BBC reportedly launches probe into Strictly 'drug use'
According to the newspaper, the claims of alleged drug use were made in a legal submission to the BBC in March by law firm Russells on behalf of a former celebrity contestant.The Sun claims others had also reported allegations of drug taking on the show to the BBC.In a statement on Saturday night, a BBC spokesperson added: "We would always encourage people to speak to us if they have concerns."It would not be appropriate for us to comment further."It is understood that it is not unusual for the corporation to appoint external law firms to help it deliver BBC-led investigations. In these cases, they would report back to an internal team.Strictly, which has been airing since 2004, has faced multiple controversies over the past year relating to the behaviour of some of its professional dancers and celebrity guests.Professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima left the show last year following allegations about their behaviour towards their dance partners.The BBC announced new welfare measures for Strictly last July. These include having chaperones in all rehearsal rooms, adding two new welfare producers and providing additional training for the professional dancers, production team and crew.In January, Welsh opera singer Wynne Evans, who had been a celebrity dancer in last year's series, made what he described as an "inappropriate and unacceptable" comment during the Strictly live tour launch.He took time off from his BBC Radio Wales daytime show after the incident, and the BBC said in May that he will not be returning to it.EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick was suspended by the BBC last month after The Sun reported that he used a slur against people with disabilities while backstage during Strictly rehearsals in November. Borthwick apologised and the BBC said his language was "entirely unacceptable".
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Daily Mirror
a minute ago
- Daily Mirror
Coronation Street icon dyes hair ahead of making major comeback this week
Catherine Tyldesley is set to reprise her role as blonde bombshell Eva Price on Coronation Street, and has gone back to her character's signature colour in time for filming Catherine Tyldesley has dyed her hair in time for her return to Coronation Street. The actress, 41, is set to be make a major comeback onto the ITV soap as she returns to her signature role of Eva Price, seven years on from her initial exit. During her initial stint on the cobbles, Eva sported platinum blonde locks but after she quit the soap, Catherine quickly went back to her natural brunette colour as she competed on Strictly Come Dancing. She kept the darker look as she took on roles in shows such as Scarborough and Viewpoint but an Instagram post on Tuesday revealed that she is a blonde once again. The actress shared two snaps of herself posing with friends as she headed out for dinner, in Manchester and The Sun reports that the outing comes just days before she is supposed to making a return to the set at MediaCityUK to begin filming. Catherine, who was a brunette when she took on her first big role in the BBC drama Lilies prior to joining Coronation Street, previously explained that bosses just felt that it was right that barmaid Eva would have blonde hair. It comes after reports of all the celebrities rumoured to be joining BBC Strictly Come Dancing 2025. In 2019, she explained during an interview on Lorraine: "When I first started Corrie I'd done a sketch show and was blonde. They felt Eva was blonde and so did I. I keep walking past windows and mirror and think 'Oh!' and forget I've done it. A lady came up to me and said I think you should be blonde." Reports surrounding the return of Leanne Battersby's sister emerged earlier this year, but then nothing was announced. Fresh reports just last week claimed the planned plot was now approaching. It's thought that the move has come about after EastEnders bosses revealed that Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) and Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) will be taking the reins of the Queen Victoria pub. Aaron McCusker, who starred as Freddie Mercury's boyfriend in the film Bohemian Rhapsody, is reportedly set to arrive alongside her as her new husband. A source told The Sun: "Corrie bosses were never going to take EastEnders shrewd decision to reinstate Kat and Alfie at the Vic lying down. So they took their time looking for the perfect actor to play her husband to Eva as she makes her return to Corrie as the new boss of the Rovers." The insider added that Corrie bosses knew they had found the 'perfect' actor as soon as the Irish-born star walked into the room. They added of his character: "Aaron's character is also someone not to be messed with, and the locals are going to be in for a shock if they think they can take advantage of his good nature and that cheeky Irish charm. "It's the start of an exciting new chapter in the pub's history." Aaron is also known for his role as Jamie Maguire in Shameless, whilst Catherine has starred in The Good Ship Murder and earlier this year appeared opposite Siobhan Finneran in an episode of the ITV drama Protection. She was also set to star in a cancelled touring production of Bonnie and Clyde: The Musical last year and went viral over a social media scandal known as Cakegate in late 2023. The actress first appeared on Coronation Street in 2011 as the daughter of Stella Price (Michelle Collins), who had arrived to take over the pub herself and also reveal herself as the long-lost mother of Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson). Over the course of seven years, Catherine saw her alter-ego through numerous relationships with the likes of Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas), Rob Donovan (Marc Baylis) and Nick Tilsey (Ben Price). Her most notable relationship was with Aidan Connor (Shayne Ward), but that started to go awry when he began an affair with Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon). Instead of confronting Aidan head-on about his infidelity, she took revenge by putting a bright pink Range Rover on his credit card and then decided to fake a pregnancy. Maria discovered Eva's lies and exposed them all at the wedding but Eva later discovered that she was in fact pregnant with Aidan's baby. In order to go through with the birth in secret, she went off to a remote cottage and had planned to give baby Susie away to Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor). However, Aidan later took his own life and Eva began to grow close to her daughter, eventually opting to leave in the back of a taxi with her for good. If Eva does return and take over the Rovers, she will be following in the footsteps of former characters such as Annie Walker (Doris Speed), Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear) and Liz McDonald (Beverley Callard), all of whom have helmed the nation's most famous pub over the course of the show's history. One such landlady is Jenny Connor, who is confirmed to be leaving the ITV soap. Get the latest drama from the Dales by joining our Emmerdale WhatsApp group As drama continues to unfold in the Yorkshire Dales, the Mirror has launched its very own Emmerdale WhatsApp community where you'll get all the latest breaking news, secrets, and spoilers delivered straight to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Record
a minute ago
- Daily Record
4 incredible detective dramas to watch if you've already binged Netflix The Loch
Netflix's show The Loch boasts a stellar cast including Happy Valley star Siobhan Finneran and Scottish actress Laura Fraser as they get to work catching a killer in the Highlands Netflix latest hit show The Loch has been a huge hit since it was added to the streaming site. The Scottish-based crime thriller is currently sitting at number two on the top watched section of the streaming site. The search for a serial killer operating in the Highlands becomes a matter of life and death for detective Annie Redford, who is trying to cope with her first murder case. The show stars Laura Fraser, Jim McMeekin and Happy Valley star Siobhan Finneran. Looking for something similar to binge? A similarly short watch which scratches that itch of haunted stares across misty lakes, and secrets buried in the soil? Good job we have a few that might be your next binge. Below is another four detective dramas with the same vibe as the Netflix hit, each worthy of a shoutout on their own. Let's take a look... Top of the Lake Jane Campion's Top of the Lake is not the average murder mystery, it's more of a slow burner but definitely worth a watch on BBC. Elisabeth Moss stars in the role of Robin Griffin, the detective investigating the disappearance of a pregnant 12-year-old in a lakeside New Zealand town, who quickly becomes obsessed with the idea of cracking the case. Broadchurch Broadchurch didn't just redefine the detective drama, it reinvigorated the entire genre in Blighty. A small seaside town in Dorset is rocked, where a child's murder on the beachfront will begin the slow unravelling of local secrets. David Tennant stars as DI Hardy, while Olivia Colman stars as DS Miller. The Dorset cliffs loom, and so do the lies. The Tourist BBC drama The Tourist has been a huge hit with TV fans bringing us all the edge-of-the-seat action needed for a good crime thriller. With two seasons under its belt, viewers are hoping a third comes soon. Series one of The Tourist is a six-part thriller drama which aired on BBC One in 2022. It follows a Northern Irish man, played by actor Jamie Dornan, suffering from amnesia following a car accident in the Australian outback. An epic cat-and-mouse chase unfolds, and Jamie's character later wakes in hospital, hurt, but somehow alive. Except he has no idea who he is. Full of shocking, surprising, funny and brutal turns, The Tourist is set in a world populated by quirky, enigmatic characters and off-beat comedy punctuates high-stakes action. Marcella Messy detectives, mental spirals, and unapologetic plot twists. Anna Friel is described magnetic as Marcella Backland, a detective grappling with blackouts, trauma, and increasingly unhinged murder cases. Set in London and from the creators of The Bridge, Marcella leans into psychological mystery. It's part thriller, part fever dream, and all over the place in an enjoyably chaotic way which is sure to have viewers hooked and looking to watch more.
The Independent
3 minutes ago
- The Independent
I felt mad after giving birth – but even I wouldn't do what Calvin Harris has done…
Something weird happens to people when they find out they're having a baby. They do things that they – rational, sensible, grown-up people, people who have kitchen islands and know exactly which day is right for recycling – ever saw themselves doing. Suddenly, they find themselves paying hundreds of pounds to go to NCT classes to make friends with other pregnant people. They attend sessions at the local hospital where they learn how to handle a giant, woolly womb. They listen to hypnobirthing tapes and talk about 'breathing the baby out' or wanting to 'give birth without pain relief'. They even go to gong baths. Then, there are slips into the truly weird – like men who take a shot of their partner's 'natural sweet vanilla milk' (I'm looking at you, Joe Wicks), or Calvin Harris, who caused a bit of a stir this week with his... unorthodox approach to the arrival of his baby boy, Micah, after a home birth in Ibiza. In a photo deemed even too graphic for Instagram (the shot has been slapped with an age restriction by the social media site), the Scottish DJ – who is married to BBC Radio 1 presenter and broadcaster Vick Hope – proudly shows off his wife's placenta and the umbilical cord, positioned in a heart shape. And trust me, you do not want to look at that while eating your breakfast. The other images, in perfect sequence, appear to show the organ being dehydrated in some kind of air fryer contraption and turned into tasty placenta pills. Harris captioned the unusual photo montage with: 'My wife is a superhero and I am in complete awe of her primal wisdom!' To which many have been asking: where was Harris's 'primal wisdom' when posting those shots? Some fans blasted the warts-and-all snapshots as 'unnecessary', while others said simply: 'Placenta pic was not needed bro.' And one commenter wrote: 'Placenta pic is exactly what I needed to remind me to stay single and childless for a few more years.' Snarf. Now, I'm not opposed to lifting the lid on the gory, scary, visceral reality of childbirth – personally, I think it's pretty cool (and important) to show exactly what women go through to bring babies into the world. I find myself eye-rolling when I see images of the royal family, for example, looking pristine on the steps of a posh private hospital after giving birth when I know – we all know – that behind the door of the delivery suite is absolute carnage. There's a lot going on when you give birth, to say the least. There are screams and sweat and tears and swearing and third-degree tears and stitches afterwards and savage, feral declarations that you hate the person who did this to you, that you wish you'd never decided to get pregnant in the first place, that you will never, ever do it again – until you do. There's even mesh underwear. Even those who have elective C-sections don't get away scot-free. There is blood and gore and latex gloves covered in all sorts of fluids; there is fainting and pain from epidurals and (according to friends who have had them) a sensation of 'being pulled apart'. And among the 'natural birthers' who are lucky enough to labour in water, there are sieves handed to husbands and partners to – how shall I put this delicately? – fish out any floaters from the birthing pool. After I gave birth, the placenta dropped out on the floor beneath me and wobbled there, looking menacing – and not a little like a Portuguese man o' war. The only difference between me and Harris is that I didn't take a picture and post it – but after seeing it, believe me there's no way on earth I would have wanted to eat it, even in pill form. Still, I get it. I get the temptation to consume your child, I really do. It's a strange and powerful, atavistic sensation – it's the strange feeling we get when we are in love; when we want to (almost literally) bite or nibble or eat the thing we adore: lovers, children, pets. There's even a term for it: 'cute aggression'. So, it doesn't entirely surprise me that Harris loves his wife and child so much that he wants to devour every single part of them. If you squint (and scroll past the gory shot), it seems quite sweet. Plus, I know for a fact that you're borderline insane after you've brought a child into this world: I buried the stump of my daughter's umbilical cord beneath a rose bush in the garden – at the full moon. I didn't eat her placenta, though. I did not do that. So, why do some do it at all – and do they regret it? Hilary Duff has confessed that she still feels 'repulsed' by the fact that she drank her placenta in a smoothie, shortly after giving birth to her daughter, Banks. 'I saw that thing, it looked gnar,' she said on Whitney Cummings ' podcast Good For You, in 2020. She said that she did it on the guidance of her midwives – and that her sister did the exact same thing (only in pill form, rather than blended with strawberries, berries and bananas). 'They say that it stops your body from haemorrhaging after you have a baby,' Duff said. 'They say that it gives you all kinds of energy and nutrients and [it] helps balance your hormones and stuff like that." She then added: 'And I'm still completely repulsed by it.' Some people – including Harris, presumably – believe that eating the placenta can help prevent postnatal depression (PND) and improve milk supply, or provide important nutrients like iron; whereas others point out that its entire purpose is to filter out waste away from the baby. Like I said, we are all a bit insane after having a baby. Some of us, clearly, more than others.
