Dave Rudden talks to Rick O'Shea: ‘Every page in Manchán Magan's book has a gem that reframes how you see the Irish language'
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The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Real reason why this year's Strictly line-up is so weak and could spell the END of show as ratings plummet
THE annual Strictly line-up unveiling usually means bookies pinpoint their favourite contenders, rank outsiders and some potential dark horses. But this year, in a move likely to rock BBC bosses, betting giants are offering odds on this being the show's final outing. 15 Dani Dyer, 29, reality star daughter of Danny Credit: Getty 15 Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, 36, Nitro on Gladiators Credit: Getty 15 Alex Kingston, 62, actress from ER and Doctor Who Credit: Getty Within an hour of the 15 celebrities being confirmed yesterday, Ladbrokes said there was an 8/1 chance the competition would NOT be back. It cited the 'underwhelming' line-up, and falling viewing figures for the bleak prediction. The final three names — former Lioness Karen Carney, Game of Thrones actor Kristian Nairn and showbiz reporter Ross King — clearly didn't impress. But other worrying trends in the line-up emerged too. For a second year running just six women have signed up, compared to nine men. Previously the split had been roughly 50/50 between the sexes. Negativity still lingers Last year the phenomenon was attributed to the Giovanni Pernice scandal, with some fearing it had put off women from joining. The Italian prof had been accused of bullying behaviour towards Amanda Abbington on the 2023 show. Amid that investigation it emerged fellow professional dancer Graziano di Prima had kicked his 2023 Strictly dance partner Zara McDermott, and he was fired last July. No doubt the Beeb hoped those dark clouds had dispersed, not least because blind comic Chris McCausland's 2024 triumph helped bathe the show in a positive light. But this year's lack of participants from big TV programmes suggest negativity still lingers. Kristian Nairn and Karen Carney has been confirmed for Strictly Conspicuous by their absence are any non-BBC soap stars. In previous years there has been a peppering from Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Hollyoaks. Similarly other shows that normally offer up their big talents — BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, This Morning, Loose Women — have kept their distance ahead of the 23rd series starting next month. Pop stars, fashion icons and politicians have also steered clear. A TV insider said: 'There's an air of caution among big stars and big shows, who all seem to be biding their time to see if there's still a whiff of the scandal that tainted the show last year. 15 Chris Robshaw, 39, ex-England rugby union captain Credit: Getty 15 George Clarke, 25, YouTuber and podcast host Credit: Instagram 15 Balvinder Sopal, 46, EastEnders matriarch Suki Panesar Credit: Getty 'That's been borne out in some of the payments made to stars this year, even those who you wouldn't consider to be A-listers. 'Rumours are that savvy agents have bumped up their fees knowing the talent pool has shrunk. 'There are even whispers that big stars were toying with taking part, then decided against it after careful consideration. They haven't condemned the show to history quite yet, they've just adopted a 'wait and see' approach TV insider 'The fear seems to be that the Giovanni saga, combined with the Gregg Wallace affair on MasterChef and the Huw Edwards debacle, have left Auntie Beeb looking more like a weird uncle. 'They haven't condemned the show to history quite yet, they've just adopted a 'wait and see' approach.' Strictly previously landed huge stars and popular household names, particularly in the early years — from fashion icons Jodie Kidd and Jerry Hall to Spice Girl Emma Bunton and Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh. Politicians including Ann Widdecombe, Ed Balls and even former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith have all donned their dancing shoes. Other belters who have taken part are Kym Marsh, Jason Donovan, Susanna Reid, Gillian Taylforth, Denise van Outen and Holly Valance. 15 Stefan Dennis, 66, who played Paul Robinson in Neighbours Credit: Getty 15 Ellie Goldstein, 23, who is a model and influencer Credit: Bav Media 15 Thomas Skinner, 34, The Apprentice candidate and businessman Credit: BBC This year there is just one soap star, EastEnders' Balvinder Sopal. As with Gladiators' Nitro, both were selected from Beeb programmes — making them safe bets for the broadcaster. The rest are made up of reality TV stars Vicky Pattison and Dani Dyer, three sports figures — Karen, Chris Robshaw and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Then there's George Clarke, who is virtually unknown outside of YouTube, and drag artist La Voix. The only other actress is ER and Doctor Who star Alex Kingston. And Thursday's reveal of former Apprentice candidate Thomas Skinner — known for his outspoken political views on social media — caused instant controversy. The show faces a particularly tough challenge to win over audiences this year too, with viewing figures on the wane. 15 Reality star Vicky Pattison, 37 Credit: Getty 15 Ross King, 63, showbiz reporter on Lorraine and Good Morning Britain Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 15 Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, 53, football manager and former player Credit: Getty In 2021, Strictly's first episode had 9.1million views, and its second had 10.6million. By last year that had fallen to 7.4million and 9.3million respectively. That's an average fall of 1.5million views over three years — or 500,000 annually. Few other shows could justify continuing at that rate of decline. 'Odds against them' Adding further to its woes is the fact BBC stablemate Celebrity Traitors is expected to air this autumn, which could not only confuse viewers but make Strictly pale by comparison. Both are hosted by Claudia Winkleman and feature a large group of famous faces competing with each other before someone is voted out. But Celebrity Traitors boasts an A-list line-up including Stephen Fry, Alan Carr, Tom Daley, Jonathan Ross and Clare Balding. 15 La Voix Aryeetey, 33, drag Queen as seen on BGT and Ru Paul's Drag Race 15 Kristian Nairn, 45, actor, best known for Game Of Thrones Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 15 Karen Carney, 38, sports journalist and ex-football player Credit: Shutterstock Editorial It's better, some would say, than the new selection of Strictly stars. If the two series air during the same weeks, viewers might feel forced to choose just one — and the hugely popular newcomer's first star-studded outing is more likely to triumph. Then there are inevitable comparisons with other celebrity-based shows, such as Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity, both on ITV. This year Big Brother had Hollywood's Mickey Rourke topping the bill. While over the past four years A-listers including Coleen Rooney, Nigel Farage, Matt Hancock, Boy George and David Ginola have competed in the jungle smash. It seems the days when the appeal of the show alone could bring in huge stars may have passed. TV insider An insider said: 'Of course the BBC can't be seen to splash cash on huge names in the same way that commercial channels and streamers are able to. 'The irony is that this year they haven't splurged on big names, but in some cases they ended up paying over the odds for talent anyway. 'It seems the days when the appeal of the show alone could bring in huge stars may have passed. Now bosses will be praying they can one day bring them back. 'But the odds are, literally, against them.' A BBC spokesperson said: 'We don't recognise this anonymous source's claims. We're delighted with our Class of 2025.'
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Historic UK bridge COLLAPSES after being smashed into by train sparking delays throughout weekend
There will now be a reduced service running this weekend TRAIN CRASH Historic UK bridge COLLAPSES after being smashed into by train sparking delays throughout weekend A HISTORIC UK bridge has collapsed after an engineering train smashed into it. The train crashed into the Grade II listed bridge at Lydney, in the Forest of Dean, just before 11am yesterday. 2 The Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire is a former royal forest Credit: Alamy Dean Forest Railway, which runs steam trains and heritage diesel services on the line, confirmed in a statement that no one was harmed by the incident. Advertisement But pictures taken of the bridge show it completely collapsed across the rail line. The area nearby was also cordoned off around the badly damaged bridge at St Mary's Halt. Dean Forest Railway has told passengers there will be a reduced service running this weekend between Norchard and Parkend. The 133-year-old Victorian lattice iron bridge at St Mary's Halt in Lydney, Gloucestershire, was only restored in 2019. Advertisement It is said to be the last surviving piece of infrastructure from the historic Severn and Wye Railway. Staff and volunteers are now working with the Office of Rail and Road and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch. Further updates will be released, said the railway. The Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire is a former royal forest, dating back to before the Norman Conquest in 1066. Advertisement However, it's more recently become known as a popular tourist hotspot, especially for movie buffs looking to find some of their favourite filming locations. Among them is Puzzlewood, a part of the forest known for its twisted trees, rickety bridges and more than a mile of winding pathways. It was used as a location for the filming of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The forest's film career also includes starring roles in Doctor Who, Merlin and The Huntsman among others. 2 At around 10.55am a train crashed into the Grade II listed bridge at St Mary's Halt Credit: Lydney Community Group/Facebook
The Irish Sun
14-08-2025
- The Irish Sun
Who is Alex Kingston's husband, Jonathan Stamp?
Her husband has won several Emmy awards for his work Doctor Who star, Alex Kingston, got married to Jonathan Stamp back in 2015 in Rome. She is joining the Strictly Come Dancing class of 2025, but what do we know about her spouse? 2 Alex Kingston is swapping the Tardis time machine for the Tango. Credit: Getty Who is Alex Kingston's husband Jonathan Stamp? Jonathan travelled the Mediterranean under a UNESCO International Arts Scholarship after he completed his master's degree in classical studies at Oxford University, where he received a first-class honours. Advertisement He originally started as a journalist at The Economist and began a career in TV as a documentary maker, his speciality was history subjects. The journalist started with Channel 4 and then with the BBC, where he made 20 documentaries and even won three Emmys for his work. In 2000, he was appointed the Director of Development in the BBC's History Department. In 2002, he was appointed the BBC's Head of Archaeology. Advertisement Two years later, he left the Beeb to become a historical consultant and co-producer on Rome, a drama set in the last days of the ancient Roman Republic. He was a historical consultant for TV projects with HBO, Showtime and Amazon, feature films with Sony and MGM Studios and console games with Ubisoft. Since his work as a historical consultant, he has continued to work in TV and film, primarily as a graphic designer and art director. More recently, he has written his own material for future TV projects. Advertisement This includes Ellis a period drama based on Ellis Island in 1902, and District IV, a cop show set in Caligula's Rome. He has also completed his first feature script, Lords of Florence, inspired by a true story about a painting competition between Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci. Do Alex Kingston and Jonathan Stamp have children together? The couple do not have a child together; however, Alex Kingston has a daughter called Salome Violetta Haertel with her ex-husband, Ralph Fiennes, a fellow actor who has appeared in films like the James Bond franchise. 2 Alex Kingston with her daughter, Salome Violetta Haertel ahead of her starting strictly. What has Jonathan's wife Alex said about her Strictly announcement? Speaking about if she had any "signature moves" to the show's hosts, Alex teased: "My hips don't lie."
