Poor Harry Redknapp wanted no part of his local nudist beach tonight when he was invited to go and chat with some naturists.
We never painted Harry for a pearl-clutcher but it seemed he was more than happy to hang back with wife Sandra than get anywhere near a bunch of naked pensioners letting it all hang out on the sand.
On tonight’s episode of Harry’s show Sandbanks Summer, where the former footballer basically shows us all how brilliant it is to be mega-rich and live on the Dorset coast, he hosted John Barnes and Chris Kamara.
Between the speed boat races and the fish and chips, they also took in a spot of nudist beach watching.
Which all sounds very suss when you read it like that.
However, as Harry explained, his neighbourhood hosts the National Trust’s only designated nudist beach.
Harry was not keen on the nudist beach (Picture: ITV)
‘It is very strange, John, I must be honest,’ Harry said, as they spotted the beach very far in the distance.
However, cheeky John wanted to go over there and get a closer look at the action with the binoculars not doing enough.
Asking Harry whether he wanted to join, the I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! winner quickly and rather emphatically replied: ‘No! No thank you, John.’
He added: ‘You will not get me over there [for] all the money in the world. I’m definitely not going over there.’
Wishing John ‘good luck’, Harry said: ‘You might need those binoculars John, it’s a bit cold today.’
Unfortunately despite his best efforts, the former footballer couldn’t see a thing though, so he went closer to the beach ‘looking for some naked people’.
Mike and Shan climbed aboard to chat with John in the buff, with Mike explaining: ‘It’s such a relaxing way of life.’
When John suggested being a naturist was associated with sex, Mike said: ‘It’s the furthest thing from it.’
John was adamant in finding some nudists to talk with (Picture: ITV)
While Shan explained: ‘It’s really comfortable…they discover the side benefits, it’s really relaxing, it’s great stress relief.’
Mike and Shan were more than willing to speak about their life (Picture: ITV)
According to Harry’s voiceover, recorded from the safety of a sound booth, no doubt, there are 1.2 million naturists in Britain, and ‘it seems getting your kit off has never been more popular’.
But Harry was staying put on the deck with wife Sandra.
In tonight’s episode of the ITV series, former Leeds United player Chris and Liverpool’s John teamed up with Harry for a tour of his swanky neighbourhood, known as the most exclusive and expensive seaside resort.
Yes, Harry, way to rub it in.
Sandbanks Summer returns Wednesday, 8pm on ITV.
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Liam Payne and Maya Henry have ‘split’ months after making their relationship official (Picture: Getty)
Liam Payne has ‘split’ with Maya Henry, just months after they made their relationship public.
The pair were first spotted together last September, following the Bedroom Floor singer’s romance with Cheryl coming to an end.
And they were inseparable, with the 26-year-old publicly crediting the model for making him ‘happy’ again.
But, according to reports, things between the One Direction favourite and the 19-year-old have become ‘rocky’ lately.
‘Things between Liam and Maya had been rocky recently and they eventually decided to call it a day,’ an insider claimed.
‘He was extremely busy at the end of last year and when he eventually stopped, they were both able to re-evaluate exactly what they want.
Liam and Maya made their relationship public last September (Picture: Getty)
‘They decided to go their separate ways but he isn’t moping and wants to put it behind him,’ they added to the Sun. ‘He has been telling people he is single and is looking to the future.’
Liam had yet to speak publicly about the claims, and still has loved-up snaps of the pair together on his Instagram page.
Sharing a sweet photo as they cuddled on a sofa, he told fans: ‘Sometimes I don’t recognise this happy guy… sure glad you brought him back though.’
After thanking a string of people on his team, the dad-of-one added: ‘Last but not least this one @maya_henry for always keeping the biggest smile on my face through all the stress and making me realise how perfect my life really is. Love you all.’
Liam and Maya were first linked way back in 2018, but didn’t go public with their relationship until last year, when they were spotted holding hands on a low-key date night.
‘She’s awesome. It’s got to the point with my life where I’m like, screw this – it’s not worth my happiness,’ he told OK! Magazine.
‘The difference with her is she’s so relaxed that it helps me relax in a situation.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for Liam and Maya for a comment.
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The mum-of-four feels the criminal justice system is ‘so discriminatory against black and brown people’, and wants to do her bit to change things.
Speaking in an interview with CR Fashion Book, Kim says: ‘My evolution on this is probably some combination of growing up, getting married, having kids, and my life being so different than what it was when I was starting out.
‘Now, I feel like I have a duty to myself and to my children more than the public and I want to be a good role model for my kids.
‘I’m raising four black kids in this society and our system is so discriminatory against black and brown people.
Kim and husband Kanye West have four children together (Picture: Instagram/ kimkardashian )
‘I want to do as much as I can to make their lives easier…I never knew much about the system until I started to dig in, and once I learned and saw how many things were wrong, I really couldn’t stop.’
Kim and husband Kanye West have four children: North, six, Saint, four, Chicago, two and baby Psalm, soon to be one.
The reality TV star has even worked with President Trump on her campaigning efforts (Picture: Getty)
The reality TV star looks into the cases of Dawn Jackson, Alexis Martin, Momolu Stewart and David Sheppard in the two-hour special which will air on Oxygen in April.
She travels to prisons and speaks to the families and friends of those incarcerated as well as public officials.
Kim, who also serves as executive producer, is also given the opportunity to speak to other prisoners who share their experiences with the system.
When asked how she feels about potentially being accused of campaigning for these cases for the sake of her own image, Kim told press: ‘I’m very used to criticism, so nothing really fazes me.
‘I really genuinely stay focused on the cases and the people. I’m not doing it for publicity. I really do care.’
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The former Love Island host took her own life on 15 February, and since her death countless celebrities have shared DMs and texts from the star – mostly to remember her by.
As a way of healing, Danny Cipriani posted a message from Caroline to his Instagram today, while Kerry Katona also shared social media DMs from her asking for advice on dealing with online trolls.
Now Caroline’s mate Dawn, who has shared her own tribute to her close pal, wrote a post tonight in which she said Caroline would not be a fan of knowing her personal messages are now in the public domain following her death.
‘Can we all just agree that posting Caroline’s personal texts is a massive betrayal?’ Dawn wrote on Twitter and Instagram on Wednesday night. ‘Please consider that if for some reason you are thinking of doing it.’
Can we all just agree that posting Caroline’s personal texts is a massive betrayal? Please consider that if for some reason you are thinking of doing it. She’d absolutely hate it.
She wrote on Instagram alongside a screenshot of her tweet: ‘As if this needed to be said.’
Dawn has been one of Caroline’s close friends for years (apparently meeting way back in 2010) and publicly had her back following her arrest in December and assault charge following an incident with boyfriend Lewis Burton.
Dawn supported her friend through her arrest last year (Picture: Getty Images Europe)
Taking to Twitter, the author said following the news: ‘Woken up to some really hard news about my friend Caroline Flack. Who I love very very much.
‘I will wait until I know the facts before I make a judgement, and I urge you to do the same.’
Following Caroline’s death, Dawn wrote on social media: ‘At some point I will find my words, and I will write the tribute she deserves. My dear friend. I’m lost.’
In the days following, Dawn then shared a series of beautiful tributes and photos of the pair living it up together over the years.
She wrote: ‘Her laugh was my favorite laugh. We had so much fun. Honestly, we laughed until we wet ourselves. All the time. She was so funny, and so silly, and there were brilliant, brilliant times.
‘Her life had so much happiness in it.
‘We went to so many festivals, and we sang at pianos and we danced at parties and we rolled around with tears of joy. And we knew how lucky we were, and we said it out loud. The best of times.
‘Some of the most fun days of my life and hers too, I’m sure.
‘I’ll miss her laugh every day forever, and I’ll never believe this is real. I love you Caroline and I’ll always sing songs for you. No dance floor will ever be the same again .’
The Bachelor US host Chris Harrison has revealed the show ‘forced’ finalist Madison Prewett to discuss her virginity to Peter Weber.
The 48-year-old admitted that despite the scene being ‘awkward’ to watch he said ‘it needed to be done’.
The presenter went on to explain that the drama was planned as viewers criticised TV bosses for ‘manipulating’ the show.
Madison told 28-year-old Pete that if he did have sex with the other two women in the competition Victoria Fuller and Hannah Ann Sluss, she would go home.
However, the 23-year-old did not disclose she was saving herself for marriage at the time.
The drama unfolded after the show was slammed for making the trio, who are vying for Pete’s affections, live together.
(The 48-year-old admitted that despite the scene being ‘awkward’ to watch he said ‘it needed to be done’ (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
Chris Harrison has revealed the show ‘forced’ finalist Madison Prewett to discuss her virginity (Picture: ABC)
Fans felt the roommate arrangement was solely done to pressure Madison to reveal her whole truth.
Chris confirmed the news on the Almost Famous podcast with Bachelor alum Ashley Iaconetti, where he revealed that it was very different from what they had done on the show before.
Madison told 28-year-old Pete that if he did have sex with the other two women she would go home (Picture: ABC)
‘We have to force certain situations at times to force people into an uncomfortable position or to face something that they need to face that they’re not really standing up to,’ he insisted.
‘She gives Peter this ultimatum and she really hasn’t come clean as to all of the details of saving herself for marriage.
‘And this was a situation where I felt like we needed as producers to force a conversation and force a situation that would bring about a resolution.’
He added: ‘When push comes to shove, we’re going to shove and we’re going to force this situation.
‘So yeah, it was awkward and maybe we’ll never do it again. But in this situation, it needed to be done.’
The ABC show returns next week with the Women Tell All special, and the two-part finale is expected to air on 9 and 10 March.
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The 55-year-old played Monica Geller in the comedy, alongside Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer.
And, discussing the very eagerly-anticipated one-off special, she lifted the lid on what we can expect from the show.
During an appearance on Kevin Nealon’s Hiking with Kevin series, she said: ‘So the exciting thing is that we’re all going to get together for the first time, in a room, and actually talk about the show.
‘It’s going to be on HBO Max, and I’m so excited.
Courteney Cox is as excited about the Friends reunion as the rest of us (Picture: Getty)
‘We’re going to have the best time. It’s going to be great. But we really haven’t all done that and actually sat there and talked about and reminisced about this incredible experience that we had.
‘It’s going to be fantastic.’
The Central Perk gang have been teasing fans for the longest time over the prospect of a reboot or reunion, and finally confirmed the news on Instagram last week.
Taking to their respective social media profiles, they shared an epic throwback snap, simply telling us all: ‘It’s happening’.
Kevin Reilly, chief content officer for HBO Max, said: ‘Guess you could call this the one where they all got back together — we are reuniting with David, Jennifer, Courteney, Matt, Lisa, and Matthew for an HBO Max special that will be programmed alongside the entire Friends library.
‘I became aware of Friends when it was in the very early stages of development and then had the opportunity to work on the series many years later and have delighted in seeing it catch on with viewers generation after generation.
‘It taps into an era when friends – and audiences – gathered together in real time and we think this reunion special will capture that spirit, uniting original and new fans.’
The special will be directed by Ben Winston, who is also executive producer for the one-off show, along with Friends veterans Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane.
HBO Max launches in May, so we might have to wait a while to see the stars back together – but we’ll be rewatching every single Friends episode in the meantime.
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Caprice Bourret has spoken about her time on Dancing On Ice (Picture: ITV)
Caprice Bourret has spoken out about her time on Dancing On Ice, which came to a dramatic end after she parted ways with skater Hamish Gaman on the show.
Neither Hamish or Caprice have directly addressed what prompted them to stop working together, but now the model has hit out at the show, accusing ITV of have having ‘no duty of care’.
The star was speaking in London at the book launch for Eat Your Way To A Six Pack by Scott Harrison.
The Sun quotes her saying: ‘There is no duty of care. In America, they have to have it or they get sued.
‘It’s just thinking about other people, it’s just common decency, I think, when it comes to these kind of destructive shows. We have to have a soul at some point for God’s sakes.
‘Thank God people are talking about it at the moment more, but it’s sad what had to happen for people to do that.’
Caprice and Hamish decided to ‘part ways’ during the series (Picture: ITV)
ITV said in a statement: ‘We take our duty of care very seriously. We have always been fully committed to ensuring that everyone involved on Dancing On Ice is fully supported.’
An insider added that the celebrity contestants ‘have access to a psychologist and are offered counselling’.
There is also a physio on-site and a GP.
Caprice accused ITV of ‘having no duty of care’ (Picture: WireImage)
They told us: ‘Caprice received very little support from ITV and had to seek external help of her own accord. She has been seeing a counselling psychologist as well as two doctors on an ongoing basis.
‘She has been deeply distressed by the occurrences that have happened over the last few months, and this has directly effected not only herself but her family.’
Hamish recently decided to sit out of a live show after confessing he felt ‘extremely vulnerable’, and that it had been ‘the worst three months of my life’.
Hamish returned to the show for Movie Week (Picture: ITV)
He added in a statement shared to his Twitter page: ‘I desperately want to move on from all of this and focus on the skating. I’ve done absolutely nothing wrong, and was told by the team who reviewed all the rehearsal footage that I was an “exemplary pro”.
‘I can only hope that this will all be over soon.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted Caprice’s publicist and Dancing On Ice for comment.
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Britney Spears has shared with her fans how she broke her foot in a video that makes for pretty painful viewing.
The pop star, who posted the clip to Instagram, warned that you can ‘hear’ the moment she gets injured.
In the video Britney, wearing a yellow crop-top and tiny black shorts throws some shapes to Mr. Brightside by The Killers.
The 38-year-old moves around barefoot, jumping along with the music as she went ‘full throttle’.
The Toxic singer captioned her Instagram post: ‘I haven’t danced in six months so I was full throttle at this spot !!!! And yes …. I know I’m barefoot …. don’t laugh but I grip the floor better that way !!!!
‘PS you can hear where I broke my foot here ….. sorry it’s kind of loud !!!!!’
Recently the singer’s boyfriend Sam Asghari shared an update from her hospital bed.
She showed off the cast on her foot which had the word ‘STRONGER’, the title of one of her hits, written across it.
Sam, 26, posted: ‘When you break something it tends to heal stronger specially when you’re my Girl…my lioness broke her metatarsal bone on her foot doing what she loves which is dancing, [sic].’
Britney’s boyfriend Sam recently shared a hospital update shortly after the injury (Picture: Instagram)
He added: ‘Wishing her the best recovery so she can jump, run, and dance her butt off #stronger.’
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BTS are already killing 2020, but their advice for their future selves is so pure (Picture: Getty Images)
As they continue to take over the world in a way only BTS knows how, the seven-piece boy band has shared some pretty lovely messages to their future selves.
While we can only assume future BTS – which counts RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook as members – will be proud of everything they’ve achieved in the past, they still have some thoughts to share with themselves seven years in the future.
As they continue to celebrate the success of their Map of the Soul era, which reconciles with the past, the group was asked this week what they would say to future BTS.
Safe to say while they take it all very seriously and have kind words, they still took the opportunity to have a little joke – which is pure BTS bants.
RM told MTV News: ‘34-year-old me, the old Namjoon, I’m asking, “Have you finally got your driver’s license?” I hope so!’
Meanwhile V hopes he’s grown a little – literally – as he said: ‘Taehyung, I hope seven years from now you may still be able to grow a little bit. Maybe you’re a little taller than 180 centimetres. I hope. That’s what I want to tell myself.’
The group are taking over the world…again (Picture: NBCUniversal)
Guys, we cannot with the cuteness!
Jin knows how their hardcore dancing can affect their bodies, so he pleaded with his future self to not be dancing anymore because ‘your bones are so weak’.
However, Jungkook also lamented not learning English earlier, before telling his future self simply ‘please be happy’.
While J-Hope asked himself: ‘Are you happy? Please, forever happy. I hope that seven years from now you still love yourself.’
Jimin added so sweetly: ‘You’re always gonna be my role model. I’m doing the best I can and making great memories with these guys dear to my heart, so that I can one day be like you. Until then, I’ll always do my best.’
Suga had some rather helpful advice for his 35-year-old future self though as he advised: ‘Drink a little less.
‘I hope you are a little bit more healthy. I just hope you’re happy and healthy. I love you.’
Suga also had some of the most beautiful thoughts, though, as he added: ‘Please don’t let me shine. Don’t let me fly.
‘You may think our lives are really, glorious or really fancy and that we live the high life, but actually we also face our own shadows in our lives and in the work that we do. I think it’s the same with everybody. I think everybody goes through the same things.’
The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon’s Subway Special with the guys became instantly iconic for the BTS Army, as they explored and played games in New York with Jimmy. Among the stunts, the group hit the subway, served sandwiches at Katz Delicatessen and shut down Grand Central Station to perform their new single ON in its iconic central court.
The entire show generated 4.2 million interactions and comments in just 24 hours – the best figure for 2020 so far for any episode of entertainment television. It also gained more attention than any other episode of Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon to date, and was only beaten in the late-night attention slot by SNL.
Just when you thought these guys had taken over the world, they go and trump themselves!
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Harry Styles has proved once again that he is the most generous man in music.
The Watermelon Sugar singer was preparing for his appearance on The Today Show when he came across an emotional fan, who promptly burst into tears.
Instead of pausing the rehearsal, the 26-year-old made a note of the fan in question and instructed host Carson Daly to give her a surprise.
Live on air, the presenter found Mary in the audience, and told her: ‘We noticed during sound-check, that you were crying.
‘Harry noticed that you were crying.
‘He’s going on tour this summer and he’d like to give you VIP tickets.’
Harry Styles blessed a fan with VIP tour tickets (Picture: Rex)
Cue more tears from poor Mary, who fell straight on the floor when she was handed the passes.
To be honest, we don’t really blame her – we would have done the exact same.
Harry had people queuing around the block for a glimpse at his performance – in which he took to the stage in a magical pink blazer, blue shirt and polkadot tie that only he could dream of pulling off.
It wasn’t just Mary who was excited, as loyal fans waited in the rain outside Rockefeller Center for hours for the Falling star.
Harry Styles fan Mary promptly burst into tears after getting her idol’s attention (Picture: The Today Show)
In a chat with Carson, he said: ‘I’m okay, thanks. Thank you. Thanks for asking.’
An insider previously explained Liam Payne’s former bandmate ‘played it cool’ after he was approached by the robber.
Harry was robbed at knifepoint on Valentine’s Day (Picture: PA)
‘He actually played it pretty cool, quickly giving the assailant cash, keeping himself and the guy calm and getting the situation over with,’ they reportedly told the Mirror.
‘Understandably though it left him very shaken up afterwards.’
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the incident to the publication, with a spokesperson adding: ‘Police are investigating reports of a knifepoint robbery in Hampstead.
‘Officers were contacted on Saturday, 15 February regarding the incident which happened at 23.50hrs on Friday, 14 February.
‘It was reported that a man in his 20s was approached by another man and threatened him with a knife.
‘The victim was not injured however, cash was taken from him. No arrests and enquiries are ongoing.’
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One sale and counting
Fantastic news about Platinum’s new game Project G.G. Ignoring the fact that it’s Platinum I love that it’s a brand-new game and that they actually turned down money in favour of owning the games themselves. I really do think Platinum are the best developers working today and would happily buy anything they made without knowing a thing about them.
Sure, not every one of their games has been a classic but there’s so much heart in all of them. They’re not making these games just to pay the rent, but because they love what they’re doing. Or at least that’s the way it seems to me. I guess you could argue they were taking the money and running with that Legend Of Korra game but given the budget they were working with I’m not willing to criticise them for it.
The point is that when it comes to their big chance they’ve not taken any safe options and are planning to make what basically looks like an Ultraman game. I mean, as sure fire bets go that’s not really on the list. I’m sure it’ll be fantastic, especially with Kamiya as direct, but I’ve no idea how it’ll sell. Except that I’ll definitely buy it, even if no one else is.
Maybe GC could do a Hot Topic about who the best developer is but whoever the other choices are I bet their output is going to involve a lot more sequels than Platinum. Honey Monster
Expensive innards
RE: Jag. I’m not sure why you think Sony will wipe the floor with Microsoft and undercut on the price massively.
Rumours indicate that the Sony machine is not much less powerful, if less powerful at all, and that they are also struggling to keep costs down with components; especially the RAM, which is going up in price due to console manufacturers trying to buy it all up. That and apparently the cost of the cooling system required to cool the higher end CPU and GPUs the next gen consoles are employing.
Don’t expect Sony or Microsoft to be too far apart in pricing, unless Sony decides to come in using a potato for a GPU. Kiran
No game for loan wolves
I can hardly believe there’s so many people talking about specs for next gen consoles in the Inbox recently. As if they mean anything. I try to skip past them now as much as possible because I really believe people who obsess over these things are missing the point of gaming. You know, something that immerses us in a world for our own pleasure.
I just can’t imagine there’s anything more pointless than arguing over how many thingamabobs your computer has over another. The inner workings of a console don’t matter a jot, as Nintendo prove repeatedly with less powerful consoles.
On a happier note, thanks for the Hunt: Showdown review. I went out and bought it after and while it’s great in many ways it’s much too difficult for me. I never seem to last very long before being offed! Chris
GC: You need to find a good team to play with and make sure you communicate, that’s the secret to it.
Bewitching performance
Not to get all technical but since there hasn’t been much coverage of it here I just wanted to add a quick note about the new 3.6 patch for The Witcher 3 on Switch. I commend the developers Saber Interactive for putting the support in this long after release as this update is truly game changing for those still playing it. And that’s without factoring in the cloud save function with PC, since I don’t have a PC.
The main complaint with The Witcher 3 was always the blur and low resolution and that can now be tweaked quite extensively thanks to options to remove antialiasing and increase post process sharpening. Maxing out the sharpening makes the game look a lot better on the surface, but I can see why the developers didn’t activate this setting as default since it highlights a lot of the cutbacks made to the game that the blur masks. Namely low-res textures, pop-in, half frame rates on distant objects, you can also kind of see the adjustments to the dynamic resolution happen in real-time. I’d say it’s still worth it though overall, max out the sharpness but keep the AA. It makes it look great in handheld mode too, where the small screen hides some of the issues and is still the only way I’d recommend to play it.
Personally, I would argue the uneven frame rate, not blur, was the most damaging to the overall experience… cut scenes were near unwatchable and gameplay was noticeably janky compared to locked 30fps games on Switch like (mostly) Zelda and Astral Chain. The game’s new graphical settings can be used to help the consistency here. If you crank the foliage draw distance down to the minimum and disable depth of field I’ve noticed some credible gains to the moment-to-moment stability, so much so I’m more than happy to sacrifice those graphical options for it. The foliage pop-up is only really distracting when galloping through the countryside.
I wouldn’t recommend these kind of PC style setting for everything on Switch, it’s nice that something like Dragon Quest 11 was rebuilt for the system and just works and that’s the way to go. Here though, on a game hammered down almost as an experiment to fit, it’s nice to pick which of those unavoidable compromises you want to live with. I hope for the same on Doom Eternal. Marc
Fighting scale
This might be a redundant point of discussion, but I wondered if was likely that we’ll see another Soulcalibur? Say on a scale of Street Fighter 6, all but guaranteed, to Power Stone and Rival Schools 3, maybe one day. Assuming anyone who played it in the first place lives so long.
It was probably not on the cards when the game was released back in October, 2018, but with a second season’s worth of DLC characters on the way? Perhaps the franchise’s prospects are looking a little rosier in the eyes of Namco executives? What do you think, GC? DMR
PS: This may or may not be a fun idea for potential Hot Topic: who is your personal video games nemesis? What is that one boss or enemy that you dread facing and has wiped the floor with you more times than you like to admit?
GC: It not only has new DLC coming but has also made EVO this year. It wasn’t a major hit but it doesn’t seem to have done badly, so we’d imagine another game is fairly likely sometime in the next gen.
The generation in brief
Given the recent games drought and conversation about gaming backlogs I have a big ask of you that I would well understand if you were to say, ‘Metacritic is your best option’.
Would you be willing to list every game you have reviewed over the past console generation (Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Switch) and include their score out of 10 at the side, listing the highest scoring at the top?
Simply the name of the game and the number would be very useful.
I say this mainly because there have been so many indie games in the 8-9 region that I would like to start working through the ones I’ve missed. A GC 9 is a guarantee for me, so If I could see all the 9/10 games that would also help.
With older game prices now low, I picked up Dishonored 2 in the January sale for less the £5! With a list of GC 9s I could probably pick the entire generations best back catalogue for under £100. Matt Kirk
GC: We’d have to do that manually which… we’re not going to do. But our top 20s of the year should be helpful, here’s everything from the current gen: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Major minor
I don’t know if gaming pet peeves have ever been covered in the letters or Hot Topics before, but a few games I have played recently have reminded me of one that has silently bugged me for years. Darksiders Genesis is the latest to demonstrate it, but it is rife throughout many different genres.
I’m talking about when you have just polished of a wave of attackers or destroyed a goodie-laden stack of boxes and a cut scene kicks in WITHOUT letting you collect all the goodies first. Yes, I know that, in most
cases, said booty doesn’t start its ‘3 seconds before I disappear’ flashing warning, but this inability to collect immediately sends my OCD into overdrive. And in some rare cases it DOES disappear during the cut scene. No fair, just let me collect dammit!
Is this just me, or does anyone else suffer this insignificant-but-at-the-same-time massive annoyance?
So devs; either lets us collect BEFORE having a cut scene kick in or don’t have goodies drop before them. Please. with sugar on. Thanks. Phil Spearpoint
Three horse race
RE: GC’s thoughts on next gen plans Inbox letter. No decision has been made by me regarding what I will do based on what we know or don’t know about the next gen consoles. The letter was to express that a year ago Microsoft didn’t have a credible proposition for me, so it was taken for granted I’ll get a PlayStation 5. Now with what they’ve divulged so far, they already seem to have a strong next gen proposal to go up against Sony with.
Regarding backwards compatibility. Sony have confirmed PlayStation 4 compatibility, which is great, but have said nothing on legacy games whereas Microsoft have confirmed all four generations of Xbox games will be supported. I’ve my fingers crossed Sony will announce the same deal and support all generations of PlayStation games on PlayStation 5.
Regarding a Game Pass alternative. Sony have one with PS Now. Legacy games have to be streamed but most PlayStation 4 games can be downloaded. It’s a good service it’s just missing the deal Microsoft have of exclusives being on it from day one and all time. Sony have already said they feel their exclusives are too good to offer that deal but in the face of Game Pass competition they might change their mind, which like Game Pass would elevate PS Now to pretty much essential for me.
No firm plans. It’s just idle speculation and musings. I’m looking forward to pouring over and ruminating on all the forth coming PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X details. It’s great that all three console manufactures now have really strong products and services to offer, certainly wasn’t the case at the start of the last gen. Simundo
Inbox also-rans
Nice interview with Moon Studios but surprised you didn’t ask anything about the action rpg they have in production. Wonder if it will be multi format this time, as they’re still an independent studio. Jez
GC: Technically neither worked for Moon Studios (Daniel Smith was Microsoft) so there was no point. Although given the way everyone works from home at Moon we’re not sure anyone on Ori would necessarily know anything about other projects.
InnerSpace is free on Epic Games Store on PC from today for the next week. Andrew J.
This week’s Hot Topic
The question for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Hammeriron, who asks what’s your favourite online multiplayer game?
It can be any game on any format, regardless of whether it also has single-player or offline components. What is it about the game you like so much and how much have you played it? Has the game been running for a long time and if so when did you start and how regularly do you return to it?
In general, how much do you enjoy other online multiplayer titles and is your favourite a one-off of just one of many similar games? If it’s part of a series how often do you buy new entries in the franchise and if it’s unlike your normal taste in games why do you think that is?
The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. 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.
Metro: Last Light Redux – surviving the survivors (pic: Deep Silver)
Remasters of Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light are brought to Nintendo Switch but how do they compare to modern post-apocalyptic games?
At this point it’s become impossible to guess what games will or won’t come to the Switch. When titles as violent and adult-themed, not to mention technically advanced, as Doom and The Witcher 3 make it then all bets are off. Especially as even being published by a rival is no obstacle for the likes of previously Xbox exclusive games such as Ori And The Blind Forest and Cuphead.
Given those examples, ports of the first two Metro games make perfect sense, even though the originals are rather old now. Metro 2033, based on the novel of the same name by Dmitry Glukhovsky, was first released on Xbox 360 and PC in 2010. It was the first game by Ukrainian studio 4A Games – many of who worked on the classic, and similarly themed, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow Of Chernobyl – and is an unusual mix of first person shooter and survival game, with heavy horror overtones.
Set in a post-apocalyptic Russia, where survival above ground is almost impossible, the setting was used as more than just a backdrop, with an unusually involved storyline that addresses the political fallout and psychological cost of nuclear Armageddon in a far more ambitious way than Fallout and its ilk. The game was first remastered in 2014, which is what this is a port of, so even that version is pretty old now, with a generally sense of clunkiness to the mechanics and interface that was evident even during the original release.
Metro: Last Light first came out in 2013 and works in a similar manner to its predecessor, as the post-apocalyptic societies surviving in the Moscow underground fall back on the old extremes of communism and fascism. But its plot is not quite as pointed as that sounds, which is perhaps a shame, and while it’s a more mechanically sound game it’s also a more straightforward action title, which is a pity as it feels like 2033’s more interesting elements have been sanded off in an attempt to polish the presentation.
So far there’s no sign that the much more recent Metro Exodus is coming to Switch, even though the port of The Witcher 3 suggests it would probably work quite well. There seems no reason to rule it out entirely though, even if the recent announcement of a fourth game means that 4A Games’ attention is likely to be elsewhere for the next few years.
For no discernible reason the two games are available only as a compilation at retail and only separately when you buy them digitally. The price is exactly the same either way though, so it makes no real difference – other than if you only want to dip your toe in the water with one or the other.
If that is how you’d prefer to do things then Metro 2033 is the obvious choice, as it’s not only the start of the franchise but feels more distinctive, with its heavier emphasis on stealth and survival. It could be off-puttingly difficult in its original form, but the remaster did an excellent job of making it more accessible and forgiving – while still keeping the original settings as an option.
By comparison, Metro: Last Light is more action-focused and since the gunplay isn’t particularly good in any of the games that makes it seem less interesting today. It’s a shame the price for the pair is so high but despite its age and clunkiness we would recommend giving 2033 a go at least and experiencing the joys of one of the most miserably realistic and stress-filled post-apocalyptic settings in gaming.
In Short: The games are beginning to approach their sell-by-date, but the impressively oppressive post-apocalyptic atmosphere still has plenty of appeal.
Pros: Convincing atmosphere and interesting stealth and survival elements, especially in 2033. Ambitious, if often opaque, storytelling. Graphics can still impress, despite their age.
Cons: The gunplay and artificial intelligence was never great in either game and feels very basic nowadays. Last Light is too action-focused and the pricing for both is unwisely high.
Score: 7/10
Formats: Nintendo Switch Price: £44.99 (£24.49 separately) Publisher: Deep Silver Developer: 4A Games Release Date: 28th February 2020 Age Rating: 18
*WARNING: This piece contains spoilers for Love Is Blind*
Love Is Blind has come to an end, with Jessica Batten, Matthew Barnett and co having to decide whether they actually want to go through with their weddings, or go back to single life.
But what exactly went down when contestants Jessica and Mark Cuevas, Barnett and Amber Pike, Cameron Hamilton and Lauren Speed, Damian Powers and Giannina Gibelli, and Kelly Barnes and Kenny Chase attempted to say their ‘I dos’?
Damian Powers and Giannina Gibelli
As we saw at the very end of the last episode, Gigi said she wanted to marry Damian, with the credits rolling just as we got to his answer.
And three little words from Damian were enough to send her world into chaos. When asked if he wanted to spend his life with Gigi, he replied: ‘I do not’.
Cue even more tears when he attempted to explain why he was rejecting her.
Gigi and Damian didn’t tie the knot on Love Is Blind (Picture: Netflix)
It all kicked off on their wedding day (Picture: Netflix)
Not wanting to listen anymore, she ran out of the wedding in very dramatic fashion, slipping and falling on a mud patch.
Gigi wasn’t about to let Damian have the last laugh, and ripped off parts of her dress before throwing them at his face.
Like Mean Girls meets Runaway Bride.
Matthew Barnett and Amber Pike
The drama continued as Amber prepared to say her vows, admitting she had no idea whether Barnett would even turn up as she hadn’t been able to get hold of him.
Not ideal when you’re preparing to spend the rest of your life with someone.
stop what you’re doing and watch this Love Is Blind contestant gush about how excited she is to marry her “best friend” â a man she met 30 days earlier. pic.twitter.com/DRxrAhqPMk
However she managed to nab her fairytale ending when he walked down the aisle, explaining that he felt exactly the same way about her.
And thus, we had our very, very first Love Is Blind wedding.
Kelly Barnes and Kenny Chase
Kelly and Kenny were seemingly the surefire couple viewers could depend on – until it got closer to their wedding day, that is.
Just before she was due to put her dress on, Kelly had a moment of clarity and decided that she couldn’t possibly spend the rest of her life with someone she had only known a matter of hours, especially as she wasn’t ‘infatuated’ by him.
Unfortunately for Kenny, she came to the realisation while actually standing at the altar, with his whole family and a Netflix crew recording their every move.
After she walked out, you could hear a pin drop in that room.
Jessica Batten and Mark Cuevas
Jessica had arguably the biggest journey on Love Is Blind, after falling for Barnett in the pod and eventually being dumped for Amber.
Refusing to take the L, she went grovelling back to Mark and insisted he was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with – despite bringing their 10-year age gap up at every given opportunity.
Jessica couldn’t go through with her big day (Picture: Netflix)
But it turns out this is the very opposite of what she wanted, as she said she couldn’t possibly marry him.
Speaking about breaking Mark’s heart into a million pieces, she said: ‘I guess I’ll apologise to whoever I need to apologise to, but I’m not going to apologise to myself because I’m not actually sorry.’
The unapologetic Netflix anti-hero we never knew we needed.
Lauren and Cameron managed to prove that love is definitely blind (Picture: Netflix)
Thankfully for Cameron, she decided to overlook his awkward rap and take the plunge, agreeing to marry him in front of all their loved ones – giving us our second wedded couple.
While the show might be over, Netflix has blessed us with the reunion of dreams, so we can figure out who has managed to stay together, and whether anyone decided to switch partners…
Love Is Blind is available to stream on Netflix now.
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Just when you thought The Masked Singer US couldn’t get any madder, Dionne Warwick has been unveiled as Mouse.
The 79-year-old, who is a six-time Grammy Award-winning singer, actress, and television host, was unmasked on last night’s show following skateboarding pro Tony Hawk’s exit.
Judges Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong, Nicole Scherzinger and Nick Cannon correctly managed to guess that it was Dionne underneath the costume, with the legendary artist telling them: ‘It’s been an absolute pleasure.
‘I had the best time. It was a ball.’
‘It’s an honour to have you on the show, thank you so much for being here,’ Nicole told her.
Dionne Warwick was unmasked on The Masked Singer US (Picture: Fox)
Dionne was undercover as the Mouse (Picture: Fox)
‘I think it’s wonderful when you can be anonymous,’ Dionne said in her exit interview.
She continued: ‘I knew somebody up there was going to be able to guess me. I do have a very distinctive voice.
‘Anyone that knows me – as Nicole happens to know me – I’m certain that she knew me immediately that it wasn’t Darlene Love, it was Dionne Warwick.’
The Masked Singer US has already unveiled some absolute legends, including Lil Wayne, who was eliminated in the first week, and Chaka Khan, who was hiding underneath the Miss Monster costume.
The Masked Singer airs onFox in the US.
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Gemma Collins doesn’t trust the lizard people of Knightsbridge (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Gemma Collins has come through with another crazy theory and shared that she thinks there are ‘lizard people’ roaming around London who retreat into underground tunnels that retreat to Buckingham Palace.
Discussing the topic on her BBC Sounds podcast, the 39-year-old asked the mutants to contact her so they can answer her many questions.
The reality star said: ‘My theory – and this is a little bit weird – If you are a lizard get in touch with me.
‘I believe there are lizards living amongst us. Do these humans who appear to be humans and look like us and act like us, go into the tunnels where their human faces, their human bodies – do they retract back into being lizards when they go into the tunnels?
‘There have been so many reports that there are different kinds of species living in the UK and around the world – I want to meet you, I want to touch you, I want to smell you, I want to know more.’
You heard her, lizard people. Call her as soon as possible.
This is the face of a woman who knows all of London’s secrets (Picture: @gemmacollins)
Gemma’s theory goes deeper than the existence of lizard people, for she thinks tunnels under London (the defunct ones) are used by the royal family and lead from areas like Knightsbridge to Buckingham Palace.
She continued: ‘I personally need my own tunnels. Will we ever get to see these secret tunnels? Who’s in these tunnels – can you get food and drink and a glass of champagne in these tunnels?’
‘Lizard people’ isn’t a new concept as conspiracy theorist David Icke once suggested – in 1998 – that the royal family are reptilian humanoid who wear crowns and who want to enslave the human race.
Gemma recently revealed that she’s worried about more than just reptilians.
The reality star said: ‘I am not taking my phone into the toilet any more. You could be there relaxing on the toilet and the whole time someone is listening and watching. No. No. No.
‘This is not a weather warning, this is a serious warning guys, do not take your phone into the toilet.’
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She tries not to ‘overthink’ their newly found relationship, but her two daughters Valentina and Alaia-Mai have both got used to having their aunties and uncle around.
The star became ‘curious’ about her father when she was 17-years-old.
She described meeting Lili and Sophie as ‘like looking into a mirror’, and she tries to maintain a good relationship with them – but admits they’re not super close.
Rochelle nails the boho chic look in the new photoshoot (Picture: Chiara Romagnoli)
The TV presenter recalls meeting her father for the first time (Picture: Chiara Romagnoli)
Rochelle opens up about her family life and her relationship with her half-siblings (Picture: Chiara Romagnoli)
Rochelle poses in a cute blue outfit with a yellow cardigan around her shoulders (Picture: Chiara Romagnoli)
‘It helps that the kids don’t know any different; they don’t remember a time when Auntie Lili, Auntie Sophie and Uncle Jake weren’t around,’ the 30-year-old said.
‘But it’s not like we’re all sat there braiding one another’s hair.’
Rochelle, once a member of now disbanded girl group The Saturdays, is ‘absolutely not’ thinking about a return to music.
Rochelle is the cover star on Red’s April issue (Picture: Chiara Romagnoli)
She confessed that the ‘lifestyle’ doesn’t fit in around her family as she wouldn’t be able to be there for her daughters as much.
‘We [her and husband Marvin Humes] know that if we want one of us to always be there as a constant for the kids, we can’t both shine at the same time,’ she said.
As well as presenting gigs on This Morning, Rochelle also fronts music quiz show The Hit List alongside Marvin and has launched My Little Coco, a range of children’s bath products.
Rochelle’s interview appears in the April issue of Red out today.
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‘No, he’s not, replied Kate. ‘He’s been snowboarding and has had a really bad snowboarding accident. Broken some ribs, concussed, ruptured spleen, was in intensive care.
‘I think he’s still very unwell so we’re keeping everything crossed. He’s not in a good way.’
‘Have they delayed the start of the show to make sure he’s going to be there?’ asked Ben.
Kate Garraway is set to present a new show with Myles Stephenson (Picture: ITV/Instagram)
‘No we’re plowing on without him,’ Kate joked. ‘It’s called Breakfast At Garraway’s, Ben, it was Breakfast At Garraway’s and Myles’, just dropped the Myles bit.’
She then insisted: ‘No, that’s not true at all. He’s going to be fine. It’s a month’s time so he’s going to be absolutely fine.’
Rak-Su singer Myles was left in intensive care after a horrific snowboarding accident last week and is still resting up in the hospital.
‘If Myles isn’t fit, is there a vacancy?’ Ben quizzed. ‘We could do something on the show. We could audition for Kate’s sidekick.’
‘Well hang on a minute, Myles is just injured,’ Kate replied. ‘It’s true he hasn’t been in a good way… Ben is brutal.’
Kate and Myles will host the hour-long Breakfast At Garraway’s – every Saturday morning and will be joined by a whole host of celebrity guests for 22 episodes.
The series will be jam-packed with Saturday night TV dinner, to what to watch on telly and everything in between.
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Insiders had said things were ‘rocky’ between Liam and Maya but, we can all breathe a sigh of relief, as the ridiculously good-looking couple are still going strong and were simply taking time out from the spotlight.
‘Maya and Liam are definitely still a couple and are very happy together,’ a source told the Mail Online.
‘Both have been taking time off social media lately and enjoying each other’s company away from the spotlight.’
Phew.
It comes after another source told The Sun that Liam, 26, was boasting about being single after breaking up with Maya.
The couple went public with their romance in August (Picture: Getty Images)
‘Things between Liam and Maya had been rocky recently and they eventually decided to call it a day,’ they told the publication.
‘He was extremely busy at the end of last year and when he eventually stopped, they were both able to re-evaluate exactly what they want.’
‘They decided to go their separate ways but he isn’t moping and wants to put it behind him. He has been telling people he is single and is looking to the future,’ they added.
Love is still in the air for Liam and Maya (Picture: Liam Payne, Instagram)
Liam has always spoken highly of Maya and has been pretty much inseparable since going public with the model in August, months after his split from Cheryl with whom he shares two-year-old son Bear.
‘She is very understanding,’ he said at the launch party for his debut album LP1.
‘The first time we got caught in a fan face-off, there were about 50 fans following us in an airport. It was chaotic.
‘She got in the car and I asked if she is OK, and she was like, “Yeah”. I was more scared than she was.’
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Rachel Riley brought the family along for her first day back at work (Picture: Instagram)
Rachel Riley has officially returned to work on Countdown – but was totally upstaged by bringing her adorable baby girl Maven along with her.
The maths whizz was leading lady of the mental arithmetic favourite was seen beaming alongside her baby girl and husband, Strictly’s Pasha Kovalev, as they stood in front of the iconic word board.
Welcoming her to club Countdown, the board read ‘Maven Aria, 15 Dec ‘19’ which clearly went down a treat with her little bundle of joy, who was seen giggling in her daddy’s arm as they posed.
Alongside the absolutely adorable snap, Rachel wrote: ‘First block back at work done and dusted and I can still sum post baby… phew!
‘Mave was busy melting hearts and Pash is a hero. The eternal on screen pregnancy has just a month to go! Now back to family time for us, we’re really loving it.’
Then of course the family celebrated their first ever Christmas together in style.
Countdown airs daily at 2.10pm on Channel 4.
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The footballer spotted the former Spice Girl when she came to watch one of his games in London, when he was playing for Manchester United.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, David opened up about how he plucked up the courage to ask her out.
‘She came to watch me in a game in London with her manager at the time and one of the other Spice Girls, Sporty Spice.’
The star revealed he still has the train ticket on which she wrote her phone number.
Aww.
The couple started dating in 1997 (Picture: Steve Fenton/REX)
David still has the train ticket with her phone number (Picture: Steve Wood/REX)
Asked by Jimmy if then-Victoria Adams was his favourite Spice Girl, the former England Captain replied: ‘She was obviously my favourite, might be a bit awkward if (she) wasn’t.’
Victoria travelled to Manchester the following week and they spoke for the first time and kept a memento from the day.
‘She’d had a couple of drinks so I decided why not, I’ll try and get her number,’ the 44-year-old continued. ‘We talked for about an hour in the players’ lounge. She actually got the train up that day so she wrote her number down on her train ticket, which I still have.’
Posh Spice threw it back to 1999 with a clip taken from her Victoria’s Secrets documentary of her and David sitting on a couch looking head over heels for each other.
The footballer was in his prime fashion days and sported a questionable red bandana that matched his puffer vest as he talked to a spiky-haired Victoria.
The couple – who started dating in 1997 and married two years later – is seen taking part in a fun Q&A as she asked David when he first realised he was famous.
‘Straight away,’ he joked.
‘It was when he first started going out with me actually,’ Victoria quips back before laughing and throwing her arms around her beau.
The couple went on to have four kids together – Brooklyn, 20, Romeo, 17, Cruz, 15, and Harper Seven, eight.
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