They may be on competing morning TV shows, but Susanna Reid has spoken out in defence of Naga Munchetty following the furore over a viewer complaint about comments she made on BBC Breakfast about Donald Trump.

The BBC this week overturned a decision to partially uphold the complaint against Munchetty, which came after she spoke out on air against Trump’s controversial July tweet in which he told four female congresswomen to ‘go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came’.

The BBC’s original decision, which initially found that Munchetty had breached editorial guidelines, sparked an outcry as figures including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Sir Lenny Henry all criticised the BBC.

Munchetty was back on the BBC Breakfast sofa yesterday (3 October) for the first time since the decision was overturned, and she’s now received further public backing from Good Morning Britain host Reid.

Writing for the Mail Online, Reid, who affirmed that she was ‘a proud ex-BBC employee’, said the BBC had ‘flip-flopped’ over their handling of the case and said that it ‘doesn’t look good’ for the corporation.

‘All its stars must be confused. What exactly can they say?’ Reid wrote.

‘At ITV, we’re bound by the same broadcasting impartiality rules.

‘I would never want anyone to be able to tell which way I vote, but we’re encouraged to share our opinions and experiences and viewers love it.’

Reid said that that openness to expressing opinions on the air was ‘especially important when, like Naga, a presenter has a personal story that’s truly relevant to the news.

‘Otherwise, what are we there for?’

Reid’s GMB co-host Piers Morgan also publicly defended Munchetty this week, before slamming the ‘sinister’ Editorial Standards department at the BBC.

MORE: Naga Munchetty couldn’t look more delighted after BBC overturn ‘racist’ Trump row ruling

MORE: Susanna Reid lashes out at guest for ‘interrupting’ in tense gun control live TV debate

Strap yourselves in, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! fans: the show is getting its own theme park!

The nation’s favourite jungle-based reality TV show (there’s actually a surprising amount of them) is set to become a thrilling new theme park from ITV, with different rides based on Base Camp, Croc Creek and Snake Rock opening next summer.

Described as ‘a multi-sensory adrenaline adventure’, I’m a Celebrity… Jungle Challenge will allow visitors to get a taste of life in the camps without coming into contract with any live animals or insects – phew!

Situated in sunny Salford (they call it the Australia of the UK), the theme park experience will be a 90-minute ‘action package challenge’ featuring zip wires, parachute drops, and climbing walls, with visitors battling to collect the famous yellow stars to be named king or queen of the jungle.

Sounds amazing, right?

Speaking to the BBC, ITV’s director of games, live and merchandising William van Rest said: ‘It’s inspired by the show, and we’re trying to create a jungle as closely as we can.

‘Some of the games within I’m A Celebrity are things like treetop challenges, and one of the team who helps create the games for I’m A Celebrity is helping us with this.’

As if we weren’t excited enough for the new series already!

With Ant and Dec returning to our screens for the series in November, the presenting team have been teasing fans about what’s in store.

‘At @itv having meeting about @imacelebrity. Finding out what’s in store and this years celebs…’ the pair shared on Instagram, also including emojis with zipped lips and shocked faces. Not fair at all…

The 2019 season will be the first one back with the pair after Ant took time off in 2018 following his drink driving conviction.

He was handed a 20 month ban by magistrates last year, along with an £86,000 fine, after he crashed his Mini while more than twice the legal limit in London on 18 March 2018.

MORE: The RuPaul’s Drag Race UK prizes leaves fans bitterly disappointed

MORE: Martin Scorsese claims Marvel films are ‘not cinema’ – despite Avengers: Endgame becoming highest grossing film in history

Taylor Swift tried her hand at her best British accent alongside Phoebe Waller-Bridge as the two are seen together in a promotional spot for the upcoming episode of Saturday Night Live (SNL).

The episode, which airs on 5 October, is Phoebe’s first as host, while Taylor is expected to perform songs from her most recent studio album, Lover, as the episode’s musical guest.

And in a teaser for the upcoming show, Taylor decided to attempt her best British accent – she is currently dating British actor, Joe Alwyn, after all.

‘It’s gonna be mental innit?’ Taylor says. ‘Like a randy hen… did you write this?’

‘Yeah sorry,’ Phoebe replies. ‘It’s too British isn’t it?’

Taylor responds, ‘A little bit,’ before the pair turn away from each other.

Despite this, it looks as if fans are already anticipating the songstress’ appearance on the show.

‘QUEEN OF SNL,’ one fan wrote.

‘If Taylor is on, I am watching!,’ another added.

‘YESS!!! I’m so excited,’ another fan commented.

‘The content I deserve. QUEENS. THANK U SNL,’ an excited fan tweeted.

It is not yet known what tracks Taylor will sing on the show, although if her British accent is anything to go by, London Boy, a track taken from her latest studio album, could be a possibility.

SNL previously kicked off its 45^th season on 28 September, with the first episode seeing actor Woody Harrelson hosting, with Billie Eilish as musical guest.

This is Taylor’s third time appearing on the comedy show – her previous time came in 2017, where she performed the tracks Ready For It? and Call It What You Want off of her sixth studio album, Reputation.

The singer also previously hosted the show in 2009, performing songs from her second studio album, Fearless.

MORE: Taylor Swift has laser eye surgery and then nearly cries eating the wrong banana

MORE: Christine and the Queens slams stars like Taylor Swift for ‘selling’ queer aesthetic

Jeremy Clarkson is set to launch his new show I Bought The Farm – and it sounds iconic.

The eight-part-series will see the the controversial star attempt to run his own 1000-acre farm, based in the middle of the British countryside.

A far cry from The Grand Tour, for sure.

Filmed over the course of one farming year, Amazon Prime Video have teamed up with the 59-year-old and will watch his highs and lows of his new agricultural life.

Announcing the new project in a video shared by the network, the car enthusiast looked apprehensive as he told his followers what to expect.

Stood out in a field he sarcastically said: ‘Good news, I can finally confirm that I will be spending the next year in the rain making a show about farming for Amazon Prime.

‘That means people all over the world can watch me use 1000-acres of the Cotswolds to make thousands of tonnes of beer, and bread, and lamb chops, and jumpers.’

He continued: ‘Of course to be a farmer you have to be an agronomist, a businessman, a politician, an accountant, a vet and a mechanic, and I am none of those things.

‘I don’t even know what agronomist means.’

Georgia Brown, Director of European Amazon Original Series, revealed her excitement for the new show in a statement.

Here she said: ‘Jeremy is one of Britain’s finest exports and I think I speak for the entire nation when I say I can’t wait to see what will happen when he turns his usually petrol-covered hands to life on a working farm.

‘We’re excited to bring this latest UK produced Amazon Original series to Prime Video viewers around the world next year. Wishing you lots of luck Jeremy… what could possibly go wrong?’

Peter Fincham, Co-CEO Expectation, added: ‘I’m excited to be one of Jeremy’s farm hands.

‘He’s really passionate about farming, and tractors, and all the other stuff that he thinks he knows about. This series will showcase a new, wiser, muddier Jeremy than we’ve seen before. Can’t wait.’

I Bought The Farm [working title] is an Amazon Original series, produced in the UK. A released date is yet to be revealed. 

MORE: I’m A Celebrity is getting its own theme park and we’re very excited

MORE: Trinny Woodall strongly denies claims she demanded only ‘Caucasian white girls’ for make-up line

Andrew Garfield was one of the breakout stars of the first episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, after the guest judge made quite the impression on fans.

With his clear obsession with the show, fancying the contestants and *those* wide-leg jeans, The Amazing Spider-Man actor was a surprise hit on the show’s premiere, sitting on the judging panel beside Mama Ru, Michelle Visage and Alan Carr.

And in one behind-the-scenes clip shared on Twitter, fans saw just how much fun Andrew was having backstage as he took to the runway himself for his entrance clip.

Clearly loving living his catwalk model fantasy, the 36-year-old struck a pose at the top of the catwalk, shimmying his shoulders in time to the music and giving us a seriously bouncy and practised stride down the walkway.

Going into a spin at the bottom of the catwalk, Andrew somehow found himself on his hands and knees, crawling back up the catwalk and even pretending to be a cat licking his paw on the way.

After his glacial crawling on all fours, the actor encountered Michelle, who helped Andrew his feet while asking: ‘What happened? Did you try to backflip this time?’

Petition for BBC Three to release all these videos, anyone?

For the famously private star – who avoids social media completely – getting a glimpse at his goofy side is a rare treat for fans.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3K519XnDcK/

Ahead of the episode release, Michelle herself shared a glimpse into life backstage with Andrew on set, saying: ‘Guys we are so excited, look who it is!’, while he replied ‘So excited, genuinely excited.’

Captioning the picture, Michelle wrote: ‘My sweet friend who does ZERO social media came to be the premiere guest judge on @dragraceukbbc.

‘Andrew Garfield, I adore you (even tho you won’t see this cuz I can’t convince you to get insta)…. Also Andrew was wearing Gucci for those who asked….’

MORE: Tom Walker slams ‘pathetic’ Noel and Liam Gallagher for not reuniting at One Love Manchester

MORE: Hocus Pocus cast reunite 26 years on and tease sequel to Halloween classic

The trailer for the new adaption of Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials has dropped with stars James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson and Lin-Manuel Miranda embroiled in evil child experimentation – and it’s an experience not for the faint of heart.

The clip sees us transported to a dark parallel universe where evil religious zealots rule over society. The source novels deal with some heavy themes and Pullman’s original vision has definitely been pulled off. This is not children’s fantasy as you know it.

The series also features Logan child actor Dafne Keene as young heroine Lyra as she tries to find her missing uncle (McAvoy) and becomes embroiled in sinister experiments on children lead by the elegant villain Mrs Coulter (Wilson).

Hamilton creator Miranda will feature as airship captain Lee Scoresby in the dark fantasy saga.

The new serial by BBC and HBO is set in an alternate reality where humans are accompanied by magical animal companions called daemons. The evil Magisterium seeks to control this world and all the others connected to it – and the only way to do that is through sick procedures involving children and their sentient counterparts.

It’s up to Lyra, and her daemon companion Pantalaimon to rescue the children. We’ve already seen glimpses of a guillotine in the trailer, hinting at the ominous fate of the kids subjected to Coulter’s experiments. Harry Potter this is not.

Lyra goes on a fantastical journey through this magical world with a sinister underbelly, from the Oxford-esque opulence of the  bustling cities to the harsh climate of the frozen north. We’ve also had our first glimpse of fan favourite character Iorek Byrnison, who just happens to be a walking, talking, armoured polar bear.

Director Otto Bathurst – who has worked on Peaky Blinders – has previously revealed that the TV show will be a ‘twisted and modernised’ adaption of its sources, which will be a relief for fans since the 2008 film adaption glossed over many of author Pullman’s allegories on religion, most notably the figures of God and the Devil.

His Dark Materials’ eight episodes will bring to life the first book of Pullman’s acclaimed trilogy, Northern Lights, to the screen. The remaining books – The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass – are to be left for further runs. The good news, however, is that a second series has already been commissioned.

Producers of the thriller shared to Entertainment Weekly that they want to film the show back-to-back as much as possible since its 14-year-old main star Keene might have a growth spurt.

‘Suddenly they’re six inches taller and they’re a different shape and their voices are different,’ exec Julie Garinder said. ‘ Our feeling was we really couldn’t leave more than a very small gap between the end of when Dafne Keen finished filming, which was December 2018, and when she started again, July 2019.’

We also know that Fleabag’s hot priest Andrew Scott has been cast in the second run of the show.

Fans of the original literary works are not left in the cold either, as they also have a new trilogy, The Book of Dust, to dig in to.

His Dark Materials will air on BBC One on Sunday 3 November.

MORE: Michael Sheen fans reckon he’s named daughter after His Dark Materials character as he confirms baby’s birth

MORE: New His Dark Materials pictures unveil Lord Asriel and panserbjørn and we’re officially excited

Peaky Blinders may have just wrapped up its fifth run on BBC One this year, but fans are already diving right back in thanks to the new episodes just dropping on Netflix.

Sadly, though, it’s only available to watch on Netflix outside of the UK, but British fans can still start their binge-watch again on the iPlayer.

It seems that the obsession with the Birmingham-set drama is never really over, and international viewers are already re-living some of the most violent and shocking moments yet.

You will remember, of course, that the latest series ended in typically spectacular fashion as Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) put a gun to his head in desperation after his war with infamous fascist Oswald Mosely (Sam Clafin) pushed him over the edge.

Fans already can’t get enough of the emotional highs and lows they’re experiencing. Honestly, though, who can blame them?

Imagine watching Aberama Gold’s assassination or Tom Hardy’s iconic return for the first time again?!

Some already can’t deal with the events that are taking place on-screen.

Now series five is over, however, people have already moved on to what’s going to happen next for the Shelby clan. They’ve weathered the stock market crash and the British far-right…what else can they take?

We already have ten questions that the show has got to answer when it returns and some are already predicting a shocking return for a character previously thought dead.

In our review of the most recent Peaky Blinders finale, we called it a ‘horrifying’ viewing experience.

Bring on series six – which might actually spell the end of the show forever…

Peaky Blinders series five is available now for international fans on Netflix. UK viewers can stream it on BBC iPlayer. 

MORE: Peaky Blinders series 5 and World On Fire get a real life crossover thanks to Oswald Mosley

MORE: Cillian Murphy swaps Tommy Shelby smarts as he goes casual for Peaky Blinders bash

Lee Ryan believes his late grandfather visited him in rehab after he saw a ‘crystal apparition’.

The 36-year-old made an appearance on Loose Women where he opened up about his previous ‘alcohol problem’.

And while discussing his stint in rehab, he told the panelists all about his spiritual experience.

The Blue star said: ‘This is a true story, I was in rehab and I was in a circle talking with everyone and I saw this flash of light in the corner of my eye.

‘There was this crystal apparition standing in front of me.’

He added: ‘And it was a prism of light and a diamond almost, and I kept on looking at it like, “what is that?”‘

‘Then I turned round and it was gone.’

He went onto explain how he told his doctor about the experience who joked with him that he was ‘just coming down off the drink’.

However, after chatting with his mum later that day, Lee was left convinced that the light he saw was in fact his late grandad.

‘I spoke to my mum,’ he continued: ‘And she said she had prayed for my grandad to see me the day before.’

Nodding his head, Lee added: ‘And I think it might have been him.’

Talking about his relationship with alcohol in the past, the One Love hitmaker assured the Loose Women that he was ‘having fun’.

‘I just thought trying to be as rock and roll as possible, I did crazy stuff with the boys you remember what I was like, I was just a bit mad,’ he confessed.

‘In those times it was post the Spice Girls everyone had their role to fill, I was the young crazy one.’

Lee added: ‘I was definitely having fun, I think the problems came later, I didn’t realise I had a drink problem until later.’

After cutting down on the drink, the singer said he is not teetotal but still has to be ‘careful’.

‘I used to drink because I was sad and that was the problem, now I’m not really sad so I can have a glass of wine, but I have to be careful.’

He said: ‘I used to drink really heavily and I don’t any more, I haven’t touched whiskey since [rehab].’

Loose Women continues weekday on ITV at 12.30. 

MORE: Peaky Blinders season 5 is finally on Netflix and fans are binge-watching in celebration

MORE: Drag Race UK reveals Andrew Garfield’s questionable catwalk in behind-the-scenes clip

Scaredy Kat surprised her RuPaul’s Drag Race UK rivals on episode one by announcing not only was she just 19 years old when filming, but that she isn’t actually gay.

The drag queen told the rest of the queens that she has a girlfriend, who is also a drag queen called Pussy Kat – so you know we had to go looking for the other half of this power couple.

Pussy Kat is a femme queen with nearly 5,000 Instagram followers of her own, who explains in her bio that she is ‘vegan as f***’.

She has a very gothy drag aesthetic, serving us Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas vibes with her striking shoots.

Not much else is known about Scaredy’s girlfriend, except that she also lives in Wiltshire and is very supportive of her boyfriend.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B160UdjpgFN/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2RmckcJyYL/

Since Scaredy was announced as part of the cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, she has been posting pictures of the queen and sharing supportive messages, including one which read: ‘So so proud of you for pushing through and owning your anxiety.’

Pussy Kat even flew to New York with her boyfriend as he promoted the UK series at DragCon.

Over Pride month, Pussy Kat explained that while they are in a man-woman relationship, they are both still queer, and admitted that it annoyed her when people assumed they are straight.

She wrote: ‘Almost no one understands our relationship and the “roles” we play in it except us. People tend to put things into categories in order to understand them, so for us normally it’s “gay guy and best friend”, “straight couple”, “gay friends” etc.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1WBiWPlQZF/

‘Yes it is annoying (!!!) but you can’t control or change what people assume about you. Being perceived as male and female/hetero by society doesn’t make either of us any less queer. It’s who we are – regardless of what other people label us.

‘Pride is a time where we can be accepted by society (in the country we live in) without being being put into gender/relationship roles (as much). But pride is not the only time we are queer. We are queer all year round, every single day. No matter who you are, what you look like or what kind of relationship you are in you do not need to justify your queerness to anyone. ✘ ✘ ✘

‘Anyway this whole speech was basically to say that if anyone calls me straight again or tries to corner my boyfriend for a “we’re all straight men here” chat I STG.’

Speaking about being bisexual with Gay Times, Scaredy – who admits her girlfriend taught her how to paint her face – said: ‘I’m not gay, you don’t have to be the stereotypical thing that you expect drag queens to be.

‘I think some people will love it and I think some people will hate it, and some people won’t care. I feel like there will be varied reactions.

‘We’re a couple and because we’re both bi, we just love people.’

Being teenage and bisexual weren’t the only shocks Scaredy had in store for her rivals on Drag Race, as she admitted in the workroom that she’s never performed in public and has never even seen a drag show.

However, she may be a force to be reckoned with, after winning the first mini-challenge of the series.

Scaredy Kat faces stiff competition from Crystal, The Vivienne, Vinegar Strokes, Sum Ting Wong, Baga Chipz, Cheryl Hole, Blu Hydrangea and Divina De Campo – with Gothy Kendoll becoming the first queen to get the chop from RuPaul. 

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK continues on Thursdays at 8pm on BBC Three.

MORE: Katie Price knows ‘she’s in hot water’ as she’s snapped sneaking out of Kris Boyson’s house

MORE: Travis Scott’s rumoured side chick Yungsweetro breaks silence as Kylie Jenner confirms split

With all the (sometimes literal) chopping and changing in The Walking Dead, you really can’t put your faith in the longevity of any of its main characters.

Lauren Cohan’s Maggie Rhee, for example, surprisingly exited the show last year – albeit for non-plot/walker-related reasons.

The actress entered into a pay dispute with AMC over her continued involvement in the series which, while eventually settled, ultimately hastened her exit from the show after just six episodes of season nine.

However, this move was never intended to be a definitive goodbye for Maggie from the show as she was never actually killed off – leaving the door open for a Maggie return sometime in the future.

The ears of Walking Dead fans across the globe then pricked up back in May upon hearing that the show Cohan left The Walking Dead for, Whiskey Cavalier, had been cancelled.

And now, on the dawn of the season 10 premiere of The Walking Dead, executive producer Denise Huth has signalled that the showrunners are ‘very hopeful’ that Cohan will return as Maggie.

‘All I can say about Maggie is she’s one of my favourite characters as well,’ Huth told the Radio Times.

‘I adore Lauren Cohan and there’s always the hope and prayer that she’s coming back to us.

‘So I’m very hopeful that we will see her again.’

Season 10’s introduction of comics character Dante, who forms a close bond with Maggie in the source material, has also given fans hope that Cohan’s ass-kicking character will be re-introduced to The Walking Dead dystopia sooner rather than later.

The Walking Dead season 10 kicks off on Sunday (6 October) in the US, and returns in the UK on Fox Monday (7 October).

MORE: The Walking Dead releases first photos for third spin-off series

MORE: The Walking Dead’s Andrew Lincoln could still return in season 11 to direct

Alan Carr has slammed Geri Horner for being ‘outraged by everything,’ during her stint as a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.

The comedian claimed that the Spice Girl was ‘grabbing her pearls’ at some of the looks and comments that she saw and heard on the runway.

All despite her own history of costume and bawdy behaviour.

The first episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK has been a major hit, with fans of the franchise calling it even better than the US version.

Each week will see a different celebrity guest judge – Andrew Garfield was the first guest judge while next week will see Game Of Thrones’ Maisie Williams read the queens.,

But Carr admitted that Geri’s stint was surprising in unexpected ways.

‘This is a woman who, at the Brits, came out of an inflatable vagina singing Bag It Up! And she was grabbing her pearls! I was shocked,’ he said.

‘I remember the Geri with the big old tits and Union Jack dress causing trouble – but she was like Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey! I was like, “Wake up, Geri!”‘

As Drag Race has grown in the US, the prize has grown with it with every winner from season four 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 because the UK’s next drag superstar will instead ‘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’.

Yep, their prize is essentially what all US drag queens get simply for turning up to the work room.

However, 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.

So a stint in Hollywood it is.

MORE: RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Scaredy Kat’s girlfriend is an equally fierce drag queen

MORE: His Dark Materials trailer is not for the faint-hearted: Missing Game of Thrones? Here’s your new epic

The Big Bang Theory theme tune is one of the most recognised songs in the world, having fronted every episode of the comedy for 12 seasons.

The second you hear the words ‘Our whole universe was in a hot dense state’, chances are that you can recite the rest of the Barenaked Ladies tune perfectly.

But bandmembers Kevin Hearn and Ed Robertson flipped the whole thing on its head, performing an acoustic version of the song.

And it has made us miss Sheldon, Leonard, Penny and co. even more.

Fans went into total meltdown over the video – posted on YouTube earlier this year – with one revealing it had them in tears.

A viewer commented: ‘That was so much fun to watch. Couldn’t wipe the grin off my face. Thanks guys.’

‘It is almost as much fun to watch them as it is to listen here. Ed and Kevin are having a blast here,’ another wrote.

While a YouTube user added: ‘I really want them to release a slow version with vocals. But even without vocals I cry every time.’

Us too, hun. Us too.

The Big Bang Theory ended earlier this year, with the last episode airing in May.

Despite the show being off the air for months, fans still can’t get enough of their favourite geeks – and Penny, of course.

In fact, in a poll from Metro.co.uk, Sheldon Cooper was voted as the most popular character, coming top with a whopping 31% of the vote.

This is absolutely not a bazinga, people are just really into the Nobel Prize winner.

He blew the rest of the competition out of the water with his nearest competition, Penny, in second place with 21%.

However, it’s not all good news for the Big Bang gang, as Bernadette was revealed as the least popular character, beating out comic book shop owner Stuart Bloom for the unfortunate accolade.

What’s everyone’s beef with Bernie?

The Big Bang Theory is available to stream on Netflix UK now.

MORE: The Walking Dead producer is ‘very hopeful’ that Lauren Cohan will return as Maggie

MORE: Lee Ryan reveals late grandfather visited him in rehab after seeing ‘crystal apparition’

June Sarpong just became the BBC’s first ever Director of Creative Diversity and it’s a landmark move for the public broadcaster.

The 42-year-old television broadcaster, writer and campaigner said she was ‘humbled’ by the opportunity in the newly-created role and wants to help ‘level the playing field’ for future generations.

June told the BBC: ‘As we move on from National Inclusion Week and begin Black History Month, I am particularly humbled to step into the newly created role of Creative Diversity Director for the BBC.

‘I relish the challenge of working with senior leadership to make the BBC more inclusive and representative of the broad and diverse audience it serves.

‘The task is indeed daunting, however being awarded the opportunity to help level the playing field for the next generation of diverse talent, makes the obstacles and discrimination I have personally faced throughout my own career all the more worthwhile.

‘I look forward to collaborating with diversity and inclusion industry stakeholders to find new and productive ways to create systemic change,’ she added.

June will start in the role from 1 November.

She’s no stranger to the TV spotlight, having been a regular panellist on ITV’s Loose Women and Sky News’ The Pledge.

June is the author of the books Diversify: Six Degrees of integration (2017) and The Power of Women (2018). She was also given a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2007 for services to broadcasting and to charity.

In a metro.co.uk opinion piece from 2017, she wrote about the importance of talking honestly about diversity.

She wrote: ‘As it stands, only 4% of doctors, 6% of barristers, 11% of journalists and 12% of solicitors come from working-class backgrounds; women earn 14% less than men; and only one in 16 top management positions are held by an ethnic minority.

‘Which means children who go on to become lawyers and judges are educated in an exclusive environment, devoid of those from other social backgrounds. Long term, this isn’t right for society.

‘What talents have we missed because of our unlevel playing field?

‘If we are serious about addressing these issues then we need to start talking honestly about diversity now,’ she added.

We couldn’t agree more, June.

This latest appointment comes about after a tough week for the BBC when they filed an official complaint against their own presenter, Naga Munchetty, over a comment about Donald Trump’s racist tweet. After public backlash, the BBC overturned their ruling.

MORE: Drag Race UK reveals Andrew Garfield’s questionable catwalk in behind-the-scenes clip

MORE: Women of colour face inequality in contraception and colonisation is to blame

Nadia Sawalha was left mortified when her fellow Loose Women panelist Kaye Adams jumped into bed with her completely naked.

The duo had to share a hotel room, on Thursday night, ahead of their live show.

And it turns out Nadia didn’t have the best night’s sleep when her buddy hopped under the sheets after stripping off.

Telling her pals about the scenario, she laughed: ‘I I just want to ask you two because last night we had to share a hotel room…’

Kaye quickly chirped up: ‘Is there any privacy?’ before co-host added: ‘She – it’s a double bed – gets into the bed starkers right?’

The 54-year-old continued: ‘She says, “oh, i hope you don’t feel harassed!” and I went, “Well no because she goes to bed naked.”‘

Carol McGiffin, who was also on today’s lineup of panelists, squirmed: ‘It’s sick!’

Kaye started to come round to the idea that it might not have been the best decision.

She explained: ‘It wasn’t until the morning and I was thinking, “If this was a topic on Loose Women and we’d be discussing it we’d be like, ‘That’s weird! Getting into bed naked.'”

‘I sleep in the nude! I’ve always slept naked.’

Not letting her win, Nadia asked her friends: ‘Don’t you think it’s weird she got into the bed with me nude?’

Kaye quipped: ‘But seriously, let’s think this through. What difference would that make to the experience?’

Confused by her statement, Carol quizzed: ‘What experience?!’

‘I’m lying on my side of the bed, I’m quite quiet,’ Kaye insisted, but Nadia was not swayed, adding: ‘It was a double bed, you could have flipped your leg over me or anything!’

Loose Women continues weekdays at 12.30pm on ITV.

MORE: The Big Bang Theory theme tune on acoustic guitar will make you mourn the show all over again

MORE: Geri Horner was ‘clutching her pearls’ over RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, says Alan Carr

Chris Ramsey may have doubled his Strictly Come Dancing score from first to second week, but the comedian revealed that his Charleston adventure nearly ended badly for himself and Karen Hauer.

Speaking on his Sh**ged Married Annoyed podcast with wife Rosie, the 33-year-old admitted that his excitement to survive the first elimination and make it to week three’s movie extravaganza almost ended in injury after he accidentally shoved his professional dance partner down the steps.

‘I was cheering so much when we got through that I pushed [Karen] down the stairs,’ he said.

‘We were on a step and she fell backwards and had to grab the banister – I picked her back up and everyone was like: ‘What a d**k!”’

Confirming that Karen had escaped unscathed, Chris said: ‘She was fine, I picked her back up.’

Well there’s us relieved – we don’t want Karen going the same way as Jamie Laing…

However, Chris has us pretty relieved that that would never happen, joking: ‘She’s a solid ball of muscle, I would be more worried about the stairs if I was you!’

Last week, it was Chris rather than Karen who found himself close to being injured, as the star showed off all the muscles he’d pulled in the energetic routine on Instagram.

Next to the photo, the father-of-one wrote: ‘Thanks so much for all of your lush comments and support last night. I’ve worked flat out this week and my body is in bits! Pulled my tricep, shoulder and glutes (a**e muscles for the scientists among us!)

‘I’m all strapped up like a real dancer! I haven’t done a cartwheel since junior school and I had to do about 200 this week,’ he continued.

Well it certainly paid off Chris, who scored a very nice 26 points for his Charleston where his previous week’s Cha Cha Cha had only gained him a score of 13.

Keep going at this rate and he’ll be one mark off 40 this Saturday… or maybe that’s a little optimistic.

MORE: RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Scaredy Kat’s girlfriend is an equally fierce drag queen

MORE: Lee Ryan reveals late grandfather visited him in rehab after seeing ‘crystal apparition’

The Witcher is Netflix’s high-fantasy answer to Game of Thrones, starring Henry Cavill as the titular monster hunter. But one of the show’s stars has trashed claims that the two shows are similar.

Royce Pierreson will star as the sorcerer Istredd in the video game adaption. This is not the first time that the two shows have been measured against each other.

One of the co-stars even recently claimed that the show could scale Throne’ height of popularity The Line of Duty star, however, doesn’t see any similarities.

Pierreson revealed to Digital Spy that the shows are entirely different and fans shouldn’t compare the worlds, or the characters, to each other.

‘It’s an amazing ensemble piece,’ he said. ‘And every character has their own journey and their own story. The Witcher has its own world and universe.’

The Judy actor also claims that the show, based on Polish author Andrzej Sapkowsk’s original novels, will not shy away from intimate character studies – something which HBO’s juggernaut was also known for (well, until the last season at least).

‘[It] has its own proper characters and their own struggles,’ he claimed. ‘And I think that’s what people will see and really connect with. It’s a huge scale project – it’s very intimate in terms of the character studies, which is what I love. When it comes to taking a role, that’s the most important thing.’

No matter Pierreson’s claims, the proof will be in the pudding when The Witcher finally drops on Netflix later this year.

Superman star Cavill will portray Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter who must rescue the Princess Ciri from evil forces. MyAnna Burning and Anya Chalotra will star alongside the British action star.

Game of Thrones comparisons are nothing new for the show – the series’ director previously took to the stage at San Diego Comic-Con to assure fans ‘The Witcher is its own complete thing, but truthfully, Game of Thrones opened a door, at least.’ She also warned fans to expect a ‘magical horror show,’ which sounds remarkably similar to what the newest His Dark Materials trailer promised us too.

Basically, it’s a good time to be a fantasy fan.

The Witcher will drop on Netflix later this year.

MORE: Netflix accidentally leaks The Witcher release date in now deleted tweet which we have here

MORE: The Witcher’s Henry Cavill utsreveals literal pain behind contacts worn for Netflix series

The Queen of Soul is coming to the small screen.

Cynthia Erivo has been cast as Aretha Franklin in National Geographic’s upcoming biopic Genius: Aretha.

The anthology series, which has previously depicted the life stories of Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso, will shift its gaze to the late soul legend who passed away in August 2018 at the age of 76.

Genius: Aretha is being billed as the first-ever definitive and authorised series to focus on Franklin and her life in music. The show will, therefore, feature a number of her greatest hits, including I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You), Chain of Fools and Since You’ve Been Gone.

The series is set to chronicle ‘Franklin’s musical genius and incomparable career, and the impact and lasting influence she has had on music and culture around the world’, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

As well as recreations of some of her most memorable performances (such as those she gave at the 1998 Grammys and Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration), Franklin’s important civil rights activism is expected to be covered in the series.

Erivo – who has notably starred in Widows, the Broadway production of The Color Purple and the forthcoming Harriet Tubman biopic Harriet – will perform Franklin’s songs in the show and, in a statement about the upcoming series, she praised Franklin for long being ‘a source of inspiration for me’.

‘Her strength, passion and soul are evident in her everlasting legacy, not only as a transcendent artist, but as a humanitarian and civil rights icon.

‘To have the opportunity to bring her legacy to life and show the fullness of her being, her humanity and brilliance, is an honour,’ Erivo added.

‘I feel privileged and excited to be a part of the sharing of her genius.’

Genius: Aretha will begin production next month, and is set for a spring 2020 premiere on National Geographic.

MORE: Aretha Franklin’s family in court battle over estate after singer ‘left no will’ to control $80m fortune

MORE: Cynthia Erivo ruffles feathers while Emily Ratajkowski debuts chic bob at Tony Awards 2019

The Grand Tour is heading back to Amazon Prime for a fourth season – but there’s changes afoot for the motoring show.

While former Top Gear presenting trio Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond will remain in place, they will almost certainly be going places with the new season.

Speaking to Deadline, Grand Tour executive producer Andy Wilman has explained more about the new deal they signed with Amazon which will see the show ditching its studio format in favour of four road trip specials – the first of which should be released before the end of the year.

The second special will begin filming next month with a 2020 release date in mind.

The Grand Tour is now being produced by the BBC Studios-backed Expectation, with Wilman deciding to shut down W Chump & Sons – the production company owned by the presenters and Wilman – due to the show’s new format.

‘We’re doing fewer shows to keep the quality control up, so there’s no need for Chump,’ Wilman said. ‘We’re not busy enough.’

Under the ‘looser’ new Amazon deal, solo TV projects for Clarkson, Hammond and May have also been green-lit: there’s a Clarkson show ominously called I Bought A Farm, while a Hammond-led six-part series is planned with MythBusters‘ Tory Belleci co-hosting.

May, meanwhile, will head out to the Far East for his new show, Our Man In… Japan with James May.

The four men are also now able to work for other UK broadcasters under the deal – apart from Netflix and Amazon’s other primary streaming rivals, of course.

‘Amazon wanted complete control because they were paying us a lot of money and they needed the show to work,’ Wilman said about Amazon’s original deal.

‘Things have got more relaxed.’

MORE: The Grand Tour’s Jeremy Clarkson shares behind-the-scenes shot from new solo Amazon series and fans are buzzing

MORE: The Grand Tour fans are blaming Richard Hammond for Pompeii wreckage thanks to James May

Stranger Things may have confirmed the fate of Jim Hopper right at the very end of season 3 and it was staring at us all this entire time.

The trippy Netflix series, which was renewed for season 4 this week, closed with Joyce (played by Winona Ryder) sacrificing Hopper (David Harbour) to spare Hawkins being taken over by the Mind Flayer and the USSR.

It was devastating. And then, once the credits rolled, we were given another headache as it turned out someone we know only as ‘The American’ is being held captive and will likely be the centre of the story when Stranger Things returns next year.

All the signs are pointing to Hopper (or Barb!), but one eagle-eyed fan has noticed a hidden message in the title credits which quite literally spells out ‘Hopper is alive.’

Coincidence? Possibly, but showrunners The Duffer Brothers are notorious for leaving trails of telling breadcrumbs in the unlikeliest of places.

Matt and Ross Duffer haven’t quite confirmed Hopper’s whereabouts – if he still exists – but they did compare his journey to Han Solo which is a humongous clue if you know your Star Wars.

‘We always talk about Empire Strikes Back, we always wanted to give him a darker ending, we always wanted to give him a Han Solo sacrifice moment,’ Matt told Entertainment Weekly.

‘It was emotional to shoot but it was really, really quick. David never asked for music but I think we did play some emotional music when we shot David’s final look at Winona [Ryder].’

Han famously came back fighting in Return of The Jedi so, you know, we pray.

Metro.co.uk compiled all the evidence Hopper will be back for season 4, and there’s a lot.

Stranger Things seasons one to three are available to stream on Netflix. Season four is expected to drop in 2020.

MORE: Stranger Things season 4 is coming: Here’s everything we know about The American so far

MORE: Stranger Things fans are freaking out over announcement as Netflix drop cryptic season 4 clue

If you’re in need of Halloween inspiration and have an uncomfortable obsession with Friends, one person has found the ultimate attire to channel their passion into the other.

Most notably seen in episode The One With Ross’ Grant in the tenth season, Gladys is a piece of artwork created by Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) which is handed down to Monica (Courteney Cox) to her despair – prompting her to fight with Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) over who has to keep it.

It’s become a beloved, horrifying item in Friends history, but RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Blu Hydrangea managed to turn it into a chic outfit for Halloween last year.

Reckon you should finally be acknowledged as a walking piece of artwork? Channel this beauty.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpnVTXwlVca/

Posting on Instagram, Blu wrote: ‘GLADYS! HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I decided to go as Gladys from Friends!’

The Belfast drag queen was recently seen in the first episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, which has generally been met with praise across the board – especially from Kim Woodburn.

Blu is competing against nine other queens in the bid to become the UK’s first Drag Race Superstar, although the prize for winning isn’t exactly worth shouting about.

If you need some more juice on the Friends front, the show is celebrating its 25^th anniversary this year with the show heading to UK cinemas to mark the occasion.

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

MORE: RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Scaredy Kat’s girlfriend is an equally fierce drag queen

MORE: Drag Race UK reveals Andrew Garfield’s questionable catwalk in behind-the-scenes clip