OHMYGOSSIP — Paul O’Grady would want his friends to have fun at his funeral.
The 67-year-old TV presenter died suddenly last week but his friend Amanda Mealing insisted he would not want his loved ones to be “morose” at his passing.
She told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: “Whatever happens, Paul’s funeral will be a celebration of his life and it will be full of laughter.
“He just told us to have a good time – he’d hate it if everyone was mawkish and morose. He would just say: ‘I don’t care, I won’t be here! Do whatever you want’.”
And actress Amanda – who called Paul ‘Savage’ after his alter-ego Lily Savage – hopes that there will be two funerals for Paul, a small private one for family and friends and a larger celebration of life for the general public.
She said: “There may be two funerals.
“A small private one and a big one in a very grand place for those outside the family. I would think it’ll be in London.
“Then everyone can come to that and it gives people a chance to fly in. There are ongoing conversations.
“We’ve also been asking: ‘Can we do something in Liverpool?’ because obviously they very much feel he’s their baby. It’s so difficult.”
Amanda found out about her pal’s death in text from his husband Andre Portasio and she raced to the couple’s farmhouse in Aldington, Kent to comfort him.
She said: “Andre sent me a text at 1am. I woke up to it. I was just numb. I just couldn’t comprehend what the text had said.
“I just couldn’t understand it. As soon as I got myself together I went down to the house.
“Over the last few days, we’ve started conversations crying and end up laughing with tears just remembering ridiculous stories!
“On the first day we were all just wandering around numb and then yesterday I spent the entire day doing flower arrangements.
“There were so many flowers and gifts from people. Someone sent a video of a really beautiful send-off at the Vauxhall Tavern [the iconic London venue]. The thing that got us all was that instead of a moment’s silence, they had a moment’s cheer and that just set us all off. It was such a lovely thing. It just captures you.
“You think you’re okay and then something like that just gets you.
“It was such a lovely gesture to hear all this noise for him. It’s been an enormous comfort to know he was so loved. And for a kid from Birkenhead to have the Queen Consort send a message of condolence… speaks volumes. They had a great bond, but the thing about Savage was that he treated everyone the same, whether you were related to the Queen or a builder. It didn’t matter to him.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Michelle Keegan is so convincing in ‘Fool Me Once’ that even author Harlan Coben mixes her up with her character.
Michelle, 35, plays Maya, a battle-weary veteran whose home life is turned upside down when her husband is murdered in the Netflix adaptation of Coben’s book and the author revealed that he even mixes Michelle and Maya up.
He told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: “You have a picture in mind then someone walks in and you go: ‘That person gets Maya.’
“I really thought Michelle did. She is Maya now, for me. Sometimes I accidentally call her Maya.
“She is a very authentic actress.”
Nicola Shindler’s Quay Street Productions is producing the series, alongside series writer Danny Brocklehurst and Richard Fee.
Richard Armitage and Joanna Lumley also star in the Netflix adaptation and Coben previously said: “I’m thrilled and honoured to once again be collaborating with my uber-talented partners Danny, Nicola and Richard. ‘Fool Me Once’ will be our fourth Netflix series together, and man, it never gets old! ‘Fool Me Once’ is a pulse-pounder — a shocking story of how secrets and deceit have the power to bring people together while simultaneously tearing them apart. I can’t wait to see how this dream cast brings these characters to life.”
Shindler and Fee, who exec produce for Quay Street, added: “Harlan is a master of twists and turns that are impossible to predict, which is what makes adapting his books for television impossible to resist! ‘Fool Me Once’ is no different, we’re incredibly excited to bring the story to life with an all-star cast.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Sheridan Smith is set to take her one-woman West End show ‘Shirley Valentine’ on a UK tour.
The 41-year-old actress’ new show – the story of a dissatisfied Scouse housewife who takes a holiday to Greece that was turned into a 1989 movie starring Pauline Collins – has proved so popular at London’s Duke of York theatre that she is now in talks to take it on the road after it finishes its run in June.
Theatre director David Pugh told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: ‘I want to bring Shirley to the people, but only if it’s Sheridan. She is perfect in every way.
“Sheridan has been inundated with film and TV offers because of the success of Shirley. Her agent is on holiday but I think they’re going to have a look at all these wonderful offers.
“But if we could take Sheridan as Shirley around the country I would love to. There hasn’t been an empty seat yet. Sheridan hasn’t missed a laugh.”
If Sheridan goes ahead with the tour, it is tipped to net up to £500,000.
An industry insider added: “Early discussions have already begun to take the production to regional theatres. Fans have already been asking for it, so bigwigs are looking at schedules.”
Meanwhile, Sheridan previously revealed she decked” a whole bottle of fake wine in a single take while filming ‘Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything’.
The ex ‘Gavin and Stacey’ star defied all on-set expectations about her capacity for the faux vino and downed it all in one on the Sky drama – which follows a woman with a laundry list of addictions and personal problems hitting rock bottom at her brother’s wedding and is set to debut on December 7.
She previously told The Sun on Sunday: “The scene started and I think the production team thought I was going to say, ‘Cut, I can’t drink all that’. Anyway, I didn’t.
“They all had to wait for ages as I decked this whole bottle of pretend wine in one take. When I finished, I had to deliver the line, ‘I’m good, thanks!’ all bloated like a balloon.”
Sheridan admitted she struggled to “breathe” after necking the bottle but was met with a rapturous response from everyone witnessing the great feat that ruined her appetite.
She added: “I could hardly breathe after downing it all. Afterwards, the whole crew gave me this big round of applause but I felt so sick. I didn’t even eat my lunch.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Katya Jones is planning a “husband hunting holiday”.
The ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ professional – who split from husband Neil Jones in 2019 – revealed she is in the market for a new spouse and is hoping a trip with a friend will help her find ‘The One’.
Speaking to The Sun on Sunday newspaper, she said: “We will be definitely going on a husband-hunting trip very soon.
“I mean we’re constantly husband-hunting. Modern dating is very complicated, I don’t always understand men’s thinking, but I’d like to think I’m a good judge of character.”
However, Katya admitted she has had no luck with dating apps.
She said: “They are rubbish. I am on Raya. I’m looking for someone who can handle a self-sufficient woman and add value to my life.
“Someone who is caring and loving – all I want is unconditional love.”
Katya and Neil announced their separation in 2019 after Katya was seen kissing her ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ celebrity partner Seann Walsh in 2018.
But Neil has previously insisted their decision to split was not linked to Katya’s kiss with the comedian.
He previously explained to The Sun on Sunday: “We found that we’d grown apart like people do, so we were like, ‘OK, let’s go our separate ways’. We are lucky that we don’t have kids.
“It had nothing to do with what happened [with Seann].
“We were moving in different directions but we are friends again now. Katya is a great girl and I’ve got nothing bad to say about her.”
Neil also claimed he didn’t dwell on Katya and Sean’s kiss, even though it created a major talking point at the time.
He said: “We’re human, we all see things in completely different ways. We don’t all react the same way.
“That’s the thing with me. I’m in a good place and me and Katya get on really well now.
“For me it’s something that happened in the past. We spoke about everything back then. We had a situation but everyone was supportive, so we got through it.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Katya Jones is “so happy” for her ex-husband Neil Jones after he announced he’s engaged and set to become a father for the first time.
The ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ professional and former Love Islander, Chyna Mills, have just announced they have taken their relationship to the next level with Neil popping the question, while the loved-up pair are also expecting a baby together.
Chyna, 24, told HELLO!: “I can’t wait to see Neil as a dad, I can see how happy he is and how good he is with his nieces and nephews.”
Neil, 40, who slid into his fiancee’s DMs, gushed: “Chyna is going to make a great mum.
“Even now, she sits there and goes: ‘Me and our baby know everything about each other.”
‘Strictly’ star Katya – who was married to Neil from 2013 until 2019 – was among their celebrity pals congratulating the couple on their double announcement.
Katya, 33, shared the news on her Instagram Story and wrote: “So happy for these two! @mr_jonesofficial, you deserve all the happiness.”
Her split from Neil came after she was photographed kissing comedian Seann Walsh, 37, who was also in a relationship at the time.
However, they insisted that the pair falling victim to the infamous ‘Strictly’ curse had nothing to do with them ending their marriage.
In a joint statement, Neil and Katya said at the time: “Hi everyone, as our fans and loyal supporters you are really important to us and so we wanted to let you know some news.
“After 11 years, we have made the mutual decision to separate.”
A spokesperson for the exes added: “It would be incorrect and unfair to attribute their separation to one isolated incident.
“Many people make such a decision to separate when they realise that their relationship has become more of a friendship. They remain the very best of friends and will continue to dance together.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Giovanni Pernice admits he gets “lonely” at times.
The ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ pro dancer lamented on his single status with his BBC Latin and ballroom co-star Anton Du Beke and how he would one day like to settle down, following his recently reported split from Jowita Przystal, a fellow dancer on the show.
The 32-year-old professional dancer told the 56-year-old show judge on their BBC travel show ‘Anton and Giovanni’s Adventures in Sicily’: “Of course I’ll have a family one day, you just have to find the right person first. Personally, I am just very focused on my career as you were at my age.
“It does get lonely sometimes, it’s a tricky thing between – there’s a line, a fine line, between: ‘I want to be in a relationship and be with somebody because you get lonely.
“But at the same time, you want to be free to be able to focus on your career. And also, this industry, quite tricky, as you know, because you always have to be focused.”
Giovanni made the admission about his relationship status after he revealed his dreams to “cook” for his future brood during the show.
He told Anton: “One day, I will cook for my family.”
Anton – who has six-year-old twins Henrietta and George with his wife Hannah Summers – responded: “Once you get a family, you will be doing it all the time.”
Giovanni continued: “My mum always says to me, ‘So, Giovanni, what’s the situation?’ because obviously every time I date a girl, I always tell her and say, ‘What do you think about this?’ Bless her, she’s seen so many passing by.
“But initially, she’s like, ‘Is she the one? You know, I want a baby before I pass way!’ It’s all the time, constantly, it’s funny.
“Of course, I’ll have a family one day, you just have to find the right person first. Personally, I am just very focused on my career as you were at my age.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Alan Carr says his late friend Paul O’Grady didn’t want to go to heaven because he “wouldn’t know anyone”.
The ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’ judge revealed that his ‘For The Love of Dogs’ presenter pal – who died this week aged 67 – wasn’t fussed about heading through the pearly gates, because none of his friends would be there.
The 46-year-old comedian wrote on an Instagram post of the pair: “He will be missed SO much, my friend asked him recently ‘do you think you’ll go to heaven Paul?’ Quick as a whip he replied ‘I hope not, I won’t know anyone. (sic)”
Alan revealed he had “been no use to anyone” after hearing about Paul’s passing, who he labelled a “true one-off”.
He wrote: “I’ve been no use to anyone today. Loved Paul, who didn’t? A true one off. Having dinner with Paul O’Grady was the closest any of us would get to having dinner with Dorothy Parker or Truman Capote – he would have you literally in hysterics regaling these showbiz anecdotes and quips from Marlene Dietrich to Cilla Black to The Royals to the Disappointer Sisters – it seemed like he knew everyone. (sic)”
Some of the biggest names in British showbiz have publicly mourned for Paul – who shot to fame with his drag persona Lily Savage – with sweet words for their dearly departed friend, such as his pal and ex ‘Countdown’ star Carol Vorderman.
The 62-year-old television personality told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “When you were with Paul, and even when you watched him on screen … he was one of those people who just made your blood feel like you were alive.
“There was every part of you that was alive, and you never knew what was going to happen.”
Carol praised his fearlessness in the telly industry, adding: “He’d be calling out the TV execs way before (Gary) Lineker, when it wasn’t popular.
“You had to love him for that, he didn’t care – he’d go into the fight, and he’d go into the fight for the good.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Ferne McCann thinks she is expecting a baby girl, due to her experiencing “migraines”.
The former ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ star – who is expecting her second baby after welcoming her five-year-old daughter Sunday with her ex Arthur Collins – speculated she could be having another daughter to her fiancé Lorri Haines, 31, because she is suffering the same sort of headaches as she experienced when she first fell pregnant.
The 32-year-old reality television star said during an episode of her ITVBe show ‘First Time Mum’: “The one thing that I’ve had is migraines, and I just spoke to my mum on FaceTime and I can’t remember ever getting migraines before.
“But she said to me, ‘No you definitely did [when pregnant with Sunday]’ which leads me to think we’re having a girl.”
Upon hearing his fiancée’s speculation, Lorri quipped: “A house full of women, I can’t b***** wait.”
During the episode, Ferne explained that she and Lorri – who also has a child from a previous relationship, a son he keeps out of the spotlight – hadn’t prepared a boy’s name in case they have a son.
She said: “We still do not have a boys’ name.
“And I thought, shall I spend 10 minutes before bed just having another browse because I have ditched the name website things and I am now looking at Instagram.
“We have no boy names, we are not finding out the gender. We have got our girls’ name, no boys’ name.
“Lorri is bringing nothing to the table. Zilch. What did we say earlier? Aquarius? I quite like that.”
Lorri responded to the ex ‘Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins’ star: “No, it doesn’t roll off the tongue, it’s too long-winded.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Carol Vorderman has hinted there was some camp drama on ‘I’m A Celebrity…South Africa’ after admitting she doesn’t want to talk about “bonkers” fellow campmate Janice Dickinson “so much” nowadays.
The 62-year-old star is one of the nine celebrities currently confirmed to be taking part in the upcoming all-stars version of the ITV show, which is aiming to find an ‘I’m A Celebrity Legend’.
Carol admitted she got on well with fellow celebrities Helen Flanagan, Amir Khan, Fatima Whitbread, Phil Tufnell, and Jordan Banjo, who she starred alongside in the 2016 series of ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’, but wasn’t as forthcoming for praise about Janice.
Speaking on ‘Lorraine’, she said: “Helen Flanagan, I have absolutely, totally fallen in love with. She’s my little meerkat. I love her.
“Amir Khan – one of the funniest men on Earth.
“Jordan Banjo – so he was in Australia with me. I was his jungle mum and he was my jungle son. And Tuffers [Phil Tufnell].
“A lot of people I kind of knew before, Paul Burrell. And Fatima Whitbread, what a woman, what a story. She was amazing.
“Janice Dickinson – we’ll not talk about her so much. Yes, bonkers.”
Carol also admitted the show – which will be co-hosted by Ant and Dec – was “really, really hard”.
Earlier this week, ITV announced the nine celebrities who will appear in the show’s launch episode, which will air in April, and confirmed there will be “many more”.
Carol, Phil, Fatima, Janice, Jordan, Amir, Paul and Helen, will also be joined by Happy Mondays singer Shaun Ryder.
The former ‘Countdown’ co-host admitted this week that taking part in the Australian jungle-version of the show in 2016 changed her “a lot”.
She said: “Doing ‘I’m A Celebrity’ changed me a lot and I can’t wait to take part in this new series.
“I loved everything about I’m A Celebrity [the first time round]. We’ve still got a WhatsApp group! [from 2016].”
ITV admitted this week that the South African series will be an “even harder proposition” than the Australian show, and that it will push the contestants “to their limits and test them like never before”.
They added: “The challenges are bigger and tougher and the environment harsher and more unforgiving.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Babatunde Aleshe has a “cordial” relationship with his former ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ co-star Matt Hancock, but he “doesn’t agree” with everything he has done.
The 36-year-old comedian took part in the ITV show late last year alongside the former Health Secretary – who resigned from his position after he was found to have breached social distancing rules amid the coronavirus pandemic – and admits he believes in forgiveness because he is a Christian.
Speaking on Jimi Famurewa’s podcast ‘Where’s Home Really?’, he said: “We had a lot of full stars, courtesy of Matt. I always start by saying, first of all, big up to Jill Scott, who was the winner.
“But in regards to Matt, I will say this, look, I’m a Christian. And I can disagree with everything someone has done. And equally say, I believe in second chances.
“And if I, as a Christian, don’t practice forgiveness, then what’s the point of me even being Christian? Because that is the very foundation of the whole faith.
“But equally as saying that, I can equally say you’ve completely failed the people.
“You know, I think that’s the understanding me and Matt have, and that’s what allowed me and him to have the relationship we do have to this very day, which is, we are very much cordial, we’re very cool with each other.
“We don’t exchange any, like disrespectful words towards each other.
“But rest assured, I do not agree and have not agreed with anything that guy has done. And I just have to clarify that.”
But Babatunde insisted he and Matt “are not friends”, and he often has to clarify that to his pals.
He said: “I got a lot of people messaging me going, ‘How are you friends with this guy?’ And it’s just like, ‘We are not friends, let’s put that out there.’ ”
Last year, Babatunde admitted he grew to “respect” Matt.
He told MailOnline: “He’s a good sport. Honest to God, I respect the man highly for having people like me, Seann and even Chris be on his back for certain things.
“I involved him in the joke, I wasn’t trying to laugh at him, I was trying to laugh with him and make him laugh at himself.
“I’m from a different perspective, everyone else is coming from a perspective where they actually understand politics a bit more whereas I am coming from a working-class perspective where it’s like I might not understand everything you do but certain things that you do are funny to me like the whole bum grab – all of that stuff, that’s what my generation and my culture would point out.”
‘Where’s Home Really?’ is available to listen to on all podcast platforms: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/wheres-home-really/id1672550253

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Ken Bruce has “absolutely” no ill will towards the BBC.
The former BBC Radio 2 DJ recently departed the public broadcaster for a new adventure at Greatest Hits Radio after 45 years, and the star admitted he wanted to take on a new challenge rather than go through a “slow decline”.
After being asked by Lorraine Kelly if he and the BBC had any “hard feelings” on her ITV1 chat show ’Lorraine’, the 72-year-old broadcaster said: “Absolutely not”.
Lorraine deemed it “great” that he decided on a new frontier professionally.
The 63-year-old presenter said: “You know, I think it’s great you wanted to have a challenge.”
Ken responded: “That’s right, there is a time in your life where you say, ‘Do I keep on doing this forever and ever and watch a slow decline?’
“Or, do you give yourself a kick up the backside and try something new.
“I mean, it’s not brand new because I’m more or less doing the same thing, but it’s a different environment and a commercial station which I’ve never worked on before.
“So it will be a little challenge but enough of a challenge to keep me on my toes.”
This exchange comes after Ken labelled it “unnecessary” for the BBC to have given him an early send-off from his long-standing gig.
He told the Daily Mail newspaper: “That was disappointing. I thought, ‘Come on, you can trust me. I’m not going to do a Dave Lee Travis’ [referring to the ex-BBC DJ who resigned on air in 1993]. I’m not going to start badmouthing everybody because I had a lovely time at the BBC. So it was all a bit … unnecessary.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Families are being offered the chance to win a trip to see Stephen Mulhern’s new show for free.
The 45-year-old magician-and-presenter may be busy with his new job hosting ‘Deal or No Deal’, but he’s also bringing his ‘Spellbound’ performance to Butlin’s three resorts, Bognor Regis, Skegness and Minehead – where he started his own career as one of the beloved Redcoats – this summer, and Brits are being offered the chance to bag a trip to see the show, which includes magic, illusions and games.
Mike Godolphin, Entertainment Director at Butlin’s, said: “Stephen has a long history with Butlin’s, and as an ex-Redcoat, there’s no one better to lead such a new and exciting show.
“This is a great chance for one lucky family to win big, and you won’t have to negotiate with the dreaded Banker to make it happen, so make sure you apply before the competition ends!”
To be in with a chance of winning, visit https://www.butlins.com/about-us/email-signup and subscribe to Butlin’s mailing by midnight on 3 April, and a winner will be selected by 7 April.
Meanwhile, the ‘Catchphrase’ host recently admitted he is “beyond excited” to be fronting the new series of ‘Deal or No Deal’ – which was originally hosted by Noel Edmonds when it ran on Channel 4 from 2005 to 2016 – for ITV.
He said: “Wow, what an opportunity, I’m beyond excited to be hosting the brand-new series. I’ve always been such a huge fan of the show – so much so, I’ve been practising at home with small cereal boxes!
“It looks so simple but it’s an incredibly compelling game for both those playing and the viewers watching at home.
“It’s one of the greatest shows of all time and to be the new host is an honour. I can’t wait to get started.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online