Latest Posts from Susan Brett

Empire magazine reveals HUGE Game of Thrones Jon Snow secret

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Empire magazine reveals HUGE Game of Thrones Jon Snow secret

Empire magazine may have let slip a huge Game of Thrones secret in their latest edition.

The current issue of the magazine includes a special Game of Thrones preview spread, ahead of the fantasy series’s return to television in July. According to the official Empire website, in this issue “we head to Westeros to learn 15 things from the cast, from Targaryen to Lannister and everything in between.”

One snippet from the magazine includes a quote from Isaac Hempstead Wright, who portrays Bran Stark in the series, discussing the big secret Bran discovered in the season six finale. Fans learnt that Jon Snow was not the son of Ned Stark, but his younger sister Lyanna, who is deceased at the start of the series. The episode strongly implied Jon’s real father to be the former Prince Rhaegar Targaryen – Daenerys’s older brother.

One indicator of Jon’s true heritage would be his real name, which was conveniently muted during the actual episode.

However, Empire’s editorial may have let slip the real name. According to their piece, Jon Snow’s real name is Jaehaerys Targaryen.


Jon snow’s real name confirmed? Posted in Empire Magazine preview from freefolk

Of course, this could be a big mistake on the part of the publication. A simple Google search will unearth many fan theories suggesting our favourite bastard’s real name is Jaehaerys, which is a popular choice due to its relevance to the Targaryen family and the fact it shares the same first letter as ‘Jon’. It is possible a journalist has incorrectly added this information, and several proofreaders and an editor failed to point this out.

If not, however, this theory may confirm in-show that Jon’s father is Rhaegar Targaryen. After all, what other family would name their heir ‘Jaehaerys’?

Game of Thrones will return to Sky Atlantic on July 17.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Disney’s The Lodge stars talk season 2, new guest stars and Skye’s big decision

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Disney’s The Lodge stars talk season 2, new guest stars and Skye’s big decision

Britain’s boisterous answer to High School Musical is back on our screens on Friday (June 16).

We last met up with Skye (Sophie Simnett) and the team at the North Star Lodge in November, as they celebrated a successful music concert to raise funds for the business. Josh (Josh Sinclair-Evans) arrived to visit, Kaylee (Jade Alleyne) packed her bags for music school, and Skye made a very important decision about her love life.

We sat down with series stars Sophie, Josh and Luke (Newton, who portrays Ben) about what to expect in season two, big name guest stars and Skye’s game-changing decision.

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What’s different about this season compared to the last?

Sophie: I think it’s a much bigger and better version of season one. We have five more episodes so there’s a lot more time for the characters stories. There’s loads of dancing – the music’s really different – it’s much more poppy. Josh comes to the lodge, a decision is made and we’ve got loads of new characters come in.

Luke: It’s really nice to see Skye’s decision does affect the whole group. It continues the story on quite rapidly.

Were you surprised by Skye’s decision?

Sophie: Weirdly, no.

Luke: At first I was, yes, because when we were thinking about what she should do.

Sophie: But she’s Skye.

Luke: It makes sense as the story goes along.

Sophie: Exactly. Once you’ve seen the whole series, you’ll understand how I feel. I think the fans will get why a decision was made. I feel like it’s really important for Skye to go through that process, to learn a lot about herself.

Luke: At first it was a shock, but now – as you said – it really does make sense and I think if it did go the other way it wouldn’t have been such an interesting season two. Season two is definitely shaped on that decision.

Do you think the door is closed on that love triangle?

Sophie: The door’s never closed! [Laughs] I don’t know. I feel like it’s always going to be difficult for them to retain the amazing friendship they have between the three of them when you know when there have been prior feelings. I think it’s going to be interesting to see what happens in season two and maybe even season three.

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Josh, you’re at the lodge this season! What was that like for you?

Josh: It feels like it’s completely different. Last year, I was just in a room by myself with a couple of camera crew and sound staff and then I’d go home. I wasn’t in Ireland that much either because I was only needed for those one days where I’d do literally everything, then I’d go home and come back. So yeah, it’s amazing actually being on set with everyone, especially when we do like the big group numbers and literally everyone is there.

Are you around the whole season?

Josh: Well, yeah – he kind of dots around everyone’s storylines, fixing problems and just making himself known. He’s around.

Does Josh strike up any new friendships this year?

Josh: Yeah. He’s really close with Kaylee this year, and with Noah as well actually, which is nice. I mean, while they’ve [Skye, Sean and Ben] got their love triangle trio, we’ve got our one which is just friends. Then he dots around and hangs out with Danielle and Mia’s character, Alex, as well. Last year he was Skye’s best friend, this year he seems to be everyone’s best friend, which is nice to do.

Kaylee’s moved to music school and is now a phone call away. Is she still very involved with the season?

Sophie: Oh, definitely. Kaylee’s at music school and she’s made that shift but I think she’s just as involved as she was last year. Although she’s communicating via phone, she does come in and out of the lodge. She’s involved with the mystery a bit.

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Could you tell me a little bit about the new characters? You’ve got some big names joining the series.

Sophie: Mia Jenkins, who plays Alex, is great and her character’s a really good mix. She’s very feisty and she’s heavily involved in the mystery storyline. And then we’ve got Kimberley [Walsh] of course, who plays a music producer, and that was very apt. We didn’t do any scenes with her.

Does she get to do any singing in the series?

Sophie: No, she doesn’t, but she had a great time. We spoke to Jade Alleyne, and she did scenes with her. And Lina is a new character as well, Lina Strahl, she plays Frankie, the girl Kaylee meets at music school. She’s amazing.

I love her.

Sophie: She’s so… bright. That’s a really interesting friendship for Kaylee.

What’s your favourite song from the new series?

Luke: Mine’s Jade and Jayden’s duet.

Sophie: Two hundred percent. Noah and Kaylee do a duet and it’s beautiful.

Luke: Honestly, it’s so good.

Sophie: It’s beautiful. We love it. We all ship Naylee really hard. Whenever they sing it in rehearsals, we all sit down and [looks attentive] ‘YESSSS!’

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Are there any songs you would like to perform in the future or musical styles you would like to experiment with?

Sophie: Yeah. I would love to do more jazz and old school songs. Dancewise, I’d love to try some tap. I think because music and dance are integral to what makes [The Lodge] what it is, I feel like it would be very cool to explore different ages of dance and song. We’re very contemporary and modern right now, which works great with the show, but [the audience] really responded to the acoustic tracks so it would be quite cool to bring in different genres.

Last season, you got to do a lot of outdoor activities. Did you get to try anything new this year?

Luke: Yeah, we got to do slacklining… We didn’t have a clue what that was.

What is slacklining?

Luke: So the best way to describe it is like a seatbelt that you walk on. It’s like a tight rope but instead of a rope, it’s a seatbelt and it’s all to do with balance. There’s kind of different levels you can get. You just start at first with just trying to stand and balance with it on one foot, and then you can sort of progress to walking. Then there’s little tricks we got taught and there’s a really cool scene where we slackline over a lake.

Sophie: And sing.

The Lodge Season 2 airs Fridays 5.30pm on Disney Channel and DisneyLife.

WATCH: China Anne McClain and Thomas Doherty star in new Descendants 2 music video

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WATCH: China Anne McClain and Thomas Doherty star in new Descendants 2 music video

A new music video from the upcoming Descendants 2 has been released online.

China Anne McClain and Thomas Doherty, who are new to the Descendants film franchise and play the daughter of Ursula and the son of Captain Hook respectively, feature in the new video, titled ‘What’s My Name?’.

Their characters, Uma and Harry, will serve as antagonists to the Descendants hero Mal (Dove Cameron), the daughter of Malificent.

In the first hit film, Mal and her friends Evie (Sofia Carson), Carlows (Cameron Boyce) and Jay (Booboo Stewart) were invited to attend school in the homeland of Disney heroes, Auradon, after it was decided children ought not to suffer from the mistakes of their parents. However, the second-generation villains were more than willing to use the experience as a way to help out their exiled parents.

‘What’s My Name’ is the second music video release from Descendants 2, after the release of ‘Ways To Be Wicked’ in April. It is one of six original songs to feature on the film’s soundtrack, which will also include reworked versions of The Little Mermaid‘s ‘Kiss the Girl’ and ‘Poor Unfortunate Souls’, starring McClain.

Speaking about the new tune, Disney Music and Soundtracks VP Steven Vincent said: “China Anne has such natural talent and a very soulful voice. In this song, she brings it all and adds the perfect amount of attitude to the performance – she’s a great actress who knows how to put character into her singing.”

Disney’s Descendants 2 is scheduled to premiere on Disney Channel in Autumn 2017.

Idris Elba set to return to Luther for series five

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Idris Elba set to return to Luther for series five

Idris Elba is set to return for a fifth series of Luther.

It’s been two years since the fourth instalment of the series, but it was today confirmed by Digital Spy that Idris Elba would be returning to the role for a fifth outing.

Speaking to Digital Spy, Luther writer Neill Cross said: “Now what? It’s a question Idris and I get asked a lot… ‘It can’t be over, can it? There’s so much we don’t know. So much unfinished business.’

“The thing is, we’ve been asking ourselves the same question. I’m scared of the monsters. The face at the window. The hand under the bed. The shadow at the end of the street. Who’s going to stop them, if not John Luther?”

Elba plays DCI John Luther in the acclaimed series, an extremely passionate police officer in a Serial Crime Unit. Elba has won a Critics’ Choice Television Award, Golden Globe Award, NAACP Image Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance in the series, as well as being nominated for four Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Emmy Awards.

Speaking about the new series announcement, Elba said: “Neil, the BBC and I have been talking about a further season and I am thrilled we have been able to bring it all together. I look forward to putting the coat back on.”

Meanwhile, BBC Drama Controller Piers Wenger has promised series five is “utterly heart-stopping and unmissable”.

Executive Producer Hilary Salmon added that BBC Studios “will be pulling out all the stops to make the show bigger, bolder and of course more scary than ever”.

Lindsay Lohan to join Rupert Grint and Nick Frost in new Sky 1 comedy

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Lindsay Lohan to join Rupert Grint and Nick Frost in new Sky 1 comedy

Lindsay Lohan will join Rupert Grint and Nick Frost for Sky 1 comedy Sick Note series two.

The Mean Girls star will portray Katerina West, the daughter of protagonist Daniel’s (played by Grint) boss.

Sky’s Head of Comedy Jon Mountague said: “One lie leads to the next in this unsettlingly brilliant comedy that will hook viewers in and have them on the very edge of their seats.

“Filming for series two is already under way and we’re delighted to confirm Lindsay Lohan will be joining Rupert and Nick in this stellar comedy cast.”

The news comes despite the fact that Sick Note‘s first series has yet to premiere on Sky 1. Series one is scheduled to debut in the Autumn.

It follows Daniel Glass, a compulsive liar who is at a dead-end at work and in his personal life. His life gets even worse when he is diagnosed with a terminal illness by incompetent Dr Glennis (Nick Frost), only to learn his diagnosis is a mistake. With that, life becomes a hilarious spiral of lies as Dr Glennis convinces Daniel to lie about his friends, family and colleagues about his misdiagnosis.

Executive producer Jo Sargent said: “We are thrilled to be making a second series of this nail-biting comedy and very excited to be welcoming the extraordinary talents of Lindsay Lohan to our all-star cast.”

Sick Note will air on Sky 1 in the Autumn.

REVIEW: The Jury Room S1E3 reaches surprising verdict

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REVIEW: The Jury Room S1E3 reaches surprising verdict

The third episode of CBS Reality’s innovative new reality series, The Jury Room, reached a surprising and interesting conclusion this evening – as the series continues to challenge the adequacy of the judicial system.

The CBS Reality jury examined the case of Susan May, a 68-year-old woman who was convicted of the murder of her elderly aunt, for whom she was a carer. During the streamlined TV judicial process, we learnt that May’s bloodied handprint was found at the scene of the crime – despite May insisting she had never touched the smothered body. Moreover, May had the incentive to kill – as she would gain financially from the will of the deceased and was in thousands of pounds of debt.

However, the defence argued that the murder could have been a burglary gone wrong – and a later appeal suggested the bloodied handprint could, in fact, be a sweat handprint dyed dark with the iodine used to preserve it.

It was a very different case from the previous two weeks, examining a very unlikely perpetrator with a clear potential motive. Selecting original and thought-provoking cases has been a strength of The Jury Room over the past few episodes, creating enough doubt for jurors to feel sympathetic towards the convicted yet still covering very serious crimes.

The ultimate result is a first for the series, and this contrast from previous episodes is very interesting to watch. The same process is approached in exactly the same way by all those involved and reaches a different – yet still balanced – conclusion. This is as fascinating as the verdict itself.

At first, I was unsure about each episode using the same television jury. However, witnessing the same people reach a different result has proven thoroughly worthwhile. If the series can continue to interest and surprise, it will have a long life on CBS Reality.

For fans who enjoy The Jury Room and would like to hear more about the proceedings, CBS has launched a companion podcast for the series – available to download and listen below:

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The Jury Room airs Sundays at 10pm on CBS Reality.

REVIEW: Apple’s first foray into original television – Planet of the Apps – crashes spectacularly

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REVIEW: Apple’s first foray into original television – Planet of the Apps – crashes spectacularly

With a snappy title and the prestige of being Apple’s first original television series, Battle of the Apps has a lot riding on its shoulders. Unfortunately, the new series doesn’t deliver on its promise.

The concept of Battle of the Apps sounds like it would be a perfect first voyage into original content for Apple. Developers pitch app ideas to a panel of celebrity entrepreneurs, requesting guidance to prepare for another pitch in front of venture capitalists – with the aim of achieving funding. It’s a similar idea to Dragon’s Den, but specifically for apps.

However, a number of flaws hinder Battle of The Apps. The first is the talent involved. It’s very unclear as to why Apple have chosen to select the panel they have chosen, for none of Gwyneth Paltrow, will.i.am and Jessica Alba scream competence when it comes to the world of app development. Yes, they are all successful entrepreneurs, but their lack of specific expertise becomes pronounced when they are accompanied on the panel by the delightful Gary Vaynerchuck. Of the four celebrity castings, only Vaynerchuck looks at home on the programme – making knowledgeable comments and asking the important questions about pitches. For the most part, Paltrow, Alba and Will are left twiddling their thumbs in the background as Vaynerchuck performs the appropriate checks that an idea is viable.

What works about Dragon’s Den is that the panel of experts really is a panel of experts, not a table comprising of superstars who only have to attach their name to a product to see success. The whole process also feels rather repetitive when successful candidates return to the pitching room to ask for financial investment from a venture capital firm later in the episode. Could Battle of the Apps not begin with the venture capitalist pitch? The celebrity round doesn’t really add anything – and is mildly embarrassing for everyone involved.

There’s also a problem in that audiences always know what to expect on Battle of the Apps – yet another app – and the first episode contained absolutely no inventions of note. Any ideas sensible enough to attract investment are not exactly groundbreaking, an issue the contestants struggle repeatedly with. One developer pitches a dating app that only allows users to contact other users attending the same events as them, while another is an app that ensures users can alert their friends as to where they are at all times. They are apps we would possibly use, but they’re not exciting enough to watch a television show centred around.

There are some aspects of the show that work. I enjoyed the discussion of apps, and the use of footnotes to explain some of the more technical terms thrown about by developers and panellists. On a show focused on tech, it’s only natural for some jargon to go over the audience’s heads, but Battle of the Apps makes an effort to rectify this in the early stages. In addition, once the candidates move onto discussing their ideas with venture capitalists, the show takes a more interesting and decisive turn.

In summary, Battle of the Apps is more of a miss than a hit. The use of pointless celebrities adds little value to a show that seems to repeat itself. What we’d like to see is an interesting series on innovation, but everything about Battle of the Apps seems to distract from the show’s focus.

Planet of the Apps is available to watch for free via Apple Music and iTunes now. New episodes will be released weekly on Tuesdays.

Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke will be “disappointed” if Daenerys doesn’t survive the series

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Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke will be “disappointed” if Daenerys doesn’t survive the series

Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke will be disappointed if her character, Queen Daenerys Targaryen, doesn’t make it through to the end of the series.

Daenerys ended season six of the series in a position of power, travelling across the Narrow Sea with an extensive army in order to reclaim her homeland of Westeros.

Clarke told the Belfast Telegraph that she was optimistic for Daenerys, saying: “Right now, I’m sort of feeling – with her – optimistic. She’ll probably need some help, though.

“I’ll definitely be disappointed if she doesn’t make it.”

Clarke also discussed the long journey that Daenerys has undertaken to get to where she is. Over the course of six seasons, Daenerys has been sold to a warlord husband before taking control of her own destiny and successfully conquering and leading a number of slave cities.

Daenerys has nearly always been clear about one thing though: her desire to retain the Iron Throne, which she believes is her birthright.

Clarke added: “I think that there was always that idea that she would know where she was going to, but the reality is frightening.

“I mean, I always believed that Dany had the highest of hopes for what kind of impact she could leave on this world.

“She is continuously reaching for purest level of rulership – is that a word? I just made it up.”

Game of Thrones returns to Sky Atlantic on July 17 at 2am and 9pm.

Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner admits Sansa Stark is jealous of Jon Snow

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Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner admits Sansa Stark is jealous of Jon Snow

Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner has admitted her character Sansa Stark will be jealous of half-brother Jon Snow in the upcoming seventh season.

At the end of season seven, Sansa ensured Jon’s success in the Battle of the Bastards by securing the aid of Littlefinger and the Vale. However, her efforts did not go rewarded as she watched Jon crowned ‘King of the North’ for the achievement, despite not being a trueborn Stark son.

Sansa has experienced her fair share of hardships on the show, including being betrothed to two tyrants and married to one.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph about the impact Sansa’s struggles have had on the character, Turner said: “She’s less sympathetic towards the other characters – she’s in it for herself and she’ll do anything to get what she wants at this point.”

She continued to explain how Sansa feels about Jon: “I think she definitely feels left out, with Jon being King of the North. There’s a little bit of jealousy there and she feels as though she deserves the title of Queen of the North.

“She also feels like it’s an injustice that she hasn’t been recognised for what she did for all of the northerners and also that Jon isn’t recognising that either.

“I think if Jon was really appreciative of what she’s done and spoke to her about it, she wouldn’t have a problem with all the northern Lords not bowing down to her and hailing her Queen of the North. I think all she wants is the respect of her brother and I don’t think she feels like she’s getting that.”

Game of Thrones returns to Sky Atlantic on July 17 at 2am and 9pm.

America’s Got Talent returns to British TV screens next week

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America’s Got Talent returns to British TV screens next week

Missing Britain’s Got Talent already? Here’s some good news if so: America’s Got Talent will return to truTV next Tuesday, June 13 at 8pm.

The American talent show, which is a spin-off of the popular British version, sees everyday Americans demonstrate some of the most incredible (and incredibly weird) talents the country has to offer.

The contestants who win the competition receive one million dollars in prize money plus the chance to headline a show on the Las Vegas Strip.

The twelfth series officially began airing on America’s NBC channel on Tuesday May 30, meaning it will air in the UK a week later.

It will be fronted by Emmy Award winner, producer, entrepreneur and supermodel Tyra Banks for the first time ever.

Meanwhile, judges Comedian Howie Mandel, pop star Mel B, international supermodel Heidi Klum and Simon Cowell will all return to the series.

Check out the first look at the series here:

America’s Got Talent will premiere in the UK on truTV (Freeview 68, Sky 186, Virgin 212, Freesat 154) from June 13 at 8pm.

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