Long before hosting the explosive I’m A Celebrity… South Africa final, Ant and Dec were caught up in their own feud with model and TV star Kelly Brook
Kelly Brook famously feuded with Ant and Dec(Image: Getty Images)
Kelly Brook has spoken out about her feud with Ant and Dec.
But it pales into insignificance compared to the latest drama the geordie duo have found themselves in. A week ago the pair hosted arguably the most explosive ending to a reality TV series ever when the live finale of I’m A Celebrity… South Africa descended into chaos with feuding stars and contestants walking out during the drama.
Days after former Emmerdale star Adam Thomas was crowned winner of the ITV series, Ant and Dec spoke out about it on their podcast, Hanging Out with Ant and Dec, with Ant describing it as “a weird night of TV”.
But while it was probably the most controversial series yet, the TV hosts have been caught up in plenty of other dramas including a feud with Kelly, who took part in the original version of I’m A Celebrity last year and appears as a guest on James Martin‘s Saturday Morning on May 2.
Tension between the trio stretches back to 2009 when Kelly was briefly employed as a judge on the ITV talent show, Britain’s Got Talent, the current series of which continues tonight (May 2) at 7pm.
Reports have long suggested that Ant and Dec were unimpressed that Kelly, 46, had been hired for the show without their consent. Over the years, the three have taken veiled swipes at each other in interviews, and memoirs.
Last year, the trio found themselves reunited on ITV as Kelly became a contestant on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and opened up the old wound in a new interview.
In the chat, she addressed the route of the alleged feud – which is said to have stemmed from the fact she didn’t know what Ant and Dec did when she joined the BGT judging panel. And while the boys have repeatedly insisted this is what happened, Kelly has counter protested that his is simply not true.
She summed up the situation in six words during her chat with the The Sun saying: “There was no awkwardness at all. “
She continued: “Ant and Dec are the sweetest, and they were so excited that I was doing the show. I think they are really involved in the casting of it.”
She continued: “They were really fun and supportive. I was so excited when I saw them for the first time – I was in a helicopter looking down at them. I actually got star-struck, even though I worked with them all those years ago. I’m a massive fan of the show, so it was surreal to suddenly be in there. Plus, Ant and Dec were the least of my worries – I was more concerned with snakes, spiders and the lack of food!”
Her account differs from that of the Geordie duo. Back in 2010, the lads unleashed their autobiography, Ooh! What a Lovely Pair: Our Story, in which they laid out their accusations against Kelly.
Reflecting the first day Kelly joined them on the set of BGT, they claimed: “Kelly looked nervous, so I told her it was going to be great fun and to just relax and enjoy it. She nodded, then looked at me and said, ‘And what do you do on the show?’
“I looked at Simon, who was sat next to me, he turned to Kelly and said, ‘Kelly, you have seen the show, haven’t you?’ To which she replied, ‘Yeah… well, bits’. I don’t want to sound like an egomaniac, but the last person who said, ‘And what do you do?’ was the Queen when I met her at the party for ITV’s fiftieth anniversary.”
The autobiography also implied that the pair were angered by show boss Simon Cowell for hiring Kelly without first consulting them. They wrote: “We had two questions: ‘Why is there a fourth judge?’ and ‘Why is it Kelly Brook?’ None of them could answer us.
“Obviously, as hosts of the show, we have to justify that kind of thing to the audience, and no one could give us a good reason why Kelly was on board. The simple answer was that Simon, without talking to anyone, had decided it was a good idea. We didn’t agree.”
Kelly previously brushed off the scandal, implying that she didn’t care much for what Ant and Dec thought of her. She said in a past interview: “There was nothing I could do in this country after Britain’s Got Talent. The people at ITV were telling me that I had upset Ant and Dec and that was it.
“I would love to have stayed on the show. I really felt it was working out. Ant and Dec had never been anything but pleasant to my face but, clearly, they didn’t want me on the show. Their egos are such that they were saying to themselves ‘How dare she think she can come on to our show?’, and since then they’ve been very vocal about their displeasure at me being there.”
Kelly Brook is on James Martin’s Saturday Morning on ITV1 on May 2 at 9.30am. Ant and Dec host Britain’s Got Talent on ITV1 on May 2 at 7pm
Johnny Vegas has hailed his Benidorm co-star Elsie Kelly, who played his mum Noreen on the sitcom, as a “mother figure” to him following her death at the age of 89
Benidorm’s Johnny Vegas has paid tribute to his on-screen mum Elsie Kelly (Image: Liverpool City Region Combined Authority)
Johnny Vegas has hailed Elsie Kelly as a “mother figure” to him following her death at the age of 89. The comedian, 54, was the on-screen son of Elsie ‘s character Noreen Maltby in the long-running ITV sitcom and after her passing, he has led the tributes with an emotional message.
The actor starred as Geoff Maltby, an obsessive quizzer who liked to call himself as The Oracle, and formed a memorable double act with Elsie, who, as long-suffering mother Noreen, was often at the resort with him and had to play along as he as he practiced his craft.
“I had many young actors over the years saying to me ‘I worked with your mum,’ Elsie touched and guided so many careers and crammed more into her 89 years than anyone else I’ve known in this profession. When not giggling poolside, she was in her hotel room, putting together her next musical line-up for many a Liverpool theatrical production. “Elsie made going into work a true joy, in fact, it was more like playtime, and our time together, something to truly treasure. Bless you my other Mum, and thank you for the endless joy you brought into so many of our lives xxxx Elsie Kelly RIP.”
Crissy Rock, who played hotel manager Janey Yorke on Benidorm in the years before she was replaced by Sherrie Hewson, was the first to announce the news. She wrote on Instagram : “So sad to hear of the passing of Elsie Kelly this morning. We shared so many wonderful memories filming Benidorm, moments I’ll always treasure. She was an absolute joy to work with and brought so much warmth and laughter wherever she went.
She wrote on Instagram : “So sad to hear of the passing of Elsie Kelly this morning. We shared so many wonderful memories filming Benidorm, moments I’ll always treasure. She was an absolute joy to work with and brought so much warmth and laughter wherever she went.
“With a career spanning decades across television, theatre, and film, she most recently became a household name through her work on Benidorm…Her unmistakable charm, sharp timing and gentle humour made her a fan favourite.”
The cast was made up of other famous faces from British television, including the likes of Janine Duvitski, Steve Pemberton, Siobhan Finneran and Sheila Reid, who famously starred as Madge Bishop for several years.
Before joining Coronation Street as undertaker George Shuttleworth, actor Tony Maudsley was perhaps best known for his role as camp hairdresser Kenneth Du Beke on Benidorm. Other stars to enjoy short stints on the programme, which was created and written by Derren Litten, included Sheridan Smith, Nadia Sawalha and Denise Welch, whilst showbiz legends like Dame Joan Collins and Cilla Black also made guest appearances.
As her on-screen career developed, she appeared in the sitcom Bread in the late 1980s, and took on the role of Enid in the film 1996 comedy Intimate Relations opposite Julie Walters, Les Dennis and Amanda Holden.
Elsie also filmed two episodes of Coronation Street in 2011, where she played Mrs Hargreaves, who died under a hairdryer at Audrey’s Salon, but, just months before her death, Elsie revealed that she had been in contact with Derren Litten amid speculation of a Benidorm comeback.
Speaking in a video that surfaced on TikTok, she said: “Hello all you holidaymakers in Benidorm! I do hope you’re having a lovely time, I am sure you are!
“We’ve just had a nice lunch with Derren and it will mean a lot to both of us. Anyway, I hope to see you soon, in Benidorm, and as Noreen would say, ‘I do hope your holiday is inconclusive!’ Siobhan Finneran, who played Janice Garvey also paid trubute, as she wrote on X: “We are devastated to hear about the passing of the incredible Elsie Kelly, known to many as Noreen in #Benidorm. Her acting + comedy abilities were out of this world. May she Rest In Peace.”
TV writer Derren, who starred alongside Catherine Tate on her sketch show before creating Benidorm, wrote: “So sad to pass on the news of the passing of Elsie Kelly aka Noreen in Benidorm.
“One of the best-loved characters in the show and certainly one of the most beloved cast members. Elsie’s acting abilities and comic genius were so natural they were almost taken for granted.”
“For someone who initially auditioned for the role of Madge (and gave an excellent reading of the part), her personality and natural warmth encouraged me to build up the part of Noreen from one or two lines in the first two episodes (initially intending to lose the character by the end of the first series) to many episodes and many series, culminating in her playing Noreen’s own twin, Doreen in series 10.
“Thanks for your talent, but most of all your friendship, Elsie. I am very sad today, but also happy to think of such a wonderful life well lived.”
Jay-Jay Wilson stunned the Belfast crowd with a devastating first-round knockout of Donegal’s Darragh Kelly, handing the Irishman his first professional defeat in just 37 seconds.
‘The Moville Mauler’ Darragh Kelly saw his unbeaten record ended as he was stopped by seventh-ranked lightweight Jay-Jay Wilson in the main event at PFL Belfast.
Wilson had originally been scheduled to face Derry’s Paul Hughes, but the bout was rearranged after Hughes withdrew due to a knee injury.
The New Zealander, who was returning from defeat to Archie Colgan last October, slipped Kelly’s early jabs before landing a left kick and following up with a powerful left hook that ended the contest almost immediately, silencing the SSE Arena.
“I landed the side kick, set my base and once I saw it connect I sat on the hook, and that was all she wrote,” said Wilson after the victory.
Despite entering as the away fighter, Wilson embraced the occasion and the crowd.
“Ireland, I love you guys… even though you were against me,” he said, before targeting Alfie Davies for a potential June bout in San Diego.
Confident in his preparation, Wilson added: “I know what I’m capable of… I put my confidence in the work I do in the gym.”
The victory marked a significant moment for “The Maori Kid”, who also spoke about representing his background and inspiring others.
“If I can do it, anyone can do it,” he said. “I want to lead the way for troubled youth.”
In the co-main event, Ballymena’s Rhys McKee marked his PFL debut with a hard-fought victory over Lohoré, earning a unanimous 30-27 decision after a competitive three-round contest.
Having been controlled early through grappling, McKee grew into the fight, finding success with his jab and striking in the second round.
The decisive moment came in the third, when McKee dropped Lohoré with a right hand before finishing strongly to secure victory.
“It was unbelievable… what a night in Belfast,” McKee said.
“All I wanted was to be excited about fighting again and PFL answered.”
The 30-year-old, whose bout was only confirmed in March, admitted it was a challenge but never considered turning it down.
“When PFL asks you to fight in your home city, what can you say? You have to do it.”
McKee also reflected on the significance of competing in front of a home crowd.
“That will stay with me for the rest of my life. These nights are rare, you have to take them in.”
Looking ahead, he added: “I’m coming for the PFL rankings… put Rhys McKee up.”
Kelly Brook’s feud with Ant and Dec addressed by blunt six-word comment
Long before hosting the explosive I’m A Celebrity… South Africa final, Ant and Dec were caught up in their own feud with model and TV star Kelly Brook
Kelly Brook famously feuded with Ant and Dec(Image: Getty Images)
Kelly Brook has spoken out about her feud with Ant and Dec.
But it pales into insignificance compared to the latest drama the geordie duo have found themselves in. A week ago the pair hosted arguably the most explosive ending to a reality TV series ever when the live finale of I’m A Celebrity… South Africa descended into chaos with feuding stars and contestants walking out during the drama.
Days after former Emmerdale star Adam Thomas was crowned winner of the ITV series, Ant and Dec spoke out about it on their podcast, Hanging Out with Ant and Dec, with Ant describing it as “a weird night of TV”.
But while it was probably the most controversial series yet, the TV hosts have been caught up in plenty of other dramas including a feud with Kelly, who took part in the original version of I’m A Celebrity last year and appears as a guest on James Martin‘s Saturday Morning on May 2.
Tension between the trio stretches back to 2009 when Kelly was briefly employed as a judge on the ITV talent show, Britain’s Got Talent, the current series of which continues tonight (May 2) at 7pm.
Reports have long suggested that Ant and Dec were unimpressed that Kelly, 46, had been hired for the show without their consent. Over the years, the three have taken veiled swipes at each other in interviews, and memoirs.
Last year, the trio found themselves reunited on ITV as Kelly became a contestant on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and opened up the old wound in a new interview.
In the chat, she addressed the route of the alleged feud – which is said to have stemmed from the fact she didn’t know what Ant and Dec did when she joined the BGT judging panel. And while the boys have repeatedly insisted this is what happened, Kelly has counter protested that his is simply not true.
She summed up the situation in six words during her chat with the The Sun saying: “There was no awkwardness at all. “
She continued: “Ant and Dec are the sweetest, and they were so excited that I was doing the show. I think they are really involved in the casting of it.”
She continued: “They were really fun and supportive. I was so excited when I saw them for the first time – I was in a helicopter looking down at them. I actually got star-struck, even though I worked with them all those years ago. I’m a massive fan of the show, so it was surreal to suddenly be in there. Plus, Ant and Dec were the least of my worries – I was more concerned with snakes, spiders and the lack of food!”
Her account differs from that of the Geordie duo. Back in 2010, the lads unleashed their autobiography, Ooh! What a Lovely Pair: Our Story, in which they laid out their accusations against Kelly.
Reflecting the first day Kelly joined them on the set of BGT, they claimed: “Kelly looked nervous, so I told her it was going to be great fun and to just relax and enjoy it. She nodded, then looked at me and said, ‘And what do you do on the show?’
“I looked at Simon, who was sat next to me, he turned to Kelly and said, ‘Kelly, you have seen the show, haven’t you?’ To which she replied, ‘Yeah… well, bits’. I don’t want to sound like an egomaniac, but the last person who said, ‘And what do you do?’ was the Queen when I met her at the party for ITV’s fiftieth anniversary.”
The autobiography also implied that the pair were angered by show boss Simon Cowell for hiring Kelly without first consulting them. They wrote: “We had two questions: ‘Why is there a fourth judge?’ and ‘Why is it Kelly Brook?’ None of them could answer us.
“Obviously, as hosts of the show, we have to justify that kind of thing to the audience, and no one could give us a good reason why Kelly was on board. The simple answer was that Simon, without talking to anyone, had decided it was a good idea. We didn’t agree.”
Kelly previously brushed off the scandal, implying that she didn’t care much for what Ant and Dec thought of her. She said in a past interview: “There was nothing I could do in this country after Britain’s Got Talent. The people at ITV were telling me that I had upset Ant and Dec and that was it.
“I would love to have stayed on the show. I really felt it was working out. Ant and Dec had never been anything but pleasant to my face but, clearly, they didn’t want me on the show. Their egos are such that they were saying to themselves ‘How dare she think she can come on to our show?’, and since then they’ve been very vocal about their displeasure at me being there.”
Kelly Brook is on James Martin’s Saturday Morning on ITV1 on May 2 at 9.30am. Ant and Dec host Britain’s Got Talent on ITV1 on May 2 at 7pm
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Johnny Vegas pays tribute to screen mum Elsie Kelly as Benidorm co-star dies age 89
Johnny Vegas has hailed his Benidorm co-star Elsie Kelly, who played his mum Noreen on the sitcom, as a “mother figure” to him following her death at the age of 89
Benidorm’s Johnny Vegas has paid tribute to his on-screen mum Elsie Kelly (Image: Liverpool City Region Combined Authority)
Johnny Vegas has hailed Elsie Kelly as a “mother figure” to him following her death at the age of 89. The comedian, 54, was the on-screen son of Elsie ‘s character Noreen Maltby in the long-running ITV sitcom and after her passing, he has led the tributes with an emotional message.
The actor starred as Geoff Maltby, an obsessive quizzer who liked to call himself as The Oracle, and formed a memorable double act with Elsie, who, as long-suffering mother Noreen, was often at the resort with him and had to play along as he as he practiced his craft.
Taking to Instagram following the sad news on Wednesday, Johnny wrote: “A more generous, talented, funny, kind and hard grafting soul, and as an actor you could ever hope to meet. Elsie was a Mother figure to me, on and off screen. and guided me through many highs and lows whilst overseas together. When I say Elsie was loved by all, it is a wonderful fact, not merely an apt comment to make during such sad times.
READ MORE: Benidorm favourite Elsie Kelly dies as co-star pays heartfelt tributeREAD MORE: Sheridan Smith gives update on Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps reunion
“I had many young actors over the years saying to me ‘I worked with your mum,’ Elsie touched and guided so many careers and crammed more into her 89 years than anyone else I’ve known in this profession. When not giggling poolside, she was in her hotel room, putting together her next musical line-up for many a Liverpool theatrical production. “Elsie made going into work a true joy, in fact, it was more like playtime, and our time together, something to truly treasure. Bless you my other Mum, and thank you for the endless joy you brought into so many of our lives xxxx Elsie Kelly RIP.”
Crissy Rock, who played hotel manager Janey Yorke on Benidorm in the years before she was replaced by Sherrie Hewson, was the first to announce the news. She wrote on Instagram : “So sad to hear of the passing of Elsie Kelly this morning. We shared so many wonderful memories filming Benidorm, moments I’ll always treasure. She was an absolute joy to work with and brought so much warmth and laughter wherever she went.
She wrote on Instagram : “So sad to hear of the passing of Elsie Kelly this morning. We shared so many wonderful memories filming Benidorm, moments I’ll always treasure. She was an absolute joy to work with and brought so much warmth and laughter wherever she went.
“With a career spanning decades across television, theatre, and film, she most recently became a household name through her work on Benidorm…Her unmistakable charm, sharp timing and gentle humour made her a fan favourite.”
The cast was made up of other famous faces from British television, including the likes of Janine Duvitski, Steve Pemberton, Siobhan Finneran and Sheila Reid, who famously starred as Madge Bishop for several years.
Before joining Coronation Street as undertaker George Shuttleworth, actor Tony Maudsley was perhaps best known for his role as camp hairdresser Kenneth Du Beke on Benidorm. Other stars to enjoy short stints on the programme, which was created and written by Derren Litten, included Sheridan Smith, Nadia Sawalha and Denise Welch, whilst showbiz legends like Dame Joan Collins and Cilla Black also made guest appearances.
As her on-screen career developed, she appeared in the sitcom Bread in the late 1980s, and took on the role of Enid in the film 1996 comedy Intimate Relations opposite Julie Walters, Les Dennis and Amanda Holden.
Elsie also filmed two episodes of Coronation Street in 2011, where she played Mrs Hargreaves, who died under a hairdryer at Audrey’s Salon, but, just months before her death, Elsie revealed that she had been in contact with Derren Litten amid speculation of a Benidorm comeback.
Speaking in a video that surfaced on TikTok, she said: “Hello all you holidaymakers in Benidorm! I do hope you’re having a lovely time, I am sure you are!
“We’ve just had a nice lunch with Derren and it will mean a lot to both of us. Anyway, I hope to see you soon, in Benidorm, and as Noreen would say, ‘I do hope your holiday is inconclusive!’ Siobhan Finneran, who played Janice Garvey also paid trubute, as she wrote on X: “We are devastated to hear about the passing of the incredible Elsie Kelly, known to many as Noreen in #Benidorm. Her acting + comedy abilities were out of this world. May she Rest In Peace.”
TV writer Derren, who starred alongside Catherine Tate on her sketch show before creating Benidorm, wrote: “So sad to pass on the news of the passing of Elsie Kelly aka Noreen in Benidorm.
“One of the best-loved characters in the show and certainly one of the most beloved cast members. Elsie’s acting abilities and comic genius were so natural they were almost taken for granted.”
“For someone who initially auditioned for the role of Madge (and gave an excellent reading of the part), her personality and natural warmth encouraged me to build up the part of Noreen from one or two lines in the first two episodes (initially intending to lose the character by the end of the first series) to many episodes and many series, culminating in her playing Noreen’s own twin, Doreen in series 10.
“Thanks for your talent, but most of all your friendship, Elsie. I am very sad today, but also happy to think of such a wonderful life well lived.”
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PFL Belfast: Jay-Jay Wilson defeats Donegal’s Darragh Kelly in 37 seconds
Jay-Jay Wilson stunned the Belfast crowd with a devastating first-round knockout of Donegal’s Darragh Kelly, handing the Irishman his first professional defeat in just 37 seconds.
‘The Moville Mauler’ Darragh Kelly saw his unbeaten record ended as he was stopped by seventh-ranked lightweight Jay-Jay Wilson in the main event at PFL Belfast.
Wilson had originally been scheduled to face Derry’s Paul Hughes, but the bout was rearranged after Hughes withdrew due to a knee injury.
The New Zealander, who was returning from defeat to Archie Colgan last October, slipped Kelly’s early jabs before landing a left kick and following up with a powerful left hook that ended the contest almost immediately, silencing the SSE Arena.
“I landed the side kick, set my base and once I saw it connect I sat on the hook, and that was all she wrote,” said Wilson after the victory.
Despite entering as the away fighter, Wilson embraced the occasion and the crowd.
“Ireland, I love you guys… even though you were against me,” he said, before targeting Alfie Davies for a potential June bout in San Diego.
Confident in his preparation, Wilson added: “I know what I’m capable of… I put my confidence in the work I do in the gym.”
The victory marked a significant moment for “The Maori Kid”, who also spoke about representing his background and inspiring others.
“If I can do it, anyone can do it,” he said. “I want to lead the way for troubled youth.”
In the co-main event, Ballymena’s Rhys McKee marked his PFL debut with a hard-fought victory over Lohoré, earning a unanimous 30-27 decision after a competitive three-round contest.
Having been controlled early through grappling, McKee grew into the fight, finding success with his jab and striking in the second round.
The decisive moment came in the third, when McKee dropped Lohoré with a right hand before finishing strongly to secure victory.
“It was unbelievable… what a night in Belfast,” McKee said.
“All I wanted was to be excited about fighting again and PFL answered.”
The 30-year-old, whose bout was only confirmed in March, admitted it was a challenge but never considered turning it down.
“When PFL asks you to fight in your home city, what can you say? You have to do it.”
McKee also reflected on the significance of competing in front of a home crowd.
“That will stay with me for the rest of my life. These nights are rare, you have to take them in.”
Looking ahead, he added: “I’m coming for the PFL rankings… put Rhys McKee up.”
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