OHMYGOSSIP — ‘Love Island’ needs to be “as reactive as possible” to keep its viewers.
Creative director Mike Spencer admitted that his team closely monitors public reaction to the ITV2 dating show and makes changes accordingly.
He told RadioTimes.com: “The reaction is so big for this year. People have such strong opinions because they’re invested in the Islanders and the show, so we always have a little look [to] see what they’re saying and we’re definitely considering that in our thought process for the format and what we do every day.
“We’re lucky that we have room for 57 nights. It’s a big commitment to the viewers and we appreciate and understand that. So I think we’ve got to continuously make sure the show feels now and it feels of this time, it feels modern, it keeps people entertained, and I think we’ve just got to keep being as reactive as possible.
“And also make sure that the format evolves with the show and that’s what I think we’ve tried to do over the last few series, so I think we will absolutely be continuing to do that; look at the format, what’s going to keep people entertained, excited and obviously, most important, tuning in.”
And Mike insisted the crew of the show – which is hosted by Maya Jama – are passionate about keeping the show fresh.
He said: “Everyone’s got the passion. There’s me and a couple of the execs and a couple of the core senior team who have worked on the show since 2015, and I think that’s mainly reflected in the passion that we’ve got for this show.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Ant Middleton has cancelled his UK tour.
The former ‘SAS: Who Dares Win’ star – who was Chief Instructor on the show from 2015 to 2021 – has called off his upcoming tour in order to focus on TV work.
He told fans in an Instagram video: “It saddens me to announce I’ve had to cancel my upcoming UK tour in October and November due to scheduling issues.
“Let me explain on here because you deserve an explanation. I’ve had lots and lots of issues with being able to schedule this and making sure I prioritise the work around it.
“I’ve had some very, very important media/TV work come and I’ve had to balance it out between what is my priority.
“Is it to get back on UK TV? Which is one of the reasons why I’ve had to cancel this tour.
“Also, some very big announcements and TV projects going on within that time period as well.
“I’ve had to weigh the two up, prioritise for the better and choose between one and the other.”
However, Ant, 43, insisted he will return with a “bigger and better” show next year.
He said: “On the plus, it really allows me to focus on a huge tour next year where I can get around and see absolutely everyone.
“Really see everyone and share my K2 adventure, my ‘Dancing with the Stars’ adventure, my ‘SAS Australia’ adventures and my book as well, ‘Military Mindset’, which is coming out very soon.
“So, on all the positive notes we’re going to go bigger and better next year.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ will reportedly feature its second ‘Love Island’ star in the 2024 season.
Zara McDermott became the first ‘Love Island’ star to feature in the BBC talent show and now a new report suggests 2022 contestant Tasha Ghouri – who is a trained dancer – has signed up for the new season.
A source told The Sun newspaper: “Tasha has everything it takes to be a top drawer ‘Strictly’ signing. Whilst fans who like a journey will be irked she is a professional dancer, others who enjoy watching incredible moments from the off will be more than satisfied.”
Tasha, 25, has a previous link to ‘Strictly’ after she reportedly dated professional dancer Giovanni Pernice, who appeared on the show for almost a decade before being axed from the line-up this year over allegations his mistreated previous dancer partners during training.
The insider added: “The Giovanni link is unfortunate to say the least, but above all else Tasha is a gorgeous girl who deserves this amazing opportunity.”
Other stars said to have signed up for the new series of ‘Strictly’ include Arsenal legend Paul Merson, reality star Pete Wicks and ‘DIY SOS’ presenter Nick Knowles.
Other stars who are reported to be in the running to appear in the new series include former rugby player Danny Cipriani – who previously danced in the show’s Christmas special – as well as ‘Homes Under the Hammer’ host Martin Roberts, YouTuber GK Barry and former ‘EastEnders’ star Jamie Borthwick.
The news comes as ‘Strictly’ remains mired in controversy over a series of allegations about abusive training methods. The BBC has launched an inquiry into the claims and two professional dancers – Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice – have left the line-up.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Jeff Brazier and Kelly Brook are among the stars taking part in ‘Celebrity Race Across the World’ season two.
The 44-year-old presenter will be joined by his younger son Freddie on a globetrotting adventure across South America, while Kelly will be teaming up with her husband Jeremy Parisi as they attempt to be the fastest to travel from Brazil to Chile, all without stepping on a plane.
And the two couples will face competition from actor Kola Bokinni – who is best known for playing Richmond AFC captain Isaac McAdoo in ‘Ted Lasso’ – and his cousin Mary Ellen, and Scott Mills and his now-husband Sam Vaughan, who filmed the show before they got married last month.
The second celebrity version of the show will see the couples begin the race in Belem – the gateway to the Amazon in north Brazil – and pass through five checkpoints across the length of South America before a dash to the finish line in the Andes, Frutillar in Southern Chile.
Tim Harcourt, Chief Creative Officer of production company Studio Lambert said of the new season: “After the phenomenally successful run of the first celebrity series, and more recently the fourth series of the regular series – we can’t wait to bring audiences along with us to the huge South American continent and its jaw-dropping scenery, in a race which will push our celebrities and their loved ones to their absolute limits.”
Last year’s first celebrity version of the show saw weather presenter Alex Beresford and his dad Noel win ahead of All Saints’ Melanie Blatt and McFly’s Harry Judd and their mothers. Racing driver Billy Monger and his sister Bonny were forced to pull out of the final leg due to a family emergency.
The first episode of ‘Celebrity Race Across the World’ 2024 is scheduled to air on 14 August on BBC One and iPlayer.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Ruxandra Porojnicu “would love” to stay on ‘Coronation Street’ so she can represent some of the realities of immigration.
The Romanian actress, 31, played the role of Alina Pop on the ITV1 soap opera from 2019 until 2021 and after making a brief return in recent weeks, explained that having her character become a permanent resident of Weatherfield would let viewers see that it can be “smooth sailing” for those who do come to the country from Eastern Europe.
She told the Daily Mirror: “I would love for her to stick around. I think she has been through so many traumatic experiences.
“I think looking into the real world, you can see a lot of people that are coming from my country or different countries, Eastern European people, they do move here and have it smooth sailing, at least after a while if not from the beginning.
“I would like that to be portrayed, they can make a living and a decent life here. But the thing is this is Corrie, it’s always gonna be a bumpy ride so I don’t know. The writers are the Gods, they decide.”
During her initial stint on the cobbles, Alina was at the centre of a storyline about modern slavery that had seen her move to the UK through a human trafficking ring, before going on to have a short-lived affair with Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) before he ultimately decided to reconcile with his wife Fiz (Jennie McAlpine).
Speaking about how her character feels, she added: “It’s too much. She needed time away to heal and she did some healing for sure in those two years, but she needs more time to be away from the Street. But we’ll see where this takes her.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Huw Edwards has pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.
The former BBC News presenter entered his plea during a brief appearance at Westminster Magistrates Court in London on Wednesday (31.07.24) after being arrested last November and charged last month.
Edwards was charged with having a total of 41 photographs on a WhatsApp chat, six category A images – the most serious classification of indecent pictures – 12 category B pictures and 19 category C.
The offences are alleged to have taken place between 2020 and 2022 and are separate from other claims that were widely publicised and investigated last year.
A police spokesperson said: “These allegations did not form part of the matter which was considered by police in July 2023. They were investigated separately as a standalone case.”
It was announced on Monday (29.07.24) that the 62-year-old broadcaster had been charged.
A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said: “Huw Edwards, 62, of South West London, has been charged with three offences of making indecent images of children.
“The CPS authorised the charges after a Metropolitan Police investigation.
“Mr Edwards will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 31 July 2024.
“We remind all that proceedings are active, and the defendant has the right to a fair trial.
“It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary, or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
After the news broke, it was reported Edwards had split from wife Vicky Flind – with whom he has five children – and has moved out of their family home.
Edwards joined the BBC as a trainee in 1984 and fronted the ‘Six O’Clock News’ from 1994 to 2003 before becoming the main presenter of BBC One’s flagship ‘Ten O’Clock News’.
The veteran broadcaster famously broke the news to the nation after Queen Elizabeth died in September 2022 and also led coverage of both her funeral and that of Prince Philip, as well as being lead presenter for King Charles’ coronation last May.
The term ‘making indecent images’ can include opening, accessing, downloading and storing content, or receiving an image via social media, even if unsolicited or part of a group.
The offences can carry a jail term of up to 10 years.

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Sam Thompson dislikes the thought of being “beaten” on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.
The former ‘Made in Chelsea’ star thinks he would struggle to take part in the BBC One Latin and ballroom competition that his girlfriend Zara McDermott, 27, competed on in 2023 because there would be more to it than simply “enjoying” himself.
The 31-year-old reality TV star told Metro newspaper’s SixySeconds column: “I’ve got too left feet. I don’t like the idea of being beaten at something by somebody who’s just better than me at it. That’s why I like things, like the jungle… you go and sit there and enjoy yourself.”
Meanwhile, Sam won ‘I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!’ last year but remembered eating a pig’s vagina on the ITV1 survival show and declared that t was “one of the worst things [he] had ever done.
He continued: “It even had bristles on it.”
The former ‘Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins’ star enthused about his pal and ‘Staying Relevant’ podcast host Pete Wicks, 36, for being like the “big brother” he never had as he only as sister, fellow television personality Louise Thompson, 34.
He said: “I’ve always gravitated towards a big-brother character. I never had a brother, I’ve only got a sister, who I love very much. We’re just two blokes who enjoy each other’s company – me more so than him, I think.”
Sam also detailed how he wanted to “attach” himself to the former ‘The Only Way is Essex’ star on E4’s ‘Celebs Go Dating’ in 2019 to get with more girls as he has always been unlucky in love, unlike Pete.
He said: “Who is that beautiful man with the blue eyes? We met on ‘Celebs Go Dating’ and I was like, well, I never really get dates, so if I just attach myself to him like a limpet to a rock, he can help me get a date. So I never let go.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Angela Griffin’s acting career began as a “childcare option”.
The 48-year-old actress has been a mainstay on British television screens for more than 30 years but revealed that she first discovered her passion aged just five years old after her mother put her into a theatre club so she could go to work.
Angela told Prima UK: “I actually started doing a Saturday morning workshop at the Leeds Children’s Theatre when I was five. It was a childcare option at that point, as my mum was working on a Saturday and her friend offered to take me along. I just fell in love with being able to be someone else. I found transforming myself and getting people to believe what I was doing intoxicating”
“When I was 13, I went to a school in Leeds that did GCSE dance, drama and music. And that’s where ITV and Granada came to do auditions for children’s TV shows, because they knew there were actors there. And I got my first role via school. It was just what I always wanted to do.”
‘The Wives’ actress got her big break as a teenager when she was cast as Fiona Middleton in ‘Coronation Street’ and is these days probably best known for starring as art-teacher -turned-headmistress on the BBC One school drama ‘Waterloo Road’ but recalled that she simply “couldn’t wait” to be independent and was working in a fast food chain when she secured her role on the ITV soap opera.
She said: “I couldn’t wait to move out and be an adult, and I’ve never looked back. As soon as I got my National Insurance number, I got a job in Burger King. “I went to college to do my A levels, got the audition for ‘Corrie’ in the October, shot it in November, and it came out about a week before Christmas. I was working in Burger King the entire time and I only stopped because I got offered a six-month contract. And then, after a year, I’d given up college and my A levels, and I was full-time at ‘Corrie’.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Ross Kemp is “nearly as excited” about more ‘Bridge of Lies’ than when England got to the final of Euros 2024.
The former ‘EastEnders’ star has fronted the BBC game show – which sees players attempt to differentiate the truth from a lie for the chance to win thousands – and as he gears up for another series, admitted he was only more hyped when his home country made it through to the grand final of the sporting event.
The 60-year-old actor told the Daily Star newspaper’s HotTV Column: “They’ve made versions in America and Spain recently, but ‘Bridge of Lies’ is coming home in 2025 and I’m nearly excited as I was when England made it to the Euros final.
“I’m grateful we’ve been asked to make more episodes than ever before with the new commission.
BBC executives shared their joy at the adoration of the show and how it was “such an easy decision” to revive the format for another series.
Head of Daytime Rob Unsworth said: “We are so happy audiences love ‘Bridge of Lies’ as much as we do. It was such an easy decision to bring it back for more.”
Bosses of the game show are appealing for groups of people from all walks of life to apply to play along with the famed documentary maker.
A ‘Bridge of Lies’ rep said: “Whether you’re friends, family, or colleagues if you have bags of personality and think you can take on ‘Bridge of Lies’, we would love to hear from you.”
Meanwhile, the former soap star is known for sporting his bald look and recently quipped he thought he looked like a “squashed sultana” and still wishes he had a full head of hair.
He wrote in The Sunday Times newspaper: “I do try and make myself look presentable, which isn’t easy with this face. I look in the mirror and think: squashed sultana.
“Do I wish I had a head of hair? Course, but I’d never have hair implants, or plastic surgery to fix this bit under my chin. This is me. If you don’t like it, you know what you can do.
“Don’t get me wrong – I look after myself. I do sparring and ju-jitsu three times a week. I run, do weights, I watch what I eat. Plenty of protein and veg.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

OHMYGOSSIP — Max Bowden got burnout on ‘EastEnders’.
The 29-year-old actor – who played Ben Mitchell, the son of Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) between 2019 and 2024 until his character got imprisoned in America – opted to say goodbye to the BBC soap opera because he was “very tired” after doing some emotionally gruelling stories over “nearly 600 episodes” such as his eating disorder, sexual assault and other lauded performances.
Speaking on YouTube series ‘The Lewis Nicholls Show’: “The important thing was my time was ready. I was very tired, and like I said, I wasn’t me, I wasn’t.
“The Max sat in front of you today was kind of a ghost, and they recognised that – I recognised that.
​​”I did nearly six hundred episodes in five years, which is a hell of a lot, and it was time for a rest. The character was tired, I was tired, they [the producers] were probably tired of me being tired.
“From an honest perspective, I think yeah, a lot of it was that I needed to go for a bit. I needed to go work on me, get myself back to a place of really good mental health, focus on healing and also be a dad.”
Max also admitted that playing out the recent storyline which saw Ben’s ex-girlfriend Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold) – with whom his character has daughter Lexi (Isabella Brown) – succumb to a brain tumour had taken its toll on him as a performer.
He continued: “It laid a lot out on the table, and it exposed me to a lot of vulnerability which probably at the time I didn’t navigate well.
“It was a tough old time, but you know what, I’m a hell of a lot stronger for it. That was definitely the hardest period of my professional life.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online