Latest news with #Bryon
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
What It Feels Like For a Girl is fearless TV - exactly what the BBC was made for
Released at the start of Pride month, the BBC adaptation of the bestselling book What It Feels Like For a Girl should have been a joyous moment for the LGBTQ+ community. But, perhaps unsurprisingly, given the current political climate across the world, Paris Lees' memoir coming to life on screen sparked a wave of transphobic commentary. From prominent newspaper columnists cruelly and incorrectly using male pronouns when discussing Lees' in their nasty 'reviews' to the sadly predictable tweets, this new BBC series has received far more hostile attention than it would have done had it not been centred around a transwoman's lived experience. Amid the controversy that occurs whenever trans people dare tell their stories, it's essential to not focus on 'backlash' and instead judge queer art on its substance rather than superfluous outrage. So, is What It Feels Like For A Girl any good? In short, yes - anyone refusing to watch this bold new series because of their views on gender identity is cutting their nose off to spite their face. What It Feels Like For a Girl is original, bold, witty, and sometimes uncomfortable viewing, with complicated characters that have you constantly changing your opinion of them. Set in the early 00s, allowing for a wonderful dose of Y2K nostalgia, What It Feels Like For a Girl follows 13-year-old Byron as they try to escape a life of homophobic bullying and forge a new path for themselves. Bryon's fed up with their dad - the weightlifting, womanising Gaz - and their mum, who fled to Turkey like Shirley Valentine. They've had enough of the people in Hucknall, until they meet the captivating Lady Die and The Fallen Divas and begin a rollercoaster ride of hedonism in the East Midlands. The main focus of the series is obviously Bryon's journey with their gender identity and the LGBTQ+ community, but What It Feels Like For a Girl is also packed with universal experiences that working-class people from the straight community will relate to and understand. I first read What It Feels Like For A Girl shortly after losing my nan, with whom I lived as a teenager. As a fellow 'nan kid', reading Bryon's love for their grandmother – or 'Mommar' - felt almost therapeutic and cathartic as I wrestled with my grief. A close relationship with a grandparent, of course, isn't something that's exclusively working-class, but in What It Feels Like For a Girl, Lees manages to perfectly summarise just what it feels like to grow up with perhaps a little less money than others but more love from a grandparent than the rich will ever know of. A TV series inspired by a book from a well-known public figure that has sold millions of copies across the world shouldn't be seen as such a radical act - it wasn't when Richard Osman landed a Netflix deal to adapt his twee 'cosy' crime waffle - but here we are. I'm loath to praise the BBC for commissioning this series - because it shouldn't be such a rarity to see trans authors get TV adaptations - but it is refreshing to see the public service broadcaster actually follow its Royal Charter and provide quality, diverse, and informative content to licence fee payers. What It Feels Like For A Girl will likely be a stand alone series, given the fact it's based on Lees' memoir, but hopefully 'sequels' will come in the form of new, fresh stories from other LGBTQ+ writers finding their way onto iPlayer.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NASCAR Will Not See a Pop Star Rating Boost, William Byron Reacts to Sabrina Carpenter Rumors
It's always a little jarring when NASCAR drivers end up on the TMZ homepage, but due to a parody account and the buzz around back-to-back Daytona wins, William Byron found himself in the middle of the Hollywood rumor mill. Earlier this week, after Byron secured his second Daytona 500 victory, the parody account "The Daily Downfords" (a spin on The Daily Downforce) posted a doctored photo of him commenting "Hii" under an Instagram post by the Grammy-winning pop star Sabrina Carpenter. Bryon was quick to share that the comment was fake, but it was enough to fuel rumors to spread as far as TMZ. When talking to TMZ about his Daytona win and the drama around the doctored post, Byron handled it lightheartedly, saying that people are good at Photoshop these days and the NASCAR parody account could be compared to the NBA cultural juggernaut parody account NBACental. "They do a really good job with Photoshop nowadays," Bryon told TMZ. "It's a good parody account; it's like that NBA Cental account." A famous relationship would do wonders for NASCAR's viewership numbers, as the sport is always looking to increase its cultural relevance. When Taylor Swift started dating Kansas City Tight End Travis Kelce and regularly attending games, the NFL saw a huge spike in viewership, which effectively generated an additional $331.5 Million for the already rich sport. While NASCAR would love for one of its young stars to secure a whirlwind Hollywood romance, this pairing doesn't seem to be in the cards. Byron is open to the idea of Carpenter being a guest of Hendrick Motorsports some race weekend to pay off the bit or if his schedule permits for him to attend a stop on her Short and Sweet Tour. "Maybe we can get her out to a race; it would be great," Byron said. "Or I can get to a show." You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Aussie CEO issues huge WFH warning: ‘Every job at risk'
An Australian CEO has issued a dire warning for employees hoping to continue working from home. The WFH tide has well and truly begun to turn, with more Aussie companies reeling back their pandemic policies and getting staff back into the office full-time. Capital Airport Group and Canberra Airport CEO Stephen Byron is one Aussie boss calling on workers to return to the office. He was recently asked about how companies could get people back to their desks, particularly in the Canberra CBD where retail vacancies are the highest. Bryon said WFH was a legacy of the pandemic and argued it meant workers weren't able to be part of the team or the culture, or given an environment for learning and mentoring. RELATED Work-from-home debate fires up as Aussie exposes 'ridiculous' reality of return to office RBA interest rate cuts set to make these Aussies $50,000 richer overnight: 'Frenzy' Aussie mum's $1,500 warning after getting 'stupidly high' bill: 'Question everything' 'We're tribal as people, we work better in teams, we work better collaboratively, we understand what we're trying to achieve,' Bryon told an ACT Property Council breakfast, according to Riotact. 'The truth is, if you want to really work from home, every single person's job is at risk of being outsourced overseas.' Iqbal Singh, founder of financial advisory firm Innovative Consultants, shared a similar sentiment last year. He said Aussie workers could "absolutely" be replaced by Indian workers for a fraction of the cost, estimating the jobs could be done for around 10 to 15 per cent of current said Canberra, in particular, had 'a lot at risk' from the work-from-home trend and argued that remote public service appointments undermined the notion of a national capital. He argued there was a lack of leadership from governments and managers on work from home, and said mandating work from home in some departments had to stop. 'Managers need to manage people and show leadership and mentoring, and they need to say, I can look after my team as a team, not as an individual, and I'm probably going to employ people who live in the same city,' he said. Commonwealth public servants currently have some of the most generous work-from-home rights in the country. The Australian Public Service Commission enterprise agreement, signed in late 2023, allows uncapped working-from-home days for Commonwealth employees, which covers 174,000 workers across 103 agencies. Amazon, Dell, Tabcorp and Flight Centre are among the major companies pushing for staff to return to office this year. In August, the NSW Premier's Department issued a directive for public sector employees to return to work primarily from the office. Despite this push, recent research by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEBA) found more than a third of Aussies were still regularly working from home. Office vacancy rates across Australia's major cities have remained largely stable over the last six months, the latest Office Market Report from the Property Council of Australia found. CBD vacancy rates have slightly increased from 13.6 per cent to 13.7 per cent, driven by increased supply and positive demand above historical averages across the four major cities. Meanwhile, non-CBD vacancy rates have held steady at 17.2 per cent. Despite the positive signs, this is still the highest CBD vacancy rate recorded since the in to access your portfolio
