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Who got fired from The Apprentice 2019 in week one?

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The Apprentice candidates 2019
The Apprentice candidates have lost one of their number already (Picture: PA)

The Apprentice 2019 is underway, with the 16 candidates thrown straight in at the deep end with a task which saw Lord Sugar sending them to South Africa.

Week one saw the teams tasked with setting up tourist experiences in Cape Town – with the girls opting for a luxury wine tasting experience while the boys opted to take their guests on safari.

The episode was full of the usual mishaps – from the girls being unable to find their wine cellar to promises made about wild animals which weren’t exactly kept.

But at the end of it all who was the first person to hear those dreaded words ‘you’re fired’ – meaning their Apprentice journey was over before it even began?

Here’s what you need to know…

Who got fired from The Apprentice in week one?

Shahin Hassan on The Apprentice 2019
Poor Shahin (Picture: PA)

The first candidate to be shown the door in The Apprentice 2019 was chartered engineer Shahin Hassan.

The 36-year-old from Birmingham lost out after finding himself in the boardroom with project manager Lewis Ellis and teammate Dean Ahmad – with the boys having lost the task by a profit margin of just £44.

While tempers flared – leading to a ticking off for Lewis about his – it was ultimately Shahin’s lack of ticket sales which led to his early exit.

‘Lewis, I have to say that as the project manager one is bitterly disappointed and I’m also bitterly disappointed in your outbursts of temper,’ Lord Sugar said.

‘But having said that, Shahin – you didn’t sell, it’s as simple as that, we lost the task on sales – so it is with regret, Shahin, that you’re fired.’

‘I’m very disappointed to leave at such an early stage – it should have been Lewis, but ultimately it was Lord Sugar’s decision,’ Shahin said afterwards as he took the traditional taxi ride home, missing out on his chance to move into the candidates’ house with the others.

What’s next week’s task on The Apprentice?

Next week will see the teams creating and selling their own range of ice lollies – with at least one more person set to be frozen out of proceedings.

Will the boys turn the tables and nab themselves a victory – or will it be second time lucky for the girls’ team?

You’ll have to tune in and find out.

The Apprentice continues next Wednesday night on BBC One at 9pm.

Got a showbiz story?

If you've got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you.

MORE: This is what it’s like to be on The Apprentice


The Circle recap: New arrivals Beth and Jack join as the group face another rating

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Jack on The Circle
Some new arrivals have joined The Circle (Picture: Channel 4)

The Circle’s latest episode saw new arrivals enter the mix with questionable flirting and tactical manoeuvres.

Last night’s episode was largely defined by the exit of Richard Madeley aka Judy, but now the group have been left with two new arrivals in his place.

So has Tim kept his Oktoberfest instrument? Will Jay convince anyone she’s not a catfish? Here’s what went down in the latest episode of The Circle.

Jack and Beth join the party

Jack on The Circle
Jack is looking for love (Picture: Channel 4)

So who are the two new arrivals? Jack, 29, is a business owner from London who describes himself as a ‘free spirit who wants to stay young forever’.

Jack hopes to find love on the show before he hits 30, having never had a proper girlfriend.

Beth The Circle
Beth is a catfish (Picture: Channel 4)

Beth, 29, works in business development and is from Newcastle, and she’s catfishing as ‘the girl next door’.

She has entered the Circle using photos of a ‘less glamorous’ girl-next-door type because she believes she gets prejudged on her looks everyday – stating men find her intimidating while women think ‘she’s a b*tch’.

Tim and Woody gang up on Jay

Tim is on Jay's case
Tim is on the case of ‘Jay’ (Picture: Channel 4)

After previously having suspicions about the identity of Jay as a construction worker, Tim asks some elaborate questions about his roof fittings to try and figure out the truth.

After ‘Jay’ struggles to answer convincingly, Tim is left more convinced than ever that ‘Jay’ is catfishing.

‘You’re such a fake,’ Tim bellows. ‘You haven’t convinced me at all you’re not your mother.’

Later on during a round of anonymous questions, Woody directs a question at ‘Jay’ asking the wholesale price of a brick, prompting another wobbly answer from Jay.

Both Tim and Woody are now convinced ‘Jay’ is a catfish, so how will this affect her approach moving forward?

Jack’s flirting goes to cringe levels

Jack is flirting up a storm
Jack is on the flirting game (Picture: Channel 4)

As someone who joined the show looking for love, Jack wastes no time in flirting up a storm with those in The Circle –  and he’s left with some awkward results.

Jack first tries his luck with Georgina, with the latter being particularly stingy with her kisses on the end of messages to keep him keen.

Georgina, however, was left slightly baffled when Jack describes her body as ‘flames’ and weighed it on thick by asking for a new travel buddy.

‘Bloody hell,’ Georgina said. ‘Has anyone ever told you Jack love will find you when you stop bloody looking for it.’

Jack later tries his luck with Brooke, offering a cheeky view of his rear end as the chat escalates between them.

Sadly for Jack, Brooke revealed how her intentions were entirely for the game

‘Jack you’re not my cup of tea but for this, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do,’ Brooke said. ‘You know what I mean?

‘I guess The Circle just brings it out of you.’

Let the rating begin

The Circle rating
The Circle contestants are facing another rating (Picture: Channel 4)

At the end of the episode, it was revealed the group would be facing another rating – with the two contestants with the best rating being given the power of ‘circle influencers’.

As the players cast their votes, it’s unclear whether this could lead to a potential blocking – with Tim particularly worried about his place in the competition.

But who will become the top two circle influencers? And will anyone leave?

The Circle continues on Channel 4 Thursday at 10pm.

MORE: The Circle viewers amazed as ‘wizard’ Tim figures out ‘Jay’ is a catfish

MORE: The Circle’s Richard Madeley leaves Georgina in tears with heartfelt speech ahead of exit

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK review: Don’t worry huntys, it’s as good as the US version – if not better

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RuPaul Drag Race
It’s sickening, and thank Cher for that (Picture: BBC)

Ever since it was confirmed that RuPaul’s Drag Race was coming to our shores, we have been deliriously excited… and also very nervous.

Drag Race debuted in the States in February 2009 and has produced 11 seasons, four all-stars series and crowned 16 queens, all while bringing drag and queer culture further into the mainstream.

The format cultivated by RuPaul is pretty much perfect, so when we heard that a UK version was finally in production, we were rather apprehensive. Did the Drag Race franchise need it? Would British humour work on such an American show? And most importantly – would it stack up to its US counterpart?

Thankfully, huntys, you needn’t worry, as RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is as sickening as its American sister – and in some parts, even moreso.

Metro.co.uk got a sneak peek of episode one of the first ever UK show courtesy of BBC Three and from the get-go, it is pure British drag. Ten queens are competing to be crowned the first ever UK’s next drag superstar – Baga Chipz, Crystal, The Vivienne, Vinegar Strokes, Scaredy Kat, Gothy Kendoll, Blu Hydrangea, Cheryl Hole, Sum Ting Wong and Divina De Campo – and whether a look queen or a comedy star, every one of them embodies a different part of British culture.

Baga Chipz – a self-proclaimed ‘common as muck pub queen’ from London – struts into the workroom and immediately, it’s like Deirdre Barlow has arrived for Mother. Cheryl Hole may as well have been walking Brentwood High Street when she sauntered in. Crystal, who is originally from Canada, is dripping with East London vibes as she walks in and whispers: ‘Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s body dysmorphia.’

And the British humour just ramps up. In the first mini-challenge, we’re treated to our first Kim Woodburn impression, and the main runway sees the queens challenged with one outfit representing where they’re from and another paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth. In the first runway alone, we’re given odes to the Thames, a take on the Queen’s Balmoral garb and a could-be-bad-taste tribute to a Camden legend.

But what makes the humour even funnier is the fact that it’s directed at RuPaul – an all-American whose head you can see a lot of the jokes flying over, but he’s giving it a good go. When Kim Woodburn is brought up in conversation, Ru eventually identifies her as ‘the woman with the ponytail’, while after a particularly blue joke from one queen, he turns to the camera and brilliantly states: ‘You are now watching the BBC.’

Speaking of the BBC, kudos to them for matching the Drag Race budget. The workroom and runway are exactly the same, even if the drag is not, and the judging line-up is fantastic. Episode one sees Alan Carr cracking jokes with Michelle Visage (whose humour is basically British anyway) while Andrew Garfield endearingly comes up with as many drag puns as possible.

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 17: Graham Norton, Michelle Visage and Alan Carr attend Ru Paul's Drag Race UK at on September 17, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
The judging panel is spot on (Picture: Getty)

Drag Race UK has been particularly clever by taking the show we know and love and changing nothing but the queens. It’s the contestants that are doing the heavy lifting in making it British – as seriously as they’re taking the competition, it seems they’re also taking the p*** slightly, which is what you’d expect from a UK drag queen. The to-camera confessionals are a smorgasboard of accents and slang, while their slight lack of polish is more charming than it is a flaw. What’s the point of a perfectly airbrushed queen if they can’t make you laugh?

While we watch the US queens and mentally mark them down for every missing sequin and hair out of place, you don’t mind that the UK queens haven’t shaved their chests or don’t wear breastplates. They are the epitome of entertainment, and the looks are just a bonus.

It’s also a treat knowing that most of the looks we see are made by the queens themselves, and not their glam squads. While US drag has grown to spring up wig and gown shops across the nation, it’s a bit more difficult for UK queens – so the looks on the BBC’s show are craftier and thus more unique. And they take risks, like the aforementioned possibly bad taste number, which Andrew Garfield explains away as how the British show love to an icon. Whether global viewers will see it as such, we’ll have to wait and see.

However, those used to the high polish of queens of recent series may find the UK cast a bit more homemade. These queens are happy not to wear breastplates and bear their hairy chests – something that wouldn’t fly Stateside. Personally, I think that adds to the charm, but some looks may be a bit basic for Drag Race superfans.

Even the most diehard Drag Race fans have been suffering fatigue with the show, what with it packing three series in a year. But thankfully, Drag Race UK offers a breath of fresh air. Yes, it’s still the same show, but with a dose of good old fashioned British camp, it feels lighter, less bitchy and more exciting – and that’s all down to the queens. Thank Cher for that.

RuPaul’s Drag Race is on BBC Three and iPlayer at 8pm on Thursdays.

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Stacey Dooley in tears as grieving father opens up about how Mormon faith helped him after daughter was stillborn

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Stacey Dooley
Stacey had a very emotional talk with Mark about the loss of his daughter (Picture: W)

Stacey Dooley breaks down in tears as she hears a grieving father’s heartbreak over his stillborn daughter.

In her new documentary Stacey Sleeps Over, Stacey stays with Mark and Lindsay Preston and their family, who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as Mormons.

Their religion has a strict parenting code, which includes no coffee or tea, alcohol or sex before marriage.

An emotional moment in the programme sees Mark explain how much his faith means to him and how it helped him after the loss of their daughter Clara.

Sitting on the sofa to talk, Mark explained: ‘There are things that happened which can make or break a marriage.

‘We were ready to start a family and Lindsay had quite a lot of miscarriages and we were finally lucky enough for Lindsay to keep a pregnancy, but unfortunately after seven months Clara was stillborn. Which was horrendous, the worst thing that could ever happen.’

With tears in his eyes, he continued: ‘I remember being in the hospital room and I remember the nurses being so kind. I remember them wrapping Clara in a blanket and us being able to hold her.’

Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over
Stacey Dooley stays with the Preston family, who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Picture: W)

Listening to him recall the tragic moment in his life, Stacey teared up too and wiped her eyes.

Mark added that his faith means he strongly believes he will be reunited with their daughter in the afterlife.

‘We believe that children can’t sin so children just go immediately to heaven, to the highest part of heaven,’ he said.

‘So it’s so important for us as a family to live the way that we believe is right to ensure that we can be with her again. So that Lindsay and I can be her mum and dad.’

Stacey adds: ‘You believe that, you believe you’re gonna see her again.’

Mark replies: ‘One hundred percent knowing she’s there waiting for us, and that she will be ours and she will be part of our family. I have a photo in my wallet of her. It helps you to understand why this concept of eternity means so much to us.

‘I see that very clearly now,’ Stacey says.

Stacey Sleeps Over airs Wednesdays at 9pm on W.

Got a showbiz story?

If you've got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you.

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Gemma Collins ‘in talks’ for Dancing On Ice Christmas special after reigniting Jason Gardiner feud

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Editorial use only Mandatory Credit: Photo by Matt Frost/ITV/REX (10080492do) Gemma Collins and Matt Evers 'Dancing on Ice' TV show, Series 11, Episode 5, Hertfordshire, UK - 03 Feb 2019
Gemma Collins wants to go back to Dancing On Ice ‘full time’ (Picture: Rex)

Gemma Collins has said she’s ‘in talks’ to go back to Dancing On Ice for a Christmas edition of the show.

Gemma’s appearance on this year’s series went down in Dancing On Ice history thanks not only to her nasty tumble on the ice, but her on air clash with judge Jason Gardiner.

The Towie star revealed she has had a meeting with show producers about appearing in the festive episode and called for a ‘full time’ return – even though the 2020 line up has already been filled.

In her new! magazine column, Gemma wrote: ‘I’m actually going back to do the one-off Christmas special.

‘You will see me back on the ice. They want me involved and it is an amazing experience. I went for a meeting with the team the other day and I was like, “Is there any way you can get me back full-time?”‘

After revealing this exciting bit of news, The GC couldn’t resist a dig at her old nemesis Jason, saying it was ‘karma’ that he left the show.

Editorial use only Mandatory Credit: Photo by Matt Frost/ITV/REX/Shutterstock (10067937gc) Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, Gemma Collins and Matt Evers 'Dancing on Ice' TV show, Series 11, Episode 3, Hertfordshire, UK - 20 Jan 2019
Gemma clashed with Jason on air (Picture: REX)

Jason and Gem clashed during a live show when she accused him of ‘selling stories’ about her.

Before Jason stepped down it was rumoured ITV were looking to replace him to avoid a ‘bullying row’.

He was replaced by Torchwood actor John Barrowman, who joins Ashley Banjo, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean on the panel.

Jayne, one half of the British ice-skating icons Torvill and Dead, said she hoped John would bring ‘fair criticism’ to the show.

She said: ‘I think he will bring some fair criticism. He might be quite harsh but I think he will explain it in a fun way.

‘I think we will miss Jason and his straight forward comments.’

Metro.co.uk has contacted Dancing On Ice for comment.

Dancing On Ice returns to ITV in 2020.

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MORE: The Circle recap: New arrivals Beth and Jack join as the group face another rating

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield ‘set to earn an extra £150k each’ amid ITV daytime shake-up

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Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on This Morning
Holly and Phil are set to earn some serious extra cash! (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX)

This Morning frontmen Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield are set to bag a £150,000 bonus amid a major shake-up for daytime channels on ITV, according to reports.

Holly and Phil will be required to earn an extra half-an-hour a day as This Morning gets extended to fill the gap left behind when Jeremy Kyle was unceremoniously pulled earlier this year following the death of guest Steven Dymond.

An extra £300,000 has been allocated in the new budget just for Holly and Phil, according to the Mirror, meaning they stand to earn £150k a piece.

Nice little boost to the ol’ pay packet there for half an hour a day!

When approached by Metro.co.uk for comment, an ITV spokesperson said: ‘We will announce our plans in due course.’

The reports come as Graham Norton defended his £610k cheque from the BBC because his ITV counterparts like Phillip Schofield earn more.

‘I have to say, what would really shock the public is to discover the disparity between ITV and BBC,’ he told Radio Times. ‘People would go, “Wow!”‘

Schofield is said to have earned around £1.73million from a collection of deals including sponsorships and presenting favourites including 5 Gold Rings, Dancing On Ice, and, of course, This Morning.

Holly’s paycheque for This Morning was increased to match Phillip’s (£600k) last year, with her TV production company Roxy Media paying her and husband Dan Baldwin £1.7million for their work last year.

Holly is an 80% share holder for the company, while Dan earns 20%.

Other streams of income over the past year for Holly included Celebrity Juice, her temporary stint on I’m a Celebrity to replace Ant McPartlin at the end of last year, and being a brand ambassador for Marks & Spencer.

This Morning airs weekdays at 10.30am on ITV.

Got a showbiz story?

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‘The big difference between the UK and US queens? Foreskin’: RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is ready to snatch the crown

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It’s been 10 years since RuPaul’s Drag Race sashayed onto our screens, bringing drag into the mainstream living room and tucking into everyday conversation.

RuPaul Charles’s queer take on America’s Next Top Model – bring together a gaggle of drag queens and whittle them down via runway looks and challenges before you’re left with America’s next drag superstar – has crowned 16 queens since its inception in 2009 and has won nine Emmys, as well as becoming a meme machine, creating DragCon and landing Michelle Visage a spot on Strictly Come Dancing.

And now, it’s finally on our shores.

Years after rumours first began circulating of a UK based Drag Race, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK has arrived on BBC Three, with Ru and Michelle being joined by Alan Carr, Graham Norton and a host of celebrity guest judges to find the UK’s next drag superstar.

Ten queens from all over the UK are in the running – Crystal, The Vivienne, Gothy Kendoll, Scaredy Kat, Blu Hydrangea, Divina De Campo, Baga Chipz, Sum Ting Wong, Cheryl Hole and Vinegar Strokes – for the title.

We have reps from Northern Ireland (Blu), London (Crystal, who is originally from Canada, Baga and Vinegar), Essex (Cheryl), Leicester (Gothy), Liverpool (The Vivienne), Birmingham (Sum Ting Wong), West Yorkshire (Divina) and even Wiltshire (Scaredy) and they’re all hoping to outshine their US counterparts. Make no mistake, while this is a US show with US production and a US budget, this is all about British drag.

Or, as Vinegar Strokes puts it: ‘The big difference is foreskin.’

‘I think we mix in a good bit of dirty, edgy, rough around the edges British drag,’ The Vivienne told Metro.co.uk at the launch of Drag Race UK. ‘The focus isn’t as much on what you look like, it’s about what you do on stage.’

Scaredy Kat said there’s ‘a lot more swearing’, while Vinegar said: ‘I think all drag that is on the show translates well. With our season, I think we’ve got a range of looks to camp performances. It’s important to show that in the UK, it’s not just a man in a wig singing I Will Survive.’

And there definitely is range. Divina is a seasoned queen who has been a judge on All Together Now, while Vinegar has starred in the West End musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. Baga Chipz is a regular host at G-A-Y, Cheryl has played her namesake in the show Gals Aloud, while Scaredy Kat, this series’ youngest queen at just 19, has never performed outside her bedroom and learned drag from her girlfriend.

The first episode of Drag Race UK sees very distinctly British challenges – an ‘off with her head’ photo shoot, followed by a runway challenge to pay tribute to their hometown… followed by a tribute to their favourite look from Queen Elizabeth. We’re not in Hollywood any more, folks.

‘Britain’s got the best humour in the world – we’ve got Ab Fab, Gimme Gimme Gimme… and I’m sure a lot of [the viewers], they won’t understand a word we’re saying,’ said Baga Chipz. ‘Even British people can’t understand me.

Programme Name: Ru Paul's Drag Race UK - TX: 03/10/2019 - Episode: Launch (No. n/a) - Picture Shows: **STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL 21/08/2019 00:00:01** Divina De Campo, Baga Chipz, Crystal, The Vivienne, Cheryl Hole, Blu Hydrangea, Scaredy Kat, Vinegar Strokes, Gothy Kendoll, Sum Ting Wong - (C) BBC - Photographer: Leigh Keily
The girls are ready to snatch the crown (Picture: BBC/ Leigh Keily / Matt Burlem)

‘I can’t wait to see what we’ve done in the workroom translate in that American style. I can’t wait to see how we look. Afterward I can compare them, I’ll watch the American one and be like “oh yeah, I do look like a sack of s***”.  I’ve skin like a rhino. If someone says I look like s***, I’m like, “y’know what, I do”. I look the dog’s b*****ks.’

Cheryl added: ‘The fact that you are the first series and you’re representing the UK to the rest of the world, I absolutely feel that pressure. Because you know all those American girls are going “mmm… let’s see what they can do, they’re not like us”. No b****, you’re right.’

Traditional British drag is known for being in your face, brash and sometimes insulting, and that trope isn’t avoided in the first episode of Drag Race UK, courtesy of Baga, who chooses a tragic celebrity to emulate on the runway.

‘I’m a bit controversial in the first one, in one of the looks,’ she admitted.

‘I loved it, it was just amazing. Although, the first time I walked the runway, my heel broke. But with the character that I did, I got away with it.’

Judge Andrew Garfield says that while others may find the tribute offensive, that’s how the UK shows love – but it remains to be seen whether the humour will translate, as well as the more rough around the edges approach to some queens’ drag. As Blu explained: ‘In America, they have a lot of people to sew, they can go to a corner shop to buy a wig. Here it’s a lot more crafty. We’re put together by ourselves.’

RuPaul on Drag Race
Drag Race UK will air on BBC Three (Picture: Rex)

While the humour may be bluer and the drag more homemade, the production value is certainly from the States. Everything about the Drag Race UK set has been copy and pasted from the US version, making it feel like home for viewers. But it didn’t make it any easier for the queens.

‘It’s like you’re in a waking dream, or a living nightmare, I’m not sure which,’ said Crystal. ‘It looks exactly the same and if you’re a drag queen, you’ve probably had a dream where you’re on Drag Race. So it was very cool to be like “this is happening”.’

‘The [main stage] is huge and the judges are so far away. You expect it, watching it on TV, to be like a 10 foot walk to the end, but no, it’s like 30 seconds,’ Blu revealed.

‘Am I still walking? And they’re so far away you’re like, can you see me? Can you see this little stone right here?’

‘I’m just saying “don’t fall over”,’ Gothy said of the first runway. ‘It’s mental. Don’t fall over, look amazing, really give the attitude. You get no rehearsals.’

And even when you’re used to watching Drag Race on telly, the power of RuPaul never fails to overwhelm.

‘She goes “hello hello hello” and obviously she does that every f***ing season, and we’re looking at the screen and we hear “hello hello hello”, and I turn around and I think I’m going to cry,’ Sum Ting Wong said. ‘Every now and again you look around and go “oh, I’m in the workroom”.’

Drag Race US has produced 11 seasons and four all-stars series, with queens getting more and more polished as the years go by – leading to criticism that contestants are not being themselves to get onto the show. Surely not every queen can do the spinning splits in a corset?

But the cast of Drag Race UK are insistent that they have not changed, and will not change, for the brand.

WARNING: Embargoed for publication until 00:00:01 on 24/09/2019 - Programme Name: Ru Paul's Drag Race UK - TX: n/a - Episode: Launch (No. n/a) - Picture Shows: **STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL 24/09/2019 00:00:01** Graham Norton, Michelle Visage, Alan Carr - (C) World of Wonder - Photographer: Guy Levy
Michelle, Alan and Graham will be doling out critique (Picture: BBC / World of Wonder / Guy Levy)

‘I wanted to keep it true to myself,’ The Vivienne said. ‘I didn’t think “oh, maybe the Drag Race audience would like this” – no.’

Crystal added: ‘I keep a hairy chest when I do drag, I don’t shave, and I really wanted to keep that as well. You have to stay yourself – that’s the whole point, that’s what people want to see’; while Baga said: ‘I don’t care. If someone’s like “do this, do that”, I’m like, no. Common as muck, love a drink, love a ciggie, Northern, common, yeah.’

It could be that authentic drag has always had a place on British TV, so UK viewers are expecting the warts and all approach. Acts like Lily Savage and Dame Edna Everage were entertaining the masses on teatime telly long before RuPaul crowned Bebe Zahara Benet.

‘We had Lily Savage on morning TV. Like, Lily Savage, at seven o’clock in the morning,’ Divina said. ‘So actually, I could probably have seen this happening in the 90s. But then after Julian Clary dropped a fisting clanger, everybody went “oh we’ll just leave that for a while”. It happens like that in this country. Now we’re back again.

Vinegar Strokes, Baga Chipz, The Vivienne, Cheryl Hole, Gothy Kendoll, Scaredy Kat, Divina De Campo, Sum Ting Wong, Blu Hydrangea and Crystal attending the RuPaul Drag race premiere, Bloomsbury Ballroom, London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday September 17, 2019. See PA story SHOWBIZ RuPaul. Photo credit should read: Ian West/PA Wire
Gentlemen, start your engines (Picture: PA)

‘And we’ve always got panto. Every Christmas and sometimes January and sometimes March. [Singing] Thank you for keeping me in a job.’

Lily Savage may have set a precedent for how drag is perceived by UK TV audiences, but it was Drag Race that turned TV drag queens into instant stars. Now, the queens of the show can expect a tour, merchandise, rocketing social media followings and perhaps a single when they leave the competition, no matter where they place. And for UK drag queens that make their money in clubs up and down the country, that can pose a problem.

‘I think [young fans are] the weirdest part for me. All my fans are like 17 to 70, and now there’s four-year-old girls. It’s weird, but it’s lovely,’ The Vivienne said. ‘I did a gig yesterday and they were like, it’s a kids party, and I said, there’s no point of me coming.’

But with 10 years of Mama Ru’s show to look back on, the cast of Drag Race UK knew what they were signing up for – and for some, it’s been a long time coming.

Crystal laughed: ‘When you’re a drag queen, you’re basically already famous in your head. So it feels like the world has caught up.’

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is on Thursdays at 8pm on BBC Three and iPlayer.

Got a showbiz story?

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Dear White People to end after season 4 at Netflix

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Dear White People has announced the ‘celebratory’ fourth and final season of the show at Netflix.

The news was announced in a sweet YouTube video with star Marque Richardson, who plays Reggie, making a video call to the rest of the main cast.

The clip was also shared by the stars on social media to much celebration from fans.

All the stars were elated about the new season – but it’s the last one so we don’t know what they’re so happy about. We’re not crying, you are…

The socially conscious comedy, based on the 2014 movie of the same name, will run on Netflix for 10 more episodes with a release date yet to be announced.

Showrunner Justin Simien said in a statement: ‘I’m so grateful my little indie-that-could has made it to four seasons at Netflix.

Dear White People
The comedy will return for a fourth and final season (Picture: Netflix)

‘This show, along with the many talented storytellers it has brought into my orbit, has changed my life and I can’t wait to create a celebratory final volume befitting such a transformative experience.’

Set at the fictional Winchester College, it follows the life of radio presenter Samantha White (Logan Browning) who makes a name for herself on campus with her controversial ‘Dear white people…’ speeches on the airwaves.

Brandon P Bell, Antoinette Robertson, Ashley Blaine Featherson, DeRon Horton and John Patrick Amedori also star.

In the film version, Samantha was played by Thor: Ragnarok star Tessa Thompson, with many of the cast reprising their roles for the TV series.

Dear White People will return on Netflix.

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Naga Munchetty returns to BBC Breakfast – but team ignore Trump row complaint against her

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BBC Breakfast
Naga was back in action on today’s BBC Breakfast (Picture: BBC)

Naga Munchetty has returned to BBC Breakfast for the first time since the BBC overturned a complaint held against her over a comment about Donald Trump’s racist tweet.

Journalists and viewers alike joined forces to support Naga after it was revealed that a complaint against her calling Donald Trump’s racist tweets racist, was partially upheld because she ‘breached impartiality’.

BBC director-general Tony Hall later overturned the decision made by the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit, after it was also discovered the initial complaint also included her co-star at the time Dan Walker, who wasn’t penalised.

Joined by Charlie Stayt for this morning’s episode, Naga acted like nothing had happened over the past week as she returned to the sofa for the first time since the controversial decision broke.

Instead she focused on the job at hand, ignoring the elephant in the room that many were expecting her to comment on.

Throughout the controversy, Naga is yet to make an official personal comment.

The incident in question is based around a comment made in July, when Naga spoke about Donald Trump’s tweets that told four Democratic women of colour to ‘go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came’.

‘Everytime I’ve been told as a woman of colour to “go home”, to “go back to where I’ve come from,” that was embedded in racism,’ Naga said.

‘Now I’m not accusing anyone of anything here but you know what certain phrases mean.’

Asked if she’s told that by co-host Dan Walker, Naga replied: ‘Yes. Not regularly but I’ve been told it.’

Stars including Piers Morgan and Krishnan Guru-Murthy protested against the decision by the ECU, with morning TV host rival Piers branding the decision ‘sinister’.

BBC Breakfast airs weekdays from 6am on BBC One.

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Celebrities to be stripped of privileges and perks for special edition of Race Across The World

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Race Across The World
A celebrity version of Race Across The World is in the works (Picture: BBC)

Celebrities are set to be stripped of the privileges and perks of fame for a special version of Race Across The World.

After Tony and Elaine triumphed in the first series on their journey to the Far East without taking a single flight, the BBC want to get some famous people to do the same for four episodes.

Like the normal version of the show, the celebs will be without a smartphone, mod-cons or luxuries, and will have to make the trip using only the cash equivalent of a one-way airfare to their final destination.

They won’t be allowed to use their credit cards or access the internet, which might be incredibly tough for some celebs depending on who is in the line up.

The BBC said of the series: ‘Stripped of all mod-cons and all luxuries, they will have to rely on their skills, cunning, ingenuity and talent rather than the privileges and perks of fame in order to succeed.

‘This incredible journey will give a unique insight into the celebrities and their relationship with their travelling companions as they are pushed to the absolute limit.’

race across the world
The Race Across The World couples were helped enormously by strangers on their journey to the Far East (Picture: BBC)

David Brindley, head of commissioning, popular factual and factual entertainment at the BBC, said: ‘Our celebrities won’t be able to rely on their fame and fortune on this journey and we can’t wait to see whose wit and skill gets them to the finish line first, in what is fast becoming one of the most revealing and testing challenges on TV.’

The line-up is yet to be announced, but we’re just putting it out there now that Rylan Clark-Neal would smash it…

This year’s champs Tony and Elaine took home £20,000 after successfully completing the trip the fastest.

In a chat with Metro.co.uk they said the prize pot would be handed out accordingly between their three children and five grandchildren.

Tony also added: ‘There’s different charities we’ve supported but we’ve always wanted electric bikes!’

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Len Goodman harshly warns Fifth Harmony’s Ally Brooke ‘don’t touch me again’ on Dancing With the Stars

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Dancing With The Stars US fans has branded Len Goodman ‘rude’ and ‘a grumpy old man’ after a snide comment towards Fifth Harmony star Ally Brooke.

The popstar, who dazzled audiences with her rumba performance to Dreaming Of You by Selena on Tuesday evening, was left red-faced after she got shut down by the head judge.

After he praised her performance, pro partner Sasha Ferber and Ally cheered as he picked up on their Cucaracha during the routine.

Excited 26-year-old Ally then ran to Len, 75, and high-fived him as he held his hand up.

While reciprocating the sign as the audience cheered, Len was heard through the crowd telling her ‘not to touch him’.

‘Don’t get overwhelmed,’ he was heard telling Ally, waving a finger. ‘And don’t touch me again.’

Dancing With the Stars Ally Brooke
Ally was baffled by his cold response (Picture: ABC)

A baffled Ally responded: ‘I gave you a high-five!’, confused by his sudden attitude switch.

She walked away with a 24 out of 30 for her efforts.

The comment didn’t go unnoticed by fans of the dancing series (the US version of Strictly), who slammed him for his ‘grumpy’ demeanour.

Len has been a head judge on Dancing With The Stars since 2005, and was head judge on Strictly Come Dancing from 2004.

Commuting between London and Los Angeles for 11 seasons, he eventually quit Strictly and was replaced by Shirley Ballas in 2017.

He recently came under fire by saying he didn’t want same-sex couples on the series, saying he was a ‘traditionalist’ when it came to the ballroom.

Meanwhile over in the UK, the series is thriving as the team gear up for movie week – with a Pokemon Paso Doble, an ode to Mary Poppins and a classic callback to Fred Astaire all listed on this week’s song schedule. 

After James Cracknell was eliminated in the first week of knockouts, who will prove to be the Box Office bomb of this week?

Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC in the US, and is available worldwide on YouTube after air. 

Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday at 7.10pm on BBC One. 

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Love Island’s Montana Brown has become a counselor helping kids to speak about their feelings after friend Mike Thalassitis’ death

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Love Island star Montana Brown has enrolled as a counselor.

The reality TV star is using her new role to encourage young people to talk about their feelings.

She appeared on morning TV to debate about the term ‘sadfishing’, which is when people post sad things online in a bid to attract attention.

Montana has been open about her feelings on social media in the wake of the death of fellow Love Island star Mike Thalassitis.

The former islander said speaking about it on Instagram has helped her, and now she is hoping to help young kids in a similar way.

On Thursday’s Good Morning Britain, host Susanna Reid asked: ‘Do you not think that’s a cry for help in itself that people feel easier to write about it online than it is to talk about it in person?’

Montana replied: ‘I’ve just enrolled to be a crisis practitioner basically, a counselor to help young kids to talk online, and they feel a lot more comfortable texting in rather than speaking to someone about it and that’s just the way we live at the minute.’

Love Island star Montana Brown on Good Morning Britain
Montana has enrolled as a counselor for young people (Picture: ITV)

Turning to the death of her friend, who died by suicide in March, Montana explained: ‘I shared about my friend Mike and how upsetting that was for me and how I felt after losing someone in that way.

‘Of course you get negativity along the way, but that doesn’t really bother me because I know I helped a lot of people as well.’

Earlier this year Montana wrote a poem about Mike, which appeared in a book about mental health called It’s Not OK to Feel Blue and Other Lies.

Montana Brown Mike Thalassitis
Mike and Montana remained friends after Love Island (Picture: Ricky Vigil/GC Images)

She said of her contribution: ‘People made me feel really bad about talking about him publicly, accusing me of using his death for my own good, and it really made me sad.

‘But tbh I don’t care about that anymore, the point is people are hurting silently, and Mike was hurting silently for a while and nobody saw the signs because he didn’t reach out.

‘So let’s all speak up about mental health, and hopefully all these amazing inspirational contributors can show you it’s ok to speak about your experiences too.’

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV.

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Why isn’t This Morning on today?

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Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on This Morning
Holly and Phil have been temporarily replaced by the Rugby World Cup (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX)

If you’re a committed daytime viewer, you might have been disappointed to turn on your television to find out that This Morning and Loose Women are not on today.

This might be particularly frustrating for viewers of the ITV shows, as there have been multiple disruptions to the schedule recently.

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield have disappeared from our screens again, and there’s no sight of the Loose ladies either. It’s not the first time this has happened recently.

Both shows were replaced on Monday, and they’ve also been bumped off the air twice before that, too.

So why is This Morning not on today?

Why is This Morning cancelled?

This Morning and Loose Women are cancelled again today to make way for the Rugby World Cup in Japan. For the time being, ITV are swapping celebrity interviews and showbiz news for scrums and tackles.

Ireland will take on Russia at 11:15am, with the match kicking off all the way over in Tokyo. Due to the timing of the match, this unfortunately leaves no room for the usual viewings of This Morning and Loose Women. ITV’s sport coverage will start at 10:15am and finishes at 1:30pm, when the ITV lunchtime news will be shown in its regular slot.

But not to worry! Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford will be back to hosting This Morning on Friday morning, and Loose Women will be returning too. Let’s hope we see Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield having a giggle on the sofa again soon!

This Morning continues on Friday October 4, at 10.30am, and Loose Women continues at 12.30am on Friday October 4, on ITV.

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Suits season 9 finale boss lied about ‘big show changes’ to throw people off spoilers

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Suits finale
Major finale moments were ruined by the trailer – so he tried to make fans doubt it (Picture: Shane Mahood/USA Network)

Suits ended on a hell of a happy note but the team had us all worried there for a second with a warning there would be ‘big changes’ to the final episode.

Showrunner Aaron Korsch caused confusion among the fans of the ending legal drama by tweeting that he was back in the editing rooms to make some changes days before the show aired.

He wrote online: “#Suits Finale is locked. Some big last second changes. To quote Harvey no turning back now… For the last time, watch the s*** out of it.’

But it turns out he was having everyone on, because a couple of people had given a bit too much for his liking!

Speaking to Deadline, he said: ‘That was really because our promo department made a mistake and they spoiled both Donna and Harvey getting engaged and Donna and Harvey getting married.

‘And one of our extras to some degree spoiled Harvey leaving the firm with the final name of the firm.

‘So, so many things in my mind had been spoiled that I decided to say I made some big last-minute changes just to throw some doubts into some fans’ minds.

‘But I didn’t make any big last-minute changes.’

Suits finale ended on a super happy note with the law-firm regulars getting versions of their happy ending.

Zooming through the future, we saw what became of the team.

Louis (Rick Hoffman) and a very pregnant Sheila (Rachael Harris) got married in a small ceremony, right before her waters broke and she gave birth to a baby girl.

Harvey Specter (played by Gabriel Macht) and Donna Paulsen (Sarah Rafferty) also tied the knot before it was revealed they were leaving New York joining married couple Mike Ross (Patrick J Adams) and Rachel Zane (Meghan Markle) in Seattle.

When Mike was asked how Rachel was doing before the final episode, he declared: ‘If I told you how good, you probably wouldn’t believe me.’

Seeing as in real-life she became our Duchess of Sussex, you’re telling us! So while she wasn’t in the final episode, it was definitely a cheeky little nod to their now Royal former castmate.

Suits is available to stream on Netflix.

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Game of Thrones axed storyline saw Daenerys Targaryen kill Khal Drogo: The leaked details

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Emilia Clarke as Daenerys, Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo
Daenerys Targaryen was supposed to kill Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones (Picture: HBO)

Game of Thrones could have turned out so differently, according to leaked scripts which show Daenerys Targaryen’s thirst to kill actually came much sooner than it played out on screen. Her first victim? Hubby Khal Drogo.

Game of Thrones season eight was divisive at best, offensive at its worst. One of the biggest hang-ups being Daenerys’ (played by Emilia Clarke) swift descent to ‘madness’, which even director Neil Marshall has admitted was ‘rushed’.

Way back in season two, the leader of the Dothraki perished when a cut became infected. But in George RR Martin’s original pitch, Daenerys murdered her husband out of revenge for killing her god-awful brother Viserys (Harry Lloyd).

During the HBO series, Dany’s sibling was torturous, abusive and despite his short run was by far one of the biggest pests in Westeros. Subsequently, he was given one of the more gruesome deaths over the course of the eight seasons as Drogo (Jason Momoa) poured melting hot gold on his head.

In a now-deleted tweet from Waterstones, according to Express.co.uk, Martin’s leaked pitch read: ‘Over across the narrow sea, Daenerys Targaryen will discover that her new husband, the Dothraki Khal Drogo, has little interest in invading the Seven Kingdoms, much to her brother’s frustration.

Visery Kisses Daenerys - Targaryen siblings - HBO
Daenerys originally wanted revenge for her brother’s death (Picture: HBO)

‘When Viserys presses his claims past the point of tact or wisdom, Khal Drogo will finally grow annoyed and kill him out of hand, eliminating the Targaryen pretender and leaving Daenerys as the last of her line.

‘Daenerys will bide her time, but she will not forget.

‘When the moment is right, she will kill her husband to avenge her brother, and then flee with a trusted friend into the wilderness beyond Vaes Dothrak. Then she begins to plan for her invasion of the Seven Kingdoms.’

Game of Thrones may have ended almost six months ago, but hidden details from the fantasy epic continue to blow our minds. This week it was revealed ‘Bran’ actually translates to ‘raven’ in Celtic and was the name of a Celtic king. So, with a little help from Google translate, we should have seen the end game coming from a mile away.

Game of Thrones seasons one to eight are available to stream on NOW TV.

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RuPaul taught Scottish slang by Lorraine Kelly and honestly she could teach us a thing or two too

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RuPaul is bringing Drag Race to the UK for the first time tonight and, in turn, Lorraine Kelly taught him some unique Scottish slang to celebrate.

The proud Scot sat down with Ru ahead of the premiere on BBC Three tonight and took the opportunity to educate the drag performer on some unique British vernacular, as the head judge revealed he sometimes struggles to get his head around our sense of humour.

‘The lingo, it’s taken me a while to understand certain things,’ the Emmy award-winning presenter said. ‘I have to ask, “what does that mean?”‘

RuPaul appearing on Lorraine 3.10.19 (Picture: ITV)
In all fairness to RuPaul, we have no idea what any of this means either (Picture: ITV)

One particular phrase the Supermodel of the World singer struggled to understand at first the phrase ‘navvie’ – aka someone working on a British building site.

Lorraine took this opportunity to educate Ru on some traditional Scottish speech too, a very guttural pronunciation of ‘aye right’ that the ITV presenter recommended Mama Ru use whenever he wanted to let someone know he wasn’t happy.

Ahead of its launch in the UK tonight, we have the lowdown on all the British queens featured on Drag Race tonight.

Graham Norton, Michelle Visage and Alan Carr attending the RuPaul Drag race premiere, Bloomsbury Ballroom, London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday September 17, 2019. See PA story SHOWBIZ RuPaul. Photo credit should read: Ian West/PA Wire
We can’t wait for the BBC Three series (Picture: PA)

The new series will include a host of iconic guest judges too, alongside permanent members Graham Norton, Alan Carr, Michelle Visage and RuPaul.

Some of the stars joining in the fun will be Cheryl, Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams (who hit the runway with Visage, Norton and Ru) and Lorraine herself!

Lorraine airs weekdays from 8.30am on ITV. RuPaul’s Drag Race UK launches tonight on BBC Three at 8pm. 

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From Cersei to Bran: Game of Thrones character names that are spot on when translated

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Game Of Thrones
A look at what some of the Game Of Thrones character names mean (Picture: HBO)

After the revelation that Bran Stark’s story on Game Of Thrones was hinted at through the Celtic translation of his name, it turns out there are others that tease what’s to come for the main players of Westeros.

Bran’s (Issac Hempstead Wright) future as the Three-Eyed Raven was revealed by a keen fan on Reddit, who did their research and found Bran in Celtic means literally ‘raven’.

Others who have taken a deep dive into the character names have discovered some intriguing connections between the meanings and what becomes of the characters on the show.

Mostly they are descriptive rather than a prediction (Lysa roughing translating to ‘madness’ in Greek for example), some do throw some light on storylines.

Reddit user High As Honor put in the hard graft and shared their findings with other Game Of Thrones fans.

Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) is derived from Brianne, the Celtic translation for high, or noble which is interesting given that Brienne ends up in a high position serving Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) as Hand of the King.

Bran Stark
The Celtic translation of Bran’s name is ‘raven’ (Picture: HBO)
Brienne of Tarth Game Of Thrones in armour
Of course Brienne’s name meaning is as cool as she is (Picture: HBO)

Speaking of Tyrion, his name is another stand out in the list as the Greek root word for ‘king’.

Another fan on Reddit suggested that, as the character didn’t end up on the Iron Throne, that the name might have been down to his cruel father Tywin.

They said it was ‘sad as Tywin could have named him king, intended for him to be king before he knew he was a dwarf.’

Punch us in the heart, why don’t you?

Editorial use only. No book cover usage. Mandatory Credit: Photo by HBO/BSkyB/Kobal/REX (10222109ai) Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister 'Game of Thrones' TV Show Season 8 - 2019 Nine noble families fight for control over the mythical lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for thousands of years.
King Tyrion? We would have loved to see it (Picture: REX)

They also found that Cersei (Lena Headey) could have been derived from the Greek goddess Circe, who was every bit as vicious as the one-time queen.

Classical interpretations of Circe depict her as a deeply jealous enchantress who could transform people who offended her into animals. She was also a figure of fear and desire – which is Cersei to the core.

HBO
Cersei’s name could have been derived from Greek goddess Circe, a very jealous enchantress who turned her enemies into animals (Picture: HBO)

Aerys, as in the Mad King Aerys, is another interesting name. The Redditor research found that the Ancient Greek definition of his name is strife, which is fair to say he brought all of Westeros during his chaotic reign.

Robert – the dearly departed Robb Stark (Richard Madden) and Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) – actually share a name meaning from the Germanic word for ‘famous’ or ‘bright fame’.

the red wedding on game of thrones
Robb Stark’s military prowess didn’t help him in the end (Picture: HBO)

Both Robs were known in Westeros for their military prowess. Not that it actually helped either of them much in the end.

Game Of Thrones is available to watch on Sky and NOW TV.

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Helen Mirren refuses to replace Olivia Colman on The Crown: ‘I don’t think so’

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Helen Mirren dropped by Lorraine this morning and ruled out ever returning to the role as Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown.

The actress – who won an Oscar for her role in 2006’s The Queen – will not be on hand to take over the reigns from Olivia Colman, who has just replaced Claire Foy in the role for Netflix’s opulent hit series.

‘I don’t think so,’ the Catherine the Great star said. ‘I think it’s more interesting when you see other portraits and it builds into a more interesting picture than just someone coming back.’

Lorraine Kelly Helen Mirren
Mirren told Lorraine that she would not be returning as the monarch anytime soon (Picture: ITV)

Even if the national treasure won’t be returning, The Crown most certainly is. Season three is coming to the streaming service on November 17 with newly-minted Oscar-winner Colman in the leading role.

Mirren was full of compliments for the Broadchurch actress and her predecessor, Foy.

‘A lot of people are wonderful,’ she added. ‘I thought Claire was wonderful, I know Olivia will be fantastic.’

Helen Mirren The Queen
The Dame won an Oscar for her role in 2006’s The Queen 9Picture: Rex)

And if that wasn’t enough for fans, filming for the fourth series of the show has already begun too.

We’ve already got glimpses at Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher and the first pictures of Josh O’Connor and Emma Corrin as Charles and Diana have been released.

The Crown returns to Netflix on November 17. 

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Joaquin Phoenix left ’embarrassed’ as expletive-ridden outtake ‘leaked’

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Joaquin Phoenix was left feeling a little ’embarrassed’ after a ‘private’ outtake of him playing Joker was leaked this week.

The actor plays the main character Arthur Fleck in the Todd Phillips-directed film about the Batman antagonist’s backstory, appearing on Jimmy Kimmel this week to talk all about the tale.

However the talk show host had come into possession of an outtake of Joaquin filming a rather heated scene, with his face half-painted in the famous Joker clown paint.

In it, Joaquin appears to lose his cool after a member of the crew – who turned out to be the cinematographer – was ‘whispering’ throughout his take.

And Jimmy thought it was a great time to show Joaquin.

‘The constant whispering, just shut the f**k up, dude,’ the acclaimed actor can be heard saying as he attempts to get back into character, unable to find the groove again. ‘I’m trying to find something real.’

As the crew member called him ‘Cher’ seemingly as a diva insult, Joaquin wasn’t finding it an insult at all, as he kept going: ‘I know you started the f***ing Cher thing, Larry … making fun of me. Like I’m a f***ing diva.

‘It’s not even an insult. Cher, really? Singer, actor, dancer, fashion icon — how’s that a f***ing insult?’

Joaquin played Arthur Fleck in Joker
Joaquin played Arthur Fleck in Joker (Picture: Warner Bros)

We have to say we feel sorry for the guy, trying to get into a pretty intense character, not being able to, and now having the world seeing his creative process. Or was it all just a gag for the show?

‘That was supposed to be private. I’m embarrassed, I’m sorry about that. I’m sorry you guys had to see that,’ he said to the audience, after the clip – which Jimmy said was handed to him by director Todd – aired.

 Joaquin Phoenix
It was all a joke, apparently (Picture: EPA)

Joaquin went on to reveal that the ‘Larry’ from the clip was the film’s cinematographer Lawrence Sher.

He said: ‘Look, sometimes movies get intense because you’re a lot of people in a small space and you’re trying to find something so you can feel intense.’

Jimmy attempted to make light of the situation, but humble Joaquin said: ‘There’s no excuse for that. You shouldn’t talk to people [like that].’

Making a joke, her added: ‘Let me think about this a bit more. My publicist will issue a formal statement tomorrow.’

Phoenix added: ‘Can we move on? …I should probably publicly apologise to Larry.’

He said afterwards with a smile: ‘I am sorry but he did whisper constantly while we were trying to work … it was wrong of me, I’m sorry, but he shouldn’t have done it.’

Fans were very much on Joaquin’s side, though, as they leapt to the actor’s defence and slammed Jimmy for thinking it was appropriate to show the clip.

But it turns out we were all massively played, with Joaquin’s publicist later telling Entertainment Weekly the whole thing ‘was a joke outtake’.

‘Just watched the interview with joaquin phoenix on the jimmy kimmel show and it made me so mad,’ one irate fan wrote on Twitter.

‘So bad for that show to air that clip and catch him off guard like that. Let me tell you it’s so annoying when people talk on set (I haven’t ever sworn at anyone tho) lol.’

Another added: ‘I have no idea why Jimmy Kimmel would think it was a good idea to play that clip of Joaquin Phoenix. That was awful.’

One fan thought the whole thing was ‘mean’ as they wrote: ‘I’m not the biggest fan of where they seem to have taken this Joker movie, but that clip Kimmel played with Phoenix when interviewing him seemed way out of line. He was visibly upset about it, just seemed a bit…mean?’

Still, judging by Joaquin’s joker past (pardon the pun) fans believed the whole thing was a hoax and the actor was in on it the whole time.

To be honest, we should have learned from 2010 and his ‘breakdown’ all for mockumentary I’m Still Here that Joaquin is often in on these things…

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How is Disney Channel star Maitland Ward best known and why is she becoming a porn star?

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Maitland Ward at a comics event
Maitland Ward’s made an unexpected career move (Picture: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)

Former Disney Channel star Maitland Ward is certainly making an eye-opening career change after announcing she is entering the world of porn.

The 42-year-old actress revealed she has shot a five-part series called Drive – that combines ‘the quality stuff and the hot sex stuff’ – for production company Deeper in which she appears with porn star Angela White.

So just how is Maitland best known – and what’s prompted this career change?

We’ve got all the information you need…

How is Maitland Ward best known?

Maitland Ward
Caption: Maitland Ward
Provider: ABC

Maitland – real name Ashley Maitland Welkos – made her acting debut aged 16 in US soap The Bold and The Beautiful, appearing in 12 episodes as a character called Jessica Forrester.

However it was her role in Disney Channel’s Boy Meets World which introduced her to a younger audience.

The show, which followed the everyday events and life lessons of main character Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) ran for seven seasons from 1993-2000.

Maitland joined the cast in season six as Rachel McGuire, a student at the fictional Pennbrook University which the main characters attend.

The series originally aired on the ABC network in the US before Disney Channel began airing the show, with the series running on that network from 1997-2007.

The actress’ other notable roles include the 2000 movie Dish Dogs as well as a role in comedy White Chicks in 2004.

Her last screen appearance was in the comedy series Rules Of Engagement in 2007; more recently she’s become known for her interest in cosplay, appearing at conventions in a variety of costumes

Why is Maitland Ward becoming a porn star?

A poster for Maitland Ward in adult movie Drive
Drive is Maitland’s first foray into adult movies (Picture: Deeper)

Speaking about her move into porn, the actress said her love of cosplay and sexy selfies led to her interest in the adult entertainment industry.

‘I have always sort of been an exhibitionist, like always. I love dressing sexy in public and things like that,’ she told In Touch Weekly.

‘Over time, I kind of don’t give a f*** anymore. I want to be who I am, and I just think as I have matured too, I am who I am. I want my cellulite to be sexy.’

Maitland Ward in an Instagram shot
Maitland is known for her love of cosplay as well as her social media selfies (Picture: Instagram)

Maitland added that she filmed Drive as she had never seen anything in porn that was ‘this well done’

‘I really got to set myself free with this and really express myself in a way that I haven’t done before,’ she explained.

Got a showbiz story?

If you've got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you.

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