Who is Arabella Chi? Love Island: All Stars contestant who had "brief" fling with Toby
Arabella previously appeared on Love Island back in 2019.
It's heating up in the Love Island: All Stars villa, and Arabella Chi is partly to thank for this! The model returned to the villa on Friday (19th January) for an after-party with the boys, and she didn't hold back when it came to spilling the tea. From a very recent breakout to a past fling with Toby Aromolaran, it's clear Arabella had been busy since leaving the ITV2 dating show. So, who is Arabella? What exactly happened between her and Toby? And which season was she originally on? Read on for everything you need to know about Arabella Chi - one of the Islanders in the Love Island: All Stars line-up. Read more: Jake Cornish: ‘I quit Love Island because it wasn’t the right time’ All the Love Island couples still together – and those that have definitely split Arabella Chi - Key Facts Age: 32 From: London Job: Model Season: 5 Instagram: @arabellachi Who is Arabella Chi? View oEmbed on the source website Arabella is a model and reality TV star who appeared on season 5 of Love Island back in 2019. The season was won by Amber Gill and Greg O'Shea. Following her time on the show, Arabella went to appear in some Hollywood movies, starring as an Amazonian in Justice League and Wonder Woman, alongside Jason Momoa. While living in Ibiza, Arabella was often spotted out on movie star Leonardo DiCaprio's yacht with his close friend Richie Akiva. What season of Love Island was Arabella Chi on? Arabella was on season 5 of Love Island, back in 2019. She coupled up with Danny after a shock recoupling forced him to choose between her and Yewande. She was then voted off the show by the other Islanders. Following Love Island, Arabella began dating season 4 Islander Wes Nelson, and the pair moved in together. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be, as they split nine months later. Their six-year age gap was cited as one of the reasons they decided to call time on their relationship. What happened with Arabella and Toby? It turns out Arabella and Toby previously met. While Toby kept tight-lipped, Arabella revealed to Georgia Steel that she slept with Toby about a year and a half ago, and she told the boys that her and Toby needed to have a conversation about things. Sounds like there could be some unfinished business... Who is Arabella's ex-boyfriend? Most recently, Arabella was linked to Portuguese footballer Rúben Dias. Speaking of her recent break-up, she said: "What I’ve learnt from dating last year is that you think you know someone but you don’t really know them at all." She previously dated New York businessman Richie Akiva and was rumoured to have dated French rugby player Yoann Huget and DJ Tom Zanetti in the past - however, she shut down claims surrounding Zanetti, admitting they're "just friends". Prior to her Love Island debut, it was revealed that she dated former contestant Charlie Frederick, who appeared on season 4 in 2018. View Green Video on the source website Love Island: All Stars airs on ITV2 and ITVX on weekdays and Sundays at 9pm. Looking for something else to watch? Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
This Time with Alan Partridge series 2 release date: Latest news on Steve Coogan comedy
Comedy fans, rejoice! Steve Coogan is back in his iconic role of hapless broadcaster Alan Partridge as he presents another series of fluffy magazine show This Time. The first series aired back in 2019 and blended Alan's delightfully awkward hosting of The One Show parody with shorter segments which gave us a peek at what goes on when the cameras aren't rolling. It particularly focused on the tension between Alan and his co-presenter Jennie Gresham (Susannah Fielding), ending in a huge fallout between the two that put their future on the show at risk. Presumably, they've worked past their differences as both will be back to front This Time once more – and here you can find everything we know about the new episodes so far. This Time with Alan Partridge series 2 release date CONFIRMED: This Time with Alan Partridge series two premieres on BBC One at 9:30pm on Friday 30th April. The second series was confirmed to be in the works by Steve Coogan himself in February 2020, although the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic delayed production until the end of the year. Co-writer Neil Gibbons had previously told RadioTimes.com that he and his brother Rob, who have worked on all of Alan's recent outings, require a period of "decompression" after completing one of his projects. "When you do Partridge, it’s quite an intense working process" he said. "The writing process never ends really because we write in the writing stage, in the shooting stage and in the editing stage, so you tend not to strategise that many steps ahead. "It’s such an immersive experience that when you come out of it you just want to think about other things, so we don’t really have a life plan for Alan all mapped out. We just wait until the juices start flowing again and then see where we think Alan would go and what he’d be doing and wait for the ideas to bubble up organically." View oEmbed on the source website This Time with Alan Partridge cast Steve Coogan will return to the role of Alan Partridge, a character he has portrayed for the last 30 years across a wide variety of projects, including several television shows, a podcast and an audiobook. He will be joined by Susannah Fielding as This Time co-presenter Jennie Gresham, who recently played Ruth Stone on the BBC One drama Life as well as Isobel Jones on ITV thriller Sticks and Stones. Meanwhile, Felicity Montagu and Tim Key are also set to return as two of Alan's most loyal allies in the cutthroat world of broadcasting: assistant Lynn Benfield and sidekick Simon Denton. The guest cast for the first series included Simon Farnaby (Ghosts) as rival host Sam Chatwin and Lolly Adefope (Miracle Workers) as challenging correspondent Ruth Duggan, but it's yet to be confirmed if either could be back for more. We'll update this page with more information as it comes in. This Time with Alan Partridge plot This Time ended its first series on something of a cliffhanger as Jennie reached her limit and stormed off set, leaving Alan to disastrously present with only Sidekick Simon (Tim Key) for support. After the broadcast, Alan was summoned to a meeting with the BBC director-general, with the implication that he could be getting the sack mere weeks after returning to the broadcaster. However, it appears that Alan and Jennie have set aside their differences as both will be back on the sofa for series two of This Time, so expect more awkwardness and bizarre reports on all manner of topics. "These magazine shows are on every day," Fielding said at the time of the series one launch. "There’s always the brilliant juxtaposition of really relevant topical stuff and then complete inane random crap... and there’s endless amounts of that; there’s all sorts of topical things that we could do in a second series." In a more recent interview with RadioTimes.com, Fielding confirmed that This Time series two will not address the coronavirus pandemic, with the writing team concluding that the public have had quite enough of it by now. This Time with Alan Partridge trailer There's no trailer for This Time with Alan Partridge series two just yet, but we can expect to see one soon as the series will be back on our screens later this month. Buy tickets for this event now This Time with Alan Partridge returns to BBC One on Friday 30th April at 9:30pm. While you're waiting, check out our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
Love Island to replace sponsor idents with Samaritans contact details
The decision follows the apparent suicide of former Love Island host Caroline Flack
Love Island and its current sponsor Just Eat have agreed to replace the food delivery service's advertising idents with contact details for welfare charity Samaritans on Monday night's episode of the ITV2 reality show, following the death of former host Caroline Flack. Flack was found dead on Saturday 15th February, with her family's lawyer later confirming to Associated Press that she had taken her own life. In a statement, ITV and Just Eat explained the decision to swap the sponsorship idents for Samaritans details, saying "In light of this weekend's tragic events, Just Eat and ITV have worked with Samaritans to replace the idents for this evening's episode of Love Island so that anyone affected by Caroline's death can access support." Love Island returns to screens after episodes were pulled from the schedules on Saturday and Sunday, and will feature a tribute to Flack from the show's narrator Iain Stirling and the production team. However, Monday-night companion series Love Island: Aftersun will not air this week and Tuesday's podcast Love Island: The Morning After will also take a break. The statement from ITV and Just Eat was accompanied by a message from the broadcaster's director of television Kevin Lygo praising Flack's "dedication and boundless energy". “Everyone at ITV is absolutely devastated and still trying to process this tragic news," said Lygo. "Caroline was part of Love Island from the very beginning and her passion, dedication and boundless energy contributed to the show’s success. “After Caroline stepped down from the show ITV made it clear that the door was left open for her to return and the Love Island production team remained in regular contact with her and continued to offer support over the last few months. “Love Island will return tonight and will include a tribute to Caroline that the team in South Africa and Iain Stirling have put together. Caroline loved Love Island and was very vocal in her support of the show. Viewers could relate to her and she to them and that was a big part of the programme’s success. We will all miss her very much." Flack stepped down as presenter of the current series of Love Island in December after she was charged with assault. Love Island airs tonight on ITV2 at 9pm For help and support, you can contact the Samaritans for free on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.
Billie Eilish's No Time To Die review: atmospheric and classy - but lacking the punch we need from Bond
It's moody and understated, and it riffs on some classic 007 musical motifs - but unlike Bond, Eilish's Bond theme never really kicks off, says Paul Jones
Billie Eilish’s theme for new Bond film No Time To Die has a lot going for it. It’s easy to imagine shadowy figures darting across the cinema screen as it plays, and a silhouetted woman swinging on a giant gun barrel, legs akimbo (despite the fact that even 007 has moved on a bit since the days of Roger Moore). The opening piano is a wickedly clever riff on the main James Bond motif, the sultry vocals are atmospheric and the one-off echoing wah-wah of the horn on the one-minute mark sends a thrill up the spine (for me, it's the best and most exciting bit of the track – but it's also the right decision not to repeat it). Also recognisably Bond is that jagged electric guitar riff, and then, after a bit of a wait, the trademark horns and swirling strings taking us as close to a crescendo as the song ever reaches. Understated and classy, it marks Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell as song writers with real craft – but is it just a bit too understated? Listen to Billie Eilish's James Bond theme No Time To Die Yes, Bond is about melancholic moments – and no doubt this outing, Daniel Craig's last as an ageing and jaded 007 – will feature plenty of those, but Bond is also about action, excitement and a bit of silliness, about edge-of-the-seat stunts and fights for your life and most of all about the vigorous energy of the main man. Bond isn't always subtle but Eilish’s track is consistently so, with no real highs to counter the lows – I mean, there isn't an orchestra stab in sight! What must Duran Duran think. Despite a hummable tune and great atmospherics, in the end No Time To Die lacks punch and never quite kicks off. And that’s just not very Bond, is it? No Time To Die is released in UK cinemas on 3rd April 2020
The Doctor and Fleabag's Hot Priest voted the top TV characters for a Valentine's date
Jodie Whittaker and Andrew Scott's characters are you dream dates this Valentine's Day
This Valentine's Day, TV fans would like to be whisked away in a time-travelling blue box or get cosy in the confessional as Jodie Whittaker's Doctor from the current series of Doctor Who, and Andrew Scott's G&T-swilling 'Hot Priest' from season two of Fleabag, were voted the small-screen characters RadioTimes.com readers would most like to date. After whittling fictional TV stars of the last 12 months down to two shortlists of ten, we asked you to choose your favourite female and male characters, with over 1,200 votes cast. The Doctor garnered 28% of the vote in the female poll, followed by Jodie Comer's mesmerising maniac Villanelle from Killing Eve with 16%, Gillian Anderson's sexpert Dr Jean Milburn from Sex Education with 12%, Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag herself with 10% and another character of the cloth in Dolly Wells's Sister Agatha van Helsing, from the BBC's recent Dracula adaptation, with 8% of the vote. In the poll of male TV characters, Scott's Hot Priest from Fleabag won 22% of the vote, followed by Peaky Blinders' gorgeous gangster Tommy Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy, with 19%. Another villain, Sacha Dhawan's new incarnation of Doctor Who's The Master, took 11% of the vote, with Henry Cavill's monster-mashing Witcher Geralt of Rivia on 10% and Line of Duty's silver fox Superintendent Ted Hastings, AKA Adrian Dunbar, with 9%. See below for the full shortlists of the TV characters viewers would most like to date this Valentine's Day – and even if you don't get to go out with your fantasy date, here's wishing you a romantic tryst with a real-life admirer or a cosy night in with a romcom! Female TV characters you'd most like to take on a Valentine's date The Doctor (Doctor Who, Jodie Whittaker) – 28% Villanelle (Killing Eve, Jodie Comer) – 16% Dr Jean Milburn (Sex Education, Gillian Anderson) – 12% Fleabag (Fleabag, Phoebe Waller-Bridge) – 10% Sister Agatha van Helsing (Dracula, Dolly Wells) – 8% Eleanor Shellstrop (The Good Place, Kristen Bell) – 8% DS Madeleine Dumas (Death in Paradise, Auge Legastelois) – 6% The Doctor (Doctor Who, Jo Martin) – 5% Eve Polastri (Killing Eve, Sandra Oh) – 4% Mercedes McQueen (Hollyoaks, Jennifer Metcalfe) – 3% Male TV characters you'd most like to take on a Valentine's date The Hot Priest (Fleabag, Andrew Scott) – 22% Tommy Shelby (Peaky Blinders, Cillian Murphy) – 19% The Master (Doctor Who, Sacha Dhawan) – 11% Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher, Henry Cavill) – 10% Superintendent Ted Hastings (Line of Duty, Adrian Dunbar) – 9% Count Dracula (Dracula, Claes Bang) – 8% Reverend Will Davenport (Grantchester, Tom Brittney) – 7% Chidi Anagonye (The Good Place, William Jackson Harper) – 6% Eric Effiong (Sex Education, Ncuti Gatwa) – 3% Mick Carter (EastEnders, Danny Dyer) – 3% Percentages are approximate
Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard star in first trailer for Sky comedy Breeders
RadioTimes.com has an exclusive first look at the new comedy led by the stars of Sherlock and Back To Life
"I would die for those kids. But often, I also want to kill them!" That, in a nutshell, is the premise of new Sky original comedy Breeders, starring Sherlock's Martin Freeman and Back To Life's Daisy Haggard as happy couple Paul and Ally – who then go and decide to have kids. Add to the mix Ally's estranged father Michael – Spinal Tap star Michael McKean – Paul's mum and dad Jackie (Joanna Bacon) and Jim (Alun Armstrong), who have rather different views on parenting, plus mortgage and career worries and you have a comedy that is likely to be all too familiar to many viewers. Airing on Sky One, the ten-part series is created by Peep Show and Veep writer Simon Blackwell – and RadioTimes.com has an exclusive look at the first trailer... View oEmbed on the source website Breeders starts on Sky One and NOW TV at 10pm on Thursday 12th March
Would you rather the BBC scrapped The Victoria Derbyshire Show or Question Time?
VOTE | The daytime investigative series is under threat due to cost-cutting, but some viewers would rather lose political debate show Question Time. Vote in our poll to have your say
The news that daytime BBC2 current affairs programme The Victoria Derbyshire Show is facing cancellation due to cost-cutting measures has been met with outrage from many viewers, who cite the show's investigative journalism and the platform it provides for marginalised voices as reasons to keep it. View oEmbed on the source website Meanwhile, others have gone as far as to suggest that the corporation should instead consider scrapping BBC1's Thursday night political debate show Question Time, which has been criticised by some for controversial panel bookings and political bias. View oEmbed on the source website On the other hand, Question Time is a national institution, which has been bringing political debate to our living rooms for over 40 years. So we wondered which show viewers would really rather see scrapped if savings are imperative at the BBC. Is a daytime show like Victoria Derbyshire expendable? Or has Question Time had its time? If one of them had to be cancelled, which would you rather see go? Cast your vote in our poll and let us know...
Cash Trapped contestant quits the quiz show - and leaves huge potential cash prize behind
For the first time in the show's history, a contestant chooses to voluntarily leave rather than stay and play for the money
Cash Trapped viewers will experience a first for the ITV game show when they tune in next week, witnessing a contestant quit the quiz – and give up the chance to win tens of thousands of pounds in the process. Fronted by Bradley Walsh, Cash Trapped sees contestants play in teams of six, returning each time until one of them scoops the cash prize. Contestants are free to bow out at the end of each episode, but in the show's three-year history not one has ever chosen to – until now. In the episode in question, Walsh routinely asks the contestants if they want to stay on and is shocked when one chooses to forfeit their place, admitting they miss their children. The quizzer’s exit comes as the show prepares to see the longest run of returning contestants in its history, so it's perhaps no surprise when Walsh admits: “I didn’t see that coming!” Cash Trapped is on ITV on weekdays at 5pm
BBC His Dark Materials adaptation casts witch queen Serafina Pekkala
Ruta Gedmintas will play the queen of the Lake Enara witches
Last month, fans of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials books were blown away by the unveiling of an incredibly starry cast for the BBC's TV adaptation, including James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, James Cosmo, Clarke Peters, Georgina Campbell, Anne-Marie Duff, and rising talent Dafne Keen as the story's young hero Lyra. But there was one key character conspicuous by their absence. Where was Serafina Pekkala? Meet the cast of His Dark Materials When is His Dark Materials on TV? Everything you need to know about the Philip Pullman drama starring James McAvoy Who is new His Dark Materials star Dafne Keen? View oEmbed on the source website Well RadioTimes.com is pleased to reveal that the witch queen has now been cast and that she will be played by Ruta Gedmintas. Fantasy fans will know Gedmintas from her role as vampire-fighting computer hacker Dutch in Guillermo del Toro's The Strain, while others may recognise her from BBC2 comedy Stag, in which she played psychotic killer Sophie. And if you're not familiar with Gedmintas, but do know His Dark Materials, you only need to look at her to see that the BBC have knocked it out of the park with this bit of casting. Gedmintas's hypnotic eyes and ethereal quality perfectly conjure up the Queen of the Lake Enara clan of witches and she is arguably closer in colouring to the blonde Serafina of the books than Eva Green, who played the character in film adaptation The Golden Compass. “I am delighted to join the cast for His Dark Materials," said Gedmintas. "Philip Pullman created a magical universe filled with imagination and complexity that is a dream for me as an actor to delve in to, and I am so excited to be part of this incredible creative team bringing these books to the screen.” Harry Potter and The Cursed Child writer Jack Thorne has adapted the series, with The King’s Speech director Tom Hooper helming the project. It will kick off with an eight-part run covering the first novel, Northern Lights. There's no air date as yet but principal photography has begun in Cardiff, and filming will also reportedly take place, as you would hope, among the dreaming spires of Oxford, where the first instalment begins. Sign up for the free RadioTimes.com newsletter
Which politicians are appearing on the ITV Election Debate?
Here's who's taking part - and who's not - plus everything you need to know about them
The leaders of the Brexit Party, the Liberal Democrats, the SNP, the Green Party and Plaid Cymru will all take part in a two-hour political debate on ITV on Sunday 1st December at 7pm, ahead of the general election later this month. However, Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will not be involved, instead sending chief secretary of the Treasury Rishi Sunak and shadow justice minister Richard Burgon, respectively. Here's your briefing on the leaders and politicians involved in Sunday's ITV Election Debate... Sian Berry – Green Party co-leader Siân Berry has been co-leader of the Greens, with Jonathan Bartley, since September 2018. She stood as the party's candidate for London mayor in 2008 and in 2016, when she came third. She is a local councillor in Camden and a member of the London Assembly but is not an MP. Richard Burgon – Labour shadow justice minister Richard Burgon has been Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and Shadow Lord Chancellor since 2016, when he was promoted from Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury. A former trade union lawyer, he is also the MP for Leeds East. Nigel Farage – Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has been the leader of the Brexit Party since its active inception in 2019, and an MEP since 1999, although he has never been elected as a British MP. He was the leader of UKIP from 2006 to 2009 and 2010 to 2016. Farage also hosts an LBC radio talk show. Adam Price – Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price has been the leader of Plaid Cymru since 2018. He is a former MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr and since 2016 has sat on the National Assembly for Wales. Nicola Sturgeon – Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon has served as leader of the SNP and First Minister of Scotland since 2014 and is the only woman to have held the role. Sturgeon has been a Scottish MP since 1999, initially as an additional member for Glasgow and from 2007 as the MP for Glasgow Southside. Rishi Sunak – Conservative chief secretary to the treasury Rishi Sunak was made Chief Secretary to the Treasury in July of 2019. A former hedge fund manager, he was elected MP for Richmond in Yorkshire at the 2015 general election. Jo Swinson – Liberal Democrats leader Jo Swinson became leader of the Liberal Democrats in July 2019 and is the first woman, and the youngest person, to have lead the party. She was previously deputy leader and has been MP for East Dunbartonshire since 2017, and between 2005 and 2015. Which order will the politicians stand in for the ITV Election Debate? Lots were drawn to determine the podium positions for the debate. Party representatives will appear on the stage in the following order, from left to right: Labour, SNP, Conservatives, Brexit Party, Plaid Cymru, Green Party, Liberal Democrats. Each politician will have one minute to give an opening statement and 45 seconds for a closing statement. The order of opening statements will be Green Party, Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Brexit Party, SNP, Plaid Cymru, Labour. The order of closing statements will be Brexit Party, Conservatives, Labour, Plaid Cymru, Green Party, Liberal Democrats, SNP. The ITV Election Debate is on Sunday 1st December at 7pm
‘Casting’ James Dean in a new movie is a gimmicky publicity stunt
"This is not a new James Dean performance, it’s an extended deep fake that co-opts his legacy," says Paul Jones
James Dean only starred in three films. A tragic car crash – which was nevertheless in keeping with his live-fast image – cut short his life, and a career that could have been epic; another body of work like De Niro’s or Pacino’s. But what if you could bring Dean back, and cast him in another movie? Well, apparently you can, and somebody has. Filmmakers Anton Ernst and Tati Golykh have secured the rights to Dean’s image and have ‘cast’ him in Finding Jack, a Vietnam War-set film – via their recently launched production house Magic City Films – in what The Hollywood Reporter is calling ‘a secondary lead role’. "We searched high and low for the perfect character to portray the role of Rogan, which has some extreme complex character arcs, and after months of research, we decided on James Dean," says Ernst. Leaving aside for a moment the fact that James Dean wasn't a character, he was a man – and the sheer arrogance of the words "we decided on James Dean", as if he is an ingredient to be picked off a supermarket shelf – you have to wonder how anyone would think a computer-generated James Dean combined with a voice artist is going to give a better performance than a real actor, who would have provided face, movements and tailored emoting all for the price of one (or am I just being a cheapskate?) But James Dean's family have apparently sanctioned the idea and, according to Ernst, see the planned film as a valid addition to Dean's legacy. "We feel very honoured that his family supports us and will take every precaution to ensure that his legacy as one of the most epic film stars to date is kept firmly intact,” adds Ernst. “The family views this as his fourth movie, a movie he never got to make. We do not intend to let his fans down." Well, you already have let his fans down – anyone who thinks constructing an entirely new character and ‘performance’ using computers, photos and some archive footage is a good idea can hardly be a huge fan – and you've also let James Dean down. Imagine if an actor really could be brought back to life. And imagine if you showed him his performance in a film he had no memory of making; put words into his mouth that he never said; tried to imagine the nuanced acting decisions he might have made for a new character – I think that person might feel a little violated. Let's consider some more recent examples of talented actors taken from us before their time. What if we brought Heath Ledger back, slapped his face on a motion-capture suit and made an entire film around him? Maybe they should cast River Phoenix in the next Indiana Jones movie? It's also worth making a distinction between this latest bizarre development and some of the recent uses of these techniques we’ve seen in high profile examples like the new Star Wars movies. Carrie Fisher will appear for eight minutes in final film The Rise of Skywalker, three years after she died – but she was personally committed to the role, and footage she had already filmed for it will finish her character’s arc. Peter Cushing’s likeness was used to recreate his Imperial villain Grand Moff Tarkin in prequel Rogue One. But it’s a role he had played before and they were scenes that lasted minutes. There is a big leap between those examples and the idea of building an entire performance, of an entirely new character, from start to finish, using photos and footage of someone who died over 60 years ago. If you really are a lover of James Dean and his acting talent – if you watch his films and marvel at the subtlety and passion he brought to those iconic roles – what could you hope to get from seeing his computer-animated face with someone else’s voice speaking the lines? That’s not a James Dean performance, it’s an extended deep fake that co-opts his legacy without doing him justice. The slogan on Magic City Films’ website is “If it can be written or thought, it can be filmed”. That doesn’t mean it should be. The company also quotes Frank Capra: “There are no rules in filmmaking. Only sins…” For many people, this will be one of them.
Judges unanimous as sixth celebrity leaves Strictly Come Dancing
Another star's Strictly journey came to an end
Viscountess Emma Weymouth is the sixth celebrity to leave this year's Strictly Come Dancing after the judges voted unanimously to save Mike Bushell following the Sunday-night dance-off. Lady Emma and her partner Aljaz Skorjanec performed their Samba to Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber’s I Don’t Care, which had left them with 26 points and just one place from the bottom of the leaderboard on Saturday, while Mike and Katya Jones revisited their Charleston to Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines, which the judges had given 30 points before the public vote sent them into the dance-off for the third week running. Declan Donnelly praises Chris Ramsey after he performs Let’s Get Ready to Rhumble on Strictly Disappointment and a distinct lack of sparkle, 2019 Strictly is reflective of our times Craig Revel Horwood chose to save Mike and Katya, calling theirs “the most challenging and the better dance". Motsi Mabuse agreed, saying "I think everything they did was much clearer to read, much easier to follow and more prepared". And Bruno Tonioli called the performance "more entertaining, richer, more powerful", and noted "something extraordinary happened – the celebrity actually covered for the professional's mistake.” Head Judge Shirley Ballas agreed with the verdict, saying she too would have voted to keep the pair in the competition. Following the result, Emma had some heartfelt words for partner Aljaz, telling him: “I’ve loved this more than anything I’ve done in my entire life. I’m going to be forever grateful to you for working so hard, you’ve been so patient with me and teaching me everything. Thank you, I want to be friends forever because you’re just amazing. I never wanted to let you down, I’m just heartbroken.” Aljaz said: “You never ever let me down from the first day of rehearsals when I walked in. I’m the only professional to have danced with an actual lady on Strictly Come Dancing. From day one in rehearsals, your dedication, to go from a non-performer, non-dancer, to achieve what you achieved on this show, I’m lucky it was me that taught you how to dance. Thank you so much for every single second in rehearsals. On that dance floor you surprised me positively every single week. Thank you so much.” Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC1 on Saturday 9th November at 6:45pm, with the results show on Sunday 10th November at 7:20pm
England's Rugby World Cup final watched by two thirds of viewers
ITV says a peak audience of 12.8 million tuned in for the most watched TV moment of the year
England may have lost out in a 12-32 defeat to South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final on Saturday, but ITV will be counting themselves winners after their exclusive UK coverage of the match between 8:50am and 12:15pm predictably trounced competitors, pulling in over two-thirds of those watching TV during that period. While Saturday morning may not be the most competitive time of the week, an average audience of 8.9 million and a massive peak of 12.8m demonstrated just how much England's progress to the final had captured the interest of the nation. Sixty-seven per cent of those watching TV at that time chose the early broadcast from the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, with 79 per cent tuning in at its height for what ITV say was the most watched TV moment on any channel so far this year, and the biggest audience for a rugby match since the 2007 World Cup Final in which England suffered a slightly narrower defeat, also at the hands of South Africa.
Danny Walters to leave EastEnders as Keanu Taylor's story comes to "a dramatic and blistering conclusion"
Could Keanu be facing his last Christmas?
EastEnders star Danny Walters has confirmed that he is leaving the BBC One soap in the near future – and the show's producer is promising "a dramatic and blistering conclusion" as the gripping 'Sheanu' storyline plays out in the run up to Christmas. "It has been a joy to play Keanu Taylor for the last two and a half years," said Walters. "I have been blessed to work with the most fantastic creative team and I will miss them and my fellow actors immensely," he told Digital Spy. "EastEnders will always hold a special place in my heart and I will continue to be an avid fan." Soap Box Podcast: the week in Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks 5 things we learnt about new EastEnders family the Panesars Walters' character Keanu Taylor is currently embroiled in one of EastEnders' most mouth-watering storylines, with Sharon Mitchell carrying his baby, unbeknown to husband Phil, while Phil's daughter Louise is also pregnant with Keanu’s child. And EastEnders executive producer Jon Sen said the story would soon be coming to a head. "Keanu's story is set to come to a dramatic and blistering conclusion in the near future as one of the best kept secrets on the Square is finally revealed with devastating consequences," said Sen. "We'd all like to thank Danny for his nuanced performance as Keanu Taylor over the last two and half years. What Danny has brought to his character has been one of the reasons the 'Sheanu' affair has been such compulsive viewing for fans. Everyone at EastEnders wishes him well for the future." The question now is, what exactly will that dramatic conclusion entail? Viewers will no doubt be expecting Phil to learn the truth about Keanu and Sharon's long-running affair, and that the baby he believes is his has been fathered by another man. But what will Phil do if he does find out? EastEnders fans will be only too aware of Phil's violent temper, and the fact that he has plotted to kill his enemies in the past. Walters is leaving the show to pursue new projects, which sounds reasonably final from his point of view, so could Keanu's storyline end with his death at the hands of Phil Mitchell? It sounds as if we won't have to wait too long to find out – and it could be a dark and dramatic Christmas in Albert Square.
Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks fans can get comment, opinion and analysis, a look at the week ahead, plus our new podcast, delivered direct to their inboxes
For All Mankind review: Apple TV+'s engaging alternate history where men aren't the only ones who get to go to the moon
Ronal D Moore's reimagining of the space race finds a convincing way to bring women to the fore
Battlestar Galactica and Outlander creator Ronald D Moore heads back into space and back into the past again, with one of Apple TV+’s make-or-break launch dramas, For All Mankind. But rather than robot invaders or time travelling romantics, the fantasy here is restricted to an alternative history, asking what would have happened if the Russians had beaten the Americans to landing the first man on the moon. In Moore and co-creators Ben Nedivi and Matt Wolpert's version of 1969, the US – driven by the utterly self-serving President Nixon (no need for fantasy there) – refuses to take the defeat lying down and the space race rapidly escalates into a Battle To Control the Moon. But while that may sound like the title of a sci-fi B-movie, For All Mankind is ostensibly a period drama – with the drama in question alternating between the immaculate suburban houses of the astronauts and their partners, the NASA Mission Control room, the bar where NASA personnel go to blow off steam (if they really did this much drinking, it's a wonder they ever made it off the launch pad) and, of course, the Moon. The Morning Show review: AppleTV+ flagship drama is “disappointingly mediocre” See review: ‘Apple TV+’s flagship fantasy is a boring, muddled creation’ Dickinson review: Apple TV+ transforms reclusive poet Emily Dickinson into a millennial partygoer The family politics that arise from hard-drinking, occasionally womanising men waiting to blast off into space are dealt with well, but can drag a little, and as you'd expect, the real moments of tension take place when launch time approaches, in front of not only the controls of lunar modules, but also the TV screens where the astronauts' wives gather to watch their husbands' latest nail-biting manoeuvres broadcast live. Whether NASA would really choose to televise in real time so many situations that could quite easily end in the failure of their missions or the deaths of their astronauts is questionable but it's certainly a good technique for evoking the stresses and strains of having a partner whose job is being shot into space on top of several hundred thousand pounds of rocket fuel. Even the first episode – which has a lot of work to do simply in terms of scene-setting – offers up a couple of great cliffhanger moments. But once we reach the Moon, there are opportunities to really ratchet up the tension, mostly driven by NASA and the astronauts' questionable willingness to throw the rule book out of the window in their desperation to secure a lunar first over the Russians. Of course, Nasa in 1969 was a very male-oriented world but in formulating the show it’s clear that Moore and co thought have thought hard about how they can put women at the heart of the space-based action too. In reality, NASA didn't begin an astronaut programme for women until 1978 and to this day a woman has still not set foot on the moon (NASA’s current target for that is 2024), but here circumstances dictate that the women’s programme starts much sooner, giving us a second, female-focused, strand to the space race story with at least as much drama as the men's event and far more emotional impact. Performances are good across the board. The ever enigmatic Joel Kinnaman is well cast as tightly-wound yet soul-searching astronaut Edward Baldwin. Shantel VanSanten plays his equally focused wife Karen, balancing her duties as one of the matriarchs of the astronauts' wives club with her deeply buried fears about the danger that her husband's job puts him in. Sarah Jones is a stand-out as fellow astro-wife Tracey Stevens, overwrought by the infidelities of her husband Gordo (Michael Dorman) but with the possibility of glory of her own on the horizon. And Wrenn Schmidt plays pioneering Margo Madison, a mission control engineer striving to make a name for herself in a man's world – also the position that the brilliantly laconic Sonya Walger finds herself in as aspiring astronaut Molly Cobb. Aside from Margo, the NASA control room is largely populated by real-life characters (a depressed Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and John Glenn even hang out in the background after their failed attempt to make it to the lunar surface). Colm Feore plays Wernher von Braun – the German scientist who headed up the US space programme – as warm and principled, which may surprise those who know how von Braun's skills were utilised during the Second World War. Eric Ladin as Chief Flight Director Gene Kranz gets to perform a couple of spine-tingling inspirational speeches ahead of some heart-in-mouth moments, and Chris Bauer is great as firm-but-fair Director of Flight Crew Operations Deke Slayton, the man who makes astronaut selections and who must spar with Nixon's cronies as they attempt to push his mercurial agenda on NASA. And, well, it's probably best if I stop listing names at this point... Because despite this initial over-abundance of personnel, and some slower moments in the earlier episodes, For All Mankind has a lot going for it – some winning characters and great performances; easy-on-the-eye sets and moonscapes; gripping scenes and uplifting moments – and not least the fact that it's for all Womankind, too. For All Mankind streams on the Apple TV+ app from Friday 1st November
New Star Trek: Picard trailer gives fans everything they could ask for
A lot of boxes are ticked for Next Generation fans in this extended trailer, which also reveals plenty of drama to come in Picard's post-Starfleet world
A fully functioning Mr Data – if perhaps only in a dream – a kick-ass return for Seven of Nine and a reunion with Riker and Troi, living in domestic harmony in a countryside retreat – yes, the new trailer for Star Trek: Picard has pretty much everything Next Generation fans have been waiting for. Weighing in at a hefty 2 minutes and 54 seconds, the preview was introduced by star Patrick Stewart at the Picard panel at New York Comic Con, which also featured some of the sci-fi spin-off show's new cast members, Isa Briones (Dahj), Santiago Cabrera (Cristobal “Chris” Rios), Michelle Hurd (Raffi Musiker), Alison Pill (Dr Agnes Jurati), Harry Treadaway (Narek) and Evan Evagora (Elnor). The trailer also gives us a bit more of an insight into how some of those characters might fit in to the post-Starfleet chapter of the former Captain Picard's life – and it seems clear it won't all be sedate visits to vineyards and farms... View oEmbed on the source website The ten-part CBS series is available outside of North America via Amazon Prime, and will launch on the streaming service on Friday 24th January 2020, with new episodes landing every Friday.
Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty will not be disciplined over Trump 'racism' comments
The BBC's complaints unit found that Munchetty had breached corporation guidelines but will not be taking any further action
Naga Munchetty will face no further action from the BBC after breaching the corporation's guidelines on impartiality, RadioTimes.com understands. The BBC received a complaint from a viewer after the Breakfast presenter reacted to comments from US president Donald Trump in which he told “progressive Democrat Congresswomen” to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came". Speaking on the show on 17th July, Munchetty told co-host Dan Walker: “Every time I have been told, as a woman of colour, to go back to where I came from, that was embedded in racism. "Now I'm not accusing anyone of anything here, but you know what certain phrases mean. I can imagine lots of people in this country will be feeling absolutely furious that a man in that position feels it's okay to skirt the lines with using language like that.” View oEmbed on the source website After considering the incident, the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit upheld the complaint saying that although "it was entirely legitimate for Ms Munchetty, when pressed by Mr Walker for a personal response, to reply in terms which reflected her own experience of racism[...] she went on to comment critically on the possible motive for, and potential consequences of, the President’s words. Judgements of that kind are for the audience to make, and the exchange fell short of due impartiality in that respect." However, that appears to be an end to the matter with a source telling RadioTimes.com "Naga will not be facing any further action". The decision will please many viewers, with a poll of our readers indicating that more than 80 per cent believe the presenter should not have action taken against her. Munchetty was also backed by MPs including David Lammy, who called the ECU’s decision “appalling” in a Twitter post, and Dawn Butler, who said: "The fact that someone doesn't realise the comments Trump made are embedded in racism is shocking. Because it is! "Naga was right to call it out through her own lived experience. I will be writing to BBC News to enquire as to their procedure."
The locals are revolting in Britannia season 2 first look
The Romans could be in trouble as we meet Mackenzie Crook's second character - Harka, the Dead Man - and some of his delightful followers
No offence to the people of Britannia but they really are revolting in these first-look images – exclusive to RadioTimes.com – of the upcoming second series of Sky Atlantic's historical fantasy-drama. Judging by the pics, Mackenzie Crook's Harka – aka the Dead Man – is leading a bloody raid on the Roman invaders' camp, and David Morrissey's General Aulus Plautius could be among the casualties... Harka is kind of the evil twin to Mackenzie Crook's other Britannia character Veran, leader of the Druids. Although, could it be that even the Dead Man has a softer side? Britannia: "Game of Thrones meets the most debauched year you ever had at Glastonbury" Everything we know so far about Britannia season 2 Meanwhile, it seems that Cait (Eleanor Worthington Cox) – the young woman prophesied to be the saviour of Britannia from the invaders – will at some point also reach their camp. Will that spell more trouble for the Romans? Or for Cait...? Britannia season 2 begins on Sky Atlantic on Thursday 7th November
Apple TV's The Morning Show sounds great - but will it be enough to get viewers subscribing?
The first trailer for the on-demand service's new drama doesn't show us its stars Steve Carell, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston - but we do get to hear them
A cast featuring Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon and Emmy Award winners Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell immediately suggests two things: 1) that the show in question has the potential to be top quality and 2) that it's likely to be a comedy. In fact, Apple TV+'s The Morning Show – which goes behind the scenes on a US breakfast series – has been billed as "a high-stakes drama", and the first teaser only seems to back that up. As a camera tracks slowly down the dimly lit corridors and into the empty dressing rooms and production suite of a TV studio, accompanied by a sombre piano soundtrack, we hear the stars talking earnestly about delivering "sad and upsetting news", the importance of "truth" and "honesty" in journalism, and also hinting at some potential personality clashes. View oEmbed on the source website So anyone hoping for the US version of This Week with Alan Partridge may be out of luck. Having said that, the signs remain positive. While the three stars are all arguably best known for their comedy performances, they've also shown they can turn their hands to drama – Carrell most recently in big screen outings Last Flag Flying and true crime story Foxcatcher, Aniston in The Good Girl and Cake (which even received some Oscar buzz), and Witherspoon, of course, in HBO smash Big Little Lies, to name but one. And – as far as it's possible to tell without actually seeing anything – the conversations sound suitably dramatic and potentially gripping, so this could be a winner even if it probably won't leave you doubled over with laughter. Another question however is will it, and the other big budget shows and big names Apple TV+ has teased – Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories, Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry's series about mental health, JJ Abrams' Little Voice – be enough to get viewers to sign up to the new TV streaming service when it launches around the world this autumn? If the answer is no, that really won't be a laughing matter for Apple. Everything you need to know about Apple TV+
If this really is the end of The OA at least it’s a fitting one
Netflix has decided not to renew the mind-bendingly brilliant drama - but if #SaveTheOA doesn't happen, the season two finale will leave us in a perpetual state of wonder, says Paul Jones
**Contains major spoilers for The OA season two** I thought The OA should have finished after season one. A lot of viewers found the ambiguous ending frustrating, but for me it was perfectly balanced, supporting both possible explanations for the fantastical story we'd just been told: either it was true or it was a figment of central character OA's imagination – one that had nevertheless inspired in the kids who heard it the courage and belief to do something they would otherwise have been unable to, and which potentially saved numerous lives. When they performed 'the Movements' taught to them by OA, did the mystical properties of that act prevent the gunman from carrying out a potential massacre at the school, or was the sight of a group of children standing up in the middle of a canteen doing synchronised avant garde dance moves – while everyone else crouched under tables fearing for their lives – simply so weird that it distracted the gunman long enough for him to be captured? Either explanation works. If you want to believe in magic, you can, and if you want a real-world explanation (which contains magic of its own nonetheless) there it is. And best of all, if you don't want to settle on one or the other, and instead enjoy the ambiguity itself, you get that option too. I loved that, and if The OA hadn't returned for a second season I would have been very satisfied with it as an ending to what is a rare gem in these days of re-commissioning-to-death – an elegant, self-contained single-season drama. View oEmbed on the source website So how do I feel about the news that Netflix has decided not to renew The OA for a third season? Well, it's a disappointment – creators Brit Marling (who also stars as OA and her multiple, multi-dimensional selves) and Zal Batmanglij (who directs) say they have the material to complete what was intended as a five-season arc, and it's clear the show had so much more to give and so many places to go – but I also can't help feeling that if this has to be the end for The OA then it's at least a fitting one. Season two was a gorgeous tapestry of captivating ideas (a world wide web made of sentient trees, a giant telepathic octopus, pocket-sized machines that performed the Movements automatically) and beautifully composed, gorgeously rendered visuals – and dreamlike moments that will remain with me. It had a great new character in Kingsley Ben-Adir’s thoughtful, open-minded private detective Karim and it provided more intrigue with a plot about a mysterious computer game and an old house filled to the rafters with puzzles. View oEmbed on the source website The OA was never going to become anything approaching ordinary but if the extra plotting, and the increasing need for exposition, threatened to send it more in that direction, the twist at the end of season two brought us back to the delicious ambiguity of the season one finale. As the final moments of season two play out, Karim finally finds his way to the fabled Rose Window at the top of the puzzle house, but when he pushes it open what he sees blows his and our minds. The house is part of a set on a sound stage and below him an actress named Brit Marling is performing a stunt in what looks to be a TV show with a plot very similar to The OA. As the stunt goes wrong, someone we recognise as Hap, the man who has been using OA in his experiments, intervenes – but identifies himself in a British accent as "Jason Isaacs", the name of the English actor who plays Hap in the real world. In one fell swoop, this throws into question everything we thought we knew – or rather, it takes the many bizarre things we still didn’t really understand and dwarfs them in relation to the bigger questions we're now faced with. So while I'd love it if the campaign to #SaveTheOA worked out and we got to see more of this delightful madness, maybe this isn't the worst way for it to end. In three seasons' time we might finally get some answers – but then having an explanation laid out in front of you is often disappointing. An enigmatic ending like this means the magic remains, and we'll always continue to wonder. And I can't think of anything more OA than that.
Rutger Hauer was my hero before Blade Runner - and then he became an even greater one
Paul Jones charts his teenage years through the work of the late, great Rutger Hauer
I recently answered a thread on Twitter asking people to name the movie quote they would have on their gravestone. It only took a few minutes to come up with it and as soon as I did I knew it was right: "All these moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain." What line of poetry has better captured the tragedy of mortality? It's pretty well known that Rutger Hauer added that line himself to the Blade Runner soliloquy he delivers as replicant Roy Batty – a synthetic human whose factory-set four-year life-span means his own mortality is more integral to who he is than it is even to the average human. Rutger Hauer dissects his iconic "tears in rain" Blade Runner monologue Rutger has sadly now gone the same way as Roy, and the line must surely appear on anything that marks his final resting place, because it is a key part of his legacy, and Roy Batty is his greatest role. Yet while I can chart my teenage years by Rutger Hauer's performances, Blade Runner is not where it began for me. In fact, my first memories of Rutger are in the Guinness “Pure Genius” TV adverts. They were filmed after Blade Runner of course – it got him the gig (although director Ridley Scott was behind the camera in both cases) – but I was 13 when they began and that was years before I saw the movie. This was back in the days when the best TV ads were works of art, and were talked about as much as the shows themselves (in many cases, they were far superior). Dressed all in black with his shock of blond hair, Hauer was basically the living, breathing embodiment of a pint of Guinness. But it was his ethereal quality – and the almost Zen-like nature of the ads – that stuck with me. The best remembered of them features Rutger relaxing in a chair, legs outstretched, sipping a pint of Guinness, in front of the window to an aquarium. Mournful sonar notes ring out as a dolphin hovers by the glass looking in. “It’s not easy being a dolphin,” drawls Rutger. They’re intelligent animals, you see – and they’ll never get the chance to drink Guinness. View oEmbed on the source website A year or two deeper into my teens, me and a friend discovered Rutger’s 1986 movie The Hitcher, in which he plays an equally enigmatic, equally wry but far more violently psychotic character – the eponymous hitchhiker, who for no obvious reason decides to make one young man’s life hell. We rented that VHS tape over and over again from the local video store, until – believe it or not, kids – certain sections became so worn out that they were barely visible. I can’t remember exactly what our fascination with the film was now – or rather, I can: it was the mesmeric blonde-haired, icy-eyed Dutchman. View oEmbed on the source website Once I was hooked on Rutger, I watched all kinds of stuff. I have fond memories of him slicing up water melons in mid-air in big-hearted action-comedy Blind Fury, in which he plays a sightless Vietnam vet who is nevertheless deadly with a Samurai sword (I mean, any blind person could be deadly with a samurai sword but he does it on purpose). View oEmbed on the source website As the movies got smaller, Rutger got bigger (possibly due to too much Guinness) but I remained as dedicated as ever. Another one that springs to mind is 1991’s Wedlock. Rutger plays a jewel thief attempting to escape from a futuristic prison where inmates are paired up and given electronic necklaces that will blow their heads off if they stray further than a hundred yards from one another. High concept stuff. View oEmbed on the source website For some reason it wasn’t until later that I first saw 1982's Blade Runner, but maybe that was a good thing. An actor who I had grown to love for my own reasons then had another dimension added to him when he crouched down on a rooftop in the rain to deliver arguably the greatest movie speech of all time (equalled, perhaps, by Robert Shaw’s SS Indianapolis soliloquy in Jaws) and captured so eloquently the tragedy of human existence. A tragedy which has now claimed him too. RIP Rutger. Your moments won’t be lost for some time to come. View oEmbed on the source website
Love Island confirmed for TWO series in 2020
Get ready for "post-Christmas romance and drama from our new and luxurious location"
The Love Island gossip was true! The ITV2 reality smash hit will be returning for not one but TWO new UK series next year, with 2020 seeing the regular summer run preceded by an earlier series of the dating show to be based in a new villa in South Africa. Rumours had been swirling in recent weeks that producers were considering building on Love Island's success with a second series for the winter and ITV has now confirmed this will indeed be the case. "In response to this viewer appetite, a new batch of young singletons will deliver some highly anticipated post-Christmas romance and drama from our new and luxurious location," said the broadcaster's Head of Digital Channels and Acquisitions Paul Mortimer. View oEmbed on the source website The decision comes off the back of huge ratings for the ITV2 show, which has been growing year by year and is now the most watched UK programme in the much sought after 16-34 demographic. In fact, taking into account 'four-screen' consolidated viewing – across TV, PC, Mobile and Tablet – the current series of Love Island has broken the 6 million viewers mark for the first time. “Off the back of a record-breaking year, we're delighted to be bringing an extra series of our biggest and sunniest show to the 2020 schedule," said Mortimer. "Love Island has proven yet again to be the perfect format that engages younger audiences." Love Island has now been commissioned in a total of 13 countries, including Australia, Germany, Finland and Sweden, with new shows launching in the US, Belgium, Holland, Poland and Hungary this year.
Is the main series of Love Island moving from Majorca to a new country?
In all the excitement of a new winter series of Love Island, there's one part of ITV's announcement you may have missed...
There are some big changes taking place on Love Island. In the wake of massive viewing figures for series five, the ITV2 reality behemoth is doubling down next year, with not one but two series for 2020 – the tried and tested summer version and, before that, a new winter Love Island, promising "post-Christmas romance and drama from our new and luxurious location." That location is South Africa – where it's warm in winter – and, of course, we can expect summer Love Island to continue in its traditional home of Majorca. Or can we...? Buried in the announcement, there's a subtle yet significant phrase that suggests next year's summer show might just be upping sticks and moving on. "In early 2020 Love Island will be back in an all new location, with the first series of the year bringing the sunshine to viewers at home from a brand new villa in South Africa," reads the press release, before continuing: "The summer series will then return to Europe for a summer of love closer to home." Intriguing, no? Love Island confirmed for TWO series in 2020 Everything we know so far about Love Island 2020 Love Island's Curtis Pritchard joins Ru Paul's Drag Race as guest judge True, Majorca is in Europe but if the show is returning there, why wouldn't the announcement just say so? Surely, the only reason it would be phrased in this way is if producers really are seriously considering moving the show to somewhere else on the continent. ITV remained tight-lipped when we asked them about it, which in itself suggests that things aren't exactly cut and dried – and that there really is a chance we could be watching next summer's series beamed from somewhere new. True, Love Island has moved location before. The original series – the celebrity one that's best forgotten about – was filmed in Fiji, while the current version was originally shot in another Majorcan villa before moving to the current one in series three. But that doesn't change the fact that the spiritual home of the series we all know and love is Majorca: in a very real sense, Majorca is Love Island. So if producers are considering moving the show to another country – or at least another island – why might that be? Could Brexit have anything to do with it? And if so, does that mean we could be looking at a European location outside the EU? It would have to be to a country that's warm and sunny during the UK summer, and presumably that has at least one island attached to it. That could mean somewhere on the Balkan peninsula – Bulgaria, Croatia or Slovenia for instance. Or perhaps there are simply logistical or financial reasons for moving country, which could open up Greece, Italy or other Spanish islands as possible destinations. Some may even say I'm overthinking this. Or maybe, just maybe, we should be paying more attention to the second part of that mysterious sentence: "a summer of love closer to home". Love Island direct from the Outer Hebrides, anyone? Love Island continues weekdays and Sundays at 9pm on ITV2
Channel 4 to show live coverage of England's Cricket World Cup final
Fans will be able to watch England v New Zealand for free after Channel 4 struck a deal with Sky to share the coverage
Live free-to-air cricket coverage will be back on British TV for the first time since 2005, after Channel 4 agreed a deal with UK rights holders Sky to show England v New Zealand in the Cricket World Cup Final on Sunday. England beat Australia on Thursday to secure their place in the final at Lord's. Coverage will air live on Channel 4 and More4, as well as on Sky Sports, while Channel 4 will also show the previously scheduled Formula 1 British Grand Prix. Channel 4 will carry Sky’s coverage of the cricket from 9am. Coverage will move to More4 at 1:15pm while the British Grand Prix airs on Channel 4, with the cricket returning to Channel 4 after the race has finished. England v New Zealand World Cup Cricket Final and British Grand Prix coverage 9am – Channel 4 Cricket World Cup Final coverage begins 1:15pm – Cricket coverage moves to More4, while British Grand Prix coverage begins on Channel 4 Grand Prix coverage ends – Cricket moves back from More4 to Channel 4 Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon said: “This is fantastic news for cricket fans and the nation. “This Sunday is a massive day for British sport with England tantalisingly close to lifting the Cricket World Cup for the first time and Lewis Hamilton setting his sights on his seventh season win at Silverstone – all live on Channel 4. “The big winners of this strong partnership between Channel 4 and Sky are sports fans and viewers who want to come together for these big sporting occasions.” Sky UK and Ireland Chief Executive Stephen van Rooyen said: “England in the Final on home soil is a huge moment for sport in this country and we are proud to be the host broadcaster. “Thanks to our strong relationship with Channel 4, we are partnering to make the game available to everyone, so the whole country can get behind England, and be part of a special national sporting event.”
Love Island fans are convinced this boy is getting dumped tonight
We asked you to vote - and the result is a landslide for one Islander...
Thursday night's re-coupling is looming, with the power in the girls' hands as they prepare to choose which boys they want to pair up with. And it feels like it's all to play for... There are two new Islanders in the mix – Francesca and Chris – and Wednesday's dance challenge threw a spanner in the works as Michael's heart rate went off the chart when his ex Amber showed off her moves. Meanwhile, a lot could depend on what order the girls make their choices in. But even with all those variables to consider, RadioTimes.com readers are very clear on who's going to end up packing their bags and heading out the front door: a massive 72% of those who voted think Marvin will be the one going home, with 17% picking newcomer Chris and 6% Ovie. Meet Marvin Brooks, the Love Island Casa Amor recruit who trains Harry Redknapp Meet the cast of Love Island 2019 Love Island first look: Maura to quit the villa? Marvin is currently coupled up with Maura but it's been clear for some time that it's not exactly a match made in heaven and she's made no bones about the fact that she has her eye on Curtis. Will 29-year-old personal trainer and ex Royal Navy officer Marvin be able to extend his villa stay beyond two weeks, or will our readers be proved right? We know who we're backing... Love Island continues weekdays and Sundays at 9pm on ITV
Love Island sends Michael's new girl Joanna and his ex Amber for "a catch up" over a cup of tea
When Joanna and Amber leave the villa together for a chat about Michael, will fireworks ensue?
Amber returned to the main villa from Casa Amor on Tuesday night to find former partner Michael coupled up with new girl Joanna, and it's safe to say the two girls are currently not on the best terms. So what do the Love Island producers do? Let them have their space and get used to the new situation? No, of course not – they send them out of the villa together for "a catch-up". “I've got a text!" Amber and Joanna, you are going out for a catch up. Please get ready to leave the villa. #storminateacup Meet Love Island's Joanna Chimonides Meet Love Island's Amber Gill Meet Love Island's Michael Griffiths Presumably the producers are hoping fireworks ensue, but at least it doesn't sound like they'll be fuelling the flames with alcohol. Instead, it appears the girls will be chatting over a nice soothing cup of tea, so perhaps they'll come back best of friends. No, us neither. Love Island continues weekdays and Sundays at 9pm on ITV2
We have some cunning plans for a new series of Blackadder that might just work
As rumours circulate of a modern-day return for Rowan Atkinson's misanthropic schemer, we consider some settings that might play to the show's strengths, from the Cold War to the media world, the British Raj to Thatcherite politics
A new series of Blackadder with a modern-day setting and Rowan Atkinson as a university professor taking aim at the foibles of the younger generation? That's the tabloid rumour currently doing the rounds and if it's true it appears on the surface to go against everything that made previous series of the historical comedy work so well. As Stephen Fry, Blackadder's Lord – and later General – Melchett has himself pointed out (via Greg Jenner), 'history is a safe playground for bad taste jokes'. Caricatures work better when there is some distance separating them from us. And Blackadder has always worked by 'punching up' – making targets of over-privileged, ignorant buffoons in high places, not by attacking a generation who are poorer and more disenfranchised than our (anti-)hero Blackadder. Even if you think bringing Blackadder back is a good idea (even after the perfect, heart-wrenching ending of First World War satire Blackadder Goes Forth), that treatment won't work. But here are four cunning plans that could... Blackadder's Cold War If there’s any setting ripe for a Blackadder piss-take, it’s the murky world of mid-20th century Cold War espionage, in the vein of John Le Carré and the real-life Cambridge Spies. I’m picturing Blackadder as a university lecturer (we’ll keep that bit) recruiting and running a cell of undercover Russian agents, and secretly enjoying the luxuries of life in the West as he sends fake reports back to Moscow. The potential for comedy Russians, ham-fisted parallels with present-day issues and awkward situations involving Blackadder’s nonplussed Soviet handlers is endless. Add Hugh Laurie’s George as the worst double agent ever – both sides believe he’s a master spy working for them, whereas he just thinks he has a lot of friendly pen pals – and the series practically writes itself. Welcome, Comrade Baldrick! – Huw Fullerton Blackadder Makes the News It’s the 1980s and Edmund Blackadder is a ruthless tabloid newspaper editor rising up the ranks of Melchett Media, named after the despotic CEO (Stephen Fry) who our hero wants to both impress and usurp. Miranda Richardson is an ambitious flame-haired reporter vying for supremacy with Edmund, while Tony Robinson’s Baldrick is a luckless printers’ union rep fighting and failing to preserve the integrity and future of an industry crushed by the march of Thatcherite progress and global change. Having explored the influence of monarchy and the military on society, setting the next anachronistic chapter in the media at the time of Murdoch’s rise and the Wapping disputes would make it ripe for satirical swipes foreshadowing celebrity culture, political manipulation of the press and phone hacking. – Johnathon Hughes Blackadder's Jewel in the Crown Reconsidering our colonial past is all the raj these days, and there is no group of people better suited to highlighting what writer Pankaj Mishra called the “malign incompetence of the British Ruling Class” than Blackadder, Melchett and the rest. While the series seldom ventures forth from the British Isles themselves, the ‘direct rule’ of India was so vital to the Victorian way of life it was called the ‘Jewel of the Empire’. What’s more, it's a story so wrought with corruption, obliviousness, entitlement and casual cruelty that you can already imagine the plotlines: George playing cricket while Edmund plays Kipling’s Great Game, ineptly, Percy the obsequious face of the East India Company as Viceroy Melchett's moustache draws straight lines across the map. Obviously a uniformly white cast would need additions, but as long as the joke is always on the conniving toffs who trampled all over thousands of years of history and millions of actual people while drunk on Gin and Tonics, we can see Blackadder being right at home on the Ganges. – Jonathan Holmes Blackadder and the Iron Lady I can see Edmund conniving his way down the corridors of power in the 1980s as a venomous Whitehall chief whip dressed in a double-breasted suit and carrying a brick-sized mobile phone. Miranda Richardson would make for a formidable Margaret Thatcher and Stephen Fry could feature as a barking mad chairman of the 1922 committee. Hugh Laurie might play a doe-eyed, malleable newcomer in Parliament who’s won a large majority in the 1979 election and is now completely in awe of Blackadder’s wiles, while Tim McInnerny is one of the old-guard Tory “wets” who Thatcher wanted to force out. As for Baldrick, I see him either as a Michael Foot-style member of the opposition or, even better, a union leader whose “cunning plan” is to bring his workers out on strike without a ballot. With the Thatcher era offering so many parallels when it comes to the present state of politics, there's loads of potential for cutting comment on the 21st century Westminster landscape. Europe, the free market, schisms within the Conservative Party – you can’t go wrong, surely? – David Brown
Did you spot the Doctor Who Easter egg on stage with The Cure at Glastonbury?
Has Rose Tyler been at work again, or is there just a massive Doctor Who fan in The Cure?
Rose Tyler's been at it again. As any Doctor Who fan will know, the Ninth Doctor's companion melded with the Time Vortex after looking into the heart of the Tardis and became the powerful being known as Bad Wolf, before scattering the name across the universe and throughout time as a reminder to herself that she was associated with the Doctor. We've all been there, right? The words Bad Wolf have since turned up scrawled across a nightclub poster in the 1980s, around Rose's council estate and graffitied on the Tardis itself. They've given a TV channel its name in the year 200,000, and even appeared in other languages: in Welsh – Blaidd Drwg – as the name of a Cardiff power station, and in German –Schlechter Wolf – painted on the side of a missile on a collision course with a spaceship. And now Bad Wolf has only gone and turned up at Glastonbury, scrawled on a piece of goth rockers The Cure's equipment as they headlined the Pyramid Stage on Sunday night. Everything you need to know about Doctor Who series 12 Chris Chibnall promises “havoc” when Doctor Who brings back the Judoon Which modern Doctor Who character should return to the series? But is this really just another place that Rose Tyler disseminated the name Bad Wolf, or could there be another explanation? In this case, it looks like the latter because Cure bass player Simon Gallup is apparently a big Doctor Who fan and likes to plaster quotes and messages from the show all over his equipment. Take a look at the post below for instance to spot Eleventh Doctor quotes "the Angels have the phone box" and "come along Pond", as well as the series-six episode title A Good Man Goes To War, on Gallup's guitars. View oEmbed on the source website So, sadly, it looks like Rose Tyler didn't send this particular message. Then again, a Doctor Who fan got to headline Glastonbury – and that should be an inspiration to geeks everywhere.
James Bond is on Her Majesty's Very Secret Service in the new 007 movie, as Daniel Craig's spy finds himself embroiled in a mission while withdrawn from active duty. And the first look as filming on the as yet untitled Bond 25 moves to London sees Craig spending time with Her Majesty's Household Cavalry. View oEmbed on the source website In fact, after filming in the more relaxed setting of Jamaica, the London segments of the film look as if they could be full of British pomp and circumstance. View oEmbed on the source website What is the title of the new James Bond film? First look at Bond 25 as Daniel Craig films in Jamaica Bond 25 is set for release in the UK on 3rd April 2020 and in the US on 8th April