Over the past three years Good Morning Britain presenter Kate, 56, had been caring for Draper after he suffered from multiple health complications after contracting Covid in 2020.
The former political advisor, who died in January at the age of 56, was the subject of the documentary Derek’s Story, which aired on Tuesday night.
It followed the final year of his life, with Kate also exploring the huge impact of what being a carer entails.
After tuning in, Piers shared a message of support for his former colleague.
‘The final Kate Garraway film about her beloved Derek was heart-breaking, inspiring, and utterly maddening. Our care system is so broken, yet staffed by so many wonderful people. Let Derek’s legacy be a wholesale reformation of the way we treat our sick/elderly. RIP Derek,’ he posted on X.
However, after one person said ‘many families have had to go through the same and do not have the platform or exposure to speak out’ the broadcaster hit out.
‘The whole point of the film was to shine a light on the care system, and help so many others suffering from its failures. Kate used her profile to magnificently powerful effect and deserves our gratitude not sniping. She’s a brilliant woman who’s been through 4yrs of utter hell,’ he shared.
Responding to a now-deleted comment from another user who suggested long Covid was a ‘money making scam’ and slammed Kate’s books and documentaries about her husband’s health, Piers was incensed.
‘I hope you never suffer what Derek suffered, you heartless f***ing moron,’ he wrote.
Draper’s health struggles were previously documented in award-winning films Finding Derek and Caring For Derek, as well as through books The Power of Hope and The Strength of Love.
In the documentary, Kate also shared how she was facing astronomical debts following the death of her husband.
Draper spent nearly 100 days in a coma and remained in need of round-the-clock care until he died, both from medical professionals and his loved ones at home.
Kate had their family home adapted once Draper was discharged from hospital but has now detailed the costs of doing so, estimating her debts to be between £500,000-£800,000.
She’s also said the £16,000 monthly cost of her husband’s care was more than her salary from ITV.
‘I am in debt. I can’t earn enough money to cover my debt because I am managing Derek’s care and I can’t even use the money I do have to support Derek’s recovery because it’s going on the basics all the time,’ she said.
She added: ‘I’m not going to pretend that I am poorly paid, I have an incredible job that I love, which is well-paid, but it’s not enough.’
Former Labour insider and psychotherapist Draper married presenter Kate in 2005 and they went on to welcome children Darcey, 17, and Billy, 14.
Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story is streaming on ITVX.
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Comedian and television presenter Tom Allen has been a beloved presence on our screens for some time.
But the 40-year-old’s fame is only set to soar as he fronts his first documentary for the BBC My Big Gay Wedding.
Tom, who is in a relationship with Alfie Garston, is not arranging his own nupitals but is acting as a wedding planner for a gay couple for the one-off show.
The programme is being aired to mark the 10th anniversary of the law legalising same-sex marriage coming into force in England and Wales.
The fact that same-sex couples couldn’t get married here just 10 years ago means we should never be complacent about the progress we’ve made and so it’s only right to celebrate it thoroughly,’ Tom said.
‘I’m looking forward to making this joyous celebration of love and gay marriage, or garriage as I like to call it.’
Naturally, the 60-minute feature has increased interest in Tom’s own personal life.
Here is everything we know about the TV personality – including his famous relative.
Where has Tom Allen appeared on TV before?
Tom is best known for hosting The Apprentice: You’re Fired and as the former presenter of Bake Off: The Professionals before Stacey Solomon replaced him.
His other TV credits are numerous and include presenting Cooking with the Stars with Emma Willism Big Brother’s Big Mouth and Live at the Apollo.
A frequent guest panel shows, Tom has competed on shows including Richard Osman’s House of Games, QI, Hypothetical, Celebrity Catchphrase and The Crystal Maze.
Tom has also worked as an actor and had smaller roles in film Tamara Drew opposite Gemma Arterton and Starter for 10 alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and James Corden.
Who is Tom Allen’s partner?
Tom is in a relationship with 36-year-old Alfie and the couple live together in Bromley.
According to Alfie’s LinkedIn, he works as a freelance host and performer for the Walt Disney Company and was previously an actor for the Glad Rags Production Company.
Like Tom, Alfie has also dabbled in TV and has been a runner for leading production company Fremantle.
It’s not known how long Tom and Alfie have been together but they were first pictured publicly at Jonathan Ross’ Halloween party in 2022.
Alfie is thought to be Tom’s first boyfriend. In 2019, he told iNews he had never been in a relationship.
‘I used to think that was a bit of a scandal in itself, an unusual thing,’ he said of his single status. ‘But I’ve met more and more people who are like that. There are people who find it very easy to get into relationships and I’ve always just not.
‘Maybe that’s why I like doing stand-up. I have people around me who I love, but ultimately, when you stand up there, you stand up there on your own. So I suppose it lends itself to quite a solitary life.’
The following year Tom told The Guardian he had found it ‘impossible’ to have a ‘meaningful’ long-term relationship.
Tom explained: ‘I, for one, have never been in love and so I feel, “Oh, that’s something else I can’t join in with”.’
How is Tom Allen related to Gloria Hunniford?
Tom discovered he was related to presenter Gloria on the ITV series DNA Journey. two years ago.
The show revealed they are cousins through his mother’s maternal line with Gloria, 83, exclaiming that she was ‘so shocked’ by the news.
Several months later Tom appeared on Lorraine where he spoke about his newly discovered connection.
Recalling the moment he found out Gloria was a cousin, he said: ‘I got this text message saying that I was related to Irish TV royalty and I thought, “Well there’s not many options with that really other than Graham [Norton] or Gloria.” But I was still surprised.’
Gloria then joined via video link from the Loose Women studio and called Tom ‘the loveliest cousin that I’ve just discovered’.
She continued: ‘When somebody says to you on a TV programme we’ve discovered a cousin of yours and he is very well known, you’re like “Who could it be?” Well it turned out to be you Tom.
‘I’m so thrilled and I know we’re going to meet up with your mum soon because your mum comes from Northern Ireland and I’m very much looking forward to that.’
Big Gay Wedding with Tom Allen airs tonight at 9pm on BBC One.
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Netflix viewers have thrown their support behind the new series 3 Body Problem despite it receiving mixed reviews from critics.
And they’re clearly all hooked, as new data has revealed it’s stacked up an astonishing 81,000,000 viewing hours in just one week.
The science fiction series was created by Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss alongside Alexander Woo and is based on the Chinese novel The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin.
Spanning several decades – from the Chinese Cultural Revolution in the 1960s to the present day – the story explores a mysterious extraterrestrial force that is killing scientists around the world and stars Benedict Wong, Jess Hong, Jovan Adepo and Eiza González.
The novel was previously considered ‘unfilmable’ and ‘unadaptable’ due to its mind-bending and complex plots, with some critics saying an adaptation shouldn’t have been attempted.
But many viewers have said they are impressed by how the novel has been translated to screen, and it’s clear to see just how popular the show is as the weekly top 10 list of the most-watched TV shows in English have put it at the number two spot with 11,000,000 views and 81,7000,000 hours viewed.
It’s actually The Gentlemen that takes the top spot though with 11,700,000 views (and 78,000,000 hours viewed) while Fool Me Once and One Day also appear on the list.
3 Body Problem also made it to top 10 in TV in 93 countries, while The Gentlemen made it to Top 10 in 91.
Netflix's 10 most-watched TV shows in English globally in the last week:
The Gentlemen: Season 1, watched 11,700,000 times with 78,000,000 hours viewed
3 Body Problem: Season 1, watched 11,000,000 times with 81,700,000 hours viewed
Homicide: New York, watched 6,600,000 times with 29,700,000 hours viewed
Avatar The Last Airbender: Season 1, watched 3,400,000 times with 24,600,000 hours viewed
Hot Wheels Let’s Race: Season 1, watched 2,400,000 times with 9,500,000 hours viewed
Monk: Season 1, watched 2,000,000 times with 18,400,000 hours viewed
Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War: Season 1, watched 1,300,000 times with 13,700,000 hours viewed
Fool Me Once: Limited Series, watched 1,300,000 times with 8,100,000 hours viewed
One Day: Limited Series, watched 1,300,000 times with 8,400,000 hours viewed
This comes after viewers gushed over the new hit, with X user John writing: ‘Brilliant, it does the book justice, BUT, I imagine those that didn’t read the books will be mightily confused now, but stick with it and prepare for your mind to be blown.’
‘I enjoyed reading 3 Body Problem more than a decade ago. The Netflix version is actually better than I remember the book,’ AbbottMaverick shared.
Many others said they were ‘obsessed’ and had watched all eight episodes in one sitting.
Meanwhile fan Tong begged: ‘I finished watching in one go, some changes were made and really short for the 1st book but overall, I like it. I hope I can see next season… Netflix, you’re not going to cancel it right???’
The series will cover the entirety of Cuxin’s three books – known in full as the Remembrance of the Earth’s Past trilogy and consisting of 3 Body Problem, The Dark Forest and Death’s End.
Where the novels are set mainly in China, the TV adaptation has widened the scope and scale somewhat – spanning several continents in uncovering its central mystery.
Following the backlash to the final season of Game of Thrones, Benioff and Weiss said they also saw 3 Body Problem as a ‘daunting project’.
However Woo said that writers adapting novels for TV have to ‘block out some noise’ in order to focus on telling the story, like athletes in a stadium.
‘Do you think about the fans when you’re in the middle of the game? Well, on some level you hear cheering, but you have to concentrate on what you’re doing,’ he told GQ.
‘Your job is to make the shot or catch the pass. On some level, I understand the existence of the fans, and not everyone is going to like everything that you do, but at the same time, I’m trying to do the best job I can in putting the scene together.’
3 Body Problem is now streaming on Netflix.
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The star first hit our screens in September 2013 on the Channel 4 series with his mum Linda and late dad Peter, before appearing on Celebrity Big Brother the following year, where he finished fourth overall, with actor Gary Busey going on to win.
The family returned to Gogglebox in 2016, before Gilbey left two years later and Linda and Pete continued without him until 2020.
His sister confirmed the sad news of his death on Wednesday, writing: ‘Rest in eternal paradise brother. Far too young but god only takes the best.’
Geordie Shore star Ricci Guarnaccio, who starred on Celebrity Big Brother alongside Gilbey, also paid tribute on X, writing: ‘Breaks my [heart] but @georgegilbey you are well and truely going to be missed my friend.
‘Always lit up the room, cared for others & the memories we made I’ll cherish for ever brother. From CBB to speaking to you last week, I’m going to hugely miss you ma boiii! Love you GG.’
Ricci went on to confirm in the comments that his death was due to ‘an accident at work’, and after confusion over Gilbey’s social media accounts sharing videos in the last hour, explained: ‘Spoke with his sister, happened early of hours of this morning. Accidental death. They don’t know who it is posting on his socials.’
A spokesman for Essex Police told Metro.co.uk: ‘We received a report of an incident at Campfield Road in Shoebury at around 10am this morning (27 March), during which a man who was working at height had fallen and sustained an injury.
‘The ambulance service including air ambulance were in attendance. Sadly, the man died at the scene.
‘We will continue liaising with partners including the Heath and Safety Executive. A cordon remains in place at the scene.’
Fans have also paid tribute to the TV star, with X user Cath writing: ‘George Gilbey rip he was a canny bloke on Gogglebox and big brother gone too soon only 40 years old so sad.’
Liam wrote: ‘Absolutely shocking news Had some great times when we was younger. Rest easy mate.’
Mike added: ‘RIP George Gilbey who used to be on #Gogglebox who has sadly died today at 40.. thoughts are with your mum and family and friends. Terrible news.’
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And as if that wasn’t enough, we’ve now got a first look at our cast.
The teams this year will include two mother and daughter duos, Brydie and Sharon, and Eugenie and Isabel; best friends Alfie and Owen; married couple Stephen and Viv, and brother-sister pair Betty and James.
This year’s route will be taking place across Eastern Asia, as the five teams will battle it out over a whopping 15,000 kilometres.
The release teases: ‘From northernmost Japan, they will cross six seas and eight borders, skirting the path of the volcanic ring of fire – the most geologically unstable region on the planet to reach the finish line in Lombok, an idyllic Indonesian island paradise.’
For the uninitiated, the competition sees civilians leave behind their smartphones, internet access and bank cards, for the trip of a lifetime.
They must push themselves to physical and mental limits as they travel between two destinations thousands of miles apart, with as little as possible.
One by one, the teams are eliminated and only one team will emerge victorious as they all vie to be first, and claim the cash prize of £20,000.
Previous seasons have seen the pairs travel from London to Singapore, Mexico City to Ushuaia, Argentina, and from one end of Canada to the other.
Race Across the World season 4 comes after the BBC aired its first celebrity spin-off, which saw stars backpacking from Marrakesh, Morocco to Tromso, Norway.
It starred McFly’s Harry Judd and his mum Emma, All Saints singer Melanie Blatt and her mum Helene, F1 ace Billy Monger and his sister Bonnie, and Good Morning Britain’s Alex Beresford and his dad Noel, the latter of whom emerged victorious.
Are you excited for Race Across The World?Comment Now
But who will be following in their footsteps this year?
Race Across The World returns Wednesday 10th April at 9pm on BBC One.
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It was confirmed on Wednesday that the Celebrity Big Brother star had died after a freak ‘accident at work’.
Tributes have since been paid, including from Gogglebox fans and Gilbey’s co-star Ricci Guarnaccio.
Police, though not formally naming Gilbey, confirmed they were called to an incident this morning after a man fell from a height and was injured. He died at the scene.
However, just days earlier Gilbey had been active on social media, and shared a grinning selfie on Facebook.
He wore a black hoodie and appeared, according to earlier posts, to have been on his way back from the gym.
Earlier this month, Gilbey celebrated Mother’s Day with some sweet snaps with his mum Linda, who he starred on Gogglebox with.
Sharing a video of adorable pictures of them together over the years, he wrote: ‘Bestie.’
‘Happy Mumma’s Day to all you Mum’s out there,’ he added.
Linda is said to be devastated at the news, with a source telling The Sun: ‘This will hit his family very hard, especially Linda.
‘First, she lost Pete, now her son as well. She is incredibly emotional.
‘George was like her little treasure.’
The family first hit our screens in September 2013 on the Channel 4 series, with Linda and Gilbey alongside his late step-dad Peter, before he went on to appear on Celebrity Big Brother the following year, where he finished in fourth place.
They all returned to Gogglebox in 2016, before Gilbey left two years later and Linda and Pete continued without him until 2020. Pete died in 2021 following a short illness.
Gogglebox airs on Fridays at 9pm on Channel 4.
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However, he’s also undergone microblading to replace the loss of hair over his eyebrows, and has shared his joy at having his ‘old face back’.
Taking to Instagram with a series of selfies, Louis wrote: ‘I realise there are much bigger things to worry about in the world but… a while ago I shared that my eyebrows had basically disappeared due to alopecia.
‘I received a lot of nice messages, some suggesting I try “microblading”, a form of temporary tattoo. So that’s what I did!
‘It took two sessions of a couple of hours. I’m happy to have my old face back.
‘The new brows are neater and more shapely than my “real” ones were. But there are a couple of wisps of my remaining hair in there which help make them look more natural.’
He went on: ‘Meanwhile more gaps – or “lesions” to use the technical term – have appeared on my scalp.
‘I have photos of those which I may share at some point or I may not – they are a bit weird and depressing to look at tbh. Life goes on.
‘I am happy and healthy in every other way and I feel very grateful.’
Fans rushed to support him in the comments, with @possumofconsomme writing: ‘I have the same condition – it sucks but I think you’re really brave to normalise it.’
‘How can anyone not love this guy,’ @daniel.r.adams.3 added.
In December, Louis shaved off his eyebrows and shared the clip to Instagram, saying: ‘no eyebrows is better than patchy eyebrows’.
Up Next
‘I’d like to know how I’m supposed to continue a career based largely on raising and lowering different eyebrows without any eyebrows!’ he had earlier asked fans.
Though there is no cure for alopecia, in February it was revealed a medicine for severe hair loss is being recommended on the NHS for the first time.
The daily pill, called ritlecitinib or Litfulo, could help 14,000 people in England, by helping to fight inflammation to improve hair growth.
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For the uninitiated, the raunchy dating programme sees hopefuls asked to pick one of six people to go on a date with, but the catch is all they have to judge by are body parts slowly being revealed.
Pole dancer Abi appeared on the programme this week, on the hunt for someone she can be ‘silly’ around and share ‘good times’ with.
The 35-year-old, who identifies as pansexual, explained that she’s looking for someone to match her solo polyamorous needs, saying: ‘I don’t want to be constrained to one person forever.’
And while she told Anna what she wanted in a future partner, she also delved into her past experiences.
As the bodies were slowly revealed behind the screens, Abi confessed she prefers ‘larger penises’ and ‘no foreskin’.
When probed on why, she explained: ‘I was in a relationship, he was not clean.’
‘What are we talking… are we talking smeg?’ Anna quizzed, before gagging at the response.
Abi said: ‘Sadly yes, not just like a little bit, a crust!’
‘A crust! No?!’ a shocked Anna replied.
Despite one of the contestants, Mark, being turned away after Abi saw his penis, he later insisted: ‘Abi had some doubts about smegma, but you can eat your dinner off my d**k.’
Abi did however end the night with a date, picking Antonio, saying he had lovely eyes and a nice smile.
But things didn’t work out, and the pair ended their relationship as friends.
Naked Attraction airs Thursdays at 10pm on Channel 4.
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Are you a Carrie Bradshaw, Charlotte York, Miranda Hobbs or Samantha Jones?
It’s a question that many women who watched Sex and the City in its original run asked themselves, but a whole new generation could now be pondering the same conundrum – if they are not turned off by the sex-driven plots.
The New York-dwelling, sex-loving, Cosmopolitan-drinking, brunch-eating fashion icons made an impact in 1998 when the HBO show first arrived on TV screens and now it’s heading to Netflix.
The ‘Netflix effect’ will see it introduced to a whole new set of people, and with 75% of 18 to 34-year-olds holding a subscription to the platform (via Statista) it’s likely going to fall into a whole new set of hands.
From the moment, Carrie sauntered in front of a bus wearing a pink tulle skirt with a knowing smile on her face, the world was changed for the diehard viewers.
For many, it was empowering to finally see strong powerful characters owning their sexuality. It reminded the world that women could have desires that were equal to men.
Now, times have moved on somewhat. On TV (or in real life), it’s no longer revolutionary to see women in their 30s still fully in the grips of being single, owning property alone, or being the ones in control of their own choices.
So while for one batch of women, SATC was a pair of Jimmy Choos in a sea full of off-the-rack shoes, they could now be looking as enticing as the pair given to Charlotte by Buster – the salesman with a foot fetish.
I couldn’t help but wonder… has the world outgrown Sex and the City or has Sex and the City simply done its job too well?
When does Sex and the City arrive on Netflix?
The subject of how the series would translate to a Gen Z audience has arisen after it was announced that all six seasons would be landing on Netflix on April 1.
You can officially put your DVD box set into retirement (or at least give it an overdue hiatus) as SATC takes up residency on the streaming giant.
Concerned fan Danny Barry said: ‘I am not ready for Gen Z to interact with this show.’
While Gen X, and to a certain extent, Millennials, have placed the series on a pedestal, will the fresh eyes of Gen Z view the foursome in an equally complimentary way?
Problematic Sex and the City storylines
Once upon a time, women could be viewed as rebellious simply for being single, whether it was out of choice for them or if they aspired to find ‘the one’ but hadn’t been able to.
More often than not, women are somewhere in between those two categories and the SATC women brought that nuance to TV, showing it wasn’t black-and-white.
Carrie was happily single and enjoyed storing shoes in her oven and casually dating, but she also acknowledged her desire to be in love. These were not ‘old maids’, or ‘desperate spinsters’, they were simply trying to figure things out.
While the world told them to couple up, they were steadfast in their aversion to settling down for the sake of it. All four women did end the six seasons loved-up, which could be considered a bit of a cop-out (but they did rip that apart again in the follow-up movies and And Just Like That… though).
They were all fulfilled in high-powered jobs and their sole goal wasn’t to get an engagement ring (aside from maybe Charlotte).
While the ladies undeniably broke boundaries with showrunner Michael Patrick King at the helm, they also had their fair share of issues. Original fans haven’t ignored those drawbacks, but instead, might have decided to overlook them, or pretend they didn’t happen in certain instances.
The queer-friendly show often celebrated the girls’ besties Stanley and Anthony and gay culture, but made other members of the LGBTQ+ community the punchline of poor jokes completely unnecessarily.
There was the time Carrie dated Sean, whose bisexuality baffled her.
Over brunch, she shared her theory it simply didn’t exist and was instead a ‘layover on the way to gay town’. Charlotte thought bisexual people should ‘pick a side and stay there’, while Miranda called it ‘greedy’ and ‘a problem.’
Younger viewers are likely going to find it confusing that people were once so close-minded, especially as one study found,= that 12% of Gen Z adults identify as bisexual. ‘The way Carrie reacts to bisexuality, especially being a sex columnist, is so close-minded and disgusting,’ wrote Reddit user EXO-Love.
In another episode, Samantha moves to a new neighbourhood and gets into a debate with her new neighbours about the noise they make late at night. As things escalate, she uses a derogatory slur for transgender people (whether they are transgender is never confirmed by the neighbours themselves) and throws an entire bucket of water over them in another marker of disrespect.
Actress Laverne Cox told Variety’s My Favorite Episode podcast: ‘It was disappointing to me, as a Black trans woman, to see Black trans women enter the world of Sex and the City and be so thoroughly othered.’
There is a general lack of diversity in the show, and characters who aren’t white don’t always get the best plotlines. In one episode, Samantha dates a Black chef whose sister is against their romance. The storyline continues the incorrect angry, Black woman trope often used in sitcoms.
Some other aspects make for a hard watch, such as when Carrie finds out that her date Barkley videotapes his sexual partners without their knowledge (highly illegal!) and doesn’t give it the horrified reaction that the discovery deserves.
Facing an ‘anti-sex generation’ audience
As the title of SATC heavily implies, sex is an essential part of the plot. Throughout its 94 episodes, the series covers guys with the funkiest-tasting sperm, very well-endowed men (and the opposite), premature ejaculation, losing the ability to climax, dirty talk gone wrong, the fear of being bad in bed… and so on.
It’s unusual to make it through an episode without seeing somebody get busy, and this could be a problem for the viewers in a ‘sex recession’.
Nearly half (47.5%) of those born between 1997 and 2012 have agreed that sex isn’t needed to drive plots. Instead, 51.5% of today’s adolescents want to see more content focused on friendships and platonic relationships after 44.3% stated that romance is ‘overused’ in media.
Luckily, the women’s friendships were always the centre of their fictional universe. Perhaps the younger audience will appreciate how the foursome considers each other to be their soulmates and men as just ‘great nice guys to have fun with’.
However, they may find it hard to forgive some of their lapses in judgement, such as when Carrie sends Aidan to help Miranda when she hurts her back in the shower.
The Sex and the City virgins will certainly be seeing the show through a new lens. However, perhaps it’s possible to acknowledge the flaws and what really should never have been put in the script, while also giving it the respect it deserves.
Because let’s be real – without Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha, there would have been no Marnie, Shoshanna, Hannah, and Jessa from Girls, or Kimberly, Leighton, Bella and Whitney from The Sex Lives of College Girls… and a lot of women would have felt way less seen.
Sex and the City arrives on Netflix April 1.
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Gilbey’s tragic death was due to an ‘accident at work’. Police, though they have not formally named electrician Gilbey, have confirmed they were called to an incident on Wednesday morning after a man fell from a height and was injured. He died at the scene.
In a statement shared with Metro.co.uk, a spokesperson for Gogglebox said: ‘George was part of the Gogglebox family for eight series alongside his mum Linda and step-dad Pete.
‘Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Linda, and George’s family and friends at this very sad time. The family have asked for privacy.’
Gilbey joined the Channel 4 show during the second series in 2013 with his mum Linda and late step-dad Peter.
He went on to appear on Celebrity Big Brother the following year, where he finished in fourth place.
Celebrity Big Brother co-stars, Geordie Shore’s Ricci Guarnaccio, and Dee Kelly, who appeared on Benefits Street, were amongst those paying tribute to Gilbey.
Sadly, Gilbey is not the only Gogglebox star who has died. Let’s pay tribute to those who’ve contributed to the popular programme, and are no longer with us.
The 71-year-old died at his home in Essex, surrounded by his family, including his wife Linda.
A message issued on behalf of the family read: ‘We are deeply saddened to announce that Gogglebox star Pete McGarry passed away at the age of 71 this weekend with his family by his side after a short illness.
‘Pete will be dearly missed by the entire Gogglebox family, cast and crew.’
Following Gilbey’s death, a source told The Sun: ‘This will hit his family very hard, especially Linda.
‘First, she lost Pete, now her son as well. She is incredibly emotional.
‘George was like her little treasure.’
Pat Webb
Pat Webb died aged 75 after a ‘long illness’ in January.
The news was announced on the show’s official social media pages, with the statement reading: ‘We are deeply saddened to announce that Gogglebox star Mummy Pat Webb passed away this weekend at the age of 75 after a long illness.
‘Pat was a much-loved cast member on the show from series 10 -12 alongside her son Stephen.
‘Mummy Pat will be remembered and missed by her children Stephen, Denise, Sharon, Beverley and the extended family.’
‘Mummy Pat, you were one in a million, took everyone at face value, would share your last fiver with a stranger, the salt of the earth and the absolute centre of our world! Rest in peace mum,’ he wrote.
The news was confirmed in a statement by Gogglebox’s Executive Producer, Tania Alexander, which she shared on social media.
It read: ‘We are deeply saddened to announce that Gogglebox’s much-loved June Bernicoff passed away at the age of 82 on May 5 at home with her family by her side after a short illness.
‘As the first couple to be cast for Gogglebox back in 2013, June and her husband Leon were a huge part of the programme‘s success.
‘Their warmth, wit and contrasting personalities endeared them to the nation during the course of the first 10 series.’
‘Following Leon’s passing in December 2017, June wrote her first book, Leon And June: Our Story, which was a deeply moving and entertaining chronicle of their 60-year love affair,’ they continued.
‘A remarkably independent, principled woman with a vivacious sense of humour and a huge passion for life.
‘June will be dearly missed by the entire Gogglebox family, cast and crew. Despite her departure from the show in 2017, she remained a passionate supporter of the programme, watching it every week, and she was in regular contact with the production team.
‘Our thoughts are with June’s family – Helen and Ian, Julie and Marc, and her beloved grandchildren Frances, Sam and Faye.’
Confirming the devastating news of her death, Channel 4 said: ‘We are extremely saddened to share that Gogglebox star Mary Cook passed away in hospital this weekend at the age of 92 with her family by her side.
‘Beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother and dear friend to many, Mary, who worked in the hospitality trade, had been married and widowed twice.
‘Bristolians Mary & Marina met at St Monica Trust retirement village over 10 years ago and have been friends ever since.
‘They joined Gogglebox in 2016 at the start of series eight and became instant fan favourites due to their brilliantly witty and often cheeky comments.’
A statement released by Channel 4 and Studio Lambert on behalf of his family confirmed at the time that he died with his family by his side.
‘Retired hotelier Andy, who brought much wit and insight to Gogglebox, was one of the show’s original cast members, appearing in the very first episode in 2013.
‘Beloved father to Katy, Alex, Pascal and Louis, and cherished husband of Carolyne, Andy was a much-loved and respected member of the Gogglebox family, and he will be very sadly missed.
‘Our love and thoughts are with Carolyne and the entire family. The family have asked for privacy at this very sad time.’
Sadly, her publicist, Neil Reading, later confirmed her death, saying: ‘Caroline Aherne has sadly passed away after a brave battle with cancer.
‘The Bafta award-winning writer and comedy actor died earlier today at her home in Timperley, Greater Manchester. She was 52.
‘The family ask for privacy at this very sad time.’
Gogglebox airs Fridays at 9pm on Channel 4.
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The reality star, who appeared on the Channel 4 show with his mum Linda and late stepdad Pete, died in a freak ‘work accident’ in Shoebury, Southend-on-Sea on Wednesday morning.
Police, though they have not formally named Gilbey, confirmed they were called to an incident after a man fell from a height and was injured. He died at the scene.
Now, officers have cordoned off the building where Gilbey died as they carry out investigations.
Gilbey’s death was confirmed by his sister who wrote on social media: ‘Rest in eternal paradise brother. Far too young but god only takes the best.’
His mum Linda is said to be devastated, with a source telling The Sun: ‘This will hit his family very hard, especially Linda.
‘George was like her little treasure.’
Tributes have since been paid, including from Gogglebox fans and Gilbey’s Celebrity Big Brother co-star Ricci Guarnaccio.
Ricci wrote on X: ‘Breaks my [heart] but @georgegilbey you are well and truely going to be missed my friend.
‘Always lit up the room, cared for others & the memories we made I’ll cherish for ever brother. From CBB to speaking to you last week, I’m going to hugely miss you ma boiii! Love you GG.’
He shared a grinning selfie on Facebook and appeared, according to earlier posts, to have been on his way back from the gym.
In a statement shared with Metro.co.uk, a spokesperson for Gogglebox said: ‘George was part of the Gogglebox family for eight series alongside his mum Linda and step-dad Pete. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Linda, and George’s family and friends at this very sad time. The family have asked for privacy.’
A spokesman for Essex Police told Metro.co.uk: ‘We received a report of an incident at Campfield Road in Shoebury at around 10am this morning (27 March), during which a man who was working at height had fallen and sustained an injury.
‘The ambulance service including air ambulance were in attendance. Sadly, the man died at the scene.
‘We will continue liaising with partners including the Heath and Safety Executive. A cordon remains in place at the scene.’
Gilbey first appeared on Gogglebox with Linda and Pete in September 2013 before appearing on Celebrity Big Brother the following year, finishing in fourth place.
The family returned to Gogglebox in 2016, before Gilbey left two years later and Linda and Pete continued without him until 2020. Pete died in 2021 following a short illness.
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Billie plays Sam McAlister, the producer for the current affairs programme who managed to score the interview, which was later described by one viewer as being less a car crash than ‘a plane crashing into an oil tanker, causing a tsunami, triggering a nuclear explosion’.
The film is based on McAlister’s own account of what unfolded, which was detailed in her autobiographical book Scoops.
Hitting the red carpet in London on Wednesday night, the stars each stunned in jaw-dropping outfits, with Billie donning a black pinstripe power suit.
Dressed head to toe in Dolce and Gabbana, her outfit came to a whopping total cost of around £4,700.
Her £2350 oversized blazer was styled over a low-cut black top, £1,700, and tailored shorts, £645.
She was joined at the event by her co-stars, which also include Keeley Hawes, who plays Prince Andrew’s private secretary Amanda Thirsk.
Speaking to Netflix’s Tudum, McAlister previously said while the interview was ‘so significant’, it was only ‘5% of the story’.
‘What we do is we take you on the journey to how this all began,’ she said.
Up Next
For Billie, the role allowed her to gain insight into a story that had fascinated her on a personal level.
‘It was something I cared about tremendously,’ she said.
‘When you watch that interview, you think, “How did this get onto the screens? How was this signed off on? Who was part of this?” Getting this close to a royal? That level of exposure — don’t know that I’ll ever see anything like it again. In my lifetime, I’ve never seen an interview like it.
‘And there are a number of incredible women behind this moment, and telling their story is a gift as an actor, to be honest.’
Scoop is streaming on Netflix from April 5.
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He also revived Doctor Who in 2005, leading the franchise for five years, during which time he also created the spin-off’s Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.
Although the series has been broadcast by the BBC since 1963, it was announced in 2022 that the national broadcaster and Disney had come together to deliver new seasons of the show to audiences outside of the UK and Ireland on the streaming platform.
The deal was met with backlash from some fans however Russell has now said the deal to co-produce the series was a necessary move to ‘prepare’ the show to outlive the BBC.
‘Before they (the BBC) approached me, I had already said in various interviews I think Doctor Who would have to become a co-production, there’s no way the BBC is going to fund that,’ he said on the They Like To Watch podcast.
‘You’ve also got to look in the long term at the end of the BBC, which is somehow, surely, undoubtedly, on its way in some shape or form.
‘Is Doctor Who going to die then? No, you’ve got to prepare for that kind of stuff.’
He also referenced the lack of lavish BBC budgets as a reason why the series needed the support of Disney.
‘If Disney collapsed tomorrow and we had to go back to making Doctor Who on a normal BBC budget, you know what, we’d all rally round and make it and suddenly the stories would become claustrophobic ghost stories and a lot of people would like that,’ he shared.
But he added it would be a ‘real shame’ if Doctor Who was not available alongside other ‘big hitters’ like The Mandalorian and Marvel shows.
However, he did caveat his comments by adding that ‘all of that is kind of the flim flam on top of the fact that I love it, and it’s the only chance you have in television for me to really write in pictures’.
The new series of Doctor Who, starring Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa and former Coronation Street actress Millie Gibson, will begin on May 11, with the first two episodes also being available to stream in the UK on BBC iPlayer from midnight.
However, US fans will be able to watch them from 10pm EDT on Thursday evening, a decision which left some viewers seething over concerns they wouldn’t be able to avoid spoilers.
Metro.co.uk has contacted the BBC for comment.
Doctor Who returns on Saturday May 11 to the BBC.
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Dragons’ Den could be welcoming more new faces following the success of guest stars.
The BBC shook up the concept in the most recent series with former footballer Gary Neville and Skims founding partner Emma Grede taking a seat in the lair (aka Old Granada Studios in Manchester).
Aspiring entrepreneurs got a bonus Dragon, therefore one more chance to secure investment for their business idea, and viewers got to hear a different perspective.
As the show heads into its 22nd series, they are reportedly considering more fresh businesspeople.
Made In Chelsea’s Spencer Matthews who launched alcohol-free brand Clean Co, food entrepreneur Ella Woodward, who is often known as Deliciously Ella, and sports promoter Eddie Hearn are on a list of potential ‘suggested’ dragons, but they aren’t a ‘done deal’.
‘They’re aiming for an eclectic mix of people who each bring something unique,’ a TV insider told The Sun.
The newest dragon Steve, 31, also invested in Luxe Collective, who buy and sell vintage designer items. They secured £100,000 in exchange for 3% of the company, in what some viewers described as the best negotiation in show history.
Following their win, co-founder Ben Gallagher told Metro.co.uk the one thing the dragons fake for TV.
‘You can see they’ve been told to do a facial expression when someone’s saying something so the cameras can get that reaction,’ he explained.
‘They are super skilled at being able to communicate so the average person can understand it, and the faces are a part of that.
‘The stuff they say is very thoughtful, very knowledgeable and it’s coming from a good place, but there are some extra bits there that are for the show to make it more dramatic.’
Metro.co.uk contacted BBC for comment.
Dragons’ Den is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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WWE is launching a brand new championship title which can only be defended on X (Twitter).
That’s right, after the huge $5 billion Netflix deal earlier this year, the sports entertainment giant and Elon Musk’s social media platform have now joined forces on a new concept called WWE Speed, which will feature wrestlers competing in fast paced bouts with a strict three minute time limit.
The bouts will be exclusively broadcast on X, and a tournament to crown the first WWE Speed Champion is set to get underway on April 3, just in time for WrestleMania 40.
No, it’s not a match on Mars (although who’d bet against it?), but it is a unique addition to WWE’s programming.
In a video hyping up the innovative project, SmackDown commentator Corey Graves promises ‘a fresh and dynamic new twist to classic in ring competition, were some of the fastest, toughest WWE Superstars do battle with time itself’.
He explained that, under the new WWE Speed rules, the superstars ‘only have three minutes to defeat their opponent’.
Corey added: ‘Three intense, adrenaline fueled minutes where strategy, agility and strength collide. This isn’t just another match, this is a sprint to the finish line. The prize? The prestigious first ever WWE Speed Championship.
‘So brace yourself for a tournament like no other, where every match is a finale, and every second can define a superstar’s legacy.’
WWE has been taping matches for Speed in recent weeks, with SmackDown star Pete Dunne working as a producer on two of the bouts, with Tyler Bate taking on Angel Garza and Cedric Alexander battling Odyssey Jones.
Reaction to the new title has been mixed, with plenty of fans excited for a fresh concept away from the regular Raw, SmackDown and NXT weekly shows.
‘I love this. Hopefully a bunch of the cruiserweight and Luchadors take part,’ suggested @GregoryGambles, as @Cigano300 added: ‘3 min bangers on X? Curious to see how this all shakes out. #WWESpeed’
‘Like this concept cannot wait,’ tweeted @fabien_fichaux, while @EinAlman said: ‘Fast wrestlers like Ricochet, Axiom and Nathan Frazer could actually cook with that.’
Not everyone is quite so keen, as @HistoryMakerDJS ranted: ‘This is one of the worst ideas in pro wrestling history. There should be no such thing as a match between full time talent that goes less than 11-12 minutes.’
And @selenasbriemode complained: ‘A Twitter championship…we’ve officially lost the plot.’
Others pointed out that that now gives the men of WWE a seventh singles championship to fight for across Raw, SmackDown and NXT, while the women only have three in total.
WWE has been taping matches for Speed in recent weeks, with SmackDown star Pete Dunne working as a producer on two of the bouts, with Tyler Bate taking on Angel Garza and Cedric Alexander battling Odyssey Jones.
WWE Speed launches on April 3. Watch the action on X.
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However, ex-This Morning presenter Fern Britton, 66, has fuelled rumours of her return after previously helming the daytime programme from 2002 until 2009.
Fans such as Chris Lewin on X demanded she was ‘back on the sofa on a permanent basis’ after she appeared on the show yesterday to talk about her time in the Big Brother house.
Fern also liked Newton Bud’s tweet. They wrote: ‘You need to bring back @Fern_Britton now !! Love her xx. #ThisMorning.’
Similarly, Leo Andrew got Fern’s thumbs up after asking: ‘@thismorning so fabulous to see Fern back on the show…… holiday stand in….? Hope so!!’
While on Celebrity Big Brother, Fern was asked for her opinion of the new-look This Morning.
‘I got off the train and it’s way over the horizon now so I honestly don’t know,’ she said.
However, Fern praised Cat and Ben for ushering in a ‘new era’ for the show.
The former presenter admitted it was ‘tricky at times’ to work on This Morning, but added she feels it is an institution which ‘rocks but it gets back together again’.
Fern hosted the ITV breakfast programme alongside Phillip and was replaced by Willoughby when she left abruptly in 2009.
She failed to mention Phillip when quitting the show and he later claimed in his autobiography they had an intense fallout which led to their relationship ‘turning sour’.
Phillip quit the show in May after he admitted to lying about having an affair with a younger colleague on the show.
Months later Holly left the show after an alleged kidnap plot against her was revealed. She returned to the channel to host Dancing On Ice in January.
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV.
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Lucia, 23, has made a name for herself on social media making light out of things that aren’t always funny, and getting savaged by a TV star falls into that category.
In the clip posted on her account, the audio played of Joanna, 47, sharing her thoughts, while the video showed Lucia silently listening.
‘Things You Should Have Done? You know what things I should have done – not bothered to f*****g watch it,’ the rant began.
In the accompanying visual, Lucia looked hopeful as she began to discuss her series while eating a banana and reclining in a chair, before looking slightly shocked as things took a savage turn.
‘I think she’s obviously talented. I thought the show was s**t. I don’t often think that, right? I want to say “Well done on you right because you got your own show.” I haven’t got my own show. I’ve not written anything so you know, flipping heck, that’s amazing,’ she continued.
However, that’s where the compliments end for the comedian who plays the lead character Lucia as she tries to learn how to become an adult following the death of her parents.
‘I thought it was unbearable. It’s not often I can’t watch something. I was so bored. I was so bored.’
To really hammer home the point, she continues to repeat the word bored another three times, taking the total up to five.
‘My mother could have written it. My mother could have done it. I just thought “My God, this is just unbearable. I’m so bored. I just genuinely am bored. I’m bored”.’
Co-host Natalie Cassidy tried to bring some nuance to the chat, and told listeners: ‘You are either going to love it, or you’re going to hate it.’
To conclude the response video, Lucia walks over to a framed photo of the Gavin and Stacey, and sticks a post-it note with the word ‘Bald’ written on it, and a broken heart drawing. The ‘bald’ perhaps a reference to the repetition of the word ‘bored’.
Fans took to the comment section of the video to support Lucia for taking the comments well and to praise the series.
‘This would still be my “one time Regina George punched me in the face, it was awesome” moment,’ joked Faye.
JaideGordon22 added: ‘Well not that my opinion matters but I thought the show was amazing 10/10 funny and it takes a lot to make me laugh!’
‘Your reaction is priceless! I love your approach to life – you’ve taught me to not take life too seriously and I’m really grateful for that. You’re amazingly talented and you have me in stitches,’ wrote JackKennis70.
Lucia previously spoke to Metro.co.uk about what gave her the idea for Things You Should Have Done, which stars Selin Hizli from Am I Being Unreasonable?
She was inspired to create something funny about grief after losing her grandad two years ago. ‘I’ve always loved dark humour and making light of times that are just horrible. When you’re struggling, it can give you relief,’ she explained.
Her grandad was always someone who encouraged her love of comedy but also worried about her shortage of GCSEs.
‘He’ll be proud of me but also just grateful that I got a job,’ she remarked with a laugh.
Things You Should Have Done is available to watch on BBC iPlayer
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A man has been arrested, thought to be in connection to the death of Gogglebox star George Gilbey, who fell to his death earlier this week.
Gilbey died aged 40 in what was initially described as a freak ‘work accident’ in Shoebury, Southend-on-Sea on Wednesday morning.
Essex Police have not formally named the Channel 4 star but confirmed they were called to an incident after a man fell from a height and was injured. He died at the scene.
Now, a man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the death of who died after a fall at work.
In a statement, the police said: ‘As part of our ongoing investigation into the death of a man in Campfield Road, Shoebury on Wednesday 27 March, we have arrested a man in their 40s from the Witham area on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.
‘This is a joint investigation with the Health and Safety Executive and our enquiries are ongoing.’
Gilbey’s death was confirmed by his sister who wrote on social media: ‘Rest in eternal paradise brother. Far too young but god only takes the best.’
He first appeared on Gogglebox in September 2013, alongside his mum Linda and late stepdad Pete, who died in 2021.
Gilbey appeared on Celebrity Big Brother and finished fourth then in 2016, the family returned to Gogglebox, with the star exiting two years later.
The family are said to be devastated by the loss, with a source telling The Sun: ‘This will hit his family very hard, especially Linda.’
Just days before the fall, Gilbey had been active on social media sharing that he was returning to the gym and getting active through swimming.
Signing off one of his updates, he said: ‘Love you all. See you on the other side. Got to buy some goggles, don’t like sore eyes.’
Tributes have since been paid, including from Gogglebox fans and Gilbey’s Celebrity Big Brother co-star Ricci Guarnaccio.
Ricci wrote on X: ‘Breaks my [heart] but @georgegilbey you are well and truely going to be missed my friend.
‘Always lit up the room, cared for others & the memories we made I’ll cherish for ever brother. From CBB to speaking to you last week, I’m going to hugely miss you ma boiii! Love you GG.’
In a statement shared with Metro.co.uk, a spokesperson for Gogglebox said: ‘George was part of the Gogglebox family for eight series alongside his mum Linda and step-dad Pete.
‘Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Linda, and George’s family and friends at this very sad time. The family have asked for privacy.’
This is a breaking news story, more to follow soon…Check back shortly for further updates.
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But Netflix has been renewing other popular shows along the way, with viewers set to see new episodes of Bridgerton, Stranger Things, Squid Game, The Diplomat and the somewhat divisive guilty pleasure Emily in Paris hitting screens in 2024.
Although we will have to wait a bit longer for the below shows, here’s a list of the ones that have already been renewed in 2024 and will be released in the next year or so.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
A live-action adaptation of the animated TV series of the same name created for Nickelodeon, this fantasy drama series was a runaway hit when it was released last month.
It starred Gordon Cormier as Aang, a young boy who’s the titular Avatar, which means he’s the only one capable of mastering all four elements (air, water, fire, and earth).
In the first season he wakes up after a 100-year slumber to discover he’s the only surviving Airbender and soon discovers the world is being threatened by the imperialistic Fire Nation, which wiped out every other airbender and is working to subjugate the Earth and Water Nations.
With the help of his newfound friends Katara (Kiawentiio), a waterbender, and her brother Sokka (Ian Ousley), Aang sets off on a journey to restore balance to this fractured world.
Although reviews were mixed, many critics and viewers still celebrated the release of the family-friendly series, with Erin Maxwell writing: ‘The result is a charming version of the Nickelodeon series that should make fans smile from ear to ear.’
In the week it was released it also topped the weekly global Netflix chart, with 154.4 million hours watched by 21.2 million viewers.
On March 6 this year, it was renewed for a second and third season, with it set to conclude with the latter.
Berlin
Berlin (also known as Money Heist: Berlin) is a Spanish television series that serves as a prequel to the heist crime drama Money Heist, which ran from 2017 until 2021.
Set before the events of the first two seasons of the original series, this one is set in Paris and focuses on the life of Andrés de Fonollosa, aka ‘Berlin’.
Many years before the events of Money Heist, he made another heist, stealing €44 million in jewels and framing the one who provided the security for it.
A leader of a criminal gang at the time, things got complicated when while spying on the victim to be framed, he falls in love with the victim’s wife.
The series was the most-watched show on the platform globally the week it premiered and hit the Top 10 charts in 91 countries.
It remained in the Top 10 on the non-English TV charts for seven consecutive weeks and amassed 53 million total views, eventually being named the ninth most-watched non-English language series in Netflix history.
Despite the eight-episode season getting mixed reviews, on February 19 it was renewed for a second season, however filming won’t begin until 2025.
Is It Cake?
First hitting screens in 2022, this game show–style cooking competition series sees contestants create cakes that replicate common objects in an effort to trick celebrity judges.
Winners of each episode receive US $5,000 (£3900) and a chance to win more money by identifying which display of cash is real and which is cake.
The series is based on the viral internet meme of the same name.
As a part of the trend, a common object or food is disguised as cake and others are tasked to determine which is real.
The second season, titled Is It Cake, Too? was released in June last year.
In January Netflix renewed the series for a third season, with the title stylised as Is It Cak3? which is set to be released this Friday.
Singles Inferno
From The Circle and Love is Blind, Netflix has rolled out some bona-fide reality hits over the past few years.
One that’s flown relatively under the radar however is South Korean show Single’s Inferno.
Hosted by model Hong Jin-kyung, actress Lee Da-hee, singer and Super Junior member Kyuhyun, rapper Hanhae, and YouTuber Dex, the previous three seasons aired in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
The main concept takes the idea of survival shows and mixes it with the idea of contestants fighting for their intended love interest after being left on an island and competing in a series of challenges.
It has been described as a Korean version of Bachelor in Paradise.
In January this year Netflix announced it would be returning for a fourth season.
The show’s producers have already teased the upcoming episodes would ‘change drastically from the third season’.
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At the time, he had been driving an open-topped car going at 130mph when it flipped and slid along the track, and Freddie had to be airlifted to hospital.
The star has been pictured filming the new series of the programme, though an air date has yet to be announced.
The cricket documentary will see Freddie take his young sports team, from his home city of Preston, on tour, and follows the first season which aired in July 2022.
The original press release for the four-part series teases: ‘Freddie is setting himself an even bigger challenge as he takes some of his team and a handful of fresh recruits on a new adventure.’
Freddie said at the time: ‘Working with the boys was one of the most incredible experiences of my life but the work is not finished yet! I’m really pleased we’ll be continuing the hard work we have all put in, but on a much bigger scale.’
While Freddie has largely remained out of the spotlight since the horror crash, recently, a source said that he’s ‘healing’ and returning to his greatest passions with ‘nervous first steps’.
They said earlier this month: ‘This will be a huge comfort to his fans because it shows he’s healing well and returning to two of his greatest passions — sport and television.
‘It’s obvious that there is some scarring, which everyone expected, but Freddie looks to have made huge progress since he was last seen in public playing cricket.’
The insider added to The Sun: ‘He’s clearly comfortable enough to get in front of a camera again — something which was not the case this time last year.
‘They’re nervous first steps, as he’s recovering both mentally and physically, but the TV show he’s making is a real passion project for him.’
Up Next
Freddie spoke publicly for the first time in October last year, making a heartwarming speech while presenting cricketer Tom Hartley with his cap for the England cricket team.
He said: ‘Play with passion, play with pride, play with belief. And also part of a family of people. They’ll share the good times with you, share the successes.
‘But as I found over the past few months, they’ll be there for you in the hardest times of your life.’
Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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Irish comedian Joanne McNally is hitting our screens tonight for a new series of Taskmaster, joining Greg Davies and Alex Horne for the Channel 4 gameshow.
The 40-year-old stand-up comic and writer, also one half of the My Therapist Ghosted Me podcast, became one of the biggest names in the industry after just a few years performing.
So successful in fact that she became the first Irish female comic millionaire in November 2022, according to reports.
And as if that wasn’t enough, Joanne’s London Palladium show actually broke the venue’s record for the most wine bought in one sitting. And that’s a pretty impressive record.
Joanne was the co-host of comedy series Republic of Telly for RTÉ in 2015, after beginning her career as a stage actress and stand-up comic.
She then went on to appear on the likes of The Late Late Show, The Afternoon Show, Ireland AM, Two Tube and RTÉ 2fm.
Over on the stage-show side of things, Joanne was a semi-finalist in So You Think You’re Funny and Funny Women, wrote and performed her one-woman show Bite Me for Dublin Fringe Festival, and later at the Edinburgh Fringe.
As well as appearing on Taskmaster tonight, Joanne has previously starred on Channel 4’s The Big Fat Quiz of Everything.
She’s also appeared on Richard Osman’s House of Games, Iain Stirling’s CelabAbility, The Weakest Link and The Wheel before, and with her podcast co-host Vogue Williams for an E4 special, Joanne and Vogue’s Sex Drive.
Does Joanne McNally have a partner?
Joanne appears to be single, having confirmed her split from her partner of two years Alan Byrne just weeks ago.
The star first introduced her boyfriend on the podcast with Vogue in 2022, nicknaming him ‘Prada Peter’ and revealing they’d met on dating app Raya.
She made things Instagram official in July 2022, and went on to share more pictures on social media over the coming months.
What has Joanne McNally said about breaking up with her boyfriend Alan Byrne?
While Joanna has kept her love life updates away from the spotlight, she did say on the podcast that she’s single now.
She added, according to OK!: ‘So me and Alan have parted ways.’
Spencer and Irish model Vogue – who was previously married to Brian McFadden – were married in June 2018 at his family’s Scotland estate.
The pair began dating after they met on The Jump, and now share three children together.
Joanne has previously spoken about staying with Vogue and Spencer in London for a few weeks, last year, saying: ‘I don’t have a room in London anymore. I had to give it up because I was away so much.’
She’s also gushed over Spencer’s love for his wife, with Sunday World noting she said: ‘You can tell he just wants to like slowly hump her leg. He’s absolutely mad about her. It’s kind of cute.’
As well as the hugely popular podcast, Joanne is also now host of a new BBC sounds podcast, Who Replaced Avril Lavigne?
What is Joanne McNally’s net worth?
Joanne’s net worth is estimated to be $2,000,000, according to reports.
Taskmaster airs Thursdays on Channel 4 at 9pm.
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Celebrity Big Brother star Luisa Zissman has revealed she’s been hospitalised and is having difficulty walking after breaking her back last year.
The 36-year-old, who first rose to fame on The Apprentice, explained she was injured last year, but has only now realised the extent of it, and has been forced to miss a holiday to the Maldives as she recovers.
Anna began: ‘She’s not in the Maldives, she’s in bed, where she has genuinely not moved for eight days. She’s broken her back.’
‘I’ve been in bed for ages!’ Luisa chimed in with, before adding: ‘I’ve been in bed for eight days, I am feeling better.’
She went on: ‘I’m not in as much pain anymore because I basically have really good meds, all prescribed, but I actually broke my back a year ago and I just didn’t realise it at the time.
‘So when I had an MRI, so that isn’t what’s causing my pain but it doesn’t help my situation that you can still see this fractured thing, a fractured back.
‘But basically, I’ve also got two discs bulging onto two nerves which weirdly is on the left-side but [It’s on] my whole right leg.
‘I basically can’t walk that well because of the nerves in my leg – It feels like I’ve got a wooden leg. So I haven’t gone to the Maldives because I can’t fly.’
Luisa later took to Instagram to confirm that she’d returned home after two weeks of being bedbound, and said she ‘should have been in the Maldives’ with her kids.
Speaking on the podcast in 2022, amid plans for strikes over pay and working conditions, Luisa said NHS staff should quit and ‘do something else’ rather than strike as they knew what they were getting into when they entered the profession.
‘In this industry it’s completely irresponsible to strike and put people’s lives at risk, it’s unacceptable,’ she raged.
‘You have a child that’s waiting for a transplant and that kid doesn’t get that heart because of some f****** jumped-up t***s. ‘
She went on: ‘When you went into that profession you haven’t gone in blind, you know what the pay is. So don’t go into it then!’
Luisa then considered ‘maybe I don’t know enough about it,’ before adding: ‘It just annoys me, people striking in this type of career, I think it’s completely irresponsible, cruel and goes against everything they should do in that industry.’
She added that she knows NHS staff have ‘huge demands’ on them and work really long hours, and she ‘doesn’t know’ how much they’re paid, but said if their workload increases because of staffing issues, they ‘should be paid more.’
Celebrity Big Brother is available to watch on ITVX.
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At the time they said the show ‘takes up such a lot of our year’ and they needed a ‘little bit of a breather’.
And they’re truly ending things (for now) with a bang, having already revealed they will not only be bringing back some show favourites from over the years but introducing a new one-off segment – Get Out of Me Ear: The Revenge.
The show will also feature the final part of Get Out Of Me Ear: The Revenge with Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Dermot O’Leary, Alison Hammond and Holly Willoughby taking part in the segment in a bid to get their own back on the Geordie presenting duo.
Meanwhile, Rylan Clark, Oti Mabuse, Olly Murs, Davina McCall, Gino D’Acampo, Craig David, Richard Madeley and Cheryl will also appear in the Get Out Of Me Ear: The Revenge segment, to ensure the presenters get their comeuppance after years of pranking their guests.
And as if that wasn’t enough, Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts, TV presenter Andi Peters, radio host Jordan North and singer Tony Hadley will also feature on the show.
The finale will see either Ant or Dec, both 48, crowned the winner of their weekly trials as well as a ‘super-sized singalong’ and games with the studio and home audience.
To mark the end of an era, the show will include a montage of Saturday Night Takeaway best bits from the past 20 series.
Ahead of the series finale, Ant promised it would be a ‘real celebration of Saturday Night Takeaway over the years’.
‘We’re honoured and touched that for 20 series it’s been part of Saturday night TV viewing for so many families across the country,’ he added.
‘We’re giving it (and us!) a rest for now, but we’ll take away and treasure some very special memories and moments. We will most certainly miss it.’
Ant said he could not believe it was nearing the end but that he was looking forward to making the last show ‘a party to end all parties’.
He went on: ‘The SNT production team have been working non stop to ensure this special, two hour finale has that SNT magic from start to finish.’
The Geordie duo launched the ITV entertainment show in 2002 but it went on a hiatus from 2009 to 2013 while the presenters pursued other projects.
‘Part of the reason we’re pausing Takeaway is we need a break ourselves, and we need to spend some time with our family,’ he said earlier this year.
He added: ‘We’ve both got children that we need to spend time with for a little bit.’
Katie Rawcliffe, ITV’s head of entertainment commissioning, said: ‘There’s nothing quite like live event Saturday night TV all the family can enjoy together in the moment – and Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, for the past 20 series, has been at the very forefront of this genre.
‘Over 90% of the UK population has watched Takeaway across the past 20 series and just like the rest of the nation, I couldn’t be more excited for this special final show which promises to be a real celebration.’
Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway returns on Saturday at 7pm on ITV1 & ITVX.
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Joining them inside were former prisoners, who were asked to behave in the same way they did before reforming.
Producers are said to be keen to get Brexit Party leader Farage, 59, behind bars for series two.
‘Nigel isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but he’s great for ratings,’ a source told The Sun.
‘He did surprisingly well in the jungle and is keen to do more reality TV. Producers are hoping to get a deal over the line with him soon.’
While speaking to the publication, Nigel didn’t rule it out: ‘Banged Up’s very interesting.’
The unique concept has led to a Bafta nomination in the Reality and constructed factual category. A second series is said to begin filming in September for eight nights.
A Channel 4 spokesperson said: ‘No re-commission decision has been made on Banged Up.’
Ofill Allen voluntarily put himself back in prison as he hoped that showing what it’s really like in jail could improve the criminal justice system, and deter others from committing crimes. He served 17 years in prison for killing an alleged rapist aged 19, before being released in 2020.
‘More MPs need to go to prison so they can see the reality.
‘They would understand it if they lived it and experienced it for themselves. You’ve got to live it, breathe it, eat it, sleep it, s**t it, to truly know what it feels like.’
Would you like to see Nigel Farage on Banged Up: Stars Behind Bars?Comment Now
Politicians being exposed to prison life could lead to a prison system reform, he believes.
‘Prison can be dehumanising. It is a punishment so of course there has to be a balance. Criminals must know what they’ve done is wrong and not want to do it again but we are still human beings.’
He continued: ‘Some days we’d get locked up for hours with no communication about what was happening. Those lockdowns happened on Banged Up and it made me remember how awful it is to experience.’
Banged up series one is available to watch on Channel 4.
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In a message to fans as voting on a prestigious prize is set to close, he admitted the team were trying to push on as best they can after such a heartbreaking loss.
He wrote on X: ‘Dave and I were so chuffed to be nominated once again for the Fortnum [and] Mason Food Personality of the Year Award for the 4th year running.
‘Dave was so proud of this award, particularly because it’s voted for by our loyal followers and fans, the people who matter most to us.
‘It’s really strange for us all not to have Dave around but for now, we will keep posting on the Hairy Bikers socials to keep in touch with all those people who have been so kind over many years and particularly in recent weeks.’
Voting for the award closes at midday today, with other nominees including Big Zuu, Mary Berry, James Martin, Jamie Oliver, Wareing, Nadiya Hussain, Rick Stein, Matt Tebbutt and the Great British Bake Off duo of Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.
Rounding off the shortlist are Big Has and Poppy O’Toole, Tom Kerridge, Nisha Katona, and an ‘alternative choice’ to vote for someone who hasn’t been nominated.
Si promised that the team will stay in touch with fans about various ‘projects which will live on’ after Myers’ death, and he’ll be meeting fans in person at events over the summer.
‘We’ll also keep you updated on the events and projects which will live on,’ he added. ‘I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at some of the Summer festivals this year.’
Together, the bearded celebrity cooks presented numerous motorcycling travelogues in which they would travel around the UK, and further afield, to sample some local delicacies, as well as cook up some tasty treats themselves.
Si announced Myers’ death last month as he wrote on X: ‘Hi everyone, I’m afraid I bear some sad news. Most of you will know Dave has been fighting cancer for the past couple of years.
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‘Last night, on 28th February 2024, with Lili, Dave’s wife, his family, close friend David and myself by his side, he passed away peacefully at home.
‘All who knew Dave are devastated at his passing. His beloved wife brought him such happiness as did her children, Iza and Sergiu who Dave loved like his own.
‘Personally, I am not sure I can put into words on how I feel at the moment. My best friend is on a journey that for now, I can’t follow.’
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However, she’s now announced she won’t be seen in the upcoming season due to a scheduling conflict.
‘I couldn’t do number three. I couldn’t fit it in. I feel awful about that,’ she told Forbes.
She later added: ‘I feel like I was part of one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever been part of.’
But Olivia did allow fans to hold on to some hope she may return at some point, saying she’d love to appear in a potential fourth season, or even in her own spin-off.
‘I’ll have a word. As long as it’s booked in advance, maybe I’ll be able to do it, yeah!’ she said.
Soon after fans of the series shared their thoughts on her exit on social media, with many saying they were devastated to see her go.
‘I’m genuinely grieving and in full denial,’ user Sara posted on X.
‘Can we not just get Olivia Colman in for like a day to do those Heartstopper scenes? Gutted is not the word,’ Phil shared.
‘Can I just say that Heartstopper without Olivia Colman will not be the same. Some of the most important scenes for Nick in the novel are with his mother and no one can replace her. Their bond is just so special and Olivia had a great impact in the show. We lost a great character,’ Alis added.
Alice Oseman, the show’s writer and creator, then shared a statement about the actress’ upcoming absence.
‘We tried absolutely everything we could, but it wasn’t meant to be, and that’s just the way the TV world works sometimes,’ she posted on social media.
‘We are so deeply grateful to Olivia for the stunning performance she gave to the show and wish her the absolute best!’
She went on to write they would not be recasting the role.
‘I know many of you — comic fans especially — will be upset and concerned about how we will move forward without Nick’s mum,’ she continued.
‘I know there is one scene in particular that many of you have been looking forward to in season 3, and you may be feeling disappointed and disheartened with us. I totally understand — I was really worried too, when I first found out!’
The scene she appeared to be referring to involves an emotional conversation Sarah and Nick have on a beach about how love can’t cure mental illness.
The writer had previously confirmed that Charlie (Joe Locke) and his mental illness would be a driving part of the storyline in season 3.
She went on to ask fans to ‘not give up on us quite yet’.
‘I have done everything in my power to preserve that scene as written in the comic, and I’ve written in some new elements of the story to ensure that it gives us the emotional punch that it gives in the comic.’
Reassuring fans that ‘Nick’s story from the comics is still there and still infinitely important to me’, she explained that Sarah’s role as emotional support for Nick would ‘shift to other characters in the story for now’.
She added: ‘If we get a season 4, I would love for Olivia to be a part of it again.’
Last week the show’s stars’ Kit and Joe appeared in a video that announced Heartstopper would return in October with eight episodes.
Confirmed to appear in the cast are William Gao, Yasmin Finney, Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgell, Tobie Donovan, Leila Khan, Rhea Norwood, and Jenny Walser.
Heartstopper season 3 returns to Netflix in October.
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Netflix is remaking the classic 1970s sitcom, Good Times, but reinventing it as an animation.
The reimagining of the TV classic shows a fourth generation of the Evans family trying to keep their heads above water in a Chicago housing project.
Don’t let the cartoon form fool you, it’s very much an unfiltered adult comedy.
Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), J.B. Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm), and Jay Pharoah (Saturday Night Live) will all be voicing mum Beverly Evans, dad Reggie Evans and their son Junior respectively, on the series that lands on April 12.
Marsai Martin (Black-ish, Little) plays their activist daughter, Grey, Slink Johnson is their drug-dealing infant son, Dalvin, and Rashida “Sheedz” Olayiwola (Jury Duty), also a writer on the show, voices the role of Beverly’s enterprising best friend, Lashes by Lisa.
Executive-produced by Ranada Shepard, Stephen Curry, Norman Lear, and Seth MacFarlane, it aims to bring the series up to date with modern-day issues, and unlike its predecessor, there will be no laugh track.
Shepard said: ‘It’s about a Black family that comes together, laughs together, and survives the system on the South Side of Chicago.
‘What you’ll get from that is a lot of social commentary, a lot of pushing the boundaries, a lot of feel-good television, but also a lot of things that may be in the vein of The Simpsons and South Park and Family Guy.
She continued: ‘When you’re looking back 10 years later, you’ll be like, “They said that on Good Times?” Oh my gosh.’
The decision to make the antics in apartment 17C is a cartoon are so they can go into more experimental territory.
‘The other thing is, look, you don’t have the original cast, right? We can’t go back into the ’70s. So how cool is it that through animation you can re-create that apartment,’ Shepard added.
After choosing animation, the creators have worked hard to ensure skin reflects real life by varying in tone between characters.
The original version that aired on CBS from 1974 to 1979 ran for 133 episodes. It made history as television’s first Black two-parent family sitcom.
Oscar-nominated comedy writer Normal Lear, who worked on the original Good Times, died aged 101 in December.
He made pivotal contributions to the remake behind the scenes and also has a cameo appearance in the eighth episode – his final role.
Good Times will be available to stream on Netflix from April 12
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WWE superstar Rhea Ripley has recalled the ‘horrible’ complications she had with her nipple piercings.
The Women’s World Champion, who has undergone quite the transformation over the years from long haired blonde wrestler to bona fide goth megastar, is no stranger to piercings or tattoos, but getting her nipples done was on another level.
‘When you get the first one you’re like, I don’t wanna go through that again! I did it four times. I got them done twice,’ she revealed.
‘Sorry, my fans are gonna like this conversation,’ she quipped, before opening up on the awful ordeal she had getting them pierced.
‘I got them done and the lady that did them, she used a small bar and it was a thinner bar than than what was supposed to be in there,’ she told fellow WWE star Logan Paul on his Impaulsive podcast.
‘Obviously when you get a piercing it swells up, starts to eat the bloody bar and the ball on the end. So I had to go three days later to another piercer and they had to stretch them like my piercer. So, pretty much getting them done twice!’
Despite having a high pain threshold in the ring, the Judgment Day star admitted: ‘It was horrible! It wasn’t fun!’
Rhea revealed she doesn’t ‘take anything out’ when she wrestles, noting she is ‘just so used to it now’.
However, when Logan admitted he’d thought about getting his nipple pierced to stand out from the other men in WWE, she advised him against it.
‘I feel like nipple’s probably not the best way to go if you’re a male just because it gets caught on things so easily. I get to wear a bra,’ she laughed. ‘You guys don’t – unless you want to!’
Meanwhile, Rhea appears to be dealing with an injury of some kind heading into WrestleMania 40, but her own bum meant fans didn’t even realise.
The 27-year-old wrestler has been wearing wrist support on her left arm since last weekend’s live events, although she’s yet to publicly address the issue and WWE hasn’t mentioned it on screen.
Even her own passionate fanbase didn’t realise at first, with the cast initially appearing in a video of Rhea recreating Rikishi’s iconic Stinkface move in a match with Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax.
For those who aren’t aware, the Samoan WWE legend’s signature move saw the star – whose sumo-style gear exposed his rather large derriere – back up into the corner as he shook his behind against an opponent sat down trying to escape.
It’s been a long time since fans have seen him deliver it, but Rhea paid an unexpected tribute after Nia had performed a less exposed variation in recent weeks.
As the audience in Springfield, Illinois cheered her on, she hiked up her pants to show off near enough her entire backside, and shuffled back to rub her bottom in Nia’s face.
Not surprisingly, Rhea’s fans went absolutely feral – but she previously admitted she loves being a ‘menace’ to get her supporters riled up.
‘Being a menace is the one thing I really enjoy doing, so I’m loving every second of it picking on everyone,’ she exclusively told Metro.co.uk. ‘I relish in it, I really do.
‘I enjoy every second – especially knowing how worked up everyone’s gonna be about it. That just drives me to being more of a menace in a way! [laughs] But yeah, I love what I do, I am enjoying it!’
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Gilbey first appeared on the Channel 4 programme in September 2013 with his mum Linda McGarry and stepdad Pete McGarry, before appearing on Celebrity Big Brother the following year, where he finished in fourth place.
The family returned to Gogglebox in 2016, before Gilbey left two years later while his mum and stepdad continued without him until 2020.
However, the following year McGarry died aged 71 from bowel cancer, dying just days after he was told he had months to live.
Now, following the sudden death of her son too, Linda is reportedly ‘in bits’ over the devastating loss.
‘This will hit his family very hard, especially Linda. First, she lost Pete, now her son as well. She is incredibly emotional,’ one of Gilbey’s close friends told The Sun.
Another told the publication Gilbey was a ‘good bloke with a big heart who loved his family’.
‘He was a bit of a party lad, but he was good entertainment for everyone who knew him.
‘Nobody deserves this to happen so young – 40 is no age and to die at work is horrific.’
Soon after her husband’s death in 2021, Linda said that ‘Pete was a lovely man and I was so lucky to have him for 25 years’.
‘I said to him, “We’ve not only been 25 years, it’s been day and night with each other”. He was my life.’
She added that her late husband and son had been very close and ‘loved each other’, with Gilbey left ‘cut up’ by his stepfather’s death.
Last year he shared a montage of photos and videos of his stepfather on social media, captioning the post: ‘I want him here this year.’
Linda and Pete met when she was running a pub in Witham, Essex and they went on to run their own pub in Braintree.
Before they joined the Gogglebox line up, the couple fostered more than 100 children.
Gilbey’s death was confirmed by his sister who wrote on social media: ‘Rest in eternal paradise brother. Far too young but god only takes the best.’
Sharing a statement soon after, a Channel 4 spokesperson said their ‘thoughts and deepest condolences are with Linda, and George’s family and friends at this very sad time’.
Gogglebox is streaming on Channel 4.
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A year on, his close friend Gaby, 59, has explained why she believes the late star is still a strong presence in her life even from beyond the grave.
The pair first worked together on Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast in 1995, which she co-hosted from 1992 to 1996.
O’Grady was brought in to interview celebrities while in character as his drag alter-ego Lily Savage.
The pair became close friends and remained so until his death, however Gaby has now said she ‘knows’ he is now haunting her.
‘I got a new show recently. I’d always ring Savage to discuss new shows – I always called him Savage – so I went to call him,’ she explained to the Daily Star.
‘But then I had that split second where you think “Oh no, I can’t”. But I know that he’s haunting me.’
‘He always said he was going to haunt everyone – that he was going to come back and keep an eye on us all.’
She added: ‘He knew how much we loved him because at the end of every phone call I’d go, “Oh my God, you know how much I love you,” and he’d go, “You know I love you, too. Now f*** off”.’
Before his death, O’Grady shared how he believed his home in Kent was haunted.
On his Radio 2 show in 2020, he said the 18th century farmhouse was like ‘something from the Addams Family’.
This week marked a year since his death, with Gaby sharing a photo of her friend on Instagram and writing a touching message.
‘A year ago today. Can’t believe you’re not here. Miss you Paul. Big hugs to his wonderful family ❤️🐶❤️ and all his dear friends ❤️🐶❤️ He was a kind, funny, naughty dear friend ❤️🐶❤️.’
When he died, Gaby wrote that it was ‘unbelievably sad news to wake up to’, labelling O’Grady a ‘one off’.
‘There will never be anyone quite like Paul. Goodness me we laughed together so much.
‘Our chats lasted for hours and I know he’ll be up there now nattering away and keeping everyone laughing. ‘
She went on to write: ‘He was brave and clever and naughty and a dear sweet friend.’
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