celebrity

Celebs Go Dating star Tom Read Wilson has opened up about being picked as a latecomer to enter the I’m a Celebrity jungle

A new contestant is being parachuted into I’m a Celebrity – and is already feeling the pressure.

Celebs Go Dating star Tom Read Wilson says he is fully braced for one particular hardship in the jungle…no champagne. The ultra-posh 39-year-old receptionist on the E4 show, also said he was looking forward to bonding with rapper Aitch when he enters the jungle as a latecomer, who he compared to Shakespeare.

Of the booze ban, he admits: “I do have a penchant for champagne, and as it is quite a naughty tipple, I confine it to the weekend. So it is just going to feel like a very, very long week. I will never usually have a coupe of anything until Friday.” And opening up about Mancunian Aitch who he will meet when he enters the jungle alongside Vogue Williams on Thursday, he said he found him “fascinating.”

“I know that he is very bendy with words, which I adore,” Tom said. “I love new coinings. It is the reason I am mad about Shakespeare, is all the endless coinings and the sense of play with lexicon. And he has got that in spades. I know he has. And I also really think of rap as modern poetry. I wish I could do it.” For Tom, any shared love of language or the arts is enough to bond campmates, no matter how different their backgrounds.

“I have always felt that it does not matter how divergent your tastes are. If your feelings about the arts are the same, it kind of pleads you together, you know. You get excited about those things,” he said.

He says that beneath his polished exterior he is “terrified” of what lies ahead. “I shan’t sugar the pill. I am terrified. I do not think I have ever been quite so frightened,” he confessed. “But it is a funny thing with fear historically for me because it is one of those things that swells and swells and swells in my mind. And as soon as I start something, I am actually much better.”

A recent conversation with a driver called Abdi, who he describes as a “philosopher”, has helped him reframe that fear. “I got into a car the other day, and I had a little bit of a wobble,” Tom said. “Without telling the driver anything, I said, ‘Well, I am just about to do this thing that is rather challenging and I do not know if I am very well equipped’.

“His name was Abdi, the driver, and he turned out to be a philosopher. And he said, look at that enormous tree outside the car. If I told you to climb that tree, you would be very daunted. But he said, once you had started, you would find a little groove to put your foot in. You would find a branch that would bear your weight.

“And before you knew it you would be in the canopy and you would not know how you got there. I could not believe it. I was so, so delighted because it just suddenly put everything in perspective. So I think I have got the same fear, but he really contextualised it for me.”

As a lover of luxury, Tom knows jungle life will be a shock to the system. The booze ban is one thing. The rations and rice are another. “I have done intermittent fasting for years now. I never knew I was in training. It does help I think. I don’t really get hungry now until 2pm,” he says.

Asked if he will bring energy to the camp, he replies: “Oh, I hope so although I gather that they are a very zestful bunch, as it is. But I suppose it is slightly incumbent on you, if you come late, to sort of be a little bit of a warm zephyr.

“Because by then, I suppose they have endured quite a lot of hardship. I mean, they probably would have done a task or two, and they certainly would be maybe food and sleep deprived by then.” He is also slightly starstruck about finally meeting Ruby Wax, thanks to a lifelong devotion to Absolutely Fabulous, which she wrote.

“I am excited and nervous about this in equal measure, because historically I have not done very well when I have been a big fan of somebody,” he admitted. “But I am a very, very big fan of Ruby Wax. In myriad ways, because, I mean, she can talk chapter and verse about Jung, which I find fascinating. And also, I am a devotee of Ab Fab, and I have been told many times that a lot of the zingers and some of the more caustic lines in Ab Fab were Ruby’s.”

Tom says he will miss the “small people” in his life most of all. “I have got five godkids and three nephews, all of whom I speak to multiple times a week and see multiple times a month. So that is going to be a real wrench.”

To prepare, he has leaned on former jungle stars including his close friend Roman Kemp. “Roman Kemp, who is a dear friend, whom I love, he said, you must make sure that you wean yourself off coffee at least . five days before,” Tom explained. “Because, he said, that is the biggest shock. You suddenly crash and you get headaches. And that is terribly good advice for me.”

IF you fancy some celeb spotting in the UK, there is one peninsula you need to head to.

Sandbanks in Dorset is known for being home to lots of celebrities and having very impressive beachside homes especially along Panorama Road.

The average price of a property on Sandbanks is just under £1million – the most expensive home is around £15 million.

Luckily, you don’t have to live in Sandbanks to visit as the nearest neighbourhood is in Poole, Dorset.

Sandbanks Beach is highly regarded having been dubbed by some as “Britain’s Best Beach” and “The jewel in the crown of the English Coastline”.

Sandbanks has won the Blue Flag award 38 times, which is every year since the scheme began in 1987.

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Not only that, but according to Tripadvisor, Sandbanks was the ‘world’s most sustainable beach’ for 2024.

The beaches were measured by a sustainable data partner along with Tripadvisor traveller reviews – winners stand out for their commitments to sustainability including transport options, waste disposal and water quality.

The area is home to former England manager Harry Redknapp and his wife, Sandra.

You might have seen their home on TV when the pair made an appearance on Celebrity Gogglebox.

Their son, Jamie Redknapp even named his clothing brand ‘Sandbanks’ after the area.

Other famous residents who have lived, or live, in Sandbanks include Celia Sawyer, J.R.R Tolkien, John Lennon and Liam Gallagher.

Chef Rick Stein is the name behind one of Sandbanks’ most famous restaurants on the Peninsula – Rick Stein, Sandbanks Restaurant and Bar.

The restaurant has celebrated 50 years and here you can enjoy fresh fish dishes from caviar to tuna sashimi, lobster thermidor and crab linguine.

Along the coast from Rick Stein is Lazy Jacks Restaurant and Bar which is known as being a relaxed eatery with waterside views.

Here you can enjoy sea bass, ribeye steaks, fish and chips, pizzas with various toppings, burgers along with Sunday roast choices.

Another popular spot is CAFF, which is a café along the front which serves homemade cakes, huge milkshakes, Full English breakfasts and hot dogs.

For staying in Sandbanks, there are various options from Haven Hotel, to Sandbanks Hotel, to holiday rental apartments.

To get to Sandbanks, you can walk across from the mainland.

The nearest coastal towns are Poole, which is 17 minutes away, or a 15-minute drive from Bournemouth.

From the neighbourhood, visitors can hop aboard the Sandbanks Ferry goes between Sandbanks and Shell Bay beach on Studland.

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For more in Dorset, check out the English village that is Britain’s prettiest with quiet beaches and huge castles.

Plus, how to enjoy a south coast staycation in Poole without having to hit the beach.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV welcomed Spike Lee, Cate Blanchett, Greta Gerwig and dozens of other Hollywood luminaries to a special Vatican audience Saturday celebrating cinema and its ability to inspire and unite.

Leo encouraged the filmmakers and celebrities gathered in a frescoed Vatican audience hall to use their art to include marginal voices, calling film “a popular art in the noblest sense, intended for and accessible to all.”

“When cinema is authentic, it does not merely console, but challenges,” he told the stars. “It articulates the questions that dwell within us, and sometimes, even provokes tears that we didn’t know we needed to shed.”

The encounter, organized by the Vatican’s culture ministry, followed similar audiences Pope Francis had in recent years with famous artists and comedians. It’s part of the Vatican’s efforts to reach out beyond the Roman Catholic Church to engage with the secular world.

But the gathering also seemed to have particular meaning for history’s first American pope, who grew up in the heyday of Hollywood. The 70-year-old, Chicago-born Leo just this week identified his four favorite films: “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “The Sound of Music,” “Ordinary People” and “Life Is Beautiful.”

In a sign of how seemingly star-struck he was, Leo spent nearly an hour after the audience greeting and chatting amiably with each of the participants, something he rarely does for large audiences.

Drawing applause from the celebrities, Leo acknowledged that the film industry and cinemas around the world were experiencing a decline, with theaters that had once been important social and cultural meeting points disappearing from neighborhoods.

“I urge institutions not to give up, but to cooperate in affirming the social and cultural value” of movie theaters, he said.

Celebrities just happy to be invited

Many celebrities said they found Leo’s words inspiring, and expressed awe as they walked through the halls of the Vatican‘s Apostolic Palace, where a light luncheon reception awaited them after the audience.

“It was a surprise to me that I even got invited,” Lee told reporters along the red carpet in the palace.

During the audience, Lee had presented Leo with a jersey from his beloved Knicks basketball team, featuring the number 14 and Leo’s name on the back. Leo is a known Chicago Bulls fan, but Lee said he told the pope that the Knicks now boast three players from the pope’s alma mater, Villanova University.

Blanchett, for her part, said the pope’s comments were inspiring because he understood the crucial role cinema can play in transcending borders and exploring sometimes difficult subjects in ways that aren’t divisive.

“Filmmaking is about entertainment, but it’s about including voices that are often marginalized, and not [shying] away from the pain and complexity that we’re all living through right now,” she said.

She said Leo, in his comments about the experience of watching a film in a dark theater, clearly understood the culturally important role cinemas can play.

“Sitting in the dark with strangers is a way in which we can reconnect to what unites us rather than what divides us,” she said.

A ‘hit and miss’ guest list that grew

The gathering drew a diverse group of filmmakers and actors, including many from Italy, like Monica Bellucci and Alba Rohrwacher. American actors included Chris O’Donnell, Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, Apatow’s wife.

Director Sally Potter said she was impressed that Leo took the time to speak with each one of them. And she said she loved his comments about the value of silence and slowness in film.

“It was a good model of how to be and how to think about cinema,” she said, noting especially Leo’s defense of “slow cinema” and not seeing the moving image just in terms of algorithms.

Director Gus Van Sant said he liked Leo’s vibe.

“He was very laid-back, you know, he had a fantastic message of beauty in cinema,” he said.

Archbishop Paul Tighe, the No. 2 in the Vatican culture ministry, said the guest list was pulled together just in the last three months, with the help of the handful of contacts Vatican officials had in Hollywood, including director Martin Scorsese.

The biggest hurdle, Tighe said, was convincing Hollywood agents that the invitation to come meet Leo wasn’t a hoax. In the end, as word spread, some figures approached the Vatican and asked to be invited.

“It’s an industry where people have their commitments months in advance and years in advance, so obviously it was a little hit and miss, but we’re very pleased and very proud” by the turnout, he said.

The aim of the encounter, Tighe said, was to encourage an ongoing conversation with the world of culture, of which film is a fundamental part.

“It’s a very democratic art form,” Tighe said. Saturday’s audience, he said, was “the celebration of an art form that I think is touching the lives of so many people and therefore recognizing it and giving it its true importance.”

Winfield writes for the Associated Press. AP journalists Trisha Thomas and Isaia Montelione contributed to this report.

The latest series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! is due to hit our screens this weekend with celebs like Jack Osbourne, Martin Kemp and Ruby Wax set to take part

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! bosses have been left stumped after Christine McGuinness repeatedly claimed she would be appearing on the show, when she isn’t part of this year’s line-up.

Just weeks ago the mum-of-three hinted that she would be going into the jungle but she hasn’t been announced to be in the show by ITV. It has been said that ITV bosses are “angry” and “confused” after the star suggested she could be taking on the challenge.

The 37-year-old seems to say she would be on I’m A Celeb when she appeared on the Pride of Britain Awards red carpet back in October. Christine said she is usually asked “every year” but the thoughts of leaving her children has always been overwhelming.

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But she said this year could be different as she said she thought “F*** it, why not” which many took as thought they could expect to see her on their screens.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Christine said: “I always get asked and it is one of those shows, every year, would you ever do it?

“And I always say there’s no way, I don’t think I could be away from my children, and I would be scared of the creepy crawlies, I have sensory issues and I have never been outside of Europe so just flying over there would be quite a challenge.

“Trying to get over to the jungle might be a bit of a mission but yeah, let’s see. I think this year most likely I’d be like f*** it, why not.”

The full contestant list was released this week and Christine’s name wasn’t on it. It’s thought bosses aren’t too pleased with Christine’s claims and instead think she should have shut the rumours down.

A source said: “ITV bosses were definitely confused when they saw the reports suggesting Christine had ‘signed up’ for I’m A Celeb.

“Usually, a celebrity would shut down speculation, so Christine appearing to confirm her appearance really infuriated those working behind the scenes.”

Christine shares three children, twins Penelope and Leo, and daughter Felicity, with ex-husband Paddy McGuinness. The pair still live together and co-parents their three children.

The parents have highlighted their children’s autism in recent years and Christine has also spoken about being diagnosed with autism and ADHS herself.

Christine has recently said that she had to consider whether she wanted to remain in the spotlight or not in order to protect her kids.

Speaking to The Mirror, she said: “I’ve had to think if I am in the right industry, and if I can continue. It may be what I enjoy and love, but when i think about my children and how the attention is going to affect their lives I have questioned it and if it’s right for me.”

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Former Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver has issued a warning to those preparing to enter the I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! jungle in Australia this year

Sue Cleaver has issued a warning to the stars preparing to become campmates on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! The actress, who left her long-running role as Eileen Grimshaw on Coronation Street earlier this year, took part in the 2022 edition of the ITV reality series and has now spoken of how bored and hungry she was during her time on the show.

The former dinnerladies star was back in her usual seat on the panel of Loose Women on Thursday alongside Kaye Adams, Frankie Bridge and Nadia Sawalha, where she reminded them that viewers at home only ever see a trimmed down version of the action in the camp, which is filmed for 24 hours a day.

She said: “You only ever see the edited version from a 24-hour period. If you aren’t doing a trial, you’re in the camp doing nothing. There’s no books, nothing. You’re in a hammock kicking a stick. I made a pair of shoes out of some twigs. They didn’t show that on the telly.”

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“You’re gonna be starving, you literally are starving. It’s two tablespoons of rice, two tablespoons of rice. Oh my God, I’ve never touched it since.”

This year, those heading into the jungle include Sue’s fellow soap legend Lisa Riley, who is known for playing Mandy Dingle on Emmerdale, Spandau Ballet star Martin Kemp and presenter Alex Scott amongst a host of others. Sue insisted the new contestants on the programme have to be ‘strong’ to get through it, and it is as ‘tough’ as it seems.

She added: “I would say you have to be strong. I’d watched it for years and I always thought that when they cameras weren’t rolling, there would be tea and cakes round the corner, there isn’t! It is very, very tough.

“There are spiders on the bed, somebody does come in and grapple a snake and take it away in the middle of the night. If you have any issues…you’ve got to be strong!” Sue previously spoke of how taking part in the programme allowed her to open up to the idea of new experiences.

Following her stint in the jungle, Sue went play Mother Superior, the part made famous by Dame Maggie Smith, in Sister Act: The Musical,

She told Prima magazine: “My 50s have been the happiest decade of my life. I’m happy with myself and where I am, so I’m looking forward to seeing what the next decade brings. “Since doing I’m A Celeb, my eyes have been opened to all these new experiences.

“Now, I’m just thinking, ‘Right, what’s my next challenge?’”

The star, who lost weight on the ITV reality show due to food rationing, discussed what she believes to be “unfair expectations” on women to look and eat a certain way, which she refuses to buy into.

She said: “I lost some weight in the jungle, but I’m not obsessing over diets: life is hard enough!

“There’s always going to be outside pressure and unfair expectations placed on women, but I refuse to get pulled into it. Let’s just let women be women – we have enough difficulties and struggles as it is.”

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I’m A Celebrity bosses will make a major change to proceedings this year on the ITV jungle show to stop one person hogging the limelight in a huge rule shake-up

I’m A Celebrity bosses are clamping down on celebrities doing repeated trials and hogging the limelight in a major rule shake-up. We can reveal how contestants will now no longer be able to do more than two Bushtucker trials in a row.

Insiders claim it gives more celebs the chance to shine on the show and endear themselves to the public. But it also comes after a row last year over Dean McCullough, who was voted to do a total of seven Bushtucker Trials, two of which he ended early.

Even Ant McPartlin expressed his frustration with Dean repeatedly being put up for trial, saying: “Who’s still voting for Dean, I don’t get it.”

At the time, some fans were convinced he was faking his tears to ensure he was repeatedly voted for by the public. Dean later insisted his tears were “100 per cent real.”

Nigel Farage, who took part in 2023, has previously lamented how those doing challenges got “25 percent of the airtime”.

The rule change will also effectively prevent the public targeting certain celebrities as much as before. Stars such as Helen Flanagan and Gillian McKeith were repeatedly picked on by viewers who were keen to see them suffer in trials.

Viewers will be unable to vote for that person for a third consecutive day, but then the system will be “reset” allowing that person to be voted for again.

A source said: “Celebrities all want the opportunity to take on a Bushtucker Trial and bring home stars for camp. Viewers would much prefer to see different celebrities take on the iconic Bushtucker Trials as opposed to the same person every day.”

Bosses are keen for more contestants to shine in the camp, and have taken on feedback from previous celebs on the show who want the trials to be spread more evenly.

A source added: “This is a great move for fans of the show so we don’t see the same faces doing the trials, as well as uncovering new favourites. Plus it’s a win-win for the celebs too, who are keen for more chances to get their personalities across.”

Several contestants have done multiple trials over the years.

Waterloo road actor Adam Thomas performed 12 trials when he took part back in 2016, while Scarlett Moffat and Janice Dickinson undertook 10 in 2016 and 2007 respectively. Jacqueline Jossa did 10 Trials in 2019, while Helen Flanagan did seven trials in 2012, of which a number were aborted.

Celebs flying Down Under include Emmerdale’s Lisa Riley, YouTuber Morgan Burtwistle, known as Angry Ginge, EastEnders actress Shona McGarty comedian Ruby Wax, TV presenter Alex Scott and Jack Osbourne. They are to be joined by rapper Aitch, and presenter Vogue Williams.

Ant and Dec are returning to host the hit series, which is in its 25th year. A source close to the show said: “Producers are expected to pull out the stops to ensure the 25th series is the most memorable yet.”

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Alan Carr has been spotted charging down the street in his Celebrity Traitors cloak whilst brandishing a lantern on a night out in London following his victory on the BBC show

Alan Carr has been spotted charging down the street in his Celebrity Traitors cloak whilst brandishing a lantern. The comedian, 49, was chosen as a Traitor by Claudia Winkleman and then emerged victorious as the winner of the recent BBC series after weeks of lying to his co-stars, managing to walk off with the grand prize, all in the name of charity.

Just days after his final scenes in the Scottish castle aired, the Changing Ends star was seen in a TikTok video wearing his famous costume from the series on a night out in London and yelled to his fans: “F*****g Faithfuls!”

Once the video was posted onto social media, he received approval from big name brands like Sky, Next, Specsavers and Asda in the comments section, before fans of the former Chatty Man host all piled in with their reactions. One said: “How is he not Sir Alan Carr yet?”

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Another wrote: “A true icon,” whilst a third added: “It’s Alan’s world we’re just living in it!” It all comes just days after nearly 12 million viewers watched the funnyman con Nick Mohammed and David Olusoga into believing he was a Faithful in the programme’s hotly-anticipated finale.

The finale was filled with shocks, first with Traitor Cat Burns being voted off thanks to a change of heart from Joe Marler, and then Joe also being shown the door after Nick Mohammed got cold feet about him at the last minute.

Viewers saw Alan burst into tears as he won the prize, telling them: “I’m so sorry, it’s been tearing me apart.” Speaking afterwards the comic, 49, said he couldn’t help the outpouring of emotion at the very end as he was revealed as a traitor to losing faithful Nick and David Olusoga.

“I think all the deceit, the lying, the murdering of Paloma and Celia had all taken its toll and then I think it dawned on me that I had won such a huge amount for my charity, Neuroblastoma UK,” he explained. “Hopefully when people see how upset I was they won’t feel so bad that I killed all those national treasures.”

He said that when he told the charity the good news about his £87,500 win they were overwhelmed. “I told one person at the charity and they started crying, so that gives you some idea of how important this money will be to them. Neuroblastoma is such a cruel disease, and this money will literally save lives. It’s a charity and disease that no one has really heard of so with the viewing figures being what they are it’s going to be so good for the charity.”

He said that his non-stop comedy was behind his win. “Humour was my secret weapon in the castle,” he declared. “I would often deflect scrutiny and make a gag about something which would then throw everyone off the scent. My sense of humour was probably more useful to me than a shield.”

And Alan admitted that he couldn’t believe he got away with two murders in plain sight – first Paloma Faith and then Celia Imrie. “Spouting Shakespeare at the dinner party was so not me that I thought it would’ve been a red flag to the faithful – but at breakfast no one mentioned it,” he laughed. Alan said he’d also loved the reaction of the audience since the show began last month. “The memes have been so funny, I’ve loved them all. Someone did a song which included all my Traitors quotes – it’s quite catchy actually and I think it should be entered for Eurovision.”

In terms of advice for future players, Alan confessed he had no idea what his game strategy had been. “Although I won, I don’t know if I was a really good Traitor or if the Faithfuls were just useless.”

Singer and TikTok star Cat, 25, claimed her downfall came about because she was the last woman standing – and the others believed there would be a female among the traitors. “In hindsight, I think if we didn’t banish Kate (Garraway) before, I probably would have had a chance as there would have been two women left,” she told BBC Breakfast.

Alan spent eight years interviewing A-Listers like Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue and Lindsay Lohan amongst a whole host of others on his Channel 4 show Chatty Man, which ended in 2016. At the time he said this was due to the difficulty of securing three guests an episode across a 30-week run, while competing with ITV’s Jonathan Ross and BBC1’s Graham Norton. He also said that Channel 4’s decision to shift it from Friday to Thursday had sounded the death knell.

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