Latest news with #HappyBirthday
Metro
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
The Simpsons episode that was banned 27 years after its original release
Stark Raving Dad was the first episode in season 3 of The Simpsons, but it's not as easy to watch today as the others. The episode first aired on September 19, 1991, but was banned almost 30 years later due to the appearance of a controversial guest star. In 2019, Stark Raving Dad was forbidden from airing worldwide and removed from streaming following the public resurgence of allegations of child sexual abuse against Michael Jackson, who voices a character. Credited as John Jay Smith at the time, Jackson, who died in 2009 aged 50, was the voice behind Leon Kompowski, whom Homer met in a mental institution but believed to be the King of Pop. The Thriller hitmaker was known to be a fan of the animated series, having called its creator, Matt Groening, and asking to be part of it. He pitched his own ideas and even wrote the Happy Birthday, Lisa song for his episode, as a side plot sees Bart promising his sister that he will get her the best present ever. For contractual reasons, Jackson's role was not confirmed officially until a later date, with Kipp Lennon also performing his written tune due to legal obligations with Jackson's record company. There are plenty of Jackson references throughout the episode, including soundbites of his hits Billie Jean and Ben. It was also said Jackson remained heavily involved in the production process, having requested several script changes, including that a joke about Prince was altered to one about Elvis Presley. Alas, Jackson's starring role ended up being the downfall of Stark Raving Dad. In January 2019, the documentary Leaving Neverland was released. In it, two men, now in their thirties, alleged that they had been sexually abused by Jackson at the height of his fame and when they were aged seven and 10. Director Dan Reed described the Primetime Emmy-winning doc as a 'study of the psychology of child sexual abuse, told through two ordinary families … groomed for 20 years by a pedophile masquerading as a trusted friend.' The filmmaker also said in the aftermath that he was 'not about cancelling Jackson,' but rather wanted people to know 'that he was, at times, a monster to children.' Wade Robson and James Safechuck provided graphic recounts of their alleged encounters with Jackson, which they claim took place at his home, Neverland Ranch, and elsewhere, not realising the acts were inappropriate until they were older. Many of Jackson's fans grew fiercely defensive in the wake of its release, and it actually boosted his music sales by 10%, with no mass demands for his tunes to stop being played. However, in many ways, it also tarnished his legacy, hence the decision to axe Stark Raving Dad to sever the Jackson connection. While Jackson was not alive by the time the Neverland doc was released, his estate has continued to deny claims that he abused either of the men, whom Jackson met on video shoots. Maintaining that he is innocent, the Jackson estate also previously emphasised that Robson testified that he had not been abused during the singer's 2005 criminal trial, which tried further child sexual abuse allegations. Safechuck said the same to authorities, with Jackson later acquitted. In November 2026, Robson and Safechuck will finally appear in court, with their joint suit against MJJ Productions and MJJ Venture having been revived, accusing the companies of failing to protect them. Meanwhile, a Jackson biopic is currently in the works, with the late performer's nephew, Jaafar Jackson, portraying him. Having been recently pushed back, the movie will be released at some point after April 1, 2026. More Trending He also had somewhat of an involvement in other Simpsons episodes. Jackson was a big Bart fan, so he wrote Do the Bartman in a bid to give him a chart-topping hit, but he did not receive credit for it. He was also mentioned in the episode Bart Sells His Soul (1995) when Bart says: 'Milhouse, there is no such thing as a soul. It's just something parents made up to scare children, like the boogeyman or Michael Jackson.' View More » Another Jackson name-drop came in The Bart of War, released in 2003. 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. MORE: Desperate Housewives star Valerie Mahaffey dies aged 71 MORE: The Chase star with surprising new job away from ITV quiz show MORE: 'Elite' wrestling star quits WWE rivals days before Money In The Bank
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Judy Finnigan reveals two stone weight loss secret after she 'nearly died'
Judy Finnigan has shed two stone after she "nearly died" in 2018 after being rushed to hospital with a stomach ulcer. Former This Morning presenter Judy Finnigan has revealed the heart wrenching moment she "nearly died" after being rushed to the hospital for a ruptured stomach ulcer. Since the horrific health scare, the star has shed two stone. The 77-year-old star, who is married to Good Morning Britain star Richard Madeley, has wowed fans with her weight loss transformation over the years after working closely with her daughter Chloe Madeley, who is a personal trainer, to make better lifestyle choices. The Richard and Judy star previously underwent two life saving blood transfusions in 2018, after she was left with a stomach ulcer from taking ibuprofen. Judy had previously said she felt seriously ill after taking pills like they were "sweeties" for a knee injury, the Mirror reports. She emotionally told the MailOnline: "I nearly died. Totally out of the blue, I have never experienced anything like it before and hope to god I never will again." The star then went on to show appreciation for the skilled ambulance crew after suffering the stomach ulcer, which could have seen her "bleed out within an hour." "'I survived thanks to exceptionally swift arriving and skilled ambulance crew and superb emergency treatment at London's Royal Free Hospital and two major life-saving blood transfusions," she continued. Judy successfully lost an impressive two stone by changing her eating habits and exercising - even impressing her daughter, personal trainer Chloe Madeley. Chloe is said to have created a revised programme for her mum, focussing on a reduced daily calorie intake plan through smaller portions and eating less but more frequently, along with a consistent exercise routine. Her daughter Chloe spoke candidly on Loose Women about her mum in 2018, saying: "Her diet now is amazing. Naturally, her palate has changed, she's gotten really into sushi, raw fish, big multigrain salads and she's dropped loads of weight just naturally from changing the old meat and potatoes to something healthier." Just last week, Judy celebrated her 77th birthday where she looked radiant. The TV star celebrated her special day with those closest to her, as she smiled for some gorgeous snaps. Judy showed off her figure in a floral dress, as she was showered with birthday love from her family and friends - treated to cakes, balloons, presents and flowers. Judy's celebrations follow her husband Richard's 69th birthday in which he spent live on Good Morning Britain, and fans couldn't believe his age. The star was left blushing after the GMB crew started to play Happy Birthday through the studio speakers, as well as lighting it up with flashing lights at six in the morning. The screen behind the hosts displayed a large "Happy Birthday Richard" message, complete with digital balloons floating up and down. Revealing the secret to his youthful appearance, Richard joked that he thinks he seems youthful due to the fact he's aged in front of millions of viewers on TV. He said: "I've been on TV almost every day since the late 1970s. If you look at yourself in the shaving mirror everyday, you can't see yourself getting older. "But if you looked every three months, you'll notice it. So I'm on everyday here, mostly. So of course I'm aging, obviously I am. But because I'm on all the time it's not as noticeable," he continued.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Kylie Minogue had 'no words' after thousands of fans interrupted her London show
Aussie pop queen Kylie Minogue was in a state of complete shock during her London concert as a crowd of 20,000 brought it to a sudden standstill for a heartwarming reason Kylie Minogue was left in a state of shock after tens of thousands of fans interrupted her barnstorming London concert this week. The Aussie pop queen has been touring the globe since February promoting her album Tension and on May 26 and 27, she brought her glitzy party to the capital. So far this year, Kylie has performed in her homeland, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan and North America before coming to the UK and all her shows have been well received. But by the time she landed in London, nothing could prepare her for the feverish behaviour that gripped the 20,000-strong crowd inside the O2 Arena. As she was performing a medley of her hits old and new, the Padam Padam pop titan was brought to tears when the crowd and her backing singers stopped the show – for a surprising reason. Out of the blue, everybody sang 'Happy Birthday' to Kylie in honour of her turning 57 years young on May 28 – the day after her last London show. A video posted on her social media account showed the pop legend, wearing a shimmering black dress and thigh high boots, touching her chest and smiling with amazement at her fans – some of whom travelled from as far as Taiwan and Brazil – stopping the show and paying tribute especially for her. Towards the end of the clip, Kylie's emotions got the better of her and she could not help but shed a tear or two. Shortly afterwards, she revealed her feelings in a caption on her video: "No words…" – proving that she can't get the tender moment out of her head. The video has been watched more than 44,000 times since going live and has already been flooded with birthday tributes from her adoring followers. One of the fans who serenaded Kylie at the O2 said: "I was there last night with friend, it was amazing night!" while another fan posted: "I was there – you were fantastic." A third fan who also sang 'Happy Birthday' to her recalled: "Cannot believe I finally got to see her live and also sing Happy Birthday to her." A fourth fan promised the pop queen a surprise for when she performs her next show by saying: "HBD bestie. Party in Glasgow next Friday for you." This was not the only TikTok tribute for the superstar as the O2 also posted a video a day before her actual birthday to celebrate her "Aussie birthday". In a video captioned "We hope you had the best birthday queen," Kylie was seeing rehearsing for her concert inside the venue before her crew brought in a cake and sang "Aussie birthday to you" to the tune of 'Happy Birthday'. Kylie spun around, mic in hand, in excitement and even stopped to check if her birthday candles were real by asking "Are these trick candles or can I blow them out?" As for her birthday wish, she revealed: "My wish is this show. Don't make me cry! Thank you for your hard work!" London fans won't have to wait long to see Kylie do the loco-motion back in the capital as she returns to perform two more shows at the O2 on June 2 and 3. In addition, she will play Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena on May 30, Birmingham's BP Pulse Live on May 31 and June 5, before concluding the UK leg of her tour at Glasgow's OVO Hydro on June 6.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
This Morning star 'nearly died' in horror A&E dash before two-stone weight loss
Judy Finnigan has lost two stone after she 'nearly died' after being rushed to hospital for a stomach ulcer in 2018 Former This Morning star Judy Finnigan has emotionally recalled the moment she "nearly died" after being rushed to hospital for a ruptured stomach ulcer. Since the terrifying health scare, the star has dropped two stone. The 77-year-old who is happily married to Good Morning Britain Star Richard Madeley has wowed fans with her body transformation over the years after working alongside her personal trainer daughter Chloe Madeley, 34, to make better lifestyle choices. In 2018, Judy underwent two life-saving blood transfusions when she was left with a stomach ulcer after taking ibuprofen. The telly legend has previously said she fell seriously ill after gobbling pills "like sweeties" for a knee injury. "I nearly died. Totally out of the blue never experienced anything like it before and hope to god I never will again," the star emotionally told MailOnline. Judy then went on to praise the skilled ambulance crew after suffering the stomach ulcer which could have seen her "bleed out within an hour". "'I survived thanks to exceptionally swift arriving and skilled ambulance crew and superb emergency treatment at London's Royal Free Hospital and two major life-saving blood transfusions." Judy lost an impressive two stone due to changing up her eating and exercising habits - even impressing her personal trainer daughter, Chloe Madeley, who reportedly put her mum a revised programme of eating and exercising. The programme reportedly includes a reduced daily calorie intake plan, managed by smaller portions, and eating less but more often plus regular exercise. "Her diet now is amazing," Chloe said of her mum in 2018 during an appearance on Loose Women. "Naturally, her palate has changed, she's gotten really into sushi, raw fish, big multigrain salads and she's dropped loads of weight just naturally from changing the old meat and potatoes to something healthier." Just last week, Judy looked radiant as she celebrated her 77th birthday. The TV veteran marked the special day with those closest to her as she smile for some fun-filled snaps. Showing off her figure in a floral dress, Judy was showered with birthday love from her family and friends as she was treated to cake, balloons, presents and flowers. Judy's birthday comes weeks after her husband Richard celebrated his 69th birthday live on Good Morning Britain, and fans couldn't believe his age. The star was left red-faced as the GMB crew started by playing a Happy Birthday song in the studio, as well as lighting it up with flashing lights at six in the morning. The screen behind the hosts also had the message "Happy Birthday Richard" written in big letters, with digital balloons moving up and down. Sharing the secret behind his youthful looks, Richard admitted he thinks he seems youthful due to having aged on camera in front of millions. He said: "I've been on TV almost every day since the late 1970s. If you look at yourself in the shaving mirror everyday, you can't see yourself getting older. "But if you looked every three months, you'll notice it," he continued. "So I'm on everyday here, mostly. So of course I'm aging, obviously I am. But because I'm on all the time it's not as noticeable."
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Brainteaser asks players to guess the 'poor man's' song choice -answer leaves them baffled
A brainteaser shared to Reddit asks players to think outside the box when coming up with a solution - and consider the 'simple' option as sometimes this can be the correct answer. A brainteaser that's been dubbed as 'easy to solve but isn't' has left people scratching their heads. The puzzle encourages participants to think creatively and consider the 'simple' solution, which can often be the correct one. The riddle was shared on the Reddit thread titled 'What are some of the best brainteasers in the world?' It begins: "A poor man walks into a bar and starts talking with a really rich man. The poor man says, 'You know, I know every song in the world. I bet all your fortune and possessions that I can find a song with any name you want'. "The rich man, chuckling, accepts and challenges him to find a song featuring his daughter's full name, Julie-Monique-Alexandrina. "A few minutes later, the poor man exits the bar, with the rich man's wallet, car(s) key(s), clothes, etc. He won his bet. How?" One user speculated that the answer could be Mambo No. 5 by Lou Bega, given its inclusion of numerous female names such as Angela, Pamela, Sandra, Rita, Monica, Erica, Tina, Sandra, Mary, and Jessica, reports the Mirror. Echoing this guess, another user chimed in: "I was thinking Mambo No 5. That song has quite a few lady names." Meanwhile, others were stumped and pleaded with the original poster to reveal the solution. The quizmaster eventually shared the correct answer, stating simply: "He sang Happy Birthday." However, this isn't the only mind-boggler that has left people scratching their heads recently. A question once posed by Google to its job applicants has sparked a lively debate on social media. TikTok creator Tanya Zakowich, known as @pinkpencilmath on social media, revealed that Google used to challenge its job candidates with a brainteaser during interviews - and wouldn't hire anyone who couldn't solve it. Yet, in 2013, Google is thought to have phased out these questions, with the former head of Google human resources telling the New York Times they couldn't "predict anything" and were mainly designed to "make the interviewer feel smart". In her video, she shared: "If you don't know the prisoner hat riddle, you're going to love this one. It's a super classic brainteaser that was commonly asked in job interviews at Google." She then proceeded to explain the riddle: "There were four prisoners on a staircase all facing the same direction. A brick wall separates prisoner 4 from the rest." She explained that prisoner 1 can see prisoners 2 and 3, while prisoner 2 can only see prisoner 3 and prisoners 3 and 4 cannot see anyone. "All four prisoners are wearing hats. They are told there are only two black hats and white white hats. However, they do not know the colour of the hats they are personally wearing. "The prisoners were told to shout out the colour of the hat they're wearing as soon as they know what colour it is." With this information, she poses the question: "Who is the first person to shout out correctly - and why?" Laying down the guidelines, the prisoners are not allowed to turn around to see each other, move in any other formation, or remove their own hats. Did you manage to figure it out? Check the correct answer.
