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Here’s a look at the elusive Birdman mentioned in Monster: The Ed Gein Story

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Monster: The Ed Gein Story

Netflix‘s latest sensation, Monster: The Ed Gein Story, has been gripping viewers worldwide since its release on 3 October, reports the Manchester Evening News.

The series boasts a cast of real-life characters, including Ilse Koch (portrayed by Vicky Krieps), Psycho star Anthony Perkins (played by Joey Pollari), and Adeline Watkins (Suzanna Son), among others.

This third instalment of Ryan Murphy’s true crime anthology series also features notorious serial killers like Ted Bundy (John T. O’Brien) and Richard Speck (Tobias Jelinek).

However, many are curious about the enigmatic Birdman.

Who is the Birdman in Monster: The Ed Gein Story?

The series shows Speck writing letters to Ed Gein (Charlie Hunnam), discussing his prison experiences and citing the Plainville Ghoul as his muse.

Speck also refers to the Birdman, another real-life serial killer, better known as the infamous American criminal Robert Stroud.

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Convicted murderer Stroud killed a bartender and assaulted fellow inmates and guards while in prison. In 1916, he murdered a prison guard and was sentenced to death, but this was commuted to life imprisonment in solitary confinement.

He earned the monikers ‘Birdman’ and ‘Birdman of Alcatraz’ after caring for a nest of three injured sparrows he found in the prison yard during his time at Leavenworth.

After a couple of years, he’d accumulated 300 canaries and would go on to study and pen the book Diseases of Canaries, published in 1933.

He was permitted to continue his pastime because it was deemed a constructive way to spend his time, according to Alcatraz History.

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Stroud carried on studying avian ailments and documenting their behaviour and anatomy, even selling remedies for them.

However, his apparatus and bird studies came to an abrupt halt when it was discovered he’d been using his kit to brew alcohol on the side.

In 1942, Stroud was relocated to Alcatraz, where he would remain for the following 17 years of his existence.

In 1959 Stroud was transferred to the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri and passed away four years later in 1963 of natural causes.

He was brought to life on the big screen by Burt Lancaster in the film Birdman of Alcatraz, which secured the actor an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Fascinatingly, the reason Speck may have also referenced Birdman was due to his own encounters with a sparrow whilst incarcerated.

According to Mindhunter FBI Agent Robert Ressler’s book Whoever Fights Monsters, Speck caught a sparrow and kept it as a companion.

When he was cautioned by a prison officer that he’d be placed in solitary confinement if he didn’t free the creature, Speck murdered the bird by hurling it into an overhead fan.

The shocked guard enquired why Speck had carried out the brutal act, to which the serial killer was reported to have said: “[B]ut if it ain’t mine, it ain’t nobody’s.”

Monster: The Ed Gein Story is streaming on Netflix now

SHARON Osbourne has shared a glimpse into her life without Ozzy – and how she is being helped by Kelly and a winged friend.

TV star Sharon – who lost her beloved husband Ozzy in July – has ‘found her smile again’ after getting into falconry with daughter Kelly.

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Alongside the heart-warming clip, Kelly said: “Today I introduced my mum to falconry and she loved it! Thank you @gerardsulter for putting a smile on my mum’s face too!”

“Mum, put your hand out,” Kelly instructs in the video.

Wearing a checked shirt, jeans and a leopard-print hat with dark-rimmed glasses, Ozzy’s daughter exudes the confidence of a professional owl handler.

As Sharon receives the bird, she regretfully says: “I don’t have anything to give you. Come on.”

Fans praised the sight and wrote: “There she is!!!! We’ve all missed seeing Sharon. Thank you Kelly.”

“Absolutely love this! So glad you both have somewhat of a distraction,” penned a second.

“So happy to see this! All the positive and healing vibes to you and your family,” remarked a third.

A fourth shared: “Spiritually, the owl symbolises wisdom, intuition, and a connection to the spirit world due to its nocturnal nature and ability to see in the dark. Lovely that your mum enjoyed it too.”

“I love this family more so for being so real, honest and vulnerable for all to see. The Osbourne’s have always embraced imperfection. They also embraced love,” praised a fifth.

Dressed in black with a white T-shirt, the star looked calm in the open field surrounded by dark skies.

Kelly previously shared a photo of herself with an owl and explained: “In all my sadness and grief I have found something that truly makes me happy!

“I never thought I would find my smile again through falconry but I did. I absolutely love being with the birds!” 

Last month, The Sun revealed how a documentary into the late star’s life had suddenly been pulled.

The special, which was called Coming Home, mysteriously vanished from the BBC schedule just 11 days after it was announced.

Filmed over three years, the documentary gave “unique and intimate access” to the whole family, including Ozzy, Sharon, 72, son Jack, 39, and daughter Kelly, 39.

It documents the late rocker’s life as he tried to peruse his dream of moving permanently back to the UK, after living in LA for decades.

The moving film was originally going to be called Home to Roost, however the project moved in a different direction as Ozzy’s health deteriorated.

Ozzy’s family, friends and fans were left devastated when it was revealed the heavy metal star had died aged 76 on July 22.

Speaking about postponing the documentary, a BBC spokesperson told The Sun: “Our sympathies are with the Osbourne family at this difficult time.

“We are respecting the family’s wishes to wait a bit longer before airing this very special film.

“The new tx date will be confirmed shortly.”

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The Bake Off contestant has over 400k followers on TikTok thanks to this unusual hobby, which may soon feature in the hit show

The Great British Bake Off returns to screens tonight, with a new batch of 12 contestants all ready to be introduced in the first episode. While this will be the first step into the spotlight for most of the bakers, one is already famous thanks to his peculiar hobby.

Iain Ross, 29, is a baker from Belfast who only started baking in his early 20s but has already amassed over 400k followers on TikTok. In his videos, which have attracted millions of likes, Iain paints musicians’ faces and album covers onto his bakes using edible foot colouring.

Taylor Swift, Queen, Oasis and more have all been painted on to a variety of baked goods, but most commonly bread. “It’s a really fun hobby to have a clash of worlds,” Iain told BBC Radio Ulster. “I have my baking and my love of music so I try to marry the two together the best I can.”

After he posted the news that he was joining the next series of Bake Off to his Instagram and TikTok, Iain’s fans flocked to the comments to share their excitement. One wrote: “This is so epic, I’ve been following you for so long, congrats!”

Another commented: “Best music taste to ever touch Bake Off and you’re amazing at baking.” Many also asked Iain to bring his signature artistic decoration to the show.

However, it’s not certain Iain will make it to Bread Week, as the teaser for the first episode shows a struggle for the Irish baker. In the ‘first look’, Iain is trying to mend his cake, which has fallen apart in the tent.

Reacting to his chocolate cake, he’s heard saying: “Oh God! Urgh! It’s just fallen apart.” He is then shown to scrape bits from the tray in an effort to put the cake back together.

READ MORE: ‘Amazing’ 4K TV from TCL reaches lowest ever price for a limited time

When the footage was shown on Lorraine Kelly’s talk show, the presenter teased that it looked like something she would bake and that it hasn’t started well for the baker.

Iain himself has described his time on the show as “chaotic”, telling the BBC that he thinks it will make good TV.

“The main word from my experience is chaotic,” he said. “I have a lot of plates spinning at a lot of times and if there’s one thing about me it’s that I’m not very good with multiple plates spinning, but I think it’ll make for good viewing.”

Luckily for Iain and his fans, it seems many of the contestants may have struggled in tonight’s episode. The teaser for Cake Week promised wonky cakes, over-baking and cake that Paul Hollywood says “looks like it fell out of a tree”.

Before the show began, Bake Off host Alison Hammond asked viewers to be supportive of the bakers, as it can be difficult when bakes go wrong. In a video message, she told fans: “It’s a magical experience they’ll never forget. What you don’t see at home are all the hours of hard work they put in behind-the-scenes.”

“So when something goes wrong in the tent, it can really hit hard. They’re all real people with real feelings who love baking and they’re just trying their best. So please, remember – it might look easy from the sofa at home but in the tent, it’s a whole other story.”

The Great British Bake Off returns tonight on Channel 4 at 8pm.

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