Category Entertainment News

Starring Cary Grant alongside Loretta Young and David Niven, this Christmas film is being hailed a must-watch festive favourite — and it’s all set to air on television today.

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A 1947 Christmas rom-com is being hailed a must-watch this festive season.

Starring Cary Grant — who many believe to be Hollywood’s greatest actor — alongside Loretta Young and David Niven, the film boasts a stellar cast supported by Gladys Cooper, Monty Woolley, Elsa Lanchester, and James Gleason.

Also known as Cary and the Bishop’s Wife, the fantasy comedy was directed by Henry Koster and initially didn’t perform too well at the box office. Market research showed filmgoers avoided the movie as they believed it would be too religious due to its title.

It was then the makers decided to retitle it to ‘Cary and the Bishop’s Wife’ for a section of US markets. They even added in a black text box on the movie’s posters, posing the question: “Have you heard about Cary and the Bishop’s Wife?”.

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After adding Cary Grant’s first name to the film’s title, the movie fared much better at the box office, increasing its business by almost 25 per cent.

Fans of Cary Grant and Christmas movies can catch The Bishop’s Wife on BBC2 at 9.15am today, November 8.

The Bishop’s Wife is the story of an angel who intervenes to guide a troubled bishop through his difficulties. The film was adapted by Leonardo Bercovici and Robert E. Sherwood from Robert Nathan’s 1928 novel of the same name. In 1996, the movie was remade as The Preacher’s Wife, starring Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, and Courtney B. Vance, and went on to become a smash hit.

The Bishop’s Wife was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Motion Picture and Best Director, and won the Academy Award for Best Sound Recording. In fact, Cary Grant’s Christmas offering has even scored an impressive 85 per cent on the Tomatometer on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.

While one critic said that The Bishop’s Wife “is a joyous film”, another wrote: “With the formidable Gladys Cooper and Elsa Lanchester in supporting roles, it’s a sweet, funny, captivating, altogether delightful picture, which too often gets omitted from lists of greatest-ever Christmas films.”

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A third reviewer said of the film: “Cary’s charm works as successfully upon audiences as it does upon the film’s characters, and his relaxed wit plus Loretta Young’s delicate loveliness makes for a frothily touching comedy.”

One fan of the movie added: “This is among the most joy filled and inspiring films ever made. We begin every Christmas season by watching this film and cannot imagine Christmas without it. Solid gold cast. Great film! A Christmas classic!”

While another audience review said: “This film is absolutely my new Christmas favorite. Everything about it was delightful and inspirational, and the splendid cast told a beautiful story about faith, love, and what is most important to remember during the holiday season.”

A third viewer lauded the Christmas film, writing: “I watched it last night for the first time in years. It brought tears to my eyes a few times. What a phenomenal masterpiece!!! Great Christmas movie. I highly recommend it.”

BBC Radio 2 presenter Vernon Kay has been left fuming after discovering that his wife Tess Daly’s Strictly Come Dancing colleagues have been gossiping behind his back

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TV and radio personality Vernon Kay cheekily slammed his wife Tess Daly’s Strictly Come Dancing co-stars as “two-faced” after discovering what they’d been saying behind his back.

During his BBC Radio 2 programme last week, Vernon, 51, returned to a row he’d been having with Tess, 56, and their two daughters, Phoebe, 21, and Amber, 16, regarding a recent buy he’d made.

The presenter told his listeners that he’d endured “massive guffawing” at his expense over the choice as soon as he turned up at the Strictly Come Dancing studios at the end of October to cheer on his other half, who is departing the BBC programme alongside co-presenter Claudia Winkleman at the end of this year.

Despite facing ridicule, Vernon has continued donning the controversial garment, a pair of baggy jeans, and his Radio 2 audience have been backing his style decision.

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During Tuesday’s show, Vernon got a message from “Mike the trucker”, who requested to borrow the host’s trousers if he secures tickets to watch Madness perform live.

After reading the text on air, Vernon responded: “Yes… the baggy jeans! Still up for debate in our house, I’ve not convinced the kids or Strictly Come Dancing’s Tess Daly that they are a vibe.

“Everyone at work thinks they’re a vibe, everyone I bump into thinks they’re a vibe, but apparently when I visited Strictly Come Dancing in my baggy jeans, as I said a few days ago, once my back was turned, ‘oh why is he wearing them?'”

Vernon appeared frustrated that Tess’ workmates had been chattering about his fashion choices, as he declared: “I’m like, how dare you? How dare you be two-faced?.

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“If you don’t like them, say it to my face, just say it! I’m a grown man, I’ll go back to the car and wind my windows up and then I’ll cry! But, you know, I can take it, I like them.”

Defending his choice, former model Vernon, who stands over six foot tall, disclosed the trousers are the ideal length for his towering frame.

He continued: “The thing about the baggy trousers is, they’re a long enough leg, you know what I mean? They’re a 34/36 inch leg, which is pretty decent for me.”

The presenter shared her lip routine on Instagram which featured products from the likes of Benefit, Morphe, and Wonderskin

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Olivia Attwood’s make-up always looks flawless, so when the TV presenter and Love Island star recently shared her lip routine on Instagram, we were all ears.

In a post titled ‘current chokehold lip’ Olivia shared some of her go-to products including a £21 Charlotte Tilbury oil that one shopper hailed ‘sexy.’

The product in question is none other than the brand’s new Unreal Lips Healthy Glow Nectar Oil and Olivia revealed she used the shade Juicylicious Pure Peach.

The item currently boasts an impressive 4.8 stars out of a possible five on Charlotte Tilbury’s website, with one reviewer saying: “Luscious. Glossy sexy lips so hydrated they pop.”

Another commented: “Love the new lip oil balm, most amazing product I have ever found. Favourite is the strawberry and vanilla.”

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The star captioned the short video ‘you asked – it lasts’ whilst revealing her five-step routine. Other products Olivia used in the social media clip include Wonderskin’s lip stain in the shade ‘lovely.’

For her lip pencil, the Getting Filthy Rich star used Morphe’s Sweet Tea liner which retails for £8 at Boots, followed by Benefit’s Cha Cha Tint which costs £22.50 at LookFantastic.

Other lip products our beauty team love include Summer Fridays’ Lip Butter Balms which retail for £23 each and come in a variety of shades ranging from cherry to sweet mint. They can be shopped from beauty retailer Space NK.

As a beauty writer, one of the best budget-friendly options I use is MUA’s Hydra-Juice Peptide Lip Balm in the shade Watermelon Sorbet. It’s available at Superdrug for just £2.50 and it’s my daily go-to. It can easily be worn over lipstick or alone for a glossy finish.

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Despite a huge outpouring of love for the Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Lips Healthy Glow Nectar Oil, one beauty fan did mention: “It is such a lovely colour however the oil formal doesn’t last very long when applied.”

Gloria Hunniford sadly lost husband Stephen Way last year after 30 years of marriage. Here, she opens up on the prospect of dating after such a loss – and moving on for the sake of her grandkids

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Gloria Hunniford lost her husband of 26 years last summer, 20 years after losing her beloved daughter Caron Keating, who passed away from breast cancer in 2004 at the age of just 41. Reminiscing about the many happy times she shared with them both, the 85-year-old TV host reflects on how life goes on while you’re coping with grief, her strong faith and how she focuses on feeling grateful for the wonderful memories they created.

Gloria cared for husband Stephen Way, who she married in 1998, during his “heroic fight” against illness, but he tragically passed away last August. Talking about the months since his loss, she says, “You have to do a head job every so often, it’s painful. You have to carve out a new type of life, don’t you? It’s quite hard really, at the beginning, and then slowly, slowly you sort of get into a different rhythm and a different situation.

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“Stephen and I had 30 years together. Some people never get 30 years of happiness, but I did, so as much as he is a huge loss, I am very grateful that I had that time with him. I was very lucky and have been very lucky in my life.”

Gloria also feels blessed to still live in the home they shared. “I’ve lived in that house for 40 years, so I love coming home. We were talking on Loose Women about happy places and I was saying I have a few happy places but I’m lucky in that I’m very happy going home to my own house. We have a lovely time there, so it’s full of memories.”

Asked if she feels Stephen’s presence around the house, she pauses before answering. “I believe I will see Caron again and I believe I will see Stevie again,” she says. “It’s not that I go to church every Sunday, but I have a very strong faith, and in life, you either believe there is somewhere you go after you die, or there isn’t. I choose to think there is.”

The Rip Off Britain presenter says thinking of her family and friends who need her boosts her resilience when it comes to her situation. “When Stephen was ill and he passed, you sort of think, ‘Well, what is the alternative?’ We have to get on with life for the family, the children, your grandchildren, your friends who need you.”

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As an octogenarian, Gloria is still sprightly and she puts her energy down to her strong work ethic, admitting that she ignores her children’s well-meaning advice to slow down and put her feet up at her holiday home in France.

“I like doing it all and I don’t stop. And if you work hard, you play hard. I think it’s down to my work ethic,” she says. “The work ethic is really important. We were taught in Northern Ireland to work and therefore I’ve always worked all my life, and I’ve always wanted to work.

“One of my sons says, ‘Mum, why don’t you go and stay in the family home in France? And I say, ‘I don’t want to!’ I wouldn’t change a thing because I worked my a**e off the whole time and I still work my a**e off. It will be 80 years next year in showbusiness because I started as a singer when I was still in the pram – well not quite, but almost. I love France and going on holidays, but I don’t want to stay there.”

When it comes to her health, Gloria knows how important it is to look after herself. “I’ve always been very conscious of my health and I’ve always been a great advocate of healthy alternatives and used that alongside anything I need,” she says. “But I’ve been lucky enough that I’ve never needed any serious stuff. I have a dodgy left knee – nothing worrying.”

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The presenter also relishes her role as a grandmother and says she finds it “very healing” watching her grandchildren grow in both their personal and professional lives.

“My grandchildren are lovely, getting older by the second,” she says with a smile. “Charlie got married last year and I can’t believe I’ve got a grandchild who’s 30. It’s very, very healing seeing the generations carry on, and because I do things and go to places they quite like, socially I keep up with them as well, which is really good.”

When asked what Caron would have thought about her son getting married, Gloria says, “She would have loved him. He’s the loveliest boy. They are both lovely boys. Charlie is the eldest and Gabriel is a few years younger. They’re doing well in their jobs and that’s exciting. Caron would have loved her daughter-in-law. I love her like my own grandchild. She’s a lovely girl.”

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There may be great-grandchildren to look forward to one day, but for now, Gloria remains tight-lipped on the subject. “I don’t know yet,” she says coyly. “What do you say?”

She is still close to her son-in-law Russ, Caron’s husband. “I was speaking to him the other day. We have a close bond. Russ is a lovely man. Caron was lucky to have Russ, just as I have been to have had Stephen for 30 years.”

Having experienced such love in her life, would Gloria look for romance again one day? “It’s not even in my head. It’s too raw yet. It’s only been just over a year,” she says. “But I like having male friends who I’ve had for decades – I like talking to them.” One of them is her dear friend Sir Cliff Richard. “He’s a very lovely friend, a good friend and very loyal,” she says fondly. “I’ve known him 55 years.”

Gloria Hunniford spoke to us at the Best Heroes Awards.

MAFS and Celebs Go Dating star, Ella Morgan, speaks to The Mirror about her regrets on her on-screen marriage with JJ Slater and what needs to change on reality shows

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She made history when she became the first ever trans bride on Married At First Sight UK two years ago. But for Ella Morgan, it was her antics on the show and an affair with a groom she hadn’t married – JJ Slater – that ensured all eyes were on her.

Sadly the relationship didn’t last and JJ moved on with Katie Price while Ella went on to appear on Celebs Go Dating and win over a whole new army of fans. She spoke to new about romance, MAFS grooms she’s like to be matched with and representation on reality shows.

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What did you think of this season of MAFS?

I will always say my season was the best – but this is probably one of the most chaotic seasons and I do love and live for the drama. As much as I love dating shows, without the drama I wouldn’t watch it. I couldn’t just watch the happy people that are compatible and fall in love. That would be boring!

Does the show edit people to make them look bad?

People need to stop blaming the edits. A lot of this season, they’re just not taking any accountability, and blame the edits. You’ve gone on to a TV show, you clearly knew that you were going to get some backlash, so why would you act like an idiot? Says me, the one who committed adultery on her season.. You’re stuck in this MAFS bubble, which does take over your life, and then there’s someone there who is naturally more your type, like JJ was, it is very easy to want to jump ship. I know who I would have married if I’d done this season…

And who’s that?

Looks-wise, Stephen [Nolson]. Personality-wise Ash [Dommett], who is also very handsome.

Do you still talk to anyone from your season?

I rarely talk to any of them. They were all very supportive of me when I was on the show, but when the Supreme Court ruling came out in April and excluded trans women from what legally defines a woman, none of them said anything to support me. People turn a blind eye when they think it doesn’t affect them but we live in a world where we do need to start taking accountability for educating ourselves, and not relying on everyone else to do it for us.

What do you think about LGBTQ representation on the show?

I feel a sense of responsibility when it comes to queer representation on the show. I’m the only trans person and when I have the whole affair with JJ, I let a lot of people down, especially in my own community, but I now, when I film things, always think about the fact that I don’t want to let my community down.

What needs to change on reality shows?

I always champion the LGBT couples to show that we can have long-lasting loving relationships, and that we’re not all the toxic couples that sometimes have been portrayed on TV before. Most of the people that watch the show have probably never met someone trans or seen someone trans on TV, because there’s not enough representation of queer people, especially the trans community.

What do you think of trans representation on reality TV?

I don’t think there’s nearly enough. I’m a bit sad that there’s no one trans on Celebrity Traitors, or Strictly. I love having La Voix on there, an amazing drag queen, but it would be nice if after 21 years we could have trans representation on that show. It’s not to push a narrative. But there are loads of children with Downs Syndrome that have someone to look up to through Ellie Goldstein. Trans children deserve that too. We don’t go on these shows to constantly talk about the trans narrative, we just simply want to show that we are there. We exist, just like everyone else who gets the opportunity to be on these shows.

Journalist and TV presenter Gordon Burns, who has a very famous pop star cousin, enjoyed a 50 year career in the media before retiring but he still likes to keep involved in current affairs and make the occasional appearance

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His name and face were synonymous with ITV’s Krypton Factor for what seemed like forever. Gordon Burns presented the iconic game show for 18 years right from the first show in 1977 until the last of the original series in 1995.

But before he reluctantly agreed to host the show as a favour to a friend, Burns was a serious journalist. He landed his “dream job” as a sports news assistant at BBC Radio and went on to have a long and hugely successful career on both telly and radio.

He presented news and sport for Ulster TV, the BBC and ITV, with a lengthy term as anchor for the award winning regional news programme North West Tonight. These days 83-year-old Gordon is taking it a little more easy but he hasn’t shunned the limelight completely.

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Gordon is now enjoying a quiet life at home in Manchester with his wife of nearly 54 years. The couple have two grown up children and four grandchildren. He may have retired but the talented journalist has had a colourful career having interviewed eight prime ministers and celebrities such as George Best, Sir Paul McCartney and Ed Sheeran – who also happens to be his second cousin.

The global superstar appeared on Gordon’s radio show and the pair also enjoyed a pint of Guinness together at the funeral of Gordon’s grandfather. “He’s a lovely guy, a very, very nice fellow and a very talented musician and singer,” he told the Belfast Telegraph.

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It was at that paper that Gordon, who was born in Northern Ireland, started his career as a reporter, straight from school. After a stint on BBC Radio’s Sport Report he joined Ulster Television as sports editor and as anchor on nightly news programme UTV. He covered the early days of The Troubles as the region descended into violence and also hosted his own weekend chat show, The Gordon Burns Hour. Terrifyingly, he received threats from both sides of the conflict and discovered his name was on an assassination list. Although he was twice followed by a car as he walked down a street, thankfully he escaped harm.

In 1973 he moved to Manchester where he took up a post with Granada Television. He presented and reported for various shows in his 22 years with the company, including Granada Reports and World in Action. It was during this time that he agreed to host the Krypton Factor as a favour to a friend in the industry.

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After such an illustrious start to his career in politics and current affairs, fronting a game show didn’t really appeal but he said he’d do it for 12 months. He ended up staying for the entire 18 year run, which saw contestants from the UK and Ireland compete in rounds to test their physical and mental strength. The prime time programme was a huge hit and drew in 18 million viewers at its peak.

Branching out into a different area had an unexpected effect on the direction of his career. “It was good in many ways for me, but you get pigeonholed on TV – and the politics and current affairs faded away,” Gordon said in 2019. “Suddenly I ended up doing things like Surprise Surprise with Cilla Black – I appeared in one show and ended up doing five series. I set up my own production company and began to devise quiz-type shows.”

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A couple of years after he left the Krypton Factor, Gordon returned to his roots and took up a role as chief anchor at BBC’s North West Tonight between 1997 to 2011. Journalist and TV presenter Ranvir Singh, who now presents on Good Morning Britain, joined him as co-host on the sofa a decade after his solo reign. In 2011 he left the show and moved onto BBC Radio before eventually retiring in 2013.

Since then Gordon has returned to North West Tonight a couple of times. He led tributes in 2019 to his friend and former colleague Dianne Oxberry. The mum of two tragically died from cancer and Gordon choked back tears on air as he shared memories of working with the weather presenter and reporter. In July this year he went back to the sofa once more for the only reason he said he would ever come out of retirement – to interview Gee Walker, the mother of murdered teenager Anthony Walker, on the 20th anniversary of her son’s death.

After leaving our TV screens and airwaves he put his extensive experience to good use by setting up a media training company, The Gordon Burns Partnership. It offered advice to companies in local and national media on communications, PR and leadership to raise their profile. The company was dissolved in 2020 but was operational for nine years.