OHMYGOSSIP — John Simpson is fronting a new current affairs show called ‘Unspun World.’
The 77-year-old veteran BBC News journalist is “incredibly excited” to debut his new weekly programme in late February and the show will see him converse with BBC correspondents from all over the globe to give expert analysis of international stories currently shaping the world we all live in.
John, the current World Affairs Editor said in a statement: “I am incredibly excited to launch my new BBC Two programme, ‘Unspun World’. The show provides a fantastic opportunity to display the BBC’s huge range of experts across the globe, and get their specialist analysis of big issues.”
The prolific author promised to “provide the unvarnished truth” and enthused about the “plethora of exciting stories” to report on the 30-minute episodes, which will also be available on BBC iPlayer, the BBC News Channel and BBC World News.
He added: “We will provide the unvarnished truth, no spin and no hiding from key subjects. Our balanced and thoughtful take on these matters will provide the audience with a new key fixture in their weekly TV schedules. After all, there are a plethora of exciting stories to cover and a chance to utilise the BBC’s knowledge and prowess from around the globe. I can’t wait to get started.”
Liz Gibbons, the BBC Executive News Editor praised John for being “an essential broadcasting voice” for the last half century across the world.
She said: “John has been an essential broadcasting voice for the BBC for over 50 years and no one knows the landscape and breadth of our reporting as well as he does. He has reported from over 100 countries, recently embarked on another trip to Afghanistan, covering the new Taliban regime.
“‘Unspun World’ will provide BBC Two audiences with unique insights from BBC’s reporters, With John bringing his vast expertise to the helm.”
‘Unspun World’ premieres on BBC Two on 23 February at 11.15pm.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Sam Aston has no plans to leave ‘Coronation Street’.
The 28-year-old actor has played the role of Chesney Brown on the ITV soap since 2003 and feels very “lucky” because there is always a new storyline to “test him”.
He said: “I’ve played him for so long, but I’ve been lucky, because I’ve had so many storylines over the years that they always test you and it’s a new thing to sink your teeth into.”
The soap star explained that he has “not really entertained” the idea of quitting his long-running role as the kebab shop manager Chesney, which he has played for almost 20 years.
Speaking on ITV’s ‘Loose Women’, he added: “So, I’ve not really entertained the idea right now. I don’t know, maybe not.”
After being played a clip of his first appearance on the show, Sam explained that he was more “fearless” as a child and that at that age he didn’t “understand the magnitude” of the iconic show.
Speaking to hosts Ruth Langsford, Janet Street-Porter, Coleen Nolan and Kelle Bryan, Sam said: “I think when you’re that young, you’re a bit more fearless as a child. I didn’t understand the magnitude of the show, I was just there and having a good time. Acting was something I enjoyed. I went to a drama workshop as a child and it was a hobby.
Since being introduced on the cobbles as the son of negligent mother Cilla Brown, Chesney has been at the centre of several dramatic storylines, including being taken into care as a child before becoming a teenage father to son Joseph with the now-deceased Katy Armstrong.
In recent years, Chesney lost girlfriend Sinead Tinker – who was played by ex ‘Hollyoaks’ star Katie McGlynn -to cancer before going on to welcome quadruplets with current partner Gemma Winter in 2019.
In real life, Sam is married to yoga teacher Briony – with whom he has has sixteen-month old son Sonny – and the couple are now expecting a daughter, who is due in the spring.
On the pregnancy, Sam joked: “One of each! Competition is on the way for Sonny!”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — The ‘Great British Bake Off’ creators have applied for permission to create a merchandise line based on the programme’s upcoming stage show.
Love Productions are hoping to give fans of the Channel 4 show the chance to fork out on merch related to the upcoming musical, which is due to air in the summer.
A TV insider told The Sun newspaper’s TV Biz column: “The array of products that can now carry the official logo of the musical is utterly mind-boggling.
“This is a chance for the public to interact with the ‘Bake Off’ phenomenon rather than just watch it at home.
“And that also provides an opportunity for people to buy merchandise, which is obviously something they will want to cash in on.
“More importantly, registering it as their property means others can’t make money out of it.”
‘The Great British Bake Off: The Musical’ will premiere at Cheltenham’s Everyman Theatre in July, and a score of 18 songs has been created for the show.
It will tell the story of eight amateur bakers, two judges and two presenters.
Last month, Richard McKerrow, the executive producer of TV show, told how the idea for a ‘Bake Off’ musical came about four years ago during an episode of the US edition of the programme, when one of the contestants broke out into song.
He said: “There was someone in it who was singing while baking and it was suddenly like, ‘There is something about singing that is like baking: you do it for yourself but for other people.’ ”
TV show ‘Bake Off’ – which first aired in 2010 – features judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, and is co-hosted by Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Sam Allardyce has been “tempted” to take part in ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ – but his wife won’t let him.
The former England manager is good pals with show hosts and Newcastle United fans Ant and Dec, who are keen to get the ex-Toon boss on the ITV programme, but his significant other Lynne doesn’t want him to appear in the series and start “bossing everybody about”.
He told Ladbrokes: “My wife won’t let me do ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’. She said I’d embarrass her.
“She reckons I’d just try and take over everything, she thinks I’d be bossing everybody about, so either she’d have to be in there with me, watching me all the time, or I’d be better off taking her advice and leaving it alone.
“I know Ant and Dec really well, of course; I have done for many years. They’ve tried to entice me on plenty of occasions over the years. ‘Come on, big man. We’d love to have you on.’
“It has been tempting, to be fair. Very, very tempting. Very tempting.”
The former Bolton Wanderers boss also admitted he has rejected the chance to strut his stuff on the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ ballroom floor on a number of occasions.
He said: “I’ve turned ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ down a few times – I think it was probably one for me in my younger years.
“I’m scared I’d injure myself at my age, because I’d want to train to win the show, to be the best I could possibly be.
“I don’t want to be laughed at on a show like that.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — TV producer Beryl Vertue has died aged 90.
The media executive – whose company created ‘Men Behaving Badly’ and ‘Sherlock’ – “passed away peacefully” on Saturday (12.02.22).
Her daughters, Sue and Debbie – who are producers at the TV company founded by their mother – said: “I know we’re not alone in thinking that somehow she’d go on forever. She meant so much to so many.
“She wasn’t just our mum, she was our best friend, our mentor, our adviser, our role model, our holiday companion, our giggle-maker and our boss!”
Sue and Debbie said their mother “was often the last person at a party, she didn’t suffer fools, she was fair, she was kind, she was fun, she was stubborn, in fact she was the total package and we will miss her beyond words”.
They added: “She was more than a mother to us – she was also a friend. To many in the industry she was more than a friend – she was often a mother.”
Elsewhere, Mark Gatiss – who co-created ‘Sherlock’ – had also paid a glowing tribute to the media executive.
The 55-year-old actor – who played Sherlock’s brother Mycroft in the hit TV series – wrote on Twitter: “Beryl Vertue. What a life. An extraordinary legacy. From Goons to Rag Bone Men, Daleks to Consulting Detectives. She saw it all and did most of it. But foremost – a wonderful woman, a loyal colleague and an absolute scream. She was loved. [heart emoji] (sic)”
Meanwhile, Dawn French has also taken to Twitter to pay her own tribute.
The 64-year-old comedy star wrote on the micro-blogging platform: “Beryl Vertue. Mighty marvellous. A huge loss. (sic)”
Vertue was awarded an OBE in 2000 and a CBE in 2016 for her work in the TV industry.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Natalie Imbruglia hopes fan pressure can help to save ‘Neighbours’.
The 47-year-old actress starred on the Australian soap in the early 90s, and she hopes that another broadcaster will throw its support behind the soap, after Channel 5 announced it was axing the show.
Asked about Channel 5’s decision, Natalie – who previously played the part of Beth Brennan – replied: “Oh, I think it’s really sad!”
Natalie left the soap in 1994, but she thinks it remains an important part of British life.
She asked: “I mean, who wants life without ‘Neighbours’? Let’s face it.”
Fans of the soap are trying to ensure the show remains on British TV screens beyond the summer – and Natalie hopes they’re able to influence the situation.
She told ‘Heart Breakfast’: “I think at this point we just thought it was gonna go on forever so, I, you know … people are petitioning. Here’s hoping they pull it off.”
Channel 5 acquired the rights to the soap in 2008. However, the broadcaster recently announced that it will stop airing ‘Neighbours’ from this summer, with the network planning to focus on “original UK drama” instead.
The UK broadcaster largely funded the production costs because it was not commercially viable for Australian broadcaster Network 10 to fund the Freemantle Media-produced show alone.
However, a Network 10 spokesperson recently said: “As outlined in the email to ‘Neighbours’ cast and crew, it is our intention to continue our association with ‘Neighbours’ if another broadcast partner comes forward,
“Network 10 has an ongoing commitment to the show, the cast and crew and is hopeful that Fremantle will find a new production partner. We will provide further updates as they become available.”
Tune into Heart Breakfast with JK and Kelly Brook (in for Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden), weekdays from 6:30am – 10am.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Louis Theroux “wrestled” with amplifying “harmful” voices in his new documentary series.
The ‘Forbidden America’ host experienced an internal conflict about making the BBC series, in which various people express racist, misogynist and homophobic views – but Louis ultimately decided that “by not reporting on it, it’s not going to go away”.
Asked if he was anxious about giving space to people with dangerous views, the 51-year-old star told the Radio Times: “That’s a great question and it’s something I’ve wrestled with a lot.”
Louis – who followed powerful figures with large internet followings – realised that their “voices are already amplified”.
He reflected: “I think the first point would be that these voices are already amplified, right?
“I mean, they already have access to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of tender young ears, eyes and minds by dint of the internet, so the fact that this phenomenon exists in the world, and by not reporting on it, it’s not going to go away.”
The award-winning TV star hopes that “reasonable people” will be able to see his true intentions behind making the series.
Louis said: “The other thing to say is that, I believe that with the experience I’ve had telling these stories over the years, I can bring a kind of a critical, forensic, journalistic set of skills, and that I can interview and put a programme together in such a way that people will be given the sufficient sort of interrogation. To mean that most reasonable people will see it, and will realise, you know, what it all really means.”
Louis also insists he held his interviewees to account, rather than just proving them with a “platform” to air their dangerous views.
He said: “The ways it represents ways of thinking that are dangerous or poisonous or harmful … But it’s not like, ‘Oh, I’m just going to put them on a platform and give them a sort of unexamined, chance to reach out to people.'”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — ‘Tracy Beaker’ star Dani Harmer has given birth to a baby boy.
The 33-year-old actress has taken to Instagram to announce the arrival of her second child with her partner Simon Brough.
Alongside a snap of her newborn son, Dani – who also has a five-year-old daughter called Avarie-Belle – wrote on the photo-sharing platform: “Rowan Leon James Brough. 7.2.22 10:49am 8lbs 3oz (sic)”
Dani has already received some congratulatory messages from her showbiz pals.
Soap star Lisa Riley wrote: “Congratulations beautiful! So so happy for you all, sending the biggest of snuggles and cuddles. (sic)”
Andrew Hayden-Smith – another CBBC star – also hailed the arrival of Dani’s baby boy.
The 38-year-old actor simply wrote, “Congratulations”.
Dani actually announced her pregnancy via an Instagram post last year.
The actress – who starred in ‘My Mum Tracy Beaker’ in 2021 – wrote on the platform at the time: “Han Solo had Chewie. Frodo had Sam. Shrek had Donkey.
“Now be prepared for the adventures of Avarie-Belle and as of yet unnamed bump, coming February 2022 (hopefully not to a cinema near you). (sic)”
The actress – who starred in ‘The Story of Tracy Beaker’ between 2002 and 2006 – and Simon have been together since 2015. But the loved-up duo have so far held-off getting married because they want to wait until their daughter is a bit older.
Simon previously explained: “We don’t want to get married just because we’re having a baby. Dani wants the little one to walk up the aisle with us, so we’ll have to wait a fair few years for that.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Lorraine Kelly went up “two dress sizes” during lockdown.
The 62-year-old TV presenter has revealed she piled on weight during the COVID-19 lockdown, and she ultimately found herself eating “platters of chocolate every night at 8pm”.
She admitted: “It went from a tiny square [of chocolate] to a whole bar.”
Lorraine admits her weight gain has undermined her confidence.
The veteran presenter told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “At the moment, even if I was invited to a red carpet event, I just wouldn’t have the confidence to go.
“Not even if George Clooney was waiting for me naked with a rose between his teeth.”
Lorraine’s weight gain ultimately meant she wasn’t able to fit into her clothes.
She said: “Slowly the weight piles on – it’s not overnight. I noticed because I was going to work and I couldn’t fit into my clothes.”
And although Lorraine insists there’s “nothing wrong” with being a size 14, she feels she’s been carrying too much weight.
Reflecting on her weight gain, she explained: “There is nothing wrong with being a size 14, but my body is supposed to be a 10.
“On ‘Lorraine’, we have models who are size 14, 16, 18, and they are perfectly proportioned, they’re perfectly healthy.
“I’ve got friends that are teeny tiny, and that’s great, that’s where they’re supposed to be. But I’m supposed to be a 10. If was an eight, I wouldn’t look good.”
Lorraine also thinks it’s important to strike a balance in her diet.
The TV star knows she can still enjoy the occasional treat while maintaining a healthy weight.
She said: “You can balance it all out. You can have the biscuit, you can have the cake … just don’t eat the whole bleeding cake!”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Anthea Turner thinks the key to feeling young is to push herself out of her “comfort zone”.
The 61-year-old TV star remains determined to “get out there and do something different”, and she thinks that approach has helped her to remain vibrant and enthusiastic.
Anthea – who has previously starred on ‘Celebrity Big Brother’, ‘Dancing on Ice’ and ‘Celebrity SAS’ – said: “I think the best way to stay young is to push yourself out of your comfort zone.
“Don’t stay on the sofa all day, get out there and do something different, that’s what matters and that’s why I tend to say yes to these crazy challenges.”
Anthea is also set to star in the TV series ‘The Real Dirty Dancing’.
However, she admits that playing the part of Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman would be a “bit of a stretch” at this stage.
She told HELLO! magazine: “I am the same age as Jennifer Grey is now, but I hope she is proud that someone who is 61 is channelling their inner Baby!”
Meanwhile, Anthea previously vowed to stay “sexy” in her 60s.
The former ‘Blue Peter’ presenter insisted that reaching the milestone won’t stop her from wearing tight clothing.
She said: “I don’t want to be mutton dressed as lamb, but nothing will stop me wearing tight, sexy clothes.
“Youth and vitality isn’t in a pot of cream, it’s in your attitude and the way you look at life.”
However, Anthea knows there are some outfits she wore in her 30s that she cannot “get away” with at her age today.
She joked: “There’s no such thing as cellulite, just bad light.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Russell T Davies “always knew” where ‘It’s a Sin’ “was heading”.
The 58-year-old screenwriter knew from the outset how the Channel 4 drama would end – but he was initially undecided about the route to the finish.
Russell told the Radio Times: “I just always knew there would be a Jill and I always know it would simply end – I wasn’t exactly sure what would happen in the story, but I knew whatever happened in the story would end with her going back on a ward to sit with a stranger.
“I thought that was the important thing. Not many friends, not many family – actually strangers are there.”
Russell was keen to show the “gang at their happiest and their funniest” during the show, despite the serious subject matter.
He said: “There were versions of that scene and then to flashback at the very end to see that gang at their happiest and their funniest, just laughing on a park bench like you do when you’re young. They’re just 22, 23 years old there. Those are the best times, those are really good times.”
Despite this, Russell admitted that creating his vision was “hard work”.
He shared: “The moment I sat at this desk and typed page one, scene one, episode one – I knew that’s where it was heading. It’s the getting there that’s hard work.”
The hit TV series starred Years and Years singer Olly Alexander and he previously described working on the show as an “amazing experience”.
He said: “I was so happy – because I’ve been on the road touring for five, six years – that I got to do ‘It’s a Sin’; that kind of discipline and working on such a big team like that, on a script like that, for a show like that, was such an amazing experience.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online