ITV axe hit crime drama with Hollywood actress after just two series
Fans have been left absolutely gutted after the commercial broadcaster has seemingly made yet another huge cut.
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Bend It Like Beckham actress Parminder Nagra, 49, led the star-studded cast of DI Ray.
The star is also known for roles in huge projects such as NBC 's ER, The Blacklist and Marvel 's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
She played the title role of DI Rachita Ray alongside the likes of Game Of Thrones and Killing Eve star Gemma Whelan.
Law & Order: UK actor Jamie Bamber completes the lineup playing DCI Martyn Hunter.
However, it's been reported that ITV have axed the series due to ratings that were lower than expected.
An ITV spokesperson confirmed to TV Zone: "We're really proud of what DI Ray achieved, but sadly the viewing figures for series two didn't meet with ITV's expectations.
"It's always a very difficult decision not to recommission a drama and in this case DI Ray really brought a fresh perspective to the crime genre."
They added: "We'd like to thank Parminder Nagra, Maya Sondhi and the team at HTM Television for two brilliant series."
The drama followed Leicester-born inspector Ray who takes on a horrific homicide investigation.
However, the case forced her to confront a personal conflict she has faced throughout her life between her South Asian heritage and her British identity.
DI Ray fans stunned as they spot EastEnders icon in series two of ITV drama
On her very first day, she was told the murder that she has been assigned to is a 'culturally specific homicide'.
Despite waiting for the promotion, she suspected that she was chosen as a 'token appointment' for her ethnicity, rather than for the merits of her ability as an officer.
Although she stayed determined to solve the case and find the killer, she was left to call out the biases of her colleagues that they brought to the investigation.
This is combined with the fact that she had to look into the world of organised crime.
Crime dramas on ITVX
Crime drama buffs have a wide selection of choices on ITVX - here is a selection of some of the programmes available to binge.
Professor T: Based on a Belgian TV series of the same name, former Death in Paradise lead Ben Miller plays the title character. Professor Jasper Tempest is a criminologist with OCD who helps the police solve crimes. The cast also includes Emma Naomi, Barney White and Andy Gathergood.
The Beast Must Die: This series follows a mother's grief for her son, who was killed in an accident. Nicholas Blake's novel of the same name has been adapted for the programme. Stars include Cush Jumbo, Jared Harris, Billy Howle and Geraldine James.
Red Eye: Starring Richard Armitage, Jing Lusi and Lesley Sharp star in this six-part thriller, which mostly takes place during an all-night flight between London and Beijing. With dead bodies piling up and a mystery to unravel, the heroes must work fast to get to the truth.
The Twelve: This Australian drama originally aired as a miniseries in 2022, with the episodes dropping in the UK in February 2023. Four months later, the show was renewed for a second season. Jurassic Park star Sam Neill stars in the leading role of barrister Brett Colby.
Manhunt: Martin Clunes stars in this drama based on true murder investigations. Series one focused on the death of Amélie Delagrange, which took place in 2004, while the second depicted the search for serial rapist Delroy Grant.
This comes after ITV announced sweeping changes to its Daytime output.
Good Morning Britain will be produced by a team at ITV News at their headquarters at Gray's Inn Road.
Meanwhile Loose Women and Lorraine will only air on a seasonal basis for 30 weeks of the year.
Lorraine Kelly will also only take to the airwaves for half an hour at a time for a reduced show from January.
This Morning will also join the other programmes in moving out of the Television Centre complex in White City and will be broadcast from a new studio - rumoured to be at the Hospital Club.
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Daily Mail
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE My mum wrote a letter in defence of a family friend she thought had been wrongly accused of sexual abuse - little did she know, he regularly raped me from the age of three
A woman has bravely spoken out about the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her childminder's son - and told how her own mother came unknowingly to write a letter in his defence. Rachael Smith, 23, from Hertfordshire, was preyed upon at the tender age of three by evil predator, Steven Freitas, 34, who raped and sexually assaulted her for three years. Until the age of six, Freitas raped Rachael in his family home when she went to stay with her childminder, threatening to do it to her younger sister, Katie, if she told anyone. Unbeknownst to Rachael, when she was six, Freitas was arrested and convicted of sexually abusing two other girls under 13. In a shocking twist, not knowing of the abuse her own daughter had faced, Rachael's own mother, Steph, 43, wrote a character witness in Freitas' favour, declaring that he'd 'never do something like that' and said she believed the victims' claims were 'untrue'. It wasn't until over a decade later that Rachael discovered the statement and told her mother about the traumatic abuse she'd faced as a child year earlier, leaving her horrified. Rachael has bravely waived her right to anonymity to encourage other survivors to speak out against their abusers. The recovery worker said: 'For so long I kept this terrible secret. When I found Mum's statement I felt sick to my stomach he'd had other victims. 'Steven had managed to manipulate my own mother into thinking he was innocent. When she found out about what he'd done to me, she was beside herself with guilt. 'I'm just glad he's finally behind bars where he belongs.' In June this year, Freitas was jailed for five years for rape and sexual assault by penetration. Rachael was just four months old when she started being cared for by her childminder, Freitas's mother, who was a close family friend, and said she 'loved' going to her house. Rachael remembers: 'I saw Steven's mother like a second mum. I loved going to her house and playing with the other children.' However, everything changed when Rachael turned three. One day, in 2004, Freitas, then aged 11, coaxed her into the downstairs toilet, in the guise of taking her for a wee. She says: 'While inside, he took off my underwear and started touching my privates. He told me it was "our secret". 'I was only young so thought it was normal and agreed.' The abuse escalated and Freitas began making Rachael sit on his lap, naked, and making her touch him too. Just months later, he raped her for the first time. She recalled: 'I just remember how painful it felt. I wanted to get it over and done with and go back to playing.' Most weeks, while she was being looked after, Freitas took her into the toilet multiple times to abuse her, which also included oral rape. Afterwards, he would offer to plait her hair or play games with her. Rachael said that if she ever told him 'no', he would threaten her, saying he would make her younger sister, Katie, then two, do it instead. Another time when she tried to resist, Freitas said he'd tell her mother to 'hate' her. Rachael (pictured) has described her torment when her mother unknowingly wrote a letter in defence of Freitas 'Desperate' to protect her younger sister, Rachael kept quiet, but remembers: 'It was awful'. Once, aged six, Rachael refused to go with Freitas to the bathroom, but he forced her inside and raped her again. Soon after, Rachael stopped going to her childminder's house. Unbeknownst to Rachael, Freitas had been arrested for sexually abusing two children in his mother's care. In September 2008 then aged 17, he was convicted at St Alban's Crown Court of seven counts of sexual assault of a female child under 13 in respect of two victims, aged 7 and 9. He was sentenced to an 18-month Detention and Training Order. His mother's business subsequently shut down. Over the following years, Rachael blocked out the abuse but when she learned about sex education at school at the age of 10, the memories all came back. At school, aged ten, she learnt about sex education. She says: 'Everything came flooding back and I realised what had happened was wrong. 'I asked my teacher questions like, "how long does sperm live inside you?" and "can kids get pregnant?". I was terrified. 'They should've picked up on those signs, as they're not normal questions for kids to ask.' Afterwards, Rachael developed OCD and Tourettes syndrome - a condition that causes people to make sudden, repetitive sounds or movements. She'd have rituals where she'd wash her hands multiple times and talk to her teddies, telling them 'don't kill my family'. She says: 'I had such intrusive and violent thoughts. I hated my body and felt ashamed and embarrassed. 'I began having nightmares and panic attacks.' In March 2013, Freitas pleaded guilty to another two offences of sexual activity (penetrative) with a female child under 16. He was sentenced to five years custody with an extended license period of eight years. As Rachel grew into her teens, she experienced further problems, entering toxic relationships and finding intimacy painful - and knew it was all down to the abuse. In November 2020, when she was 17, she stumbled across her mum's character witness statement while looking for some documents for a job application - and was 'horrified' and 'felt sick' at what she found. 'I was horrified reading what she'd said about Steven,' Rachael said, recalling the moment she found the statement. He'd convinced her he was innocent. 'The fact that she'd defended him made me feel sick. Knowing he'd had other victims, I felt guilty I'd let him hurt others.' For the next year, Rachael thought carefully about her findings until one day, she plucked up the courage to report Steven to the police. When she confessed what had happened, she said the police were 'so supportive' and the detective in charge believed her 'straightaway'. Two weeks later, she told her mother the truth of what happened via text message. Rachael said: 'She felt so guilty she'd defended him, unknowingly. Was horrified at how monstrous he actually was.' At his trial this month, Rachael bravely gave her evidence, and was horrified when the defence 'asked her what she had been wearing' when she was just three years old. This time, Rachael's mother Steph was called to the stand to give evidence for the prosecution. Steph, 43, said: 'Steven's mother was a registered childminder and good friend of my family. 'She lived opposite my parents. I always thought Steven was immature for his age and behind developmentally and socially. But I had no idea the monstrousness he was capable of. 'When Steven was arrested for the first abuse case, I didn't think the allegations were true. 'I couldn't imagine such a thing happening in a seemingly loving home. His mum was in tears and I felt sorry for her.' Steph wrote a character witness statement for court, after Steven's mother asked for her help and she fully supported the family during the trial. She explains: 'I will always regret doing that now. Receiving Rachel's text made me feel numb. 'I couldn't cope knowing how much he hurt and traumatised her. It breaks my heart I couldn't protect her. I hate him for what he's done.' This June, Freitas, 34, was found guilty of sexual offences against Rachael at St Alban's Crown Court. Rachael, who is now calling for parents to educate their children on their anatomy, boundaries and consent, says: 'Knowing he's been taken off the streets gives me some comfort. 'He's now known as a sex offender so people know what a danger he is. Finally, he's been exposed for the vile creature he is. 'I'm certain he's got more victims out there. I want to let other survivors know, it's never their fault and they should never feel ashamed. 'I'm finally spoken my truth and no longer feel and guilt or shame.'
Telegraph
21 minutes ago
- Telegraph
This is the last Tour de France on free-to-air and cycling will never be the same
When the peloton rolls out of Lille on Saturday for the start of the 112th edition of the Tour de France, it will mark the beginning of the end of one of British sport's great institutions. Nearly 40 years after Channel 4 first screened the highlights of the Tour de France in 1986 – played in by that iconic Pete Shelley theme music – ITV will this year broadcast coverage of cycling's biggest race on free-to-air for the final time. As of next year, the Tour will be behind a paywall in the UK, on TNT Sports. It is the end of an era. 'It's going to be emotional,' admits commentator Ned Boulting who has been part of ITV's coverage since 2003, and who will reprise his role this year alongside David Millar, continuing a line going back to Paul Sherwen and Phil Liggett. 'That's very nearly 40 years of continuity. So that's almost three generations of viewers within families. You know, that's grandparents, parents, and children, all of whom have come through the same very familiar routine. The same faces and voices, the same look and feel, the same style. It's unique in broadcasting.' 'A hammer blow for cycling' Once the emotion dies down, the question is: what does it mean for cycling in the UK, both in terms of viewing figures and participation? Will the sport wither on the vine, stuck behind a paywall where no one will watch it? Will the next generation of potential Geraint Thomases and Tom Pidcocks be starved of inspiration? Or might cycling benefit from being lumped in with bigger sports in the TNT Sports portfolio such as football and rugby, attracting new, crossover fans? It is fair to say fan reaction when the initial announcement was made last autumn that Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns TNT Sports, had bought the exclusive UK rights to the Tour, was not positive. There was sadness at the demise of the much-loved ITV coverage, particularly the daily highlights show. But public opinion really nosedived when WBD announced in January that it was axing Eurosport UK and cycling fans would have to shell out for the full TNT Sports subscription to access bike races in the UK. Not just the Tour, but the Giro d'Italia, the Vuelta a España, the spring classics, the whole caboodle. From £6.99 a month for Eurosport to £30.99 a month for TNT Sports – a price hike of some 400 per cent. Outraged fans – who, a couple of years ago were so spoilt they could get every obscure race under the sun for £5 a month on the GCN+ app, before it was bought and shuttered by WBD – threatened to boycott the channel, while others claimed WBD would get more people into piracy than they would cycling. The debate even reached the Houses of Parliament with Ben Obese-Jecty, the Conservative MP, securing a debate on the merits of free-to-air coverage of professional cycling in Westminster Hall on March 5. In an impassioned speech, Obese-Jecty told of how he had been inspired as a child by the exploits of British mountain bike rider Jason McRoy, whose races were occasionally shown on Eurosport. Describing the channel's demise as 'a hammer blow for coverage of cycling in the UK' he argued that cycling going behind a paywall would have a number of unintended consequences. It would mean children in the UK were not exposed to a sport which was patently good for their health. It would impact on the next generation of wannabe Bradley Wigginses. 'To be popular, a sport must be visible,' he said. 'To be visible, a sport must have a television presence. The Government would never allow the Fifa World Cup, the Olympics or Wimbledon to be put behind a paywall. With an estimated 12 million spectators attending the race each year, the Tour de France is easily the most attended sporting event in the world. 'Will the Government consider how it can inspire a new generation of Froomes and Cavendishes to take up the mantle and consider what they are doing to restore a sporting jewel, in which we have enjoyed such recent success, to the masses, lest its absence from our screens cause the sport to wither on the vine?' Stephanie Peacock, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, replied to say that she was grateful to the honorary member for bringing the matter to her attention, and that she 'sympathised' with his points, but that it was entirely up to the rights holder to determine whether any coverage will be available to free-to-air television in the future. New coverage, but less viewers TNT, understandably keen not to be painted as the villains here, say that is already happening. There is already a new hour-long programme called The Ultimate Cycling Show, hosted by Orla Chennaoui and Adam Blythe, shown on its free-to-air Quest channel, as well as daily highlights shows on the same channel during the recent Giro. The same is planned for the Vuelta a España in August. Only the Tour will remain fully behind a paywall, although a TNT spokesperson suggested the possibility of free-to-air highlights being shown on Quest next year, or in 2027, when the grand depart is once again scheduled to take place in the UK, was under consideration. What might the impact be on UK cycling by then, though? Again, WBD defend themselves. They claim over half of Eurosport viewers already had access to TNT Sports at the time of Eurosport's closure. They maintain that being part of a package which include Champions League and Premiership Rugby will introduce new fans to the sport. They also point out, rightly, that ITV declined to renew its broadcast rights for the Tour, whereas it is investing millions into cycling. Like football and cricket on Sky Sports, they promise to innovate and raise standards. That may all be true. But it does not change the fact that the Tour is disappearing from free-to-air TV and millions of fans will be left without a show which was appointment viewing for three weeks every year. As Obese-Jecty MP said: 'The reassuring tones of Gary Imlach and the encyclopaedic knowledge of Ned Boulting will no longer be staples of cycling fans' summers.' Boulting smiles at that line. 'The fact it got debated in Parliament is insane,' he says. 'David and my names are in the Hansard register now.' He does find the fans' backlash interesting, though, mainly because of how persistent it has been. 'The level of engagement with the topic just doesn't seem to have died down,' he says. 'In fact, the closer we get to the Tour the more it is ramping up. I think it's because, unlike the Ashes, or the Olympics, the Tour is every summer. It's an annual event, which just anchors its place in the rhythm of the year for so many family lives. That, I think, is the reason why the noise around it is so persistent and so loud.' Like many subscription channels, TNT does not release its viewing figures; or say how many new subscribers have signed up since shutting Eurosport down. Even if it did, it would be difficult to tell how many had signed up for cycling as opposed to its other sports. But Boulting stresses he wants the new landscape to be a success, not least because a bigger fanbase will drive more listeners to the Never Strays Far podcast he co-hosts with Millar. New TMS-style podcast planned The pair have big plans for the podcast next year, which they will confirm on Saturday. But essentially they involve Millar and Boulting driving around France in a camper van, with Lizzie Deignan as their co-host, doing live podcasts from the roadside, only looking away from the race, so the cameras watch them watching the action in the style of Soccer Saturday. 'We're going to call it Never Strays Far: Live in France,' Millar says. 'So we'll be on the race, following the race, watching the race, and just relaying as much of it as we can. We'll put it out as video as well, almost certainly on YouTube, but across as many platforms as we can.' 'Think TMS [ Test Match Special ],' Boulting says. 'It will be whimsical, irreverent. We'll chat to fans. We'll broadcast from random squares or places on the route. We won't be rights holders so we won't be able to show race footage. And we won't have accreditation. That's very important. But we can always go see riders in hotels or wherever. 'The Tour de France has always been about much more than the race,' he adds. 'And I think that's one of the things that our ITV viewers really understand and value. And we want to encourage a big percentage of these suddenly disenfranchised viewers to keep the Tour de France in their lives in this new form, where they can. We are very familiar voices and faces to them. And Lizzie will be an absolutely unbelievable addition to our team.' Will they sleep in the camper? Boulting laughs. 'Funnily enough that was Lizzie's first question. No. We're going to have plastic key cards to get into Campanile hotel rooms.. In fact, we might try and do the whole thing in Campaniles. The dream.' One more emotional lap It remains to be seen how it all shakes out; what exactly the loss of free-to-air will do to cycling in the UK. But in the meantime Imlach, Boulting, Millar, as well as reporters Daniel Friebe and Matt Rendell, are preparing for one final, emotional lap of France. 'I think the producers are definitely going to celebrate the heritage,' Boulting reflects. 'You know, it's tricky for ITV because they don't want to put up on great big billboards: 'We're leaving the sport'. But on the other hand, this is a unique programme, a unique event, and a unique association that has gone on for a long time. So they acknowledge that, and they are going to celebrate, you know, in style I think. 'For sure, we're going to hear the Channel 4 theme tune that so many people are nostalgic about. We're going to drill down into all that history, repeatedly, throughout the three weeks. The Tour de France allows us that. It gives us that time to be reflective and to sort of dredge the seabed of memories that people have.' How will he feel when it's over? 'I find it emotional at the best of times. When we sign off on the show each year, when the sun goes down behind the podium and you get the Arc de Triomphe in the background, I always find that a very emotional moment. Because we're tired, we've been on the race for three weeks, we've made it to Paris, and that's it, we're signing off. Signing off for the final time in three weeks will be a very hard thing to get right.'
BBC News
23 minutes ago
- BBC News
Oasis comeback gig in Cardiff was dream come true for fans
It was rock's most eagerly awaited comeback tour and some of the more than 70,000 fans crammed into Cardiff to see Oasis said they were not Mancunian siblings Noel and Liam Gallager walked on to stage for the first time together since 2009 and the crowd went after the concert, Steve from Hertfordshire, who last saw them perform in 2006, said they had lived up to his expectations - but admitted to having had quite a few beers before the for his favourite part, he said: "The beginning, the middle, and also the end." "All of it was fantastic," he said, adding: "We had a really good time, we've come all the way from Hertfordshire to see them in Wales." Morgan, 20 and from Wales, said: "It made my life, honestly, I could get hit by a car and die, and I'd have a smile on my face."Describing himself as an Oasis fan from birth, with his father encouraging him to get into them, he said: "It was unreal, being in that stadium, I'm still shaking, being here tonight is something else." The band split acrimoniously in 2009 after a backstage altercation following a gig in Paris that began with Liam throwing a plum at his older brother's the intervening years, they engaged in a long war of words in the press, on stage and social repeatedly called Noel a "massive potato" on Twitter and, more seriously, accused him of skipping the One Love concert for victims of the Manchester Arena responded by saying Liam was a "village idiot" who "needs to see a psychiatrist". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
