TV tonight: a fun reboot of early 00s reality show Faking It
9pm, BBC OneA heavily pregnant Aisling Bea digs into her roots before bringing a new branch into the world. Tracing her lineage through County Laois to the remote Blasket Islands, she discovers strong women and Irish rebels: from a formidable, widowed farmer expanding her land to a great-grandfather who defied British rule. Ali Catterall
9pm, ITV1A deep dive into the infected blood scandal centred on the Lord Mayor Treloar School and Hospital in Hampshire. Through the 1970s and 80s, hundreds of young haemophiliacs were given Factor VIII, a drug intended to cure their condition but that was, in fact, an effective death sentence. A grim insight into one of the worst disasters in the history of the NHS. PH
9pm, Sky MaxA series of delightful working holidays for Big Zuu and his rapper cousin AJ Tracey, as the pair travel the world sampling some of its most expensive dining experiences. They begin in Korea, enjoying a wagyu-heavy barbecue and cooking for Korean royalty. 'I'm a little bit worried about Zuu's behaviour,' confesses AJ, primly. 'He's very loud.' PH
9pm, Sky ArtsAs a childhood 'misfit', and one of the few Asian girls in her Bradford school, Anita Rani was as inspired by the Brontë sisters as Nirvana and Neneh Cherry. In this passionate film, she visits Brontë country to discover why their stories were so disruptive. Hollie Richardson
9pm, Sky WitnessGive this reboot marks for ingenuity: undercover lawyer Kathy Bates only uses the name 'Matlock' because her wily character is a fan of the old TV show. But as season one wraps up, Mattie's covert opioid investigation has been revealed, upsetting her steely colleague Olympia (Skye P Marshall). Can they still work together? Graeme Virtue
Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg (Alexis Bloom and Svetlana Till, 2023), 10pm, Sky Arts
Interspersed with words taken from her own unpublished memoir and a trove of home movie footage, Alexis Bloom and Svetlana Zill's candid documentary gets as close to the 'bohemian rock chick' Anita Pallenberg as we're probably going to get. She blazed a trail from impoverished Italian aristocracy to feted New York model to lover of three Rolling Stones, retaining her independent spirit through fame, hard drugs and motherhood, mesmerising everyone she met. Simon Wardell
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Australian novel attracts controversy over fictionalised depiction of gay codebreaker Alan Turing
A novel written by a prominent book industry figure in which persecuted gay man Alan Turing has sex with a woman and fathers a child has been criticised online for its portrayal of the codebreaker. The Turing Protocol was released in July and was written by Nick Croydon, the CEO of QBD Books, the largest Australian-owned bookshop chain, where the book is being heavily promoted. Published by Affirm Press, which was bought by Simon & Schuster last year, the novel's cover features the question: 'If you had the power to change history, would you dare?' In the thriller, Turing, the brilliant British wartime mathematician and computer pioneer, builds a time travel machine and has sex with Joan Clarke, with whom he secretly fathers a child. Turing is otherwise depicted as gay and the story includes details of his persecution for his sexuality. In real life, Turing was briefly engaged to Bletchley Park colleague, Clarke, when the pair were employed in vital code-breaking during the war. He was later convicted for 'gross indecency' with another man and died by suicide at the age of 41 after enduring chemical castration. Queen Elizabeth II posthumously pardoned Turing in 2013, four years after prime minister Gordon Brown apologised for his 'appalling' treatment. Croydon told The Australian newspaper he had not pretended Turing was straight, but needed to give him a child for the purpose of his plot. 'I wrote this novel as a tribute to him. I wanted to highlight the genius that he was, but also the injustice that he suffered,' he said. As of Tuesday afternoon, the book had received 115 ratings on Goodreads, with five stars making up 21% and one stars making up 64%. Many of the most positive reviews came from first-time Goodreads reviewers. The negative reviews included anger about what some claimed was the 'erasure' of gay history. 'Anyone who is aware of Alan Turing and his prosecution will be scratching their head in disbelief,' one reader wrote. 'Erasing the whole point of Alan Turing's tragedy is one of the worst things someone can do. Erasing LGBTQ history, erasing a real person's pain? … Turing was not some fictional character to straight-ify,' wrote another. The book is QBD's fiction book of the month and is being actively marketed by the company, including a promotional Channel 7 interview in which Croydon explained that his favourite subjects at school were history and mathematics. Authors who have endorsed the book include historical fiction writer Fiona McIntosh and former QBD fiction book of the month author, Chris Hammer, who compared the book to Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. Prize-winning author Trent Dalton described the book as 'wildly imaginative' and urged people to 'read the Turing Protocol now', while Candice Fox said it was 'vivid'. Commenting on gay erasure broadly, Equality Australia legal director, Heather Corkhill, told Guardian Australia that 'erasing or marginalising LGBTIQ+ people and characters from historical and cultural narratives to fit a more heteronormative or 'traditional' worldview is not a new phenomenon – but it risks erasing our shared history and diminishing our understanding of the LGBTQ+ experience'. 'At no time did I say Turing wasn't gay,' Croydon said, according to the Australian. 'The book makes it very plain that he is gay. It talks about how he had to hide the fact that he was gay, and in the historical note page at the back of the book I again acknowledge the travesty of the treatment he received.' In a statement released last week, QBD said throughout the novel, Turing's 'identity as a gay man is neither erased, questioned nor diminished'. 'Speculative historical fiction often examines phenomena like lavender marriages – arrangements where LGBTQ+ individuals married opposite-sex partners due to societal pressures, ensuring protection and companionship – which were common during Turing's era and beyond. 'Regarding reviews, it's not unusual for friends, family, colleagues and peers to provide reviews of an author's work. QBD Books staff are a team of avid readers across the country who engage with literature passionately, some of whom have shared their genuine views on the book – both complimentary and critical. 'QBD Books' Book of the Month program follows a rigorous selection process that highlights debut or new authors who have written standout works. Each month submissions are received from publishers, and new releases are reviewed by our team of expert buyers, after which we select four titles for the whole calendar month to spotlight.' QBD, Simon and Schuster and Croydon have been contacted for comment.
Press and Journal
3 hours ago
- Press and Journal
Legends Tour at Trump: The best images from the celebrity pro-am as Andriy Shevchenko, Judy Murray and Brian McFadden hit the links
From footballing royalty to Olympians and reality TV stars, the celebrities were out in force at Trump International Links. A day after US President Donald Trump had opened the new course at the Aberdeenshire venue, it was the turn of some more familiar faces to tee it up at the Cardhu Celebrity Pro-Am. The pro-am is the appetiser before the Legends Tour's flagship tournament – the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship gets under way on Thursday morning – but has become a popular event in its own right among golf fans in the north-east. Irish pop singer Brian McFadden, who rose to fame with Westlife, described the Trump International Links course as 'a real jewel'. He said: 'This is my third or fourth time here. I have great memories as I won here three years ago to qualify for the Legends Tour's grand final in Mauritius. 'In my opinion, this is one of the best golf courses in the world. 'For a links golf course to have that kind of condition on the greens and the fairways is just phenomenal. 'The Scottish people always make us feel so welcome and spoil us rotten. 'It is a really tough field as a lot of the celebrities are very good. 'Robbie Fowler is the most consistent. You never see him far from the top of the leaderboard. 'Keith Duffy is always up there, Teddy Sheringham is a very good golfer and Andriy Shevchenko is incredible. 'It is a tough field – I know when I tee off I won't be winning.' Legendary British athlete Kriss Akabusi was also loving being back in Aberdeenshire for the Legends Tour event. The celebrities were all playing for a nominated charity, with £10,000 going to the winner, £7,500 for second place and £2,500 for third. Akabusi said: 'I always love coming here. It's not the easiest course to play but it is always beautiful. 'I really like the layout of the 12th hole, it's definitely one of my favourites on the course. 'It's important to enjoy yourself and not try to be something that you're not. 'It's great to play the course alongside someone like my playing partner Rich Beem (winner of the 2002 US PGA Championship who now works as an analyst for Sky Sports). 'I told him I had listened to him talk about golf so many times on the TV so it's great to say I have now played a round alongside him.' Former Liverpool and Republic of Ireland defender Jason McAteer says playing golf has helped him adjust to life after football. McAteer, who plays off a very impressive handicap of 1.5, said: 'I came up on Monday with Robbie Fowler and we played Murcar on Tuesday, which was a stunning place. 'I really enjoy my golf. 'When you finish playing football there is a massive void in your life. 'You still have that competitive edge. You want to get better at something and have that discipline. 'Golf is perfect for that. I live on a golf course in Cheshire. That was the compromise with my missus when we moved house. 'I get to go out and play golf most evenings. I like the social side of it. It keeps my mind right.' Teddy Sheringham, a Champions League winner with Manchester United, has also turned to golf and plays off four. He said: 'This is my second time here and I absolutely love it. 'It is stunning and great to play with players such as my pro-am partner Paul McGinley. 'I played Royal Aberdeen a couple of years ago. You have a great word for the fog up here – the haar – and unfortunately that came in and we only got to play about 12 holes but I really liked that course. 'My own golf is up and down but I'm playing a lot. I just spent a couple of days at Loch Lomond, which was stunning. 'It doesn't get much better than playing golf on courses like this.' Former Hibernian manager Alan Stubbs pipped Ukraine legend Andriy Shevchenko to victory in the celebrity pro-am on countback with a winning score of 38 stableford points. The first round of the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship starts at 7.30am with Englishman David Salisbury getting play under way. Host Colin Montgomerie and his playing partner and fellow European Ryder Cup legend Paul McGinley tee off at 8.25am. Aberdeen's Paul Lawrie, the 1999 Open champion, tees off at 1.36pm alongside Englishman Anthony Wall.
Powys County Times
4 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Last batch of rare final Queen Elizabeth II £1 coins entering circulation
The final batch of Queen Elizabeth II £1 coins are entering circulation across the UK, the Royal Mint has announced. More than 23 million Queen coins are being released alongside 7.5 million new King Charles III £1 coins. The Royal Mint said the last of the Elizabeth II coins, dated 2022, are the rarest £1 coins in active circulation. The historic transition – with the dual release of almost 31 million coins – represents a significant moment for UK coinage, as the nation witnesses the changeover from Britain's longest-reigning monarch to her son and heir on the £1 denomination, the Royal Mint said. The Queen's £1 coins will be the final ones bearing Elizabeth II's portrait to enter circulation. Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint, said: 'This release represents a pivotal moment in British coinage history. 'As we release more of the King Charles III £1 coins into circulation alongside the final coins of Queen Elizabeth II, we're witnessing the physical representation of our monarchy's transition. 'This dual release creates an exceptional opportunity for both seasoned numismatists and those new to coin collecting.' The Royal Mint is encouraging the public to check its change over the coming weeks, as the new coins begin to appear in pockets and tills across the nation. Ms Morgan added: 'Finding these new coins in your change could spark a rewarding hobby that connects you with the heritage, history and craftsmanship behind British currency.' Since the introduction of the King's effigy on UK coinage in 2023, the 50p and £1 are the only denominations with Charles's portrait to have entered circulation so far. The King's £1 coins feature an intricate bee design on the reverse and are part of the Definitive collection, inspired by the flora and fauna of the British Isles. Some 2.975 million £1s with the King's effigy were released in August last year. In total, there are around 24.7 billion coins in circulation across the UK, with the King's coins representing only around 0.004% of those, making his new coins highly desirable to collectors. All UK coins bearing the Queen's portrait will remain legal tender and in active circulation to allow a smooth transition and minimise the environmental impact and cost.
