoping the show will be “must-watch TV” on December 25.
The insider added: “Of course the hope is that The Masked Singer’s Christmas special could really establish itself as must-watch TV on the big day.”
An anonymous audience member who was present for the filming of the special last weekend joked that the show was like “Christmas on speed”, with the show having a bigger budget to create a jaw-dropping festive spectacle.
All of the audience members wore appropriately-festive jumpers, whilst the celebrity panel took Christmas spirit to the next level with their outfits, with host Joel Dommett wearing an outrageously-sparkly suit.
In recent memory, the BBC has dominated the screen on the big day, with ‘Strictly’, ‘Call the Midwife’ and ‘EastEnders’ all having Christmas specials which draw a colossal amount of attention.
ITV has still been able to reply on festive specials for shows like ‘The Chase’ and ‘Doc Martin Christmas’, which aired last year and received good ratings.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — ‘Ghosts’ star Mathew Baynton has admitted an accident inspired Thomas Thorne’s Scottish roots.
In the second episode of the fifth and final season of the hit BBC comedy, it’s revealed – during a fierce north/south divide row between pat (Jim Howick) and Julian (Simon Farnaby) that the failed poet is actually from Scotland, despite his southern English accent giving no hint of this.
However, he soon bellows: “Haud yer wheesht! I’m as Scottish as shortbread in a tartan tin, sir!”
The sudden twist isn’t as much of a left field choice as it may seem, as Baynton – who created the show alongside co-stars Farnaby, Howick, Martha Howe Douglas, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond – accidentally slipped into a Scottish accent during the very first season.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com, he recalled; “We ended up with a whole storyline because of that.
“‘Answer the question, damn your eyes!’ in the very first episode came out ever so slightly in a different accent. So we ended up writing an origin story to explain it.”
In a blooper reel shared by the BBC earlier this year ahead of the final series, there are several alternate takes of the line which don’t sound as Scottish as the final version.
Meanwhile, Baynton – who will be reuniting with the cast and crew for one more episode this Christmas – admitted he hopes to be able to take another role in the future “as fun” as Thomas is in the sitcom.
He added: “I hope that in my career I get to play another part that’s as fun [as Thomas].
“And, you know, the good thing about us as a group creating our own stuff is you do get to just write yourself that fun.
“Hopefully, we will get those opportunities again, but yeah, I’ll miss that guy.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — ‘Big Brother’ contestant Farida Khalifa had a game plan the whole time.
The 50-year-old make-up artist – who was the first person to be evicted from the house on the ITV reboot of the revolutionary reality show after being put up for nomination against NHS manager Kerry, 40, on Friday (13.10.23) night – admitted that she was plotting to use her appearance on the programme to boost her profile in the public sphere.
In her exit interview with host AJ Odudu on ‘Big Brother: Late and Live’, she said: “I didn’t feel like they were disrespectful towards my religion. I just felt they couldn’t cope with hearing some home truths.
“I set out what I wanted to achieve and that was to gain followers and to grow my business. I said to them ‘you should have a purpose’ and it made them feel threatened.”
The former ‘Blankety Blank’ contestant agreed with comparisons between herself and Nicholas ‘Nasty Nick’ Bateman – who competed on the first-ever edition of ‘Big Brother’ in 2000 and was very upfront and honest about having a game plan to win the cash prize prize – as she understood the importance of being “smart” while on the telly to help her life outside of the house.
She added: “Yeah! Yeah. You have to be smart. People might say I was all ‘me, me, me.’ Well, absolutely, why shouldn’t I?”
Farida – who doesn’t drink due to her Muslim faith – also spilt about the housemates being supplied with booze “most evenings”, but her co-stars managed to keep it together and not get too carried away.
She revealed: “They get alcohol most evenings. Because I don’t drink I don’t really understand amounts. But Olivia was given a bottle of Prosecco. But I didn’t think ‘god they’re drunk’. They’re not rolling about.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ star Adam Thomas has been struck down with illness.
The ‘Waterloo Road’ actor, 35, shared a picture from his bed as he rests ahead of Saturday (21.10.23) night’s show.
He captioned the snap on his Instagram Story: “Off all weeks to be poorly!”
Adam didn’t state whether he would be able to rehearse ahead of the weekend.
As well as competing on the BBC One Latin and ballroom show with professional partner Luba Mushtuk, the 35-year-old actor is also filming the BBC school drama.
Adam’s sickness comes after he admitted he nearly withdrew from ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ amid concerns about his mental health.
The former ‘Emmerdale’ star was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis – which can lead to swollen and stiff joints – and Adam’s wife Caroline admitted that his participation was “touch and go” at one stage.
Caroline – who has been married to the actor since 2017 – told the Daily Star newspaper: “We’re really excited because at one point it was touch and go if he could do the show. It’s been a really tough year. Adam couldn’t get out of bed in January – he was on crutches. It’s been horrific.
“I didn’t know what to do for the best and that’s when we sought help. He tried with so many doctors. I snapped and said, ‘I can’t see you like this anymore’. Even getting downstairs was difficult.”
Adam – who has Teddy, nine, and Elsie, five, with Caroline – couldn’t do any meaningful exercise at one point in time.
Caroline shared: “It really affected his mental health not being able to play football with Teddy – it broke his heart. But him speaking up about arthritis has helped other people.”
Despite this, Adam has been able to take to the ‘Strictly’ dancefloor, and the actor previously revealed he’s determined to “get fit” during his time on the BBC show.
He said on Instagram: “The reason I signed up to Strictly is because I just want to be able to move again, get fit and do it, all with a smile on my face!
“It really couldn’t have come at a better time.
“I’m a firm believer of everything happening for a reason, and I know the journey I’ve been on was meant to happen, to never take small things in life for granted! Like going for a run, playing with my kids and just being able to walk with no pain!”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Lydia Bright will adopt a child if she fails to find love again.
The 32-year-old former ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ star is mum to three-year-old daughter Loretta with her ex-boyfriend Lee Cronin but she dreams of getting married and having more kids – and she’s decided she will turn to adoption if she fails to meet the right man.
She told new! magazine: “I definitely haven’t ruled out having more kids. I want Loretta to have siblings, whether they’re biological or adopted. In an ideal world, I would like to meet someone, fall in love, get married and have more children. That would be the dream.
“But if I don’t then it wouldn’t stop me having more kids via adoption.”
Lydia explained her parents Debbie and Dave are foster carers and seeing them look after other children has inspired her to do the same.
She added: “[Fostering is something I would consider], especially after watching my mum and dad do it. I want Loretta to grow up in a similar household to what I had. Even if I had more biological kids, I’d still consider it.”
In a previous interview, Lydia called her parents an inspiration for dedicating so many years to helping children. She said: “The most inspirational people in my life and in my world are my parents because they have dedicated 30 years of their life to helping children and helping families and they’re just very selfless in their ways and they are just amazing all-round people. We’ve just got an amazing family, a great group of friends, they’re just incredible people so I just always try to mirror my life slightly on them and try and do them proud.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Dawn French has credited her late father with helping her grow up free from insecurities.
The ‘French and Saunders’ star’s dad Denys took his own life in the late 1970s when Dawn was just 19 years old, but the 65-year-old comedian/actress says he prepared her well for life because he made sure she knew her worth.
She told Yours magazine: “Now that I look back on it as an adult, I think he needed to give me some armour, he told me I should value myself and that I deserved the very best.
“As a little chubby girl I could have grown up with all kinds of insecurities, but because of him I have nerv doubted that I’m not worth something.”
Dawn’s father spent years struggling with depression, and the TV star says she’s feared falling victim to mental health problems herself but she’s managed to keep a positive outlook and find joy in little things.
She added: “I’ve had sadness, but I haven’t sunk to depths like that. I’ve got too much to live for I think. I find joy in lots of tiny things.”
It comes after Dawn revealed she has spent years in agony after seriously injuring herself when recreating her famous ‘Vicar of Dibley’ puddle jump scene on a chat show.
The actress agreed to act out the famous skit – in which her character disappeared into a deep puddle up to her neck – during an appearance on Paul O’Grady’s chat show in 2009 in which she would fall through specially-built set but she landed badly and was left with lasting injuries. During her one-woman stage show in Exeter last month – as reported by the Daily Mail newspaper – Dawn explained: “[It was] catastrophically misguided … They constructed a 10ft-high hill out of scaffolding covered in AstroTurf. The idea was that there was a long enough drop for me to disappear into. Then some bright spark had the idea of having a shallow silicon membrane containing two inches of water on top so that, as I jumped through, the water would splash up and look like a deep puddle. But what was I falling onto? The answer is absolutely nothing. Except for 10ft below there were two very thin crash mats in a film studio with a flat concrete floor. Any fool would know this was a disaster in the making. Any fool but me.”
Dawn landed badly and heard a “twanging noise” and spent a long time in pain before consulting a surgeon who warned her she would need a knee-replacement operation in the future.
She has since been keeping her pain at bay with steroid injections.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Eamonn Holmes feels “resentful” since he started being affected by crippling chronic back pain.
The 63-year-old TV presenter began suffering with his back two years ago and since then he has undergone spinal surgery, but during his recovery period a year ago he fell down the stairs at his home in Surrey, South East England.
Eamonn’s injuries have included a dislocated pelvis, three slipped discs and a trapped sciatic nerve and the GB News breakfast show host admits the pain has taken away a lot of his mobility and left him frustrated he cannot do certain things he used to be ale to do comfortably.
Speaking on Coleen Nolan’s ‘Let’s Start Talking’ podcast, with Co-op Funeralcare, he said: “I get very resentful that I’m not the way I used to be but I get on with it.
“I work hard at trying to walk. It’s very hard to get through a normal day but I have help from people around me.”
Eamon has nothing but praise for his wife, 63-year-old ‘Loose Women’ panellist Ruth Langsford, for the love and support she has continuously offered him.
He said: “Ruth’s not a particularly tolerant person, but, my God, I’m so indebted to her.
“She’s from an Army family and she just gets on with it, she’s a tour de force.
“It’s very hard to describe Ruth. I could quite happily take the adulation with my job but she literally cannot wait to get home, get her make-up off and start clearing out drawers and unloading the dishwasher. I can’t sing her praises enough, she’s not what you expect in showbiz.”
Eamonn has not tried a myriad of treatments to improve his condition, including ice-cold showers, epidural injections and physiotherapy but so far nothing has worked to alleviate his pain.
Speaking on the matter, he said: “The latest one I’m trying is this back stretching.
“I pay privately because my insurance only covers so much.
“I go to the paraplegic gym, I try my best but nothing much is getting better and no one has a prognosis as to whether it will get better.”
His physical health struggles have also opened his eyes as to the sorely-lacking support system for disabled people.
He said: “There was nothing wrong with my back two years ago. Then your life’s turned upside-down.
“You get outraged on behalf of people who are permanently disabled and the lack of facilities for them. I can’t do things on my own, I need help and that’s a constantly humiliating thing.
“You’re judged on everything, people have an insight into your life.
“There are so many things if I was Prime Minister that I would change, and one is education about maintaining our backs.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Sir David Attenborough worries that if he talks too much on his wildlife shows he will spoil the magic for the viewers.
The 97-year-old BBC biologist has been teaching us about nature on television for eight decades narrating shows such ‘Blue Planet’, ‘Life on Earth’ and ‘The Private Life of Plants’.
But Sir David believes that less is more when it comes to what he adds to the scenes of wildlife because “a picture is more powerful than a spoken word”.
Speaking to BBC Wildlife Magazine, he said: “You mustn’t be too wordy.
“The one key, I think, is that a picture is more powerful than a spoken word, and if you give people the two things, the thing that they remember is the picture.
“You can’t ignore pictures. I don’t think you could generalise, but you should remember that pictures are more powerful than words.”
David also revealed that he often tosses his script aside in the recording booth to improve the shows.
He said: “Having written a commentary, the first thing to do is to carefully see what you can get rid of.”
Attenborough will be returning to our screens this weekend with ‘Planet Earth III’, which will air on Sunday at 6:15pm on BBC One.
Speaking about how impressed he is with the technological advancements in filming technology in recent years, and all of the possibilities it allows, David said: “The drone is now quite small. It carries a camera, it carries a transmitter, and it can go anywhere.
“It can take you and show you sites that human eyes have simply never seen before – and answer all kinds of questions.
“It’s really quite extraordinary.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — ‘Autumnwatch’ is returning to screens as part of ‘The One Show’.
The nature show ran from 2006 to 2022, with the BBC announcing in February 2023 that it would not be returning to television.
Fans will get to see Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan and Gillian Burke join ‘The One Show’ at the end of October to produce a series of three short films and live link ups on location across the UK, to bring audiences the best of British wildlife.
Joanne Vaughan Jones, Editor of ‘The One Show’, said: “We’re thrilled to collaborate with the ‘Autumnwatch’ team. It’s an exciting opportunity for viewers to tune into incredible live footage of our wildlife across the UK and enjoy scenes from one of our most colourful seasons.”
Presenter Michaela, 57, said: “Autumn marks a beautiful transition in nature’s calendar and I’m delighted we can continue to bring this seasonal event to viewers across the UK and capture the wonders of British wildlife.”
The hosts will be travelling to different nature wonderlands over the country, including the largest colony of greater horseshoe bats in the UK, capture the piercing screeches of tawny owls in Kiedler Forest, Northumberland, and take a peek at the annual red deer rut in Hampshire’s New Forest.
The presenters will also live-link to Iolo Williams at Dorset’s RSPB Arne, which is currently where Springwatch and Winterwatch reside.
If all goes their way, The One Show will bring live footage of the sika deer, wading birds, hares and foxes using thermal cameras, as well as giving viewers the chance to peer into a barn owl box.
The three films will showcase the ongoing work that is going on to protect wildlife, as well as how animal behaviours change from season to season.
‘Autumnwatch’ fans can catch these films and the live link-ups on BBC One, which will be screened over three consecutive nights on Tuesday 24, Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 October at 7pm each evening. Viewers can also catch up on BBC iPlayer.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ star Layton Williams suffered a tearful “wobble” backstage as he prepared to perform for the first time.
The 29-year-old ‘Bad Education’ star made his debut on the BBC talent show dancing a samba to Little Mix song ‘Touch’ and the actor has revealed nerves almost got the better of him just as he was about to walk out in front of the judges for his first dance.
He told TV Times magazine: “The first week when we were doing the sama, I had a bit of a wobble. I just saw my mum pop up on the screen and it just made me really emotional.
I thought: ‘Oh my God, I think I’m going to cry’.”
However, he credits his dance partner Nikita Kuzmin with helping him through. Layton added: “Nikita just grabbed my hand and we took a little breath, then we went on stage and did the dance.”
The professional dancer added the pair now take a moment before every dance to hold hands and breathe together.
Nikita added: “We always just hold hands and kind of meditate together before each dance. That’s been our thing so far – just connecting together and creating a calm little bubble between us.”
The dancer previously admitted he’s thrilled to be in a same-sex dance partnership with Layton on the show after watching his co-stars John Whaite and Johannes Radebe make it to the final two years ago.
He told Metro: “To be honest, it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do on the show, ever since I saw John and Johannes. “They were absolutely fabulous, an iconic partnership. “I was just like, I would like the same opportunity, and it’s been amazing so far. A dream come true!”
Nikita also previously defended his partner over criticism of his previous dance training and stage work – insisting performing on ‘Strictly’ is totally different to anything Layton has done before.
He told the Mirror newspaper: “Ballroom and Latin are completely different to anything Layton has done so far, the technique, posture and especially to coordination is completely different; he has a lot to learn and I can’t wait to teach him.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Channel 5 has confirmed that ‘Rich House, Poor House’ is returning.
The reality series sees two families from very different economic backgrounds swap their household income, budget and lifestyle for a week.
The programme aired from March 2017 but Channel 5 made the decision to pull the plug on it in October 2022 due to the cost of living crisis.
But it is now coming back to screens and the new season will begin with boxer-turned-entrepreneur Maxine McCarthy trade homes with struggling college students Danny and Nicky, who share five children.
Maxine made her money from her Manchester beauty training academy Cosmetic Couture. In stark contrast, Danny studies barbering and Nicky studies beauty therapy, with both struggling to make ends-meet in low-wage jobs.
The first episodes will see Maxine move into Danny and Nicky’s small, rented Manchester house with her children and housekeeper Chor, whilst the family-of-five will experience what life is like for the other half in the entrepreneur’s Cheshire mansion.
The show is well-known to pull on the heartstrings of its viewers by showing just how hard life can be for those at the bottom of society.
In the last series, audiences were introduced to Lesley, who gave up on her dreams to start a tea room business when her husband Dave slipped in the shower in 2011 and suffered life-altering brain injuries. The couple were living in a £800-a-month barn in Pernath, and were receiving around £83 a week for essentials.
The business-hopeful swapped lives with Nicky Bright, who is the owner of an interior design business and holiday cottages.
After the swap between the two families came to an end, Nicky offered Lesley a life-changing proposition, telling her: “I’d love to partner up with you for a business to do with a tea room. You would be bringing in close to about £650,000 in your first year.
“I just know we can work together, we can make this work and with the right people around us, we can make it fly.”
Gobsmacked, Lesley, with tears of joy in her eyes, replied: “I’m shaking here, I’m really overwhelmed about what Nicky has just offered me and she doesn’t even know me. My life’s going to change.”
The new series of ‘Rich House, Poor House’ is due to air on October 22 at 8pm.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — ‘EastEnders’ star Natalie Cassidy gets told by fans that she is much better looking in real life compared to her character Sonia Fowler.
The 39-year-old actress has portrayed downtrodden Sonia on the BBC One soap since 1993, joining the show when she was just 10 years old.
Natalie’s alter ego has had a number of unglamorous jobs living in Albert Square, such as working in the Minute Mart, which means she doesn’t get many opportunities to dress up and look her best.
The TV star has now revealed that when viewers recognise her out and and about they tell her that she looks better in person.
Appearing on the Chatabix podcast, she said: “I get this out on the street, which is quite good, ‘Excuse me, you look a little bit like that Sonia off ‘EastEnders’.’ I go, ‘Yeah I am.’ They go, ‘Are you? You look so much better in real life.’ Which is nice, but also, you know…”
Natalie accepts that her Albert Square fame will mean she is always recognised in public and she is always happy to make time for fans.
But the soap legend isn’t always as keen to be recognised when tradesmen and workers visit her house.
She said: “You know what really upsets me? Two blokes come round to read the gas meter in the garden, and then when I answer the door and say, ‘Yeah, go round.’ They go, ‘Good luck in ‘EastEnders’.’ I feel a bit uncomfortable because they know where I live and stuff.
“They probably couldn’t give a s**t, they couldn’t care less, what an ego.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online