Latest news with #DanielDefoe
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Strictly star Alex Kingston's VERY racy start to her career revealed: Actress was a nude life model before starring in raunchy roles that saw her strip off for the camera
Alex Kingston's raunchy start to her career has been revealed after she became the third star to sign up for this year's Strictly Come Dancing. Her journey from butcher's daughter to internationally acclaimed actress and the latest star to sign up for the BBC 's flagship show began almost 30 years ago. And it certainly was a risqué beginning to stardom, with Alex, 62, earning extra cash as a nude life model for artists before going on to star in the 1996 romp The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders. The series was an adaptation of the novel Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe and charts the bed-hopping antics of the criminal's daughter brought up in society. And the show was Alex's springboard to fame and brought her to worldwide attention, not least for the number of bodice-ripping scenes she featured in. Since then, Alex, who has starred in Doctor Who and EastEnders, has never been shy about stripping off in front of the camera. It certainly was a risqué beginning to stardom, with Alex, 62, earning extra cash as a nude life model for artists before going on to star in the 1996 romp The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders. Two years later, she appeared alongside Clive Owen as Jani de Villiers in the gambling flick Croupier, where movie fans could bet on getting more than a glimpse of her impressive curves. In 2000, in the film Essex Boys, came more raunchy scenes with her leading man. The film is loosely based on events in December 1995 that culminated in the murders of three drug dealers in Rettendon, Essex, UK, and she played femme fatale Lisa Locke. And in the 2011 series Marchlands, Alex was seen in the buff yet again when she played Helen Maynard in a supernatural drama following the lives of three families who live in the same remote house in different time period, and in the 2019 series The Widow, she locked lips with co-star Siobhan Finneran. But in a recent interview with The Telegraph, she said she had managed to avoid the horrors of the Harvey Weinstein-style casting couch predators. She grew up the daughter of a butcher and an art teacher, making her screen debut aged 17 as Grange Hill bully Jill Harcourt. She told the publication last year: 'Casting couch culture still existed when I came out of drama school. If you were a young girl, you'd likely encounter something at some point – I have friends who did – and, if you were on the up, people might question how you got there. 'I was too naive to read the signs and in a weird way that protected me, because I never went for "the drink in the pub".' Her role in Moll Flanders earned her a Bafta nomination and a fruitful new career path as ER's Elizabeth Corday. Nowadays, such demands would require intimacy coordinators and, while she is relieved such provisions are in place for her drama-student daughter Salome ('although she's very ballsy, she can look after herself'), she regards her own blasé attitude with fondness. 'I was a life-drawing model so I was very used to being naked around people. After one of Moll's earliest sex scenes, the first AD [assistant director] jumped into bed and the three of us had a post-coital fag together because we thought it was funny. You couldn't do that nowadays, which is probably a good thing', she added. But she did infamously bite the tongue of a male co-star in a stage play – leaving him needing stitches in his tongue. She was unhappy when the unnamed lead used his tongue in their kissing scenes and issued a warning to him to stop the saucy smooch. The actor refused, and Alex bit his tongue while they were mid-performance - and it was only the next day she realised the severity of what she had done. She told The Graham Norton Show in 2011: 'Interestingly, and I'm not going to mention the actor's name... I did do a job once. I did a play and at the end of the play there was a kiss and we'd been doing this for a long time, a long run, and this actor, every time we did this kiss, he would stick his tongue down my throat... 'So I said, "If you do that again I will bite your tongue", and I think he thought I was joking so the next performance he did it again and I bit his tongue and clung on for a while, and didn't think anything of it. 'And then the next day, when we were backstage and I bumped into him, he was just having soup and I couldn't understand why he wasn't eating anything more substantial, so I said, "You're only having soup?" and he said, "I've got four stitches in my tongue". 'I had actually bitten through his tongue! I warned him!' Alex's very colourful career comes as she's set to add another string to her bow - as a Strictly contestant. Speaking to The One Show hosts Roman Kemp and Alex Scott on Monday about her upcoming stint, the actress teased: 'My hips don't lie'. Alex notably appeared in US drama ER from 1997 to 2005 alongside George Clooney. She also took on a recurring role in Doctor Who, playing River Song - the love interest of Matt Smith's incarnation of the Doctor and the daughter of Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill). Alex briefly reprised her role during Peter Capaldi's stint on the BBC sci-fi show and has also leant her voice to a number of audio releases in the franchise. Alex has previously spoken about her desire to sign up for Strictly, revealing she and her close friend Sarah Hadland - who competed last year - had discussed it. 'Sarah Hadland and I talked about how much we'd like to do Strictly Come Dancing,' she said in 2019.
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Business Standard
18-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Chinese nationals flee Iran by land as Israel conflict escalates
The first Chinese evacuees from Iran have started sharing on social media their desperate efforts to reach the Islamic Republic's borders and the safety of Turkmenistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan, as the Israel-Iran air war entered a sixth day. Several thousand Chinese nationals are thought to reside in oil-rich Iran, according to state media reports, highlighting Beijing's efforts to deepen strategic and commercial ties with Iran over the past two decades. "My heart was pounding but amid the haze of war, everything became clear: I packed my bags and tried to evacuate to the embassy," wrote a Chinese travel blogger under the alias Shuishui Crusoe, a nod to Daniel Defoe's fictional castaway, Robinson Crusoe. The travel blogger had decided to leave after sitting through Israel's overnight bombings last Friday when the conflict began, even as the embassy advised her to stay put. Emboldened by news of fellow citizens who made it across to Armenia, 750 km (500 miles) from the Iranian capital Tehran, she chose the same route, arriving by bus in the Armenian capital Yerevan on Monday, a day before China's embassy officially urged its citizens to leave Iran. China started evacuating its citizens from Tehran to Turkmenistan by bus on Tuesday, a distance of 1,150 km, state-run China News Service reported Wednesday. Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, said Beijing had not received any reports of Chinese casualties. "Seven hundred and ninety-one Chinese nationals have already been relocated from Iran to safe areas, and over 1,000 more are in the process of being evacuated," he told a regular news conference. While the embassy emphasised evacuation, some other Chinese netizens still in Iran shared video compilations showing an orderly scenario of well-stocked grocery shops and fruit stalls, with only a couple of clips of large purchases of bottled water. Most Chinese in Iran are engineers who moved there to work for Chinese firms that have invested just under $5 billion in the country since 2007 - primarily in its oil sector - according to data from the American Enterprise Institute think tank. If the regime in Tehran is severely weakened or replaced, Beijing loses a key diplomatic foothold in a region long dominated by the U.S. but vital to President Xi Jinping's flagship Belt and Road initiative and its aim to link the world's second-largest economy with Europe and the Gulf. China, the world's leading energy consumer, has also benefited from importing heavily discounted Iranian crude, despite Washington's sanctions aimed at curbing the trade.
Straits Times
18-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Chinese flee Iran overland by bus to safety of neighbouring countries
BEIJING - The first Chinese evacuees from Iran have started sharing on social media their desperate efforts to reach the Islamic Republic's borders and the safety of Turkmenistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan, as the Israel-Iran air war entered a sixth day. Several thousand Chinese nationals are thought to reside in oil-rich Iran, according to state media reports highlighting Beijing's efforts to deepen strategic and commercial ties with the theocratic regime over the past two decades. "My heart was pounding but amid the haze of war, everything became clear: I packed my bags and tried to evacuate to the embassy," wrote a Chinese travel blogger under the alias Shuishui Crusoe, a nod to Daniel Defoe's fictional castaway, Robinson Crusoe. The travel blogger had decided to leave after sitting through Israel's overnight bombings on June 13 when the conflict began, even as the embassy told advised her to stay put. Emboldened by news of fellow citizens who made it across to Armenia, 750km from the Iranian capital Tehran, she chose the same route, arriving by bus in the Armenian capital Yerevan on June 16, a day before China's embassy officially urged citizens to leave Iran. China started evacuating its citizens from Tehran to Turkmenistan by overland bus on June 17, a distance of 1,150km, state-run China News Service reported on June 18. More than 700 Chinese nationals have been transferred to places of safety and more than 1,000 more are in the process of being transferred, China's Foreign Ministry said on June 18. While the embassy emphasised evacuation, some other Chinese netizens still in Iran shared video compilations showing an orderly scenario of well-stocked grocery shops and fruit stalls, with only a couple of clips of large purchases of bottled water. Most Chinese in Iran are engineers who moved there to work for Chinese firms that have invested just under US$5 billion (S$6.42 billion) in the country since 2007 - primarily in its oil sector - according to data from the American Enterprise Institute think tank. If the regime in Tehran is severely weakened or replaced, Beijing loses a key diplomatic foothold in a region long dominated by the US but vital to President Xi Jinping's flagship Belt and Road initiative and its aim to link the world's second-largest economy with Europe and the Gulf. China, the world's leading energy consumer, has also benefited from importing heavily discounted Iranian crude, despite Washington's sanctions aimed at curbing the trade. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Daily Record
16-05-2025
- Daily Record
Tiny Scottish island that is only accessible during low tide is filled with WW2 ruins
Less than six miles from Edinburgh, the island is one of 17 in Scotland that can be reached on foot at low tide Sitting less than six miles from the heart of Edinburgh, a tiny island has a remarkable history that belies its small size. And if you want to experience it first-hand, you'll have to pick your moment carefully, as it can only be reached on foot when the tide is out. Cramond Island is one of Scotland's more curious landmarks. Isolated and uninhabited today, the Firth of Forth tidal island's haunting quiet hides a past filled with amazing tales stretching from prehistory to the Second World War. The island, one of 17 that are walkable from the Scottish mainland, captured national headlines in 2011 when a man and woman became stranded after the tide came in, The Express reports. The story took a surreal twist when it emerged that the man's name was Daniel Defoe, a striking coincidence that led to comparisons with the namesake author of Robinson Crusoe, the classic adventure novel published in 1719. Though deserted for much of its history, evidence suggests Cramond Island held a special place in ancient times. Archaeological finds point to human activity dating back to the prehistoric era, and at least one burial cist has been discovered, hinting at its possible ceremonial or spiritual significance for early coastal communities. The island may also be the site of Urbs Iudeu, an early medieval fortress referenced by the Venerable Bede in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People. If true, Cramond Island would have witnessed a siege in 655 AD during one of the era's many power struggles. Centuries later, in 1596, it became the setting for a dramatic duel. Under the sanction of King James VI of Scotland, Adam Bruntfield challenged James Carmichael to single combat, accusing him of murdering his brother. Bruntfield emerged victorious. By the late 18th century, the island took on a quieter role. The British Wool Society used it for grazing sheep in the 1790s, and farming continued until 1904 when the last farmer, Peter Hogg, passed away. A ruined farmstead still stands today. While the structure appears on a map drawn in 1853, its precise origins remain uncertain. Cramond Island was pulled into the conflict of both world wars in the 20th century. In 1914, in the early days of The Great War, an anti-submarine net was installed, stretching between Cramond Island, Inchmickery, Inchcolm and the Fife coast, aiming to deter enemy vessels from navigating up the Forth. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We 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'. When the Second World War broke out in 1939, the island was once again fortified as military planners feared a German invasion via the Firth of Forth. An anti-boat boom was laid across the estuary from the island, and gun emplacements were constructed. A spotlight tower was also installed to sweep across the tidal causeway. That invasion never materialised, and following the war, the military departed, leaving behind the skeletal remains of bunkers, fortifications and other wartime structures that still stand in silent testament to its strategic past.
Times
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
The Times Daily Quiz: Friday April 25, 2025
1 The title hero of which Daniel Defoe novel was born Robinson Kreutznaer? 2 The dish coq au riesling usually features bacon and which other meat? 3 A 1925 biography of which Italian leader was written by his Jewish mistress Margherita Sarfatti? 4 Live television coverage of which Somerset music festival began on Channel 4 in 1994? 5 In Tennyson's Idylls of the King, which sword 'rose from out the bosom of the lake'? 6 Question Time presenter Robin Day was known for what trademark neckwear? 7 In Islam, Azrael, Jibril, Mikal and Israfil are the four named what? 8 The title of a 1992 book by Brian Cox refers to which Shakespeare tragedy's eponymous king? 9 Which Scottish historian wrote the 2003 book Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World?
