Latest news with #AdvertisingWeekEurope2025
The Independent
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Gary Lineker says he ‘always wanted to go into media' as he reveals new podcast
Gary Lineker has said he 'always wanted to go into media' as he revealed his podcast company's latest show. The broadcaster and former footballer said he 'hated training' and never foresaw a career in coaching. Speaking at Advertising Week Europe 2025 in central London on Thursday, he said: 'I always wanted to go into the media, because I didn't ever fancy coaching. 'I hate training, let alone watching other people train. 'I didn't want to do that, so I kind of planned fairly early to go into media.' He said he was inspired by Sue Barker and David Gower. Lineker, who is stepping down from hosting Match Of The Day (MOTD) at the end of the season, co-founded Goalhanger Podcasts in 2014 with former ITV controller Tony Pastor and former BBC executive Jack Davenport. It produces The Rest Is History, a historical podcast presented by Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland, and The Rest Is Politics with former Downing Street director of communications Alastair Campbell and ex-Tory MP Rory Stewart. Asked why he decided to launch Goalhanger, Lineker said: 'It wasn't a deliberate plan at the start, but we thought we'd try doing it.' The father-of-four hosts his own show, The Rest Is Football, with fellow MOTD pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards. Lineker said the football podcast was 'the one I was most worried about when we launched it, eventually got around to it'. He said it took him 'a long time' to get Shearer and Richards on board. 'I wanted to get it absolutely right,' he said. 'It was a lot of nights drinking in our room, the only place we were allowed to drink in Qatar during the World Cup (2022)…and (I) managed to persuade them.' He talked about the success of the podcasts, and said: 'The numbers are huge. Last month I think we reached, for the first time, 50 million downloads in a month. 'It's madness really, we keep pinching ourselves, but it's fun.' Asked what was next for Goalhanger, Lineker said: 'We've got a women's football one coming out very shortly called Daly Brightness with Rachel Daly and Millie Bright.'
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dynamo thanks NHS for saving his career
The magician formerly known as Dynamo has said he would not have been able to return to performing were it not for the NHS. The 42-year-old, whose real name is Steven Frayne, who suffers from both Crohn's disease and arthritis, said the pain in his joints became so severe he "could not even hold a pack of cards". He praised the "magic" of the NHS, who helped him manage his health, and recalled the moment he decided to "bury Dynamo" and re-start his career under his real name. Speaking at Advertising Week Europe 2025, the Bradford-born performer added: "I resonate with what the NHS does because I would not be performing again without their help." Frayne was diagnosed with Crohn's disease as a teenager, and later, with arthritis, which had made him feel "like everything I cared about was just being taken away from me". "But in that moment... I realised the magic is actually in everybody else - in the people that lifted me up, in the NHS that helped me, and I started to focus on the magic in other people," he said. Frayne's health troubles compelled him to take a two-year break from his career. After symbolically burying himself alive in a show entitled Dynamo Is Dead, in 2023, Frayne has returned to performing, and is currently in the middle of a residency at Underbelly Boulevard Soho in London. "It's the first ever show I've ever done as myself, not as Dynamo, and it is a very personal show to me," he said. "For me it's about creating a show that showcases my magic - and also incorporates the magic of other people - because a lot of the magic in the show is made up by the audience members as we go along, so the show is different every single night." "It's super intimate, but it allows me to really connect with people. I can see every single person's face," Frayne continues. "There's moments where every single person in the audience is part of the magic at the same time." Earlier this year, Frayne headlined RISE, the opening event to mark the inauguration of Bradford City of Culture, in which he performed to a live audience of 10,000 people. Speaking at the time, he said: "I don't think any of us in Bradford ever saw this coming, and I think it's very needed. "There's so many parts of Bradford that need support. Some of the areas haven't had the love and support they needed to bring them up to speed," he added. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Dynamo works his magic as Bradford becomes City of Culture Dynamo: Magician Impossible
BBC News
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Bradford-born Dynamo thanks NHS for saving his career
The magician formerly known as Dynamo has said he would not have been able to return to performing were it not for the 42-year-old, whose real name is Steven Frayne, who suffers from both Crohn's disease and arthritis, said the pain in his joints became so severe he "could not even hold a pack of cards". He praised the "magic" of the NHS, who helped him manage his health, and recalled the moment he decided to "bury Dynamo" and re-start his career under his real name. Speaking at Advertising Week Europe 2025, the Bradford-born performer added: "I resonate with what the NHS does because I would not be performing again without their help." Frayne was diagnosed with Crohn's disease as a teenager, and later, with arthritis, which had made him feel "like everything I cared about was just being taken away from me"."But in that moment... I realised the magic is actually in everybody else - in the people that lifted me up, in the NHS that helped me, and I started to focus on the magic in other people," he said. Frayne's health troubles compelled him to take a two-year break from his career. After symbolically burying himself alive in a show entitled Dynamo Is Dead, in 2023, Frayne has returned to performing, and is currently in the middle of a residency at Underbelly Boulevard Soho in London. "It's the first ever show I've ever done as myself, not as Dynamo, and it is a very personal show to me," he said."For me it's about creating a show that showcases my magic - and also incorporates the magic of other people - because a lot of the magic in the show is made up by the audience members as we go along, so the show is different every single night." "It's super intimate, but it allows me to really connect with people. I can see every single person's face," Frayne continues."There's moments where every single person in the audience is part of the magic at the same time."Earlier this year, Frayne headlined RISE, the opening event to mark the inauguration of Bradford City of Culture, in which he performed to a live audience of 10,000 at the time, he said: "I don't think any of us in Bradford ever saw this coming, and I think it's very needed. "There's so many parts of Bradford that need support. Some of the areas haven't had the love and support they needed to bring them up to speed," he to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Magician formerly known as Dynamo ‘could not have performed again without NHS'
The magician formerly known as Dynamo has said he would not have been able to return to performing if it was not for the NHS. The 42-year-old, whose real name is Steven Frayne, was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in his teens and has battled with his health in recent years, having to take a two-year break from his career after falling ill in 2017. Speaking at Advertising Week Europe 2025 in central London on Tuesday, he said: 'In 2023 I had the worst bout of illness to the point where I developed arthritis in my joints, so I couldn't even hold a pack of cards and I felt like everything I cared about was just being taken away from me. 'But I decided in that moment that I realised the magic is actually in everybody else, in the people that lifted me up, in the NHS that helped me and I started to focus on the magic in other people. 'And then I decided that I was going to bury Dynamo and start again.' The Bradford-born magician buried himself alive on Dynamo Is Dead, a live special show released in December 2023. Asked about his best moments from his recent show Miracles, released on Sky in December, Frayne said: 'I resonate with what the NHS does, because I would not be performing again without their help.' Frayne then spoke about his 47-date residency which is under way at Underbelly Boulevard Soho, a 200-seat venue in central London. 'It's the first ever show I've ever done as myself, not as Dynamo. And it is a very personal show to me,' he said. 'For me it's about creating a show that showcases my magic and also incorporates the magic of other people, because a lot of the magic in the show is made up by the audience members as we go along, so the show is different every single night. 'It's super intimate, but it allows me to really connect with people. I can see every single person's face. 'There's moments where every single person in the audience is part of the magic at the same time.'
The Independent
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Magician formerly known as Dynamo ‘could not have performed again without NHS'
The magician formerly known as Dynamo has said he would not have been able to return to performing if it was not for the NHS. The 42-year-old, whose real name is Steven Frayne, was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in his teens and has battled with his health in recent years, having to take a two-year break from his career after falling ill in 2017. Speaking at Advertising Week Europe 2025 in central London on Tuesday, he said: 'In 2023 I had the worst bout of illness to the point where I developed arthritis in my joints, so I couldn't even hold a pack of cards and I felt like everything I cared about was just being taken away from me. 'But I decided in that moment that I realised the magic is actually in everybody else, in the people that lifted me up, in the NHS that helped me and I started to focus on the magic in other people. 'And then I decided that I was going to bury Dynamo and start again.' The Bradford-born magician buried himself alive on Dynamo Is Dead, a live special show released in December 2023. Asked about his best moments from his recent show Miracles, released on Sky in December, Frayne said: 'I resonate with what the NHS does, because I would not be performing again without their help.' Frayne then spoke about his 47-date residency which is under way at Underbelly Boulevard Soho, a 200-seat venue in central London. 'It's the first ever show I've ever done as myself, not as Dynamo. And it is a very personal show to me,' he said. 'For me it's about creating a show that showcases my magic and also incorporates the magic of other people, because a lot of the magic in the show is made up by the audience members as we go along, so the show is different every single night. 'It's super intimate, but it allows me to really connect with people. I can see every single person's face. 'There's moments where every single person in the audience is part of the magic at the same time.'
