Louise

SINGER Louise Redknapp looked sensational as she stunned on the red carpet of a glitzy awards ceremony.

The former Eternal member was one of the many stars who enjoyed a night out at the extravagant Music Industry Trust Awards.

Louise commanded attention as she flashed her bra under a sheer see-through shirt.

She paired it with a maroon ruched skirt and accessorised with a large black clutch bag.

The glitzy do was hosted in partnership with YouTube and Global and saw a raft of celebrities step out for the event at the Grosvenor House Hotel.

Kelly Brook, who is set to star in this year’s I’m A Celebrity, also looked fantastic as she made a statement on the red carpet.

Undivided love

Louise Redknapp makes red carpet debut with her new boyfriend Drew Michael

red hot

Louise Redknapp shows off her amazing figure in red swimsuit

The glam model looked phenomenal as she wore a loose-fitting leopard print dress.

The outfit fell to her feet but left her toes exposed with Kelly choosing to wear open-toe heels for her evening out.

Kelly’s hair and make-up looked flawless as she proudly posed away for cameras at the event.

Popstar Rita Ora was another guest of honour and even took to the stage for an exclusive performance at the shindig.

The Hot Right Now singer opted for an all-pink ensemble.

Rita looked as glam as ever in a hot pink sequined mini dress that she teamed with an equally bright pair of skintight leggings.

She added an oversized pink fluffy fur coat to the look as well as showing off her hair transformation after opting for a brand new fringe.

Rita wasn’t the only performer to hit the stage with Price Tag hitmaker Jessie J also wowing audiences with a stellar performance.

It is one of Jessie’s first gigs since undergoing surgery for breast cancer treatment and having to postpone her scheduled tour owing to medical appointments related to her cancer battle.

Jessie equally looked just as glam as her fellow ladies as she wowed in a figure-hugging white dress which featured a sheer skirt with a translucent detail.

Kate Garraway, Emma Bunton and Olly Murs were also all in attendance for the star-studded night out.

When the cast and crew of “Bob’s Burgers” gathered to celebrate the show’s milestone 300th episode earlier this month, two key figures were missing.

Creator Loren Bouchard and actor H. Jon Benjamin — who voices the “Bob” of the title — were unexpectedly waylaid by illness and travel troubles, respectively. It was a scenario that could have been an episode of the long-running adult animated series, down to the celebration’s setting, which took place in a room resembling the inside of the show’s titular hamburger joint.

The only thing missing was a musical interlude.

Centering a family that runs a restaurant, “Bob’s Burgers” kicks off its 16th season Sunday on Fox with its 300th episode titled “Grand Pre-Pre-Pre-Opening.” The milestone episode will take things back to before the Belcher’s opened their family eatery.

According to Bouchard, one of the questions the writers wanted to explore in this episode was “Why is Linda doing this?”

“Bob’s Burgers [the restaurant], it’s got his name in it, but we sense that he can’t do it without her,” Bouchard says. “[Bob] says that in the show, but what do we mean when we say that?”

The look to the past also shows Bob (Benjamin) and Linda (John Roberts) preparing to welcome their first child, Tina (Dan Mintz). The Belcher clan also includes Tina’s younger siblings Gene (Eugene Mirman) and Louise (Kristen Schaal).

“Grand Pre-Pre-Pre-Opening” is the 300th episode of “Bob’s Burgers.”

(20th Television / Fox)

Bouchard admits he is usually not one for celebrating episode counts — “It starts to feel a little bit like bulk pricing,” he jokes — but he recognizes that the longevity of the series is something special. “Bob’s Burgers” premiered in 2011.

“What you get with a show that lasts this long and has this many episodes is a different relationship with the fans,” Bouchard says. “You get to have a 15-year relationship. That’s like family. There are marriages that don’t last that long.”

Over the years, the show’s dedicated audience has seen “Bob’s Burgers” expand beyond television with the release of “The Bob’s Burgers Movie” in 2022 as well as a touring live show of comedy and music.

Bouchard explains that the show’s approach to these milestone episodes have been to “go small and deep” to avoid overstuffing them with fan service. They’ve treated the 100th, 200th and 300th episodes like a new pilot that centers the restaurant and family “in a very basic way” as if it were someone’s introduction to the series.

The 300th episode, written by Bouchard and Nora Smith, digs into the show’s core premise to reveal how Bob and Linda came to juggle a restaurant and a family at the same time.

“I started my family when I started ‘Bob’s,’ so it’s very personal to me,” Bouchard says. “I like the chaos and just audacious optimism that you could have children and start a doomed-to-fail, Hail Mary of a creative project at the same time. It’s why I like this family, that they did this too.”

To commemorate the milestone, Bouchard and the cast discussed, in their own words edited for clarity and length, “Bob’s Burgers’” status as a “comfort show,” the Belcher family dynamics, memorable episodes and more.

A comfort food

“Bob’s Burgers” cast members Larry Murphy, left, Dan Mintz, Kristen Schaal, Eugene Mirman and John Roberts at the Bento Box offices.

(Frank Micelotta / Fox)

It’s not rare for “Bob’s Burgers” to be described as a “comfort show” — something fans can turn on to unwind or fall asleep to. The cast attributes this to the show having real emotions that come from the heart.

“The sweetness of [their affection] being genuine, that’s the thing,” Mirman says. “It’s just a mix of warmhearted and funny and sort of grounded.”

“The jokes aren’t taking people down a notch,” Schaal says. “The show has always been in a lane that people are realizing they should come over to — the kind lane.”

Bouchard says that “it’s very touching and affecting” that audiences turn to the show for comfort but acknowledges it’s something he can’t focus on while the show’s in production.

Bouchard: I definitely don’t take it lightly. I don’t want to think about it while we’re making “Bob’s.” If I thought about it while we’re making it, I would I feel like there’s a scenario where I could mess it up. You don’t want to shoot for comfort show, you want to shoot for edgy, attention-grabbing. [Episodes with] act breaks and big closing numbers. I know people don’t mean, “I fall asleep when I see it for the first time.” They mean, “I put on episodes I’ve seen before and it’s comforting in a profoundly, sleepy way.” I think being an adult by definition means at the end of the day you need something to just transition so that you can fall asleep. I’m glad that “Bob’s” does that for people.

Roberts: We love how much comfort this brings to the world. We like being light and having a job in entertainment that makes people feel good — it makes the world a better place. That’s rare and we’re blessed and we’re grateful.

Dinner (musical) theater

Tina, left, Louise and Gene in an episode of “Bob’s Burgers.”

(20th Television / Fox)

According to Bouchard, the music on the show was ”a ’dare we dream’ type thing in the beginning.” But the reception to the show’s catchy ukelele-driven theme song made him feel like there was room to push the musical elements further, like having a unique end credits and outro song for each episode.

“This sort of flea market find, slightly childlike music felt to us like of the show, but the audience had to give us permission,” Bouchard says. “We had to go slowly to get that.”

Once they saw the audience was on board, he felt like the show had the go ahead to hit the ground running from putting musical moments within the stories to eventually having musical episodes. While it’s still something they take “moment by moment,” Bouchard says he’s “so glad that [the music is] part of what people seem to want from the show.”

Roberts: I think in the earlier seasons, we were more improvising and things like that. But now it’s very professional big songs. It’s fun. I’m impressed by everybody.

Mirman: I’m truly incapable of singing. So the way we do it for me is that the person who’s in charge of the music will sing one line and I will mimic it like nine times to the best of my ability. [Then] they splice together a child singing poorly that is still much better than me in real life. But it’s still very fun. It’s very fun to be challenged.

Mintz: I’m kind of in Eugene’s boat. I can’t remember pitch for very long after I hear it, so I do have to immediately hear it and immediately repeat it. But I’ve been surprised at how much I do enjoy it. You do it again and again, and then the final ones are like, “Now do it and don’t hold back.” And you feel a real singer for, like, one line. There’s also the no pressure of it because I’m singing as a person, as a character, who’s not a professional singer, so it doesn’t have to be that good.

Where’s the beef? Belcher family dynamics

The Belchers inside their restaurant.

(20th Television / Fox)

One thing that comes through in every episode of “Bob’s Burgers” is just how much the Belchers love each other.

“[Linda] is a mom that pays attention and is present and shows up for her children,” says Roberts, who draws from his own mother for his performance. “There’s a realness there and it’s very grounding for the show. … Linda’s gone a little crazy sometimes, but for the most part, it’s all very much stuff that you can relate to.”

Perpetually in the Belchers’ orbit is Teddy — handyman, loyal customer and Bob’s best friend.

“I think of Teddy as constantly trying to inject himself into the lives of the family that he doesn’t have,” says Larry Murphy, who voices Teddy. “The best part about that is that they might shake their heads [at him], but they always rise to the occasion and are supportive of the character.”

And as much as the Belcher children can tease or annoy each other at times, there is no doubt that they all genuinely care for one another too.

“There’s a sibling camaraderie that is really lovely,” Mirman says. “It reminds me of the camaraderie on TV and movies in the ‘80s. That era of the stuff I grew up watching.”

Schaal: I love how they enjoy each other’s company. They’re usually not trying to lose the other one. I mean, in some episodes, Louise is bothering Tina and we explore that. But in general, they hang out together, they play together. They’re not on their f— iPads, separate in their own worlds. They’re going on adventures. And at the end of the day, Louise has their back like no one else and she’ll fight for them.

Mintz: I think it’s great for Tina to be pulled out of her comfort zone by her siblings, even though she’s supposed to be the leader as the oldest. Those are some of the most fun episodes for me when Gene and Louise want to do something dangerous or against the rules or whatever. Tina’s anxious for some reason and keeps being like, “Well, we shouldn’t,” but she gets dragged along. There’s always some moment in every one of those where it’s like, ‘Wait, Jimmy Jr. will be there. OK, maybe I’m fine with this.’ I think Tina’s life would be a lot more boring if she didn’t have someone make her break the rules all the time.

Favorite flavors

Tina and Linda in “Bob’s Burgers.”

(20th Television/Fox)

Over the years, “Bob’s Burgers” has come to be known for its various holiday episodes for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas that often rank among viewers’ favorites.

“I love on Thanksgiving when they play the marathon of stuff,” Roberts says.

But holidays aren’t the only flavor of memorable episodes. And even after 16 seasons, the cast says they are just as excited to flip through new scripts and record episodes together as they were when they started.

As for their favorites, Mintz says he enjoys “all the fantasy ones.” Murphy agrees.

Murphy: I like those episodes where the kids are each telling their own story — and it might not have happened. It just gets to not exist in the world of “Bob’s Burgers,” but it’s someone’s point of view telling a story, like when they built that giant robot [“The Handyman Can”]. Kind of a “Rashomon”-type idea.

Schaal: I like anything that’s emotional. If Louise ever gets to be emotional, I get excited. Even like the one where they’re looking for Bob’s mom’s grave [“Show Mama From the Grave”]. They’re going for something that is really sad, but doing it so well. I love those episodes.

Roberts: I think what’s really awesome is that there’s an individual episode for each character that’s genius. For me, I think “Lindapendent Woman” was an incredible episode. I just did an episode Holly Schlesinger wrote where it’s more about Linda and her past. We all got our turn at having incredible episodes.

Mirman: I agree with Kristen about the ones that have an emotional arc. There is a Christmas one [“The Plight Before Christmas”], where all three kids have an event and the parents understand they can’t make it to everything. Eventually Tina makes it to Louise’s poetry reading where she wrote two poems and one is really sweet and about the family. I’ve watched that episode a bunch.

Schaal: Going back to the story ones. The one about the chores [“Fight at the Not Okay Chore-ral”], where Louise is butting heads with Linda about doing chores and then they tell stories about being in a wild west town. That one I love because it was about this real conflict. And the funny thing is, my daughter has requested to watch that one several times. I think it’s because Linda breaks down and says, “I’m wrong, I give up,” and my kid is thrilled to see the mom say that.

We’re here, we’re gruyere, get used it

Teddy and Linda in an episode of “Bob’s Burgers.”

(20th Television / Fox)

“Bob’s Burgers” has often been hailed for its inclusivity. As a series living in “the kind lane,” the characters are accepted for who they are — even if there’s gentle ribbing at times.

“Nobody’s trying to change anyone,” Roberts says. “They’re just trying to make them better human beings.”

“And they don’t have to defend who they are,” adds Schaal. “There’s complete acceptance.”

At a time when trans and queer people are increasingly targeted by ring-wing politicians and activists through legislation and dehumanizing rhetoric — LGBTQ+-friendly shows such as “Bob’s Burgers” can, for some, feel like a refuge. Bouchard explains how the show’s approach to being inclusive is intentional.

Bouchard: One of the simple tricks that we do is you just do it. You don’t have to shine a light on it. What I think is interesting about acceptance and tolerance and inclusivity — all those things have become capitalized words, and they almost lose their value when they’re not just part of your daily life. Your storytelling has to be about something other than that. That’s not going to be as satisfying as just put it in the character and let it be their daily. They get up feeling accepting and inclusive and normalizing, and they go to bed that way. They don’t learn that f— lesson in the middle of a half-hour show. That’s fine that it exists. Maybe sometimes, as a culture, we need to all come together and learn a lesson. [But] “Bob’s” is in the business of not writing those episodes. We’re in the business of writing those characters without fanfare.

And I give credit to my parents. I think my sister and I were weird in the normal weird way — weird kids are normal. A lot of parents make room for that, and love their kids no matter how they express themselves as little kids. I guess some don’t, but I am glad to have come up in that. To me, it feels natural. To me, it’s not a stretch. The way to do it is to just live it, just be it, and assume that when it’s on paper and it seems normal to you, hopefully it’ll feel reassuring and comforting to other folks too.

A P Louise employee has set the record straight after their “manifesting” on a recent live stream saw them “torn apart” by cruel trolls.

Declan was one of those leading the make-up company’s stream over the weekend, when he caused controversy among the thousands watching.

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Some even went as far as to allege that he looked as though he may have been under the influence of a dangerous substance.

“Glad it wasn’t just me thinking it,” one person commented.

“There was a lot of going off screen, coming back and nose wiping.”

“I was in the live last night, there was definitely something off,” another said.

“Declan couldn’t even get his words out.”

“I cannot believe what I just watched,” a third wrote.

“I was in this live, they didn’t have a clue,” someone else added.

While another claimed Declan was “off his face”.

Others defended him, with Declan then releasing his own video on his TikTok page to set the record straight on what had actually happened.

“In the last 24 hours I’ve been going through a lot of hate and kind of abuse on the internet, on TikTok especially, and it’s been a lot,” he said.

“I just kind of want to talk about things and kind of just where my head’s at.”

He explained that he’d worked at P Louise all day, then gone onto the livestream and worked from 4pm to midnight.

“And from this live, people have been making, you know, I’ve taken videos and taken like screenshots and all this stuff of me manifesting,” he said, referring to a moment where he had closed his eyes and held his hands in a meditative pose.

“And been saying that I’ve been abusing drugs, taking drugs on a livestream, doing all this stuff.

“And it’s like, I just don’t get it. Like this, this has affected me…

“The live just, it turned dark very quickly at one point.”

He also claimed it’s the same “collective of people” that have been “tearing me apart on the Internet” over the past few months that continue to spread the nasty comments and false rumours.

“This isn’t fun. This isn’t easy,” he sighed.

“This is my life… think about what you guys actually put on the Internet.

“Think about what you guys are doing to someone because you don’t actually know what people are going through.

“People don’t know my actual struggles. I don’t owe it to a lot of people what I actually have been through.

“And I’ve been through a lot, okay?”

Declan, who has ADHD, autism and depression, also thanked those who have come out in support of him – including company founder Paige Louise.

And he concluded by saying: “If you guys don’t like me, that’s okay – I know who I am as a person.

“Just think about what you guys are doing.”

“Explaining a few things that’s happened,” Declan captioned the video.

“Must say thank you to everyone that has reached out and supported me.

“And thank you @Paige Louise, love you guys.”

“You’re also absolutely beautiful,” Paige added in response.

“I’ve watched clips and still don’t understand what the hate is about??” someone else wrote in the comments section.

“Please don’t ever let people get you down. You are so much better than them.

“Hold your head high, straighten that crown and show everyone how strong and powerful you are.”

“What a sad world we live in,” a third told Declan.

“My darling you are a beautiful person , with a beautiful soul, with so much to give.

“I am so so proud to have watched you grow into the person you are . This is not okay.

“But you speaking up shows a lot of strength, and also remember how many people you inspire and have inspired.

“Sending love my darling.”

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LOUISE Thompson has broken down in tears and shared her “anxiety” over her son Leo’s “abnormal” behaviour.

Not only this, but despite wanting to grow her family, the former Made In Chelsea star, 35, also revealed she would “never carry another child.”

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The mum-of-one nearly died while giving birth to her three-year-old son and spent a month in intensive care with ‘serious complications’ followed by years in and out of hospital.

Now, speaking on a recent episode of her He Said She Said podcast with fiancé Ryan Libbey, Louise sobbed after seeing Leo speaking to what she assumed was an imaginary friend. 

Tearfully recalling the moment, she said: “I saw Leo on his bike perched up against a wall, and he was talking to himself as if he had an imaginary friend, and it made me fall in love with him so much.

“But equally and probably one of the reasons why it’s jerking tears is because, I guess for a second I thought, ‘oh god is this because he doesn’t have any siblings?’’.

As Ryan attempted to reassure his emotional partner, she revealed her first time mum fears that Leo’s behaviour was “abnormal.”

He reflected: “I think that’s very normal for kids, I’m pretty sure I had imaginary friends.”

To this, Louise shared: “I guess Leo’s our only child and we’re still first-time parents and navigating all of those milestones for the first time.

“And you don’t really know what to expect when you have one child, you have nothing to compare it to, so I didn’t know whether that was normal.”

However, she then claimed a fan had got in touch with her to tell her that a child having an imaginary friend was a “sign of intelligence.”

Alongside the podcast clip, Louise wrote: “First-time parenting really is just learning on the go, isn’t it? 

“Every week there’s something new, something that makes you stop and think. 

“It can feel scary, but it’s also the most rewarding thing in the world.” 

I worried that it was because we haven’t been able to give Leo a sibling yet

Louise Thompson

Opening up about the support from fans, the brunette beauty wrote: “One of my followers messaged me to say that having an imaginary friend at a young age is a sign of intelligence.

“That was really kind of her because as an anxious first time mum navigating this whole world as each milestone passes, I worried that it was because we haven’t been able to give Leo a sibling yet.”

Numerous other fans followed and eagerly rushed to the comments to share their support and reassure Louise that Leo’s behaviour was in fact “normal”, as one said: “Bless though wonderful mummy tears. That raw protective emotion we feel is unmatched to one another.”

A second chimed in: “All the only children I know are so smart, great with people of all ages and very capable and independent thinkers.”

Meanwhile, a third penned: ”I have a daughter, only child, and I still worry and she’s 33! She is the kindest, most grounded girl and I’m so proud of her….. you’re doing an amazing job.” 

At the same time, one mother explained: “Our 5-year-old daughter used to have an imaginary friend called Boxy. I was worried at first but it’s very normal and also a sign of great imagination. I love her for it.” 

With the desire to extend her family in the future, Louise has also spoken of difficulties and admitted she will “never carry another child.” 

Our 5-year-old daughter used to have an imaginary friend called Boxy. It’s very normal and also a sign of great imagination

Instagram user

She told Grazia: “For a long time I was so triggered by babies – I couldn’t look at people’s babies and pregnancy announcements and those sorts of things.

“The tricky thing for us is that this just isn’t really possible in the conventional way because I’m not going to carry another child. 

“I really wanted to freeze my eggs and some embryos last year, but I was overcoming my stoma surgery for a good chunk and then that was when I started to feel really well.

“And I feel like I slightly missed the boat but I can’t put the blame on myself because there wasn’t really an appropriate time before I started taking a bit of a dip again.”

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