Latest news with #Helen
The Guardian
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘I broke down in the studio from all the raw emotion': Richard Hawley on making The Ocean
My wife, Helen, had driven our two young kids down to Porthcurno beach in Cornwall. It's where Rowena Cade had carved the Minack theatre into the granite cliffs. I'd been playing a gig so arrived two days later, and for a boy from a smoggy industrial city, the blue sea and palm trees felt revelatory. Roger, the landlord of the old smugglers' pub, told me everyone had gone to the beach, so I took my boots off, rolled my suit trousers up and walked towards them. I saw the silhouettes of my wife and children playing at the ocean's edge. By the time I reached them a song had popped into my head. Helen knows the glazed look in my eyes when this happens. She said: 'You're writing a song, aren't you?' I said: 'I'm sorry, dear. I am.' I bombed it back to the cottage we were staying in, got my guitar, banged out the tune and then went back to the beach and enjoyed the rest of the holiday. When we got home I jammed the idea with the band. There are only four chords in the song and one of them is a sort of special gift from my uncle Eric. He's in his 80s now, but his fingers are so swollen from working the hammer in the steelworks that he's always had to play rhythm guitar with his fingers down a semitone. That produces an A major seven, which is the first chord in The Ocean. I can laugh about this now, but at the time I was 31, which felt old for a musician. I had come through playing with Treebound Story, Pulp and Longpigs. I'd quit heavy drugs, got married, launched a solo career and been dropped by my label. I had been on tour constantly, making very little money, been brutalised by the industry to an extent and away from my family for a lot of time. All these thoughts fed into The Ocean. The emotionally edgy vocals were done in one take. People have to make their own minds up whether it's 'Still dressed in your morning suit' or 'mourning suit' because it's almost two extremes, life and death. I actually broke down during the recording, in the middle eight after I sing 'I assume, I assume'. I only just managed to hold it together. It felt like the last throw of the dice and I was trying to harness my raw emotions. I wanted to make music that would last. When Richard was in Longpigs the record company needed a single so they gave each member of the band £1,000 to record a song in a place of their choice. Richard came into Sheffield's Yellow Arch studios with me. He was a bit of a recovering mess, really, and by his own admission the song was shit. He didn't have anything else for Longpigs but said he had these 'piddling little tunes I do for myself', so I suggested using the studio time to record those. After I kept him there for a week of heavy drinking and psychotherapy we had a mini-album. He asked me and Shez Sheridan [guitar] to be part of his first solo band and we've been there ever since. The early records got good reviews but when we came to make Coles Corner it did feel a bit 'last chance saloon'. We made the album without a record deal and Richard wanted to push the boundaries. I played double bass as opposed to the usual electric. Opening the album with a string section felt brave and we also used it to great effect on The Ocean. I wanted him to sing the bit after the middle eight up an octave. He thought it would be embarrassing and didn't want to but I said: 'No, it's emotional. Go up!' It's a song that he particularly connects with, especially that section. When we play it live, people's hands go up in the air and the lighters come out. It's hard to know why it's become his most streamed song, but the opening line – 'You lead me down to the ocean' – is very evocative. Most people go to the seaside for their holidays, dip their feet in the sea, look out over the waves and it can feel as if all your troubles are behind you. There's something intangible about the ocean that people seem to connect to. A 20th anniversary Zoetrope vinyl format, a half speed master vinyl LP and an expanded two CD version of Coles Corner is released on 1 August. Richard Hawley plays Gaiety theatre, Isle of Man, on 30 August. Then tours until 10 October
Daily Record
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Helen Flanagan left shaken up after 'aggressive' man launches verbal attack at her on London Tube
The former Corrie star explained the situation unfolded after she confronted the man for taking a photo of another woman on the tube without her consent. Helen Flanagan has revealed how she's been left feeling shaken up after a man launched a foul verbal attack at her on the London Underground. The mum-of-three said the situation unfolded after she confronted the man for allegedly taking a picture of another woman on the tube without her permission. Recalling the intense confrontation in a video posted to her social media, Helen said: 'I was on the tube and there was this man sat across from me, and there was this girl about my age sat across, and I noticed that the man took a picture of this woman on the tube. 'Anyway, I probably – it's a bit embarrassing for me to say this. And like, he just ignored her and pretended that he couldn't hear her. 'And then, eventually he was really aggressive, and like, told her to 'eff off' and 'shut the eff up', and oh my God it was awful.' Helen said she then intervened in to defend the woman but found herself being his next target, the Standard reports. She continued: 'So then obviously, like I'm a real like girl's girl and I just said, 'Don't effing speak to her like that. I saw you, you did take a picture of her. You're lying.' 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'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 'I should have said something but I actually felt a bit intimidated by the man, so I just thought, I felt like I couldn't say anything. 'Anyway the woman next to me was braver than me and she just said, 'Excuse me, did you take a picture of that woman? I just saw you take a picture of that woman.' 'He was really awful and I actually felt really intimidated, and I felt like I couldn't say much to him because I did feel really intimidated by him.' The man then turned on Helen and made a cruel joke about her appearance. She explained: 'He said to me – it was like the weirdest thing he could have said – 'You've got so much Botox in your forehead,' and I was sat there with an iced coffee, and he was like, 'I'm surprised you can even drink through a straw.'' Trying to brush off the experience, Helen added: 'To be fair, I am dead soft. I don't get in arguments with people. I was only sticking up for this girl because of course, I would always stick up for other women. 'I didn't know what to say – this sounds tight – but like, he deserves it. He wasn't the most attractive of men. 'I couldn't say anything to him, so I said, 'I feel sorry for you.' 'It's not nice as a woman where you actually feel intimidated. He was just an absolute idiot.'
Metro
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters 'bores' viewers despite shark biting star
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters has failed to impress fans, as the show was labelled rather dull – despite one celebrity being bitten by a shark in the first episode. The new series Shark! Celebrity Infested Water kicked off on Monday night with the celebrities getting stuck into the ITV series, trying to promote the importance of shark preservation. In the very first part of the show, the celebs were informed that they would be cage diving with bull sharks later that day in the tropical waters surrounding Bimini, in the Bahamas. Of the famous faces, including Motherland star Lucy Punch, Comedian Sir Lenny Henry, McFly star Dougie Poynter, and Countdown's Rachel Riley, it was Call the Midwife actress Helen George. '#SharkCelebrityInfestedWaters – cumbersome title. Good lineup. It's not a schlocky competition-type show and I'm not really sure why it's happening. So far, not particularly fun or interesting… I want it to ramp up a gear,' said MatthewRimmer on X. 'This must be the worst piece of telly have ITV have ever made, and THAT is saying something #sharkcelebrityinfestedwaters,' said DylanDylan1909. 'Why are they putting the poor sharks through the trauma of these celebrities? #sharkcelebrityinfestedwaters,' said CallMe_Governor. 'Only 20 minutes in and I'm bored already!' said GrantSRivers. 'This has all the hallmarks of another 'Genius Game' for itv #sharkcelebrityinfestedwaters,' said PJDavies1962, comparing it to the negatively reviewed game show for ITV. Towards the end of the episode, Ross was bitten by a lemon shark, and the group had to retreat from the sea as the instructors decided that things had got a little bit intense. Although the comedian was unscathed, with the shark only nipping at his wetsuit, the celebs were shaken by the event, which had escalated so quickly. Fans were unfazed by this moment, but pointing out some of the stronger parts of the episodes, viewers praised ITV for making adjustments to the experience so Ade Adepitan, who is physically disabled, was able to participate fully. 'I love how @AdeAdepitan is making sure that this show is making reasonable adjustments for people with a disability so they can face sharks too!' said ciaraspinkpod. Much of the episode focused on Helen. Within the first few minutes of the show, Helen admitted to the camera that she wasn't just afraid of sharks, she also had a fear of water and struggles to keep her head underwater. Helen and the other celebs revealed that she was surprised to confront sharks on the first day, assuming there would be a warm-up period before they actually got in the water with the sharks, and was the last celebrity to get in the sea. Later that evening, the celebrities cheered as Helen joined them for drinks and toasted to her bravery. 'I'm like Helen George in that I'm scared of water etc, and I most definitely couldn't have done some of what she did so kudos to her. #sharkcelebrityinfestedwaters,' said XxLadyClaireXx on X. Ahead of the episode, Rachel spoke to Metro about her experience on the show and mentioned Helen's bravery in the series. More Trending 'What's lovely about the show is we were a team and she's the strongest person I know,' says Rachel. 'She's had the biggest achievement out of all of us so we're all really proud of her, to have the strength of character and strength of mind to not only overcome getting your face in the water, but to go out in the open ocean, take your mask off underwater, she did so much.' View More » Shark! Celebrity Infested Water is available to view on ITVX. 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: What is Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters? All you need to know about ITV's death-defying show MORE: Iconic 90s show featuring TV legends finally free to stream MORE: James Martin reveals extra precautions to protect himself after London attack
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Horrifying moment Call the Midwife's Helen George sobs and falls to the floor after terrifying shark cage experience
CALL the Midwife's Helen George broke down in tears after a terrifying shark cage experience on ITV's new show. 2 Seven celebrities are taking part in ITV's new show 2 Helen is best known for her role as Trixie in Call the Midwife Credit: BBC The celebrities join three world-renowned shark experts on a dive expedition to The Bahamas, the shark capital of the world. While the other celebrities - Sir sharks , Helen had a more pressing problem to address on the first day. She revealed she is scared of the sea and hasn't been in it for 20 years, after a childhood incident left her fearful of putting her head under the water. Helen - Read More on Helen George But, keen to overcome her phobia for the sake of her two children who love swimming , the actress got her wet suit on and headed to the pool with the others for a safety briefing on their scuba gear. Later, the time came for her to get into the shark cage, with the experts deciding it would be best for her to go in with one of them, Danni Washington . Helen was clearly petrified, but managed to get into the cage and submerge to see the sharks all around her. But she became panicked about where to put her feet - having been warned to keep all limbs inside the cage. Most read in Reality After a few moments, she cried: "I wanna come out, I wanna come out, please!" But then she became more distressed at how she would be able to get out of the cage, her fear of being trapped underwater returning once more. Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters Helen begged Danni to climb out before her so she could see how it was done, before she was finally pulled out too. Once back on dry land, an emotional Helen sank to her knees on the dock and put her hand to her face before apologising. She told Danni: "I'm so sorry, I was so scared, I was panicking. I was so scared about coming out." Danni immediately got down beside her and reassured Helen that she had done a great job, leading Helen to give her a big hug. Viewers flocked to social media to make their opinions heard and one wrote: "Helen is doing a better job than me. Severe fears are insane. Heights for me are worse than death. I totally feel for her. Well done to her." But another said: "Not liking SEAWATER and/or is this the only thing your agent found for you?" While a third said: "OK I vote Helen George to go in first without a cage and covered in entrails." "Ffs Helen is a right wuss," added another viewer. Danni later told her colleagues: "She overcame a huge fear, actually a phobia, she managed to get her head under the water because that's her biggest fear and then on top of that she was in the water with sharks. So we're off to a good start." Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters airs on ITV1 and ITVX.
Graziadaily
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Graziadaily
Shark! Infested Celebrity Waters: Meet Helen George
You may know her best from hit show Call The Midwife, but now Helen George is swapping the streets of Poplar for a very different destination. Jetting off to the Bahamas, the actor is taking part in ITV's brand new Shark! Infested Celebrity Waters - and it'll be far from an easy ride. Bimini, the island where the show is filmed, is home to around seven to 10 different types of sharks - including bull sharks, great hammerhead sharks, tiger sharks, and Caribbean reef sharks. Rather them than us... Here's everything to know about Helen George - including who she's dating, her health battle, and the deep-rooted fear that inspired her to get up close and personal with some real life sharks. Helen is a British actor best known for starring in shows including Call The Midwife, as well as her stage career in musicals such as The King and I. The Birmingham-born star studied at the Royal Academy of music, and was previously a backing singer for Elton John! Born on 19th June 1984, she's currently 41 years old (and an enthusiastic, quick-witted Gemini)... Since the debut of BBC's Call The Midwife in 2012, Helen has won over fans with her portrayal of Trixie Aylward (formerly Trixie Franklin.) Over the years, viewers have followed Trixie through her struggles with alcohol addition, before recently marrying Matthew Aylward (played by Olly Rix) and stepping into the role of stepmum. Helen stars in the BBC show as Nurse Trixie ©BBC Helen was previously married to actor Oliver Boot, with the couple together from 2012 to 2015. Their split came just weeks before the Call The Midwife star appeared on 2015's Strictly. Partnered up with professional dancer Aljaž Škorjanec, Helen finished sixth in the 13th series of the dancing show. Helen first met her co-star Jack on the set of Call The Midwife in 2015, with Jack playing the role of Reverend Tom Hereward. While Trixie and Tom certainly had an up-and-down onscreen romance, it was said Helen and Jack fell head over heels in love with each other while filming the 2016 Christmas Special in 2016. The couple welcomed daughter Wren in 2017, before the birth of their seconds daughter, Lark, in 2021. However, Helen and Jack revealed that they were calling it quits on their seven year relationship in 2023. A shared statement read, 'Some months ago, we separated. Our beautiful girls remain the focus, and [we] respectfully ask for privacy for this next chapter.' Helen with Jack in 2017 ©Getty Earlier this year, reports surfaced that Helen had found love with divorced dad of two Dan Innes. The businessman is 11 years her senior, with the couple reportedly meeting on celebrity dating app Raya. It's thought the pair are still together. Opening up Dan's reaction to her stepping into shark-infested waters, Helen shared, 'I hadn't even told Dan how scared of the water I was, and he was like, "But you got in the sea on holiday in Cornwall with me? I didn't know you were so scared." Sharing water with some sharks is enough to strike fear in anyone. But for Helen, there's another reason why the ITV show is a big step out of her comfort zone. The star suffers from aquaphobia - an intense and irrational fear of water that was triggered following a traumatic experience at a swimming party when she was a child. Opening up about her phobia, Helen shared, 'I was terrified of putting my head underwater. I have a real deep-rooted fear. I used to love the water when I was really young, but I went to a swimming party when I was six. They put those weird Nineties foam mats down. They're massive yoga mats, really. 'I just remember this moment of being stuck underneath one and not being able to get out. There was that fear of being trapped.' Revealing that it was this fear that encouraged her to sign up for the show, Helen explained, 'My kids know that I am scared of the water, and my seven-year-old is more confident in the water than I am, and I realised I've got to do something about that as it's not safe.' During both her pregnancies, Helen faced health battled. The star suffered from intrahepatic cholestasis (ICP), a condition that causes severe itching and led to the premature birth of both her babies. Sharing her ordeal on Instagram during her second pregnancy, Helen later recalled, 'I tried everything - creams, baths, all of it - and nothing would work. I would scratch all day and all night, normally on my hands, shoulders, feet - but that quickly increased to bloody everywhere.' Revealing that she was put onto medication at around 30 weeks, Helen said, 'I have to say this pregnancy was so uncomfortable and painful. I thought the second would be easier, but it really wasn't. Spreading the world about this sometimes fatal condition is really important to me.' And spread the word Helen did! The condition was later featured on an episode of Call The Midwife. Joining Helen for a dip in the sea is comedian Sir Lenny Henry, Amandaland's Lucy Punch, Countdown's Rachel Riley, TV presenter Ade Adeptian, McFly's Dougie Poynter, and stand up comedian Ross Noble. Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters will air on ITV1 and ITVX from Monday 14th July at 9pm. The show will air at the same time every Monday for the next five weeks, also available to stream. Happy watching! Charlotte Roberts is a news and entertainment writer at Grazia UK. She spends her days covering everything celebrity, culture, and entertainment. []{href=' }
