Power Rangers Kimberley star - from Netflix snub to comics return
Those who spent their childhood in the '90s will undoubtedly recall the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, with their vibrant costumes and thrilling showdowns against the likes of Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd. Amy Jo Johnson, who debuted as the original Pink Ranger Kimberly Hart in 1993, graced the screen in 138 episodes and three movies until her exit in 1995.
Reflecting on her first encounter with the iconic pink spandex to Entertainment Tonight last year, she said: "I think at the time it was like, 'Oh my God! I'm gonna be wearing pink spandex on national television. What have I gotten myself into?'," Bleeding Cool reported. Her character eventually left the show after passing on her powers to the new pink ranger, Katherine Hillard, though Amy did make a few special returns.
Nowadays, Amy's life might not involve morphin' battles, but it's certainly full of action. She's made her mark on TV series such as ER, Felicity, and Flashpoint, and has ventured into directing with short films like Bent in 2013 and Lines in 2014.
Her directorial debut for a feature film came with The Space Between in 2016, followed by the dark comedy Tammy's Always Dying in 2019. On top of her acting and directing pursuits, she's also a singer-songwriter, having released an EP titled Still Here just last year.
In a nostalgic nod to the past, Netflix dropped a special Power Rangers reunion episode in 2023, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once and Always, bringing back fan-favourite characters from the franchise's three-decade legacy. However, Amy was noticeably absent from the line-up, reports the Mirror US.
Despite rumours suggesting she declined the offer due to financial disagreements, she insisted this wasn't true. On X, formerly Twitter, she said: "Please stop saying I didn't do reunion because of money Simply not true. Maybe I just didn't want to wear spandex in my 50s...or couldn't go to NZ for a month. Or none of ur beeswax."
She also mentioned that both she and the late Jason David Frank, known for his role as the White Ranger, who died in November 2022, chose not to participate "for our own reasons". Earlier in the year, she had already tackled similar speculation, stating: "For the record I never said no... I just didn't say yes to what was offered. But other fun stuff is in-store!".
Despite stepping away from the on-screen action, Amy did make a comeback to the Power Rangers universe later in the year, albeit through a different medium. She penned a four-part comic book series called Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return, which she described as a "heartfelt love letter" to the dedicated fanbase. She continues to engage with enthusiasts at conventions, sharing experiences from her days donning the iconic pink suit.
Reflecting on her impact as a childhood hero to many, she expressed a newfound appreciation, saying: "I didn't understand what Kimberly represented until more recently." She added: "Kimberly wasn't Amy Jo, but it's really cool to have played a character that inspired so many girls in that way. It's probably one of the biggest blessings in my life."
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Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Strictly Come Dancing 2025 stars' chances of lifting the Glitterball trophy
it's one thing to sign up for the BBC ballroom show, but another to shine on the dancefloor - and some of the 15 contestants have distinct advantages The 15 Strictly Come Dancing contestants who've signed up for the 23rd series have now been unveiled and they include the show's first celebrity with Down Syndrome, a drag artist dancing in character and a former Apprentice contestant who's said to be eyeing up the role of London Mayor. As they started rehearsals for the first time yesterday, there's arguably someone for everyone, with Home & Away's Stefan Dennis, Good Morning Britain 's Ross King and ER actress Alex Kingston flying the flag for older viewers - all are in their 60s - while YouTuber George Clarke, 25, is included for the Tik Tok generation, along with model Ellie Goldstein, who is this year's youngest contestant at 23. But the big question is - will they be any good at dancing? Here, we rate their chances of getting to that glitterball. Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, athlete turned Gladiator, 36 We know that Harry, aka Nitro from Gladiators, can move - because we saw him strut his stuff in the Christmas special alongside Nancy Xu. He must fancy his chances if he's back so soon. 'It was so nice I had to do it twice,' he declared. 'I'll be bringing tons of energy to light up the dance floor.' Dani Dyer, reality TV star, 29 The Love Island winner wrote in her 2019 autobiography that she would put 'qualified dancer' on her CV. In the book, which came out six years ago, she said she went to stage school at weekends for 12 years, from the age of two. 'I'm not a bad singer but it was the dance stuff I loved more - jazz, tap, ballet, modern. I'd get home and prance around the house.' The bookies have got Dani as joint fave to win. Alex Kingston, ER and Doctor Who actress, 62 Alex is so unsure of her skills she muttered just one word - 'Aaaaaaargh!'- in her official announcement interview. But like most actors, she'll have a bit of dance training in her armoury, for sure. And Alex was inspired to sign up by her pal Sarah Hadland, one of last year's finalists - which is another clue she'll be good. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, 53, former footballer Soccer stars tend to fare pretty badly on Strictly, but perhaps Jimmy will be different? He admits he signed up to impress his daughters who are huge fans of the show, and doesn't have any prior dance experience: 'Swapping the pitch for the ballroom is certainly not something I've done before,' he sighs. Don't worry Jimmy, at least your fitness will help. Balvinder Sopal, EastEnders actress, 46 She's well-loved as Albert Square's Suki Panesar and says she's so excited to take part she can hardly believe her luck. But then, she won't have as the same nerves as the others because she's got form. 'I dabbled a little bit,' she confessed. 'I did ballroom and Latin as a kind of hobby, and I really love it. So I'll definitely enjoy it.' Yup, she's certainly one to watch. George Clarke, You Tuber, 25 It doesn't sound like George 'Clarkey' Clarke is much of a jazz-hands, stage school kinda guy. 'I've got no idea what I'm doing,' he admitted. 'But I'm excited to get stuck in - and potentially fall over a fair bit.' The podcaster and social media star, whose father Sean is boss of Bristol-based Wallace and Gromit company Aardman Animations, is known for his comedic take on life so even if he can't dance - he should be funny. La Voix, drag queen played by Chris Dennis, 45 While La Voix is accomplished at singing and telling jokes, it remains to be seen how well she moves as she becomes the first drag performer to take part in the main show. She has a lot to live up to after her Drag Race UK pal Tayce won last year's Christmas special alongside professional Kai Widdrington. BGT star Chris Dennis will perform as his female alter ego - with a male parter - but also said he's excited for viewers to go beyond the stage persona and meet the real him. Chris Robshaw, former rugby union player, 39 He's captained the national team 43 times and even led them to a Six Nations Grand Slam victory in 2016 - but that doesn't mean his rugby sidestep works in a Cha Cha Cha. Chris is the ninth rugby ace to join Strictly - and not one has ever won. 'This is about as far out of my comfort zone as it gets,' he confessed. 'I'm hoping to take my dad dancing to a whole new level.' Good luck with that. Ellie Goldstein, model with Down syndrome, 23 Having famously made it to the cover of Vogue and also launched a Barbie doll with Down syndrome and appeared on CBBC's Malory Towers - so Ellie is flying high. She doesn't mind admitting that she wants Nikita Kuzmin as her pro partner because 'he's hot and fit'. The bookies currently have her and Dani tying as favourites to lift the glitterball and, with her fun-loving outlook, she really could go all the way. Thomas Skinner, reality TV star, 34 Essex pillow salesman Thomas Skinner claims he only ever throws shapes at weddings. Having found fame on The Apprentice in 2019, he's drawn a social media following after endlessly praising Donald Trump and having recently buddied up with JD Vance. He doesn't like Labour or anything 'woke' - which might not go down well. Bosh! Vicky Pattison, reality TV star, 37 The Geordie Shore regular became Queen of The Jungle when she took part in I'm a Celebrity a few years back, so she is popular with the voting public. After blundering with her Deepfake Sex Tape documentary earlier this year, Vicky might have her work cut out to do better than big pal Pete Wicks, who got all the way to the final last year. Haway (as they say in Newcastle). Stefan Dennis, Home & Away star, 66 We all know him as Paul Robinson in Neighbours, but Stefan has West End experience after appearing in musical Blood Brothers so I wouldn't be surprised if he's a bit of a dancer. He claims he's 'stepping out of my comfort zone' but I bet it feels a bit like coming home, really. Let's see if he can beat his screen brother Jason Donovan, who made it all the way to the final. Ross King, Good Morning Britain's LA correspondent, 63 It is the law that someone off breakfast telly has to do Strictly, and this year it's the turn of US-based Ross. He says his aim is to 'try not to step on too many toes'. Hmmm. 'As my mum always said: 'You'll never know till you give it a go!'' I think we do know Ross… Karen Carney, 38, retired Arsenal/England footballer England's third most capped player retired from from football six years ago but is likely to still have great fitness. Karen, whose family didn't know she'd signed until it was announced yesterday, says she's better at dancing than Jill Scott - but claims that doesn't count for much because Jill is terrible. Karen said: 'I've got little bit of rhythm and I did a bit of dancing as a kid.' Could be a dark horse. Kristian Nairn, Game of Thrones star and DJ, 49 At 6 foot 9inches tall, it's going to be hard to miss Kristian on the dance floor. The actor, who played Hodor, said he agreed to take part because of his DJ-ing roots. 'I love dance, music and movement - I saw it as a chance to get back into that,' he explained. Kristian admits to feeling 'stressed to the max'over whether he can do anything more than the classic DJ behind-the-deck shuffle. And who does he fancy as a partner? 'Someone tall,' he laughs.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish 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.'
Metro
a day ago
- Metro
Home Alone director reveals why a reboot would be a huge ‘mistake'
Chris Columbus has shed light on why Home Alone 'should be left alone' and not rebooted. The iconic Christmas film was released in 1990 and catapulted Macaulay Culkin to superstardom as youngster Kevin McCallister, who is left to fend for himself when his family accidentally go on holiday without him. His quick-thinking saves the day when he's forced to go up against bumbling burglars Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), who learn the hard way not to mess with kids during the holidays. The movie was a huge success and went on to spawn an equally epic sequel the following year – with Disney dropping a fresh take on the classic in 2021. However, when questioned on whether he would want to see any further remakes, director Chris insisted that it would be a 'mistake' to go back. Appearing at the premiere for his new Netflix movie, The Thursday Murder Club, he told Entertainment Tonight: 'I think Home Alone really exists not as this timepiece, but it was very special moment. You can't really recapture that. 'I think it's a mistake to try to go back and recapture something we did 35 years ago. I think it should be left alone.' Sharing his surprise that the movie is so beloved more than three decades on, he added: 'When we were making Home Alone, we wanted people to still enjoy the movie 20 years down the road, but we had no concept that it would still be this locomotive that keeps keeps going after all these years. 'It's a very nostalgic experience for a lot of people, it's great.' The franchise was remade in 2021 with Archie Yates playing youngster Max, who – like Kevin – was accidentally left behind when his family swanned off to Japan. He was having the time of his life with his new-found freedom until a couple set their sights on his home, hoping to retrieve a priceless heirloom. Home Sweet Home Alone didn't quite capture the magic of the original film, and was brutally panned by both fans and professionals. More Trending It currently commands a 13% Rotten Tomatoes score from the audience, compared to a slightly higher critics mark of 15%. 'A disgrace to Home Alone,' viewer BlueTop B fumed, as Amilia P agreed: 'One of the worst movies I've ever seen.' 'It really is very remarkably bad,' Tim L complained. As Logan D added: 'If I could give it zero stars I would, just watch the original.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: The most iconic Fast and Furious villain is still 'waiting for a call' to appear in sequel MORE: The first 'feel-good' body horror left me thinking about its extreme scenes for days MORE: I don't think Materialists is a rom-com – it's something new entirely
