reboot

THE detective series Bergerac has returned to screens and in turn has been showing off a beautiful island less than one hour away from the UK.

The series filmed in Jersey has been showcasing its Caribbean-like beaches and pretty capital, St Helier.

The reboot of the 80s detective series starring Damien Molony as Jim Bergerac actually returned last year.

But it’s set to reach a ‘wider audience’ having dropped all six episodes of the first series on BBC iPlayer a few days ago.

The island of Jersey, where the majority of scenes were filmed, is now expecting a surge in visitors.

Visit Jersey Chief Executive Tricia Warwick said: “The series has already impactfully raised Jersey’s profile as a visitor destination, and this new platform means even more viewers will discover our island’s stunning landscapes and unique locations for themselves.

PARK UP

Epic UK holiday parks with waterparks, theme parks & Spoons pubs from £3pp a night

HOL YES

Cheapest summer for holidays in YEARS – with August breaks still on sale for £188pp

“We look forward to warmly welcoming them to Jersey.”

The Channel Island is a true gem of a place and has previously even been named one of the world’s best islands by Conde Nast Traveller.

While it’s less than an hour from the UK, it feels worlds away, mostly thanks to its Caribbean-looking beaches.

Across its 130 miles of coastline are exotic spots from Beauport Beach, Portelet Bay to Plémont Bay.

Many beaches, like St Brelade’s Bay, are also lined with palm trees, which gives them a tropical feel.

The island’s capital, St Helier, is also home to Havre des Pas Bathing Pool, a tidal lido that fills up with seawater at high tide.

Not only is it a sought-after swim spot with some calling it a ‘good old-fashioned lido’, but it also has an open kitchen, dance floor, stage and a balcony that looks over the pool.

St Helier is also a prime spot for shopping at Royal Square, King Street and its indoor market on Halkett Street.

The first series of Bergerac which aired between 1981 and 1991 starring John Nettles was filmed in Jersey.

Head of Sun Travel (Digital) Caroline McGuire visited the island a few years ago. She said: “If I told you there’s an island an hour’s flight from the UK, with a Caribbean-like coastline, that gets summer quicker than England and you don’t need a passport – you’d think I was pulling your leg.

“But such a unicorn does exist in the English Channel: Jersey.

“When my family and I visited earlier this year, every beach was outstanding, the weather glorious, the food a fantastic hybrid of French and English tastes.”

Caroline headed to Plémont Beach in the north which had “clearest turquoise waters” but she also visited St Ouen’s Bay and Le Braye bistro which is right on the beachfront.

Other popular activities include dolphin-spotting boat rides and exploring its secret tunnels that were used in World War Two.

Luckily for Brits, Jersey is less than an hour away by plane.

The route departing from Southampton to Jersey Airport in Saint Peter takes 50-minutes.

For those who aren’t fussed about getting there quickly, another route to the island is by ferry.

Condor Ferries offers routes from Poole, and Portsmouth to St Helier which take between four and a half to 10 hours.

Love Island’s Maura Higgins is reportedly in talks to host the new Blind Date reboot on Disney+

Maura Higgins could be poised to transition from seeking romance on television to assisting other singletons in finding “the one”.

The former Love Island contestant is said to be in advanced discussions to become the face of the reboot of Blind Date with streaming behemoth Disney+ reportedly preparing to commence filming later this year.

Maura, 35, initially rose to prominence on Love Island in 2019 before establishing an impressive television career on both sides of the Atlantic.

Since departing the villa, she has featured on programmes including Love Island USA, The Traitors US, Dancing On Ice and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!.

Now sources suggest producers are convinced she represents the ideal candidate to follow in the footsteps of legendary presenter Cilla Black.

A TV insider told The Sun: “Discussions are at an advanced stage, with the show’s producers convinced Maura’s the perfect choice for the job.”, reports the Daily Star.

“Not only did she shoot to fame on a TV dating contest, she is now an internationally famous face which is what a global service like Disney need for one of their shows.

“Maura also has an unquestionable glamour combined with cheeky charm which has echoes of Blind Date’s most famous host.” Daily Mirror has reached out to Disney and Maura’s representative for a comment.

The original Blind Date became one of Britain’s most successful television programmes after launching in 1985, with Cilla Black at the helm. At its height, the show drew audiences of up to 17 million viewers before ultimately being axed by ITV in 2003.

A subsequent Channel 5 revival presented by Cilla’s dear friend Paul O’Grady aired between 2017 and 2019 but struggled to capture the original’s sparkle.

Reports of a fresh comeback initially surfaced last year, with executives said to be determined to secure a female presenter who could deliver a contemporary twist while maintaining its sentimental appeal.

It is understood the iconic wall dividing contestants from their prospective dates will be retained, though other aspects of the format may be modernised for today’s audience.

The development would represent another significant career achievement for Maura, whose public profile has continued to rise since her reality television debut.

The Irish star has established herself as one of the most prominent figures to emerge from Love Island and remains a consistent presence on television, red carpets and high-profile entertainment occasions.

Disney+ is anticipated to premiere the reboot at some point next year, with an official confirmation still to be announced.

Benidorm star Crissy Rock has warned that political correctness has possibly “gone too far” for the beloved sitcom to make a comeback but has a new project that she says is perfect for fans of the show

Crissy Rock has warned that political correctness might put a stop to a reboot of Benidorm. The actress, 67, starred as Janey Yorke in the first four series of the sunny sitcom, which ran from 2007 until 2018.

Whilst the star would jump at the chance to go back to her role as the Solana hotel manageress, who was eventually replaced by Sherrie Hewson as Joyce Temple-Savage, she worries that certain attitudes these days might make a comeback impossible.

She told The Mirror: “There’s always whispers [about a reboot], this, that and the other. I’m sure there would be a place for it because it’s so in demand, but with all this political correctness you can’t say this and you can’t say that now.

“You can’t even smoke! I was watching something the other day and a thing came up saying ‘May contain smoking!’ What’s wrong? The world’s gone mad!”

READ MORE: Benidorm favourite Elsie Kelly dies as co-star pays heartfelt tributeREAD MORE: Sherrie Hewson shares bleak Benidorm update amid reboot rumours

The former I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! contestant, who starred on Benidorm alongside other TV favourites like Siobhan Finneran, Johnny Vegas and Sheridan Smith amongst a host of others, tries to stay away from politics when she performs her stand-up routines, but still thinks that it has all “gone too far” with what can and can’t be said these days.

She added: “In my own show, I don’t do politics. My act has been practically the same for years but I just think [political correctness] has all gone too far the other way. In pantomime, you can’t have the Prince kiss Snow White anymore but you can have a dog come on and lick her face, I mean, it’s gone too far! Someone said I couldn’t say ‘Alright, love’ anymore. It’s just gone stupid!”

Despite her willingness to make a comeback should the chance ever appear, Crissy doesn’t have all good memories from working on the set in the Spanish city.

She said: “It was lovely, and then the reality kicked in that you were stuck in a building with no air conditioning, really roasting with the lights and, half the time you couldn’t hardly breathe. Then you have to start turning the lights off and put the air conditioning on because it was really, really hot, especially when they’re doing all the indoor scenes in the club.”

But for now, Crissy, who shot to fame when she took on the leading role of the 1994 film Ladybird, Ladybird, is happy to be back on stage with a new production of Desperate Scousewives. She stars as Lily, who along with Susan and Vanessa, must navigate things when Trisha, a single mum from Manchester, arrives on their tight-knit backstreet in Liverpool.

All set during a hen do, where the bride is preparing to get married to man in prison she has never actually met, Crissy thinks it will be the perfect night out for fans of the ITV sitcom.

She explained: “Desperate Scousewives is a bit like Benidorm, because the reason Benidorm was so successful is people would watch it and go, ‘Doesn’t that remind you of that drunk around the corner, oh what about her? I know someone just like her!’

“So everyone recognised themselves as someone. And with Desperate Scousewives, everyone who goes will say, ‘I remember that,’ and ‘I recognise her!'”

Desperate Scousewives is written by Lynne Fitzgerald, who also stars as Susan in the production, and embraces the kind of Northern humour that has become synonymous with programmes like Coronation Street, The Royle Family and Shameless.

Liverpool-born Crissy was challenged by someone who wondered how that kind of humour would go down across the nation but she remained full of confidence that it is a universally funny piece of work.

She said: “I met someone who wasn’t from up north who said ‘How do you think this is going to travel?’ and I said ‘Perfectly!’ because we are the street anywhere in the country.

“There’s three or four women exactly like that in every other street in the county. It’s not about your voice or where you’re from, it’s… individuals, their lives, So it could be any street in any part of England.

“I play bit of a matriarch. Nosey, absolutely nosey. And she wants to know everyone’s business but she doesn’t want anyone to know her business and then when she meets anyone new she puts this telephone voice on, trying to talk posh.

“The others will be telling her to shut up and she’ll go ‘Oh, take no notice of those little b*****s!’ It’s been such good fun [in rehearsals], we can’t look at each other without laughing!”

Desperate Scousewives is on tour across the UK. For tickets and more information, go to www.scousewivesonstage.com