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GRANTCHESTER fans are thrilled as the hit ITV drama is officially returning for an 11th series – with filming set to kick off in just a few weeks’ time.

The long-running detective show, known for its gripping storylines and charming village setting, will once again follow the crime-solving duo as they tackle new mysteries in the 1960s countryside.

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Crime-busting stars Robson Green and Rishi Nair are also back.

The duo will return as DI Geordie Keating and Reverend Alphy Kottaram for series 11.

Fan favourites Al Weaver (Leonard Finch), Tessa Peake-Jones (Mrs C), Kacey Ainsworth (Cathy Keating), and Oliver Dimsdale (Daniel Marlowe) are also back – alongside Nick Brimble, Bradley Hall and Melissa Johns.

In the last series, Geordie and Alphy didn’t just crack cases in the sleepy village – they leaned on each other through emotional family battles and dark personal secrets.

Expect even more twists, tears and turns this time round.

Also this time round, Reverend Alphy finally feels like he’s found his place in Grantchester – but not everything is as settled as it seems.

As old secrets bubble to the surface, Alphy is forced to reckon with parts of his past he’s kept tightly under wraps.

Will he let his guard down and open his heart, or will he be forced to face some hard truths about who he really is first?

Last series also left viewers shocked after they spotted a familiar face when Emmerdale’s Ned Porteous, best known as Joe Tate suddenly appeared on their screens.

Ned was playing the role of Harvey who was convinced his father had been murdered, despite evidence that confirmed it was suicide.

One fan stated: “Joe from #Emmerdale in tonights #Grantchester filmed I guess before he came back as Joe!.”

A second added: “I recognise the actor playing Harvey in #Grantchester as he’s also in #Emmerdale as Joe Tate!”

“That Joe from Emmerdale?” questioned another viewer.

The actor also appeared in rival soap EastEnders as Michelle Fowler’s son Mark in 2019.

Crime dramas on ITVX

Crime drama buffs have a wide selection of choices on ITVX – here is a selection of some of the programmes available to binge.

• Professor T: Based on a Belgian TV series of the same name, former Death in Paradise lead Ben Miller plays the title character. Professor Jasper Tempest is a criminologist with OCD who helps the police solve crimes. The cast also includes Emma Naomi, Barney White and Andy Gathergood.
• The Beast Must Die: This series follows a mother’s grief for her son, who was killed in an accident. Nicholas Blake’s novel of the same name has been adapted for the programme. Stars include Cush Jumbo, Jared Harris, Billy Howle and Geraldine James.
• Red Eye: Starring Richard Armitage, Jing Lusi and Lesley Sharp star in this six-part thriller, which mostly takes place  during an all-night flight between London and Beijing. With dead bodies piling up and a mystery to unravel, the heroes must work fast to get to the truth.
• The Twelve: This Australian drama originally aired as a miniseries in 2022, with the episodes dropping in the UK in February 2023. Four months later, the show was renewed for a second season. Jurassic Park star Sam Neill stars in the leading role of barrister Brett Colby.
• Manhunt: Martin Clunes stars in this drama based on true murder investigations. Series one focused on the death of Amélie Delagrange, which took place in 2004, while the second depicted the search for serial rapist Delroy Grant.

His storyline involved jetting in from Florida to London on a mission to find his biological father, Grant.

But, his stay was short and sweet as he went back to the States after just a month.

But could Mark return to Walford?

Grantchester is available to stream on ITVX.

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A TOWIE star was rushed to hospital during filming after she ignored her worrying symptoms.

Reality TV star Chloe Meadows, 33, was so “scared” of the doctors and the prospect of “having any procedure done” that she ignored symptoms of a chronic inflammatory bowel condition for around 10 years.

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Chloe said she had some health checks aged 26, 10 years after her symptoms appeared, after she went on a diet at a time where she was also losing a lot of blood.

She told the podcast Bedside Manners with Dr Oscar Duke, that her mother intervened and said she should go to the doctors and get a blood test as she looked grey.

While she was out filming, after she had the blood tests, Chloe received a number of missed calls from her father who then texted her to say a doctor had advised her she should got straight to A&E because her “blood was so low”.

“I went to the hospital. I had to have all of these checks and these iron infusions and that was where it started,” she said.

Chloe also revealed that she had probably her longest flare-up after filming a nerve wracking scene on Towie.

The star first discovered blood in her stool, a symptom of ulcerative colitis, when she was 16.

“I went to a college where I boarded when I was 16.

“I was staying away from home and I was living in a student house and there was blood down the toilet”, she told Dr Oscar Duke’s Bedside Manners podcast.

“I remember I told my mum and I was like, there’s quite a lot of blood down the toilet.

“I’m not really sure what’s going on. She was of course like, go to the doctors.

“I went to the doctors, and they said that I would have to have a colonoscopy, which is a camera into the bowel.”

Chloe added: “At this point in my life, I had never really ever been to the hospital. I’d never been sick.

“I’d never had any procedure or operation. I’d never been sedated.

“I’d never had anything and the doctor referred me and I got this letter, and this is awful, but I got this letter and I just never went to the appointment because I was terrified.

“Then I ignored it and what would happen, which is what I realise now, is that I can go into remission, I can go into a flare-up in remission.

“It would stop for periods of time so that the blood would go away. I’d be like, ‘Oh, cool, it’s gone away, I’m better. There’s nothing wrong with me’.

“I’d go through years where it wouldn’t happen and then it would happen again, and then it would stop again.

“I would probably lie to my mum about how much it would happen because she always pestered me about it and I was like, ‘No, it’s fine’.

Chloe admitted she was scared of having any procedure done.

“I was also scared of what they were going to tell me. I was just terrified, which is not really a reason not to go to the doctor, but I think that’s just what I thought.

“I was young as well, so I would forget when there wasn’t blood down the toilet, I would completely forget.”

Ulcerative colitis is a long-term condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed, according to the NHS website.

Symptoms include recurring diarrhoea, which may contain blood, extreme tiredness, loss of appetite and weight loss.

Some people with ulcerative colitis may go for weeks or months with very mild symptoms, or none at all (remission), followed by flare-ups and relapses.

Treatment options include corticosteroids, immunosuppressants and surgery.

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Avon and Somerset police are said to have turned up on set to arrest the bricklayer-turned-actor soon after filming scenes

An actor was arrested on the set of Disney’s Rivals in front of cast and crew just an hour after filming with Danny Dyer, it has been reported. Police are said to have arrived on set to arrest Nigel Adams who was working as an extra on the hit show.

The incident allegedly took place in front of shocked cast members and while Adams was still in costume due to filming scenes just moment beforehand. The 45-year-old was filming a polo scene alongside acting legend Danny Dyer for the second series of the programme.

However, it was reportedly just an hour later that police cars turned up and Adams was driven away before spending two nights in police custody. He then appeared in court on Friday as he was accused of assaulting an ex-girlfriend.

The Sun reported that a source said: “It was very dramatic. Everyone was in their costumes and Danny was filming this polo scene when an hour later police suddenly turned up to arrest one of the extras. It was shocking.”

The assault is reported to have happened at a house in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. Police were allegedly called to the address at 2am on May 31 of this year.

Adams was said to be questioned about the assault once he was arrested. Avon and Someset police are thought to have been tipped off that the bricklayer-turned-actor was working on the Rivals set at the time.

A friend said that he will be “gutted” as the arrest could mark the end of his acting career. They said: “He’ll be gutted because it could end his TV career, something he really loves doing.

“He’s a bricklayer by trade but he’s been doing more and more TV work, he’s been in loads of stuff. Whenever he’s in the background of a show he gets all his family and friends to watch it.”

Adams has quite a few acting roles under his belt already which include House of the Dragon, The Forsyte Saga and 2022 movie Prizefighter: The Life of Jem Belcher. Adams appeared at Bristol magistrates’ court on Friday charged with assault causing actual bodily harm.

No plea was made by him and he was given conditional bail until he returns to the city’s crown court on July 7. Production company Happy Prince, which makes the drama Rivals, told The Sun: “On the 4th June, the police visited the set regarding an ­unrelated matter involving a supporting artist.

“Production co-operated with the police. We do not have any further information as it is not connected to Rivals or to our production.”

The Mirror have contacted Happy Prince, Disney and Avon and Someset police for comment.

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EastEnders actor Scott Maslen has confessed a major twist involving his character Jack Branning was only shared to him 15 minutes before the scenes were filmed for the BBC soap

Soap bosses took it right up to the wire where an EastEnders twist was concerned, only telling the cast members involved 15 minutes before it needed to be filmed.

Speaking exclusively to The Mirror at the British Soap Awards, actor Scott Maslen confessed it was very last minute when he was informed of a possibly show-changing twist. The Jack Branning actor and his co-stars had just minutes to react to and process the bombshell, before having to film for the show.

To add to the pressure, the scenes in the fallout to the news were being filmed live for the special 40th episode, and being aired to the nation. There was little preparation, and as soon as Scott learned the big twist he pretty much had to perform it on air very quickly.

The twist in question was the result of the public vote in February, with fans deciding whether Denise Fox reunited with husband Jack, or chose new flame Ravi Gulati. In the episode it was revealed that Denise, courtesy of the fans, had chosen to stay with Jack and dumped Ravi.

READ MORE: EastEnders in huge schedule shake-up as soap undergoes major change from next week

As this played out on air, it was only 15 minutes prior that the cast had even been told. It was a super quick turnaround, as Scott and his co-star Aaron Thiara, who plays Ravi, were walking towards the famous set ready for their live scenes when they learned which of them would be chosen.

The actors were together at the time before making the necessary preparations to film the scenes viewers saw on the night. Scott told us: “I am happy the public chose Jack, it’s obviously a big story to put you in that situation.

“I have been there a long time. Aaron’s come in so well and so strong, he’s a lovely, lovely lad. It was a big ask for both of us but we had a lot of fun. We didn’t think too much about it.”

Scott actually wasn’t sure what way it would go, expecting to get some time off with Denise choosing Ravi. He joked: “I was thinking maybe I was gonna get some fishing time in, so I voted for Ravi myself. I was like vote Ravi everyone!”

On the little time they had before filming, Scott explained: “It was right up to the wire. 15 minutes! I’ve got a little video of me and Aaron walking down and doing the last march. We were together.”

But there were no hard feelings between the cast members despite the rivalry onscreen. He explained: “It didn’t matter, we’re a team. It’s not about individuals, it’s a team game. Our job is to tell stories and we do what we are told.

“We’re part of a team and I am very lucky to have worked with these people for such a long time, so hopefully it will keep going forward.”

He also teased whether it was truly over for the love triangle, adding: “It’s EastEnders ain’t it. Ravi is gonna be back, you know he is.”

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 .

Comedian Lee Mack has revealed that his Not Going Out costar Sally Bretton suffered a medical emergency while filming the latest series of their hugely popular sitcom.

Plenty of laughs took over the set of Not Going Out’s latest season. But panic hijacked production when Sally Bretton was rushed to hospital, derailing filming.

In a television age obsessed with slick dramas, thrillers and satire, comedian Lee Mack is doing something radical – he’s trying to make us laugh. Out loud. Every few seconds. And he’s doing it the old fashioned way, with a studio sitcom, a real live audience and endless gags.

As his BBC1 sitcom Not Going Out returns for a brand new series, with another green lit for next year, it is clearly not going anywhere, clocking up over 100 episodes and holding its status as the longest-running UK sitcom on air.

“We’ll never catch up with Last Of The Summer Wine,” quips Lee. “Thank God.” He adds: “Our show is seen as very traditional, and some would say old fashioned, so therefore not risky, but it is a risk because it’s the minority.

“The highs and lows are extreme. Love or hate the studio sitcom, there’s no denying that they are really trying to go for the laugh. I’m not trying to write a line that makes people smile.

You don’t get canned smiling. I used to aim for a joke on every page, but that’s only every 30 seconds, it’s not enough. We try for a laugh in every line.”

The 56-year-old, who also appears in Would I Lie To You? and hosts game show The 1% Club, stars in the sitcom as ‘Lee’ alongside Sally Bretton as his long-suffering wife Lucy. The show, which started in 2006, has followed them from awkward flatmates via a torturous ‘will-they-won’t they’ plot until finally, they got married and had three kids.

The latest episodes, which Lee was determined to film ‘as live’ like a play, feature everything from a robotic sex doll to a freebie hotel stay, dilapidated campervan, roles as TV extras and a swipe at Oasis concert ticket sales.

Although, Lee reveals a medical issue halted production for a couple of weeks. He says: “There was a moment in that Oasis episode when we were filming it, when Sally said to me – she looked a bit in pain, ‘Do you know what appendicitis feels like?’

“I said, ‘I have no idea but I can tell you now you haven’t got appendicitis, otherwise you wouldn’t be here filming’. The next day she had her appendix out.”

Lee, who writes the show with Daniel Peak, takes an affectionate swing at Oasis in the episode that sees the couple lose their place in the online queue and start to blame each other. Lee laughs: “That is based in truth – I’m a massive Oasis fan, I did try to get tickets, I didn’t get them and I’m livid.”

He adds: “I thought, wouldn’t it be great if I could get Liam or Noel to appear in that episode. My friend Rob Brydon had interviewed Noel, so I asked for his number.

It was the day after the ticket release. I texted Noel, ‘I know this isn’t a good time, but I reckon everyone’s asking for tickets and I’m probably the only one that isn’t. Will you be in my sitcom?’ He never got back to me.”

Lee adds: “My personal favourite episode is the one where I accidentally bring home a robot sex doll. Let me tell you, robotic sex dolls are very hard to get hold of.

We had an actor, with a mask on, and it just didn’t work. We could see her breathing. So in the end they had to make a robot. It was brilliant. It moved its head, it moved its mouth, its eyes, and I was in a double act with a sex robot.”

The upcoming series rolls the story on several years, with Lee and Lucy now empty nesters. With plenty of time for each other, what could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot it turns out.

Episode one follows their attempted house move, thwarted when they find their dream home, but Lee needs to use the loo, causing the usual tension, mistaken identities and farce.

There’s a nod to nostalgia too, with a photo on the mantelpiece in their new home of Bobby Ball, who played Lee’s dad and died in October 2020.

Lee says: “We all miss him a lot. He was like me, he wasn’t from an acting background – so whatever I’m like in a studio, he was 50 times worse. The director would have to tell him not to keep looking at the audience every time he cracked a joke.”

Over the years a long list of stars have appeared in the show, including Miranda Hart, Tim Vine, Katy Wix, Abigail Cruttenden and Hugh Dennis, with many forgetting that Catherine Tate played Lucy in the pilot, followed by Megan Dodds in series one, before Beyond Paradise star Sally took over.

Lee says: “When we look back, Sally and I do get a bit emotional. We’ve been in the show a long time and there are different eras of it, especially when you look at all the people from the past who have been in the show and come and gone. “I think Sally’s aged brilliantly, whereas I’ve got a big gray beard. It’s been forever.”

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FIVE protesters have been arrested after they allegedly targeted the filming of Gal Gadot’s new movie.

The demonstrators disrupted production at several locations across London in recent weeks, the Metropolitan Police said.

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The force said the protestors targeted sets “solely because an actress involved in the production is Israeli”.

Gadot, 40, who served in the Israel Defense Forces, previously showed support for Israel’s invasion of Gaza after the October 7 Hamas attacks.

The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel (Pacbi) has since argued people who support their group should boycott Gadot films.

Gadot is understood to currently be filming an action thriller called The Runner in the capital.

Police were called to a set location in Westminster on Wednesday.

Officers detained five people on suspicion of harassment and offences under Section 241 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act.

Two of the arrests were in relation to previous protests, while three were in response to incidents that unfolded on Wednesday.

All five remain in custody.

Supt Neil Holyoak said: “While we absolutely acknowledge the importance of peaceful protest, we have a duty to intervene where it crosses the line into serious disruption or criminality.

“We have been in discussions with the production company to understand the impact of the protests on their work and on any individuals involved.

“I hope today’s operation shows we will not tolerate the harassment of or unlawful interference with those trying to go about their legitimate professional work in London.”

The Runner, produced by David Kosse, stars Gadot as a lawyer on a mission to rescue her kidnapped son.

Gadot has been pictured back on set this week, despite the protests.

Demonstrations also followed the actress to her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony after her role in the latest Snow White movie.

A Pro-Palestine group stood outside the ceremony carrying signs reading: “Viva Viva Palestina”.

In a Variety interview earlier this week, Gadot said: “After October 7th [2023], I don’t talk politics — because who cares about the celebrity talking about politics?

“I’m an artist. I want to entertain people. I want to bring hope and be a beacon of light whenever I say anything about the world.

“But on October 7th, when people were abducted from their homes, from their beds, men, women, children, elderly, Holocaust survivors, were going through the horrors of what happened that day, I could not be silent.

“I’m not a hater. I’m a grandchild of a Holocaust survivor who came to Israel and established his family from scratch after his entire family was erased in Auschwitz.

“And on the other side of my family, I’m eighth generation Israeli. I’m an indigenous person of Israel.

“I am all about humanity and I felt like I had to advocate for the hostages. I am praying for better days for all.

“I want everybody to have good life and prosperity, and the ability to raise their children in a safe environment.”

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Celebs Go Dating have made a late addition to their lineup for the upcoming E4 series, adding a Celebrity Big Brother star following the surprise withdrawal of Christine McGuinness

A Celebrity Big Brother star has become a late addition to the latest Celebs Go Dating lineup – and made a bold promise. Donna Preston is ready to swap one reality TV show for another and dip her toe in the on-screen dating world on the E4 show.

However, she has admitted she won’t be easily pleased and will make her feelings known if she feels her match isn’t up to scratch. Donna, 38, is set to appear alongside Atomic Kitten’s Kerry Katona, The Chase’s Mark Labbett, S Club 7’s Jon Lee, Love Island’s Olivia Hawkins and Too Hot To Handle’s Louis Russell.

Donna’s late addition comes following the shock exit of Christine McGuinness. The ex-wife of Paddy McGuinness had initially signed up, but quickly realised she wasn’t ready for the scrutiny that came with it.

Donna’s fellow CBB housemate, Chris Hughes, had also been lined up to take part, but shunned the opportunity shortly after leaving the house.

Opening up about her inclusion, Donna said: “I’m buzzing to be joining the show and finally crack the code on what men really want, besides snacks and not being asked what they’re thinking.

“I’m intrigued to meet new people, but let’s be honest, if a date’s boring, I won’t waste anyone’s time. Life’s too short to sit through tales of someone’s coin collection, I’ll be gone before the starter arrives.”

While she was a late name to join the series, there had been talk of her taking part prior to her spell in ITV’s Big Brother house. Before last month’s show, a source had said: “Donna was toying with dipping her toe in the dating pool on TV and had been in talks with bosses on the E4 show, but then she was also offered CBB.”

Speaking to the Sun, the source added: “She felt it was the better career move.”

Earlier this month while speaking to the Mirror at the BAFTA TV Awards, Christine opened up on her decision to step back from the show. She also teased her inclusion in a new project.

Speaking on the red carpet at the event, she admitted she focusing on work which takes her mind off wanting to find a companion in the future.

She went on to add: “There’s going to be an announcement in a few weeks which i’m very, very excited about for a new project I’ve been working on.”

She had previously said: “I joined Celebs Go Dating with great intentions but have realised that dating on a public platform and the attention is brings is just too soon for me.”

Without ruling out the possibility of returning to the show in the future, she added: “They’ve said the door is always open for me which I’m so grateful but for now I’m returning home to my family.”

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