I'm a Terry Pratchett superfan — here's why you should be too
Nobody knew this better than Terry Pratchett, who died ten years ago. He was the creator of the Discworld series of comic fantasy books, which were populated by dwarfs and elves. He was also the most commercially successful author of the 1990s, which was greeted with confusion and disdain by arty types. 'A somewhat galling fact is that Pratchett is Britain's bestselling living novelist,' City Life magazine wailed in 2001. 'His fans can be found down at heavy metal HQ, practising sexual inadequacy and ram raiding,' the NME declared.
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BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
The Herds: The wooden puppet animals on tour
A parade of life-size wooden and cardboard animal puppets called The Herds is in the UK at the moment as part of an international tour. The animals which include elephants, giraffes, antelopes, and lions are made from recyclable cardboard and plywood and are part of a project aiming to highlight the dangers of climate Herds began its journey on 9 April in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and then travelled north, through Africa and Europe before reaching the UK. As the show travels, the animals have been growing in number and species, as more are made by local are built using mainly biodegradable and organic materials to make them more sustainable. The collective behind it also likes to work with local artists, dancers and climate activists on the way. The Herds is made by the same team which produced Little Amal, a giant puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian girl that travelled around the UK and internationally. After leaving the UK, the animals will travel through Scandinavia to the Arctic Circle.
The Sun
20 minutes ago
- The Sun
Future of Joe Swash's Channel 4 show revealed after his reality series with Stacey Solomon came under fire
JOE Swash's Channel 4 future confirmed - after backlash over reality show with Stacey Solomon. Joe Swash's TV fate has been revealed as Channel 4 decide to commissioned a second series of Batch From Scratch: Cooking For Less. 6 6 Presenting alongside batch-cooking guru Suzanne Mulholland, the duo help families slash food bills and kitchen stress to rescue cash-strapped families struggling to feed the fam without blowing the budget. The Channel 4 series sees the pair meet households across the UK in need of serious help when it comes to mealtimes - from bloated food bills to chaotic dinner routines. The plan? Cut meal prep down to just one hour a week by cooking smart, freezing in bulk and making food stretch further. With over half a million online followers and a string of Sunday Times bestsellers, Suzanne has become the queen of time-saving meal hacks - and now she's bringing her no-fuss food magic to the telly. With help from Joe, Suzanne will whip up bespoke menus tailored to each family's favourite dishes, showing them how to save time, cash and kitchen stress. The show is produced in partnership with Lidl, and comes as more and more Brits look for ways to make their weekly shop go the distance. Meanwhile on BBC One, Joe's reality show with his wife Stacey Soloman has also been renewed for a second series. The couple opened the doors to their home for the cameras, for a fly-on-the-wall look into their family life with their five kids. It shows her balancing a booming career, including a new perfume range, alongside the couple raising Rex, five, Rose, three, and Belle, two, plus her sons Zachary, 17, and Leighton, 12, from previous relationships, and Joe's son Harry, 16. Cameras are believed to be returning to their famous Pickle Cottage home later this year, to film what the family get up to. Watch the moment Stacey and Joe have furious row over their kids as he hangs up on her after she criticises his parenting Stacey and Joe say: 'The biggest thank you to every single person who watched the first series of Stacey & Joe... "We've been so grateful for all the lovely messages and we're so excited to bring out another series with the BBC.' The recommission may come as a surprise as they risked their reality show being axed after being accused of breaking strict BBC rules. They risked the wrath of Corporation bosses, by plugging their products while on the show. Stacey Solomon's career so far Stacey Solomon has been a familiar face on viewers' screens for over a decade. Let's take a look back at her career. The X Factor (2009): Stacey competed in series six of long-running ITV singing competition The X Factor. During her time in the show, she was mentored by Danni Minogue in the 'Girls' category. The star finished in third place, behind Joe McElderry and Olly Murs. I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here (2010); In late 2010, Stacey headed to the infamous I'm A Celeb Aussie jungle. After 21 days, she triumphed to win the tenth series. It was through I'm A Celeb that she met future husband Joe Swash - who'd won two years earlier and was hosting the ITV2 spinoff. Celebrity Juice (2011―2013, 2016―2019): The star appeared as a panellist on 21 episodes of the comedy panel game show hosted by Keith Lemon. Stacey was a regular in the 21st series, broadcast in 2019. Loose Women (2016 - present): Stacey has been a permanent panel member of the daytime show since 2016. She previously made guest appearances in 2011 and 2012. Sort Your Life Out (2022 -present): This BBC show sees Stacey, with the help of an expert team, transform participants' living spaces after removing clutter. In one scene, Stacey told the cameras: 'I'm going to be trying on my last summer collection. I have brand partnerships and design different things for those brands. Anything from homeware to clothing lines.' And she also teased plans for her own perfume brand, telling viewers: 'I've wanted to do this for so long now. Creating a perfume. I would love to sort of create scents from Pickle Cottage that really make me happy.' Stacey has also namechecked her haircare brand and homeware range, and hubby Joe has cooking account and family coffee company. This all breaks editorial rules to plug commercial deals on air, as they clearly state: 'No on-air talent should promote products, goods, services or clothing they use on air.' The rules go on to say that this includes anything they have 'agreed, or been contracted, to promote or in which they have financial interest.' A BBC spokesperson said: 'Stacey & Joe is a reality series following the daily lives of the couple which includes their work. "All commercial relationships featured are made clear to the audience and only included where editorially justified.' 6 6 6
BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
Minecraft introduce new mob Copper Golem from a past fan vote
"It feels really good that the copper golem is making a comeback," said Mojang's Game Directer Agnes Larsson."When we look at the visions for future game drops, we always revisit old ideas as well to find the best ideas for the right drop".Mojang say that players who have the Bedrock version of Minecraft, are able to test out the new features now in beta and preview mode, but Java players will have to wait a little longer. What is the copper golem mob? The copper golem is a mob that helps players to tidy and sort out their doesn't spawn on its own in the world, but is instead summoned by players by placing a carved pumpkin on a copper block. This will then create a golem and a copper chest, which is a special golems can open copper chests, pick up as many items as they can carry and then take them to other normal chests in a player's base. The copper golem and chest can also be different colours, based on how oxidised the copper is that players use to summon is a chemical reaction that happens when copper reacts to water and air over a long time, changing it's colour from orange to green - and this also happens to the copper blocks in the Gameplay engineer Matthew Clohessy, said: "The copper golem was a fan favourite, and one beloved in the development team as well, and we wanted to bring it back with a bit more of an engaging mechanic, and also because it's just a cute little thing!" New copper weapons, tools and armour Copper is also officially becoming an equipment tier in the game. "We haven't added a new tool and armour tier since the Nether update, so this is a really big and exciting thing" said Senior Gameplay Engineer Eric would sit between Stone and Iron in terms of it's strength, speed and how tough it example, a copper pickaxe would help players to mine a bit faster and for a bit longer than a stone pickaxe, but won't allow players to mine any extra materials – like an iron upgrade would. Game Director Agnes Larsson said: "It's easier for players to find copper than iron. So for players early in the player journey, we think it will be really helpful that we add this tier of copper tools between stone and iron"What do you think of the new update? Let us know in the comments below!
