Radio Times
type: channel
link: https://www.radiotimes.com
date: 2025-12-07T22:33:17.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: All the I'm a Celebrity winners – from Danny Jones to Giovanna Fletcher and Harry Redknapp
items: View from my sofa: KSI
items: KSI on joining BGT: "People will question me as a judge, but I’ve been making content for years"
items: A travel guide to 'The Road Trip’s' Gran Canaria
items: Death Down Under
items: 'I’m as pleased as punch'
items: ‘I’m from Grimsby — it’s beautiful, but not a patch on the Australian coast’
items: 'Everyone I know was auditioning for this — I was gobsmacked when I got the part’
items: Joe Locke on Heartstopper season 3, filming sex scenes and famous fans
items: Heartstopper's Alice Oseman opens up on tackling sex and mental health in season 3
items: Kit Connor on "sweet and tender" sex scenes in Heartstopper season 3
items: "My life started with Heartstopper"
items: "I see a lot of myself in Charlie"
items: "I just enjoy doing what I’m doing"
items: Ten Questions with Gemma Arterton
items: Gemma Arterton talks pre-MeToo industry and standing up for herself in sex scenes
items: "We’re a bit like conjoined twins"
items: Colin from Accounts’ Harriet Dyer & Patrick Brammall: ‘The dog was always the most professional on set’
items: "I never used the word disabled"
items: Adam Hills on the Paralympics and how The Last Leg broke down stigma
items: "There's this woman, Phoebe, who's amazing…"
items: Matt Damon and Casey Affleck on navigating fame and their new film The Instigators
items: "Finding a career away from Daisy was a big thing for me"
items: Behind every great Olympian
items: Max Whitlock on the Olympics, his childhood as a boy gymnast and fatherhood
items: Emma Myers on A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and why Wednesday reaction was "overwhelming"
items: Dolly Wells on A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, the beauty of ageing and Emily Mortimer
items: Suranne Jones on Coronation Street, comfort TV and taking control of her career
items: Karen Gillan on Douglas is Cancelled, Doctor Who and the "verbal gymnastics" of Steven Moffat's writing
items: Joanna Lumley on the secrets of a long marriage, the Swinging Sixties and beauty

All the I'm a Celebrity winners – from Danny Jones to Giovanna Fletcher and Harry Redknapp
type: item
date: 2025-12-07T22:15:55.000Z
creator: Katelyn Mensah
subject: Entertainment
subject: News
subject: Reality TV
subject: TV
subject: ITV
description: A total of 24 celebs have taken the crown - can't remember them all? We've got the rundown.
encoded: Another series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! is set for its conclusion. One of 2025's three finalists – YouTuber Angry Ginge, actress Shona McGarty, and Celebs Go Dating star Tom Read Wilson – will be crowned the new King or Queen of the Jungle in tonight's final. 12 famous faces headed Down Under ready to face the creepy crawlies, gruelling tasks and jungle living. Eight have left camp over the past five weeks, including the likes of Martin Kemp, Alex Scott and Ruby Wax. The final will see the remaining four follow in their footsteps and the I'm a Celebrity 2025 winner named. Last year, Danny Jones earned the King of the Jungle title after receiving 55.21 per cent of the votes, with Coleen Rooney second and Rev. Richard Coles in third. However, there have been some slightly more surprising wins over the year, from former prime minister Margaret Thatcher's daughter Carol, who won in 2005, to Kerry Katona, who was Queen of the Jungle the following year, despite being scared of pretty much everything (especially spiders)! As season 25 comes to an end, RadioTimes.com has rustled together a list of all the show's winners from the first series in 2000, right up to the reigning champ! I'm a Celebrity winners list in full Danny Jones Year: 2024 Runner up: Coleen Rooney McFly frontman Danny Jones won last year's series of I'm a Celebrity, having charmed ITV viewers. Jones thanked voters "from the bottom of my heart" and revealed: "I gave my all in there, gave myself, and it's a lovely feeling to be liked." He is the second McFly band member to win the show after 2011 King of the Jungle Dougie Poynter. Sam Thompson Year: 2023 Runner up: Tony Bellew TV personality and presenter Sam Thompson took home the 2024 crown, after winning the hearts of the nation. After winning the show, super fan Sam was very emotional. He told Ant & Dec: "I feel overwhelmed. I didn't even think I would get invited on the show." When asked if he had a message for voters, he said: "I'm so …

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View from my sofa: KSI
type: item
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: App
subject: App features
description: Can the YouTuber, boxer and businessman make it as a “cut-throat” TV judge?
encoded: Add Britain's Got Talent to your watchlist What’s the view from your sofa? I have a beige, L-shaped sofa with orange pillows, and there’s a nice carpet underneath it. Right next to the TV is a massive cat tree for my two sphynxes. What have you enjoyed watching on telly recently? I enjoyed Severance on Apple TV, and I’ve just finished the second series of Silo. I’d highly recommend that. I also thought The Traitors was really good. How do you think you’d fare on The Traitors? Whenever I play among friends, I’m always the first to get voted out. People instantly don’t trust me! You’re joining Britain’s Got Talent as a guest judge. Were you nervous? A bit! It’s something different and the audience can be quite intimidating – especially if you say, “No, this is terrible.” There can be a lot of booing… You have 25 million subscribers on YouTube — do you think you landed the BGT gig because you pull in a young audience who otherwise might evade mainstream telly? Britain’s Got Talent saw my audience and how engaged they are and obviously wanted to tap into that. But I’m from the YouTube world – I’m cut-throat and straightforward. Some people aren’t going to like that. It’s quite polarising! I’m not just going to guest-judge and be the same as everybody else. I bring my own style to it. If I think something is bad, I’ll say. What was the worst audition you saw? There was a person who did impressions and they were awful. You could tell he was really trying. When I told him how bad it was, he was visibly upset, on the verge of tears – but I just said, “I know you travelled all this way, but that was bad, bro. I’m sorry man.” There will be people who watch it and say, “You don’t have what it takes to be a judge. What gives you the qualifications?” But I’ve been making content for years. I’ve seen the best of the best and the worst of the worst. I’m very qualified to see what will do well and I’m not going to sugarcoat it. As someone who has forged a career on the internet, yo…

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KSI on joining BGT: "People will question me as a judge, but I’ve been making content for years"
type: item
date: 2025-02-18T00:00:35.000Z
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: Entertainment
subject: TV
subject: ITV
subject: ITVX
subject: Magazine
description: KSI is stepping in for Bruno Tonioli in the new series.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. What’s the view from your sofa? I have a beige, L-shaped sofa with orange pillows, and there’s a nice carpet underneath it. Right next to the TV is a massive cat tree for my two sphynxes. What have you enjoyed watching on telly recently? I enjoyed Severance on Apple TV, and I’ve just finished the second series of Silo. I’d highly recommend that. I also thought The Traitors was really good. How do you think you’d fare on The Traitors? Whenever I play among friends, I’m always the first to get voted out. People instantly don’t trust me! You’re joining Britain’s Got Talent as a guest judge. Were you nervous? A bit! It’s something different and the audience can be quite intimidating – especially if you say, "No, this is terrible." There can be a lot of booing… You have 25 million subscribers on YouTube — do you think you landed the BGT gig because you pull in a young audience who otherwise might evade mainstream telly? Britain’s Got Talent saw my audience and how engaged they are and obviously wanted to tap into that. But I’m from the YouTube world – I’m cut-throat and straightforward. Some people aren’t going to like that. It’s quite polarising! I’m not just going to guest-judge and be the same as everybody else. I bring my own style to it. If I think something is bad, I’ll say. What was the worst audition you saw? There was a person who did impressions and they were awful. You could tell he was really trying. When I told him how bad it was, he was visibly upset, on the verge of tears – but I just said, "I know you travelled all this way, but that was bad, bro. I’m sorry man." There will be people who watch it and say, “You don’t have what it takes to be a judge. What gives you the qualifications?” But I’ve been making content for years. I’ve seen the best of the best and the worst of the worst. I’m very qualified to see what will do well and I’m not going to sugarcoat it. As someone who has forged a career on the in…

A travel guide to 'The Road Trip’s' Gran Canaria
type: item
date: 2024-12-27T05:00:28.000Z
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: Travel
description: Follow the cast of new TV drama The Road Trip, and find your own adventure on Gran Canaria.
encoded: There’s so much sunshine in the new six-part Paramount+ drama The Road Trip, you can almost soak up the vitamin D through the screen. Based on the bestselling novel by Beth O’Leary, it follows Addie (Emma Appleton), a spirited 20-something who’s spent two years living on her sister Deb’s couch after a romantic break-up. Now she’s taking a ferry from Bristol and driving through Spain in her campervan to get to a wedding at which her ex, Dylan (Laurie Davidson), will also make an appearance. But even before she’s cleared the border, a car accident forces her to allow Dylan – and his mate Marcus – along for the ride, together with her sister and a fellow wedding guest, Rodney. The drama flip-flops between two timelines – the tumultuous road trip through Spain, and the early days of Addie and Dylan’s relationship that, coincidentally, begins as a holiday romance in Málaga – and it’s set against a backdrop of mountainous terrain, coastal drives and quaint pastel-coloured villages. It’s the perfect sunny summer holiday, served up on a television-sized platter. Request a holiday brochure from one of our partners Following in Addie’s flip-flop prints – on Gran Canaria, where the show was shot – I arrive at the resort town of Maspalomas, and savour those famously reliable rays of Canary Island sunshine on my skin. I’m staying at Seaside Palm Beach (hotel-palm-beach.com), a five-star resort on the coast, where pristine white umbrellas shade sun-kissed retirees sipping cocktails and completing crosswords. I dive into the turquoise blue pool and swim to the island in the middle; looking out, green-topped palm trees and clear blue skies are the only things I can see. In the evening, I stroll through the “Little Venice of the Canaries”, Puerto de Mogán. It’s a picturesque marina and the sunset burnishes its beauty, reflecting the yachts in the glittering water. The harbour front is alive with vibrant restaurants and the delicious scent of meat grilled over charcoal. The surroundi…

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Death Down Under
type: item
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: App
subject: App features
subject: Collections
description: Meet Lloyd Griffith and Tai Hara, the supporting stars of the BBC's new Death in Paradise spin-off
encoded: View oEmbed on the source website

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'I’m as pleased as punch'
type: item
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: App
subject: App features
description: Star Anna Samson reveals what it’s like to be the first female detective in the new Australian Death in Paradise spin-off
encoded: Add Return to Paradise to your watchlist There is a reason Death in Paradise has been on our screens for 13 years. White-sand beaches, crystal-clear blue waters, unflinching sunlight and crimes that are wrapped up in an hour have proven to be a sure-fire recipe for success. And if the formula isn’t broken, you need not fix it. In fact, it’s probably wise to monopolise on it. Enter, Return to Paradise. View oEmbed on the source website In this spin-off, Guadeloupe has been replaced by Australia and the island of St Marie for the quiet, mesmeric coastal town of Dolphin Cove. It’s predictably an armchair traveller’s delight – a patchwork quilt of shooting locations from northern Sydney’s beaches down to the enchanting landscapes of the Illawarra region. And, adding to the canon of maverick detectives in the Paradise universe is the socially incompetent – but brilliantly minded – DI Mackenzie Clarke. After serving in the Metropolitan Police, DI Clarke leaves London and returns to her hometown of Dolphin Cove – and comes face to face with some dark aspects of her past (an old flame, her old job, small-town gossip). For some, taking on the first female lead in a beloved franchise might have been an intimidating prospect, but if anyone is up for the job, it’s Anna Samson – who shines as brightly as the Aussie sun as Mackenzie. “Death in Paradise is one of the highest-grossing shows in Australia,” says the 34-year-old excitedly. “I was a fan of it because it harks back – without ever being fusty – to a more innocent time of television where there was the intention to entertain and give escape, rather than traumatise. I think the world can be quite heavy and dark and hard right now. Having a show that is softer, warmer, charming and kind in its bones was really appealing to me. Even though Mackenzie can be an acerbic, hard character, she lives within a soft television world.” Landing the role of DI Clarke was no small feat. The audition process was long and extensive, with m…

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‘I’m from Grimsby — it’s beautiful, but not a patch on the Australian coast’
type: item
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: App
subject: App features
description: Lloyd Griffith plays fellow officer Colin Cartwright
encoded: Add Return to Paradise to your watchlist Were you a fan of Death in Paradise before you landed the role of Colin? I started watching it when I lived with my mum during the pandemic. She had already seen Ben Miller and Kris Marshall’s series and I joined in halfway through Ardal O’Hanlon’s. Then we got to Ralf Little’s – I’d grown up watching him in The Royle Family – and I thought it was great! Will fans like this Australian spin-off? I think so! It’s got the same ingredients as Death in Paradise – it’s a whodunnit and we figure out the crime by the end of each episode. British viewers have this love affair with Australian TV. It’s location porn… you can fantasise about the Aussie life! Did the Antipodean location have anything to do with you taking the job? I’d never been Down Under! When the script came through, I was asked, “How would you feel about moving to Australia?” I said, “Absolutely!” Peter Mattessi, the writer and showrunner, said I was really realistic in my audition for Colin – playing this British guy who is starry-eyed about moving to Australia. Obviously, I was acting but at the same time, it wasn’t hard. The locations we shoot at… Oh my goodness! I’m from Grimsby! Cleethorpes beach is beautiful but it’s not really a patch on the northern beaches and Illawarra coast in Australia. Your career has been incredibly wide-ranging — you’ve worked as a comedian, you’ve dabbled in sports commentary, done a bit of singing… I think I might be the only person to have hosted both Songs of Praise and Soccer AM! I like a varied career. I trained as a classical singer and then I got into comedy. During a gig, a casting director saw me and asked me to audition for an acting job. So, that’s how it all came about… I’m like a modern-day Harry Secombe. You’ve had acting credits on some of the biggest shows of the last few years. Will you be concentrating on acting in the future? I had small parts in Ted Lasso and It’s a Sin – but they were huge jobs to be a part of. I m…

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'Everyone I know was auditioning for this — I was gobsmacked when I got the part’
type: item
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: App
subject: App features
description: Tai Hara plays former fiancé Dr Glenn Strong
encoded: Add Return to Paradise to your watchlist You play Dr Glenn Strong, resident forensic pathologist and former love interest of DI Mackenzie Clarke. How familiar were you with the Death in Paradise universe? I wouldn’t say I was a mega fan – but I had seen the show before. It’s got a huge following over here – Australians love it. It’s definitely a guilty pleasure for people of all ages. I was so excited to find out that we were doing our own spin-off and adding our own flavour to it. Everyone I know was auditioning for it. When I saw the character of Glenn, I thought, “I’ve got to play this guy!” I was gobsmacked when I got the part. Before getting down to work, your character spends his mornings surfing — do you live like Glenn? It’s been a dream job – I get to enjoy all the best elements of what this country has to offer. I play a guy that lives by the beach, surfs, gets to have beers with his mates and solves crimes. It’s pretty sweet. It feels like Australian fare is a staple on our screens at the moment — Colin from Accounts has most recently captivated UK audiences. What was that like to be a part of? It was amazing! Pat and Harry [co-creators Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer] are phenomenal. I cannot speak highly enough of them. Everything you see them do as their characters on screen, is what they’re like in real life. They have that same banter – they’re fun and cheeky. It’s real and relatable and culturally it lands really well. There have also been a few darker dramas — The Newsreader, The Tourist, The Twelve. Has the Australian TV industry upped its game? I feel like we’ve always had a strong, thriving industry. I wouldn’t say it’s a chip on the shoulder – but maybe a little sibling complex. We’ve always been here and we do produce amazing artists and crew. So many Aussies have gone and made their mark in the UK and in the States. The generation before us really pushed us onto the world stage. I also think with streaming, it’s become a more universal worl…

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Joe Locke on Heartstopper season 3, filming sex scenes and famous fans
type: item
date: 2024-10-01T09:00:17.000Z
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Magazine
subject: Netflix
subject: On demand
description: Locke is back as Charlie in the third season of the hugely popular Netflix teen series.
encoded: This interview was originally published in Radio Times magazine. From school plays to an open casting call – and now fame... Joe Locke speaks about playing Charlie in Heartstopper. When did you realise you wanted to become an actor? When I was really young. For people from the Isle of Man, it’s harder to meet the right people. I was always doing school plays, but I just thought it was fun. You applied for an open casting call and landed the lead role in Heartstopper. How did it feel? It felt very surreal. It’s still very crazy to think what my life would have been like if it hadn’t happened… What do you think it would have looked like? I’d probably be at university with the rest of my friends and living a very normal life. What drew you to the role of Charlie? Heartstopper is such a positive portrayal of teenagers and queerness. There was a period where queer characters were just there for comic relief or for a sad story. It’s nice to have a happy story about queer people. Were there experiences from your teenage years that you channelled into the part? I see a lot of myself in Charlie — especially in the first couple of series. The show made you famous overnight — how have you found handling that? Even saying the word famous, makes me [he shudders]. It makes me sound like a… I won’t say that word! You and Kit Connor have a great friendship. Did that help when it came to filming intimate scenes? It’s a vulnerable thing to do a sex scene in a room of 50 random people. To have the person you’re doing it with be someone that you trust makes it much easier. We had a great intimacy coordinator who put us at ease. We choreographed it like a dance, but with sex positions. We went in knowing what we were doing, so felt comfortable. Who have you been most excited about discovering was a Heartstopper fan? When Kit [Connor] told me that Elton John had watched the show, that was pretty cool! Also, I got to work with Olivia Colman in the first series, which was incredible. And J…

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Heartstopper's Alice Oseman opens up on tackling sex and mental health in season 3
type: item
date: 2024-10-01T09:00:05.000Z
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Magazine
subject: Netflix
subject: On demand
description: The hit teen romance series is back for its third run on Netflix.
encoded: This interview was originally published in Radio Times magazine. When the greats of British acting – like Olivia Colman, Stephen Fry and Jonathan Bailey – sign on to a teenage romance series, you know there must be more to it than meets the eye. But, even with starry names attached, I think it unlikely Netflix realised the phenomenon that Heartstopper would become. It follows Charlie, a dorkish teenager, who falls in love with the school’s rugby-playing heart-throb Nick. Now, in its third season, Nick and Charlie are an established couple navigating the joys and pitfalls of youth – when to say, "I love you," when to have sex, where to go to university. But it also ventures into darker waters – mental health problems and eating disorders. The show has accrued a loyal and dedicated fan-following. When the initial casting announcement was made, Kit Connor (who plays Nick) and Joe Locke (Charlie) racked up thousands of followers on social media. That number is now in the millions. The brains behind it all is Alice Oseman, the writer and creator of the webcomic and graphic novel on which the series is based. "Nick and Charlie were supporting characters in my first book, Solitaire," the 29-year-old author explains. "When we meet them, they are already in a loving relationship. We don’t know how they got together or what their back story is. I wanted to tell that story because I loved them as characters. "I tried to plan it as a prose novel, like Solitaire, but I realised very quickly it didn’t work. It was the perfect time for me to try and make a comic. I’ve always loved drawing. I started making Heartstopper as a webcomic and uploading a few pages every week for people to read for free. And it grew from there." The webcomic amassed more than 124 million views – and so Oseman, whose first novel was published at 18, set about getting Nick and Charlie’s story in print. "It wasn’t as easy as you might think, given that I had already published books. My literary agent spoke …

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Kit Connor on "sweet and tender" sex scenes in Heartstopper season 3
type: item
date: 2024-10-01T09:00:04.000Z
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Magazine
subject: Netflix
subject: On demand
description: Kit Connor began acting as a child – now he’s holding his own on set, if not the rugby pitch…
encoded: This interview was originally published in Radio Times magazine. When did you know you wanted to be an actor? Your first on-screen job was at the age of eight! I had quite a peculiar but natural progression into the industry. I went to a Saturday acting club and they had an agency, so I started doing commercials. You went from commercials to playing the young Elton John in the Hollywood biopic Rocketman and voicing Pantalaimon in His Dark Materials… The thing is, every step you take in your career feels like the biggest you’re ever going to take. I remember when I did my first TV job that wasn’t a commercial — it was an episode of Casualty. I went to a BBC office in Cardiff and they gave me a tag with my name on it, which I kept for years because it felt like a huge thing! Getting Rocketman was ridiculous. I’d worked with the director Dexter Fletcher on a B&Q commercial and apparently he thought that the kid from the B&Q ad might be good for the role… My whole career has been a whirlwind. Have you ever had a Plan B? It’s probably a bit of a risky mindset — but I do think if you rely too heavily on having a back-up plan, how do you expect Plan A to succeed? My parents have always been incredibly supportive. They never pushed anything onto me; they’ve just enjoyed watching me be able to do what I love. I do think that they wanted me to get my A-levels, though… How has landing Heartstopper changed your life? It’s been a pretty extraordinary journey. It never felt like a surefire way to success. I don’t think many people expected it to do well. I was incredibly excited to get the role and it was my first chance to lead. As a child actor, you can be sheltered. While you’re shooting a movie, people your age are going to parties! I wouldn’t have changed it, but it does hold you back in some respects. I feel like my life started when I did Heartstopper, which is beautiful. Being on the top of the call sheet comes with responsibility. Do you enjoy that? It’s really nice to b…

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"My life started with Heartstopper"
type: item
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: App
subject: App features
description: Kit Connor began acting as a child – now he’s holding his own on set, if not the rugby pitch…
encoded: Add Heartstopper to your watchlist View oEmbed on the source website When did you know you wanted to be an actor? Your first on-screen job was at the age of eight! I had quite a peculiar but natural progression into the industry. I went to a Saturday acting club and they had an agency, so I started doing commercials. You went from commercials to playing the young Elton John in the Hollywood biopic Rocketman and voicing Pantalaimon in His Dark Materials… The thing is, every step you take in your career feels like the biggest you’re ever going to take. I remember when I did my first TV job that wasn’t a commercial — it was an episode of Casualty. I went to a BBC office in Cardiff and they gave me a tag with my name on it, which I kept for years because it felt like a huge thing! Getting Rocketman was ridiculous. I’d worked with the director Dexter Fletcher on a B&Q commercial and apparently he thought that the kid from the B&Q ad might be good for the role… My whole career has been a whirlwind. Have you ever had a Plan B? It’s probably a bit of a risky mindset — but I do think if you rely too heavily on having a back-up plan, how do you expect Plan A to succeed? My parents have always been incredibly supportive. They never pushed anything onto me; they’ve just enjoyed watching me be able to do what I love. I do think that they wanted me to get my A-levels, though… View oEmbed on the source website How has landing Heartstopper changed your life? It’s been a pretty extraordinary journey. It never felt like a surefire way to success. I don’t think many people expected it to do well. I was incredibly excited to get the role and it was my first chance to lead. As a child actor, you can be sheltered. While you’re shooting a movie, people your age are going to parties! I wouldn’t have changed it, but it does hold you back in some respects. I feel like my life started when I did Heartstopper, which is beautiful. Being on the top of the call sheet comes with responsibility. Do…

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"I see a lot of myself in Charlie"
type: item
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: App
subject: App features
description: From school plays to an open casting call – and now fame... Joe Locke on playing Charlie in Heartstopper
encoded: Add Heartstopper to your watchlist View oEmbed on the source website When did you realise you wanted to become an actor? When I was really young. For people from the Isle of Man, it’s harder to meet the right people. I was always doing school plays, but I just thought it was fun. You applied for an open casting call and landed the lead role in Heartstopper. How did it feel? It felt very surreal. It’s still very crazy to think what my life would have been like if it hadn’t happened… What do you think it would have looked like? I’d probably be at university with the rest of my friends and living a very normal life. What drew you to the role of Charlie? Heartstopper is such a positive portrayal of teenagers and queerness. There was a period where queer characters were just there for comic relief or for a sad story. It’s nice to have a happy story about queer people. View oEmbed on the source website Were there experiences from your teenage years that you channelled into the part? I see a lot of myself in Charlie — especially in the first couple of series. The show made you famous overnight — how have you found handling that? Even saying the word famous, makes me [he shudders]. It makes me sound like a… I won’t say that word! You and Kit Connor have a great friendship. Did that help when it came to filming intimate scenes? It’s a vulnerable thing to do a sex scene in a room of 50 random people. To have the person you’re doing it with be someone that you trust makes it much easier. We had a great intimacy coordinator who put us at ease. We choreographed it like a dance, but with sex positions. We went in knowing what we were doing, so felt comfortable. Who have you been most excited about discovering was a Heartstopper fan? When Kit [Connor] told me that Elton John had watched the show, that was pretty cool! Also, I got to work with Olivia Colman in the first series, which was incredible. And Johnny [Jonathan Bailey] this series — he is a wonderful, kind man and he’s bee…

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"I just enjoy doing what I’m doing"
type: item
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: App
subject: App features
description: Having fulfilled all his ambitions, James McAvoy doesn’t care if he’s booed…
encoded: Speak No Evil is in cinemas now. Add it to your watchlist. What’s the view from your sofa? I’ve got a coffee-table-slash-footstool in front of me and a telly on the wall. There’s a desk and shelves, which are covered in family photographs. What have you enjoyed watching on TV recently? I actually don’t watch much at all because I’ve got kids and there’s a lot of Hey Duggee and Mr Tumble. The last thing I watched was Baby Reindeer. I’d seen Richard Gadd perform the show on stage, so seeing him bring it to the screen was really interesting. He’s a really good writer and the way he exposes his own experience is incredible. View oEmbed on the source website You grew up in Glasgow — when did you realise you wanted to be an actor? Did it feel like a viable career choice? No – it wasn’t something that I considered until I got my first acting job. When I was 16 I got a part in a film out of nowhere; a really nice actor, director and philanthropist called David Hayman had come to my school to talk about Macbeth. I said to him at the end, “Is there any chance, next time you’re making a movie, that I can come and make tea and coffee for the week?” Six months later, he was making a film about child prostitution in Glasgow. And did he remember to call your school? Yes! He phoned and asked if I wanted to meet him. I thought I was there to make coffee, but he said, “Can you read the part of Kevin?” I did and then he said, “Can you read it again and feel why he’s upset? Can you cry?” I did, he gave me the part and that was me. Do you have any inhibitions when it comes to acting? I’m very much a product of my grandmother. She rubbed off on me in one particular way: I’ve never really cared what people think about me. I want to be a good person for my nearest and dearest, but other than that, I don’t care. It’s helped me as an actor because I’m pretty good with failure and criticism. I’d rather succeed and I’d rather people like my work, applaud and give me a standing ovation than be …

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Ten Questions with Gemma Arterton
type: item
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The Funny Woman star shot to fame as a Bond girl but can now choose her roles and speak her mind
encoded: Add Funny Woman to your watchlist Gemma Arterton shot to fame as a Bond Girl in Quantum of Solace, along with star-making performances in Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Tamara Drewe and St Trinian’s. She has since appeared on TV, film and stage, and now returns in the Sky drama series Funny Woman as its lead actor and executive producer. Set in the 60s, it follows Blackpool beauty queen Barbara Parker, who moves to London, adopts the stage name Sophie Straw and gets her own comedy show. Funny Woman is about a woman who disrupts a male-dominated world. Why did it appeal to you? In the UK, we didn’t have a female-led sitcom [written by a woman] until the 70s – and that was The Liver Birds [created by Carla Lane and Myra Taylor]. Further down the road, we had Victoria Wood and French and Saunders – but that was the 80s. It wasn’t happening for women in comedy in the 60s! But it’s a rich time to look at, because there was so much societal change happening and a lot to fight against. Do people connect with the show because it addresses issues that are still relevant today? These days, there are still struggles. There are lots of funny women making funny TV shows, but there is still a distinct lack of funny female sitcoms. There are loads of men having their time. There’s still a gap in the comedy world. View oEmbed on the source website Barbara’s father instils in her an unwavering sense of self-belief. Did your own parents support your decision to pursue acting? I wanted to act; I didn’t expect to be successful. I wanted to do theatre and earn enough to pay my rent – I would have been happy with that. My mum and dad said, “Whatever you want to do, we support you and we’re happy for you.” But we didn’t know anyone in the industry, so they probably thought it wouldn’t work out. In the show, Barbara leaves Blackpool to pursue her dreams in London. Did you make a similar journey from Gravesend? I remember the excitement of moving to London! From the age of 15 to 23, I was a mod…

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Gemma Arterton talks pre-MeToo industry and standing up for herself in sex scenes
type: item
date: 2024-09-09T23:01:32.000Z
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Interview
description: The actress talks to Radio Times about returning to Sky comedy Funny Woman, avoiding one-dimensional roles and more.
encoded: This interview was originally published in Radio Times magazine. Gemma Arterton shot to fame as a Bond Girl in Quantum of Solace, along with star-making performances in Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Tamara Drewe and St Trinian's. She has since appeared on TV, film and stage, and now returns in the Sky drama series Funny Woman as its lead actor and executive producer. Set in the '60s, it follows Blackpool beauty queen Barbara Parker, who moves to London, adopts the stage name Sophie Straw and gets her own comedy show. Funny Woman is about a woman who disrupts a male-dominated world. Why did it appeal to you? In the UK, we didn't have a female-led sitcom [written by a woman] until the '70s – and that was The Liver Birds [created by Carla Lane and Myra Taylor]. Further down the road, we had Victoria Wood and French and Saunders – but that was the '80s. It wasn't happening for women in comedy in the '60s! But it's a rich time to look at, because there was so much societal change happening and a lot to fight against. Do people connect with the show because it addresses issues that are still relevant today? These days, there are still struggles. There are lots of funny women making funny TV shows, but there is still a distinct lack of funny female sitcoms. There are loads of men having their time. There's still a gap in the comedy world. View oEmbed on the source website Barbara's father instils in her an unwavering sense of self-belief. Did your own parents support your decision to pursue acting? I wanted to act; I didn't expect to be successful. I wanted to do theatre and earn enough to pay my rent – I would have been happy with that. My mum and dad said, "Whatever you want to do, we support you and we're happy for you." But we didn't know anyone in the industry, so they probably thought it wouldn't work out. In the show, Barbara leaves Blackpool to pursue her dreams in London. Did you make a similar journey from Gravesend? I remember the excitement of moving to London! Fr…

"We’re a bit like conjoined twins"
type: item
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The real-life couple behind Colin from Accounts write, star and watch together
encoded: Add Colin from Accounts to your watchlist. What’s the view from your sofa? Harriet Dyer: We thought long and hard about that. It’s a good set-up. We are a two-couch family: the couches face each other with a nice coffee table in the middle. It’s a sitting room for when we have guests. But when they leave and it’s just us, we get to lie down on a sofa each, like the animals we are, and watch the telly. Patrick Brammall: Let’s face it, that’s 90 per cent of its use. What have you enjoyed watching recently? Harriet: The Olympics! You know, medals per capita, per population, means that Australia won! Patrick: We also like Below Deck. Harriet: We ate up Baby Reindeer… Patrick: And love Hey Duggee and Love, Diana… So is it actually your toddler who has control of the remote? Patrick: It happens! She likes old-school Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse cartoons – the ones that look creepy! Do you two share the same taste in TV programmes? Harriet: I have learned to be OK with Paddy wanting to watch something that I don’t want to watch. I’ll just go to bed with my laptop or read a book. We have learned that we don’t have to… Patrick: …do all things together, at all times. Harriet: Yes, because we do so much together in parenting and writing the show and doing press and meetings. We’re a bit like conjoined twins. What’s it like co-writing and co-starring in Colin from Accounts? Harriet: It does get intense! Sometimes you realise that this is more time spent with someone than is the design. But it’s also lovely because we are each other’s favourite person and each other’s champion, and we have a very similar sense of humour. So, if it’s going to be anyone, thank God it’s him! Patrick: It really helps that we like each other or it would be a real bummer. What do you do if you don’t like the other person’s idea or you don’t think that it’s funny? Harriet: We have to be gentle with each other. It’s vulnerable showing your art! Patrick: And respectful. Having said that, I think because …

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Colin from Accounts’ Harriet Dyer & Patrick Brammall: ‘The dog was always the most professional on set’
type: item
date: 2024-08-26T23:01:51.000Z
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: The duo behind Colin from Accounts discuss their viewing habits, life at home, and the challenges of co-writing and co-starring in their hit show.
encoded: When it comes to balancing work and home life, Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall seem to have found a rhythm that works—most of the time. The married actors, who co-created and co-star in the critically acclaimed series Colin from Accounts, have mastered the art of collaboration both on and off the screen. Whether they're lounging on their two sofas, indulging in a mix of toddler-friendly cartoons and gripping dramas, or fine-tuning the script of their show, Dyer and Brammall's partnership is defined by a blend of humor, respect, and mutual admiration. In this interview, the couple shares insights into their everyday life, from their favourite TV shows to how they navigate creative differences. They also reflect on the unique challenges and joys of working so closely together, particularly in an industry that often requires them to juggle multiple roles. Despite the occasional intensity, it's clear that Dyer and Brammall wouldn't have it any other way—after all, as they put it, they are each other's biggest fans. What’s the view from your sofa? Harriet Dyer: We thought long and hard about that. It's a good set-up. We are a two-couch family: the couches face each other with a nice coffee table in the middle. It’s a sitting room for when we have guests. But when they leave and it's just us, we get to lie down on a sofa each, like the animals we are, and watch the telly. Patrick Brammall: Let's face it, that’s 90 per cent of its use. What have you enjoyed watching recently? Harriet: The Olympics! You know, medals per capita, per population, means that Australia won! Patrick: We also like Below Deck. Harriet: We ate up Baby Reindeer… Patrick: And love Hey Duggee and Love, Diana… So is it actually your toddler who has control of the remote? Patrick: It happens! She likes old-school Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse cartoons – the ones that look creepy! Do you two share the same taste in TV programmes? Harriet: I have learned to be OK with Patty wanting to watch something that…

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"I never used the word disabled"
type: item
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The Last Leg host missed out on being a Paralympian, but found his tribe
encoded: Add The Last Leg, The Last Leg in Paris or Adam Hills: Foot Fault to your watchlist. What’s the view from your sofa? The main, comfiest sofa looks at the TV. To the right, there’s another sofa and, to the left, a lovely armchair. I’d be fooling myself if I said it’s arranged so that people sitting on different sides can converse… it’s so we can all see the TV. And which seat is yours? It depends on whether my wife and kids are here in London, because most of the year I’m on my own. I have my spot directly in front of the TV – I’ll have my feet up on the footrest and a cup of tea. I make myself very comfortable. When the family are over from Australia, I’m relegated to the sofa on the side! You were born and grew up in Sydney and first covered the Paralympics for Australian television in 2008 — what was that experience like? I’m a bit of a fraud because I never saw myself as disabled. I’m really only missing a tiny bit. I was born with one foot and my parents were told by the first specialist they met that I’d never walk. My mum was devastated. But I caught a bug as a baby and she took me to the GP – and he told her I could have a prosthetic made and I’d be absolutely fine. They were advised to treat me like any normal kid – if I fell over, I had to pick myself up, no fussing over me! I never even used the word disabled. At the 2008 Paralympics, I realised no one considered themselves disabled, they were all just cracking on with life. It was a real eye-opener. I saw my tribe – fit, young people playing sport. And then, in 2012, when ParalympicsGB came into the stadium and there were fireworks going off and Heroes was playing to 80,000 people – I thought, “I want to be part of that crew.” And then I realised, “Oh, I am! I’m disabled.” It’s amazing how much change the Paralympics brings about, isn’t it? Yes, it’s incredible! If a 42-year-old can watch the Games and feel proud to be disabled – imagine what that’s going to do to 12-year-olds! If you can see it, you can …

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Adam Hills on the Paralympics and how The Last Leg broke down stigma
type: item
date: 2024-08-19T23:01:56.000Z
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: Entertainment
subject: TV
subject: Channel 4
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: The comedian sits down with Radio Times magazine to discuss the Paralympics.
encoded: This interview was originally published in Radio Times magazine. Adam Hills, best known as host of The Last Leg, speaks to Radio Times magazine about changing attitudes to the Paralympics over the years and how his Channel 4 series has helped towards that. What's the view from your sofa? "The main, comfiest sofa looks at the TV. To the right, there's another sofa and, to the left, a lovely armchair. I'd be fooling myself if I said it’s arranged so that people sitting on different sides can converse… it's so we can all see the TV." And which seat is yours? "It depends on whether my wife and kids are here in London, because most of the year I'm on my own. I have my spot directly in front of the TV – I'll have my feet up on the footrest and a cup of tea. I make myself very comfortable. When the family are over from Australia, I’m relegated to the sofa on the side!" Check out our Paralympics 2024 TV guide, including where to watch the action, exclusive interviews, and a day-by-day TV planner. You were born and grew up in Sydney and first covered the Paralympics for Australian television in 2008 — what was that experience like? "I'm a bit of a fraud because I never saw myself as disabled. I'm really only missing a tiny bit. I was born with one foot and my parents were told by the first specialist they met that I'd never walk. My mum was devastated. But I caught a bug as a baby and she took me to the GP – and he told her I could have a prosthetic made and I'd be absolutely fine. "They were advised to treat me like any normal kid – if I fell over, I had to pick myself up, no fussing over me! I never even used the word disabled. "At the 2008 Paralympics, I realised no one considered themselves disabled, they were all just cracking on with life. It was a real eye-opener. I saw my tribe – fit, young people playing sport. And then, in 2012, when ParalympicsGB came into the stadium and there were fireworks going off and Heroes was playing to 80,000 people – I thought, 'I want t…

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"There's this woman, Phoebe, who's amazing…"
type: item
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: App
subject: App features
description: Actor and writer Jessica Knappett discusses sitcoms, podcasting — and giving a certain Ms Waller-Bridge a leg-up…
encoded: Add Drifters to your watchlist. What’s the view from your sofa? We’re very lazy in our house – so the TV is actually in our bedroom. It sounds cheap, doesn’t it? It’s one of those fancy TVs that has a frame, and you can put pretend artwork on it. We’ve tried to make it classy – but the reality is we just watch loads of TV in bed! So what are you watching from under the duvet? I’m about to take a month off work – mainly to watch television. The problem with making TV is you don’t really get to watch much of it because it’s so time-consuming! I’ve been watching The Bear, which is fantastic and a masterpiece. And, because I have young children, we watch Bluey and The Lego Batman Movie on repeat. Genuinely, I think Bluey is the best sitcom on television. It has made me cry multiple times… Your big break came in 2011’s The Inbetweeners Movie. When did you first decide you wanted to go into acting and comedy? As soon as I became conscious that it was the best way to get my parents’ attention. My parents are comedy nerds, so I could recite Monty Python by the age of seven. They both had really stressful jobs in the NHS, and I became very aware of the power of comedy to change people’s moods. You were raised in Bradford and went to university in Manchester. Was it tricky to get a break in comedy outside of London? I really resisted moving to London for so long. I was so adamant that the definition of success should not be leaving where you came from. I clung to the North. And, actually, back then we were quite fortunate, because the BBC had a big comedy department up there. I worked behind the scenes, in front of the camera and wrote. Auditions were all in the capital, though. It was costing me so much money travelling, so I had to move to London eventually. You turned the experiences of your 20s into the E4 sitcom Drifters, which ran for four series from 2013. How do you look back at the show now? It was bittersweet. It was a comedy about failure, shame, promiscuity and bi…

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Matt Damon and Casey Affleck on navigating fame and their new film The Instigators
type: item
date: 2024-08-12T23:01:37.000Z
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: Movies
subject: Apple TV
subject: Interview
subject: On demand
subject: Radio Times podcast
description: The stars spoke to The Radio Times Podcast about their childhood friendship and making a movie which is "fun and fast", while also having something to say.
encoded: This interview was originally published in Radio Times magazine. Oscar-winning Hollywood actors and real-life friends Matt Damon and Casey Affleck have teamed up for Apple TV+’s action-packed heist drama The Instigators. They play ex-marine Rory (Damon) and thief Cobby (Affleck) — two strangers thrown together to rob a corrupt politician. Damon and Affleck spoke with The Radio Times Podcast about the film, their friendship and fame - read on for the full discussion, or listen below. View oEmbed on the source website In The Instigators, your characters make an unlikely pairing — but you've known each other almost your whole lives… Damon: "We met as little kids – Casey’s a little younger than me. We lived in the same neighbourhood and played basketball at the same park. And we used to ride the school bus together…" Casey, is that how you remember it? Affleck: "My earliest memory of Matt is on that school bus. I was in second grade and he was in seventh grade, but our girlfriends were sisters. On the bus, the cooler, older kids sat at the back and the younger ones by the driver. My girlfriend sat at the back with her sister, so I did, too – and there was Matt." Did you both know that you wanted to pursue acting? Damon: "I was 13 and I knew that it was what I wanted to do with my life. Ben [Affleck, Matt’s friend and Casey’s brother] had been on a PBS show – so he was a big star in our neighbourhood. He had an agent in New York, so when I was 16, I went with him and signed with the same agent." Boston to New York is quite a journey for a 16-year-old! Damon: "I look at it now and I’m shocked!" Affleck: "I was younger than that! I think it’s a generational thing – our mothers worked and if we really wanted to go to auditions, we had to go to New York alone." Damon: "We were down in New York getting into all kinds of adventures and they had no idea what we were doing. But we were good kids…" You both dropped out of university to pursue acting — did you have any doubts? Dam…

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"Finding a career away from Daisy was a big thing for me"
type: item
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The accidental star of This Country on fame, family and the show he fears most
encoded: Add Stags to your watchlist. What’s the view from your sofa? We’ve got two very young kids, so it’s total chaos. Normally I’m on the sofa, not watching a programme of my choice but, instead, some sort of dinosaur YouTube video. I take it you and your partner Rebecca Howlett have little or no control over the remote, then? I’ve been away working so as soon as I’m back, Becca dumps the kids on me. We sort of tag each other in – so we spend no time together. We’re like ships in the night. The kids rule the roost! But actually, cartoons like Bluey are so good. The standard of children’s TV is much better than when I was a kid. It used to just be Art Attack and SMart, which were so dull! What makes you switch off the TV? I have a phobia of daytime TV because it’s a reminder that I’m not really doing anything with my life. If I hear the opening credits to This Morning, I think, ‘God, I need to get out. I need to get changed. I need to make the bed!’ That’s my own personal issue… You co-wrote the BBC comedy This Country with your sister, Daisy May Cooper. Initially, you hadn’t planned on acting in the series… I had no intention of ever performing. In my early 20s, I was at a crossroads. Daisy had graduated from drama school and wasn’t getting any work so we just started writing about people from back home in Cirencester. I was never meant to be in it, but Daisy said I was the only one who could do the accent! It was a lucky accident. You became overnight stars — how did you cope with the fame? It was definitely overwhelming. We didn’t move away from where we grew up, which helped ground us. People locally got so bored of us – no one stops us any more, we’re old news! But if I go to London and people are excited to see us, it does feel amazing. It took us so long to get the show made and there were so many peaks and troughs. You can’t take it for granted. It wasn’t that long ago I was doing sports science at Exeter University. Did you have a back-up career if you couldn’t g…

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Behind every great Olympian
type: item
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: App
subject: App features
description: …are the parents who put their children on the path to gold. Six-time Olympic medallist Max Whitlock and his mother Madeleine reveal what it takes to raise a champion
encoded: View oEmbed on the source website In London in 2012, a fresh-faced, inexperienced 19-year-old Max Whitlock held a bronze medal in his hands. He, along with his teammates in the men’s gymnastics squad, had made history despite the fact that, just a few months beforehand, he had been told he wouldn’t be selected for the team. Fast-forward to 2024 and Whitlock is the most successful British gymnast of all time – he’s a six-time Olympic medallist (three gold and three bronze) and the most successful pommel-horse worker in the Games’ history. Now, he’s set on dominating Paris – his last hurrah ahead of retirement. “When people get their first Olympic medal, they might run around the arena going absolutely wild,” the 31-year-old says, in a living room that is light, spacious and minimalist – except for his bespoke pommel horse, of course. “I get teased because my biggest celebration is a little fist pump. I’m not downplaying the moment – I’m just trying to take it all in my stride. “The whole process and the build-up to the competition is so calculated. I’m so regimented and structured. When it comes to the moment, and it all plays out and you get an Olympic gold medal and you’ve done the best performance you could ever do – even then, I don’t fully relax. I just try and go with the flow, do each bit and never let the emotions erupt. I never rest or leave my hat on one result. I’m always like, ‘OK, that’s done. What’s next?’” Whitlock grew up in Hemel Hempstead with his parents, Brian and Madeleine, who own a children’s day nursery, and his brother Ben, four years his senior. “I had an amazing childhood and upbringing. I was seven when a friend got me into gymnastics. He had me try a few skills and I picked things up pretty fast. I got hooked on the sport quickly and became a bit obsessed. As a young gymnast, there are thousands and thousands of things to learn. But when you set foot in the gym on that first day, you feel like the world’s your oyster. You’ve got no fear –…

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Max Whitlock on the Olympics, his childhood as a boy gymnast and fatherhood
type: item
date: 2024-07-23T09:44:12.000Z
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Olympics
description: The Olympian speaks to Radio Times about the upcoming games.
encoded: This interview first appeared in Radio Times magazine. In London in 2012, a fresh-faced, inexperienced 19-year-old Max Whitlock held a bronze medal in his hands. He, along with his teammates in the men's gymnastics squad, had made history despite the fact that, just a few months beforehand, he had been told he wouldn't be selected for the team. Fast-forward to 2024, and Whitlock is the most successful British gymnast of all time – he's a six-time Olympic medallist (three gold and three bronze) and the most successful pommel-horse worker in the Games' history. Now, he's set on dominating Paris – his last hurrah ahead of retirement. "When people get their first Olympic medal, they might run around the arena going absolutely wild," the 31-year-old says, in a living room that is light, spacious and minimalist – except for his bespoke pommel horse, of course. "I get teased because my biggest celebration is a little fist pump. I'm not downplaying the moment – I'm just trying to take it all in my stride. "The whole process and the build-up to the competition is so calculated. I’m so regimented and structured. When it comes to the moment, and it all plays out and you get an Olympic gold medal and you’ve done the best performance you could ever do – even then, I don’t fully relax. I just try and go with the flow, do each bit and never let the emotions erupt. I never rest or leave my hat on one result. I’m always like, ‘OK, that’s done. What’s next?’” View oEmbed on the source website Whitlock grew up in Hemel Hempstead with his parents, Brian and Madeleine, who own a children’s day nursery, and his brother Ben, four years his senior. "I had an amazing childhood and upbringing. I was seven when a friend got me into gymnastics. He had me try a few skills and I picked things up pretty fast. "I got hooked on the sport quickly and became a bit obsessed. As a young gymnast, there are thousands and thousands of things to learn. But when you set foot in the gym on that first day, yo…

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Emma Myers on A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and why Wednesday reaction was "overwhelming"
type: item
date: 2024-07-08T09:22:43.000Z
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Interview
subject: Radio Times podcast
description: Myers spoke about her new show and her love of Lord of the Rings on the Radio Times Podcast and in the latest issue of Radio Times magazine.
encoded: Emma Myers, the young actor best known for playing Enid in Wednesday, is now starring in BBC Three's adaptation of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, playing the lead role of Pip. In anticipation of the show's release, which is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer, Myers spoke in an interview for The Radio Times Podcast, which was also published in the latest issue of Radio Times magazine. Myers spoke about working on her British accent, seeing Susan and Lucy Pevensie from the Narnia series as role models and her love of Lord of the Rings. You can listen to the podcast right here, or read the interview, below. View oEmbed on the source website How did you land the role of Pip? I was flying home from London [Myers was born and raised in Orlando, Florida] and I got an email asking if I would meet with the director, Dolly. I read the first three episodes, and I really liked it. We ran through a scene together and they said that if I sent in a tape with a British accent, the role would be mine. How did you channel your Britishness? I used to do a British accent for fun – but I was never really good at it! I was nervous because by the time I joined the project, I only had two weeks to nail it before we started shooting. I had a dialect coach, we went through every single scene a million times. That helped – but it wasn’t something I picked up right away! Pip is a great female role model — who were yours growing up? Susan and Lucy from Narnia were always my role models! I was homeschooled so my curriculum consisted of reading books that focused on different eras of history – they were niche! I loved it because it gave me so much freedom. We used to live close to the Disney resort and there were passes for residents. Me and my three sisters would go for the day and do our schooling at night! What made you want to act? I was really into fantasy – The Lord of the Rings was my favourite book, and the films were why I became an actor. Peter Jackson used to make vlogs of behind-t…

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Dolly Wells on A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, the beauty of ageing and Emily Mortimer
type: item
date: 2024-07-03T16:12:22.000Z
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Interview
description: Speaking to the Radio Times Podcast, the actor, writer and director looks back on her career so far – and forward to what's next.
encoded: There seems to be very little that Dolly Wells can’t do. She’s played a vampire-hunting nun in Steven Moffat’s Dracula, a woman locked in a basement with David Tennant in Inside Man and an incompetent assistant in Sky comedy Doll & Em (co-written with her best friend, actor Emily Mortimer). Now she has turned her hand to directing with BBC Three’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. Based on the bestselling book of the same name, it follows precocious teenager Pip (Emma Myers), who decides to investigate the unsolved murder of an older girl from her school. “It was Emily who told me about the series,” the 52-year-old explains over videocall from her home in Brooklyn. “It’s made by the company that produced The Pursuit of Love – which she worked on. I remember her saying, ‘They’re looking for someone really interesting and I thought you should do it’. I said, ‘They’re not going to want me!’ It’s hilarious. She’s like a proud mum. She always thinks everybody would want me to do everything and they’d be crazy not to.” But, it was indeed Wells whom they wanted and went with. It’s shot beautifully – with a hint of Sex Education. We’re in a twee British town, with a slightly Americanised high school and teenagers getting up to more than you’d like to think. Wells was raised just off London’s Kensington High Street, the youngest of six siblings. She was christened Dorothy Gatacre, but was always Dolly. “I have a horrible memory, from when I started school, of the headmistress holding me in her arms on stage in front of the whole school, saying this girl likes to be called ‘Dolly’ like it was a bad thing! She said, ‘We’re not going to allow that. She’s going to be called Dorothy’. I had to stay behind after class and learn how to write Dorothy, not Dolly.” Listen to the full Radio Times Podcast with Dolly Wells here: View oEmbed on the source website Years later, she would change her surname from Gatacre to Wells. She was 18 when she discovered the man she had thought was her st…

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Suranne Jones on Coronation Street, comfort TV and taking control of her career
type: item
date: 2024-06-25T08:00:54.000Z
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: Coronation Street
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Interview
description: "The characters I chose to do after Corrie didn't have to be beautiful."
encoded: In the latest View From My Sofa, Suranne Jones opens up to Radio Times about her years on Coronation Street, moving into producing and why she's now investigating witch trials in a new documentary. You can hear more from Suranne in the Radio Times Podcast – listen below: View oEmbed on the source website What’s the view from your sofa? We’ve got a big, green velvet sofa. We’re going to change it because it’s too low. We bought it so we could slump but we actually can’t get up. My view is of my legs, my little boy’s legs, my husband’s legs covered in a blanket – and two dogs’ heads. We’ve got bookshelves, wedding pictures and a couple of awards! What do you enjoy watching on TV? I watch stuff in the bath separately to the boys. At the moment, it’s a lot of shows about housewives, The Valley and Bake Off. I’ve been filming a big Netflix show and I’ve done a lot of research and reading, so when I’m relaxing, I want something mind-numbing. Who controls the remote when you do watch together? We both have to be invested in it! On Saturday nights, we watch shows with my little boy – Gladiators, Britain’s Got Talent. It’s only since he’s turned eight that he wants to watch TV with us, have a curry and eat snacks! You started out in Coronation Street as Karen McDonald. As a girl who’d grown up in Greater Manchester, that must have been a brilliant role to land? All the northerners were punching the air when I signed the contract! It was really exciting. I won awards for being mouthy and, wrongly or rightly, sexy. That was the era of the lad mags… It was really hard. I was at Corrie for a few months, and I was doing bikini shoots. I hadn’t even thought about my body in that way. I was going to all these awards and parties. It was full on. I was in the papers at the weekends. I was being chased by motorbikes. I had paps outside my house. It was big! But, at the same time I was enjoying myself. I was young – it was my university. That was a time where women were told they shoul…

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Karen Gillan on Douglas is Cancelled, Doctor Who and the "verbal gymnastics" of Steven Moffat's writing
type: item
date: 2024-06-18T08:50:21.000Z
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Radio Times podcast
description: Gillan talks cancel culture, preparing for "traumatic scenes" and how the role of Amy Pond changed her life on the Radio Times Podcast.
encoded: On the latest episode of the Radio Times Podcast, Karen Gillan dives into her journey with the new ITV series Douglas Is Cancelled. It all started six years ago when her friend, writer Steven Moffat, shared the script with her. Back then, it wasn’t even a TV show – just a brilliant story in need of a platform. Gillan immediately saw its potential and urged Moffat to develop it. When he finally did, turning it into a series and offering her the role of Madeline, she jumped at the chance. You can listen to and read the full interview below. How did your involvement in Douglas Is Cancelled come about? Steven [Moffat] shared the script with me, as a friend, about six years ago – before it was even a TV show. He didn’t know what it was going to be – a play maybe – but he knew he had the story. I read it and said, "This is absolutely brilliant. You have to do something with this." When he told me they were making it into an ITV series and asked if I’d like to play Madeline, I immediately said, "Yes, absolutely!" What makes his writing special? He is a master of storytelling, and this show is a real feat — topical, weighted and moving… This project is probably one my favourite things I’ve ever done. I love Steven’s writing so much – it feels like verbal gymnastics. It’s the most fun to deliver – it always has been, from the Doctor Who days. In the show, your co-host gets cancelled after a tweet accuses him of saying something inappropriate. What are your thoughts on cancel culture? It’s always existed to a certain degree but with everyone being on social media and it being so instant, it feels like a more nerve-racking time. It feels like an irrational fear because I don’t think I’d do or say anything offensive, but there is a looming threat anyway. With such a large social following, surely you’ve also been on the receiving end of vile treatment? Definitely. I have people who’ve been coming at me for years on end, relentlessly. I feel quite separated from it, to be honest…

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Joanna Lumley on the secrets of a long marriage, the Swinging Sixties and beauty
type: item
date: 2024-02-29T13:16:43.000Z
creator: Kelly-Anne Taylor
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Interview
subject: Radio Times podcast
subject: Video
description: The actress joins Kelly-Anne Taylor in the studio for this week's episode.
encoded: This week on the Radio Times Podcast, Kelly-Anne Taylor is joined in the studio by actress, presenter and author Dame Joanna Lumley. The actress boasts a successful career across six decades, from her hit sitcom Absolutely Fabulous to wonderful travel programmes. In this episode, Lumley talks about why she doesn't have a mobile phone and how difficult she found it to shed the 'pretty girl' stereotype when she moved from modelling to acting. Plus, she talks about raising a child as a single mother, how playing Purdy in The New Avengers changed things financially for her, and why she wishes sex scenes would be cut from TV and film. View oEmbed on the source website This interview was originally published in Radio Times magazine. What's the view from your sofa? A fireplace! I love open fires. There are also lots of bookshelves and paintings. I'm a maximalist and my husband [conductor Stephen Barlow] is very patient. In rather a bourgeois manner, I keep the TV covered up because I don't like flat black screens. What do you enjoy watching on telly? I adore travel programmes – especially with Simon Reeve. He's just great. I love what I call my "Special Pain Television", shows like The Apprentice or First Dates – anything that makes you curl up with embarrassment and horror. We bought a box set of all Shakespeare's plays made by the BBC starting in the '70s – and they're sensational. Who controls the remote? You get fond of what your partner likes. I've become fonder of car racing because he likes that. We watch television, but we also read a lot and he's a musician, so we listen to a lot of music. We're not ruled by the box. Jan Etherington wrote Radio 4's Conversations from a Long Marriage with you in mind. Why is it so popular? People always ask, "Is Jan listening in on us? Does she have a microphone in our floorboards?" Her genius is finding the sweet spots in marriage. I think people like to listen because it sounds like their own lives. It's funny and light-hearted –…

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