News in Brief: Female Doctor Who, gentoo chicks and the Rhinestone Cowboy
August 13th brings ATV Today more weekend television and showbiz news round-up in brief with senior reporter Mike Watkins.
This week a look at what Katie Price has been up to, Lauren Harris back in the news and farewell to Glen Campbell.
Strictly not for the un-Will-ing
Strictly Come Dancing professional performer Karen Clifton has spoken about being paired up with singer and Strictly quitter Will Young. Speaking to the Daily Star, Karen said:
“It was a difficult time. This series I’m just hoping for a partner that’s fun and wants a good time and who will enjoy the journey – and be there. Whenever you’re on the show you’re hoping you’ll get someone who wants to be there. Strictly is so loved and you want someone who is keen to learn and is ready for a new adventure.”
The Leave Right Now singer, and it seems Karen wished he’d never attended in the first place, quit Strictly after just three weeks into the competition last year. His departure followed a mauling from head judge Len Goodman who noted that Young hadn’t ‘enough salsa’ in his Bollywood routine. Will replied that there were 24 counts of eight in the dance, but it caused Len to tell him to “show up, keep up and shut up”. This year the rebooted Come Dancing will welcome, among others ITV presenter Ruth Langsford and actor Joe McFadden.
Katie Price Weekly
A weekly watch of one of our favourite telly personalities. Following in the footsteps of the likes of Antony Cotton and Roxanne Pallett ATV News turns to the one and only – thank God – Katie Price. What’s our darling of the television screen been up to this week?
Is the price of fame taking its toll? Today The Sun reported how Katie and husband Kieran Hayler had put on a ‘united front as they celebrated son Jett’s fourth birthday.’ The pair were snapped enjoying a birthday party following several reports this week that Katie had been seen several times without her wedding ring, and had seemingly implied she wanted her better half, well better than many of the previous ones, to take a lie detector test. Now that is one episode of The Jeremy Kyle Show I would watch.
Price was also in the news this week over her wardrobe choices for her daughter Bunny. The fashion of her youngest daughter was called into question, The Sun reported, by infuriated fans who blasted the star for seemingly dressing her in real bunny fur slippers.
The First Female Doctor speaks…
Jodie Whittaker joined ITV’s Lorraine last week (8th Aug) to talk about her latest role, taking on The Doctor in BBC One’s Doctor Who.
“I didn’t know the exact details but I knew there was going to be an attempt at a brilliant reveal – and I got so super paranoid in the lead-up to it. I would panic because I couldn’t remember what I was told and what I wasn’t allowed to say. I knew the big reveal would happen in July and they wanted it to be an amazing moment for me. So I was lying to everyone left, right and centre. My husband was the only one who knew. “But I became so paranoid. I became a massive narcissist thinking everyone was talking about you. I would even whisper in my flat because I was worried someone would hear me. I was so melodramatic!”
Last month ‘who fans’ – usually men in their forties surrounded by plastic toys of Jon Pertwee and the underwear of Tom Baker – were horrified that their icon had changed sex.
“Doctor Who has a massive audience and a loyal fanbase. Maybe [the first female Doctor] will open it up to some new younger faces that haven’t been introduced to it yet. “If I’m the 13th Doctor, there’s clearly so much more to watch and catch up on. It doesn’t matter what age you come into it. You have this amazing wealth of television to watch and for me to be part of that is really emotional and completely overwhelming. When I was first told I got the part, there was no thanks, I just cried! I was like, ‘Are you kidding?’ You can’t get a job like this and not be knocked sideways.”
Quickies…
- EastEnders Steve McFadden, aka Phil Mitchell, has become godfather to two rare baby penguins. The Birmingham Mail reported that part of his duties as Codfather to the adorable pair will be to help name the gentoo chicks when the National Sea Life Centre in Birmingham find out what sex they are. Grant and Phil? if its boys?.
- ITV darling Ant McPartlin revealed earlier today, The Mirror reports, that he almost Died from his closet addiction to painkillers. The Saturday Night House Party Takeaway host checked himself into rehab after, the paper notes, ‘a tearful confession to his wife Lisa Armstrong and TV partner Dec about his dependency on prescription drugs and alcohol’. The North East born presenter, singer and actor has spoken for the first time about his troubles since he checked into the recovery clinic in June. “I want to thank my wife, family and closest friends through this really difficult time… I have spoken out because I think it is important that people ask for help if they are going through a rough time and get the proper treatment to help their recovery.”
- Lauren Harries back in the news again this week with her dear new love. It certainly proves that anyone can fall for another without any physical attraction. Who needs good looks, money or talent. Lauren has proven that personality alone can win over a man. The reality star (whatever that is), 39, unveiled her toyboy boyfriend, Connor Yemm, 21, during Friday’s episode of Loose Women, The Daily Mail reported, as she explained that they ‘clicked’ after initially meeting online. That might have been due to her cosmetic surgery, something giving way.
- EastEnders’ actor Aaron Sidwell who this past week revealed he’s leaving the soap, probably in a bloodbath, spoke to ITV’s Lorraine show on Friday (Aug 11th). The performer admitted that playing the soap villain hasn’t exactly been easy. “The difficult thing about portraying Steven convincingly is that you have to rationalise in your head all the things that he does because he has a reason for doing these things,” “In Steven’s head, what he’s doing is rational. Trying to find that reasoning in your head as an actor is tough. It is such a big thing but unfortunately people do do these things. “Our job at the end of the day is to show the drama of real life – as unsavoury as it can be.” Surely the difficult thing with EastEnders currently is making anything convincing out of the drivel that they deem worthy as passing off as scripts?
- Yesterday Challenge TV began repeating the Des O’Connor era of Take Your Pick. The ITV game show began back in 1955, originally hosted by Michael Miles and ended in 1968. Des, with his warm smile, giggle and seemingly endless amounts of fake tan, took over the series in 1992. The Thames Television production is probably most famous for its yes or no game, where contestants are asked a series of questions with the obvious answers being ‘yes’ or ‘no’ – only those words are banned and anyone saying a yay or nay were gonged off the stage.
Des O’Connor is back on the box with repeats of Take Your Pick on Challenge TV.
TV Highlight of the Week
Turning off Celebrity Big Brother. It was a wonderfully joyous moment. Second to that the two old dears in Newcastle who decided to sort out their shopping bags behind the ITV News reporter while covering a serious story via a live link.
Speaking of news…
News Knockers
Well there are plenty of people ready to attack BBC News and its apparent one-sided reporting, ‘the left’ kick it for apparently being too Tory bias, ‘the right’ knock it for it being so they say too Labour bias; but this week we really saw knockers on BBC One’s Ten O’clock News when a porno was played out showing a woman with her tits on full view. The offending material was seen in the backdrop of the studio set which features a live newsroom. The boobs were bouncing around on an office computer screen behind an oblivious to the titterlation, Sophie Raworth.
The footage was being watched, The Sun reported, by a beeb colleague wearing headphones and slumped in a chair. He did not appear to realise the strip show was being beamed to the nation during Monday’s (Aug 7th) bulletin. Its not uncommon having a load of tits out late on BBC One though is it? I mean Question Time gives us that pleasure weekly.
Question Time, where we usually find the late-night tits.
Coleen Rooney reveals what life is like with Wayne
Have you ever wondered what life would be like living with Wayne Rooney? No, neither have I. However for those few who give a toss his wife Coleen has spoken about life with the star footballer.
Speaking to the bastion of quality, The Daily Mail, she informed us all that Wayne tries to avoid taking out the rubbish bins and can barely remember to post a letter if she requests him to. “I don’t think he uses his mind that much,” she said, which surprised no one, anywhere, ever.
Reduce the Speed Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson was warned, The Mirror today reported, he would die if he didn’t take a break from recording material for his Amazon telly series after recently falling ill with pneumonia.
The former Top Gear presenter who was sacked by the beeb over an alleged row over his dinner, was left bedridden after becoming unwell while having a break in Mallorca earlier this month. The Grand Tour host has been told to rest for the next two months. ‘Having never taken a sick day previously Jeremy admitted he considered ending his life due to boredom while in the Spanish hospital.’ the paper reported. Filming on The Grand Tour had already been held up following Richard Hammond being involved in a serious car crash while filming for the Amazon Prime programme. It was the second time Hammond had seriously injured himself while recording a television series, the first time during his run with Top Gear. Despite the setbacks the second series of TGT is expected to launch in November.
An Amazon Prime press handout promotion for The Grand Tour.
Remembering…
This week it was a farewell to country singer and actor Glen Campbell. Glen died aged 81 on Tuesday (August 8th) and had been living with Alzheimer’s disease for several years. He’ll be best known for his tracks Rhinestone Cowboy and Wichita Lineman, as well as numerous other recordings including Honey Come Back, By the Time I Get to Phoenix, All I Have To Do Is Dream (with Bobbie Gentry) and a cover of It’s Only Make Believe, which as it was one of my old maternal grandmothers favourites we’ll leave you with this week…