Archive for September, 2017

When will The Walking Dead return in the UK?

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When will The Walking Dead return in the UK?

It’s finally back! The return time and date for everyone’s favourite zombie series has been announced by FOX in the UK.

Following its broadcast in the US the night before, The Walking Dead will return to our screens on Monday, October 23 at 9pm.

During the last season, Rick and the Alexandrians saw their worlds torn apart by the introduction of the tyrannical Saviours leader Negan. However, Negan’s power over them began to wane as the Alexandrians found other survivor groups to fight against his leadership. Season seven ended with a battle won – for the most part – by Alexandria and its allies, but the war is far from over.

Season eight is likely to return with a bigger bang than usual, as it is also the 100th episode of the series so far.

The news also means that Walking Dead companion series Talking Dead will also return. Presenter Chris Hardwick will be back for his regular debrief in the slot immediately after each Walking Dead episode, so one won’t have to wait too long for analysis, interviews and trailers.

Watch The Walking Dead season eight trailer here:

The Walking Dead will return to FOX UK on Monday, October 23 at 9pm.

The Apprentice 2017: Meet the candidates

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The Apprentice 2017: Meet the candidates

It’s that time of year again. 18 would-be entrepreneurs will be taking to our screens to impress business mogul Sir Alan Sugar next Wednesday (October 4). Amongst those hoping to win the top prize are a semi-professional hip-hop dancer, self-described “slightly bonkers country girl” and a former employee of the office of David Cameron.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at this year’s The Apprentice hopefuls.

ApprenticeAndrewBrady

Andrew Brady

Age: 26
From: Cheshire
Occupation: Project Engineer in the Aerospace Industry
Fun fact: Andrew’s inspiration is his coal miner grandad, who he describes as “the was the hardest worker you could ever know”.

ApprenticeAnisa

Anisa Topan

Age: 36
From: Surrey
Occupation: Fashion PR agency owner
Fun fact: Anisa describes herself as a “dictator” and “control freak”.

ApprenticeBushraShaikh

Bushra Shaikh

Age: 34
From: Surrey
Occupation: Clothing company owner
Fun fact: Bushra creates luxury clothing for Muslim women and describes Coco Chanel as her inspiration.

ApprenticeCharlesBurns

Charles Burns

Age: 24
From: Manchester
Occupation: Management consultant
Fun fact: As well as being a management consultant, he’s involved in a number of businesses – including a watch trading company and a comparison website.

ApprenticeDannyGrant

Danny Grant

Age: 32
From: Kent
Occupation: Online retailer store owner
Fun fact: People frequently tell Danny he looks like Will Smith, which he thinks is something to do with his ears.

ApprenticeElizabethMcKenna

Elizabeth McKenna

Age: 39
From: Nottinghamshire
Occupation: Florist chain owner
Fun fact: Elizabeth describes herself as a “slightly bonkers country girl”.

ApprenticeElliottVan

Elliot Van Emden

Age: 31
From: London
Occupation: Legal firm owner
Fun fact: Elliot used to work in the office of David Cameron and is nicknamed ‘Tory boy’ by his mates.

ApprenticeHarrison

Harrison Jones

Age: 27
From: Watford
Occupation: Sales executive
Fun fact: Harrison’s mum used to refer to him as “the chosen one”.

ApprenticeJadeEnglish

Jade English

Age: 25
From: Manchester
Occupation: PR and Marketing Manager
Fun fact: Jade says she often gets into conversations where everyone thinks she’s “crazy”.

ApprenticeJamesWhite

James White

Age: 26
From: Birmingham
Occupation: Recruitment firm owner
Fun fact: James enjoys white collar boxing and has the nickname ‘Del Boy’.

ApprenticeJeffWan

Jeff Wan

Age: 28
From: London
Occupation: Business analyst
Fun fact: Jeff moonlights as a semi-professional hip-hop dancer.

ApprenticeJoannaJarjue

Joanna Jarjue

Age: 23
From: Manchester
Occupation: Digital Marketing Manager
Fun fact: Joanna says she suffers from resting bitch face, which means her natural face looks like “she wants to kill someone”.

ApprenticeMichaelaWain

Michaela Wain

Age: 33
From: Bolton
Occupation: Construction Business Owner
Fun fact: Michaela says her nose is “wonky” despite paying a “lot of money for a nose job”.

ApprenticeRossFretten

Ross Fretten

Age: 29
From: Essex
Occupation: Digital Product Consultant
Fun fact: He says that depending on your perspective, he’s either “eccentric” or a “bit of a freak”.

ApprenticeSajanShah

Sajan Shah

Age: 24
From: London
Occupation: Event Company Owner
Fun fact: He can’t spell the word entrepreneur and compares himself to a Chinese takeaway – “I am like a Chinese dish – potent, deliciously driven, full of flavour and I sure do sizzle,’ he said. Not sure Lord Sugar goes fast food.”

ApprenticeSarahJayneClark

Sarah Jayne Clark

Age: 25
From: Derbyshire
Occupation: Clothing Company Owner
Fun fact: Sarah “doesn’t trust people” and thinks they have a “hidden agenda”.

ApprenticeSarahLynn

Sarah Lynn

Age: 35
From: London
Occupation: Confectionary Company
Fun fact: Sarah describes herself as the “Queen of Confectionary”, compares herself to Maggie Thatcher and reckons Lord Sugar is a “lemon sherbert”.

ApprenticeSiobhanSmith

Siobhan Smith

Age: 34
From: London
Occupation: Wedding Company Owner
Fun fact: Siobhan’s idol is KFC’s Colonel Sanders.

Coronation Street cast pay tribute to “wonderful” and “genuine” Liz Dawn

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Coronation Street cast pay tribute to “wonderful” and “genuine” Liz Dawn

Former colleagues have paid tribute to Coronation Street legend Liz Dawn, who has died at the age of 77.

Dawn portrayed Vera Duckworth on the soap for 34 years from August 1974 to January 2008, returning for a one-off episode in 2010. She died at home on Monday (September 25), surrounded by loved ones.
 
A family statement said: “We are devastated and heartbroken at the passing of our much-loved wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother, the incredible Liz Dawn. She has been the love, light and inspiration in our lives and we are bereft at her passing.”
 
The news has left the cast of Coronation Street heartbroken, as they rushed to pay their respects to the star.
 
Sally Dynevor, who plays Sally Webster, said: “Liz was an amazing woman.  She achieved so much in her life through her role in Coronation Street and her charity work. She was such a giving person who always thought about other people before herself.  She was an inspiration of how to be in life and I’m going to miss her.”

Meanwhile, Jennie McAlpine, who portrays Fiz Brown, said: “If ever there was an actress that I wanted to be like most, it would be Liz Dawn. Every time we met she asked after everyone. She was genuinely interested in how everyone was doing. I’ll miss her asking how I am. She was loved by us all.”

Simon Gregson, who plays Steve McDonald in the soap, described Liz as “a warm, very funny, lovely lady who loved everyone she worked with.”

He added: “She touched the hearts of everyone she met and gave so much back with her charity work. She will be missed so much.”

 Kevin Webster actor Michael Le Vell described Dawn’s Vera and on-screen husband Bill Tarmey’s Jack as the “foundations on which Coronation Street has been built upon.”

On her impact on the cast, he said: “For anyone young who joined the show Liz was the matriarch.  She took us under her wing and was the mother figure who helped guide us through the show.  She did that for me. She’s going to be a big loss to us all.”

Antony Cotton, who plays Sean Tully, said he was “devastated” and commended Dawn as “a wonderful actress, a fascinating storyteller, a hilarious comedian and most importantly a brilliant friend.”

“For many people of my generation, Jack and Vera WERE Coronation Street. A light had gone out in Weatherfield a few years ago, but now Manchester too, has lost a little of its sparkle…”

The Grand Tour is heading back to the UK permanently

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The Grand Tour is heading back to the UK permanently

It’s bad news for international fans, but great for Brits – The Grand Tour is heading back to the motherland.

The Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May-fronted motoring series will set up a permanent studio in the Cotswolds for series two.

The first series of The Grand Tour famously saw the former Top Gear presenters eschew a permanent home in favour of travelling around the world and setting up a temporary tent for studio segments. During this time, they filmed studio pieces across five continents: Africa, Europe, North America, South America and Asia, inviting locals to join them in the audience.

While the series will continue to film its adventure segments in numerous exotic locations, the studio pieces will now remain in one place – which, their executive producer Andy Wilman says, can only be a good thing due to how accident-prone the shows presenters are at the moment.

He said: “It’s clear that the most popular Grand Tour element of the show is when the chaps are roaming the globe on their big adventures and road trips, so that’s what we’re doing a lot more of for this series.

“We’ll keep the studio in one place, and given how accident prone they are at the minute, that can only be a good thing!”

Amazon Video Europe boss Jay Marine added: “The Grand Tour is our most popular show around the world having been watched in over 240 countries and territories.

“Customers continually tell us that their favourite segments of The Grand Tour are the travelling adventures of Jeremy, Richard and James, so despite the various calamities and injuries along the way, the guys have spent this year exploring more incredible and stunning locations than ever before … and getting into more trouble of course. We can’t wait for our Prime members to see Series Two later this year.”

Of course, the benefit of The Grand Tour relocating on a permanent basis to the UK is that it’ll be a short trip to watch the team in action. For one week only, Amazon is inviting fans to apply to watch the studio recordings with Clarkson, Hammond and May in the Cotswolds.

To apply, visit Amazon.co.uk/GTTickets. Applications close at midnight on October 3.

REVIEW: Murderers and Their Mothers S2E4 takes on the twisted tale of the Yorkshire Ripper

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REVIEW: Murderers and Their Mothers S2E4 takes on the twisted tale of the Yorkshire Ripper

There are few serial killers in modern British memory as notorious as Peter Sutcliffe, dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper. During a six-year reign of terror, Sutcliffe murdered thirteen women in the North of England. There have been many documentaries trying to trace the reasons as to why he did what he did, so CBS Reality’s Murderers and Their Mothers takes a risk including him in their series examining the maternal relationships of famous killers. It’s a risk, however, that pays off – offering an entrancing and valid angle on the actions of the unfathomable serial killer.

The story of Peter Sutcliffe is well-documented, so Murderers and Their Mothers does well to not overpack the episode with information on his exact actions. It instead pins its focus to Sutcliffe’s younger life, where he was overly cossetted by his mother and witnessed the abusive, adulterous behaviour of his father. The documentary argues that these skewed relationships with his parents created Sutcliffe’s tendency to divide all women into black and white terms: those who were inferior and unworthy of attention, and those who were good and wholesome like his mother.

It’s difficult to isolate the problem with Sutcliffe to his familial background, a problem that admitted within the documentary. However, it makes a strong argument that Sutcliffe’s actions were influenced by his mother, his father and the wife who cheated on him. We can see evidence for this in the way his killing sprees were affected by the women in his life – notably the one-year ceasefire that took place after the death of his mother Kathleen.

Murderers and Their Mothers does an excellent job of providing a new angle on a case oversaturated within the documentary sphere. It makes a lot of sense to examine the relationships a murderer who targeted women had with women within his own life. The result is fascinating and engaging to watch.

Murderers and Their Mothers airs on CBS Reality on Sundays at 9pm.

REVIEW: Written In Blood exposes ‘The Facebook Killer’ who inspired Angela Clarke’s bestselling crime novel

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REVIEW: Written In Blood exposes ‘The Facebook Killer’ who inspired Angela Clarke’s bestselling crime novel

The fourth episode of CBS Reality’s Written In Blood uncovers the inspiration behind Angela Clarke’s murderous tale, as the series continues to tie fact and fiction together.

The original new series, Written In Blood, sees host Simon Toyne meet up with a number of bestselling authors to discuss the real-life crime cases that inspired some of their most popular works. In tonight’s episode, we travel to Darlington to learn about ‘The Facebook Killer’ who galvanised Angela Clarke into writing one of her most renowned novels.

Clarke is best known for creating a series of crime stories, each of which focuses on how a killer utilises social media to commit his or her crime. When she stumbled across the case of Peter Chapman, therefore, his crimes immediately stole her attention. The man in question was convicted for the online grooming and murder of a local teenager, and in this episode Simon and Angela retrace Chapman’s criminal history.

WIB - ep 4 (15)

The concept behind the show is brilliantly innovative, as viewers get to explore the cases that motivate some of Britain’s best fiction. Rather than focussing too much on Clarke’s written tale, the episode rather becomes its own narrative, telling the story of Chapman himself. We start at the beginning, with the criminal’s backstory, before working our way along a timeline of events that lead to his main murder. The narrative is also told from a number of different perspectives, as we follow the killer’s criminal career from the viewpoint of an author, a psychiatrist, a journalist, and other experts.

Crime documentaries looking at old murder cases can run the risk of feeling a bit tired. However, this modern look at the real-crime genre lends the programme a fresh, unique take on the exploration of criminal acts. Some really thought-provoking questions regarding social media are highlighted during the programme, for instance; a weapon that has only recently become popular in the hands of killers. During the show, writer Clarke talks about the importance of continually evolving the crime genre, and how she wants her work to reflect the current society in which we live. Of course, so much of contemporary society involves social media, and Written In Blood delves into the dark side of the internet to expose the dangers of these online platforms.

WIB - ep 4 (7)

The series demonstrates the intense level of research novelists are required to conduct before creating their own fictional universe. It is not just the details of one specific murder that are unpacked, but Peter Chapman’s entire backstory, including his personal relationships, his history with sexual assaults and his movements around the country. Just as you would when reading a book, you constantly find yourself asking ‘what happens next?’ as the episode progresses.

You are certain to leave the episode wanting to read Angela’s own fictional interpretation of events, what with the real-life narrative already being so chilling and compelling. And this desire to link facts with fiction pretty much sums up the whole series. Written In Blood bridges the gap between artwork and real events, and is a definite must-see for crime addicts and bookworms alike.

Written In Blood continues tonight (Sunday) at 10pm on CBS Reality.

Lady Gaga reveals how “psychologically challenging” fame is after new documentary Five Foot Two

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Lady Gaga reveals how “psychologically challenging” fame is after new documentary Five Foot Two

Lady Gaga has opened up about the “isolating” and “lonely” nature of fame following the release of her Netflix documentary Five Foot Two.

Taking to Twitter, the singer shared an emotional letter with her followers explaining what it was like to film such an intimate documentary about her life, career and battle with Fibromyalgia.


She wrote: “I found myself witnessing myself in a way I am unable to see on my own.

“I felt proud, I felt sadness, I felt empowered, I felt vulnerable…”

Gaga praised the film for its “authenticity”, as well as highlighting the “physical and emotional pain” that went into creating her most recent album, Joanne.

Gaga also spoke about the nature of fame, admitting: “It is lonely, it is isolating, and it is very psychologically challenging because fame changes the way you are viewed by people. For me, it feels very unnatural, but complicated because I know it is my destiny to be a performer.

“Yet I am also humbled by the side of fame that breeds love from the world, the voice I’ve been given by my fans to spread messages of empowerment and equality, the fortunate life it’s brought to me and my family and how we can now give to others in need.”

The star concluded by thanking director Chris Moukarbel, as well as her “little monsters”, whom she promised to always offer her “true” self.

Lady Gaga: Five Foot Two is streaming now on Netflix.

The Walking Dead showrunner has revealed how season 8 will end

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The Walking Dead showrunner has revealed how season 8 will end

The Walking Dead showrunner, Scott Gimple, has shared some exciting news about what to expect from the season eight finale.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Gimple revealed how long the war between Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and the villainous Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) will last.

He said: “[It] will absolutely be resolved by the end of season eight.”

So surely that means either Negan or Rick will have been defeated by the end of this upcoming series; no doubt a massive lure to any viewers that dropped out during season seven.

Fans are still waiting to see how this will all coincide with the ‘Old Man Rick’ clip featured in the trailer. However, apparently the mysterious time jump will be explained in the premiere episode this October.

Writer of the comics, Robert Kirkman, reassured viewers that they won’t have to wait long to find out the truth behind the mysterious scene.

“I’m pretty sure you’ll learn in the first episode what that means,” he said at the Television Critics Association summer press tour (via Entertainment Weekly).

“Was it the time jump? I don’t know, maybe it was Rick waking up from his coma. Wouldn’t that be weird?

“That is an intriguing titbit that we did throw out there on purpose, and we’re hoping that people continue to question how it is that fits into the storyline and what it is.

“Comic book fans know where a scene that kind of looked like that would fall, but it also doesn’t seem like we would be getting to that just yet if you were a comic book fan, so there’s a mystery to that.”

The Walking Dead returns October 23 on FOX in the UK.

Love Island fans worry Chris Hughes and Olivia Attwood have split after cryptic tweets

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Love Island fans worry Chris Hughes and Olivia Attwood have split after cryptic tweets

Love Island star Olivia Attwood has sparked concerns that her relationship with Chris Hughes may be over after tweeting about trying “everything” but “it’s still not enough”.

The two Islanders probably had the rockiest ride out of everyone during the ITV2 reality series this summer, but have seemed to be pretty solid as a couple since leaving the villa.

However, fans have been left fearing the worst after Liv took to Twitter during the early hours of the morning to share a cryptic message.

At 2:27am, she wrote: “And sometimes you can do everything in your power to make something work, and it’s still not enough.”

1055166_Olivia_and_hris_breakup_tweet_be708b765f80e524cf867b12c318d41d

There was no word of a split from Chris on his Twitter page. The star instead spent the night with his Love Island bestie Kem Cetinay, as they celebrated the launch of their new single.

He posted on Twitter: “Highlight of my life tonight. Thank you everyone throughout. Best feeling my parents being there to support. I hope I make you proud x”


TOWIE fans blast Yazmin Oukhellou over anti-feminist comments

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TOWIE fans blast Yazmin Oukhellou over anti-feminist comments

A number of The Online Way Is Essex fans were angered by last night’s episode, after Yazmin Oukhellou claimed she wouldn’t fancy her boyfriend if he did the ‘girl’s job’ of mopping.

Following James ‘Lockie’ Locke’s moving in proposal last week, the TOWIE couple began to discuss their roles within their new home.

However, Yazmin caused some online backlash after voicing her opinion that mopping is “a girl’s thing”.

Chatting with Lockie, she said: “Well, no, I don’t want you to be, like, mopping up and stuff ‘cos I think that is a girl’s thing.

“I probably wouldn’t fancy you if I see you mopping about, but I think you could help with things a bit more without being told.”

Viewers instantly took to Twitter to slam the reality star for her remarks:


The Only Way Is Essex continues Sunday at 10pm on ITVBe.

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