Latest news with #Billie
7NEWS
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Steph Claire Smith: Fitness influencer gives birth to daughter, reveals adorable name
Fitness influencer Steph Claire Smith and her husband Josh have welcomed their second child. The 31-year-old model revealed the happy news on Friday, sharing a series of adorable photos showing her new family member. 'She's here,' she captioned the post. 'Billie Claire Miller joined us on Wednesday & we're so in love. 'So excited to take her home to her big brother.' Little Billie is the younger sister of the couple's four-year-old son Harvey. It seemed every Australian lifestyle and fashion influencer congratulated the popular podcaster on the safe arrival of her daughter. Loading Instagram Post Messages of love and support flooded the comments section of the post. Olivia Molly Rogers said: 'Congratulations 🥺💘 welcome to the world Billie xxxx.' Ricki Lee said: '😍😍😍 Congratulations xxx.' Bec Judd said: 'Awwww Billie Babe.' Tammy Hembrow said: 'Omg congrats 🥹🥹🥹 so specialllll.' Indy Clinton said: 'Oh my goodness, congratulations guys 💕💕💕💕💕💕 she is perfection.' Tayla Broad said: 'Congrats guys ❤️.' The birth comes after Smith documented parts of her pregnancy journey with her followers on Instagram over recent months. Last week, she passed her due date and revealed she was 'still (impatiently) waiting on bubs arrival'. She added that she was 'just so so so excited to meet this little being'.
Perth Now
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Aussie model becomes mum of two, reveals adorable name
Fitness influencer Steph Claire Smith and her husband Josh have welcomed their second child. The 31-year-old model revealed the happy news on Friday, sharing a series of adorable photos showing her new family member. 'She's here,' she captioned the post. 'Billie Claire Miller joined us on Wednesday & we're so in love. 'So excited to take her home to her big brother.' Little Billie is the younger sister of the couple's four-year-old son Harvey. It seemed every Australian lifestyle and fashion influencer congratulated the popular podcaster on the safe arrival of her daughter. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. Messages of love and support flooded the comments section of the post. Olivia Molly Rogers said: 'Congratulations 🥺💘 welcome to the world Billie xxxx.' Ricki Lee said: '😍😍😍 Congratulations xxx.' Bec Judd said: 'Awwww Billie Babe.' Tammy Hembrow said: 'Omg congrats 🥹🥹🥹 so specialllll.' Indy Clinton said: 'Oh my goodness, congratulations guys 💕💕💕💕💕💕 she is perfection.' Tayla Broad said: 'Congrats guys ❤️.' The birth comes after Smith documented parts of her pregnancy journey with her followers on Instagram over recent months. Last week, she passed her due date and revealed she was 'still (impatiently) waiting on bubs arrival'. She added that she was 'just so so so excited to meet this little being'.
Metro
3 days ago
- General
- Metro
I couldn't train my deaf puppy so I taught him sign language
Sukie Green had waited her whole life to get a puppy, so when she brought home eight-week-old Billie, she was overjoyed. As he settled into her London home, the whippet-poodle cross proved to be seriously hard work. All puppies are a handful, she knew, but Billie just wouldn't take instruction, and Sukie found him impossible to control. 'I thought he was an absolute bugger. He didn't listen or respond to training and praise,' the 57-year-old from South East London tells Metro. Despite Sukie watching hours of online puppy training videos on YouTube and trying to implement the strategies, Billie would nip at ankles, steal shoes, and roundly attack the family's nine-year-old cat, George. Sukie felt like she was getting nowhere, and it wasn't until early November 2024 when, after three weeks of failed efforts, the penny dropped. That night, fireworks had been making a racket outside their windows all evening, but Billie had shown no response. Sukie knew that most dogs were usually reduced to trembling wrecks from the noise, so there must be just one answer: her puppy couldn't hear. 'I clicked that he wouldn't notice anyone coming into the room. He'd have to smell them before he'd realise they were there. If I suddenly clapped behind his head, he wouldn't respond either,' she recalls. A quick trip to the vet confirmed what she already knew: Billie was profoundly deaf. 'I had been shouting at him and would be so frustrated that he wouldn't respond. But now I'm relieved that he couldn't. It wasn't his fault,' says Sukie. 'When I was told he was deaf, I was upset and daunted. But I very quickly got over it and started thinking of other ways to train him.' In a bid to converse with Billie, Sukie, who teaches sign language to babies, figured she could try using the principles of baby signing to get him to follow basic commands. Baby sign language uses simple hand gestures to help babies communicate their needs and wants before they can talk, so Sukie started practising with a few basic commands: 'No', 'Sit' and 'Stay'. Using lots of treats and ensuring Billie was watching her, she was overjoyed when her method, which combines words from Makaton and British Sign Language, started to work. 'Even though I know he can't hear, I speak when I sign because I feel energy comes when you talk. Especially with words like 'no' or 'naughty', which I need for when he's attacking the cat.' While Billie, now 10 months, still doesn't know his own name and won't recall to the sound of Sukie's voice when off lead, he has a whole repertoire of commands which he can understand, with varying degrees of success. Sukie has taught him 'Come', 'Stop', 'Off' and 'Down', and she can ask him if he wants to go outside. He knows 'Lie Down', 'Ball,' and 'Walk' – and 'Good Boy' is a thumbs up. He also understands signs for Henry, Sukie's only son who lives with them, and 'Friend', alongside 'Soon', 'Home' and 'All Gone' – among others. And Billie has picked up a trick used by young babies; a phenomenon called 'shared looking'. Sukie explains: 'Babies naturally do this – they will look at something that interests them – a book or a rattle – and look back at you, back and forth, as if to say, 'I like this'. It's what they do before they can point, from around five months old. Billie started doing this at four months and now does it all the time. He looks at the door or the fridge or the treat cupboard, then looks back at me and keeps at it until I do what he wants – or tell him 'No'.' Sukie uses 'B' to sign his name, although he doesn't need that very often. The training process has been tricky, though, she admits, because Billie doesn't pick up on verbal cues. And he can be vulnerable at the park, failing to clock warning growls and barks from other dogs, while occasionally being difficult to catch. But Sukie has trained a way around this. 'He was off the lead as soon as I was taking him for walks, before I knew he was deaf,' she explains. 'He runs after birds and squirrels, so I trained him to check in on me. Every time he looked at me, I would give him a thumbs up and a small bit of kibble. He checks all the time now. If he loses me, I have to madly wave my arms about. But I've never lost him. More Trending 'There are so many positives to his not being able to hear,' adds Sukie. 'He doesn't bark much and plays extremely well with other dogs – he has a lot of friends.' His lack of response to the doorbell or postman is also an upside. 'Many deaf dogs are up for adoption, as when an owner finds out their puppy is deaf, people immediately think they can't cope,' adds Sukie. 'But I would urge anyone not to worry about it, as deaf dogs are brilliant. 'Billie is a super friendly, happy and calm little dog, and I wouldn't have him any other way. I'm so glad to have him.' MORE: I thought I'd been punched – but three strangers had stabbed me MORE: In a Canadian region tourists often miss, I went in search of grizzly bears MORE: Man 'cooked his Chihuahua puppy to death in oven because it wouldn't stop barking'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Swindon-born actress 'odds-on favourite' to be the next Doctor Who
Speculation is mounting that a Swindon-born celebrity is set to be announced as the next star of Doctor Who. Rumours are continuing to swirl as to who could replace Ncuti Gatwa as the face of the iconic BBC TV series, following reports that he will step away from the show. Swindon's very own Billie Piper is now the odds-on favourite to be the next Doctor, with online betting guide listing her as the strong 1/3 favourite with a 75% chance of landing the role. Jenna Coleman, another of the show's former sidekicks, is currently second favourite with odds of 2/1. Doctor Foster's Suranne Jones, Jessica Gunning of Baby Reindeer fame, and Derry Girls and Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan also make the lists as outside bets. Billie is already a fan's favourite among Doctor Who enthusiasts after playing the Doctor's companion Rose Tyler alongside Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant's versions of the character in 2005 and 2006. She also returned for several guest star appearances in 2008 and featured in the show's 50th anniversary special in 2013. Recommended reading Google shows what Swindon's streets looked like decade ago Hammer-wielding thief "hit 13-year-old on the head" and stole his bike Future of old golf course in the balance as protesters fight housing plans Jake Ashton, OLBG's entertainment betting expert, said: "The return of a former companion like Billie Piper in the lead role would be a seismic twist and the odds suggest it's more than just fan fiction. "Expect markets to move fast once casting chatter heats up officially." The speculation comes as Sunday's edition of The Observer described Billie as being "in pole position" to take over as the next Doctor should Ncuti Gatwa depart, although the newspaper does not cite a particular source for the claim. The BBC has denied that he has been "axed" but had not yet confirmed whether he will be staying in the Tardis for a third series in the role. If the rumours are true, Billie would be the first person ever to appear in the show as both a companion and as the Doctor. Billie was born in Swindon in 1982 and attended Brandon Forest School in Purton before moving to London at the age of 12 to pursue a career on stage and screen. She won two National Television Awards for Best Actress in 2005 and 2006 for her performances in Doctor Who, and won an Olivier Award for her performance as the lead actress in the 2016 production of Yerma. Piper also enjoyed a successful singing career, becoming the youngest female singer to enter the UK singles charts at number one with her debut single "Because We Want To", aged just 15.
Metro
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Netflix viewers have just hours to binge ‘steamy' 00s British TV drama
A 'flawless' British drama series about the double life of a high-end call girl is leaving Netflix in just a few hours. Based on the blog and books by the pseudonymous Belle de Jour, Secret Diary of a Call Girl ran for four seasons between 2007 and 2011. It starred Billie Piper, then best known for her music career and for playing companion Rose Tyler in Doctor Who two years earlier. Written by Lucy Prebble, the series was set in London and followed Hannah Baxter (played by Billie), a young woman who lives a secret life as a call girl, under the pseudonym Belle. It charted her professional and private lives and the complications that arose when these separate parts of her life collided. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Although the show found itself under fire by some who claimed it glamorised and was a misrepresentation of sex work, Billie fired back. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'We've only been exposed to the drug-fuelled, sex traffic side – but the fact is, there are middle-class, cultured, well-read women who take part in this job,' she said at the time. The first season of Secret Diary of a Call Girl divided critics. 'It's close to perfect raunchy summer television,' Buffalo News wrote in its review. 'It's eye-opening stuff, at least some of it, and yet not nearly as titillating as you might suppose. Considering the subject matter, there's surprisingly little nudity and practically nothing graphic,' The Hollywood Reporter explained. 'It would help if an actual woman stopped miming fellatio and did something interesting for a minute or two,' The Los Angeles Times brutally shared. Meanwhile, others said it 'didn't reveal many secrets'. Despite this, reviews from fans were glowing. 'I managed to watch the entire show, all three seasons, in the space of one weekend. Billie Piper was flawless. I loved this show, definitely one of my favourite series' out there, and probably will be for a long time. It's down to earth, gritty and real,' ciara0404 posted on IMDB. 'The show is a full-blown intimate and sexcapade that is quite honestly, brilliant. Forget your 50 Shades of Grey… this British programme will open your eyes into lives that you had heard about, never fully believed, but will blow your mind with every episode,' stampsfightclub shared. 'This series is very provocative, but overall, it's interesting and engrossing, making it a good call to watch,' blanbrn added. Although the full series is currently available on Netflix, it will be taken down very soon, with fans and new viewers only able to binge it until May 28. The first season of Secret Diary of a Call Girl attracted an average of 1,242,125 viewers in the UK. Meanwhile, when premiering in the United States on Showtime, it debuted to the highest ratings the cable channel had seen in four years for a television premiere. More Trending After working together on this series, Billie and Lucy went on to team up again on I Hate Suzie, which ran for two seasons from 2020. That series, which followed the life of actress Suzie Pickles, whose life is thrown into turmoil when her phone is hacked and compromising photographs of her are leaked, was praised by critics and nominated for four Baftas and an International Emmy. Secret Diary of a Call Girl leaves Netflix on May 28. An earlier version of this story was published on May 5, 2025 . 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. View More » MORE: Netflix star calls 'dark' show 'very different to what I was used to' MORE: Netflix viewers think WWE star is 'lucky to be alive' as move goes horribly wrong MORE: Legendary 00s EastEnders couple engaged after romantic proposal
