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Channel 4 inviting Reading applications for second series of Virgin Island

Channel 4 inviting Reading applications for second series of Virgin Island

Yahoo4 hours ago

Channel 4 is looking for people from Reading to take part in the second series of its hit show Virgin Island.
The series follows 12 adult virgins as they travel to a luxury Mediterranean retreat to embark on a unique course in intimacy, to see if it can help them to overcome the fears that are holding them back.
The first series has been streamed nearly nine million times and proved popular with young audiences.
Earlier this month it was confirmed the show had been recommissioned for a second series, and its producers are now looking for people aged 21 or older to take part.
People can view the full eligibility criteria and apply to be on the new series by visiting https://eu.castitreach.com/ag/doubleact/virginisland/welcome.html

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Cyprus' lyrical duelists spit fierce rhymes as they battle it out to the licks of a fiddle
Cyprus' lyrical duelists spit fierce rhymes as they battle it out to the licks of a fiddle

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time23 minutes ago

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Cyprus' lyrical duelists spit fierce rhymes as they battle it out to the licks of a fiddle

LARNACA, Cyprus (AP) — Lyrical duelists in Cyprus spit rhymes in head-to-head contests, keeping alive a tradition known as 'tsiattista' that emerged centuries before the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Konstantinos Christou Grilias and Adamos Peratikos are among a new group of poets in this Mediterranean country who battle it out live on stage to the rhythms of the lute and fiddle. The battles are fierce, but you won't find any Kendrick-Drake style beef. Tsiattista made UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011. The similarities with American hip-hop diss songs and battle rap are many: two duelists using their wits and turns of phrase to boast how superior they are, giving opponents a schooling in an onslaught of lyrical beatdowns. It's complete with assertive gestures and the hands-behind-the-back patience of the poet waiting to pounce. 'Even if you'd been a paramedic, I'd send you to hospital with a heart attack,' Peratikos told one adversary — a line with more snap in the Cypriot Greek dialect, whose syntax is akin to ancient Greek. Grilias dissed his opponent as a lightweight and a laughingstock. The audience of hundreds along a seaside promenade murmured in approval. Tsiattista battles which have been around since at least the end of the 19th century, are undergoing a bit of a revival, thanks to performers like Grilias and Peratikos. 'We urge other kids who like it to come along to safeguard this institution,' said Peratikos, 41. 'The goal isn't about awards, the goal is to keep tradition alive.' The 44-year-old Grilias said he's never really delved into the world of Kendrick Lamar or Jay-Z. 'Honestly, I've never listened to rappers. They told me that they battle in their own language, in their own way,' Grilias said as he prepared for a tsiattista duel at the peak of a festival for the Orthodox Christian Pentecost. 'Rappers don't know where Cyprus is," he added. The new group of performers, known as tsiattistaes, started to replace the older generation about 15 years ago at the premier competition in Larnaca during the annual Pentecost festival known as Kataklysmos, said ethnomusicologist Nicoletta Demetriou, who is director of the island nation's Music Archive. The new generation includes women, though few participate because of lingering social exclusion, Demetriou said. The current tsiattista format of a two-verse rhyme with a total of 15 syllables was developed in the late 18th to early 19th century, evolving from the introduction of the rhyming verse to the Greek-speaking world in the 15th and 16th centuries, Demetriou said. It draws on a tradition of poets matching wits from the times of Pericles in ancient Greece. The structure and musical accompaniment are simple, so that the rhymes are clear and understandable for both the audience and the adversary. Contests can address a range of themes, but the underlying premise is to determine who's the best at the diss. 'It's usually a fight, meaning 'I'd clobber you, kill you, bury you,' Grilias said. 'But I believe the public likes more a bit of humor, too.' For contestants, it's about who shows up ready, can stay cool and make the fewest mistakes in front of a crowd. 'Truth is, you're stressed, you're under pressure," Grilias said, and 'the person who can best handle this has the advantage.' One useful strategy is guessing how to get into your opponent's way of thinking, predicting possible responses to your lines, Peratikos said. He dismissed AI technology as incapable of coming up with effective rhymes in the Cypriot Greek dialect. 'There are words that we've heard but we don't even know, so there's no way artificial intelligence does,' Peratikos said. At the end of a long night of battling, Grilias and Peratikos finished fourth and fifth, respectively. A judging panel composed of men and women determined the winners. The two contestants took their places in stride. 'We're all friends, that's what's important,' Grilias said. Menelaos Hadjicostis, The Associated Press

British Rock Icon Reveals Why He Turned Down ‘Eye-Watering' Sum To Reform His Band
British Rock Icon Reveals Why He Turned Down ‘Eye-Watering' Sum To Reform His Band

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British Rock Icon Reveals Why He Turned Down ‘Eye-Watering' Sum To Reform His Band

British Rock Icon Reveals Why He Turned Down 'Eye-Watering' Sum To Reform His Band originally appeared on Parade. The Smiths are one of the most revered British bands in history—and they will never play together again. Apparently, not even a queen's ransom will convince guitarist Johnny Marr to share the stage with lead singer Morrissey. The group—Marr, Morrissey, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce—formed in the fertile U.K. music scene of the 1980s. With Morrissey's somber, introspective lyrics, The Smiths were often considered contemporaries of British goth bands like The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees; they were also associated with the new wave, indie, post-punk, and New Romantics scenes of the day. With such regard for the band and after seeing Oasis reunite, would Marr put aside his differences with Morrissey and reunite the Smiths? 'We got made an offer recently, but I said no,' Marr said on the Stick to Football podcast. 'It was a little bit about principles, but I'm not an idiot, I just think the vibe's not right.' During their heyday, The Smiths experienced commercial success in the U.K. with albums like Meat Is Murder and The Queen Is Dead, and songs like 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now,' 'This Charming Man' and 'How Soon Is Now?' (which Charmed used as its theme song for eight seasons). However, by 1987, the band had called it quits due to creative differences and business issues. In the subsequent decades, Marr and Morrissey have taken shots at each other, but time (and money) heals all wounds, right? Not exactly. Marr told Stick to Football that the offer was 'an eye-watering amount of money,' but he still turned it down. 'I really like what I'm doing no,w which makes it a lot easier,' he said. 'I like where I'm at. I still want to write the best song I've ever written. I want to be a better performer.' In August 2024, Morrisey claimed that AEG offered him and Marr a 'lucrative' deal to reform with the band's surviving members (Andy Rourke died in 2023). Marr said he turned it down, per Billboard. Morrissey has continued his solo career (along with a history of controversial 'anti-woke' statements). Marr has played with bands like Modest Mouse and The Pretenders. He will play NYC's CBGBs Festival in Rock Icon Reveals Why He Turned Down 'Eye-Watering' Sum To Reform His Band first appeared on Parade on Jun 19, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.

For a fun evening with wine and crisps, York Gin's distillery has it in the bag!
For a fun evening with wine and crisps, York Gin's distillery has it in the bag!

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timean hour ago

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For a fun evening with wine and crisps, York Gin's distillery has it in the bag!

I never really thought of crisps and wine going together, believing it sounded a little vulgar. I recall the 'pop and crisps' of my childhood, which later evolved into a packet of Cheese and Onion often going nicely with a pint. But anyway, the chance to learn that crisps do go with wine, and can be paired appropriately, to boost the taste of both made for an informative and most enjoyable evening. York Gin has partnered with Emma Moore, the Wine Lady, for the novel and fun tasting events at their new distillery at Middletons Hotel, Skeldergate. RECOMMENDED READING: York Gin hosts new tastings at its distillery at Middletons York Gin finalist for Deliciously Yorkshire Taste Award York Gin opens distillery at Middletons in Skeldergate York Gin launches Rutterkin Rum in honour of its emblem First, our palettes were cleansed with York Gin's Emma Godivala giving everyone a sample of their new Rutterkin rum, which was smooth and flavoured with a hint of chocolate and orange, to reflect York's history. The other Emma, the Wine Lady, then came round with glasses of a sparkling wine and told us to open out packet of Walker's Salt and Shake. Emma Moore brings out the Pringles (Image: Darren Greenwood) Emma has been trained in wine, as well as beer, including what to pair with what. Wine on its own is good, so are crisps on their own, but matched well can 'elevate both,' she said. Whilst people have different palettes, you don't want one to overpower the other, she explained. So a pinot grigio won't pair with a strong curry. Now, the sparkler turned out to be cava and the salt in the crisps made the wine taste 'smoother and better,' a view agreed by most of the dozen or so present. This was true for other made in the champagne method, including German Sekt and French crémant. Nigel Bairstow is having bags of fun (Image: Darren Greenwood) Out came the cheese and onion with another white, a French chardonnay. Many wine drinkers don't go for chardonnay, but we found it paired well with cheese and onion crisps. The third wine was an aromatic, that was paired with very spicy sweet chilli and sour cream flavour Kettle chips. However, people felt the spiciness of these chips took away the sweetness of the wine that turned out to be an Italian Gewurztraminer, with many preferring the wine by itself. Aromatic wines, Emma said, can be hard to pair, but they tend go well with Thai and other Asian flavours. Prawn Cocktail Skips came next and we learnt darker roses pair best and all agreed they brought out the best in each other. Wine number five was a light-bodied pinot noir from New Zealand, which went well with vegetable crisps. And on a hot day, a little chilling will also boost its flavour. Finally, out came the Texas BBQ Pringles, which was paired with a full-flavoured, full-bodied Appassimento from Italy. Most saw this pairing as the best of the night, with the full-flavour of the wine able to take on the bbq flavours- the same we were told would be true of Primativo and California Zinfandel. Either way, Emma advised us all to experiment with flavour at home and have fun. We all received tasting notes to take home to guide us. And fun we had certainly had. The evening has changed Jo Hird's way of thinking (Image: Darren Greenwood) Nigel Bairstow, a 'big fan of York gin,' said: 'It was a lovely, superb evening. I am so glad I came. I learnt a lot.' Jo Hird said: 'It was fantastic, a really enjoyable evening', saying Emma helped people see how they could taste the difference. Jo added: 'It (the crisps) completely and utterly changed the way the wine tasted. It was fascinating, an eye-opener. It will change the way I look at wine in the future.' Now, the other Emma, York Gin's Emma Godivala, told the Press: 'I thought the evening was enjoyable, informative, surprising and useful, showing how wines can change. It shows people how to complement and elevate your everyday glass of plonk.' Others present agreed, myself included. Dare I say for a fun and recommended night out, the two Emmas have it in the bag. There will be further evenings with wine and crisps and in several weeks time, an evening pairing crisps with beer. For details and to book, go to:

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