Latest news with #Bread
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
What became of cast of BBC sitcom Bread from major Hollywood roles to soap comeback
It's been more than three decades since the curtain came down on the Boswell family in the final episode of Bread - but where is the cast now and what have they been up to since? It's been over thirty years since the sitcom Bread transported us into the Boswell family's Liverpool home. The widely adored series, set in the 1980s, chronicled the family's varying fortunes as they navigated life under the stern supervision of their matriarch, Nellie Boswell. Making its debut on May 1, 1986, the show's memorable ceramic hen from the opening credits and the theme song performed by the cast quickly became a beloved part of many viewers' evening routines. The programme ran for eight seasons until 1991, delivering numerous unforgettable moments, whether it was Liverpool icon Sonia making a guest appearance or the notorious Italian holiday in the Christmas special. But what have the cast members been up to in the 34 years since the show concluded? Jean Boht - Nellie Boswell Jean Boht portrayed Nellie, the family's matriarch who had to tolerate her family's often eccentric schemes to earn a living. Beyond the show, she featured in all the classic BBC soaps, including Casualty, Doctors, Holby City and The Bill, reports the Liverpool Echo. She also had a stint on stage, performing alongside Jeremy Irons in the 2006 production of Embers. Jean sadly passed away in September 2023 at the age of 91 following a battle with Alzheimer's disease. She spent her final days at Denville Hall, a residence for retired actors and members of the theatrical profession. Ronald Forfar - Freddie Boswell Ronald Forfar was known for his portrayal of Nellie's troublesome spouse Freddie, a character easily identifiable by his unkempt white hair and impressive moustache. Freddie was a constant source of trouble for the family due to his ongoing affair with Lilo Lill and his indifference towards his family's antics. Post-show, Ronald transitioned into writing, penning 'A Wilderness of Monkeys', a narrative about life in theatre. Sadly, Ronald passed away at the age of 81 in October 2020. Eileen Pollock - Lilo Lill Lilo Lill, the 'other woman' in the Boswell marriage, was one of the most memorable and iconic characters on the show, portrayed by Eileen Pollock. After the series concluded, Eileen spent much of her time on stage, collaborating with several Northern Irish companies. She also had a brief stint in Hollywood, featuring in the film adaptation of Frank McCourt's book 'Angela's Ashes' in 1999 and sharing screen space with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in 'Far and Away', playing the role of landlady Molly. Sadly, Eileen passed away in 2020 at the age of 73. Peter Howitt - Joey Boswell Howitt played the eldest of the Boswell boys, Joey, but was replaced in the fifth series when Graham Bickley took over the role. Peter went on to achieve significant success post-show, making a name for himself in Hollywood with films like 'Sliding Doors' and the 2012 thriller 'Reasonable Doubt', starring Dominic Cooper and Samuel L Jackson. However, he is perhaps best known for directing the original 'Johnny English' film, featuring Rowan Atkinson. He currently resides in Vancouver, Canada, with his wife and two children. Nick Conway - Billy Boswell Nick, the youngest of the brothers, portrayed the bumbling Billy Boswell who seemed to constantly struggle with even the simplest tasks, often through no fault of his own. He later appeared in several classic soaps, including roles on The Bill and Casualty, before securing the role of Gavin for a stint on Coronation Street. Now 62, Nick has also dabbled in DJing and opened a theatre school, following his own experiences performing in plays. Victor McGuire - Jack Boswell Post his stint as Jack Boswell in Bread, Victor has bagged significant roles across film and television, including appearances in Hollywood blockbusters such as Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and The Woman in Black. On the small screen, he's made appearances in Sky 1's Trollied, Casualty and more recently, as Big Garth on Coronation Street.
SoraNews24
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Possibly the most elegant chicken and waffles restaurant ever opens in Kyoto
Get a mouthful of Moofle. It's probably safe to say that the combination of fried chicken and waffles isn't normally associated with haute cuisine. However, the culinary arts are all about reinvention and finding gastronomic beauty in the least likely places, which is perhaps why one Kyoto eatery has taken it upon itself to make fine dining out of chicken and waffles. The restaurant is located near the famed Arashiyama bamboo forest and called Kako to Ima. The name technically doesn't really have any meaning aside from being a pun of 'Then & Now' in Japanese, but the kanji characters '囲と囲曲' fittingly look like a couple of waffles, and I may be reading too much into this, but the last one kind of looks like a waffle iron to me. It was founded by the same company that runs Kyoto's popular bakery Bread, Espresso &, which is famous for its decadent bread made with dough that has a high butter content. The bread is called 'Moo,' which is not meant to be the sound a cow makes in Japanese because that's more like 'moh.' Rather, I think it's meant to be more of an onomatopoeia for the moist, squishy texture inside the bread. This very same dough is used to make Kako to Ima's waffles, which they call 'Mooffles' and are available with a variety of toppings. But it's their chicken dishes that look especially irresistible and are available with three different styles of fried chicken. First, there's the standard Fried Chicken, which has a blend of five spices mixed into the batter that complements the maple syrup that you can drizzle over it with an aromatic bouquet. For a more Japanese experience, you can also try the Toriten style, which uses chicken tempura, including cheese and a touch of Japanese pepper. The blend of salty and sweet notes is heightened further with the addition of Kyoto's own Kotohiki Salt and honey. Karaage chicken can also be used as a topping blended with cheese and Japanese pepper. It's also given a dollop of mayonnaise and slice of lemon to bring the flavors into perfect harmony. Chicken is hardly the only thing you can put on your Mooffles either. Enjoy a hearty breakfast with the Fried Egg and Bacon Mooffle or a tasty treat with the Mooffle topped with Kako to Ima's homemade gelato. Waffles really don't get much fancier than this, and it only gets more swanky while eaten in the ambiance of a traditional Kyoto townhouse. So, next time you're sightseeing in Kyoto, have a taste of luxury with some chicken and Mooffles at Kako to Ima. Restaurant information Kako to Ima / 囲と囲曲（カコとイマ） Address: Kyoto-shi, Ukyo-ku, Sagatenryuji Kitatsukurimichicho 29-2 京都市右京区嵯峨天龍寺北造路町29番地2 Open 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. No fixed holidays, schedule posted through restaurant's Instagram account Source, images: PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
NBC News
07-05-2025
- Business
- NBC News
Banks are keeping credit card rates high even after the CFPB rule they blamed for high APRs was killed
Last year, banks quickly raised interest rates to record levels and added new monthly fees on credit cards when a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule threatened a key revenue source for the industry. Now, they're far more reluctant to reverse those steps, even after bank trade groups succeeded in killing the CFPB rule in federal court last month. Synchrony and Bread Financial, two of the biggest players in the business of issuing branded credit cards for the likes of Amazon, Lowe's and Wayfair, are keeping the higher rates in place, executives said in recent conference calls. 'We feel pretty comfortable that the rule has been vacated,' Synchrony CEO Brian Doubles said on April 22. 'With that said, we don't currently have plans to roll anything back in terms of the changes that we made.' His counterpart at Bread, CEO Ralph Andretta, echoed that sentiment, 'At this point, we're not intending to roll back those changes, and we've talked to the partners about that.' The CEOs celebrated the end of a proposed CFPB regulation that was meant to limit what Americans would pay in credit card late fees, an effort that the industry called a misguided and unlawful example of regulatory overreach. Under previous Director Rohit Chopra, the CFPB estimated that its rule would save families $10 billion annually. Instead, it inadvertently saddled borrowers with higher rates and fees for receiving paper statements as credit card companies sought to offset the expected revenue hit. Retail cards hit a record high average interest rate of 30.5% last year, according to a Bankrate survey, and rates have stayed close to those levels this year. 'The companies have made a windfall,' said David Silberman, a veteran banking attorney who lectures at Yale Law School. 'They didn't think they needed this revenue before except for [the CFPB rule], and they're now keeping it, which is coming directly out of the consumer's pocket.' Synchrony and Bread both easily topped expectations for first-quarter profit, and analysts covering the companies have raised estimates for what they will earn this year, despite concerns about a looming U.S. economic slowdown. Retailer lifeline While store cards occupy a relatively small corner of the overall credit card universe, Americans who are struggling financially are more likely to rely on them, and they are a crucial profit generator for popular American retailers. There were more than 160 million open retail card accounts last year, the CFPB said in a report from December that highlighted risks to users of the high-interest cards. More than half of the 100 biggest U.S. retailers offer store cards, and brands including Nordstrom and Macy's relied on them to generate roughly 8% of gross profits in recent years, the CFPB said. Banks may be taking advantage of the fact that some users of retail cards don't have the credit profiles to qualify for general-purpose cards from JPMorgan Chase or American Express, for example, said senior Bankrate analyst Ted Rossman. Nearly half of all retail card applications are submitted by people with subprime or no credit scores, and the card companies behind them approve applications at a higher rate than for general-purpose cards, the CFPB said. 'Companies like Bread or Synchrony, they rely a lot more on people who carry balances or who pay late fees,' Rossman said. Rates on retail cards have fallen by less than 1% on average since hitting their 2024 peak, and they are typically about 10 percentage points higher than the rates for general-purpose cards, Rossman said. That means it's unlikely that other large players in the retail card sector, including Citigroup and Barclays, have rolled back their rate increases in the wake of the CFPB rule's demise. The most recent published APR on the Macy's card, issued by Citigroup, is 33.49%, for instance. Citigroup and Barclays representatives declined to comment for this article. Debt spirals Synchrony's CEO gave some clues as to why banks aren't eager to roll back the hikes: borrowers either didn't seem to notice the higher rates, or didn't feel like they had a choice. Retail cards are typically advertised online or at the checkout of brick-and-mortar retailers, and often lure users with promotional discounts or rewards points. 'We didn't see a big reduction in accounts or spend related to the actions' they took last year, Doubles told analysts. 'We did a lot of test and control around that.' Synchrony will discuss future possible changes to its card program with its brand partners, according to a spokeswoman for the Stamford, Connecticut-based bank. That could include bumping up promotional offers at specific retailers, Doubles said during the April conference call. 'Our goal remains to provide access to financial solutions that provide flexibility, utility, and meaningful value to the diverse range of customers, partners, providers, and small and midsized businesses we serve,' Synchrony said in a statement. A Bread spokesperson declined to comment for this article. Alaina Fingal, a New Orleans-based financial coach, said she often advises people who've been trapped in a debt spiral from using retail credit cards. Some have to take on side gigs, like driving for Uber Eats, to work down the balances, she said. 'They do not understand the terms, and there are a lot of promotional offers that may have deferred interest clauses that are in there,' Fingal said. 'It's extremely predatory.'
CNBC
07-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Banks are keeping credit card rates high even after the CFPB rule they blamed for high APRs was killed
The New York Stock Exchange is seen during morning trading on July 31, 2024 in New York City. Last year, banks quickly raised interest rates to record levels and added new monthly fees on credit cards when a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule threatened a key revenue source for the industry. Now, they're far more reluctant to reverse those steps, even after bank trade groups succeeded in killing the CFPB rule in federal court last month. Synchrony and Bread Financial, two of the biggest players in the business of issuing branded credit cards for the likes of Amazon , Lowe's and Wayfair , are keeping the higher rates in place, executives said in recent conference calls. "We feel pretty comfortable that the rule has been vacated," Synchrony CEO Brian Doubles said on April 22. "With that said, we don't currently have plans to roll anything back in terms of the changes that we made." His counterpart at Bread, CEO Ralph Andretta, echoed that sentiment, "At this point, we're not intending to roll back those changes, and we've talked to the partners about that." The CEOs celebrated the end of a proposed CFPB regulation that was meant to limit what Americans would pay in credit card late fees, an effort that the industry called a misguided and unlawful example of regulatory overreach. Under previous Director Rohit Chopra, the CFPB estimated that its rule would save families $10 billion annually. Instead, it inadvertently saddled borrowers with higher rates and fees for receiving paper statements as credit card companies sought to offset the expected revenue hit. Retail cards hit a record high average interest rate of 30.5% last year, according to a Bankrate survey, and rates have stayed close to those levels this year. "The companies have made a windfall," said David Silberman, a veteran banking attorney who lectures at Yale Law School. "They didn't think they needed this revenue before except for [the CFPB rule], and they're now keeping it, which is coming directly out of the consumer's pocket." Synchrony and Bread both easily topped expectations for first-quarter profit, and analysts covering the companies have raised estimates for what they will earn this year, despite concerns about a looming U.S. economic slowdown. While store cards occupy a relatively small corner of the overall credit card universe, Americans who are struggling financially are more likely to rely on them, and they are a crucial profit generator for popular American retailers. There were more than 160 million open retail card accounts last year, the CFPB said in a report from December that highlighted risks to users of the high-interest cards. More than half of the 100 biggest U.S. retailers offer store cards, and brands including Nordstrom and Macy's relied on them to generate roughly 8% of gross profits in recent years, the CFPB said. Banks may be taking advantage of the fact that some users of retail cards don't have the credit profiles to qualify for general-purpose cards from JPMorgan Chase or American Express , for example, said senior Bankrate analyst Ted Rossman. Nearly half of all retail card applications are submitted by people with subprime or no credit scores, and the card companies behind them approve applications at a higher rate than for general-purpose cards, the CFPB said. "Companies like Bread or Synchrony, they rely a lot more on people who carry balances or who pay late fees," Rossman said. Rates on retail cards have fallen by less than 1% on average since hitting their 2024 peak, and they are typically about 10 percentage points higher than the rates for general-purpose cards, Rossman said. That means it's unlikely that other large players in the retail card sector, including Citigroup and Barclays , have rolled back their rate increases in the wake of the CFPB rule's demise. The most recent published APR on the Macy's card, issued by Citigroup, is 33.49%, for instance. Citigroup and Barclays representatives declined to comment for this article. Synchrony's CEO gave some clues as to why banks aren't eager to roll back the hikes: borrowers either didn't seem to notice the higher rates, or didn't feel like they had a choice. Retail cards are typically advertised online or at the checkout of brick-and-mortar retailers, and often lure users with promotional discounts or rewards points. "We didn't see a big reduction in accounts or spend related to the actions" they took last year, Doubles told analysts. "We did a lot of test and control around that." Synchrony will discuss future possible changes to its card program with its brand partners, according to a spokeswoman for the Stamford, Connecticut-based bank. That could include bumping up promotional offers at specific retailers, Doubles said during the April conference call. Brian Doubles, Synchrony President "Our goal remains to provide access to financial solutions that provide flexibility, utility, and meaningful value to the diverse range of customers, partners, providers, and small and midsized businesses we serve," Synchrony said in a statement. A Bread spokesperson declined to comment for this article. Alaina Fingal, a New Orleans-based financial coach, said she often advises people who've been trapped in a debt spiral from using retail credit cards. Some have to take on side gigs, like driving for Uber Eats, to work down the balances, she said. "They do not understand the terms, and there are a lot of promotional offers that may have deferred interest clauses that are in there," Fingal said. "It's extremely predatory."
Metro
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
TV star Bryan Murray doesn't know he's left soap as he battles dementia
The partner of Fair City legend Bryan Murray has revealed that he doesn't remember retiring from the Irish soap following an Alzheimer's disease diagnosis. Bryan, 75, played Bob Charles in the hit RTÉ show for two decades, with his final appearance airing last week. The star received his diagnosis in 2019, but continued to make regular appearances as The Hungry Pig cafe owner Bob alongside co-star and real-life partner Una Crawford O'Brien, who plays Renee Phelan. He will be instantly familiar to British soap fans as the abusive Trevor Jordache in Brookside, or as cheeky Shifty Boswell in 80s comedy Bread. Following Bryan's final episode, Una has revealed that he no longer remembers leaving the show. 'He wasn't aware that he was finished either and that was good,' she explained. 'Once it started to stress him in any way, I knew the time was right for him to finish.' She also thanked Fair City cast, crew and executive producer Brigie de Courcy for their support during the last six years. 'Brigie was incredible; her and the team have facilitated him the best they could and that included everyone – acting, staging, sound – they all helped out. Huge thanks goes to them all,' Una told the Irish Mirror. 'They respected my decision late last year when I said he would have to finish up. 'Brigie had always said that she was leaving it entirely up to me, which was the best thing she could have done, because I wanted him to do it as long as he possibly could.' Speaking on the Morning Ireland show earlier this month, Brigie added: 'We are all very sad about this. Bryan has been an absolutely wonderful part of the team for the last 20 years, an integral part of the story and an absolute consummate professional. 'He is the very sort of person, when you have a young actor coming in you say to them, 'Go down and watch Bryan and watch what he does, how he occupies the space and how he occupies the screen'. 'Initially we put all of his scripts onto a clipboard so he could read his scene and it was very efficient. 'We ended up with a situation where he had a Bluetooth ear loop and we had a dialogue guide who would actually listen to him in rehearsal and pick up his intonations and his rhythms and then he would repeat it back to him on the floor and then Bryan would then say the line.' Una shared her experience of becoming Bryan's carer, telling The Ray D'Arcy Show that Bryan can no longer be on his own 'for any length of time.' 'Being a carer changes your relationship,' she said. 'Looking after someone who has Alzheimers you realise this is not who we were, who we were together. And I think that is the saddest part of it. Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale? Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers! 'I don't mind looking after him – sometimes it can be frustrating, sometimes it can be annoying, sometimes it's funny, but I think it is the sadness when you realise that your life has changed because of being a carer. More Trending 'When we got together, he made me laugh so much, I fell off a chair! He brought laughter back into my life.' Some of Bryan's biggest stories on Fair City included his homelessness and being ostracised from the Carrigstown community. He was also involved in a fraudulent scheme, and was a well respected character due to his status as landlord of McCoy's Pub. View More » Fair City airs Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays at 8.30pm on RTÉ One. If you've got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@ – we'd love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. MORE: Kelvin Fletcher reveals secret crush on legendary Emmerdale co-star MORE: EastEnders legend Ross Kemp's relative 'threatened to cut off mum's head' MORE: Danny Dyer confirms he left EastEnders because of one character
