Archive for October, 2009

X-Factor judge Simon Cowell has said he is “praying” that Irish twins John and Edward Grimes do not win the final of the talent contest.

“If they win, it will be a complete and utter disaster,” he said. “I’d probably sulk for about six months [and] get on a very fast plane out of the country.”

“I don’t dislike them as people - I just don’t think they are the act we were looking for,” added Cowell. The music mogul was speaking at a press conference on Thursday to announce his patronage of the Children’s Hospices UK charity.

There are currently nine acts still competing in the talent series, including the Irish double act, known by their fans as “Jedward”.

Cowell, who is responsible for mentoring over-25s during this year’s contest, has also levelled criticism at popular contestant and young mother Stacey Solomon.

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Alexandra Burke has denied claims that X-Factor contestants are urged to cry on the show in order to attract the audience’s sympathy.

However, the winner of last year’s contest said that she and her fellow singers were told by producers not to be too professional, according to The Evening Standard.

“Oh, no, no, no-one’s telling them to cry,” said Burke. “I mean, they do advise you not to be too professional. They say, whatever emotion you feel, just let it out.

“If you’re acting too professional, that will be your biggest downfall. It’s like, people on that stage are crying for their dreams.”

“All that anger or sadness or anxiety that you might feel in the week builds up, and builds up, and then it’s just that one moment on a Saturday night. On live TV. They do say, ‘Don’t repress it’. Otherwise you don’t look human,” she added.

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Channel 4 is to hold an online debate about the death penalty following its fictional drama The Execution of Gary Glitter.

The controversial 90-minute programme examines the possible consequences that reinstating capital punishment would have on the UK.

In the fictional courtroom drama, the first person to be tried under a new Capital Crimes Against Children law is Paul Gadd, who went under the stage name of Gary Glitter during his 70’s rock career. Gadd is played by Doctors actor Hilton McRae.

Billed by Channel 4 as a “courtroom drama shot in the style of a documentary”, The Execution of Gary Glitter is written and directed by Rob Coldstream and produced by Juniper Productions. The programme will air on Monday 9th November.

Executive producer Samir Shah will chair a debate on the death penalty afterwards on channel4.com.

“High-profile crimes against children often prompt calls for the return of the death penalty – this drama confronts the public with what many say they want,” said Hamish Mykura, head of documentaries and More 4.

“Putting a resonant figure like Gary Glitter into a fictional situation helps to engage the viewer as the drama unfolds. The debate around the death penalty arouses passions on both sides. This drama, with its compelling and original narrative, is an intelligent and thought-provoking examination of the issue.”

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The British National Party could have a panellist on Question Time once a year, BBC director general Mark Thompson has said.

Thompson said that the level of support the party received in the European elections this year, where it gained a 6% share of the vote and two MEPs, meant that the corporation was duty bound to include the far-right party in some of its television and radio debates in order to get a balance of political opinions. Support for the BNP has now dropped to 2-3%.

The BBC’s decision to invite the BNP on Question Time sparked a great deal of controversy, with several high-profile politicians refusing to appear on the show and over 500 protestors gathering outside BBC television centre last Thursday.

However, the corporation has vigorously and consistently defended its inclusion of Nick Griffin in last week’s Question Time debate. Giving evidence to the House of Lords Communications Committee, Thompson said that it was the BBC who initially approached the BNP, and not the other way round. He added that the corporation had been considering inviting the far-right leader onto the show for “months and years”.

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Barbara Windsor is to leave EastEnders after 16 years in the role of Peggy Mitchell, mother to the notorious Mitchell brothers and landlady of the Queen Vic pub.

“EastEnders has been wonderful to me and it’s no secret that it changed my life all of those years ago,” said Windsor, 72, who received an MBE in 1999.

“I’ll be so sad to leave Peggy behind; she’s such a wonderful character to play. I have had the pleasure of working with a marvellous cast and crew and have made many lasting good friends. To have had the honour of showing the Queen around the set is something that will stay with me forever.

“I would like to thank the BBC for the incredible opportunity they gave me and above all, I must thank the wonderful viewers for their support over the years. I’m looking forward to the future and I suppose when all’s said and done, I should spend a bit more time with my old man, as he’s not getting any younger.”

EastEnders‘ executive producer Diederick Santer said: “Barbara has contributed so much to EastEnders over the last 15 years, plus countless episodes, and countless amazing storylines.

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Comedian Ricky Gervais has been named the host of next year’s Golden Globe film awards.

The Invention of Lying star was approached last year when he presented a single award at last year’s ceremony. Gervais will present the 67th Golden Globes award ceremony in Los Angeles on 17th January.

“There are just some things you don’t turn down,” he said. Gervais added that he accepted after being told her would be given “free rein” as host. In the past he has said he would be reluctant to present the Oscars because of the lack of “freedom” that hosts may exercise.

Paul Telgedy of NBC, the American television network which screens the awards, described Gervais as “one of the funniest people on the planet”.

Last year Gervais presented Kate Winslett with a Golden Globe for her role as a concentration camp guard in World War II drama The Reader.

“I told you, do a Holocaust movie and the awards come, didn’t I?” he quipped.

The ceremony in January will be the first time in several years that the Golden Globes has had a single host. Previously, numerous celebrities have been chosen to present individual awards. Nominations will be announced on 15th December.

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Peter Andre and Kate Thornton have been confirmed as guest presenters for this Friday’s episode of This Morning - a Halloween special featuring a children’s fashion show.

The popstar and Loose Women presenter will host ITV’s flagship daytime television show as regular hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby take a week-long half-term break.

Eamonn Holmes and fiancée Ruth Langsford will be presenting the show until Thursday.

“I am very honoured to be a guest host on This Morning [on] Friday. I cannot wait to get my teeth into this role, I love it at This Morning,” said Andre.

Sue Walton, head of daytime TV at ITV studios added: “This Morning’s 21st year is off to a great start and as Holly and Phillip take a well earned break, we’re delighted Eamonn and Ruth will be hosting - they have plenty in store along with Peter Andre and Kate Thornton, who pair up for some Friday fun to round up the holiday week.”

A show insider said: “Friday’s show is a good mix of paper reviews, fashion, real-life stories, cooking and music so Peter and Kate will have a busy day.

“Peter loves a challenge and loves presenting so nerves shouldn’t be a problem. If all goes well and they enjoy it, he and Kate could be guest hosts again in the future.”

Ashley Highfield, the former BBC director of new media and technology, has suggested that the corporation charge for its on-demand iPlayer content, which is currently available free online.

Speaking at the government’s digital creative industry conference C&binet, Highfield, currently the managing director of consumer and online at Microsoft UK, said that now the iPlayer had established itself as the UK’s leading video-on-demand service the BBC should consider charging for its programmes.

“I think the iPlayer was a catalyst to get a lot more content [made available on-demand] in the UK,” Highfield, who was involved in its conception before leaving the BBC last year, said. “All boats rise on that, commercial or not.”

He then proposed some changes to the service, including reducing the seven-day window in which people can access content free, and abolishing hold-back periods allowing commercial companies to exploit online TV revenies more quickly.

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Nick Griffin has been attacked by his own supporters for his performance on last week’s controversial edition of Question Time.

Following Griffin’s appearance on the show, the BNP legal officer Lee Barnes accused Griffin of “failing to press the attack” during the televised debate, which was watched by a record 8 million people. Other party members have expressed their discomfort at Griffin’s attempts to present a more moderate front in a bid to appeal to the British electorate.

Barnes complained on his personal website that Griffin “should have stood up to these whining, middle-class hypocrites that use the race card for self-enrichment – and thrown the truth right back into their fat, sanctimonious, hypocritical, self-serving faces”.

He added that the BNP leader had failed to “press the attack” on the “ethnic middle class” for “taking up the best jobs while still playing the bogus race card for every opportunity”.

Barnes also gave reason to suggest that the BNP has not dissociated itself from its violent roots, as Griffin claims. In another tirade on his personal website, he suggested that “perhaps there needs to be a few ‘white riots’ around the country a la the Brixton riots of the 1980s before the idiot white liberal middle class and their ethnic middle-class fellow travellers wake up”.

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Graham Norton has been chosen to host the BBC’s New Year celebration show, according to The Sun.

BBC executives have announced that the show will be pre-recorded in December, rather than being shown live, in order to attract more high-profile guests who are likely to have other engagements on New Year’s Eve itself.

The show will take the form of an “entertainment spectacular” based around Norton’s hit BBC1 chat show, but will cut live to BBC Scotland for the traditional Hogmanay celebrations around midnight.

“Landing the show is a coup for Graham as it’s a plum slot - millions tune in,” said a BBC insider. “The idea is for it to be a little bit more family-focused as youngsters will also be watching.”

The last New Year’s Eve event that Norton recorded was at the millennium for Channel 4.