Category Entertainment News

J.K. Rowling and Nigel Farage were referenced by Maxine Peake whilst she drew comparisons between the late Mary Whitehouse’s campaigning and ‘culture wars’ today recently

Actor Maxine Peake has criticised public figures like J.K. Rowling and Nigel Farage for their commentary amid living in “divisive times”. She shared her thoughts recently whilst discussing the late ‘moral crusader’ Mary Whitehouse.

Maxine, 51, will portray conservative activist Mary, known for campaigning against what she considered to be ‘filth’ on TV and her views on sexuality, among other things, in the play the Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse. It’s scheduled to open at the Nottingham Playhouse this evening.

Ahead of opening night, Maxine, who has starred in shows like dinnerladies, spoke about the role on a radio show, in an episode released yesterday. She drew comparisons to public figures of today in the recent interview.

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Whilst discussing the upcoming production, Maxine was asked on on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row if there are parallels between Mary’s campaigning and today’s ‘culture wars’. She responded to host Samira Ahmed by saying: “Absolutely.”

Further sharing her thoughts, she said that some celebrities speak out on issues that she feels they don’t understand. Maxine said: “You can’t not look at very public people, celebrities, speaking out on issues that, like Mary, have no understan … y’know I feel have no understanding.”

She went on to mention author J.K, known for the Harry Potter book series, who has been met with both praise and criticism over comments about the trans community. Maxine continued: “I will say it: J.K. Rowling. You’ve got people speaking out. Y’know we’re now in this … y’know the trans community, what has been happening and the abuse.”

Maxine went on to reference Reform UK leader Nigel, whose opinions, like on immigration, have proved divisive, during the interview. She said: “But not only that. We’re looking at I think people like Farage, the far … the right.”

She continued by saying: “We’ve got these figureheads now who have this charm and this charisma.” Maxine added: “And people are a little bit lost and they’d be able to draw people in with a really dangerous ideology I believe.”

Front Row presenter Samira responded by saying that there are “strong feelings” on both sides of some debates. The host said: “I should say on some of these issues there are strong feelings on different sides about rights and wrongs.”

Maxine agreed with the suggestion, before adding that there is division at the moment. Responding to host Samira, the actor said on the BBC Radio show: “Absolutely, y’know, but yeah … we are in … I think, yeah, we’re in very divisive times.”

Strictly Come Dancing bosses may say they want to avoid controversy, but casting Thomas Skinner in this year’s line-up proves they invite their own drama at times

When I first saw Tom Skinner’s Strictly Come Dancing promo picture on my Twitter (X) feed, I initially assumed it had come via a parody post – it seemed that ludicrous.

Why on earth would an embattled TV show supposedly so desperate to stop the scandal after scandal cycle and move on from the last few years of controversies want to take a risk with such a clearly divisive signing? Especially as the showbiz world is filled with ‘safer’, more established celebrities dying to don some sequins and take to the Strictly dancefloor.

Before Strictly has even taken over Saturday night viewing, Tom has already made the BBC look stupid – thanks to storming out of an interview and snatching a reporter’s phone just hours on from BBC director-general Tim Davie defending the decision to cast him in the upcoming series of Strictly.

To those blissfully unaware of the controversy attached to Tom, he is simply The Apprentice contestant who enjoys grafting and eating pie and mash at 5am. To others, he is a privately educated man who grew up in a £2.5m house flirting with right-wing politics while presenting as a working class man of the people on social media.

Despite the fact many are convinced the dad-of-three is being groomed to become a Reform Party candidate at the next general election, there are no credible sources or hard evidence to confirm Tom has any ambitions to waltz his way into Westminster after his time on Strictly. His critics are simply going off vibes and Tom’s questionable Twitter updates when sharing their predictions.

But even if Tom – who claims he is neither on the left or right – does stick to just sharing 500 word tweets about his love for the Union Jack flag and British culture online, he still remains a very polarising character – far from the ideal Strictly contestant in a time of turmoil for the BBC.

From donning Make America Great Again baseball caps to cosying up with J.D Vance, Tom has made it clear he has no problem aligning himself to right-wing figures that have made no secret of the fact they want to meddle in UK politics.

I’ve interviewed Tom a couple of times over the years, back when he was best known for eating a curry in the early hours of the morning at his beloved Dino’s Cafe and using the word ‘bosh’ in lieu of a full stop. I really liked him – he was funny, honest and not particularly media trained, meaning it was always a fun chat.

Back then, he seemed more interested in a stint on I’m a Celebrity rather than learning how to dance – admitting he came close to camping Down Under in 2023.

“I was the bookies’ favourite by a long way to go in there this year but a deal couldn’t be done this year so…” he admitted to me after Sam Thompson was crowned King of the Jungle.

“I would 100% accept it if they asked me on again. I think I’d be quite good at it. I ain’t scared of nothing apart from heights yeah, but I would like to overcome that fear. I’m well good with people, I’d be a good little chef in there and lose a little bit of weight – plus it’s a free holiday to Australia!”

But it seems ITV are keeping good on their promise to keep politics out of camp following the backlash from Nigel Farage and Matt Hancock’s rehabilitative stints on the show. The BBC, however, seems happy to take over when it comes to adding a sprinkling of controversy to its reality TV output.

It’s a shame that in a line-up that includes Ellie Goldstein, the show’s first contestant with Down syndrome, and Drag Race icon La Voix, the BBC has scored an own goal and forced Tom Skinner to be the main talking point rather than focusing on the positives

Strictly bosses surely knew signing Tom up for the 2025 series would spark backlash and doing so, it seems they don’t actually care that much about shaking off the scandal tag tainting the show.

William White is the subject of a new documentary, which delves into the rise and fall of the social media influencer who became known for his ‘thirst traps’.

Viral TikTok sensation William White is the focus of Paramount Plus’ fresh documentary, Thirst Trap: The Fame. The Fantasy. The Fallout.

As the title indicates, this two-part series explores the meteoric rise and dramatic downfall of the social media personality, who gained notoriety for sharing ‘thirst traps’.

The synopsis states: “A TikTok lip-sync to Barry Manilow’s “Mandy” launches William White into viral stardom, and into the hearts of a generation of women; unpacking the rise, the fandom and the chaos that follows when fantasy crashes into reality.”

With the documentary now available on Paramount+, audiences are keen to discover how William catapulted to stardom and his current whereabouts, reports the Mirror US.

How did William White become famous?

Born in 2000, William rocketed to celebrity status after launching a TikTok profile in January 2020. What began as a pastime for the former landscaper rapidly drew a following of self-described cougars, who became utterly captivated by the 21-year-old.

His appeal amongst Gen X women was further amplified by the content creator’s thirst trap clips, where he would perform dance routines and occasionally mime along to beloved 70s and 80s hits.

It was his performance lip-syncing Barry Manilow’s chart-topper ‘Mandy’ that triggered the emergence of his dedicated following.

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The middle-aged admirers subsequently established a supporter group dubbed the Grotto Girls, who proceeded to lavish William with adoration and thousands of pounds.

In the docu-series, one fan reveals she gifted around $200,000 in total to the Canadian influencer. Fans’ donations were frequently made during his TikTok Live broadcasts or sent straight to his PayPal account.

Supporters had spotted that every contribution could result in William acknowledging them live on air, which made them feel individually recognised by the celebrity. Consequently, many continued sending cash as a method of securing his attention.

However, this online fanbase would soon become consumed with envy after William slept with one of his devoted long-term admirers.

The intimate liaison marked one of the initial moments that triggered toxic behaviour within the community, including leaked nude images, which are discussed in the documentary.

Where is William White now?

The fanbase’s shift in mood left the content creator exasperated, prompting him to snap during his exchanges with supporters.

As the 25-year-old reveals in the documentary, he sometimes addressed viewers harshly, which damaged his pin-up image. Many viewers distanced themselves from the celebrity as a result.

In 2024, William discovered his new beginning in Greece, where he underwent baptism at Marmari Paradise Beach. The ritual was witnessed by several fans, who travelled from various nations “just for Will”.

The TikToker has stated he feels “different” following the religious ceremony, though he admits “it could be placebo or it could be Jesus Christ. I guess we’ll never know.”

Come 2025, the Canadian sensation continues to upload videos under the handle @whitey18, although he’s largely moved away from creating ‘thirst trap’ content.

He briefly quit social media back in March but made a swift comeback just two days later.

Eyeing up his future prospects, the influencer has set his sights on Hollywood.

“When I’m 30, in five or six years, I hope I’m an actor,” he reveals in the documentary.

Prince Harry has been reaching out to UK pals and trying to build bridges, a new report has claimed amid the Duke of Sussex’s visit to the UK for the WellChild Awards and other engagements

In a rare trip to the UK, Prince Harry has attended the WellChild Awards, as well as conducting a series of other visits to the charities he supports. The Duke of Sussex has come back to his home country solo with Meghan and his children remaining in California, and reports are swirling that he might reunite with his father, King Charles, whilst he is visiting.

Harry’s been public about his desire to build bridges with his family, with whom relations have been strained since he decided to step back as a working royal five years ago. After moving across the pond, Harry has been candid about his grievances with some of his relatives – and their staff – with his memoir Spare also lifting the lid on his childhood and longstanding sibling rivalry with Prince William.

However, royal insiders claim that Harry has been “pining” for the UK and desperately trying to make amends with his friends from home.

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One of the Duke’s friends told the Standard that this has included sending them “long” messages on WhatsApp trying to reconnect, indicating he is really “homesick” for the UK.

“Spike (his nickname among his old school friends) is seriously homesick. He’s started reaching out to us more and more.

“It started with very long and earnest WhatsApps. We actually all made a decision when we started getting them not to take the p*ss out of them.

“Something we couldn’t have imagined doing a few years before. Anyway, gradually, he seems to be sounding more normal. Whenever anyone goes to America they try to see him. It never seems to be with Meghan though. We think he is beginning to pine for home,” the pal explained.

The report claims that the pining isn’t just going one way across the Atlantic, with King Charles also missing having a relationship with his youngest son. A courtier told the outlet that Charles has “always absolutely adored” Harry, and in fact has had a more strained relationship with William over the years than his younger son, despite Harry’s tendency in recent years to drop public bombshells.

In an interview with the BBC after he lost his case against the Home Office to have his automatic police security reinstated, Harry said he was “devastated” not to be on speaking terms with his family, and claimed Charles “won’t speak to me because of this security stuff”.

Harry also said he didn’t want to keep fighting and that since Charles’s cancer diagnosis in 2024, he does “not know how much longer my father has”.

Thomas Skinner has sensationally stormed out of a Strictly Come Dancing interview, furiously telling reporters ‘I’m not doing this.’ The Apprentice star was being interviewed by journalists at the BBC’s Elstree Studios when he got up and left the room.

In a first for a Strictly contestant, the former reality star, best known for his social media output these days, grabbed a reporter’s phone as they asked him to stop. It comes just hours after Skinner told his followers on X he “can’t be bought” and “won’t say things just to keep people happy”.

Skinner, 34, has been a controversial signing for this year’s series of the BBC series. The dad-of-three has drawn strong criticism for Twitter (X) posts saying it is “not far-right” to be “flying your flag and loving your country”, and complaining “it ain’t safe out there any more” in London, saying the city is “hostile” and “tense”.

But while Skinner is happy to chat online, it seems he is less keen to converse in real life. The divisive figure took issue with a reporter recording an interview, a common practise, during the big Strictly Come Dancing press day.

He had arrived at the table alongside fellow contestant, former footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbank, who was left having to do interviews on his own.

“He walked to the table with his head down, he sat down, grabbed one of the reporters phones, who told him to stop,” an insider at the event has told the Mirror. “It was a shock. His reaction came out of nowhere.”

Another source told us: “It was totally out of the blue. He was absolutely fine during the first interview. In good spirits and delighted and surprised to be there. Like a competition winner.”

His actions are said to have left organisers furious and BBC bosses in talks over whether he should remain on the show.

A female journalist had simply asked Skinner what had motivated him to sign up for Strictly, which left the reality TV star realising he was being recorded on a phone during the press event. “What’s that?” Skinner demanded, before picking up the woman’s phone and taking it from the table.

The journalist responded asking: “What are you doing, can you answer the question, we have only got three minutes. I’m just recording him.”

Skinner posted a cryptic message to his Twitter (X) followers this morning ahead of the press day commencing. In the length tweet, he wrote: “I cannot be bought. I won’t say things just to keep people happy like others do. I am not a weathercock who changes opinions to gain clout like others you see online or social media. I’ll say what I believe in, even when it’s not easy. Because that’s what we need more of in today’s world.”

Skinner’s antics come just hours on from BBC director-general Tim Davie defended the decision to cast former the Apprentice contestant in the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing.

Speaking to MPs from the Culture, Media and Sport committee, Davie said: “That was not my decision, that was the production team looking for those people … who want to do Strictly, and those people they thought would be interesting to the audience.”

The 58-year-old added: “Clearly, we wouldn’t take anyone whose views are just beyond the pale, or we would see as completely unacceptable or not suitable, racist views, all those things, we wouldn’t accept them. But that’s not the case here, from what I know, I’m not an expert on the individual, per se.”

It comes after TV presenter Narinder Kaur criticised the decision to cast Skinner, who is known for his “bosh” catchphrase, saying she was told she was “too controversial” for the show herself.

Speaking about Kaur, Davie said he had “never heard that” when asked about claims she was rejected for the show.
He continued: “I’m not involved directly, that’s not disowning it, it’s just day to day. It’s for BBC Studios to propose to the commissioner of entertainment who they think they can get, one is who will take part, because it’s quite a commitment, three months in full training.

“And the second is, who are people that they think would make a good balance in terms of the cost, and my goodness, they’ve done a good job in terms of creating a phenomenal show.”

Skinner met US vice president JD Vance for a barbecue and drinks earlier this year, with the star – who befriended US President Donald Trump ’s number two on social media platform X – describing the event as “once in a lifetime”.

Asked what the criteria are for someone who is “too controversial” for the show, Davie added: “There may be views you don’t agree with, but that’s not to me, a criteria. If someone had broadcast things that were totally unacceptable, had racist views, we don’t want them anywhere near our shows, that’s obvious.

“That’s what our team have to judge, I don’t know how many series we’re in, but we’ve had a pretty good run of the contestants, there’s been things to deal with, but actually, in terms of the casting and the overall show around the world, I think they do a good job.”

Skinner will join fellow stars such as Love Island winner Dani Dyer-Bowen, former footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and CBBC actress Ellie Goldstein, who is to become the first contestant with Down’s syndrome to take part in Strictly’s full series, when the show returns later this year.

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The Beatles legend Paul McCartney attended an Oasis gig in the United States this week, with fans now recalling a brutal dig made by Liam Gallagher at the frontman

Paul McCartney’s surprise appearance at an Oasis gig in the US has sparked fans to reminisce about a hilarious encounter between The Beatles legend and Liam Gallagher. The Wings frontman and Oasis star had previously met backstage, as well as at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

However, their conversation wasn’t about music but a misunderstanding that led McCartney to label Gallagher “stupid”. Gallagher later recounted the amusing incident in an interview, admitting he was confused at the time, thinking the Beatles icon had offered him something peculiar. Despite the awkwardness, Gallagher insists that Paul McCartney was an “absolute dream” during their previous meetings.

Gallagher has always been vocal about how The Beatles shaped his career, with John Lennon being a significant inspiration for the Oasis frontman. An encounter with Lennon’s songwriting partner seems to have left a lasting impression on Gallagher, who was clearly starstruck.

Speaking of McCartney, he said: “I’ve met him a few times he’s been absolutely a dream. The last time was at the Royal Albert Hall… He goes, ‘Why are you always in a rush? Sit down, sit down’.

“I sit down and he goes, ‘Do you like margaritas?’ I said, ‘Yeah, but I had something before I come out, I don’t eat at this time of night. He said, ‘They’re f***ing drinks, you stupid p***k.’ I thought he was offering me a pizza.”

Supporters were left in hysterics by the tale, with some dubbing it their “favourite” from Gallagher.

One admirer penned: “One of my favourite Liam stories,” whilst another commented: “He literally said it like THAT? ! Doesn’t sound so nice to me.” This emerges as McCartney was seen at a recent Oasis gig in the United States prior to his own American tour.

Devotees are now yearning for a partnership between Oasis and the Wings lead singer, though it appears improbable.

Keen supporters are clinging to hopes for a McCartney-Gallagher partnership, particularly since McCartney has suggested having an album prepared for launch early next year.

The Gallagher siblings were renowned for incorporating a version of The Beatles’ “I Am the Walrus” into their concerts, a custom that hasn’t appeared on their Live ’25 tour.

Nevertheless, Liam Gallagher has occasionally delighted fans with a snippet of the melody during his solo shows.

One excited supporter remarked: “Maybe a McCartney / Gallagher song could be in the works.”

Whilst another contributed: “God I wish. Macca does have an album on the works, according to him. Honestly I’d just be happy with a pic of the three of them together.”

This comes as McCartney reveals the secret behind what drives him to continue touring.

He particularly explained how he maintains his fingertips in prime condition when performing for hours each week. Paul revealed: “To tell you the truth, I don’t!

When I’m touring and playing guitar constantly, my fingertips develop calluses.