Greta Thunberg has had the internet in stitches by changing her name on Twitter to ‘Sharon’ after a clip of Amanda Henderson on Celebrity Mastermind went viral.
Host John Humphries asked: ‘The 2019 book entitled No-one is Too Small To Make A Difference is a collection of speeches made by a Swedish climate change activist. What’s her name?’
With the clip going viral, Greta sadly didn’t address the hilarious answer directly. However, she’s definitely not in the dark about the amazing answer, after changing her Twitter name accordingly.
We have no choice but to stan.
Amanda was baffled by the question (Picture: BBC / Celebrity Mastermind)
Despite winning our hearts, Amanda didn’t win her episode of the show – but she did come pretty close, appearing alongside Chuckle Brothers legend Paul Chuckle, celebrity chef Levi Roots and comedian Geoff Norcott on the celebrity edition of the show.
Paul came last with 10 points, with Amanda and Levi both receiving 12, and Geoff winning with 13 points.
Comedian Mark Smith tweeted the clip with the caption: ‘2020 is cancelled’, and it has gone on to get 9,000 retweets and over 45,000 likes.
Amanda hasn’t addressed the viral sensation directly but it seems she’s given us the best TV moment of 2020 just a few days in.
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R. Kelly’s younger brother has claimed the singer offered him money to take the blame for the tape the star faced child pornography charges over.
Carey Kelly has spoken out about his older brother in a new documentary series, Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning.
In the three-part documentary, he claims he was offered a car, a record deal, and $50,000 to say it was him appearing in the 27-minute-long sex tape.
Although R. Kelly has always denied any allegations of wrongdoing made against him.
Carey exclaimed: ‘He was asking me, “You need to say that was you.” Commit a crime pretty much to say that was me on the tape with a minor.
‘Perjure myself in a court of law and risk jail time for some stuff that didn’t have anything to do with me? He was saying, “Man, I’ll buy you a car, I’ll buy you a record deal, I’ll give you $50,000.” I said, “Let me tell you something, man. You ain’t got enough money for me to say that’s me. Because it ain’t worth me selling my soul”.’
R. Kelly wanted his brother to take the rap (Picture: ABC News)
It follows after R. Kelly pleaded not guilty to charges he asked someone to bribe a government official to procure a fake ID the day before he married Aaliyah, who was 15 at the time.
The star appeared via video feed in court in December 2019 where he denied the charge of scheming with others to pay for the document, ahead of the secret 1994 ceremony.
Earlier this month a new indictment accused the singer, 52, of bribing a government official in Illinois back in 1994 to obtain a fake ID for Aaliyah (named as Jane Doe in documents, but believed to be Aaliyah) to show she was 18 years old. It’s alleged the ID was used in order to secure a marriage license when Aaliyah was 15.
Kelly, then 27, and Aaliyah married in August 1994, a day after the alleged bribe took place, reports The New York Times. The same claim was made in a documentary, Surviving R Kelly, that aired in January, by one of Kelly’s former tour managers.
R. Kelly has denied all the charges made against him (Antonio Perez/ via AP Pool)
Responding to the latest claims, Kelly’s lawyer, Steven Greenberg, said in an interview with Good Morning America: ‘My understanding is that [Aaliyah] did not claim to be 15, and in order to get married, she had to lie about her age.’
The I Believe I Can Fly hitmaker’s lawyers have long maintained that Kelly was unaware of Aaliyah’s age when they married, while the Illinois marriage license used for the wedding said she was 18.
The new charges against Kelly add to an already existing indictment filed against the star – accusing him of ‘sexually exploiting underage girls and coercing them into illegal sexual activity’.
He is currently in prison, without bail, after he was indicted on 18 charges back in July, including sexual exploitation, child pornography production, kidnapping, forced labour, racketeering, and obstruction of justice.
The 48-year-old claimed the late singer wanted nothing to do with R. Kelly after they got an annulment on their controversial marriage.
Kelly had produced Aaliyah’s first album when she was 14 years old. Sadly, Aaliyah died in a plane crash in 2001 at age 22.
In the clip, Damon made some bold claims as he exclaimed that if other people had protected Aaliyah then ‘so many other girls wouldn’t have gotten touched’.
‘Whether they know whether they’re in a bad place or not, the fact that they were able to get touched and they were in a bad place they would have been able to have gotten help earlier,’ he began.
‘You shouldn’t always have to learn from pain but you can learn from other people.’
Damon Dash and Aaliyah dated until her death (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
He continued that Aaliya was like’ the sacrificial lamb’ and she didn’t deserve ‘any of that’.
He explained: ‘I know the whole story and I know it was to cover up and all of that, but how did that cover it up it just made the conversation less crazy like he married a child.
‘You know that was a good soul, a good girl and she wasn’t even so resentful like ‘let that man live but keep that f****r away from me.
‘That’s all she wanted. She was just happy to be away.’
He went on to allege that R. Kelly and Aaliyah’s marriage was a ‘cover-up’.
‘He married a child,’ he added.
Metro.co.uk contacted Kelly’s reps and lawyer for comment.
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Dracula’s sexualirty was scarier than his fangs for many(Picture: BBC/Hartswood Films/Netflix/Robert Viglasky)
Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have started the year off with a bite as their adaptation of Dracula made a bloody splash after the first episode aired on BBC One on New Year’s Day.
The series stars Danish actor Claes Bang as the titular vamp and has aired each night since Wednesday.
But with the third and final instalment airing tonight, will there be a season two for us to sink our teeth into?
Will there be a second series of Dracula?
At the time of writing, there’s been no official word as to whether or not there will be a second series of Dracula.
Bram Stoker only wrote one full-length novel about Dracula, so there’s a chance that the showrunners may indeed stop at one season.
However (without giving too much away) the last episodes have deviated from events in the novel, and we don’t yet know how Moffat and Gatiss’ adaptation will end, so here’s hoping!
We do know that, as it currently stands, there will be three episodes of Dracula in total this year.
The first aired on 1 January, the second the day after, and the third will be shown tonight at 9pm on BBC One.
On the subject of his casting as the titular vamp, Palm D’Or-winner Bang previously said: ‘I am thrilled to be taking on the role of Dracula, especially when the script is in the hands of the incredible talents of Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss and the team responsible for Sherlock.
‘I’m so excited that I get to dig in to this iconic and super-interesting character. Yes he’s evil, but there’s also so much more to him, he’s charismatic, intelligent, witty and sexy. I realise that there’s a lot to live up to with all the amazing people that have played him over the years, but I feel so privileged, to be taking on this incredible character.’
The last episode of Dracula begins tonight at 9pm tonight on BBC One.
Stacey Solomon has hit back at trolls who branded her stupid after she appeared on the Big Fat Quiz Of The Decade.
The Loose Women host shared a series of rather horrid tweets that people had written following her appearance on the Channel 4 show.
The 30-year-old was joined on the quiz show by Strictly’s Claudia Winkleman, comedians Nish Kumar, Joe Lycett and Alan Carr and TV chat show host Jonathan Ross will who had to put their knowledge of the last 10 years to the test.
Sharing the messages to her Instagram story, one comment read: ‘Absolutely love watching these shows every year and can even watch when I dislike one guest…
‘But Stacey Solomon – her voice and just her being her – is the most annoying person EVER! Will let this one past thank you.’
Another commented: ‘How does Stacey get through life with her level of intelligence?’
Best thing ever (Picture: Stacey Solomon/Instagram)
Never change Stacey! (Picture: Stacey Solomon/Instagram)
Although one of the reasons we love Stacey is her carefree attitude as she clearly wasn’t bothered by the remarks.
Dancing to Taylor Swifts Shake it Off she exclaimed: ‘People are always going to have something to say but as long as you know who are you are that is all that matters.
‘Do what makes you happy… haters gonna hate, hate, hate, no matter what, Just be you.’
‘They aren’t worth your time or energy.’
Stacey had previously shared with her followers how excited she was to be on Big Fat Quiz Of The Decade.
She wrote: ‘Can’t believe I got to do this… I never watch shows I’m on but this one is my absolute favourite.’
Ah well haters gonna hate eh Stacey?
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Describing it as the ‘worst fall ever’, Ben revealed that he fell during rehearsals and was left winded following the fall.
‘A few days ago I tried to work off some festive cheer by going to the ice rink in my break and literally did the worst, stupidest fall ever,’ he began.
‘I was going left and right, hit a toe-pick, slammed face first, belly-flopped looking like a complete idiot and got up and realised that my ribs hit the ice first.
Uh oh! (Picture: Ben Hanlin/Instagram)
Will Ben be ok for the live shows? (Photo by Matt Frost/ITV/REX)
‘I was winded, I tried to carry on, I’ve been in agony ever since,’ he told The Sun Online.
The injury has left Ben with bruised and swollen ribs and he admitted that he has been struggling to train.
Speaking on the Christmas Special he exclaimed: ‘I’ve been dedicated to this business for a long, long time and accepted that it was over for me.
‘And I coped. But I realised just how much the business makes me who I am.
‘I love it so much.’
Dancing on Ice returns 5 January on ITV.
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We’ll see a ‘darker’ side to the Master (Picture: BBC)
Doctor Who returned with an almighty bang on New Years Day – and brought a very old enemy back along for the ride too.
Sherlock actor Sacha Dhawan was unveiled as the newest reincarnation of the Doctor’s oldest foe, the Master, in the closing moments of the episode.
All along we thought O (Dhawan) was just an old acquaintance of the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and happy to help her on her mission – but it turned out the ‘spymaster’ he kept hinting at was actually the ‘spy…Master’ and he was actually the Doctor’s oldest enemy in a new form.
Now, the actor has spoken out about his surprise new role – and the darker paths we may see the Master travel down as series 12 unfolds…
‘The first feeling I had [of taking on the role] was pure terror,’ the 35-year-old told the BBC. ‘Yes the character is playful, unpredictable, dangerous, but I was keen to explore where that ‘persona’ originates from.
‘I started to uncover a much more darker, more melancholic side to the Master, which I felt hadn’t been explored before.’
The Doctor’s iconic enemy has appeared on the long-running sci-fi show intermittently since his first debut in 1971. He was last seen as a gender-swapped ‘Mistress’ played with madcap energy by the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina actress Michelle Gomez.
The last time we saw The Master, he was The Mistress (Picture: BBC)
Dhawan also acknowledged that ‘There was a time when actors like myself, wouldn’t even be considered for a role of this nature.’
He continued: ‘Doctor Who has always been a landmark show, but I feel it’s becoming an even more landmark show due to the stories that are being written, and the actors being cast to represent them.’
He also dropped the absolute bombshell that he ‘didn’t audition for the role,’ but equally did you see him act out that reveal? No other choice needed!
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Actresses Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer are at the heart of Killing Eve (Picture: BBC/Sid Gentle/5)
The third season of Killing Eve hasn’t even hit screens yet, and BBC America have already locked down a fourth.
Adapted from the Codename Villanelle novellas by Luke Jennings, Killing Eve’s first season was overseen by Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge and has gone from strength to strength ever since.
Actresses Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer are at the heart of the series, playing out a cat-and-mouse drama across various cities and displaying the most nuanced and jealousy-inducing sexual tension.
‘How could we not have massive confidence in Killing Eve?’ Sarah Barnett, president of AMC Networks Entertainment Group and AMC Studios has said (via The Hollywood Reporter). ‘It has won big in every major award show and is the highest growing show on US television for six years.’
An AMC boss credits the ‘brilliant’ women behind the show for its success (Picture: BBC/BBC America/Steve Schofield)
Barnett went on to credit the ‘brilliant women’ working on the show for its huge success, promising even greater things to come.
‘The reason for this series’ emphatic embrace is the brilliant women who breathed it into being: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Emerald Fennell, Sandra Oh, Jodie Comer, Fiona Shaw and its fairy godmother, executive producer Sally Woodward Gentle.
‘Season three lead writer Suzanne Heathcote takes Eve, Villanelle and Carolyn to places more thrilling, twisted and surprising than ever. Our addicted fans will not be disappointed.’
Killing Eve’s upcoming third season has also confirmed that Game Of Thrones star Gemma Whelan has joined the female ranks, while Predrag Bjelac (of Igor Karkaroff fame in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) will also appear.
We can’t wait to see what the dream team behind the scenes has planned next.
Killing Eve returns later this year.
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Can Dracula return for another series after that cliffhanger? (Picture: BBC)
*Warning: This article contains spoilers from the final episode of Dracula, titled The Dark Compass.
Dracula has been comical, emotional, unbearably terrifying and consistently WTF over the past three nights with its conclusion culminating in all of the above.
The finale, titled The Dark Compass, closed with both Dracula (played by Claes Bang) and Doctor Zoe Van Helsing – formerly Sister Agatha (Dolly Wells) – dying in each other’s arms when she finally managed to expose his weakness: death.
After centuries of speculation surrounding Dracula’s secret, initially lead by her great-great-aunt Agatha, Zoe uncovered the vampire’s truth, before yanking down a pair of curtains and knocking the beast down with sunlight.
Only, he survived
This entire time Dracula could bask in the sun, walk through any door uninvited and wear as many crucifixes as he so pleased. He’d just bought into the popular myth they would kill him, and subsequently, he avoided them all at all costs.
Confronting his fears, for what could only be the last time, Dracula faced the grim reaper to drink terminally ill Zoe’s blood, killing them both in the process as her cancer was a poison to vampires.
So can there be another series of Dracula?
Well, the popular myth would suggest that Dracula is more or less invincible and could come back from anything, but speaking to Metro.co.uk, Stephen Moffat appeared to suggest that the possibility of another series would be obvious once we’d seen the finale.
‘That would give the ending away,’ he said when asked about the drama’s future.
Would another series of Dracula work without Dolly Wells? (Picture: BBC)
With the closing moments suggesting that’s the final nail firmly in Dracula’s coffin, it appears to be a wrap.
While we may be thirstier than Dracula in a blood bank for another cycle, further seasons would be totally unnecessary.
For a start, there would be no Dolly, who immediately caught our attention as the real star of Dracula, even when up against one of the best interpretations of the legendary monster there’s even been in Claes, while Stephen and Mark have perfectly wrapped up their story, answered every question we had entering 2020 with what will surely be celebrated as one of the year’s greatest triumphs.
Dracula is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss couldn’t resist some crossover (Picture: BBC)
Warning: Spoilers for Dracula: The Dark Compass ahead.
Dracula writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are clearly fans of a good crossover.
The writers of the new BBC horror, who also worked on Doctor Who, have been slipping in references to the sci-fi show wherever they can.
And the final installment of the terrifying adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel was no different, with one particularly dark moment from Doctor Who’s back catalogue making an appearance.
In one horrifying scene, Lucy Westenra (Lydia West), is killed by Dracula (Claes Bang) before being cremated.
However, with Dracula warning that being cremated leaves the undead in horrendous pain, Lucy is seen screaming in agony, with Robbie Williams’ Angels creepily playing in the the background.
The character later returns, unrecognisable to viewers after her body has been left charred by the process.
Lucy was left screaming in agony (Picture: BBC)
Safe to say it all got pretty dark.
And Doctor Who die-hards remembered the horrifying cremation rule from Moffat’s Dark Water and Death In Heaven episodes back in 2014, in Peter Capaldi’s era.
After it was revealed that villain Missy (Michelle Gomez) was transforming dead bodies into armies of Cybermen, her accomplice Dr Chang (Andrew Leung) was heard explaining that the dead who had been cremated felt the pain.
While some viewers complained about the gruesome detail, which seemed a little out of place in the usually family-friendly show, the BBC later defended the episode.
Jeez. I may be loving this but what does Steven moffat have against cremation what with #Dracula and that dark water episode of #DoctorWho from the other year.
#Dracula has so many #DoctorWho references it’s awesome. Tonight had Dacula talking about how being cremated hurts, like in Dark Water and Death In Heaven
Meanwhile, fans were also left comparing the final episode of Gatiss and Moffat’s horror to Doctor Who after the modern-day twist left people a little baffled.
When the second episode left us seeing Dracula washed up on a beach in what appeared to be 2020, people were a little taken aback.
It turns out our fave vampire was in the water for a good 123 years, before coming across a descendant of Agatha (Dolly Wells) in the present day.
The BBC defended Doctor Who’s Dark Water episode (Picture: BBC)
However, with the episode going on to focus on how the Count survives in the modern world, including using Tinder, Skypeing, and owning a home gym, the episode had mixed reactions.
The series left fans a little terrified (Picture: BBC)
The episode followed Dracula’s unfortunate house guest Jonathan Harker (John Heffernan), who received a letter from his fiancé, Mina (Morfydd Clark) mentioning the ‘adorable barmaid’ at The Rose and Crown.
If the pub’s name rings a bell and you’re a Who fan – it’s not a coincidence.
Clara worked as a barmaid at The Rose and Crown during the 2012 Christmas Special, the Snowmen.
If there’s anyone who loves a Doctor Who Easter egg more than Whovians, it’s clearly the writers themselves.
Channel 4 didn’t show the clip at all (Picture: Channel 4/BBC)
Gogglebox relived some of the best Christmas TV moments with their festive special on Friday – which meant we got to watch Gavin and Stacey all over again.
And as expected, the Channel 4 show aired clips from the comedy including Smithy and Gavin singing ‘Step into Christmas…’ and the awkward moment Smithy’s new girlfriend Sonia showed (and we couldn’t help laughing even though we knew what was going to happen).
And while they can’t show all of the hour-long programme – TV bosses avoided the controversial Fairytale of New York scene altogether.
The clip in question, which received several complaints from Ofcom after Bryn (Rob Brydon) and Nessa (Ruth Jones) took to the karaoke at The Dolphin for their biannual tradition of a singalong – and opted to sing The Pogues’ Christmas classic.
However, when it came to the offensive line where Kirsty declares Shane a ‘cheap lousy f****t’ – which has become a divisive topic since the 80s and in terms of acceptable language – the lyric went uncensored.
Pete and Sophie were loving Gavin and Stacey (Picture: Channel 4)
The BBC, who also has their own complaints procedure, has confirmed that they have been received a number of objections regarding the use of the word, although they are yet to comment on how many.
The crowd cheered along and even acknowledged the offensive word (Picture: BBC)
During the moment the line was sung, Gavin (Mathew Horne) even acknowledged its potential for offence by doing a cheeky ‘oooh!’ to wife Stacey (Joanna Page).
Many felt it was inappropriate for the show to choose to keep it in – especially considering that they could’ve worked around it if they wanted.
Ahead of the scene airing, Ruth Jones defended the decision and told The Sun it was a ‘different climate’ and said: ‘We have to remain true to the characters, to who they were.
‘Characters in Gavin & Stacey are kind and big-hearted, I believe. So I think no one is going to be intentionally hurtful.
‘But by the same token, they’re not necessarily going to be completely politically correct or be aware of political correctness.’
The song, which is played altered and unaltered across the UK on radio and TV across the Christmas season, has been a long-held source of contention for fans.
A singalong down The Dolphin saw the gang cheer along to the controversial track (Picture: BBC)
The slur used to put down members of the LGBT community has been all but eradicated for use in media – except for when Fairytale of New York plays across the holidays.
Speaking to The Times ahead of the scene airing, Peter Tatchell, LGBT rights campaigner and Gay Liberation Front member, urged the BBC to reconsider and edit around it.
‘It would send completely the wrong signal. It will give comfort to homophobes everywhere,’ he said.
He added: ‘The BBC would not screen a Christmas song with the n-word in it. It would be deemed deeply prejudiced and unacceptable.
‘So why the double standards when it comes to the f-word?’
Channel 4 has been approached for a comment.
Gavin and Stacey’s Christmas Special is available on BBC iPlayer and Britbox.
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Beckham will appear on one of his favourite TV shows (Picture: David Beckham/Instagram)
It’s not enough that David Beckham has pretty much dominated the sports, business and fashion worlds.
The footballer will now be on small screens for a different reason very soon, appearing on US mockumentary sitcom Modern Family with a cameo.
The star has posted a video teasing his role on the show: ‘So much fun filming on one of my favourite shows’ he posted, tagging stars Courteney Cox and Stephen Merchant.
Beckham will be playing himself, and in the teaser video he approaches Stephen Merchant asking for a bowling instructor for himself and Courteney, wanting to get an edge for a celebrity charity bowling tournament.
Cox makes a hilarious dig at the footballer’s bowling skills, quipping that he needs the lessons. She adds that he only knocked down eighteen pins in the last tournament, and that ‘thanks to you, doctors without borders are now doctors without malaria pills!’ Ouch.
In October last year, Courteney Cox posted a steamy hot tub montage of her Modern Family co-stars, including David.
The actress all but broke the internet when she shared a selfie snap of herself of David chilling in a hot tub together in their swimmers. Another snap revealed that they got to share the hot tub with the show’s stars Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who play Cam and Mitch on the show.
‘Too hot in the hot tub! #modernfamily,’ Courtney captioned the photos while James Brown’s Celebrity Hot Tub played in the background.
The Modern Family episode with Beckham’s cameo will be available to US audiences from January 8.
Modern Family is available to stream on Sky, Amazon Prime and Now TV.
Amanda Holden will return for her fourteenth turn as a judge on BGT (Picture: Rex)
Amanda Holden has reportedly signed a huge deal to continue on Britain’s Got Talent for another three years – for £1 million per series, no less.
The deal is meant to indicate an increase in her paycheque by thousands of pounds, a move that was meant to keep stars like Amanda onside at ITV, reports The Sun.
TV bosses were reportedly concerned that streaming giants such as Amazon could poach her.
Amanda’s return to Britain’s Got Talent will mark her fourteenth series on the show since she joined the judge’s panel in 2007.
Amanda will rejoin her fellow judges and presenters Ant and Dec (Picture: PA)
The BGT judge became the UK’s best-paid female showbiz host after signing a £3 million two-year deal for Heart FM’s breakfast show last year. Impressive.
‘After boosting listening figures for Heart, it shows why ITV are desperate to keep Amanda on BGT as she brings a whole new audience with her,’ The Sun’s source has said.
‘The judges’ chemistry plus her incredible outfits and down-to-earth humour have been a hit since the very start.’
Amanda is due to sign her deal next week when she gets home from holiday.
ITV has been forking out left right and centre to secure their talent for, erm, Britain’s Got Talent and beyond.
Ant and Dec are reportedly all set to sign a mammoth new ‘£40 million deal’ with ITV, which will incorporate their work on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, Britain’s Got Talent and Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.
Metro.co.uk has reached out to Amanda Holden’s representatives for comment.
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The self-styled spiritual medium was recognisable on British TV over the years, most well-known for his appearances on the supernatural reality show Most Haunted, and as a housemate on Celebrity Big Brother.
His wife, Gwen, confirmed his death in a statement on her Facebook page.
‘Thank you so much to everybody who has supported me – I can never thank you enough.’
After an illustrious career on the TV, here are some of the late medium’s best moments.
Most Haunted – ‘Take thy hand off me!’
Derek is probably mostly well-known for his stint on paranormal reality series Most Haunted, on which he appeared alongside long-term host Yvette Fielding.
In the chilling clip above, the medium is possessed by the ghost of a man named Francis, who can’t remember his surname.
In a shocking moment, Yvette touches Derek and he screams ‘take thy hand off me!’ at her.
‘I’ll scuttle your legs!’ He continued. ‘Your breasts, wench!’ He eventually had to be restrained by security,
Celebrity Big Brother
Derek appeared on the 2017 series of the much-loved reality show, appearing alongside X Factor’s Amelia Lily, YouTuber Trisha Paytas and eventual winner, Girls Aloud icon Sarah Harding.
He entered the house on the first day, and eventually was evicted on the 25th day of the competition, finishing in fourth place.
Channeling Michael Jackson’s ghost
Broadcast on Sky One, the medium tried to contact the ghost of late pop star Michael Jackson.
Here is the moment where Derek attempts to make reach out to the Thriller star’s spirit.
An especially notable moment is when the King of Pop, through Derek, addresses super-fan, and X Factor reject, Michael Lewis.
Most Haunted – ‘Con! Fron! Tation!’
In this especially spooky clip, Derek is trying rather unsuccessfully to channel some spirits in a room.
Host Yvette starts to goad the ghosts into speaking, calling them ‘cowards.’
This probably wasn’t the best idea as a then-possessed Derek has to be physically restrained as he shouts the word ‘confrontation’ over and over again.
Most Haunted – ‘Mary loves Dick’
Another moment from Most Haunted, Derek was once again trying channel the spirits of those who had passed on to the other side.
What came next….no-one was expecting.
Screaming out ‘Mary loves Dick! Mary loves Dick!’ it became apparent that the woman Derek was channeling wasn’t swearing, just professing her love for a guy named Richard,
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Meghan Trainor has revealed that she was upset no one sang one of her songs during The Voice audition process.
The All About That Bass singer is the newest member of the judging panel and will join Will.i.am, Olly Murs and Sir Tom Jones in the new series.
Although speaking ahead of the first episode, Meghan explained to Metro.co.uk about what kind of singers she is looking for.
‘I was listening out for something different, I want to find singers that can not only win but I can write songs with,’ she began.
The star also admitted that she was upset that during the audition process no one sang one of her songs.
She continued: ‘No is that crazy? I am upset. I thought they would sing the John Legend song I’m Going To Lose You, not one of them did but it’s ok.’
She may be a judge now, but once upon a time, Meghan almost auditioned for The Voice.
What will Meghan be like as a judge? (Photo by Joel Anderson/ITV/REX)
‘My publisher, she’s my biggest fan and supporter and she always told me you should be the artist. I would just write songs and she would have me pitch them and then one day she just told me “I’m going to sign you up for The Voice, we’re going to get you on there” and I panicked,’ she continued.
Meghan is a judge on the next series (Photo by Joel Anderson/ITV/REX)
‘I was like “NO! Absolutely not. I’ve never been on television. How am I going to do that? How am I going to go out in front of my favourite superstars and hope that they turn around!”
‘I think that’s the scariest thing ever and at the time I just wasn’t ready.’
Meghan will replace Jennifer Hudson on the judging panel after the Oscar winner announced she wouldn’t be back.
Megs added: ‘I was, like, 18 and I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin.
‘I was afraid of taking pictures, I was just learning how to be comfortable with pictures of myself and that took many years of being in front of the camera and practice and learning who I am to really understand that career and that life and now I’m here and I’m like “LET’S GO! PUT ME IN!”.’
The latest series of The Voice UK returns to ITV on 4 January, 2020.
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Todrick has already had one hell of a career (Picture: Netflix/BBC/Fox)
At 34 years old, Todrick Hall has managed to have one hell of a career over the years – and now he’s heading our way on The Greatest Dancer as the new dance captain.
The guy has some serious credentials to be there – having performed on Broadway, created his own musicals, and creating his own choreography for his performances.
That’s before we include his music – which are all absolute bangers by the way. We dare you to try and get Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels out of your head after you hear it.
But over in the UK, there’s actually a fair few people who don’t know what he’s accomplished over the years.
So ahead of his Greatest Dancer debut, here’s some of the essentials you need to know about the singer/dancer/TV personality/Broadway star/YouTuber.
Told you the guy had range.
Todrick first appeared on TV in 2009 (Picture: Fox)
2009 – American Idol
American Idol was Todrick’s first major break into the limelight on national TV, kickstarting a gamechanging career.
Impressing judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi, plus that week’s guest judge Joe Jonas, Todrick first auditioned with his own song.
He later performed iconic pop tracks including Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson and What’s Love Got To Do With It by Whitney Houston.
Unfortunately, during a mega cull that saw four contestants leave in one week during the live shows, he was eliminated.
The series was eventually won by Lee DeWyze.
2010 – YouTube
While he signed up to YouTube back in 2006 – a full 14 years ago (ouch, our hearts), Todrick only started uploading on a regular basis from 2010 onwards, and has built an impressive subscriber base of 3.4million people.
Over the years, he’s collaborated with numerous YouTubers and has become known for his four-part harmony videos – where he splits the screen and performs all four harmonies against himself.
These include 80s and 90s melodies, plus homages to Taylor Swift (who he would later star in music videos and on stage with), Beyonce and Lady Gaga.
He also wrote and created Pop Star High, a web series which imagined life if all the biggest pop stars in the world attended school together.
Todrick has become a member of the Drag Race family (Picture: Netflix/VH1)
2016 – RuPaul’s Drag Race
Todrick made his first appearance as a RuPaul’s Drag Race guest judge during season 8’s Wizards of Drag, the Wizard of Oz makeover challenge.
Since then, he’s become part of the Drag Race family, making frequent appearances as a guest judge and also as a choreographer for some of the finale dance routines in both the original and all-star series.
RuPaul has also collaborated with him on track Low, and several of the Drag Race alumni (including Alaska, Willam, Kim Chi and Alexis Michelle) appeared in the music video for Expensive.
2016 – Straight Outta Oz
Todrick’s biggest musical effort to date, Straight Outta Oz saw him create a concept album that blended the Wizard of Oz and his life story.
He toured the UK and Canada with the show that he would late make out of the album’s material, and he performed with stars including Nicole Scherzinger, Bob The Drag Queen and RuPaul for the album tracks.
Glee’s Amber Riley also made an appearance (which is made even more sweet considering he was turned down for a role on Glee.)
2018 – Behind the Curtain
Todrick made the move to Netflix in 2018 with his documentary film Behind The Curtain.
The show follows his build up to the release of his touring production of Straight Outta Oz – his most ambitious project yet.
It also lifts the lid on his turbulent relationship with his mother, Brenda, and his life growing up in the bible belt of Texas as a theatre loving young boy.
Todrick also talks about coming out as gay, and becoming an LGBTQ+ icon for a new generation – and the same year he surprised a fan on another Netflix show, Queer Eye, to help with their transformation.
Todrick is now going for gold as a judge on The Greatest Dancer (Picture: BBC)
Arriving for the audition phases, he quickly became best pals with Cheryl (even if he’s not entirely sure what she’s saying a lot of the time.)
‘Thrilled does not even begin to explain how excited I am to be joining the cast and crew of The Greatest Dancer.
‘As a performer who has danced my whole life and been a contestant on a reality competition show, it’s wild to see my career come full circle this way.
He’s now tasked with helping three up-and-coming acts be the best they can be to win £100,000 and a chance to perform on Strictly.
But to do that, Todrick has to beat last year’s winner, Oti Mabuse, as well as Cheryl and Matthew Morrison.
The Greatest Dancer starts Saturday 5 January on BBC One.
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Now that the show’s timelines have caught up with each other, the new run of episodes can start to explore more familiar territory that readers of Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels and the trilogy of best-selling video games will recognise.
Chief among the characters we just have to meet next time around is Vesimir, another Witcher (aka monster hunters mutated by magic).
Vesimir is the oldest and most experienced of the Witchers, and like Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), survived the racial cleansing that decimated the monster hunter communities and made them such a sought-after commodity.
Playing a major role in the third and final video game, The Wild Hunt, we know it’s only a matter of time before Geralt’s wisened old mentor appears in the adaption, so here are our choices for who could play Vesimir in The Witcher season two.
Mark Hamill
Could Mark Hamill switch Star Wars for monster hunting? (Picture: Rex)
First of all, we say: who better to take on the role than a Jedi Master? Mark Hamill would be a great choice.
In the video games, Vesimir is a grizzled and bitter husk of his former self, who needs Geralt to bring him back to life, so to speak.
The Last Jedi may not have pleased everyone with the characterisation of Luke Skywalker – least of all Hamill himself – but it was his best work as an actor in years, and he could bring exactly the same energy to this role.
Anthony Hopkins
The acting legend made waves in Westworld – could he do the same for the Witcher? (Picture: HBO)
If you’re a legend of the monster hunting community, why not be played by a legend of stage and screen?
Sir Anthony Hopkins has played all manner of characters, but we feel his Vesimir would be a combination of two of his most-loved roles; Doctor Hannibal Lecter and Westworld creator, Robert Ford.
It’s exactly the kind of gravitas Hopkins could bring that could make the second season of the Witcher a step up from the first.
Lena Headey
From Queen of the Seven Kingdoms to Queen of Monster Hunters (Picture: REX)
First of all: discount the fact that Lena Headey is younger than the others on this list – as we saw with Geralt, Witcher’s are practically ageless, so it wouldn’t be too big of a jump to imagine Vesimir is hundreds of years older than our hero but doesn’t look it.
Second of all – can you imagine the coup? Stealing Cersei Lannister for your high-fantasy epic?
In Thrones, it was Headey’s steely determination that made her a star, but this role would require a lot more from her than just standing on a balcony sipping wine – call it her much needed redemption for season eight!
Ray Winstone
Ray Winstone could be a great Vesimir (Picture: Getty)
Now we’re talking!
Ray Winstone has made a career out of playing tough, no-nonsense gangsters, and Vesimir is in exactly this same realm, although he lives in a fantasy world and hunts monsters for a living.
We think this pairing would create a great dichotomy between both Geralt and Vesimir, and we would just give anything to see Winstone and Henry Cavill go toe-to-toe on our screens, to be honest.
Helen Mirren
A true Queen (Picture: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)
If you’re going to gender-swap a character, why not do it in style?
Dame Helen Mirren isn’t above starring in a franchise, as we know from her work on RED and Fast and Furious.
This would require perhaps a different energy than we’ve previously seen from Mirren before, but she has played the actual Queen so we know she’s an authoritative figure who won’t take any nonsense – the perfect Vesimir, then.
Robert De Niro
Caption: Imagine. Just imagine! (Picture: PA)
Our greatest living actor. The oldest living Witcher.
Robert De Niro just…is Vesimir, and we know he already has a great relationship with Netflix thanks to The Irishman.
Think about it. It just makes sense.
The Witcher season 1 is available to stream now on Netflix.
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Will Lily and Joseph have done enough to impress the audience? (Picture: BBC)
It doesn’t take long for the tears to start on The Greatest Dancer, with Cheryl becoming the first judge to burst into tears at dance duo Lily and Joseph.
Lily, 10, and eight-year-old Joseph joined forces to win over the audience in the audition with a contemporary routine to Rise Up by Andra Day.
Telling the story of their friendship through the routine, the pair are seen helping each other out when they need it.
Oti Mabuse is seen choking up as they continue their routine, but it’s Cheryl that has to turn away from the camera, being looked after by newcomer Todrick Hall as she tries to regain her composure.
Have they done enough to get the amount of lights needed to get through to the next round?
Ahead of their performance, Natasha, Joseph’s mum, said: ‘They have this little bit of magic when they dance.
‘The emotion that they have when they dance sends shivers down my spine to watch. It’s just the best feeling in the world.’
Lily and Joseph perform Rise Up to impress the judges (Picture: BBC)
‘You do imagine if that was your child,’ mum-of-one Cheryl admitted before they’d even danced a step.
There’s even more pressure this year after the success of last year’s series, with a new ‘Greatest Dancer Of The Day’ feature guaranteeing one hopeful during the four audition days make it through to the live shows.
Each day, a judge is picked at random to decide who they’ll have on their team with no questions asked or fighting from the other judges – which is sure to ruffle a couple of feathers.
The judges have some decisions to make (Picture: BBC)
Todrick has already revealed that when it comes to Oti’s time to decide, she ended up halting the entire production as she began to sob uncontrollably.
‘She was acting like Mufasa [from the Lion King] just died twice!’ he laughed. ‘She was going through it, we didn’t… we had to stop production for a while to get her off the ground.
‘I mean it was very like Jack had just drifted to the ocean and Rose let go.’
Viewers will have to tune in tonight to see if Lily and Joseph made the cut – and if they beat the other competitors to win the day.
The Greatest Dancer starts tonight at 7pm on BBC One.
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Debbie Wolowitz famously never appeared on-screen and was played by voiceover actress Carol Ann Susi, who passed away in 2014 midway through the comedy’s 12 season run.
Debs was subsequently written out of The Big Bang Theory, but one fan has questioned whether Mrs. Wolowitz was ever present at all or was Howard another Norman Bates and the voice of his mother was only in his mind?
The theory has gained traction online in recent months, but taking to Reddit, one fan has finally given definitive proof and rubbished the theory for good.
User epicgamer2486 pointed to the 15th episode of the sixth season as all the proof we need that Howard’s mother did actually exist.
‘This episode disproves the fan theory about Howard’s mom never [existing[,’ they claimed. ‘You see Raj attempt to escape through a window and then get pulled back into the house [by Howard’s mother].
Carol Ann Susi voiced Howard’s mother until her death in 2014 (Picture: CBS/IMDB)
‘Unless I’m mistaken, imaginations can’t make physical contact with other people.’
Well, he certainly has a point.
Quick to jump on the bandwagon, other fans of the long-running sitcom were soon giving their own examples of the show proving to us that Mrs. Wolowitz was an actual human being and not a figment of her son’s imagination.
One added: ‘She’s also seen in the kitchen briefly.’
Another also chimed in with: ‘In addition, Stuart became Mrs. Wolowitz’s private nurse, recorded voicemail together, and she even gave him money to start a new business after his comic book store burned down.’
Well, that’s sorted then!
Of course, there are still plenty of other fan theories to explore if you’re tired of doing another series re-watch.
The Big Bang Theory is available to stream now via Netflix.
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And the Chatty Man presenter took to Twitter to share his memories of working with the late star.
‘I once did a p***take of Cribs with Derek Acorah called Crypts at Kensal Green Cemetery,’ the comic began.
‘Even though he couldn’t remember his lines he did however have a seamless two-way conversation with a dead Victorian woman who asked “what we were filming?”
‘V surreal but fun, #RIPDerekAcorah (sic),’ he concluded.
I once did a pisstake of Cribs with Derek Acorah called Crypts at Kensal Green Cemetery. Even though he couldn’t remember his lines he did however have a seamless two way conversation with a dead Victorian woman who asked ‘what we were filming?’ V surreal but fun #RIPDerekAcorah
Derek’s wife, Gwen, confirmed his death in a statement on her Facebook page.
‘Farewell my love! I will miss you forever! I’m devastated to announce that my beloved husband Derek has passed away after a very brief illness,’ it read.
‘Thank you so much to everybody who has supported me – I can never thank you enough.’
Gwen also appeared to slam a couple who ‘hounded’ the late Celebrity Big Brother star while he was in a coma, stating she ‘won’t forget’ their actions.
Derek Acorah’s wife Gwen confirmed the news on Facebook (Picture: Facebook)
‘To the vile couple who hounded him for responses to their ridiculous campaign whilst he was in Intensive Care in a coma, I hope you have the decency to hang your heads in shame,’ she added.
‘I have things to deal with now but I won’t forget nor will I forgive what you have done!’
Derek made his first TV appearance back in 1996, in a weekly stint on Psychic Livetime, before moving over to Most Haunted.
He left the series in 2005 amid claims he had been lying about his abilities to channel spirits.
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The late star left the series in 2005, amid claims he had been lying about his abilities to channel spirits.
Derek’s wife, Gwen, confirmed his death in a statement on her Facebook page.
‘Farewell my love! I will miss you forever! I’m devastated to announce that my beloved husband Derek has passed away after a very brief illness,’ it read.
Our condolences go out to Derek’s family at this time x
Tributes poured in for the TV star on social media, with many flocking to Twitter to pay their respects.
‘From our first day together, I always stood by your side, till our last day,’ one shared.
‘I feel so honoured, privileged and so blessed to have been part of yours and your family’s lives for so many years, but most of all to have been your friend.I will never, ever forget you @derek_acorah.’
‘Heaven gained an angel. A true gentleman and one of my husband’s dearest friends,’ another posted. ‘My heart goes out to his wonderful wife Gwen and their family. We will love and miss you forever.
‘Shine bright Derek and sleep tight xxx YNWA @derek_acorah.’
Derek passed away just weeks before his 70th birthday.
He was born in Merseyside in 1950, and made his first TV appearance back in 1996, in a weekly stint on Psychic Livetime.
Throughout his career, he released a series of books, fronted his own documentary shows and appeared as himself on an episode of Doctor Who in the 2006 episode Army Of Ghosts.
Back in 2009, he attempted to reach out to late singer Michael Jackson’s ghost for the documentary, Michael Jackson: The Search for His Spirit.
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