While Rob, 42, has spoken out about Henry’s passing and his experience with the NHS over the past year, he has been his most brutally honest yet in an interview with the Evening Standard.
The Catastrophe star said: ‘I’m a mess. My child died 14 months ago and I’m basically a bag of wet rubbish. I need a lot of help.
‘It has been very hard. It comes in waves. I’ve learned to not control how the waves come. Right now I’m sad a lot.’
Rob and his family were helped by the Rainbow Trust (Picture: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
He added that he was speaking about his feelings so that someone else coping with a bereavement doesn’t ‘feel like some a**hole from TV has it all together’.
Delaney was speaking at the Rainbow Trust’s annual fundraiser Trust In Fashion, with the charity, which supports the families of seriously ill children, helping Rob, his wife Leah and their other two sons (they have gone on to welcome another boy) through Henry’s illness.
Explaining that they were connected with the Rainbow Trust at the end of a seven-month stint at Great Ormond Street Hospital, Rob said: ‘The care worker assigned to us was a woman named Fiona who was just amazing, and remains so. She still comes and visits us sometimes.
‘At that point we didn’t know Henry was going to die. We knew he was disabled by his tumour and his surgery. Fiona was like a paratrooper who just drops in and has the skill set to help people in unbelievable pain and fear.’
Henry passed away a year and a half after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
He had surgery to remove the tumour, which left him with significant physical difficulties.
Rob returned to television this year for the finale of Catastrophe, with his and Sharon Horgan’s characters ending the fourth series in uncertain circumstances – as the couple swim in very dangerous territory, and we don’t see them return to shore.
The finale received rave reviews, after four critically acclaimed series.
Emily had previously shared exciting news on Twitter that she’ll be playing the legendary singer Debbie Harry in an upcoming new season of Urban Myths on Sky Arts.
Keyboard warrior Steve wasn’t best pleased, however, and took a nasty swipe at the actress’s appearance, writing: ‘Sorry, you’re just not pretty enough.’
Then came in The Chase’s Anne who wasn’t having any of it and quickly leapt to her pal’s defence as she quipped: ‘What a sad c**t you are, Steve.’
Anne Hegerty is irreplaceable on The Chase – and there’s proof (Picture: ITV)
The winner of I’m A Celeb and their comrade Harry this week backed Anne’s defense of Emily all the way.
‘Anne was lovely and Emily is very, very talented and can certainly play Debbie Harry,’ he told Metro.co.uk.
‘She’s a beautiful girl as well. It’s doesn’t surprise me and she’ll be amazing.
‘I look forward to seeing it! It’s the first I’ve heard of it. She will be amazing. She can sing, she’s a very talented girl and she looks fantastic.’
When it comes to social media, it’s no secret trolls lurk within and are prepared to take anyone down, no matter the consequence.
Just over the weekend we saw the tragic death of Love Island’s Mike Thalassitis, who died by suicide aged 26.
Harry’s show was praised (Picture: ITV)
Many have come to call for better aftercare of reality shows who are thrust into the spotlight and faced with the harrowing downsides of social media, which soon becomes part of their job.
Following praise of Harry’s show, Harry’s Heroes, for how it tackles mental health, he told us he felt lucky he never had to deal with social media at the height of his career and refuses to this day to read anything about himself for the sake of his own sanity.
‘I’ve been very lucky I’ve had my wife [Sandra], she’s really positive so she’s always been there if I’ve ever felt low,’ he said. ‘You do get low in football if things aren’t going well; it can be a very lonely experience as a player or manager.
‘You do need help and you need someone to talk to in times like that.’
He added in terms of what might be said about him: ‘I don’t want to know – what you don’t know don’t hurt you.
‘If you don’t want to see someone slagging you off, don’t go on social media, don’t read it. If you don’t want to see bad news, don’t buy the papers. Don’t bother reading the newspaper.’
The former manager admits he’s ‘busier than ever’ after leaving the jungle, despite feeling like at 72-year-old he ‘should be putting his feet up’.
‘Sandra said to me, “we’ll have a quiet life, nice holidays”, then suddenly here we go, busier than ever,’ he said about his latest endeavour. ‘Poor Sandra’s in the kitchen all day and all night making roly polys…’
He’s teamed up with GoDaddy to launch Harry’s Roly Polys this week, so we can share in his love of the jam pudding from the man himself.
Still, if you think this is the chance for long-suffering wife Sandra – who he married in 1967 – to take in the culinary delights her husband has been slaving away in the kitchen over, she’s got no chance of being treated.
‘Sandra’s been in the kitchen making them! I gave her a two-hour rest,’ he laughed, as we nervously joined in.
‘She’s got to do it, we need the money.’
They definitely don’t need the money, but moving on…
‘I couldn’t make a bacon sandwich, but I am doing my little bit in the kitchen,’ he continued. ‘I know the taste and how it should taste so I leave it to other people. But I have the final say by tasting them.’
We can only bet they’re ‘triffic‘.
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The toybox is full for another instalment (Picture: Disney)
A new Toy Story trailer has been released, with the fourth instalment proving to be just as much as a rollercoaster ride as the previous three.
As well as the usual suspects – like Woody, Buzz, and Jessie – there are also going to plenty of new characters; one of whom will be voiced by Keanu Reeves.
The John Wick star has been rumoured to be part of the franchise for some time, but only now do we know which of the toys he’ll be putting his dulcet tones to.
His character – Duke Caboom – is in the trailer right at the end, and is a daredevil motorcycle riding stuntman action figure.
Caboom storms in at the end of the trailer (Picture: Disney)
As for what Duke will be doing in the film, it’s still mostly under wraps. We do know, however, that he’ll bear a fair similarity to Buzz himself.
When appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at the end of last year, Tim Allen who plays Buzz Lightyear gave an insight into the character. He said: ‘Here’s a little inside story, Keanu Reeves, the lovely man that he is, said, “this sounds too much like Buzz Lightyear,” and the character does have a slight edge of that.’ The 65-year-old added: ‘So, we calmed him down a little bit.’
Reeves described the ‘really cool’ moment he got the call from Pixar with Collider. He said: ‘I got a call which was really cool, out of the blue from the lovely people at Pixar and the creators of this continuation of the story.
‘They pitched the character to me and we spoke and they allowed me to, kind of, riff on it and I’ve done four recording sessions with them so far and it’s been a lot of fun.’
Melissa Tattam was called out over her bikini range (Picture: Getty)
Made In Chelsea’s Melissa Tattam has been called out over the sizing of her bikini range, MelissaJay.
The 21-year-old is currently stocking swimwear with a price tag of around £160 for a two-piece, but sizes currently only go up to 10-12, labelled as large.
Her collection starts at ‘extra small’, which equals size four to six.
And, during an appearance on the Heart FM Breakfast Show, presenter Lucy Horobin questioned the decision behind her brand.
‘The sizing, we need to have a chat about this. 10-12 is a large? I’m a 10-12, I’m not large,’ the host began.
To which the E4 star responded: ‘The sizing? It’s just the way that I did it.
‘I started off the range as a petite range because I’m very small, and I felt like there wasn’t as many brands out there that catered to that.
Lucy Horobin was praised by listeners over the interview (Picture: WireImage)
‘There are lots of other brands that cater to larger sizes.’
Melissa currently charges £160 for a whole bikini, selling the tops for £95 and bottoms for £65, while one-piece suits go for £70.
Lucy asked: ‘Can you see how people would look at that and maybe feel offended, or feel like they’re bigger than they are?
Melissa’s range goes up to a 10-12 (Picture: MelissaJay)
‘I would never consider 10-12 a large, I would say that’s a small, potentially a medium. 8-10 is a small.’
‘But, to me, a size 4 or a 6 is an extra small, do you know what I mean?’
When asked if young Made In Chelsea viewers would see her website and think themselves ‘large’ if they’re size 10-12, even though the average size in the UK is a 16, she said she would ‘definitely’ change it.
‘I definitely will change it. Obviously I was a very, very small company when I was starting out, so I couldn’t make a huge amount of sizes,’ she added. ‘I had to stick to something very small.’
However, fans were left feeling uncomfortable by Melissa’s justification over her brand, and flocked to Twitter to praise Lucy’s handling of the situation.
‘Well done Lucy for standing up for all sizes,’ a listener posted. ‘10/12 is NOT large. I was so angry listening this morning, I had to turn off the radio! It’s no wonder so many have body issues!!!’
While another fumed: ‘Uncomfortable listening to Melissa justifying the sizing for her swimwear range. Well done @LucyHorobin for challenging her!’
An impressed listener added: ‘Great questioning today about bikini sizes I have a daughter and she would crushed by those sizings let alone my missus.’
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Will we see Big Brother return? (Picture: Channel 5)
Rylan Clark-Neal is on an unstoppable campaign trail to get Big Brother back on TV screens, saying he ‘won’t rest’ until it does.
The reality show came to an end last year on Channel 5, but considering it migrated from Channel 4 when it ended there in 2010, there’s hope another broadcaster could revive the show once again.
One of the people flying the flag for a revival is Big Brother’s Bit On The Side host Rylan Clark-Neal, who is a big advocate of the show as a social experiment.
Speaking to BANG Showbiz, Rylan said: ‘I’m adamant Big Brother will return, when and where I don’t know but I won’t rest until it does.
Ryan Thomas won last year’s final CBB (Picture: REX)
‘I think Celebrity Big Brother is one of the most important shows on TV because we get to see people for who they really, really are and you’ve only got to look at.
‘You’ve only got too look at the events over the last seven years, and how it has changed the perception of people who are genuinely really nice and people who actually aren’t.’
Big Brother UK continues to exist in the Twitter universe, however, coupled with a new eye logo – potentially suggesting something is in the works.
A post on the account reads: ‘This is the new home of Big Brother UK on Twitter. Make sure you give us a follow to keep in touch. #BBUK.’
Or maybe it’s a cry for help? We all need a place of remembrance.
The last edition of Celebrity Big Brother saw Ryan Thomas claim victory, in a highly contentious series after his controversial clashes with Roxanne Pallett.
Ashley Graham is serving some fierce looks (Picture: Addition Elle/Mega)
Ashley Graham is serving some fierce looks for her most recent modelling campaign, posing in an array of stunning lingerie and nightwear pieces for Addition Elle.
Snapping these pieces up as we speak.
From black lace to floral pieces and silky kimonos, Ashley looks incredible in the pictures which she has called ‘like me.. loud and proud and nothing to hide’.
Snapping these pieces up as we speak.(Picture: Addition Elle/Mega)
Ashley designed the collection (Picture: Addition Elle/Mega)
‘Addition Elle is thrilled to continue this collaboration with Ashley,’ said Jonathon Fitzgerald, President of Addition Elle.
The 31-year-old model designed her own range for Addition Elle, and insisted that she was forced to design her own range because ‘there still is such a lack of diversity on the runway and the luxury market’.
It includes nude pieces (Picture: Addition Elle/Mega)
And black lacey pieces (Picture: Addition Elle/Mega)
‘I didn’t have sexy, supportive lingerie that I could find for my size. And same goes with bikinis, I wanted little tiny string bikinis and nobody wanted to make them for my curvy-ass body, so I did it!’ she told Vogue Australia.
‘I think what it does is it opens up the eyes to designers also and says, “oh wow, if she’s making these clothes, lingerie, and swim and they’re selling out, then what does that mean?”
‘Well it means that the curve industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and that more people should get involved.’
A LEWK (Picture: Addition Elle/Mega)
There are also simpler everyday pieces (Picture: Addition Elle/Mega)
‘There still is such a lack of diversity on the runway’ (Picture: Addition Elle/Mega)
‘My mother told me that when I walked into a room, I would greet every single person — even at three years old,’ said Ashley.
‘It was more of an emotion that I would give people, and it would leave them feeling good about who they are,’ she adds.
‘I think that’s what I’m doing today: letting women know that they are worthy, that they are beautiful, and that they can be happy with who they are in their skin.’
Ashley also believes the luxury market is missing a trick (Picture: Addition Elle/Mega)
It is her latest collaboration with the Canadian retailer (Picture: Addition Elle/Mega)
Ahsley has also called for body positivity and empowerment (Picture: Addition Elle/Mega)
Ashley has been at the forefront of the changes in the modelling industry in recent years but she has also spoken about her rebellious teenage years which almost saw her give up before she found success.
She thanked her mother for sticking by her as she went through a ‘reckless’ period and self-described ‘bad streak’ as she said: ‘I was doing drugs, I was having sex with the wrong men, I was eating all the wrong food, I wasn’t working out and I wasn’t taking care of myself spiritually.’
‘I didn’t have sexy, supportive lingerie that I could find for my size’ (Picture: Addition Elle/Mega)
(Picture: Addition Elle/Mega)
She added this all caused her to gain 25 pounds over a two-year period, with agents telling her her modelling career was over.
‘So I called my mom and said, “I’m moving home. I’m not doing this anymore,”’ she said.
‘She then said something to me that now seems prophetic: “You can’t. Your body is going to change someone’s life one day”.’
‘Nobody wanted to make them for my curvy-ass body, so I did it!’ (Picture: Addition Elle/Mega)
Asley hopes to open up the eyes of designers (Picture: Addition Elle/Mega)
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So it makes sense that the Loner singer’s met his match in Halsey and Travis Barker, all joining forces to create the fiery anthem 11 Minutes.
While the collaboration seems like a no-brainer, Yungblud reveals it all came together by chance.
The 20-year-old met up for a few casual drinks with Halsey, whom he’s now dating, just to ‘talk about music’ and the rest as they say is history.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk about his chemistry with the American singer, Yungblud explained: ‘It was such an insane experience and came together so quickly… The record came together within three days of us all meeting each other, which is crazy.
‘We went to grab a drink and no one in music does that anymore, from my experience, no one in music reaches out to me if they don’t want something.’
Halsey and Yungblud are mixing business with pleasure these days (Picture: Getty Images)
The British rocker continued: ‘It’s kind of like let’s get together and talk about life, talk about our experiences because we have such similar fan bases. We love to remain connected with our fans, our fans are so important to us.
‘We had a couple of beers and was talking. We had a lot in common because we’re from the same place but just different parts of the world.’
He added humorously: ‘She’s from the Doncaster of New Jersey which is just funny.’
A comparison we never thought we’d hear.
After a couple more beers, Yungblud told Halsey about the new song he was working on, 11 Minutes, about a tragic car accident involving a young couple.
He recalls: ‘She said it reminded her of a song she used to grow up with so I said, let’s do it together.
‘We were in the studio recording it and I said it needs a real drummer on it. She’s amazing, we created some magic but it needed some energy, it needs to sound like a Blink-182 record.
‘She’s like, Oh I’ll just text Travis Barker.’
Oh, as you do. Some have superstar rockers on their speed dial, we have our mums.
Yungblud revealed: ‘[Travis] was in the studio and 10 minutes later [he was working on the track]. I literally shit myself – shit myself thinking about shitting myself.’
Nice.
‘I think that’s why it’s got so much magic to it, it’s such a no bullshit record,’ he explained.
‘It’s about something real and all three of us have a mutual admiration for rock music and wanted to create a commercial song that contains the formula of rock music.
‘All those collaborations [today] are about as charismatic as a pint of cold water.
‘That’s why I think this works is because the three artists that are on it just don’t care about anything else but truth.’
While promoting their new single, Halsey and Yungblud have been virtually inseparable these days.
Kissing at basketball games and enjoying sunny holidays together, Yungblud admits their chemistry is undeniable.
He said of their special bond: ‘Sometimes you can meet someone and you always have that half an hour of awkwardness. It wasn’t like that, we’re very similar and like two tornadoes and people around us are trying to keep us in line.
The British rocker will be heading out on tour later this year (Picture: Getty Images)
‘We were jumping up and down a lot [in the studio] put it that way.’
Yungblud and his no-nonsense attitude is like a breath of fresh air in the music industry – his energy has added a much-needed burst of revitalisation into the rock n’ roll scene.
His music is the perfect fusion of rock and hip hop, which he’s been heavily influenced by.
Which is why he has no time for the longtime feud between the two genres.
‘I think that’s naive,’ he said of the rivalry between the rebellious scenes.
‘Rock n roll artists who speak against hip hop artists and vice versa are posers, they aren’t real because they don’t understand music. I speak to so many rappers who come to my show and go, “that’s dope”. Or I’ll go to a hip hop show and go, “that’s sick” because it’s the same feeling – freedom, energy and being yourself no matter what.’
He continued: ‘The feud between them is false. There is no feud. If you speak to a real rapper or rock star worth their clout, they’re the same thing. It’s people in a venue feeling free, that’s it.
‘Rock n roll isn’t dead, it’s on life support because people aren’t doing rock n roll in a way that’s innovative.
‘Fearlessness. That’s a rock star to me.’
It’s taken a lot for Yungblud to get to this point of ‘fearlessness’.
The rocker is diagnosed with ADHD and has battled with his mental health.
Yungblud is a force to be reckoned with (Picture: Redferns)
‘I’ve always struggled with mental health going back to my ADHD and never feeling quite like it was alright to be who I was, the boxes I was put in and the way people looked at me,’ he revealed.
‘It’s almost got better because I’m not shouting in a dark room anymore. I’m having a conversation with people who genuinely look like me.
‘My fans helped me, they saved me.’
He continued: ‘I don’t want people to be like, “Oh, Dom got famous and went off the rails”. I don’t want it to be like that, I want to defeat the barriers between an artist and the fan base. I ain’t higher than them, I’m the same as them.
‘I’m just a young person talking about what’s going on in my head.’
That being said, one thing you can always rely on Yungblud for is honesty.
He said: ‘Truth is the most important thing to me and my music. I will always be real and true to them even if sometimes it’s not what they want to hear.’
Yungblud’s 11 Minutes, featuring Travis Barker and Halsey, is out now. He’ll be heading out on tour later this year, kicking off at London’s O2 Academy Brixton on 21 November.
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Jane, Sarah, Emma, Sarah-Louise and Anita are the Mums making Porn (Picture: Channel 4 Television / Emma)
It’s certainly not the title of a standard evening TV show, but Mums Make Porn is set to be an interesting addition to Channel 4’s schedule.
You’ll still have to your usual places to get regular x-rated programming, as this show is supposed to be educational, and teach us all something about porn consumption here in the UK and the access young people have to it.
The three-parter has been described by Channel 4 as ‘bold’ and a mixture of educational and fun. But just what is this show that’s already courting controversy.
What is Mums Make Porn?
The show follows five mums of teenagers, working together to make a porn movie that shows sex in a different light.
It aims to shed light on the things young people are seeing in porn, and how that shapes their views of sex from an early age
Each of the mums will be tackling different issues they feel aren’t represented in porn (ethnic diversity, body image, or consent for example) and they’ll be working with respected porn director Erika Lust to bring their vision to life.
‘I just thought all of a sudden that I was going to throw up. We need to show kids that there’s something else than this horrible shit we see on the internet.
‘If my son treated a woman like that I would kick his arse to kingdom come.’
No, they won’t be acting in the movie themselves, but will have creative control when it comes to writing and casting, and directing and editing their final product.
Channel 4 say ‘the mums will fully immerse themselves in every aspect of the porn industry, will face every emotion, and challenge their own morals in the process.’
Two of the mums – Jane Chelliah and Sarah-Louise Pritchard – appeared on This Morning today, saying that they hoped the show would help start a conversation between parents and their kids.
How to watch
Mums Make Porn starts tonight on Channel 4, at 10pm.
There are three instalments of the show, with one next Wednesday and one the following.
If you can’t catch it live, you can watch the show on All 4 for up to a month after it airs.
The Grand Tour trio are undertaking a huge road-trip in the latest episode, venturing 1000 kilometres from Georgia to Azerbaijan.
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May are putting three new vehicles to the test, as they attempt to find the best car for someone who lives in Georgia but really craves freshwater fish. You can relate, right?
The vehicles are an Aston Martin DBS, the Bentley Continental GT, and the BMW M850i, as they venture from the salt water Black Sea in Georgia to the freshwater Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan.
The Grand Tour has an epic roadtrip in the pipeline (Picture: Amazon)
As shown in the trailer, a casual stop for more petrol turns into a literal gas – as they encounter a station titled ‘Turd Petrol’ which leaves the gang cackling.
‘I know this is childish but…’ Hammond remarks before they crack up.
As they enter the capital city of Azerbaijan, Baku, it seems a drag race is in order too, despite Hammond’s slight reservations.
The Grand Tour season 3 drops on Amazon Prime Video every Friday.
The latest Nintendo Direct for indie games has been full of surprises, with Nuclear Throne out today and a new Double Fine game.
Nintendo’s dedication to indie gaming (or Nindies as they call them) seems as strong as ever, after another jam-packed showcase.
For some reason it was only broadcast on the American Nintendo site, so some of these dates might not be the same for Europe, but the headline news is that Cuphead is coming to Switch on April 18.
The critically-acclaimed 2D shooter had been an Xbox and PC exclusive but in the direct Nintendo specifically thanked their ‘friends at Microsoft’ for allowing the Switch version. Which is certainly going to send tongues wagging given previous rumours about the two console manufacturers getting very pally.
Whether that means Game Pass on Switch is still up in the air, but it certainly does add credence to rumours that Ori, and perhaps other Microsoft indie titles, will be coming to Nintendo’s console in the future.
The other shock reveal was Cadence Of Huyrle, a crossover between The Legend Of Zelda and roguelike rhythm action game Crypt Of The NecroDancer. Nintendo are usually ultra-protective of their properties even when dealing with major companies, so to see them lend out Zelda like this is a real surprise.
It does look good though, with both Link and Zelda playable and some great-looking 2D visuals. It’s billed as being out this spring too, so there’s not long to wait.
There’s even less time to wait for Nuclear Throne though, which is out today from Vlambeer. Or at least it is in America. We don’t see it in the UK eshop as we type this, but hopefully it’s just a minor delay.
Vlambeer are also bringing Super Crate Box to Switch in April and have announced a new line of mini-arcade games called Vlambeer Arcade. The first of these is something called Ultra Bugs and will be out later this year.
Also out today, allegedly, is Blaster Master Zero II, a sequel to the surprisingly good prequel that was one of our favourite faux-retro games of recent years. Like the NES original it’s a Metroidvania with a few interesting twists, such as being able to control your car and get out and shoot in a top-down view.
We advise watching the whole of the Nindies showcase below, as it also features a new game from Psychonauts creators Double Fine called RAD. It’s a top-down hack ‘n’ slash but with a fun ‘90s atmosphere and the ability for the main character to suffer all sorts of helpful mutations, such as his head turning into a snake and the ability to lay eggs. It’s out the summer.
The one game that really caught our attention though is Overland, from the creator of Canabalt. It’s an isometric post-apocalyptic survival game with turn-based combat, where the randomly-generated world gets weirder and weirder the more you travel west. Unfortunately, it’s not out till the autumn though.
Other games featured include 2D action game My Friend Pedro (where Pedro is a talking banana), post-apocalyptic cab-driving sim Neo Cab, dog-sledging roguelike The Red Lantern, top-down survival horror Darkwood, time-travelling action game Katana Zero, pinball action adventure Creature In The Well, top-down brawler Blood Roots, open world adventure Pine, four-player shmup Swimsanity, and Stranger Things 3: The Game.
Which is exactly the sort of diverse line-up you would never dream of seeing amongst bigger budget game.
Ben Bailey-Smith has commented on the troubling lack of diversity in fantasy television series (Picture: Getty)
Ben Bailey-Smith has called out fantasy television series such as Game of Thrones for their lack of diversity.
The 41-year-old rapper and actor, who also goes by Doc Brown, is currently starring in the Disney’s brand new animated series 101 Dalmatian Street and is calling for better representation on the small-screen.
Speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk about diversity within the world of television, Ben said: ‘I think it’s important when you’re reflecting a diverse story. If you’re making The Crown, it is what it is.
‘You have a white upper class family that you’re telling a story about. That’s fact.’
Ben Bailey-Smith is lending his voice to Sid Squirrel in 101 Dalmatian Street (Picture: Disney)
‘Fantasy kingdom has no “other” people in it and it’s quite annoying because this is a fantasy world, it could be anybody, you know?’ he told us. ‘There’s no rules, so that can be really annoying.
‘If you’re making a modern show about contemporary London then diversity is absolutely key because all you need to do is open your door and walk around London to see how diverse it is.’
Ben is lending his voice to Sid Squirrel in 101 Dalmatian Street, alongside Paloma Faith, Stephen Mangan and Michaela Dietz, and is proud of the range of its cast members and the story it tells.
‘What I really love about this project is it looks like London and it makes London colourful and friendly, which despite what the news tells you, it is.
‘What I really love about 101 is that it really celebrates that.’
‘The exciting new series will introduce a new generation of children to the wonderful, spotty world of Dalmatians, with 101 Dalmatian Street inspired by Dodie Smith’s timeless 1956 novel and Walt Disney’s classic 1961 film, 101 Dalmatians,’ teases the synopsis.
101 Dalmatian Street airs Mondays to Thursdays at 5pm on the Disney Channel.
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Lighthouse Family have confirmed they will release a new album, 18 years after their last release.
The easy listening British band, famed for songs such as Lifted, High, and Ocean Drive, are returning to the charts with a new album Blue Sky In Your Head, their first since 2001’s Whatever Gets You Through The Day.
The duo, made up of singer Tunde Baiyewu and producer/songwriter Paul Tucker, have reunited with record label Polydor for the album, set for release on 3 May.
BBC Radio 2 will air the lead single, My Salvation, on 21 March on Ken Bruce’s show.
Lighthouse Family formed in 1993 after the pair met while studying at university and both working at the same bar.
Their 1995 debut album Ocean Drive sold more than 1.8 million copies in the UK, and the band went on to claim three consecutive Top 10 studio albums from 1996 to 2001.
In November 2010, the duo announced they were reforming Lighthouse Family and toured the UK and Ireland four months later.
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Berget is already an established singer in Holland
Former X Factor contestant Berget Lewis reveals that she didn’t receive any aftercare support from the ITV series once she left the show, but fortunately didn’t need it as she was surrounded by family.
The 47-year-old soul singer appeared in the 2017 series of The X Factor, narrowly missing out on live shows at judges’ houses.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk about her time on the series, Berget said: ‘It was an interesting journey, I’m happy.
‘For me, it was still a great experience even though I didn’t end up on live shows but that’s OK. It was an interesting journey and I needed that.’
Addressing her experience of X Factor’s aftercare, Berget explained: ‘I had a good support system. After The X Factor I wasn’t sad or mad. I was more like, did I make the right decision to join the competition? But I had a good [support system].
‘My family and friends really supported me so I didn’t need a therapist. I can imagine when you’re not used to fame and all of a sudden you’re famous because all of my colleagues in Holland can relate to that.’
While Berget is lucky enough to have a strong network of friends, she realises it’s sadly not the same for everyone.
The musician said: ‘I know stories of people who just can’t adjust to the fame. If you don’t have a good support system, people to guide you along the way it’s difficult.
‘People are sensitive.
‘You need to realise it’s just a game, turn it around to something positive for yourself. If they can’t handle social media and it can go wrong. It’s sad if they can’t cope with fame.’
Berget has absolutely no regrets about doing The X Factor despite not making it to the live shows.
Berget has no regrets about The X Factor
‘I thought I’ve got nothing to lose, I have a career in Holland and I’m doing quite well,’ Berget explained.
‘Us artists, we always like to find our boundaries and give our creativity to the world. You always want to reach people through your music and I was trying to do that through the X Factor.’
Berget added: ‘No regrets, but initially I wondered if I made the right decision. People think I’m not a good singer but later on, I got so much public reaction and so much love.
‘I don’t regret it. For me it was an interesting journey. I learned a lot. It doesn’t make me a less singer, or person. It’s just a TV show. It made me realise there’s more after The X Factor, it’s not the end.
‘When I got back [home], I was like, “OK, move on”.’
Simon Cowell was immediately blown away by Berget and her powerful version of Prince’s Purple Rain in her first audition.
Berget had no fears about coming face-to-face with TV’s ‘Mr Nasty’, admitting: ‘Simon is Simon. Everybody who watches The X Factor knows that.
Berget is also a member of Ladies Of Soul (Picture: Getty Images)
‘I have a lot of respect for him, he’s a judge and he has to be strict. He has his right to his own opinion.
‘I don’t have hard feelings towards Simon.’
The X Factor stage isn’t the only one which Berget has dazzled – she was a cast member of Dreamgirls in the Netherlands for 12 months, taking on the lead role of Effie White.
Recalling her time in the production fondly, Berget said: ‘Me doing the role of Effie White, without audition?…
‘I remember the first rehearsal and I had to sing And I Am Telling You, I studied but it was like second nature. I surprised even myself.
‘This role is totally me, I loved everything about it. It was perfect for me.’
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Jessie and Channing are thought to be ‘pretty serious’ (Picture: Backgrid)
Channing Tatum is thought to have met Jessie J’s family amid claims that their romance is thought to have become ‘pretty serious’ five months after they met.
The pair sparked romance rumours back in October when they started to get spotted out together on a number of occasions.
Jessie was the guest of honour at her boyfriend’s Magic Mike show and shared an picture from the evening where she wrote: ‘Magic Mike London Opening night.’
The pair sparked romance rumours back in October (Picture: Backgrid)
Now, after father-of-one Channing met Jessie’s family, sources close to the pair have revealed that ‘it was their first trip together to England as a couple’.
In recent weeks, the pair have gone more public (Picture: Backgrid)
Jessie is also thought to have met Channing’s five-year-old daughter, Everly, whom he welcomed with ex-wife Jenna Dewan.
The happy couple were spotted hand in hand while enjoying a romantic walk in London, looking every inch loved up as they gazed into each other’s eyes while out on their stroll.
Jessie is thought to have met Channing’s five-year-old daughter (Picture: Mega)
Looking up at her man, the Price Tag songstress beamed as she wrapped her arm around the actor’s waist and it seems Channing couldn’t wipe the smile off his face, as he smirked back at his girl while proudly walking by her side.
Wearing matching black outfits, perfect for a comfy flight, Jessie and her Magic Mike star boyfriend were seen to be laughing and holding hands as they walked to the departures area of the airport.
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I did have a little laugh when Google showed a downloading progress bar when extolling the benefits of streaming and Stadia. I thought it’s probably better than the buffer symbol and pixelated downgrade when the connection starts to chug that most will probably get when attempting to use Stadia later this year.
I’ve no doubt Google’s side is sound but most people’s ISPs and Internet speeds are another matter. So I think we are still a few years, if not longer, to mass adaption of streaming gaming services. Google may eventually be able to gain access to those two billion people they mentioned but not for a while.
I think it’s very likely I’ll be picking up a PlayStation 5. But after that it’ll be time to seriously consider the ramifications in terms of handing over total control to a service provider for my gaming needs. I think most sensible people have valid concerns.
Still excited to try it out though when it lands. Simundo Jones
Slow lane
I’ve just caught up with the Stadia reveal and while it looked good, and there were lots of big numbers thrown around, the bits that stuck out for me was a quote that they had tested in a worst case scenario where the customer had a download speed of 15 megs a second…
If I’ve got that right, as I’m certainly no tech expert, but their worst case scenario is 15 times the speed of what I’m getting at home! Yep, 1MB a second is my high point. Thank goodness PlayStation 4 lets you play while downloading!! If it can work in my case then there is potential but I do love physical media and won’t let go too soon! Anon
GC: If you want to know exactly what you download speed is use this website. Google’s stated ideal is 25 Mbps.
New dawn
I did kind of get Apple iPhone 2007 vibes from the Google Stadia announcement. Maybe Sony PlayStation will go the way of Sony Ericsson next gen? and Nintendo will be Nokia? With Amazon and others to follow, the biggest change gaming has ever seen does seem to be coming.
Or maybe it’ll crash and burn, for this to take off I still think we need at least 5G (or similarly speedy wireless tech) to be widespread. I can’t even watch game trailers on the Switch eShop (sort those Wi-Fi radios out on the next one Nintendo) with my home Internet speeds.
Following the announcement, and the plans in the works around Microsoft’s Game Pass/xCloud, next gen PlayStation Now, and whatever Amazon, Apple, and other start-ups are cooking up I was wondering what the economics of this switch to streaming will mean for developers. Take an indie studio like Heart Machine, if Hyperlight Drifter is across all these £10 (or whatever) a month subscription services, will they just get paid whenever someone plays the game? Spotify style, or time invested?
Or maybe you’ll still buy the games like you do movies on Google Play? If it’s the subscription model I can see these studios being decimated by this shift from hard sales, in the same way independent musicians have been by people moving to streaming from buying albums. 0.01p per play is a massive pay cut from £15 one-off, and as many bands have discovered the ‘potential’ volume increase in gamers doesn’t cover the difference. Or maybe 20 million people will just start playing Celeste… Does GameCentral have any thoughts on how that will shake out? Marc
GC: It’s a very good question, and one impossible to answer because Google didn’t say a word about how any of this is to be paid for. But we speculated, in our opinion piece on Stadia, that smaller games may well end up with a raw deal, for the reasons you outline.
I’m not really sure what to make of Google Stadia. I’m sure there will be a free trial, so I’ll probably give it a go, but it was odd to not show any live footage at all. The sceptic in me wonders whether the tech is actually there yet, certainly at the resolution and frame rate Google advertised.
I know some will baulk at the idea of subscribing rather than owning games, but isn’t this effectively the case with all digital games already? If Steam disappears so too do my games. But I recognise that there is definitely a mental jump from purchasing to subscribing.
I actually think that subscribing will be hugely popular among more casual gamers, the ones who buy the yearly FIFA/Madden update. Like GC pointed out, Stadia doesn’t seem to be the home of indies. Google could definitely afford to buy EA… Matt
GC: The on-stage demo was supposedly live. It even seemed to show some minor latency problems.
Cap on the excitement
Read with great interest your analysis article on Google Stadia. While being comprehensive you did miss out on one point which may become relevant if Stadia is a success, namely that of ISP data caps. I would suspect that the majority of people had to upgrade to unlimited data download as a result of the demands of current gen gaming, I certainly did. With the sheer volume of data being transferred by game streaming it seems perfectly fair for ISP providers to change their pricing structure which could adversely affect costs for all gamers if they just bump the cost of unlimited.
One turn-off for me in the Google presentation was their mention of 120 fps and 8K, as this, in my opinion, is pure attention grabbing for the sake of it. No guarantee there will be anything to play it on not to mention the Internet connection required. Suppose I’d better enter the national lottery (and win) if I can take advantage of that in the future.
Ultimately, as you say, the most important factor in if Stadia is a success is the cost and the quality of the games. When you consider that Xbox Games Pass costs £8 and offers little in the way of brand-new AAA games (with the exception of Microsoft’s own games) I cannot see unlimited use of Stadia coming in less than £25 a month if they are to offer a decent package. Time to ignore the glossy package and wait to see what transpires I think. Johnboy
GC: We did discus the additional cost of upgrading your broadband, which may be necessary for many whether they have data caps or not.
Late defeat
I’ve probably asked this before, but does anyone else find that their gaming ‘skill’ changes throughout the day? I personally seem to find that I’m better in the morning (which may have something to do with having slept).
Two immediate examples:
When playing the Nioh beta oh so long ago, I was having a huge amount of trouble with the first boss (the one with the big balls, ooh err). Before work I decided to use half an hour I had spare to have another couple of goes, only to find he went down trivially easily.
Yesterday, when playing remotely, I got to the last boss of Horizon Zero Dawn, New Game+, Ultra Hard mode (because that was the last trophy I needed), but found it ridiculously tough. I tried again in the evening and got absolutely trampled. This morning I decided, once again, to use a spare half hour, only to utterly destroy said boss with minimal effort. Joseph Dowland
Now playing: Nioh (PS4) and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Switch)
Moving history
With the Metroid talk on the Inbox this week, thought I’d bring attention to Boss Keys’ Metroid Prime video that came out at the same time as the 25th anniversary.
This series (and the Zelda one before it) have been very interesting, and make a lot of valid points. Plus, it’s nice to just see the games in motion again after so long. aelfin
RE: streaming games. I think we are a few years away from doing it for everyone. A lot of providers still cap their broadband options at around 20GB per month. I would assume streaming a 4K game would eat that up fairly quickly. For a rough idea, when I was on Virgin Broadband and streaming to Twitch I could get around an hour before they throttled the connection (I think it was around 6GB but might have been slightly more or less).
That means Virgin slowed my upload speed so streaming wasn’t possible after an hour or hour and a half. I left them a few years ago so I’m struggling for numbers and Virgin might not do it anymore but my point is that if you are on a capped contract you might need to look around for an unlimited option.
Is there a reader that full time streams in 1080p or higher, that could take a quick look at their used bandwidth when they stream for a few hours? Would the danger of all streaming and no downloads or physical editions pushing up the price of broadband prices? A lot of people want the streaming option but maybe aren’t looking at the negatives, this move to all streaming might push out a lot of gamers.
I’m not all doom and gloom. Should the platform prove successful and problem free then of course I will join up, as gaming is my main hobby. I’m too old to learn new stuff anyway.
Final thought, what happens when the people on the streaming services come under those DDOS attacks? Back to your needle point? bobwallett
Inbox also-rans
Some good observations by Dave Lee on the BBC about how Google Stadia could affect the games industry. fman00
Digital Foundry did a good breakdown on Stadia. TWO MACKS
This week’s Hot Topic
The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Tom Meadows, who asks what Achievement or Trophy are you most proud of getting?
Achievements, Trophies, and similar in-game rewards have been a staple of video games for a long time now, but which did you find the most satisfying to get and how long did it take you? How much do you care about achievements in general and what inspires you to go after the more difficult or time-consuming ones?
What’s the secret of designing a good achievement and what are some of your favourite, and least favourite, examples? Are there any old games you wish achievements could be added to or a modern title that you think missed an obvious opportunity?
The small print New Inbox updates appear twice daily, every weekday morning and afternoon. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length.
You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word 4Player viewer features at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.
You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.
In a tearful scene, she told viewers: ‘Well, for some time now, and even today and beyond, I have been living in a sober house.’
‘When you see me come to work, glammed up, right after the show I go across the street, I do my Pilates,’ she said.
‘I told you, two hours a day I like to take care of my body. And you know I’ve had a struggle with cocaine in my past.
‘And I never went to a place to get the treatment. I don’t know how, except God was sitting on my shoulder and I just stopped.’
She said that she goes ‘to several meetings all around town’ (Picture: Splash)
Discussing staying in the sober home, she continued: ‘After I go to the Pilates, I go to several meetings all around town in the Tri-state area.
‘And I see my brothers and sisters caught up in their addiction and looking for help. They don’t know I’m Wendy. They don’t care I’m Wendy.’
She said she lives ‘a bunch of smelly boys’ who have become her ‘family’.(Picture: Splash)
She explained her sober coach drives her to a home she shares with ‘a bunch of smelly boys’ who have now become her ‘family’.
‘They hog the TV and watch soccer, we talk and read and talk and read and then I get bored with them. Doors locked by 10pm,’ she added.
‘Lights out by 10pm. So I go to my room, and I stare at the ceiling and I fall asleep to wake up and come back here to see you. So that is my truth.’
Following the segment, close friend Katie Couric took a moment to praise the TV favourite for speaking out about her struggles.
While appearing on Wendy’s show on Wednesday, she said: ‘I’m so proud of you. That was a hard thing to do.
‘I felt for you, and I think your candour and honesty is going to help so many people.’
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Sarah-Louise wasn’t quite ready for a porn film set (Picture: Channel 4)
Mums Make Porn mother Sarah-Louise was left literally sickened by watching two porn stars have sex on her first visit to an adult film set.
The controversial Channel 4 documentary sees a group of mums unite to write, cast, and direct an ‘ethical’ adult film for their children – in response to the porn videos already out there.
In the first episode, Sarah-Louise, Jane, and Anita all head to their first ever adult film set, where they meet working porn star Roxie who prepared them for what’s in store.
‘You’re going to see some oral, some sex, and a cum shot at the end,’ Roxie said.
They weren’t too impressed (Picture: Channel 4)
‘A lot of mine have a bit of a niche of having a bitchy girlfriend who cheats on her boyfriend. Who wants to just watch “Oh they’re in bed having sex”? It’s boring.
‘So you need a bit sexy kissing, touching, and feeling, getting intimate. Then you need a bit of the hardcore to entice other people. So you need to have the whole package.’
As the three mums watch Roxie having sex from the side lines, Roxie’s co-star encounters a problem when it comes to the swansong.
‘It’s gone soft,’ he remarks. ‘I’m going to have to wait five minutes.’
After a quick toilet break, they’re back at it – with the final shot leaving Sarah-Louise feeling slightly ill and leaving the room.
Sarah-Louise rushed outside (Picture: Channel 4)
Shortly after watching the climax, a queasy Sarah-Louise made a swift exit heading for the nearest bush.
‘It wasn’t that it offended me, I thought she’s beautiful,’ Sarah-Louise said. ‘I just felt the whole time I was going to throw up.
‘I think it might be the cum bit that’s knocked me.’
Mums Make Porn kicks off tonight (Picture: Channel 4)
Speaking about witnessing the scene, Jane said: ‘I feel absolutely ghastly. What I was hoping for was something a lot more real and intimate.’
The fascinating history of the meme explored by professor Richard Clay (Picture: Meme Generator)
Have you ever tried explaining what a meme is to someone? It’s just a picture… with words… and you just know what it means… or if you don’t, you Google it… right?
One way of putting it is: ‘We have a daily craving for things that are so dumb.’ That’s one of the first things we hear in a new BBC4 documentary, How To Go Viral: The Art of the Meme with Richard Clay. The programme attempts not only to define memes, but its host, a Professor of Digital Cultures at Newcastle, tries to make his own, which are then critiqued by Richard Dawkins (who invented the word meme in the 1970s), Tumblr’s ‘meme librarian’ and a ‘liberal troll’.
It’s not often that you get to hear famous atheist Dawkins describe Jesus as a ‘fertile meme-fountain,’ but that’s one of the insights you’ll find in this documentary.
Taking an academic approach to studying memes – although this is anything but a dry programme, and borrows liberally from YouTubers for its visual style – reminds us of the fact that human nature doesn’t really change over time. Our psychology is endlessly adaptable. Clay’s background is in art history, and, as he told Metro.co.uk: ‘It was a really good training ground for dealing with the internet, because images beat text in the competition for attention spans.’
‘We were visual before becoming verbal,’ Clay notes in the documentary. Take LOLCats. Remember them? They became popular in the early days of internet self-publication, back in 2006. The term entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 2014; it’s now considered a ‘dead meme’, according to its Wikipedia page.
The rise of LOLCats in the early 2000s reflected the craze for cat pictures in the early days of photography. Human beings have always anthropomorphised our pets, wanting to believe that they return our love. With dogs, this is easy to tell, but not so much with cats. Putting a party hat on cat, or a kitten on a tiny Penny Farthing, now that was comedy gold, and definitely a precursor to LOLCats.
It’s inevitable that, out of all the silliness, a dark side to memes would emerge. Remember Pepe the Frog in 2016? ‘Trolling with fake news is the new currency in politics in the mimetic age,’ says Clay in the documentary, just as a clip of Donald Trump plays. Clay meets Finnish journalist Jessikka Aro, who’s investigating Russian troll farms, and how trolling can spill over into real life. She’s had trolls get into her email and send messages to friends and family in her voice, publish her medical records and location online and make obscene memes of her.
How to Go Viral: the Art of the Meme with Richard Clay airs tonight at 9pm on BBC Four (Picture: BBC)
Aro’s case is a rare example of the law winning over the internet. A Finnish court sentenced the founder of a pro-Russian website MV-Lehti to 22 months in prison on charges of defamation and negligence for their campaign against Aro, and three journalists were ordered to pay 136,000 euros (£119,300) in compensation. ‘Parliaments around the world are attempting to wrestle with trolls in reality,’ Clay explained. ‘But our legislative process moves very slowly, whereas the technology moves incredibly quickly.’
In fact, the problems of legislating the wild west of the internet remind Clay of the copyright laws that came into effect decades after photography was invented, and the ability to take them became more widespread. ‘The copyright laws actually constrained the distribution of photographs,’ he said. ‘And this is constantly what’s in the news at the moment, with Facebook and others being critiqued by legislators saying, you need to behave more like publishers.’
The often poisonous meme situation on social platforms has led to ‘liberal trolls’, like Christopher Blair, aka Busta Troll, to turn vigilante on hate speech. In the documentary, he explains how he publishes satirical news stories to bait conservatives. ‘We pull them into the comments,’ he says, ‘these are some of the worst xenophobes and racists on Facebook.’ The inevitable bile is spewed, and ‘the trolls patrolling the page report them, they get a little time out.’ That is: they get kicked off Facebook.
The idea of fake trolls patrolling fake news for real hate is an oddly comforting one. Memes might spring up at a rate that totally outfoxes offline establishments, but those who seek to do harm are balanced out by those who won’t let them get away with it. Someone needs to make a Batman meme of Busta Troll, stat.
How To Go Viral: The Art of the Meme with Richard Clay airs tonight at 9pm, BBC Four.
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The show – in which people who have never met before are matched up and tie the knot – hasn’t exactly had a great track record when it comes to its subjects finding true love, as none of the couples who were wed in previous series are still together.
That hasn’t stopped more from wanting to give it a go though, with around 7,000 people applying to take part in this series.
And here are a couple of the couples you’ll be watching in the coming series.
Jonathan and Steph
Jonathan and Steph will be hoping to find true love (Picture: Channel 4)
Jonathan is a 39-year-old property manager from Bristol while Steph, 28, is a nurse from Somerset.
He admits he is looking for a new spark in life and having seen other friends have successful arranged marriages, is prepared to take the plunge himself to see if it works for him. He’s looking for a tall partner (as he is 6 ft2) and someone who is active and outdoorsy.
Steph, meanwhile, admits she has done the ‘boring’ stuff – with her own home, a good job and two cats – and has said she now wants to meet someone to have adventures with.
She added that she doesn’t need grand romantic gestures – but she does want to find someone who is prepared to make a commitment, and that it’s important for the two of them to be honest with each other about what they want.
Could Jonathan be just what she’s looking for?
Jack and Verity
Verity and Jack are prepared to give marriage a go (Picture: Channel 4)
Jack is a 25-year-old IT consultant and Verity, 28, is an office manager. He is originally from Brighton and she is from Norfolk although they both now live in London.
He is looking for a petite girl who is active, caring and wants to try new things, and who shares his family values. Jack has been single for just over a year following two long term relationships (one four years and one five) – both of which ended due to distance.
‘I’m looking for someone who I can spend my Sunday’s with, who I can sit down on the sofa with but then travel with,’ Jack explained.
‘I’ve always wanted someone who I can travel with, who can enjoy going away with me and that something I’m very passionate about so having someone by my side who loves to do it will make it even more of an experience. And when I am hungover maybe on a Sunday, sitting down and having a pizza together!
Verity, meanwhile, has been single for two years following two long-term relationships (one which lasted two years and one five). She’s looking for a witty, humble partner who is emotionally honest and open, who loves music and is also keen to settle and build a home. She’d also love to have children in the next five years.
‘It’s a really big undertaking,’ she pointed out.
‘Obviously the marrying a stranger, the whole marriage, but also the lead-up to it takes up your whole life. If you’re not serious about it, there’s no point in your doing it. I know you can drop out at the last minute, but I’ve not had a feeling of “I shouldn’t be doing this” yet. So I’m pretty serious.’
When is Married At First Sight on?
The series begins on Channel 4 on Wednesday night at 9pm.
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The artist formerly known as Grimes (Picture: Getty Images)
Grimes will no longer exist in music as the singer has announced plans to ‘kill-off’ her famous stage name, describing the moment as a ‘public execution’.
The 31-year-old singer, real name Claire Boucher, is preparing for the release of her new album, Miss_Anthropocene, and it sounds like she’s ready for a new chapter.
Sharing her plans for a clean slate, Grimes told The Wall Street Journal: ‘I think I’ll kill “Grimes” soon.
‘It will be a public execution followed by… by something else.’
Eh? The suspense is, ahem, killing us.
The artist currently known as Grimes, continued: ‘I shouldn’t say yet. […] I’m super bound by the limits I’ve set for myself [as Grimes]. It would be easier for me if I wasn’t stuck with the branding I made in 2009, you know?’
In a lengthy Instagram post, Grimes announced that her new album will, interestingly, tackle climate change, a topic she is immensely passionate about.
Grimes told her Instagram followers: ‘Each song will be a different embodiment of human extinction as depicted through a Pop star Demonology.
‘The first song ‘we appreciate power’, introduced the pro-AI-propaganda girl group who embody our potential enslavement/destruction at the hands of Artificial General intelligence.’
The popstar continued: ‘Climate change is something I’m only ever confronted with in a sad/ guilty way….
‘Reading news and what not… so my goal is to make climate change fun (lol..??)…. uhhh… (I mean, everybody loves a good villain… re: the joker, Queen Beryl).. so maybe it’ll be a bit easier to look at if it can exist as a character and not just abstract doom.’
So long, Grimes.
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