EastEnders

The former EastEnders actress has taken on a new role, saying “I’ve loved every minute”

BBC viewers have been left sobbing after watching an EastEnders star’s new show.

Former Sonia Fowler actress Natalie Cassidy has taken on a new role and retrained after caring for her dying father.

The soap star previously opened up about the “breathtakingly hard” final moments of his life, but explained how she was left so inspired looking after him that she has now trained as a carer.

In a new BBC programme, Natalie Cassidy: Caring Together, the actress shines a light on Britain’s struggling care system, and focusing on topics like autism, first aid, dementia, childhood diabetes, and working in placements in a care home and St John Ambulance after returning to school to get a Level 3 BTEC in health and social care.

Viewers were left in tears by the eye-opening programme, with a clip recently shared on social media.

One person wrote: “Fantastic series showing the very important things that all carers and health care professionals have to deal with day in and day out! Good luck to everyone involved. I hope all the students who were in the series get the jobs they want to do! Well done @natcass1.”

Another said: “Just finished watching this. Loved it. Congratulations @natcass1.”

A third wrote: “I cried every day watching this series. It was so beautifully done with amazing respect and understanding for everyone on the show.”

Someone else added: “This has been a most wonderful programme x I can’t wait to hear if you passed x I’m sure you did x the episode about dementia [was] invaluable as my husband was diagnosed with vascular dementia recently x I’ve kept that episode.”

Another wrote: “Loved this series. @natcass1 was so honest about her own life and the job.”

Speaking in the programme, Natalie remarked how much she had loved her training, saying: “This course has been fantastic. The people I’ve met, the placements I’ve been on. I would like to continue this care journey.

“I feel like I’ve scratched the surface. I’ve loved it. I’ve loved every minute of it.”

“Caring for Dad right up until the end of his life, and losing him, was one of the most painful things I’ve ever had to do,” Natalie previously told the BBC.

“But the people I met have changed my life and are so inspirational. That’s what spurred me on to do this.”

“I’ve only ever had one job, but I’ve always wondered what I would have done if I wasn’t an actress,” she added.

Natalie’s father died in April 2021, and she went on to say that filming elements of Caring Together did make her miss him, adding: “Grief never stops – you don’t grieve for someone and then it’s over. It just changes.

“You change as a person – it shapes who you are, it shapes how you look at the world. You just get better at coping with it.”

Natalie left EastEnders last year after 32 years, saying that it was time to move on and adding: “EastEnders is in my bones so I will never forget where I started my career and I will continue to love the show.”

She later explained she was “ready for a change”, telling Bella Magazine: “I adore EastEnders but you can’t do everything. EastEnders is a factory with 60 cast members and 300 staff.

“They can’t cater for someone who says, ‘By the way, I need two months off to do this, I need another three months off to do this’. It’s not fair.”

Executive producer Chris Clenshaw had also said, at the time of Natalie’s announcement: “Over the last 31 years in EastEnders, Natalie has been involved in some of the show’s most iconic and explosive storylines. Her portrayal of Sonia has made her a firm fan favourite amongst the viewers.”

Natalie Cassidy: Caring Together is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Emmerdale will not air in its usual slot tonight, and isn’t on ITVX owing to the football, and fans of the long-running ITV soap have slammed the decision to take it off air

Emmerdale will not air in its usual slot on Friday night, and isn’t on ITVX either.

The long-running ITV soap, which began in 1972, has been a weeknight staple for much of its time on air, and, earlier this year joined forces with fellow soap Coronation Street to launch the “power hour” amid budget cuts at ITV.

Whilst it normally airs Monday to Friday at 8pm, the Yorkshire-based serial has been pulled to make way for the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers, which will from 7:30pm until 9pm and see Spain go head-to-head with England.

Viewers waiting to get their soap fix will have to wait until Sunday evening, when the episode will instead air at 8:00pm, with Coronation Street following afterward.

In recent years, ITV has made Emmerdale and Coronation Street available on ITVX from 7am on the day of linear broadcast, and, in this case, the new edition will be released on Sunday morning.

With numerous inevitable schedule changes set to take place over the forthcoming World Cup, soap fans flooded social media with complaints. One wrote on Reddit: “Can’t they just stick all the football on, oh I don’t know, the football channel?

“So silly that broadcasters just ignore loyal viewers, some of whom who have been with them for decades, just to shove a sport on – the results of which will be beamed across every platform in real life. TV bosses always treat soaps as bottom of the pile when it comes to these things.” Another said: “Four weeks of disruption nightmare,” and added a string of rolling eyes emojis.

A third raged: “Yes I love the football but as a soap opera fan it’s gonna piss off a lot of people especially who hate football and like Emmerdale and Coronation street and EastEnders and of course Hollyoaks who won’t be affected by this and yes I get it important for the whole world but don’t u think we should have a channel for the world cup not on BBC or ITV.”

Another wrote: “International football should remain on free to view channels and not hidden behind a pay wall like the Premier league and champions league has become,” and a third suggested: “The simple solution is they just air the episodes on streaming regardless if it goes out over the airwaves. It’s kinda defeating the point if streaming platforms follow a schedule where only one thing can be on at once.”

It comes as fans recently predicted something of a bombshell could crop up in the relationship between Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle, known as Robron, as little has been said since they got engaged in the Corriedale crossover. While viewers will likely have to wait to find out, Robert’s faced backlash from Aaron’s family and friends, and other villagers, due to the drama with Joe Tate and the farm.

One of those people currently against him is Aaron’s best friend Mackenzie Boyd. But in a bizarre turn of events, a new theory from a viewer has sparked much confusion.

A soap fan took to Reddit to ask when Robert and Mack’s affair was going to air. Naturally, the post that seemed so sure it was on the cards left fans confused, as it’s not something that has been remotely hinted at, let alone confirmed on the show. Fans ended up replying, with some needing answers as others questioned if a mix-up had occurred. The original post read: “When do Robert and Mack have their affair?

“Have been hearing about it for ages that it’s happening. Guess they’re waiting for things to blow up with the baby.” Again, as fans pointed out, there has been no suggestion on or offscreen that this is happening.

So where the “talked about” theory has come from, no one knows. This led to fans actually asking the poster what they had heard, to which there was no reply.

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

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EastEnders spoilers for next week have teased the fallout to the big episodes airing this week, hinting at Jordan’s fate as well as Denise getting a sad update on the BBC soap

There’s some huge moments ahead on EastEnders, with spoilers for next week confirming bombshells and worrying scenes.

It’s the fallout to the show’s big week that “changes everything”, with new details confirmed about what happens. Not only that, but we see characters struggling in the fallout, and reacting to some big discoveries.

George clashes with Nicola about her deal with Eddie, leading to him heading to the boxing gym. A friendly session with Mark takes a turn though, when Mark punches George and he falls unconscious.

Phil reveals to a stunned Mark that George should never have been boxing due to his brain injury. A groggy and confused George refuses hospital treatment, so Phil takes him home and informs Nicola about George’s CTE.

Harry worries that George might tell Gina about Nicola’s deal with Eddie, fearing it will end their relationship. He does encourage Nicola to tell Gina before someone else does, while Nicola tries to get through to George.

Denise is shocked when doctors insist she be admitted immediately for treatment. Despite Jack’s pleas, Denise is determined to be there for Chelsea after Jordan’s accident involving Ian.

When Denise’s condition worsens, Jack shares the doctor’s warning with Yolande in a bid to encourage Denise to start her treatment. Denise refuses still, while later in the week Chelsea learns that Jordan’s rehabilitation may not work.

Kat plans a birthday dinner for Jasmine, while Oscar secretly juggles time seeing the twins separately. When Oscar finds out the circumstances around the death of the twins’ foster dad, and Jasmine’s departure from the family, he asks Jasmine about it, causing her to lash out.

Josh and Oscar give into temptation, but Kat spots them kissing. Kat confronts Oscar and tells him to stay away from Josh and Jasmine, before she tells Alfie what she saw.

Unaware of the situation, Zoe invites Oscar to the meal for Jasmine and Josh. It looks set to be another drama-filled week in Walford next week then!

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Joe Swash says discovering family history has made him complete after taking part in Who Do You think You Are? for the BBC

Joe Swash says he feels “galvanised” after learning about the Italian roots of his family. The actor and husband of Stacey Solomon appears on Who Do You Think You Are? hoping to learn more about his family tree.

Former EastEnders star Joe, 44, tells the programme he lost his own dad Ricky when he was aged 39 and Joe was just 12 which had a big impact on his upbringing.

He explained: “My house was full of life and life. And then, when my dad died, for a long time, it was a house full of sadness and grief. So, you know, a lot of the time it was just trying to get through that period. Growing up in London, I was quite vulnerable, not having a father figure, and I had dyslexia and ADHD that wasn’t diagnosed, so I do struggle when I read something, and a lot of the time I was misunderstood as being quite naughty and mischievous.”

Joe says thanks to some “strong women” in his life he stayed on track, and that he feels like he has got some “Italian traits” including wearing his heart on his sleeve. His mum Kiffy tells him that on his father’s side his great grandmother’s part of the family tree were Italian.

At this stage Joe doesn’t know anything beyond his grandad Charlie but his parents were Joe’s great grandad also called Charlie Swash and Maria Raimo. A 1921 marriage certificate shows Maria living at home in Lox Gardens in London with her parents, Giuseppe, Italian for Joseph, and Rosa, Joe’s great great grandparents.

Joe’s great great grandfather Guiseppe Raimo moved from Italy to London and worked his way up from a street performer in poor living conditions to a job crafting Street pianos. He also spoke alongside Sylvia Pankhurst in 1923 at a Communist Workers’ Movement meeting in London. A letter in his name was published in weekly newspaper The Worker’s Dreadnought, condemning the brutality of the fascist regime.

Historian Alfio Bernabei said: “Giuseppe wasn’t simply attending the meeting, he was actually speaking alongside Sylvia Pankhurst. He could see what was going on, he was following events in Italy, and everything was leading towards a catastrophe. Giuseppe would have run terrible risks had he been in Italy, and he was running terrible risks in London.”

Hearing this detail, Joe said: “It really does fill me with a great, great deal of pride to think that he was struggling through life anyway, being Italian, living where they were living, but he still was concerned about what was happening in the world and fascism, so he must have been a man with great moral compass, someone that really stood by what he thought.

“I had so much pride when I found out about him. The journey he went on, the morals and the things he stood up for, the people he rubbed shoulders with, and the way he got out and worked through poverty to make himself and make his family’s life better, just shows real tenacity. Learning about his speech was emotional, it was a total surprise. I think in that moment I felt really close to my relatives, to Giuseppe. It was such a lovely thing to find out.”

Joe also goes to Naples and traces his ancestors back to his five times great grandfather Donato who was born in 1762 and was living in the now largely abandoned but picturesque mountainous town of Senerchia. The family were peasant farmers but did have a brush with crime after being wrongly linked to the Italian brigands in 1867 during the Italian rebellion.

Back in the present day Joe also finds a ‘Raimo bar’ nearby to Senerchia, and is delighted the family name lives on in Italy. Reflecting on everything, Joe said: “For a lot of my life, I’ve never really known who I am, what I am, where my roots are. I don’t know if that’s due to losing my dad at a young age, but being on his journey, it really has sort of like galvanised who I am, where I’m from, the people that made me, how strong they are, they never give up. Hopefully a bit of that tenacity has come down the line to me.”

He added: “I think what I’ll carry with me from this experience is just the importance of where you come from and knowing who you are. As well as the things that I found out about my relatives, especially about Giuseppe. Traits and things from them that I hope I have as well, or that I’d like to introduce into my life, you know. It just made me feel a lot more attached to my heritage, which I’ve never really felt attached to. I very much knew nothing about it before, but after this journey, I feel like I’m part of something.”

* Who Do You Think You Are? With Joe Swash airs on BBC1 at 9pm on Tuesday June 9. The series is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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EastEnders’ Denise Fox, whose symptoms began with fatigue, will discover she has acute myeloid leukaemia following a bone marrow biopsy – Yvonne Gabriel knows exactly how she feels

EastEnders’ Denise Fox is all alone today when she receives the shattering news that she has blood cancer. While partner Jack Branning gears up for the upcoming World Cup, Denise, whose symptoms began with fatigue, will discover she has acute myeloid leukaemia following a bone marrow biopsy.

And Yvonne Gabriel, 58, will know exactly how she feels. The retired deputy head teacher was also by herself when told she had AML, in July 2018. She says: “It was such a huge shock. I wrongly thought adults couldn’t get leukaemia. The whole thing was a blur. But I remember the doctor saying it was treatable and I hung on to those words for the whole of my cancer journey.”

Yvonne went back to her home in Wallington, Surrey, and told her civil partner Annette, 63, a lawyer, and daughter Leanne, 38, a graphic designer, the awful news. She recalls: “My partner and daughter kept reiterating that the cancer was treatable and curable.

“I am usually the person that looks after people so it was really hard to feel I was causing the upset. They held themselves together for me.” EastEnders worked closely with the charity Blood Cancer UK on Denise’s storyline, starting today on World Blood Cancer Day, which in many ways mirrors Yvonne’s.

Yvonne and Denise, played by Diane Parish, 56, are both Black and, according to the charity, Black or mixed-race blood cancer patients with leukaemia have only a 37% chance of finding a 10/10 matched unrelated stem cell donor, compared to 72% for white patients.

Yvonne began treatment in Sutton’s Royal Marsden Hospital within days of diagnosis. She had three courses of intensive chemotherapy, requiring hospital stays, and finished that November. She says: “It is fantastic that EastEnders are running this storyline. It might mean viewers watching it get help if they have symptoms or even understand a little more what people with blood cancer are going through.”

Yvonne also recommends staying active, as it helps the body to cope with the harsh treatment. She adds: “I lost my hair and if Denise has chemotherapy this will probably happen to her. I was very emotional on the day I shaved it.” But she adds: “It will come back and it’s a sign the treatment is working. You can adorn yourself in different ways – wear jewellery or colours that make you feel like you.”

Yvonne has now trained to do massage therapy after benefiting from it herself as a patient. She says: “It was life-changing. It helped me physically and emotionally.”

Matthew White, director at Blood Cancer UK, says: “Many people with blood cancer have to visit their GP multiple times before they are diagnosed. Seeing blood cancer spotlighted on such a popular programme like EastEnders is a powerful platform that can help make a ‘hidden’ cancer more visible.”

*Blood Cancer UK provides trusted advice for people with blood cancer and funds research into better and kinder treatments that will transform lives. bloodcancer.org.uk

EastEnders has teased which characters will face life-changing events during their special week on the BBC soap, with new spoilers teasing some big twists for next week

New spoilers for EastEnders have teased the BBC soap’s big week, where “everything changes” for more than one resident.

Specific scenes are being kept under wraps, but it’s set to be unmissable. Lives will no doubt be changed, and there will be bombshells aplenty.

There’s a huge change to the usual format to for the BBC soap, with things being a little different to mark the occasion. More than one character is involved in the episode, and it’s safe to say that whatever happens, it will impact more than one Walford family.

In a special week of episodes, set across one night, everything changes. Following the drama of Vicki and Ross’ wedding, Walford residents gather but Yolande realises Denise is missing.

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Denise soon opens up to Yolande about her cancer diagnosis. She soon receives a call where she’s told she needs immediate treatment, but some worrying family news leaves her rushing to be with Chelsea in her time of need. Prior to this, Mark and Chelsea flirt, but it’s Zack she almost shares a kiss with.

As Chelsea heads back to the wedding reception marquee, her world is turned upside down. Denise tries to be strong for Chelsea, as Yolande helps cover for Denise when her absence is questioned.

Later, Denise tells Jack about her diagnosis. Kathy and Cindy are at loggerheads after one too many wines, but the night is about to take a turn for the worst for Ian.

When there’s a knock at the door, Ian makes a discovery and he realises he could lose everything. Max publicly declares his love for Cindy, before asking her to marry him.

Kat worries that she and Alfie have given the wedding guests food poisoning. Harry makes a confession to Gina about Eddie, leaving her confronting George.

As George realises his dad Eddie will never change, he tries to apologise to his daughter but Gina flees. Soon, George tells Eddie he’s sending him back to prison, which leads to Eddie dropping a bombshell of his own.

As George takes action to protect his family, he may regret it. It’s going to be a massive week for the soap, with plenty of twists and turns ahead, so it isn’t a week to be missed.

What happens to Chelsea? How do Denise’s family react to her cancer news and what happens with Ian? The spoilers are intentionally cryptic with plenty more being kept under wraps until each episode airs that week.

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Few résumés encompass everything from The Benny Hill Show to Grantchester. Even fewer actresses have the range and longevity of Paula Wilcox, who has appeared in more than 60 shows

Paula Wilcox set hearts racing as flirtatious Chrissy Plummer, alongside Sally Thomsett as Jo and Richard O’Sullivan as Robin Tripp, in the 1970s sitcom Man About the House, which shot her to fame.

And, now 76, Paula, who joined the National Youth Theatre, aged 17, will be back on screen on June 5 in a four part psychological drama, The Fortune, on Channel 5. But, despite it ending 50 years ago, after three years and six series, she still gets recognised from Man About the House – a risque comedy about a man sharing a flat with two attractive women.

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She says: “Now, all these years later, I’d love to do a proper sitcom again.” At the time, however, she found the fanmania difficult to cope with.

Just 23 when she was cast as Chrissy, she says: “I’ve never been very good at handling all that stuff. Richard was wonderful at it. He could be so nice to people. He’d been a child star and so he’d learned how to be very polite to fans. I just never did. You don’t know what to do, you’re scared and then you say, ‘just leave me alone!’ It doesn’t endear you to people. You’d find yourself being a bit rude, rather than just being nice and natural.”

Professionally, Paula got sick of talking about Man About the House. She says: “There was I, playing Juliet or in a Stoppard play. You take yourself a bit seriously and all people wanted to talk about was Man About the House. I was in my 30s and getting on with stuff and I used to get really annoyed and change the subject.”

Paula is now the only member of the cast still working. Richard O’Sullivan, 81, who played Robin, has lived in a retirement home for entertainers since suffering a stroke in 2003 and Sally Thomsett, 70, who played Jo, has retired. Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce, who played neighbours George and Mildred Roper, are now dead, as is Doug Fisher, who played Robin’s best friend Larry.

Paula says: “I’m in touch with Brian Murphy’s widow, Linda. I still see Richard from time to time and we miss Yootha, Brian and Dougie. We were very close mates.”

Surprisingly, despite playing best friends on screen, the one former cast mate she rarely sees is Sally Thomsett. She says: “I saw her a few years ago, when we all went to see Richard. I’m hardly in touch with her now. Sally has moved and she’s very naughty, because she doesn’t necessarily let you know what her phone number is. So, if she reads this – get in touch!”

When Man About the House ended in 1976, Paula became a screen and stage staple. Alongside an illustrious theatre career, her TV work included the comedies Boomers, Mount Pleasant and Upstart Crow. She also played Laurel Thomas’s mother Hilary Potts in Emmerdale and more recently spent three years in Coronation Street as Elaine Jones, the mum of taxi boss Tim Metcalfe and ex-wife of abusive hospital radio DJ Geoff Metcalfe.

She says: “If there’s a terrific storyline I’d love to go back. I loved working with Joe [Duttine] and Sally [Dynevor]. They were so good, so much fun and so clever. There’s no reason why Eliane couldn’t come back. She’s still Tim’s mother after all. He can’t get rid of her.”

Paula attributes her 57-year career to “being up for things,” explaining: “I like being challenged; I always have a go. I’ve done some weird and wacky things, so I think people have been aware of me in different genres and spaces. I’ve done one-woman plays; I’m not just on telly or in the West End.”

The Fortune, which has four episodes, tells the story of happily married mum Amanda Blakefield, whose life is turned upside down when she inherits a large amount of money from a man she’s never met or even heard of. While his shocked family is determined to get to the truth, the surprise inheritance turns sour, leading Amanda into a mystery that leaves her questioning everything she thought she knew.

The stellar cast includes Poldark star Eleanor Tomlinson as Amanda, alongside Stephen Tompkinson, Denis Lawson, Rebecca Front and former EastEnders actress Nina Wadia. Paula plays Amanda’s mother Linda, the one person who has the keys to the past.

She says: “She’s an important part of the story, because she knows what happened. She has dementia and is in a care home. She kind of knows everything, but she doesn’t know that she knows. It’s to do with something that went on in her past. She can remember highlights, but, because of the dementia, she goes off into talking about something else, completely unconnected.”

But Paula had doubts about taking on the role. She says: “It’s something that I was a bit wary of. My mum had dementia and it’s absolutely awful. I’ve been asked to play someone with dementia before and I felt it was a bit too close to it. But actually, this part is very different, because she’s a very different woman with a very different story and also, it’s about 15 years ago now, so it’s time to move on.”

Paula, who lives in London with her husband of 35 years, business consultant Nelson Riddle, grew up in Manchester. She began her TV career in 1969, aged 20, playing teenage delinquent Janice Langton in Coronation Street. She recalls: “She was the sister of Ray Langton. I was supposed to be 15 and I’d escaped from Borstal. I came in, laid the law down, nicked some money and then disappeared again.”

Three years later, in 1972, she appeared in an episode of The Benny Hill Show – known for its saucy slapstick humour and sketches featuring scantily clad young women. In its heyday, it attracted audiences of more than 21 million, but Paula quickly realised it wasn’t for her.

She laughs: “I remember thinking: ‘gosh, what am I doing? It just wasn’t my scene really. I think I played his [Benny’s] neighbour in one of the sketches. I remember at one point he asked me to bend over the sofa and I said, ‘ooh, no, I don’t do things like that!’ I think he was trying to sauce it up a bit and I was having none of it. When you’re young you can be quite straightforward like that.”

While declining ratings meant The Benny Hill Show was cancelled in 1989, Paula’s career went from strength to strength. Even now, she has plenty left on her bucket list. She says: “I’ve never worked with the RSC or at the National Theatre, so those are two things that I’d still really like to do. I still get as much pleasure from acting as I ever did and since I’ve passed the age of 50, the parts have got more and more interesting and more fun. You’re not just being cast because you’re cute and because of the way you look. You’re given more challenging things and if you can rise to the challenge, then you get offered them again and that’s very gratifying.”

*Paula Wilcox appears in The Fortune on 5 in June

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EastEnders fans have been left gutted after Karen Henthorn, who plays Julie Bates, appeared in her final sceens of the BBC soap last night – 29 years after her debut

An EastEnders legend has bid a sad farewell to the BBC soap – 29 years after her debut.

Last night’s episode marked the end of actress Karen Henthorn’s time on EastEnders, almost 30 years after she made her debut in Walford. She had returned as part of Nigel’s dementia storyline in July last year, having previously appeared on the soap between September 1997 and April 1998.

Thursday’s episode saw Karen Henthorn, who plays Julie Bates, leave Walford for India, just weeks after the death of her husband Nigel. Julie finally read Nigel’s letter, which revealed he had left her his pension, meaning she could take the trip of a lifetime.

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Following her final scene Karen appeared in a farewell video on EastEnders’ official social pages. Stood on the BBC set she said: “It’s my last day and I’ve had the best time. The best 10 and a half months.” She went on to pay tribute to the cast and crew and said: “Whatever you do in life, it’s always about people and kindness.”

Karen then thanked the EastEnders fans, saying: “thanks for your love, your support and your commitment and dedication to the programme, which you love as much as I love. And I’m going to really miss you. So thanks everyone, take care of each other, loads and loads of love.”

The video then showed a snippet from Karen’s final scene before she was presented with flowers and applauded by the crew and co-star Steve McFadden.

Executive Producer Ben Wadey gave a speech, he said: “Your constant waterworks, your endless tears, but your performance has really been amazing. Thank you for everything, you’ve been amazing.”

The video posted on Facebook was captioned: “Tonight we say goodbye to the outstanding Karen Henthorn and Julie Bates. You’ve been an absolute delight and we will miss you dearly!”

Loyal viewers took to the comments to share their thoughts on Karen’s departure. One wrote: “Great actress and amazing portrayal of such an awful disease. I hoped you might end up with Phil, it’s the most he’s smiled since you arrived.”

Another commented: “Have absolutely loved her. Please get her back, it won’t be the same without her. Maybe Karen (Julie) could come back after a period of time and slowly become Phil’s love interest? They could be the equivalent of Corrie’s Vera and Jack!”

A third wrote: “So gutted she’s left. Her performance has been absolutely phenomenal throughout Nigel’s dementia storyline. Best wishes for the future Karen.”

EastEnders airs on BBC One and is available on BBC iPlayer.

EastEnders spoilers for next week have teased a feud brewing between the Brannings and the Mitchells, as well as two exits being teased and some chaos at Vicki and Ross’ wedding

There’s big moments ahead on EastEnders next week, as spoilers confirm bombshells, rivalry and twists and turns.

Max is suspicious of Lauren after a car delivery at the car lot, and he soon confides in Cindy. As Grant, Sam and Phil dismiss Max’s claims, Max and Cindy go public with their suspicions about Mark.

Everyone’s shocked when Grant claims he’s behind the dodgy car scheme. Cindy accuses Grant of lying and Max threatens to call the police.

Lauren tips off the Mitchells as the police arrive, while Sam considers joining Grant in Portugal whenever he plans to go back. Preparations are underway for Vicki and Ross’ wedding, while Zack receives some upsetting news.

He offers Vicki a bracelet but she refuses his gesture, leading to him dropping hints to Ross that Vicki is cheating. As the wedding arrives, Ross is rattled and Zack tries to get Vicki to leave Ross.

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Soon, Ross comes to a realisation and asks if Zack was the man she slept with. Tensions simmer between Eddie and Harry after Eddie criticises Gina.

Ian and Elaine clear the air and agree to be friends, while Will is upset when he misses a rave. Ravi returns home, and Priya hopes they can rebuild their relationship.

Denise receives a call from the hospital requesting she come in that morning for a bone marrow test, with her going alone. Meanwhile, Denise receives the results of her recent hospital tests and is left stunned when doctors tell her she has blood cancer.

But will she confide in her loved ones? It’s set to be another big week on the BBC soap next week according to these spoilers. It comes as the soap teased life-changing scenes ahead in the coming weeks.

In the trailer, some of Walford’s biggest names appear to be gathered in the pub in their finery. They’re all enjoying a drink until the clock hand moves and David Bowie’s ‘Changes’ plays.

Everything starts to tilt out of place and sirens can be heard before four characters – George Knight, Ian Beale, Denise Fox and Max Branning – look at the camera. While their smiles fade, an ominous voice warns that this is “the night that everything changes”.

According to the BBC, the night in question is Vicki and Ross’ wedding. The Beale, Branning, Knight-Mitchell and Fox-Trueman families will “find themselves at the heart of the drama”, but all for different reasons.

Over the course of a week, the same night will be explored, with new details emerging about what happened to each family and how this will effect them in the run up to New Year.

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

EastEnders has aired worrying scenes for George Knight as he struggles being around his father Eddie – but fans think it’s going to get a lot worse, especially as Gina takes drastic action

EastEnders‘ George Knight might be close to doing something ‘murderous’ as he struggles to cope with having his father in his house. Since last week, Eddie has been living in George’s home as he dies of cancer, but fans think George might hurry things along as he gets desperate to have Eddie out.

George (Colin Salmon) has long had a strained relationship with Eddie (Chris Fairbank), as the elder Knight had murdered George’s biological father Henry Asare. While Eddie had been in prison for the murder, he was released to stay with George and his partner Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington), though the police did not know George would be involved.

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His daughter, Gina (Francesca Henry), spent tonight’s episode (18 May) arguing with George over letting Eddie stay. She ultimately decided to take drastic action and call the police to let them know that Eddie was in contact with George, despite that being banned.

Yet, fans think it might be George who ultimately cuts the cord – in the most final way. This comes after the BBC released a trailer for a week of special episodes titled ‘The night that changes everything’, where George is set to make a decision that turns everything on it’s head.

One fan said: “I was confused as to what George was doing in the everything changes trailer but I wonder if maybe he ends up suffocating Eddie or something.”

Another agreed: “It would be fitting if something murderous happens – Eddie being taken out by his son years after murdering George’s bio father.”

George wasn’t the only one featured in the new trailer. Some of Walford’s biggest names were involved, including Ian Beale, Denise Fox and Max Branning.

According to the BBC, the night where ‘everything changes’ is Vicki and Ross’ wedding in June. After the wedding, the Beale, Branning, Knight-Mitchell and Fox-Trueman families will “find themselves at the heart of the drama”, but all for different reasons.

Over the course of a week, the same night will be explored, with new details emerging about what happened to each family and how this will effect them in the run up to New Year.

Posters released alongside the video reveal which characters will be drawn into the drama. Denise can be seen looking at the camera as an upside down Yolande Trueman and Jack Branning, her mother figure and husband, stand behind her. Fans have already been told that Denise is soon going to be diagnosed with blood cancer.

Meanwhile, Jack’s brother Max appears in another picture, with his children, Lauren Beale and Oscar Branning, behind one shoulder, and girlfriend Cindy Beale behind the the other.

Newly elected councillor Ian Beale is also seen with an upset Chelsea Fox behind him. The two currently do not have any connection to each other, so it is uncertain why they have been paired together.

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EastEnders’ Mark Fowler has resorted to desperate tactics to clear his debt to gangster Delaney, but fans think there’s a further twist on the way that will be fatal for one character

EastEnders fans are convinced Mark Fowler’s latest desperate antics will prove fatal for one character. In Thursday’s episode, airing on 14 May, Mark learned that his debt to gangster Russell Delaney had been doubled after his father, Grant Mitchell, threatened the drug lord. In his panic, his aunt Sam, managed to convince him to do something drastic.

Sam told Mark that he needed Lauren Beale to start working with him on stealing cars and selling them on her car lot. Lauren refused to do that before but Sam suggested that if Mark made it so that she had no choice but to turn to him, then he could get his money. As such, they took a car Lauren was due to sell and set fire to it.

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Fans noticed that just before this scene, Bea Pollard, who had been kicked out of Honey and Billy Mitchell’s home after stealing Honey’s identity, was sleeping rough on some bin bags. Some thought she might be too close to the fire and die as a result, as the character is thought to be leaving soon.

“I think Bea was bedding down in one of the lock ups by the car,” one fan said. “Hopefully that will be her leaving scene.” Another added: “Was that Bea asleep on the ground when Mark threw petrol all over the car and put a lighter to it?” A third said: “I thought the same thing. Near the car – bet she saw it all.”

But others pointed out that it looked more like Bea was in McClunky’s, the chicken shop where she works. One wrote: “Bea camping out at mcklunky’s on a bin bag…”

Another said: “Sure she was in the chicken shop.” A third added: “She was in the chicken shop, you could see counter in the background.”

This comes as Bea’s actions left Honey hospitalised. When it was revealed that Bea used Honey’s identity to open a credit card account, which landed her friend in £5,000 debt, Bea tried to convince Honey that it was all a misunderstanding.

When that didn’t work, she said she only did it so that she could buy things for people and make them like her. It was close to persuading Honey to let her stay, until Honey’s husband Billy came home.

Billy threw Bea out on her ear. In a fit of rage, Bea flipped the safety lever on his ladder, so that when he went up to clear the drains, he would fall.

But in a sick twist, it was Honey who went up the ladder. She fell from the ladder and couldn’t be roused by Billy, as Bea watched on from the shadows.

Honey was rushed to hospital, where she eventually woke up. But despite convincing everyone that she wasn’t responsible for Honey’s fall, Bea was not allowed to stay with them in Walford and was told to leave.

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Fans missing Netflix’s hit comedy-drama series After Life should definitely mark their calendars for Ricky Gervais’ next project

The popular Netflix dramedy concluded four years ago.

Netflix has shared an exciting new look at Ricky Gervais’ next series and it looks like a must-watch for After Life fans.

It’s the star’s first series for the streamer since the hit dramedy wrapped up in 2022, concluding the tragically funny story of bereaved journalist Tony Johnson.

This time, Ricky is returning to the world of animation for an original animated series that will definitely have fans of The Ricky Gervais Show with Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington feeling nostalgic.

Alley Cats is created and directed by the Office star, who also takes on the leading role as a member of a gang of stray cats.

Netflix teases “the series follows the trials and tribulations of a group of feral British cats who seek companionship while ruminating about the struggles of everyday life”.

“From the funny to the absurd, the series is packed with Gervais’ signature style of heart and social commentary that audiences have come to expect,” the streamer’s synopsis adds.

It also boasts exceptional 2D animation by award-winning British animation studio, Blink Industries (Dead End: Paranormal Park, Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared).

This week, Netflix confirmed the release date for the new series as Friday, 7th August, with all six episodes of the first season dropping at once.

Co-starring with Ricky is a stellar line-up of British talent, including some frequent collaborators who have worked with him on After Life and other projects.

Tom Basden (The Ballad of Wallis Island), Andrew Brooke (PhoneShop), David Earl (Derek), Kerry Godliman (Trigger Point), Jo Hartley (Adolescence), and Diane Morgan (Motherland) complete the main cast. All of them have also previously appeared in After Life.

Natalie Cassidy (EastEnders) and Tony Way (After Life, Mandy) will also be taking on featured roles.

The new image features fans’ first look at the cast of cats, nestled together next to some wheelie bins as they look out over a city skyline.

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This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows.

This includes the brand new UK drama Unchosen, starring Asa Butterfield and Christopher Eccleston.

Netflix’s announcement has already sparked excitement amongst fans, who can’t wait for the After Life cast to return to Netflix for more laughs.

One X user said: “I’m laughing at this already after reading the cast.. This is going to be fun.”

“If it’s created by Ricky Gervais, I’ll give it a shot,” someone else replied. And another fan predicted: “Ricky Gervais doing adult animation? That cast is ridiculously stacked. Alley Cats might be the sleeper hit of August.”

Alley Cats premieres Friday, 7th August on Netflix.

EastEnders’ Ronni Ancona has warned that a “deeply malevolent” storyline will become “so much darker” for Honey and Billy as Bea “blacks out with anger” and “spirals”

EastEnders‘ Honey Mitchell is about to be put in danger, as creepy Bea Pollard finally snaps. According to star Ronni Ancona, Bea’s life in Walford is about to come crashing down, leading to a “deeply malevolent” atmosphere that will get “so much darker” for Honey.

Over the past few months, Bea has wormed her way into Honey’s (Emma Barton) life. She’s living in Honey’s house, buying the exact same clothes as her friend and has even taken out a credit card in her name.

As Honey and her husband Billy (Perry Fenwick) become more and more suspicious of Bea, Ronni says that her character is set to “spiral” – and it won’t be good for Honey.

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“It’s going to get so much darker for Honey and Billy. I would say that Bea increasingly spirals, and she becomes more dangerous as a result,” Ronni says.

She adds: “I think Bea almost blacks out with anger. There is something in her that switches when she is triggered, and at that point her actions become deeply malevolent.

“I think there’s a really interesting point here that she is very desperate. She knows time is running out for her, and I think that fuels her. It’s like a warped sense of self-preservation. I think she is horribly lonely, and I think it’s catastrophically damaging for her. She sees in Honey a chance of something real, and she’s not ready to give it up.”

Honey is set to find out about the credit card Bea has gotten and the enormous debt it has put Honey in. Ronni explains that Bea will initially try to get herself off the hook, but ultimately has to admit that what she did was wrong. Honey is just about to give in when Billy arrives home and orders Bea to leave.

Bea hasn’t liked Billy for a while, and some wondered if she had nefarious plans to replace him in Honey’s life. But Ronni has insisted that while Bea “loves Honey too much”, it’s not romantic and Bea’s dislike of Billy actually comes from how he can “see through her”.

“She finds him coarse, and she doesn’t respect him,” Ronni says. “I think initially she did, because she didn’t want to replace Billy; she wanted to be part of that family unit, and that’s all she wanted. But, I think the tide changed towards Billy for Bea when she realised he was not going to let that happen.

“He’s now in Bea’s way and all of this had added to fuel to her situation with Billy. In addition, the biggest thing for Bea is she knows that Billy can see right through her. That’s why she can’t stand Billy. Billy is a perfectly nice, hard-working guy who just wants a simple life with his family, but he can see through her, and therefore he’s a problem. “

But what about Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt)? For the past couple of weeks, Bea and Ian have been dating, and she has thrown herself into getting him elected as a councillor for Walford. She seems intent on being his Mrs, but Ian is not so invested in the relationship.

Ronni says: “I tragically think she is alarmingly ecstatic about the very small steps in her relationship. This is quite Bea. She is a comic, tragic character, but her strange, warped optimism knows no bounds. Bea has this element of being an excited child, and she’s a bit of a dreamer like a Blanche Dubois character, and I think she has always imagined herself in a position and situation like this. It suits her just perfectly. Even though she’s gone through such terrible times, and is constantly rejected, this is a little clink of light.”

So how will she react when the newly minted Councillor Beale breaks up with her? “Bea switches so quickly. She’s mercurial, and she can’t seem to regulate her emotions. Bea suddenly gets very angry very quickly instead of processing the situation.

“She suddenly becomes vengeful about the situation with Ian. I do think Ian is a little hasty in his rejection of Bea. Evidently, I’ve heard that Bea is the only person who has been rejected, soundly, by every person in Walford!”

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The line-up for Celebrity Traitors season two was revealed on Saturday, with Ross Kemp joining his new co-stars for filming in Scotland

Ross Kemp is ready to bring some East End magic to the Celebrity Traitors castle after he was spotted landing in Scotland ahead of filming.

It was previously confirmed that the EastEnders icon, 61, was among the star-studded line-up for season two of the hit BBC game show, alongside Richard E. Grant, Michael Sheen, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Rob Beckett.

Hours after the castmates were revealed, they were seen making their way to the Scottish Highlands, with Jerry Hall, Bella Ramsey, Amol Rajan and Saltburn actor Richard photographed on their journey.

In new pictures, Ross appeared to be thrilled to join them, flashing a thumbs up at a camera before getting into a waiting car. Other snaps showed his fellow soap legend Julie Hesmondhalgh jetting to the area ahead of filming.

Teasing what led to the Grant Mitchell star deciding to take part, an insider told the Sun: “He loves Traitors and thinks it’s a programme on another level, which is why he really wanted to take part.

“Ross loved the mix of psychological intrigue paired with some of the very physical trials that the group have to complete – both suit him perfectly.”

He is also reportedly hoping to appeal to a younger generation of viewers, who could be less familiar with his career so far.

“Plus he knows The Celebrity Traitors won’t just be watched by people who are familiar with his work, but by younger viewers who may be less familiar with Ross, and this opens him up to a whole new audience. He’s also a very BBC name and this is another big BBC show,” they added.

Joanne McNally, James Acaster and Joe Lycett were also named in the line-up, alongside social media content creator King Kenny, Love Island presenter Maya Jama and Romesh Ranganathan.

Industry actress Myha’la and Professor Hannah Fry rounded out the cast with Sharon Rooney, James Blunt, Sebastian Croft and Sharon Rooney.

While the gang have been all smiles so far while heading to Scotland, things will get very tense once filming kicks off and suspicion over the game sets in. Shortly after filming, the 21 celebs will be sorted into “faithfuls” and “traitors” as they battle it out for the charity cash prize.

It will be up to those faithfuls to weed out the sneaky traitors, who have been tasked with secretly killing them off in nightly visits to the turret.

Following the huge success of the first season, where around 15million people tuned in to see Alan Carr win the competition as a Traitor, fans have been eagerly-awaiting news of a second series, and have already predicted Michael, Richard and Miranda could be this year’s “big dogs ”.

The air date has not yet been announced, but the hit show is expected to return to screens in autumn.

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It has been reported that EastEnders legend Ross Kemp has ‘signed up’ for Celebrity Traitors season 2, following the huge success of last years show.

Ross Kemp has reportedly signed for The Celebrity ­Traitors and is set to join Claudia Winkleman in Ardross Castle in Scotland for filming this weekend.

The actor and documentary-maker, 61, is best known for playing Grant Mitchell in the East London soap and now has decided to set his sights on a new challenge.

This comes as a surprise move from the star who has refused other reality TV show competitions, but reports suggest he was intrigued by the “psychological” nature of The Traitors.

An insider told The Sun: “He loves Traitors and thinks it’s a programme on another level, which is why he really wanted to take part.

“Ross loved the mix of psychological intrigue paired with some of the very physical trials that the group have to complete – both suit him perfectly.

The source added that he wanted to take part as he’s at a “point in his life” where he “wants to try new things and continue to challenge himself.”

They also suggested that this could be an opportunity for the star to appeal to the younger generation, after a decades-long career and an older fanbase.

“Plus he knows The Celebrity Traitors won’t just be watched by people who are familiar with his work, but by younger viewers who may be less familiar with Ross, and this opens him up to a whole new audience. He’s also a very BBC name and this is another big BBC show.”

Last year, the first ever celebrity version of The Traitors was an enormous success and captivated the country. The show had huge UK names including; Stephen Fry, Jonathan Ross, Alan Carr, Celia Imrie, Cat Burns, Tom Daley, Charlotte Church, and comedian Nick Mohammed.

The BBC has remained tight-lipped about which celebrities are set to appear in the second season of the show, with a spokesperson for the broadcaster telling The Sun: “We are not commenting on speculation, and details for The Celebrity Traitors series 2 will be announced in due course.”

However, it has been reported that this years cast includes; actors Richard E Grant, Michael Sheen, comedians James Acaster and Joanne McNally, academic Hannah Fry, and University Challenge presenter Amol Rajan.

Filming is set to begin very soon and take place in the next two to three weeks. The show will likely broadcast later this year.

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EastEnders spoilers confirm big moments next week on the BBC soap including the return of a vile villain, Bea Pollard’s sinister next plan and target and some emotional scenes

It’s another drama-filled week on EastEnders next week, as new spoilers tease twists, discoveries and revenge.

Nicola and George return home from hospital to a surprise welcome home party for the baby. Overwhelmed Nicola orders everyone to leave but she and Gina later share a heart-to-heart.

Soon the peace is shattered when George’s estranged father Eddie reveals he’s dying. Only Nicola knows this and she keeps it from George, but when he figures it all out he sees his dad, and is shocked by his fragility.

Soon, George faces questions from his family and heads to see Eddie one final time, while Nicola has a warning for Eddie. Phil attempts to adjust to life after Nigel’s death, but is rejected by Grant who is sad about his fractured relationship with Mark.

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Julie prepares to head to Nigel’s care home to collect his belongings, where she is soon joined by Sam and Phil for support. Julie finds a letter from Nigel, but she can’t bring herself to read it.

Ian is consumed by his councillor campaign but is upset to discover that the majority of supporters are voting for Elaine. Ian turns to bribery, but Bea has other ideas when she starts a smear campaign against Elaine.

Ian and Elaine anxiously prepare for the Walford debate, but things go awry when Oscar swaps Ian’s speech, but Elaine steps in to sway his nerves. But a moment leaves Ian fuming, and he agrees to let Bea post the video about Elaine.

He regrets this but the damage is done. Also next week, a discovery saddens Kat and Alfie, Sam supports Denise, and Harry agrees to lend Gina some money landing them in trouble with Nicola.

Finally, Grant offers support to Linda amid her drama with Johnny, who is having money problems, while Linda is jealous of Max and Cindy. It’s soon clear Max is thinking about Linda, and he’s not happy to find out she’s slept with someone.

EastEnders isn’t the only soap with drama next week, as Hollyoaks spoilers tease there’s plenty in the village too. Vicky wakes up from her coma, and Charlie and Frankie plead with her to echo their lies about the crash.

Later, Vicky lets slip to Misbah that it was Gemma who has been prescribing her the skinny jabs. Knowing time isn’t on her side, Diane tells Tony they need to tell Eva, Sinead and Finn the truth.

Ro is worried it’s too much for his mum, while he’s also left torn when he finds out Ste cheated on Rex with James. Cleo is determined to get proof that Sienna has been swapping her psychosis medicine for multi-vitamins.

After a confrontation, Cleo wakes to find Sienna watching her, wanting to know if she still loves her. Cleo claims there’s a way back for them as long as she does what’s right. Soon, Mercedes and Warren make a shocking discovery.

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

EastEnders fans were not expecting to see one character randomly head back to the BBC soap without warning during Monday’s episode of the BBC soap amid a scene with Ravi Gulati

Fans got a surprise during Monday’s episode of EastEnders as a character returned without warning after four years offscreen.

With the episode now up on BBC iPlayer ahead of it airing on BBC One on Monday evening, we saw Ravi Gulati faced with a blast from the past. The death of his ‘father’ Ranveer Gulati was revisited, as Ravi headed to hospital amid his mental health spiralling.

There, his nurse was none other than his ex and former stepmother Nina Gupta. Fans may recall Nina was having an affair with Ravi behind Ranveer’s back.

Around this time we saw Suki Panesar believe she had killed Ranveer after he sexually assaulted her. She attacked him in self-defence, and Ravi walked in and decided to help her cover up the crime.

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It was soon apparent his ‘dad’ was still alive though, and Ravi killed him. Nina was helping Ravi trying to get Ranveer’s money, and she covered for Ravi for killing her husband too.

Now she’s back, treating Ravi in hospital where she addressed their past. Seeing him struggling, she said it was karma for what he did all those years ago.

Fans were divided over the return, as one fan posted on social media: “Now why did we need to bring Nina back. We didn’t need her the first time and she’s just proven why we didn’t need her this time.”

A second fan said: “I’m glad they bought back Nina for this episode cause even though this sl was triggered by the drugs and the spiking I think it reminds people that everything genuinely stems from Ranveer and Nish.” A third added: “Unexpected Nina in the bagging area!!!”

Another viewer said: “Seeing Nina return today took me by suprise but has equally left me convinced that Kheerat and/or Ash might return at some point. Kheerat took the fall for Ranveer’s death in the end and that showdown at the surgery beteeen Ash and Nina was brilliant.”

The reactions kept on coming too, with one fan saying: “Bringing back Nina Gupta wasn’t on my bingo card!” another confessed: “For some reason I thought Nina died lmao clearly not.”

A final comment read: “I was really divided about Nina. I think it’s really good when you bring back a past character to explore someone else’s past and I think this did that and reminded us of that time in Ravi’s life. But equally why was she acting like she wasn’t a ‘baddie’ style character then too?

“She was hardly innocent! I thought it was a good twist as we didn’t know it was going to happen and it was like oh hello, but at the same time I don’t know if it added much.”

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

The former England footballer is said to be in talks to appear on Celebrity Traitors following the success of series one which saw Alan Carr crowned winner

Peter Crouch successfully pivoted from being a legendary footballer to a broadcaster, showing off his wit and likability. And over the years he has extended his fanbase.

So it comes as no surprise that he has now caught the attention of BBC bosses who have earmarked him to appear in the next series of Celebrity Traitors.

According to reports, the ex England footballer, 45, is one of the major names that had been thrown into the mix as bosses want the same level of success that was generated off the back of series one.

On the first celebrity spin show which aired last year, Alan Carr fought off all his contenders to be crowned winner back in November.

A source told The Sun: “Producers think Peter would be brilliant. He’s sporty, competitive and really funny.”

They added: “They know landing him would be a big coup and bring a new type of viewer to the series.” If it is confirmed that Peter is part of this year’s line-up, he is set to make history as the first ex professional footballer to be signed to the show.

Peter has previously shown interest in the show. He once said: “I love Celebrity Traitors but I don’t know if I could go on it. I’d be a traitor. Being a traitor is the one.”

This comes after the show’s host Claudia Winkleman confirmed that a number of high profile names had been presented to her ahead of filming series two.

While on The One Show to promote her new BBC chat show, she was asked if there were a number of big names set to appear on the upcoming game show.

She replied saying: “There certainly are. The people who make it are extraordinary and they had to repeat the people twice to me because I was like, ‘Huh, are you joking? Come again.’ So, we’re incredibly lucky.”

She added: “Yeah, I hope so. We’re so grateful that people want to come and play the game. And the people who said yes for series one, I still can’t believe it.”

Claudia continued: “I was shaking when you see Stephen Fry walking around the castle and Alan Carr, Ruth Codd, all of these people I was obsessed by. I’m very excited. But I can’t say anything else, don’t make eye contact with me.”

Ahead of the official confirmation a number of names have reportedly been shortlisted in the hope of joining the show. The first being iconic actor Stephen Graham, famed for the success of A Thousand Blows and Adolescence.

A TV insider reportedly told the Daily Mail: “They are absolutely desperate to nail down Stephen for the show. He would be their star signing. He is one of the most formidable actors of our generation, and the nation adores him, but no one really knows what he’s like as a person, so there is a definite hunger among viewers to see what he is like in a more reality-based setting.”

Earlier this year, it was speculated that Danny Dyer, best known for his role as Mick Carter in EastEnders, was also being lined up. Previously, the actor had shown no interest in the game show until he saw the first series with Alan Carr as champion.

Another source told the publication: “Danny was always top of The Celebrity Traitors wish list but had zero interest until seeing the fun and games last autumn. As soon as his tune changed, it was all systems go.”

They added: “Danny is a reality TV booker’s dream signing and will be incredible value, as he’s naturally funny but in a totally different way to Alan Carr.”

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