Latest news with #GylesBrandreth
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Starmer is in the rough. Could Cameron get him out?
US President Donald Trump is in Scotland to visit his golf courses and meet Sir Keir Starmer, despite the fact that our PM does not play golf. Perhaps David Cameron can help? The former Conservative prime minister teamed up with former Irish prime minister Enda Kenny in the Pro-Am Senior Open at Sunningdale with three-time golf major winner Padraig Harrington – and won. 'I am doing my bit for Anglo-Irish relations,' Cameron tells me, describing Kenny, 74, as 'a canny golfer – like Trump.' Cameron, 58, famously played golf with Barack Obama when the former US president visited the UK in 2016. Both have improved their handicaps since then. 'When I played Obama he was a 14 and I was a 21 – I've made it to 15 but he's gone all the way to six.' There is life after politics, at least on the golf course. Barry's friends Labour MP Barry Gardiner has proved to be an unlikely hit with GB News viewers due to his regular appearances on the channel. He tells me that so far he has been sent 'one tie, a key ring and a bottle opener' in the post from viewers, and even one proposal of marriage. He accepted the first three, and declined the fourth, which must be a relief to Mrs Gardiner, a noted poet. Gyles's toothpaste An update from the bathroom of Gyles Brandreth. 'I regard my bathroom mirror as my enemy, not my friend,' the 77-year-old TV presenter tells The Oldie magazine. 'That's why I tend not to have the lights full-on when I'm brushing my teeth. And that's why the other night I squeezed Voltarol instead of toothpaste on to my toothbrush. I know I must be getting older. I couldn't tell the difference.' Ministers' latitude It's a big festival weekend, not least the thousands who are attending Latitude in Suffolk. I hear one group of Labour ministers are hiring a house nearby so they can get to listen to the music and sleep in a comfortable bed each night. For the few, not the many. Brandon's healthy approach Actress Glynis Barber, 69, has an enthusiastic interest in wellbeing and anti-ageing; her actor husband Michael Brandon, 80, doesn't. The pair co-starred in 1980s cop TV series Dempsey & Makepeace. Barber says: 'He literally has no interest whatsoever. However, he has the benefit of living with me. So I have foisted organic food on him. I read boring articles on the benefits of a certain supplement or the latest findings of what fat does to the body. [But] he just glazes over, tries to listen and then literally falls asleep.' Arise Lord Norris? Former Conservative minister Steven Norris has led a 'frankly ridiculous life', his son Harry declared in an affectionate speech at a dinner to celebrate his father's 80th birthday this week. 'Not many people can say they've been shot at beside President Carter, taken the late Queen on her first Thames Clipper ride or been kissed by both Yasser Arafat and Hugh Grant,' said Harry. Norris Snr, who was also Tory candidate for London mayor in 2000 and 2004, has inexplicably never been rewarded with a peerage. He responded to Harry's speech by inviting his friends to his 90th birthday party in 10 years' time. Ozzy and Tony
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Julian Clary's inappropriate quiz show answer: EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE
Is a new book by Aatish Taseer, ex-boyfriend of Princess Michael of Kent's daughter Gabriella, set to revive spurious claims that Michael was the 'royal racist' unnamed by Meghan in her infamous Oprah interview? Harry said it wasn't the Queen or Prince Philip. Omid Scobie named, without evidence, the King and Kate. Meghan claims she had been angered at her first meeting with the extended royals at an annual pre-Christmas family lunch at Buckingham Palace in 2017 over a discussion on the 'skin tone' of a future Sussex baby. A year later Aatish revealed that Princess Michael had two black sheep named Venus and Serena. The royal who made the comment which made Meg bristle has never been identified. Marking the 12th birthday of Prince George yesterday, perky name-dropper Gyles Brandreth enthuses: 'July 22 is always an important date on my calendar, I send out a lot of birthday cards. The Prime Minister of Jamaica, it's his birthday. My friend Bonnie Langford, I always send her a card. The actor Terence Stamp, I always send him a card.' Thank goodness Gyles can afford all those stamps. Colonel-in-Chief of the camp fraternity Julian Clary sabotaged a take of Blankety Blank when asked by host Bradley Walsh to complete the statement: 'If you want to convince someone that you're highly intelligent, tell them you're a world authority on *blank*.' 'I don't know why, but I put 'lesbians',' explained Julian, pictured. 'They had to stop the recording to tell me to tone it down.' Surely harmless fun compared with his 1993 British Comedy Awards claim he had been intimate with Norman Lamont. The Tory Chancellor was in the audience with his wife. Donald Trump 's porky pie about never drawing pictures has been ridiculed as one of his doodles fetched $15,000 at Sotheby's. Someone who might be in the market for a Trump original is Keir Starmer, due to meet him in Scotland this weekend. One of Trump's more playful sketches is of a 'Money Tree', with dollar bills drifting from its branches, which sold for $8,500 in 2020. Starmer desperately needs one of those! Ex-Tory MP Michael Fabricant seems to have lost faith in his party, saying: 'Whether James Cleverly returns to the Conservative front bench is, for the foreseeable future, irrelevant. Deck chairs on the Titanic.' Bewigged Michael and party leader Kemi are feuding. After he announced he 'wasn't in love' with Kemi's leadership, she cheekily said of Michael: 'I'm not surprised he's not in love with me – he's a gay man.' Michael fumed: 'I'm not a gay man. I've been making it very plain that I'm bisexual!' Spare a thought for horror rock star Alice Cooper. 'I just can't get a good supply of snakes any more,' he wails. 'My guy in London always found me excellent snakes, but now I just can't get the permits.' Is Brexit to blame?
BBC News
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Margaret Thatcher festival's programme of events revealed
More details have been announced of a festival to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Margaret Thatcher. The former Conservative prime minister was born in Grantham, Lincolnshire in 1925 and died in April 2013, aged Fest will begin in her home town on 13 October and will include a drag show and talks by former minister Edwina Currie and TV personality Gyles Brandreth. South Kesteven District Council leader Ashley Baxter said the aim of the festival was to "promote political debate and drive footfall to Grantham". The council said Thatcher Fest would cover the "history, conflict and divisive politics of her time in power."Thatcher was the UK's first female prime minister and held the post from 1979 until her resignation in said: "We're working with all kinds of community organisations to make sure people know the centenary is happening."Regardless of what you think of her views and policies, a woman getting to the position of prime minister in 1979 is astonishing."It's not something everyone would want to celebrate - she is one of the most polarising figures of recent political history." Guildhall Arts Centre line-up Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho, 13 October: A drag show starring Matt Tedford as The Iron Lady, reimagining the evening of the Section 28 vote with Thatcher getting lost in Soho and accidentally becoming a cabaret junior health minister Edwina Currie hosting an evening of chat and memories of her time in government, 14 OctoberQuite A Centenary, 17 October: Hosted by TV personality, author and former MP Gyles Brandreth, celebrating three British icons - Margaret Thatcher, Elizabeth II and Winnie the Reagan, Gorbachev: Power, Politics, and the end of the Cold War, 15 October: Hosted by York St John University professor, Dr James Cooper. Other ticketed events Walking Talks: The Thatcher Years - guided walks of Grantham - various dates in OctoberThe Iron Lady: cinema screening at Kesteven and Grantham Girls School - 13 and 16 OctoberLiving Over the Shop: Grantham Dramatic Society present a gossip's view of Margaret Thatcher at Christ Church, Finkin Street/Grantham Museum - 15 and 18 OctoberMargaret Thatcher: Alternative Voices - Music and poetry at Grantham Museum 18 OctoberAll tickets are available through the Guildhall Arts Centre website or from the Guildhall Box Office in Grantham. Ticketless events Thatcher Postcard Exhibition: Union Street Gallery will hosts a collection covering various side of the story, political moments, and illustrated images throughout OctoberMargaret Thatcher display: Discover her early life, legacy, and local roots at Grantham Library, 13 to 18 OctoberGrantham in the 1920s and 1930s - local history talk at Christ Church Finkin Street, 14 October at 16:00 GMT Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Edinburgh Live
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
ITV This Morning star interrupts show and walks off as presenter pleads 'don't'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info This Morning's Gyles Brandreth left presenters Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley stunned when he stormed off the ITV studio during Monday's live broadcast. The 77-year-old broadcaster suddenly abandoned his chair whilst discussing "ghostworking" - a term used to describe staff members who appear occupied but achieve very little. Brandreth had been explaining another workplace phenomenon, telling viewers: "As well as ghostworking, have you heard about revenge quitting? This is an interesting phenomenon - one in seven people admit to revenge quitting, this is where an employee walks out at the most inconvenient time." To illustrate his point, he joked before disappearing from view: "So it's been lovely knowing you all." Cat immediately responded with mock desperation: "Oh Gyles, don't," pleading with him to remain for the next segment about wedding photography. "Come back and talk about wedding photos," she urged, according to Wales Online, reports the Mirror. Ben joined in with amusement, making reference to Brandreth's earlier comments about the expense of being a grandfather: "Who is going to pay for the grandkids if you storm out?". Ben and Cat have been presenting This Morning together since March of last year, taking over from Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, with regular contributions from Brandreth and other media figures discussing topical issues. In 2023, the programme was embroiled in scandal after Schofield admitted to an affair with a younger male colleague, an event he termed "unwise but not illegal". Nonetheless, Gyles Brandreth has shared his sincere joy at being part of the This Morning team. He had previously conveyed his contentment, stating: "We are very happy to be here. Can I say that as well? This is a happy place to work. I enjoy coming in here and have done since I began coming in." A staple on This Morning since 2021, the Celebrity Gogglebox star is celebrated not just for his sharp wit but also for his eye-catching jumpers, consistently providing amusement and bewilderment to the audience. His remarks came after Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond spoke out about This Morning's recent prominence in the media. Dermot acknowledged: "We happen to be in the news at the moment and of course we appreciate that, but just from both of us and the whole team here, the crew, the guys downstairs, we love making this show for all of you." Alison concurred, adding: "We really do and that's exactly what we're going to do."
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
This Morning star eyes up role as the new Cat Deeley - insisting 'I'm always there and work harder than anyone else'
A This Morning star has revealed she's eyeing up a permanent role on the show just like Cat Deeley as she insisted she works 'harder than anyone else'. The former reality star, 37, has become a fan-favourite on the long-running ITV daytime show after being introduced to viewers several years ago. Ashley James is a regular face on the sofa, and appears on This Morning's daily current affairs segment 'This Morning's View'. The mum-of-two is usually paired with ex-MP Gyles Brandreth, with the two giving their opinions on the day's stories to hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard. Now Ashley has thrown her hat in the ring to be the show's next female presenter. Speaking to The Sun, she candidly said: 'I've always said that I'm always there when the time comes. 'I would always love to host This Morning.' Ashley added that she only follows where her interests are, and she will always 'work harder than anyone else'. Cat Deeley, 48, and Ben Shephard, 50, took over as main anchors of This Morning in March 2024, following the high-profile exits of Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield. Ashley made her first TV debut in 2012, landing a role in E4's Made In Chelsea, however, she departed just a year later. In 2018 she took part in Celebrity Big Brother, alongside the likes of Malika Haqq, Amanda Barrie, Ann Widdecombe and India Willoughby. The series was eventually won by drag queen Courtney Act, as Shane Jenek scooped the crown. Ashley is known for sharing honest insights into her life with fans and in May shared a brutally honest behind-the-scenes look at her prep for the Bafta TV awards. From late night dress fittings 'because my body isn't sample size' to sneakily hidden yoghurt stains from feeding her kids, Ashley was sure to highlight the 'lack of glamour'. The presenter also shared snaps of her being covered in an 'endless amounts' of breast tape, as well her skin the morning after and precariously trying to take off her t-shirt after her hair and make-up had been done. Back in March, Ashley opened up about her personal struggles with her self-worth and body image, admitting it took her a 'really long time' for her to accept herself. She is determined to ensure her two-year-old daughter, Ada, never faces those same battles and is committed to breaking free from the societal pressures that often leave women feeling inadequate. Speaking candidly about her journey towards self-acceptance, Ashley explained how important it is for her to protect Ada from the toxic culture of body image obsession. She exclusively told MailOnline: 'I really don't want my daughter to ever feel like she's not enough or to ever critique herself, especially when, you know, we can't change our body shape. 'Women are so much more than our bodies, and we should be learning how to respect ourselves and strength.
