OHMYGOSSIP — Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc have discovered an “amazing” and “odd” family link.
The co-stars and longtime friends fronted ‘The Great British Bake Off’ together between 2010 and 2016, and now Sue has found out that they actually have ancestors from the same country.
Appearing on BBC genealogy show ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’, Sue told Mel: “I know that there’s some kind of Eastern European connection and part of me’s hoping it’s Lithuania because I really like the idea that my ancestors were toshing around the same neck of the woods as yours. That would be so odd.”
Giedroyc – whose family originated in Lithuania – added: “That would be amazing.”
When Sue travelled to Germany to find out more about her great-grandmother Anna, she was told that Anna was born in a part of Russia that is now in Lithuania.
Speaking on her upcoming episode of ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’, she said: “I can’t even tell you how delighted I am that it’s Lithuania because Mel who I work with and who’s family to me, she’s Lithuanian. That makes me so happy.”
At the beginning of the episode, Sue explained that she “spends a lot of time in [her] own head” and has taken up boxing to clear her mind.
She revealed: “Some people might find their spiritual dimension in a lotus pose…I find mine in an upper cut. I’m someone who spends a lot of time in my own head…what boxing does is it dulls the chitter chatter. There’s a flow and a relaxation to it, and I love it.”
During the climactic few minutes of the episode, Sue visits a Lithuanian church where her great grand mother was christened only to discover that it is now in fact a boxing gym.
She said: “No way! You are kidding me! The universe couldn’t have planned this better. If this was a story I saw written down I’d go, no, that final scene’s too pat, it doesn’t work.I mean, what a narrative arc. The Lutheran church is now a boxing gym!”
Sue’s episode of ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ airs on Thursday (26.05.22) at 9pm on BBC One.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Richard Osman would love to write a murder mystery novel about his real-life four-time great grandfather.
The ‘Pointless’ host was recently blown away when he discovered his ancestor Gabriel Gilliam – who was born in 1789 – uncovered a dead body and helped solve the case in 1831, which was remarkably similar to his own books including debut novel ‘The Thursday Murder Club’.
Reflecting on Gabriel, his wife Mary and mother Elizabeth, he told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “Gabriel, Mary and Elizabeth are the poorest of the poor fisher-folk from Brighton.
“And it is an amazing circus that they were suddenly at the heart of. To think they were the detectives of the day and their investigations essentially led to justice.
“I’m minded to write a detective duo which is Gabriel and his mum Elizabeth, solving crimes in 1830s Brighton.”
While appearing on BBC show ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’, Richard discovered newspaper reports revealing how Gabriel found clothes and a body just outside Brighton.
He and another man David Maskell visited the site a number of times and later realised they had stumbled on the body of a woman from the town, who was later identified as Celia Holloway.
He also returned to the site with Mary and Elizabeth, and informed the authorities, before giving evidence at an inquest in a pub the next day and in a subsequent court case.
This led to Celia’s husband John being found guilty of her murder, and he was sentenced to death.
Richard added: “It’s making every hair on my neck stand up. You can just imagine the three of them talking this through.
“I find it extraordinary. I write about a gang who investigate things and I’ve written about amateur sleuths uncovering bodies.
“Suddenly, there is a real life case with Gabriel right at the heart of it.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Sir David Jason thinks TV bosses need to be more patient to find the next ‘Only Fools And Horses’.
The 82-year-old star – who played Del Boy in the classic sitcom – has insisted new shows should be given more time to grow and develop before bosses decided to axe them.
As quoted by the Daily Mirror newspaper, he told fans at a convention: “It was not greeted well.
“With comedy you have to give it time to breathe, so the audience can learn about the characters.
“We got another series and even given the chance to keep improving. They don’t want to do that these days, they just want the audience figures.”
Meanwhile, David also noted that the show’s creator John Sullivan had to cut hours of jokes from the script before they even started filming the first series.
As reported by The Sun newspaper’s TV Biz column, he added: “I said, ‘This is ridiculous. We are cutting and throwing away more funny material than most of the other comedy shows have got in their whole show.’
“It was gold dust and it was so funny but we were just throwing it away.
“We were told that situation comedies had to be 30 minutes… we said, ‘But this is Fools And Horses’. So that is the way we got it back to 40 minutes and then we had 50 minutes, then an hour.”
Earlier this year, Michael Fenton Stevens – who appeared as a holiday rep in 1989 episode ‘The Unlucky Winner Is…’ – opened up on the hours of unheard material which could be lost forever.
He said: “Every half hour script has 10 minutes of material which was cut.
“If you can find the original scripts from before they were printed to be used in the studio, if you can get them from when he was writing – and they must be somewhere, his family must have them on record – I think it would be brilliant to read through all those bits that were cut.
“I don’t remember there being anything in it that was worth cutting, we just cut it because we had to, which was a shame.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Stacey Dooley is set to go behind the scenes of Blackpool Dance Festival for a new documentary.
The annual competition – which this year will see thousands of dancers from more than 40 countries descend onto the North West seaside town – will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer for the very first time at part of ‘Blackpool’s Ballroom Battle’, with the former ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ champion serving as producer though her company Little Dooley.
In a statement, Stacey said: “The minute I was introduced to the extraordinary world of ballroom, and Latin I was hooked! The culture, the passion, the dedication, the anecdotes, the sequins!
“We are hoping to deliver an insightful, thrilling look into an iconic scene that has until now, felt relatively undiscovered. And I really can’t wait!”
For almost 100 years, the competition has been held at the Empress Ballroom of Blackpool and BBC bosses are “excited” to bring the “mysterious world” of dance to the screen with the one-off documentary.
Viewers will get to meet “some of the larger-than-life personalities, influential players, trainers and coaches of ballroom” as the programme reveals the secret of “this unique and little known culture of competitive ballroom”.
In a press release, the BBC said: “Featuring Blackpool in all its glory, Blackpool’s Ballroom Battle is a tribute to a world where dreams are made and broken every year in the dazzling Empress Ballroom of Blackpool, and where what happens on the dancefloor, doesn’t always stay on the dancefloor.”
Kate Phillips, BBC’s Director of Unscripted, added: “I am so excited to bring Blackpool’s Ballroom Battle to BBC audiences.
“Little Dooley has done a fantastic job in getting access to the Blackpool Dance Festival, which has long been a hidden and mysterious world to those not in the dancing community.
“In the programme we will get to witness some absolutely thrilling ballroom dancing, and go behind the scenes to see the stamina, hard work and dedication that it takes in order for these spectacular dancers to get to the top.”
‘Blackpool’s Ballroom Battle’ will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with further details to be announced soon.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Two reboots of ‘The Bill’ are currently in the works.
Three actors from the original show – Mark Wingett, Trudie Goodwin, and Graham Cole – teamed up with a writer in an effort to revive the ITV drama in 2021, and UKTV is now in the process of developing a new version of the long-running crime series.
A source told The Sun newspaper: “In the minds of many producers and execs, ‘The Bill’ is a drama which is just sitting, waiting, to be rebooted.
“It’s a simple format but one which attracted a loyal army of followers who would be delighted to see it return.
“No doubt any new incarnation would be tweaked to make it attract a whole new generation to the show.”
‘The Bill’ remains the longest-running police procedural drama in the UK, but the show was axed in 2010, after 26 series.
However, Mark, Trudie, and Graham joined forces last year in a bid to revive the programme.
Writer Simon Sansome has been working with the actors in an effort to get the project off the ground, and talks have also been held with ‘Holby City’ creator Tony McHale, who was approached about adapting the story for TV.
A source explained at the time: “The project started picking up pace last year after the cast got together to mark ten years since the show last aired.
“Simon started investigating the rights and managed to acquire them. Three of the best known stars are in talks and he’s hopeful he can get them on board. Tony has seen the script and they hope they can get him signed up too.
“They’re in constant contact and the project has begun to move on quickly. There’s a couple of channels interested in bringing back what is such a well-loved story.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — AJ Odudu is set to host ‘The Big Blow Out’ on E4.
The 34-year-old presenter will front the upcoming reality show – which has been described as a rival to BBC’s series ‘Glow Up’ – overseeing 11 hairstylists battling to become champion.
As quoted by The Sun newspaper’s TV Biz column, she said: “The Big Blow Out is full of drama, dedication, excitement and, most importantly, creative hairstyles on all hair types that will be sure to blow your socks off.”
She will appear on the show alongside celebrity hairdressers Lisa Farrall and Sam McKnight, who will serve as judges on the show.
The series will see the contestants racing against the clock – and each other – while working on real clients in the opening challenge.
They will then have to showcase their creativity and produce something truly special in the Masterpiece task.
Earlier this year, it was reported she AJ was in high demand following her stint on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.
She was one of the most popular contestants on last year’s ‘Strictly’ and she got to the final of the BBC ballroom competition with her professional partner Kai Widdrington but she had to pull out the day before due to an injury to her right ankle.
It was previously claimed that as well as ‘The Big Blow Out’ and her role on Channel 4 show ‘The Bridge’, she’s also set for C4’s ‘Married At First Sight’ and BBC’s ‘Picture Slam’.
A source said at the time: “She was always going to go on to bigger things after her profile soared on ‘Strictly’, but nobody would have expected her to get so much work so quickly.
“It seems there was something of a scramble to sign AJ up for shows after she became a viewer favourite on the last series of ‘Strictly’.
“As is often the case with the show, it isn’t always the person who takes home the glitterball trophy who gets the most job offers afterwards.”
AJ has also appeared on shows such as ‘Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins’, ‘Cooking With The Stars’ and ‘The Chase’.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Danny Brocklehurst is working on new BBC drama ‘Ten Pounds Poms’.
The Beeb has commissioned a brand new original series from the ‘Brassic’ creator, which is being produced by BBC, Stan and ‘Sex Education’ producers Eleven.
The show – made up for six hour long episodes – will follow a group of Brits leaving post-war Britain in 1956 “to embark on a life-altering adventure on the other side of the world”.
For just a tenner, they have been offered ” a better house, better job prospects and a better quality of life by the sea in sun-soaked Australia”.
However, their life Down Under doesn’t end up being the “idyllic dream” they hoped for as the Roberts family try to adapt to a new life as imigrants.
The drama will also follow young nurse Kate who arrives without her fiance as she looks to “rewrite her devastating past”, teenager Stevie hoping to “escape his oppressive father” after a difficult upbringing, and Bill who lost his family business back home and is looking to “prove he’s living the Australian dream”.
The show will be filmed in Australia and be broadcast in 2023, with casting news to follow.
In a statement, creator Danny said: “Ten Pounds Poms is a big bold character piece about what it means to start again, to be an outsider in a new land.
“It asks questions about success and failure, identity, parenthood and belonging. The assisted migration programme is a little-known part of British and Australian history but offers endless stories about the people who travelled to the other side of the world in search of a better life.
“I couldn’t be more delighted to be making the show with the BBC, Eleven and Stan.”
Tommy Bulfin, Commissioning Editor for BBC Drama, added: “We are absolutely thrilled to bring this timely story to the screen.
“It perfectly captures the courage and determination of our brilliant British migrants as they uproot their entire lives and try to adjust to a new life in an often hostile environment.
“Told with Danny’s characteristic wit and heart, ‘Ten Pound Poms’ is sure to delight BBC audiences when it hits the screen next year.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Pauline McLynn laughed “for about five minutes” about her reunion with Ardal O’Hanlon.
The 59-year-old actress previously starred alongside Ardal, 56, in classic Channel 4 comedy ‘Father Ted’, and she was thrilled to find out she’ll be working with him on the set of her new Sky show, ‘Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything’.
Pauline – who starred as Mrs Doyle in ‘Father Ted’ – shared: “The producers were like, ‘Are you not curious as to who is playing your husband?’
“So I said well, obviously I am. They said it’s Ardal O’Hanlon.
“According to the producer, I just laughed for about five minutes and I said, ‘That’s a good laugh’.
“I’ve no idea why it’s taken 25 years. I don’t know. I guess we were just off doing other things. Or else Ardal has a court order that I don’t know about!”
Pauline played a central role in ‘Father Ted’ between 1995 and 1998.
And although she’s subsequently starred in a host of other high-profile shows, the actress still gets reminded about her time on the comedy series.
Pauline told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “I do get shouted at on the street a lot or people asking me for tea and I don’t have it – that’s the only drawback if there is one.
“It’s a joy that all these years later people still want to talk about it.”
Meanwhile, Ardal previously revealed he made a conscious effort to distance himself from ‘Father Ted’ after the show ended.
The actor – who played Father Dougal McGuire – explained: “Once we finished ‘Father Ted’ I really wanted to distance myself from it, much as I was always very proud and fond of it. I know the viewers are still very attached, but you were looking for the next job.
“You can’t rest on your laurels, you have to move on.”
Responding to his and Pauline’s reunion, he has now quipped: “I’ve managed to avoid Pauline for 25 years but somehow I think we managed to make a very convincing older couple thanks to our history together and our shorthand, and our affection for each other.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Scarlett Moffatt is scared to use airplane toilets.
The 31-year-old TV star has admitted to being terrified of being sucked into the loo if she answers the call of nature onboard a plane.
Scarlett – who shot to fame on Channel 4 show ‘Gogglebox’ – confessed: “I always get nervous [flushing the toilet] on planes.”
Scarlett actually has a very specific approach to using the toilet whenever she flies.
Speaking on her ‘Scarlett Moffatt Wants to Believe’ podcast, she shared: “I’d make sure I was literally ready to bolt in case the plane toilet accidentally flushed.
“And when I flushed the toilet I’d literally make sure the seat was down and I was near the door ready to run in case it sucked us through. It’s mad.”
The TV star also refuses to board a plane if she’s assigned a seat on row 13 – because it’s her unlucky number.
She said: “I do believe in numbers. When we get on a flight, no joke, if it’s 13 I’m not having it because 13 is my unlucky number.”
Meanwhile, Scarlett previously admitted to spending a week in bed after being subjected to trolling.
The former ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ winner told her friends and family she was “working away” – but she actually in bed.
She shared: “I remember one day going to walk out of the house, getting to the front door and sort of freezing.
“It was as if my body just wouldn’t let me open the door.
“I actually pretended to my family and friends that I was working away, and I wasn’t.
“For the whole week I was in bed. I remember thinking, ‘I don’t want to speak to my mum and dad because then they’ll worry. I don’t want to be a burden, and my friends are so proud of us and think I’m living the dream,’ so I was just so sad.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — ‘Love Island’ contestants will wear second hand clothes for the 2022 series.
ITV has confirmed this year’s Islanders will be dressing in an eco-friendly way amid warnings about the way fast fashion is having a detrimental effect on the environment.
The decision will see eBay serve as the reality dating show’s first ever Pre-Loved Fashion Partner.
‘Love Island’ executive producer Mike Spencer said in a statement: “We are thrilled to be pairing up with eBay this year as our pre-loved fashion partner.
“As a show we strive to be a more eco-friendly production with more focus on ways in which we can visibly show this on screen.
“This partnership will see our Islanders get to dive into the shared wardrobes and help themselves to some incredible pre-loved clothes sourced from Ebay.
“We aim to inspire our demographic and show that there are incredible finds to be had and how sharing is, in some small way, caring.”
As part of the partnership, eBay has recruited celebrity stylist and secondhand enthusiast Amy Bannerman – who has worked with the likes of Rita Ora, Dua Lipa, Lena Dunham, Jonathan Van Ness and Sophie Turner – to style this year’s contestants.
And the collaboration will see eBay have a presence on itv.com and Love Island’s social media channels, with viewers using the show’s official app also being able to explore ‘Preloved Fashion’ via the ‘Shop the Show’ tab, as well as getting access to the Islanders through eBay’s social content.
Eve Williams – chief marketing officer at eBay UK – added: “We’re excited to be partnering with Love Island this year, as the show’s first pre-loved fashion partner and to flip the conversation around fashion.
“As one of the original homes of pre-loved, we believe that by joining forces with this incredibly influential programme, we’ll inspire the nation to think differently and make more conscious choices when it comes to their wardrobes.
“Whether that is selling a dress that is sitting at the back of their wardrobe or shopping for their favourite islanders second-hand looks – these small changes can make a big difference to driving circularity.”
This year’s group of hopeful romantics is yet to be revealed, but Laura Whitmore is set to return as host, while her husband Iain Stirling will reprise his role as narrator.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Linda Robson has “never” had a fallout with Pauline Quirke.
The 64-year-old actress and Pauline, 62, previously starred together in ‘Birds of a Feather’ and despite recent rumours, Linda insists they remain good friends.
In response to the speculation, Linda explained: “It’s a load of old s*** that we had a fallout.
“We have not fallen out and we have never fallen out. I have been best friends with her since we were ten years of age. We never fell out.”
Linda and Pauline recently reunited with their former ‘Birds of a Feather’ co-star Lesley Joseph to discuss the possibility of a comeback.
Linda – who played Tracey Stubbs in the sitcom – told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “I was out for lunch with Pauline last Friday in London, The Delaunay, and it was discussed.”
The classic sitcom was originally broadcast on the BBC between 1989 and 1998, before it was revived by ITV from 2014 until 2016, before a one-off Christmas special in 2020.
And Linda admits that her “loyalty” is now with ITV.
Speaking about a potential comeback, she said: “It is now up to ITV, isn’t it? It started on BBC and then we went to ITV. We could go to the BBC, but our loyalty is with ITV as they took us back after all that time.”
Pauline declined to appear in the 2020 Christmas special, and Linda previously claimed that she wanted to quit acting.
Linda – who has also starred on ‘Loose Women’ over the last decade – explained: “Obviously I couldn’t see her during lockdown but I’ve seen her since. She just doesn’t want to act anymore. She’s had enough – it’s long hours.
“She’s concentrating on her drama academies. She’s very hands on, going to classes and all that.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Bradley Walsh insists ‘The Chase’ has always been more “uplifting” than ‘The Weakest Link’.
The 61-year-old star – who has fronted the popular ITV quiz show since its launch in 2009 – has reflected on the early rivalry with the BBC One programme, which was hosted by Anne Robinson.
He told RadioTimes.com: “The amount of people that came up and said, ‘Hey Brad – we’ve seen your new show. The Chase is great. We really, really like it,’ and I said, ‘Oh wow, thank you very much indeed.’
“They said, ‘No, no, no – it’s the best thing we’ve seen for a long time. So much better than The Weakest Link,’ which we were up against at the time.
“That was a pretty funny comment because ‘The Weakest Link’ was a good show but the problem with it was it was constantly putting people down and not being very pleasant.”
He insisted that ‘The Chase’ has always been striving for a more “fun” feel.
He added: “Our show is not like that. It’s always a very uplifting show and you know we have a lot of fun.”
‘The Weakest Link’ ran from 2000 to 2012, before returning last year with Romesh Ranganathan at the helm.
The comedian wanted to put his own stamp on the role, and before its comeback he insisted he would never imitate his predecessor’s signature wink.
He explained: “The honest truth is, let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room, I always look like I’m midway through a wink – at all times.
“I did think about it. We talked about it at the beginning but there are certain things that Anne did that were textbook her, and so I just made sure I didn’t do. You want to do it in your own way.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online