
Jaw-dropping TV documentary series on romance frauds and cheats back for a second series
ROM CON Jaw-dropping TV documentary series on romance frauds and cheats back for a second series
CHANNEL 4 is playing dirty once again by lining up a fresh batch of adulterous scandals for viewers to shake their heads disapprovingly at.
I can reveal bosses have commissioned a second instalment of docu- series Love Cheats following its debut run last autumn.
Advertisement
8
Fake aristocrat Lord Bertie Underwood — real name Robert Madejski — was jailed for fraud offences
Credit: facebook
8
Megan Clarke was scammed by Madejski leaving her £30,000 in debt
Credit: Channel 4
And the broadcaster is on the hunt for more real-life victims of relationship scams and lying partners.
The original run hit the headlines courtesy of a fake aristocrat called Lord Bertie Underwood — real name Robert Madejski — who set the scumbag bar spectacularly high.
He scammed his unsuspecting loving fiancee Megan Clarke by secretly taking out credit in her name, leaving her £30,000 in debt — while he was also sleeping with men on the side.
He was later jailed for fraud offences involving another victim.
Advertisement
A TV insider said: 'The first series made such a big impact Channel 4 chiefs couldn't wait to green light a follow-up.'
Research teams are collating more extreme cases to feature and cast their net far and wide.
The source added: 'It's shocking so many people's lives have been destroyed by these con artists but there is some consolation that the culprits' actions can be outed in such public fashion.'
Other big storylines from series one included a man falling in love with a mum of one who faked having cancer to con him out of almost £10,000, plus twin sisters who were defrauded by a scammer posing as a firefighter.
Advertisement
Plus, across the pond, a comic-loving man fell for the charms of an equally geeky girl with Multiple Sclerosis.
He paid for her medical care, as well as rent, before digging deeper into his pockets to fund the 'life-changing treatment' she desperately needed.
I was scammed by fake 'lord' who left me £30K in debt
In all, he paid out £80,000 of money he didn't have.
And when he realised his dream girlfriend was a scammer, she falsely accused him of domestic abuse, fled to Japan, and targeted more victims.
Advertisement
Not a very likeable bunch . . .
A GRAVE ERROR ON TRAITORS
STEPHEN FRY and Alan Carr are staying tight-lipped about their time on Celebrity Traitors – and the rumour mill has started filling in the gaps.
Stephen joined the Chatty Man on his Life's A Beach podcast – and the topic turned to the BBC1 show, which was filmed in Scoland and will air this autumn.
8
Stephen Fry is staying tight-lipped about his time on Celebrity Traitors
Credit: Alamy
Advertisement
Alan said: 'We holidayed recently near Inverness in a castle. But we can't say anything.'
Stephen replied: 'Not a word.'
Alan continued: 'Nothing. And there's already clickbaity things happening. Apparently there's a funeral. There's no bloody funeral.
'We are obviously talking about Celebrity Traitors, which was a wonderful experience. I had to mention it but our lives wouldn't be worth living if we start giving out spoilers.'
Advertisement
Ok, we get it . . .
PERFECT MATCH, ENGLAND
IT'S a line up of look-a-likes almost as impressive as the team they're impersonating.
The cast of Dear England, the BBC adaptation of the West end play about Gareth Southgate's career, came together to start filming last week.
8
Joseph Fiennes as Gareth Southgate in Dear England
Credit: CLICK NEWS - SPLASH
Advertisement
8
Michael Watson as Kieran Trippier in the BBC adaptation
Credit: Click News and Media
8
Francis Lovehall as Raheem Sterling
Credit: Click News and Media
8
Edem-Ita Duke as Marcus Rashford
Credit: Click News and Media
And it was incredible just how much like the England players who feature in the show, which was using posh public school Harrow to double up as the squad's Stafordshire training ground.
Advertisement
Former Shakespeare in Love star Joseph Fiennes was arguably the most uncanny doppelganger as the manager Gareth.
But the rest of the 'players' were just as convincing - right down to some of the ball skills they were showing off too.
We can all witness for ourselves when it airs next year on BBC One.
CHANNEL 5 has unveiled a raft of new dramas.
Advertisement
They include Imposter, starring ex Corrie actress Kym Marsh and Neighbours' Jackie Woodburne.
While detective mystery Cooper and Fry, from Stephen Booth's novels, features Downton Abbey's Robert James-Collier.
FANS ARE BROWN'S BUOYS
MRS Brown's Boys star Brendan O'Carroll says the comedy would be nothing without its studio audience.
The Irishman says having a live reaction to the gags brings something extra special in an age where hardly any sitcoms are filmed in front of fans.
Advertisement
8
Brendan O'Carroll says Mrs Browns Boys would be nothing without its studio audience
Credit: BBC
Brendan, who also co-writes the hit series, will be back as matriarch Agnes Brown as the show returns to BBC One for a new four-part mini series, on August 1.
Agreeing with Lee Mack, who writes and stars in fellow BBC hit Not Going Out, Brendan said: 'Filming in front of a live audience is essential to the show.
'So many times, at the end of rehearsals, our director, Ben Kellett will say, 'All this needs now is the audience' and he is so right.
Advertisement
'They follow every move, every line and add so much to our performances. We would be lost without them.'
Sadly, it's a dying art.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Sunrise reporter reveals heartbreaking family tragedy during interview with actress Selma Blair: 'I was fifteen'
A Sunrise reporter has opened up about the heartbreaking tragedy that saw her lose her mother. Mylee Hogan sat down with Selma Blair on the breakfast show to discuss the actress' battle with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) on Monday. Legally Blonde's Selma spoke about the harsh side effects of the illness, such as fatigue and joint pain, as well as the difficulty of juggling the disease with being a single mum to her son Arthur. During the conversation, the Aussie reporter revealed her own personal struggle with the debilitating condition. 'Well, I feel like I wouldn't be honest if I didn't share this, but I lost my own mother to Multiple Sclerosis, so I feel like I have an understanding...' Mylee admitted. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Selma, taken aback, offered her condolences to Mylee in a heartfelt moment. 'I'm so sorry. So you understand the fatigue and mother in bed... Was that so hard for you. Were you so young?' she asked the journalist. 'I was fifteen when she passed away,' she revealed, adding that she understood how hard it was for Selma's son to watch his mum suffer. In April, Selma gave an incredible update on her years-long battle with MS after hitting numerous red carpets with the help of a cane or service dog. The Cruel Intentions star attended The Daily Front Row's 9th Annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards where she revealed she is now 'truly in remission'. 'I am doing amazingly well. I've been feeling great for about a year,' she told People at the event held at the Beverly Hills Hotel. 'But I am finally well enough to really, genuinely... I always try and feel my best, but now that I actually have stamina and energy and getting out and going out isn't so scary.' Selma was asked what she's looking forward to now that she has her health back and she said she hasn't had any dreams since her diagnosis. In April, Selma gave an incredible update on her years-long battle with Multiple Sclerosis after hitting numerous red carpets with the help of a cane or service dog 'I think maybe since the diagnosis,' she explained when asked what she meant. 'You're just tired all the time. I spent so much of my life so tired from being unwell that I think I just was trying to get through the day.' Blair continued: 'And now it's like, wait, I realise I don't know what my goals are.' She went on to say that her thoughts are 'much more career-oriented' these days and said she'd love to get back into acting and that is something she is actively working on. Blair announced that she had officially been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in an Instagram post that was shared in August of 2018, revealing she 'hurts all the time' because of her illness. Multiple sclerosis is a condition in which the immune system attacks the body and causes nerve damage to the brain and spinal cord. It is an incurable, lifelong condition.


Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Simon Cowell's pal Lucy Spraggan reveals he also considered signing up for SAS: Who Dares Wins but she had to warn him off tough series due to health concerns
Simon Cowell 's close pal Lucy Spraggan says the music mogul considered signing up for Channel 4 's SAS: Who Dares Wins - but she told him he has 'no chance'. The former X Factor frontman may live a life of luxury, but it seems he wanted to show just how tough he is. Simon, 65, was pleased to hear that Lucy had been in talks for the series, where it puts celebs through their paces as they take on different intense challenges. Lucy - who has grown close to Simon since starring on The X Factor in 2012 - said how the entertainment mogul thought it would be a 'great idea' for her to do the show as she loves being outdoors and they often enjoy shooting air rifles together. And he was so thrilled for her that he reportedly said he'll 'maybe try and have a go at it'. Lucy told The Sun: 'I was like, "You would literally die!" It was funny because it really contextualised how hard it was that I just straight away said to him, "You would have no chance".' The new series of SAS: Who Dares Wins, which begins next Sunday at 9pm, sees Simon give Lucy a pep talk, but it doesn't end well. Her friendship with Simon is better than ever, and last year he even walked her down the aisle during her star-studded wedding to girlfriend Emilia Smith. 'It was really strange,' Lucy laughed. 'It's a high stress environment and I looked to the side and saw him, like this is weird! 'But he was here and Lauren [Silverman] was there.' In recent months, Simon has been working on launching a new talent show. The show titled The Next Act follows Cowell on a mission to find the next global boyband in the vein of One Direction, and is due to stream on Netflix in the coming months. While Netflix is yet to commission the second series, it is thought he is keen to capitalise on the buzz and is already eyeing a second series - this time focusing on up-and-coming girl groups. A source told the publication: 'There's huge amount of excitement around the boyband search show dropping on Netflix, which is expected to drop later this year. 'So it makes sense to consider a sequel with a similar concept but looking for the female equivalent. 'And if anyone can do it, it's Simon. After all, through One Direction and Little Mix, he helped deliver two of the biggest pop acts of the last two decades.' The Next Act is thought to air over six episodes, where viewers will see nationwide open auditions, exclusive behind-the-scenes access and the release of the group's debut single.


Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Simon Cowell makes bold claim about reality show as pal warns 'you'll literally die'
Lucy Spraggan has revealed the warning she gave pal Simon Cowell after he made bold claim about a future appearance on a Channel 4 reality TV series Simon Cowell is usually seen sitting behind a desk, but if he had had his way, things could have been a lot different. The Britain's Got Talent and X Factor judge is known for his cutting comments on the talent shows. But the music mogul, 65, was tempted to try his luck on a different reality show, according to a close friend. Lucy Spraggan, who rose to fame on the X Factor before growing close to Simon, claims he had shown an interest in extreme challenge show, SAS: Who Dares Wins. With Lucy set to appear on the Channel 4 show, she revealed Simon told her it was a "great idea" for her to take part. Speaking to the Sun, Lucy said: "He knows I love being outdoors. We do a lot of shooting air rifles and stuff together, so he knows this is my thing, testing my mental resilience." But she admitted the funny moment he told her: "Oh, maybe I'll try and have a go at it." Lucy said she told her pal he would "literally die". "It was funny because it really contextualised how hard it was that I just straight away said to him, 'You would have no chance'. She added: "But Lauren [Silverman, Cowell's wife], I said to her at dinner the other day, 'You should have a go'. She could do it, it would be funny." The upcoming series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins sees Lucy join a new cast of famous faces to take on the challenge. This year has seen Channel 4 bosses choose a wide selection of stars from football, reality TV and even a woman made famous as one of the 'Peru Two' drug smugglers. Michaella McCollum is part of the current line up alongside other star names like Rebecca Loos, who had a rumoured fling with David Beckham. Former Premier League footballer Troy Deeney is also in the lineup, as is former Love Island star Adam Collard. Fans will see Loos face a brutal Beckham grilling on the show over 'mistakes'. Loos was Beckham's personal assistant in 2003 and claims broke the following year about them having a four month fling. Beckham said reports of the affair were 'ludicrous' at the time but never mounted a legal challenge to the story or any subsequent interviews. Loos went on to appear on reality shows like The Farm and Celebrity Love Island before stepping out of the limelight and is now a yoga teacher in Norway. On her TV comeback on Channel 4 this week, Rebecca said: 'I just wanted to show people who I am and just be myself, which has always been my thing. And I just went in it with a very open mind and take it as it comes."