Olly Alexander will show his acting chops in a Channel 4 new drama (Pictures: REX)
Olly Alexander, Stephen Fry, and Keeley Hawes lead the cast for the new drama from Boys from writer Russell T Davies.
The new five-part Channel 4 drama will follow the joy and heartbreak of four friends growing up in the 1980s, as the rise of AIDS tests their lives more than ever before.
An official synopsis reads: ‘It’s 1981, the start of a new decade and Ritchie, Roscoe and Colin begin a new life in London. Strangers at first, these young gay lads, and their best friend Jill, find themselves thrown together, and soon share each other’s adventures.
‘But a new virus is on the rise, and soon their lives will be tested in ways they never imagined. As the decade passes, and they grow up in the shadow of AIDS, they’re determined to live and love more fiercely than ever.’
The young cast of Russell T Davies’ new drama Boys (Picture: Channel 4)
Olly Alexander, known as the frontman for band Years & Years, plays 18-year-old Ritchie Tozer, who is described as the ‘family’s golden boy’ who keeps his secrets hidden from them.
Omari Douglas plays 17-year-old ‘wild and brittle party boy’ Roscoe Babatunde, while Callum Scott Howells plays quiet and unassuming Welsh boy Colin Morris-Jones.
Lydia West plays Jill Baxter, who is Ritchie’s straight-talking friend from college, and Nathaniel Curtis plays faithful friend, Ash.
There’s a bunch of big names in the supporting cast, including Keeley Hawes (Bodyguard) who plays Ritchie’s mum Valerie, Shaun Dooley (Gentlemen Jack) as his dad Clive, Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) as Henry Coltrane, Stephen Fry as MP Arthur Garrison, and Tracy Ann Oberman (Friday Night Dinner) as Carol Carter.
Speaking about the show, Olly said: ‘I feel like the luckiest boy in the world to be a part of this project, I’ve been a fan of Russell T Davies ever since I watched Queer As Folk in secret at 14 years old.
Olly has some choice expressions for the table read (Picture: Channel 4)
‘His work helped shape my identity as a gay person so I’m absolutely over the moon we’ll be working together. The script was amazing to read, I laughed and I cried a lot, it’s a privilege to be helping to tell this story and I’m so excited.’
Neil Patrick Harris said: ‘I’m so pleased, and incredibly proud, to be a part of Russell T Davies’ new series.
‘This drama, Boys, is two things: it is an irresistible, funny, jubilant story of young people discovering their true identities and the unalloyed joy of living life to the fullest, it is also a deeply resonant exploration of a decade when so many of these lives were cut short by the devastating effects of the nascent AIDS pandemic.
‘Russell’s scripts chart the highs and lows of this time so beautifully and deftly, it’s an honour to help tell this story.’
If you’re unfamiliar, Russell’s past writing credits include Queer As Folk, Years and Years, A Very English Scandal, and Cucumber, so it’s hard to imagine this being anything other than excellent.
Filming begins on Boys next week and will air on Channel 4 in 2020.
And with the arrival of newbies Beth and Jack things could well get even more complicated – but just who are the new duo, and who will they be playing as?
Here’s what you need to know about the new arrivals in the chat.
Who are The Circle newcomers Beth and Jack?
Jack will be playing the game as himself and is hoping to find love on the show (Picture: Channel 4)
Beth Dunlavey is 29 years old, is from Newcastle and works in business development.
Meanwhile Jack Quirk, also 29, is from London and is a business owner.
He describes himself as a ‘free spirit who wants to stay young forever’ – and is hoping to find love on the show revealing he is ‘single AF’ and admitting he’s never had a proper girlfriend.
He’s already made his mark on the show with his fact about hippos – which left a few minds genuinely blown.
Will Beth and Jack be playing as themselves?
Beth is going down the catfish route (Picture: Channel 4)
Jack will indeed be playing the game as himself – but Beth has other plans for The Circle.
She revealed on the show that she is playing as what she described as a ‘less glamorous’ girl-next-door type – using photos of another woman instead of herself – in a bid to win the series on personality rather than looks.
‘Playing a glammed-down version of me is going to make me more popular, because girls won’t be intimidated by me and guys might want to build friendship rather than relationships, she explained.
‘I’ve been judged by my looks a lot in life… I think I can win The Circle on personality alone.
Beth has also lied about her age, telling her fellow players she is 26 rather than 29.
We’ll just have to keep watching to see how the rest of The Circle take to the newcomers.
The Circle continues on Channel 4 on Thursday night at 10pm.
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RuPaul’s Drag Race UK kicked off with plenty of swearing (Picture: BBC)
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK has arrived with a uniquely British edge, and it seems viewers already believe it could top the US version.
The UK version of the reality show landed on Thursday 3 October, with the first episode introducing the ten queens competing to be the first UK Drag Race Superstar.
The line-up includes Cheryl Hole, Gothy Kendoll, Scaredy Kat, Baga Chipz, and Sum Ting Wong, who first took part in a decapitated head photography challenge before hitting the runway.
The ten queens were tasked with creating two looks based around their hometown influence and a vintage look of Queen Elizabeth, before facing judges RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Alan Carr and guest judge Andrew Garfield for their critiques.
The queens were introduced in the first episode (Picture: BBC)
For viewers of the US version, the most alarming factor is how British it feels – from accents, EastEnders references, all the way through to RuPaul learning who Kim Woodburn is.
Many viewers are already flying the British flag over the US.
There’s also concern US viewers will be slightly lost by the references.
After Vinegar Strokes and Gothy Kendoll found themselves in the bottom two, it was the latter who couldn’t quite convince during a lip sync to Dua Lipa’s New Rules.
But who will be the next queen to leave after Gothy Kendoll? We have a long, painful week to wait.
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK continues next Thursday on BBC iPlayer and BBC Three at 8pm.
The Circle is a reality TV show with social media experiment twist (Picture: Channel 4)
The Circle, Channel 4’s hit reality TV show is set inside a luxury block of flats – with the players spending most of their time on the inside.
On the Emma Willis-fronted series, contestants live in the same building but they are never allowed to actually meet each other during the entire three week period.
All of which raises the issue of whether they’re actually allowed to enjoy time in the great outdoors while the series is underway – or whether they have to spend the duration inside their luxury properties.
Do the players get to take a break from it all? Here’s what you need to know…
Are players on The Circle allowed to leave their apartments?
Each contestant is allowed to leave their own room to use the facilities inside the block.
However, they can only do so one at a time, so that they don’t bump into any other contestants.
Channel 4 say that the contestant can have no contact with anybody outside of The Circle, unless for medical reasons – so guess that rules out any unseen trips to the shops then.
Not a bad place to be stuck for three weeks, really? (Picture: Paul Husband / Studio Lambert / Channel 4)
The building has all sorts of amenities, including a yoga studio, indoor gym, outdoor gym, a roof garden and even a hot tub.
Plus, it’s rumoured there are other hidden spaces too, that will be revealed during the course of the series.
What do The Circle players have inside their apartments?
Each flat inside the apartment on The Circle has a fully-equipped kitchen and contestants can cook their own meals.
All the players provide a shopping list before they enter The Circle.
They also have their own bed and a walk-in wardrobe, and a grand total of four different screens as well as four screens across their kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room spaces in order to communicate on The Circle.
The Circle continues on Thursday night on Channel 4 at 10.15pm
The girls are ready to snatch the crown (Picture: BBC/ Leigh Keily / Matt Burlem)
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK has officially dropped and we can’t wait to see the best of British representing our drag scene to the world in all its glory.
For the first ever challenge, the gang praised the queen to rule all (Queen Elizabeth, no Rule) with an off with the head mini challenge (which is hilariously bonkers) before a duo look runway – one to represent the town they’re from, and one to represent the queen herself.
It didn’t take long to see the competitors to come rising to the top, while others began to flounder, but seeing as we’re only one week in, it can all change.
Here’s how we thought the queens fared in their first week – from top to bottom.
The Vivienne shows the others how its done this episode (Picture: BBC)
The Vivienne
There’s a reason that The Vivienne was crowned the Drag Race Ambassador for the UK before Drag Race UK was even commissioned.
This queen knows how to werk.
While Ru might not forgive the flats on the runway, we are, with the perfect representation of Pete Burns and then the Queen at Balmoral, with a side order of Michelle Visage putting her foot in it over her nose for good measure.
Seriously, that was awkward and could’ve offended, but The Vivienne took it on her very real chin and her personality shined through.
She’s the one to watch.
Sum Ting Wong was a surprise MVP of the episode (Picture: BBC)
Sum Ting Wong
Sum Ting Wong, after that visible breast plate in her promo shot, had us sceptical, but she was a true highlight this episode.
Poking fun at herself and embracing the challenges, there’s a bit of a way to go but she was far more endearing than we were perhaps ready to give her credit for.
The stamp look was great, but the dress that came with it was basic, which is what shocked when this came in the top three over Blu. But it was campy, messy fun and and it’s certainly the one stand out moment from this week’s runway.
Plus that bull ring look was incredible.
Can’t wait to see what she does next.
Scardey wasn’t half bad for a queen that was only 11 months old (Picture: BBC)
Scardey Cat
Scardey Cat is the weirdo of the season and we’re loving it – and you can already tell that the team are a little bit threatened by her.
(Though Michelle looked less convinced with that Baby Queen look.)
For someone who is so fresh into the world of drag, Scardey seems to be handling it with ease, with a good sense of fun and solid character to keep her above water with her competitors.
However, she’s never been to a drag show and has only been in drag for eleven months, so while she did well in a look challenge for week one, she might be in trouble when it comes to acting or sewing trials.
This isn’t a place to learn, it’s a place to prove you’re already the best.
Divina is an expensive broad but is that enough to keep her safe? (Picture: BBC)
Divina De Campo
There’s no denying that Divina came prepared to slay this season, with a look and a costume set that’s clearly far more expensive than a lot of her competitors.
So let’s hope her experience almost doesn’t work against her, because it seemed she got a bit of a shock when she didn’t walk through the episode to the win with a giggle and six-inch heels.
She wasn’t wrong when she said that her look was the perfect merge of old and new drag, which could be great on the international front.
But Divina might need to up her game in order to get there.
Baga loud and x-rated persona was welcome this episode, but could wear thin quickly (Picture: BBC)
Baga Chipz
Baga definitely set the tone of the competition with witty sayings and jokes about chips coming right out of her tuppence.
She’s vulgar and brassy and ‘unique as f*** mate’, and while we worry that might become a little grating over time, it’s a pretty good way to get into the game.
Her runway looks were unique but definitive, and while she may have not been top of the list thanks to that queen look, we can’t resist a throwback to our dear old Amy Winehouse.
But everything in and out of drag felt like a performance, and so because of that it’s been a little bit hard to like her.
Let’s just hope she’s able to let that persona slip a little so viewers can see what else she’s got going for her apart from vagina gags and soundbites.
Blu Hydrangea had looks to kill but her confessions killed her. (Picture: BBC)
Blu Hydrangea
Blu Hydrangea is a proud member of Generation Ru, and might be the most stunning of the UK squad.
A look queen inspired by the US version of the show, her runway was one of the best on the series – and deserved to be top three with their inspired ideas.
(That coin look…for real though. Incredible.)
However, her confession chats seem rehearsed and you can tell it a mile off, which makes it seem like she’s trying a little too hard.
Now she needs to up her game to keep herself in the running.
Crystal’s got a unique style and a distinct personality (Picture: BBC)
Crystal
Crystal is a little quiet but when she’s switched on to perform all bets are off.
Making jokes about body dysmorphia and using the opportunity to service yourself if you got beheaded, she’s not afraid of some dark humour.
Her looks on the runway were safe but if 10 kilos of pearls is safe, then that’s not a bad place to be at this point in the game.
Now she just needs to fight for some more camera time.
Cheryl Hole’s a stunner but she middled in the first challenges (Picture: BBC)
Cheryl Hole
We’re waiting for Cheryl to emerge as the black horse of this competition, but for week one she seems to skate riiiight in the middle, with enough to keep us enticed, but not enough to stand out among the nine other queens.
With one great look, and one not-so-great look on the runway, there’s definitely room for improvement there, and from what we saw of her there’s makings of a firm favourite.
But in this episode she was a little in the background, and for that, she’s down on the list.
Vinegar Strokes’ London look was not Rimmel worthy (Picture: BBC)
Vinegar Strokes
London lady Vinegar won us over with her Eastenders Kat Slater declaration of being a ‘total sl*g’ in her entrance.
She also took the newer queens under her wing, which is always a nice trait to see (even if she does eyeroll in the confessionals after).
But that weird attempt at the Thames River cut out in cardboard and across the front of a gaudy brown dress on the runway? We. Cannot. Abide. It’s unforgivable.
Let’s hope her looks improve or she makes up for it in personality because otherwise you’re in danger, girl.
Gothy’s entrance was on point but her shyness betrayed her (Picture: BBC)
Gothy Kendoll
Oh Gothy, there’s something about her that’s truly adorable and enticing, but her lack of self-confidence is really getting her nowhere.
While it’s clear even the judges found her endearing, it’s also obvious that compared to the more seasoned queens around her she’s just not ready for this yet.
She’s definitely got her look down though. That’s amazing.
RuPaul’s Drag Race airs Thursdays at 8pm on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.
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Duncan James appeared on First Dates Hotel (Picture: Channel 4)
Duncan James opened up about the difficulty of hiding a secret boyfriend in the past during his appearance on First Dates Hotel.
The 41-year-old member of Blue came out as bisexual in 2009, before saying he identified as gay in 2014.
Speaking on the show, Duncan opened up about the years before he came out, and explained why his appearance on the show was such a ‘huge step’.
‘I had a secret relationship with one of our dancers,’ Duncan said. ‘For three years at the height of my career, having this secret boyfriend which I didn’t want to let out was tough.
‘I’ve never openly gone out there in the public eye and dated a guy, I’ve always been private so this is a big huge step for me.’
Before his date, Duncan got advice from fellow Blue member Lee Ryan, who wasn’t exactly generous in the advice department.
Speaking to Duncan over the phone, Lee said: ‘You’ll be good lad, just be yourself. Actually don’t be yourself!
(Picture: Channel 4)
‘F**k off,’ Duncan joked.
He was eventually paired up Portugese stud Joao, 38, but their date kicked off on a bizarre note in the Italian villa.
‘That’s crazy, I know him. We know each other,’ Duncan said.
Duncan was paired up Joao (Picture: Channel 4)
The full date is set to play out on next week’s episode, which will also include dates with Ulrika Jonsson.
The date can’t go too well, however, considering Duncan James is now in a relationship with Rodrigo Reis, after posting about his new man back in July.
We’re not okay (Picture: Netflix/@bruley/Instagram)
The beloved Queer Eye dog, Bruley, has died after suffering from heart problems and the internet is completely heartbroken.
Owned by one of the show’s producers, the adorable pup found fame on the makeover show after he kept wandering onto set.
After he was introduced in a segment on the show, he could often be seen strolling around the Fab Five’s loft or snuggling up with them on the sofa to watch one of the heroes’ transformations.
Bruley’s owner, Michelle Silva, posted a heart-wrenching photo of herself and the late dog, writing a statement for fans.
‘My whole heart. My love bug. My best friend. My constant. My soul mate. My everything,’ she wrote. ‘I brought him home when he was 9 weeks old on a rainy day in New York City.
‘Ten years later on a rainy day in LA, he passed away in my arms on my bedroom floor. Bru had been suffering from heart problems, and an instant heart attack was a possibility. He just had too much love and heart for his physical body.
‘It all happened so fast, but I held him as he took his last breath, and I was able to tell him I loved him the very most. I told him everyday I loved him more than anything in the world, and I reminded him of that over and over as he slipped out of this life.
‘My best friend and boyfriend held us both. He gave me more than I could have ever given him, and I was able to thank him for allowing me to be his mom. He chose me. We got to experience so much together; he loved traveling on planes and looking out the window!’
Michelle went on to share stories of Bruley’s adventures, before coming to Queer Eye.
‘In the last year of his life, he found fame! Over the course of 16 episodes of @queereye, in just a few moments on screen, you guys all got a glimpse of the Bru I knew and loved,’ she recalled.
‘He was hilarious, stubborn, sometimes inappropriate, and always a sucker for a snack. He was pure love. It’s been so fun capturing his spirit and sharing more with you all here.’
Antoni paid tribute on Instagram (Picture: Instagram/antoni)
She added that she was close to finishing Bruley’s merch site and has been exploring non-profit opportunities surrounding bulldog rescue.
Stars and fans of the show have been sharing tributes for the late pup, with Bobby Berk writing: ‘RIP my furry little friend. You brought joy to so many with your jump kisses, grunts and even your farts.
‘You were the best little sidekick we could have had. You will be very missed by all including your mama @tinsely_ who my heart goes out to right now. I love YOU #bruleybru #queereye.’
Antoni added: ‘Rest in puppy peace because all dogs go to heaven, little one.’
Definitely true.
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‘Jay’ gets blocked from The Circle (Picture: Channel 4)
The Circle ramped up the tension between contestants after a turbulent rating, with one person left blocked from the show altogether.
While the previous episode served as an introduction to newbies Jack and Beth, the latest twisted the knife in more ways than one – with suspicions between contestants now at their peak.
So what do you need to know from the latest episode? Here’s the lowdown on what happened.
The rating gives Tim and Ella the power
The latest rating was revealed (Picture: Channel 4)
After the ending of the last episode saw contestants rate each other to find out who’d be granted the power of ‘circle influencers’, the result delivered some shocks and surprises.
At the bottom of the list was Brooke, who was particularly miffed by the position. Georgina, while immune from the blocking, was also surprised she had dropped from first to fifth place.
Out on top was Ella, while second place went to Tim, granting them both the power to block a contestant later in the episode.
A spot of painting causes tensions
The Circle’s painting session causes drama (Picture: Channel 4)
The latest task saw each contestant given another member to draw in painting form, with their identities of who drew which painting being kept a secret.
It opened the gates for some questionable artistry and a few stabs in the chest, with many airing their true thoughts on individuals on the canvas.
Ella painted Brooke as sitting on the fence after expressing feelings she was playing it ‘safe’ on the show, which made it even clearer to the rest of the group someone was out to take her down.
A picture of Woody from Brooke said he was ‘too nice’ and ‘sly’ with a picture of a snake, which didn’t go down well with the rest of the group.
Brooke also tried to cover her tracks by supporting Woody after the picture went out, but it seems he may have his suspicions it was Brooke all along.
The biggest turn came when the picture of ‘Sammie’ arrived from Georgina, which came bundled with question marks scrutinising whether his backstory is real.
Sammie, aka James, decided to play up to his hatred of the picture, saying: ‘They’re trying to say I’m not who I am. I’m going to act quite hurt.
‘Message. Not going to lie this has hurt me so much. How dare you draw my little boy and put “not just a mum” after I opened up to everybody. This is vile. Why the question marks? Why the mascara? It’s clear somebody doesn’t like me and I would rather you have told me in a different way.’
‘Jay’ gets blocked
‘Jay’ aka Katie gets blocked (Picture: Channel 4)
Tim and Ella are left to decide between them who should be blocked from The Circle.
Following Tim’s previous suspicions, it’s perhaps no surprise ‘Jay’ aka Katie was the chosen victim – but it was Tim’s claim ‘Jay’ had ‘nothing else to give’ which annoyed more than the actual blocking.
‘What a cheeky f**k,’ Katie said. ‘Got nothing else to give, that was a bit rude wasn’t it?’
She added: ‘I didn’t get to be an influencer and I didn’t get to be really popular. What was that all about? The question I have, is would I have been more popular as me?’
There was one last twist before her departure, however, with ‘Jay’ given the chance to meet with one player before she leaves.
At the end of the episode, we see ‘Jay’ is about to reveal herself to fellow catfish ‘Sammie’ – which could prompt some awkward giggles as the two original catfish come face to face.
But how will the encounter go down? We’ll have to wait and see.
David Walliams is ‘thrilled’ to be hosting the 2020 National Television Awards (Picture: ITV/Rex)
David Walliams is ‘thrilled’ to be hosting the 2020 National Television Awards, taking over from Dermot O’Leary.
The Britain’s Got Talent host will take to the stage on 28 January 2020 for the annual celebration, which will itself be celebrating its 25th birthday.
The role has been taken by Dermot ever since 2010 but it looks like Simon Cowell may have to prepare for more jabs than normal with funnyman David taking over.
‘I am thrilled to be the new host of the NTAs — and will ensure I also win them all,’ he said.
NTA’s creator and Executive Producer, Kim Turberville, said: ‘The National Television Awards are coming soon and we have two more exciting reasons to celebrate in January 2020 – it will be the NTA’s 25th anniversary AND our host is the brilliant David Walliams.
‘David is a man of so many talents – a comedian, actor, best-selling author, TV Judge and charity fundraising hero… and we look forward to him now being the NTA’s Celebrator-in-Chief in this very special year.’
David may, in fact, be in the position where the host will have to accept an award as he has been named TV’s best judge for the last two years in a row.
‘It might be a little bit awkward if he wins the award again in 2020, but David’s huge popularity is what makes him the perfect choice as presenter,’ sources close to the show have said.
‘He’s one of those celebrities who is liked by everyone, from children to grannies, and can always be expected to keep audiences in stitches throughout the night.’
David’s been making new moves in recent months including lifting the lid on plans to work with Matt Lucas again after the pair reconciled following a huge falling-out in 2011.
‘It has been great seeing much more of Matt. He is spending more time in the UK, so it has been a lot easier to see each other,’ he told The Sun.
‘We hope to do something together in the near future, but there is no immediate plan.’
Stavros Flatley are parting ways (Picture: Rex Features)
Stavros Flatley are to break up on Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions, it has been revealed.
The father-and-son dance duo will announce their break up on TV after their performance on Saturday night’s grand final.
Lagi Demetriou, 23, and dad Demi, 51, are parting ways so Lagi can focus on his barbershop in Cyprus, Demi says.
However, Stavros Flatley fans can rest easy – Lagi is to be replaced by Demi’s nephew Sampson.
Demi – who claims he and Lagi have made £2 million over the last 10 years – furthermore told The Sun: ‘We’ve done this for 10 years for a joke.
Stavros Flatley’s original Britain’s Got Talent audition (Picture: ITV)
‘We’ve done so many things but what is there left to do? We’ve done the Royal Variety, we’ve played in China, Monaco – everywhere.
‘So when we got to The Champions, I thought this was the right time to leave. But Simon Cowell told me not to quit forever.’
Demi added of new recruit Sampson: ‘He has a six-pack – I’ve given up getting one of those.’
The guys shot to fame after appearing on the third series of the show in 2009 – the same that featured iconic names like Susan Boyle and dance group Diversity.
The British-Cypriot act are of course known for their energetic routines to songs such as from the musical Lord of the Dance.
We wonder what they’ve got planned for their swansong…
The duo will go up against Kseniya Simonova, Alexa Launeburger, Paddy & Nico, Twist and Pulse, Bello and Annaliese Nock, Merseygirls, Darcy Oake, Preacher Lawson and Bars and Melody in the final.
Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions continues Saturday at 8.30pm on ITV.
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Don’t Tell The Bride is about to air a landmark episode, as for the first time in the show’s history a couple has their wedding cancelled after breaking the rules.
Birmingham-based Yanis and Chanise tried to organise their wedding through the show; the groom-to-be took the reins and was planning a ceremony set in both Paris and Birmingham when producers pulled the plug because it emerged the bridal party knew details of the bash after acquiring emails.
It later emerged Yanis and Chanise had been in contact, the biggest no-no possible on Don’t Tell The Bride.
However, Yanis seems to feel little remorse for the events that transpired in the show.
Yanis has no remorse for breaking the rules of the show – ‘it’s quite legendary’ (Picture: Channel 4)
‘It’s quite legendary,’ he tells Metro.co.uk. ‘Quite idiotic, but in some ways, I do feel like a legend.’
The 23-year-old also says that he has suspicions pretty early on that their days on the programme were numbered.
‘I got that tingling feeling from the offset,’ Yanis reveals. ‘As soon as I got to [mother-in-law] Chantelle’s house and I saw the cameras and the amount of people involved. I was like this is too much for a bridesmaid reveal.’
Bride-to-be Charise doesn’t take the news that her wedding is now cancelled thanks to rule-breaking well (Picture: Channel 4)
Yanis had been preparing to unveil his picks for bridesmaid dresses when the filming was halted by a showrunner, who axed the nuptials as soon as the rule-breaking became apparent.
‘I knew at that point that chances are [the wedding is] coming to an end now.’ he adds. ‘It wasn’t like it was a few people; it was the executive people, the higher up people that were there. I knew from then it was like, “OK, this is more than just a reveal.” Turned out it was a reveal, just a bigger reveal.’
Out of the £13,000 that was allocated for the wedding, the former groom says he had spent almost £12,000 for the costs of flights, venue hire and dresses.
Yanis refused to answer any questions over his relationship status with Chanise or if they’re still planning on getting married (Picture: Channel 4)
In regards to his current relationship with Chanise, who broke down on-camera after the episode was cancelled, Yanis refused to answer any questions relating to their status or if they still plan on getting married.
But, if anything, he is not embarrassed by the events that transpired, and he’s proud to have left a lasting legacy.
‘It’s something that’s only ever happened once,’ he says. ‘And it’s going to go down in history.’
Don’t Tell The Bride airs Sunday at 9pm on E4.
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RuPaul’s Drag Race UK has finally arrived – and British squirrel friends were not disappointed.
Mama Ru, Michelle Visage and Alan Carr – plus extra special guest judge Andrew Garfield – kicked off season one with a bang as 10 queens battled to make it to the next stage in the competition.
But while we were given hysterical one-liners (‘Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s body dysmorphia’), hilarious tributes to Queen Elizabeth and trumpet t*ts, it was Alan Carr’s monologue on Regent’s Park Zoo that truly stole the show.
Warning: spoilers for the first elimination ahead.
Rawr (Picture: BBC)
The whole judging panel lost it (Picture: BBC)
Leicester queen Gothy Kendoll struggled in the first runway challenge, which saw the queens tasked with presenting their favourite Queen Elizabeth look, as well as a look that represented their hometown.
Paying tribute to the Leicester Tigers, the 21-year-old decided to paint her face like the animal… but for some reason, wear it with a black blazer and throw in some lacklustre ‘rawrs’ on the runway.
And when it came to judging who would be in the lip sync, Alan read Gothy to filth.
Gothy struggled in week one (Picture: BBC)
The Chatty Man star drily said: ‘When she came out in that first outfit as the tiger, she looks like an estate agent that’s gone to Regent’s Park Zoo and said “can you face paint my face for 50p” and she’s gone back into work and gone “what you think girls, grrr”.’
Ru, Michelle and Andrew were in stitches – and so were the viewers at home.
Gothy ended up lip syncing for her life against Vinegar Strokes to Dua Lipa’s New Rules, and unfortunately, she became to the first queen to be sent packing.
Next week’s episode will see Alan Carr rotating with Graham Norton, while Game Of Thrones’ Maisie Williams is guest judge to critique the queens’ drag parody of Downton Abbey.
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK continues at 8pm on Thursdays on BBC Three.
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Ice-T’s true crime series In Ice Cold Blood is set to launch on Sky and we’re already obsessed.
It’s the combo we never knew we needed.
The rapper is swapping music for the small screen as he tells us all the most gruesome tales of true crime, centering around money, sex, lust, and greed.
Basically, if it was a crime of passion, Ice-T wants to know.
In Ice Cold Blood (genius name) will see the star delve into interviews with witnesses, detectives, friends and family, as well as footage from the crime.
The star (real name Tracy Lauren Marrow) be taking us with him as he weighs up all the evidence of horrifying true crime tales.
Previously chatting about it on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he revealed the inspiration came from true crime show Snapped, which he watches with his wife Coco Austin.
We’re so ready
‘We met the people from Oxygen and they said, “Ice, you would be a perfect person to host one of our true crime shows,”‘ he recalled.
‘I put the show together, I come from how crazy people are and how diabolical your next-door neighbour could be, and In Ice Cold Blood is about normal people who decide murder is a great idea.’
He went on to say: ‘This is like the mother who takes her kids to school, and then kills dad, and then picks them up. Watch it!’
Sounds absolutely horrifying and we can’t wait.
It’s not his first time dipping a toe into the world of crime, after he starred in Law And Order: SVU.
Speaking to LA Times, he revealed: ‘My whole life has been based in the underworld and crime, so it was a natural transition.’
However, he insists it’s different to the mountains of true crime out there, saying: ‘Those other shows are usually based on the cop’s [perspective]. Ours is about the psychology of what makes somebody do this crazy.’
‘So it’s more along the lines of Mindhunter, where I’m saying “Really?! This is a decision you thought was OK to do?” It about that psychology behind the murders. It’s spooky and macabre.’
In Ice Cold Blood launches on Sky on 3 October.
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The How Clean Is Your House star (and gay icon) was impersonated by new queen The Vivienne in the series’ opening episode, with the drag performer adopting a number of the reality TV star’s classic catchphrases in the first mini-challenge.
When asked by Ru just who Kim Woodburn was (not a sentence we ever imagined we’d say), The Vivienne replied: ‘She is a cleaner off the telly, she became very famous in Big Brother.’
However, it seemed like Mama Ru had done her homework and was aware of Kim’s previous work, saying: ‘Oh, she’s [the one] with the ponytail,’ before adding that she was ‘hilarious.’
And Kim was clearly a little starstruck by the shout out, tweeting: ‘What an honour being mentioned by @RuPaul @dragraceukbbc.’
Could this mean that The Vivienne has the queen herself’s blessing to do impersonate Kim on fan favourite challenge Snatch Game? The impression is just so good, it’d be a shame to waste it.
Kim was impressed by Ru’s mention (Picture: BBC/Rex)
Despite (SPOILER ALERT) The Vivienne walking her flat-shoed way to be named this week’s winner (and the recipient of the first ‘Ru Peter badge’), Kim may be backing another contestant in the competition: Baga Chipz.
Posting a selfie with the foul-mouthed queen, Kim wrote on Twitter: ‘Make sure you check out my dear friend @ChipShopBird on @dragraceukbbc.’
Now there’s a friendship we simultaneously never saw coming, yet makes total sense…
Kim and Baga are (somehow?) friends (Picture: Kim Woodburn/Twitter)
Making its debut on Thursday after many years in the making, fans around the world tuned into the launch of Drag Race UK.
With a star-studded panel made up of Ru, Michelle Visage, Alan Carr and Andrew Garfield judging the 10 new queens, many fans declared that the show’s British incarnation was actually ‘better than the US version’ thanks to its unpolished charm, regional accents and very sweary queens.
Obviously we’re biased, but we may have to agree!
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But in April, Jack took to social media to confirm that the pair were ‘not in a relationship anymore’.
Danny was speaking on The Jonathan Ross Show, which airs on Saturday night (Picture: Rex)
‘We will always care a lot for each other and have love for each other and I mean that from the bottom of my heart and I wish her nothing but happiness,’ he added.
‘We have some amazing memories together and have been through a lot but something things aren’t meant to be and we really did try to make it work but it, unfortunately, didn’t and that is life.’
Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer met on Love Island (Picture: Getty Images)
Danny found acclaim on BBC One soap EastEnders after years of working in films and he is now set to launch his own game show.
But the proud father revealed that despite his propensity for swearing, his kids like to call him out on it, and that they are ‘well brought up kids, they go to good schools, they are articulate’.
As for becoming a grandfather, he said of Dani that he didn’t think she was ‘maternal in that sense’.
‘She’s very ambitious. She wants to crack on and I think she’ll have chavs maybe in her thirties,’ he joked.
‘I’m not going to encourage my daughter to have any kids, it’s madness because then you sort of think about her having a roll about… We know it goes on but I’m not going to encourage it!’
The Jonathan Ross Show airs on Saturdays on ITV at 10.30pm.
Louis interviewed Jimmy back in 2000 (Picture: BBC)
Louis Theroux discusses his time with Jimmy Savile on tonight’s The Graham Norton Show, admitting he liked the man who was later exposed as one of the UK’s most prolific sex offenders.
Back in 2000, Louis famously interviewed and spent time with the DJ for his show When Louis Met… Jimmy, with the documentary seeing Theroux raise allegations of paedophilia, which Savile denied.
However, after his death in 2011, more than 450 alleged victims of sexual abuse reported incidents to the Metropolitan Police, with police concluding the Jim’ll Fix It star was a prolific sex offender.
Speaking to Graham Norton, Theroux says: ‘I did quite like him, which is not easy to say now because we know what he was, but I’ve tried to stay true to my experience at the time.
Louis reflected on his documentary for his new book (Picture: PA)
Louis grew to like the DJ (Picture: BBC)
‘Even having done those two programmes [When Louis Met… Jimmy and 2016’s Louis Theroux: Savile], I realise there was more I wanted to get off my chest and that was one of the main impulses behind writing the book.’
In When Louis Met… Jimmy, the journalist asked Savile why he told reporters he didn’t like children.
Savile, who died aged 84 in 2011, said: ‘[We] live in a very funny world. And it’s easier for me, as a single man, to say “I don’t like children” because that puts a lot of salacious tabloid people off the hunt.
Hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse were made against Savile after his death (Picture: Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)
Louis joins Graham Norton and a host of celebrity guests (Picture: PA)
‘How do they know whether I am [a paedophile] or not? How does anybody know whether I am? Nobody knows whether I am or not. I know I’m not.’
‘Does it work?’ Louis asked. ‘It works a treat,’ Savile replied.
The documentary-maker is currently promoting his autobiography, the brilliantly named Gotta Get Theroux This, and admits that his wife Nancy wasn’t too impressed by the first draft.
He says on tonight’s show: ‘I imagined early on that I was writing an edgy sort of book. A professional memoir felt safe as I didn’t have to divulge much about my own psyche, my anxieties and my inner workings. Including my personal life was arrived at somewhat grudgingly.
‘Basically, what happened was that after I’d worked on it for a year I showed it to my wife. She said, “It’s fine, but it’s a bit boring!” so I had to sex it up a bit by going behind the scenes. It turned out to be more painful than you would think.’
Louis is joined on the sofa by Renee Zellwegger, Wham! star Andrew Ridgeley, Sir Lenny Henry and Elbow.
The Graham Norton Show is on tonight at 10.35pm on BBC One.
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Subsequently, Lost Voice Guy got to meet royals Harry and Meghan at the annual Royal Variety Show, where he was floored to learn the former Suits actress is a big fan.
‘They told me they were very much looking forward to seeing me perform, which was very surreal,’ the BGT champ told Lorraine.
Perhaps the couple will be among those to catch Lost Voice Guy on his new UK tour, which he said will be mainly him answering ‘stupid questions’ about his disability.
The star’s cerebral palsy affects his ability to speak and, in turn, he uses a voice synthesizer for his show.
Lost Voice Guy met Prince Harry and Meghan Markle back in 2018 (Picture: Rex)
Lost Voice Guy won Britain’s Got Talent back in 2018 (Picture: ITV)
‘Everyone has been really lovely since [winning Britain’s Got Talent] so it will be lovely to give something back to them,’ he enthused.
Lost Voice Guy explained his unconventional comedy, which sees him ripping into his cerebral palsy on stage.
‘Joking about my condition helps me a lot,’ he said. ‘I’ve always seen the funny side of my disability and it’s always been important to me. I joke about my disability as a defense mechanism – if I laugh at me first no one else can laugh at me.’
Though, he stressed there have been huge developments with response to disability since he was younger.
‘But there’s still a lot of work to be done,’ Lost Voice Guy continued. ‘People still aren’t used to talking to someone with a disability on a regular basis.’
Lost Voice Guy was recently knocked out of Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions in the biggest shock of the series – Alesha Dixon’s reaction said it all.
Lorraine airs weekdays at 8.30am on ITV while Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions the final airs tomorrow night at 8.30pm also on ITV.
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The Walking Dead season 10 premiere kicks off with Jaws Easter egg (Picture: AMC / Getty)
The Walking Dead season 10 is about to drop onto our screens and there’s a whole host of Easter eggs to look out for.
That’s right, when teasing the premiere, special affects make-up artists Greg Nicotero revealed he gave a nod to the classic shark movie Jaws when filming the first episode.
Talking about a lot of ‘cool stuff’ he’s thrown into the set designs, the 56-year-old said: ‘I wouldn’t even necessarily say tribute zombies, but I’m always putting a few Easter eggs here or there just to remind people how much I love certain things.
Look out for a tooth (Picture: Universal Pictures / Getty Images)
There could be more pop culture references hidden in the walkers (Picture: Fox / AMC)
‘So there could be a shark tooth on the beach that might’ve been from a shark from my favorite movie. You never know. A few things like that.’
He added: ‘But in terms of tribute walkers, this season really has kind of led us in a direction where a lot of the stuff with the Whisperers and a lot of that stuff, we haven’t really snuck any in just yet.
‘But we still got a bunch of episodes to go so we’ll see.’
And while we’ll be looking out for all the pop culture nuggets, we’ll also be watching for those Rick and Carl Grimes memories set to be kept alive by Judith.
Carl and Rick Grimes will have their memories kept alive (Picture: AMC)
In recent character descriptions for the upcoming season, AMC teased what’s to come for the young warrior, who is played by the 12-year-old Cailey Fleming.
‘A kid warrior beyond her years, Judith is every bit Michonne’s daughter from the way she handles her sword to the way she handles people,’ the network revealed on their website.
‘She is also her brothers’ keeper, approaching the future with Carl’s wisdom and RJ by her side.’
The excerpt continued: ‘Rick, too, is a part of her daily life as she shares her version of stories she’s heard to keep his memory alive.
‘Her history is never forgotten. She embodies the past, present, and future. Will she have to grow up too soon or will she be able to remain a kid for a little while longer?’
The Walking Dead returns to AMC on October 7 and will follow a day later on FOX UK.
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However, as the episode aired it became clear that one area where the UK spin-off doesn’t live up to its international sibling in the eyes of its fans was the prizes.
As Drag Race has grown in the US, the prize has grown with it. From the first season, where the winning queen won multiple prizes and $20,000 (£16,000) things have only increased, with every winner from season 4 onwards winning the life-changing cash prize of $100,000 (£81,000) – or ‘one hundred thousand dooollaaaaahrs’, as Ru likes to say!
However, for fans expecting a similar reward for the UK winner, they were in for no such luck.
‘The UK’s next drag superstar will be whisked off to Hollywood to star in her very own digital series produced by the hit-making team that created RuPaul’s Drag Race UK,’ the contestants were told, presumedly referencing World of Wonders streaming platform WOW Presents Plus.
While this may sound like a decent enough prize, for many fans of the show, this felt like a bit of a let down.
To be fair, we’d take a Ru Peter badge (Picture: BBC)
‘Queens on Drag Race UK getting no prize money is a f***ing sin. Not even a New Look gift card or ANYTHING,’ one wrote.
In particular, there was frustration at the fact that the British show’s grand prize was not a ‘winners only’ perk for US queens, but rather one that extended to literally any notable contestants.
Former Drag Race US queens with shows on the platform include Shuga Cain, Yuhua Hamasaki and Jasmine Masters: all great queens in their own rights, but ones who never came close to winning.
OBSESSED with the fact that there’s no cash prize for Drag Race UK, just the WOWPresents series that most US queens get just for showing up
Drag race UK will be giving their queens BADGES as challenge wins and whoever wins the season gets a WoW-series (AKA their prize is the company making more money off of them) jdjdjdfkkd How embarraSSINGpic.twitter.com/2LC99lVK8M
‘OBSESSED with the fact that there’s no cash prize for Drag Race UK, just the WOWPresents series that most US queens get just for showing up,’ one fan wrote.
To add insult to injury (or maybe as a self-referential wink to camera, who knows?), even the weekly prizes have been downgraded. While weekly champs on the US versions have won cruises, holidays and drag-related gift vouchers worth thousands of dollars, (SPOILER ALERT) week one champ The Vivienne was awarded the grand prize of a ‘Ru Peter badge.’
However, there is good reason for the lack of prizes. Due to the show airing on the BBC, which is a public broadcaster, the team cannot work with sponsors to provide prizes (like the year’s supply of Anastasia Beverly Hills makeup often offered to winners) or money towards the cash sum.
But what makes British drag – and in turn, Drag Race UK – great is the natural, unformulaic and honest nature of it all.
Sure, we’d love our winner to be given a better prize, but in terms of revitalising the US Drag Race format, this will definitely do it.
Metro.co.uk approached the BBC in search of comment.
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King Joffrey’s death almost played out very differently in Game of Thrones (Picture: HBO)
King Joffrey’s death was by far the single most satisfying moment in Game of Thrones as he clung on to this throat desperately catching his last breath after being poisoned by Olenna Tyrell.
We sound disturbed, we know, but no other grim demise could bring such joy – honestly.
However, in George RR Martin’s original pitch, the honour of wiping out Westeros’ most sinister ruler didn’t fall to Olenna (Diana Rigg) at all, but Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage).
A now-deleted tweet from Waterstones laid out Martin’s original plans for Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) which would have meant missing out on Olenna’s big reveal to Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau).
‘He really was a c**t, wasn’t he?’ Never forget.
The creator of Wetseros wrote: ‘Tyrion Lannister will continue to travel, to plot, and to play the game of thrones, finally removing his nephew Joffrey in disgust at the boy king’s brutality.’
George RR Martin’s original plans for Tyrion laid out
Tyrion’s disgust was crystal clear in Game of Thrones, but eventually, Olenna got their first.
Eitherway, here’s the moment we all got what we waited four seasons for:
The Mother of Dragons did eventually put her husband out of his misery after Drogo perished from an infected cut, but Dany’s descent to ‘madness’ initially started when she bumped off her hubby as a revenge killing.
Game of Thrones ended six months ago now but we’re still uncovering more of Martin’s hidden gems. This week we revealed Bran translated into Celtic basically gave the entire ending away all this time.
Game of Thrones seasons one to eight are available to stream on NOW TV.
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