Latest news with #JamieJohnson
Graziadaily
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Graziadaily
Is New BBC Drama 'What It Feels Like For A Girl' Worth Watching? Reviews Are In
New to the BBC, What It Feels Like For A Girl is the new drama taking audiences on a deep dive back to the noughties – millennials stand up! The coming-of-age show, based on the memoir of Paris Lees, explores themes of class, gender, self-discovery and identity. Paris is a journalist, presenter, author and campaigner, described by ID Magazine as 'a voice of a generation' becoming Vogue's first transgender columnist in 2018. Released in 2021, Paris' memoir pulls readers into her world, growing up in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, uncovering her British trans experiencing growing up in living a life she didn't want to, as a boy called Byron (the fictional name she uses to talk about her pre-transition self). Now, her story has been brought to screen. With Paris as executive producer the 8 part series, What It Feels Like For A Girl follows 15 year old Byron, aged 15, caught between the homes of his mum, dad and gran, finding 'freedom' in Nottingham's underground club scene. The series doesn't shy away from the harsh reality of navigating the world that shaper her, telling a raw story that is love overdue, and already it's pulling in amazing reviews from critics. Ellis Howard plays Byron in the show, a teenager at school who is pulled between different homes while struggling with his own identity. The role was inspired by the life of Paris Lees, the author and campaigner who was the first trans woman to present shows on BBC Radio 1 and Channel 4. Speaking about the role, Howard said: 'Byron is at school, without much of a support system, bouncing between their mum's, dad's and Mommar Joe's homes with a desperate internal desire to escape,' continuing 'It's the story of someone who has grown up in a small town with people who aren't like them, dreaming of a life bigger and bolder.' Howard has had roles in the TV series Red Rose (2022) and the film Romeo & Juliet (2021). Laquarn Lewis takes on the role of Lady Die, a podium dancer in the nightclubs of Nottingham. 'Lady Die is eye-catching, fashionable and super stylish,' Lewis says of her character. 'She's over-caring, loving, fun, wild and crazy. I could relate to her, as she has a loving nature. She's someone everyone would want as a friend, and that's what I love about her.' Lewis previously played Elliott in the television series Jamie Johnson. Laura Haddock plays Lisa, Byron's mum who is struggling with her relationship with her son. 'Lisa is Byron's mother, and [with] Byron secretly struggling with their sexuality and gender identity, [their] relationship isn't what it was,' says Haddock. 'She also feels like she's done the hard bit bringing them up and she deserves to have a life now. Their relationship is really strained; she is struggling to understand Byron and accept who they want to be.' You might recognise Haddock from her starring roles in films such as Guardians of the Galaxy, The Laureate and Downton Abbey: A New Era. She has also had starring roles in Da Vinci's Demons, White Lines and The Recruit. Bryon's father Steve is played by Michael Socha, a working class man known locally as 'Hucknall's most feared man.' 'He struggles to accept Byron's femininity and is determined to toughen them up, which can come across as aggressive and even violent at times,' said Socha speaking about his character. 'His frustration stems from Byron not fitting the traditional idea of masculinity, and this manifests in harsh demands for Byron to "man up."' Jake Dunn plays Liam, a 'bad-boy' figure who Byron is drawn in by. 'Liam's a complicated, intense character,' says Dunn. 'While we share some similarities, like being from Nottingham and being in our early twenties, he's completely different from me. He's a gangster who is involved in some dark stuff.' Jake has also had roles in Renegade Nell and Get Even. Hannah Jones plays trans girl Sasha, who is part of the Fallen Divas who take Byron in. Speaking about her role, Hannah explained Sasha is a 'proud scouse' who is 'volatile and aggressive' at times. 'I just think she's a great person, as much as she is a terrible person. There's so much underlying love and misunderstanding of her personality, and she goes through so much trauma and strife in her life,' Jones said. Alex Thomas-Smith plays Sticky Nikki, who is a slightly older member of the Fallen Divas. 'Sticky Nikki is a passionate and headstrong woman who deeply values her friends, relationships and life' says Thomas-Smith when speaking about her role. 'She's a little older than the other girls, which allows her to look at their more-outrageous behaviour with a sense of understanding. Her role is about supporting the others, encouraging them to have fun, but also imparting some of the lessons she's learnt along the way.' You might recognise Alex from her roles in Dixi and The Revenge Files of Alistair Fury. Ali plays Dirty Damian, a 'party instigator' who is always there for the Fallen Divas. 'The girls are protective of each other, and I feel like Damian and Sticky Nikki are the good ones. They are a bit more behaved and sensible. They've got work in the morning when the party is coming to an end,' Ali said. 'They know it's time to go home, and the other three are more party-oriented. The Fallen Divas are also a very tight-knit family, and they're there for each other when things get hard.' Ali is best known as Kai Shariff in Waterloo Road. Despite only being out for two days, the show has gone down a storm with critics. The Guardian gave the show four stars, writing that the show is a 'memorably complex psychological portrait will be your reward.' The Telegraph gave the show four stars, describing the show as 'snappy, addictive, often shocking.' The Independent also settled on four stars for the show. Critic Nick Hilton wrote 'at a time when the trans community are being forced to suffer almost daily indignities at the hands of Britain's political and media establishment, the presence of What It Feels Like for a Girl feels urgent,' adding 'in a world where it is easy to feel pessimistic about the course of progress, What It Feels Like for a Girl presents an engaging – and rational – case for optimism.' Meanwhile, the show is getting rave reviews on social media. One user wrote on X 'Watched the first episode of What It Feels Like For A Girl last night and if it were any closer to my own experiences it would be autobiographical. Incredible, crucial television.' Another simply penned 'Finished watching the Paris Lees' What It Feels Like For a Girl series. It was beautiful, start to end.' A third praised the show's nostalgic element, writing 'I loved the first 2 episodes of the new #LGBTQ series #WhatItFeelsLikeForAGirl and I can't wait to see how the story develops. I also loved the 00s soundtrack and those Bacardi Breezers because that was my drink of choice back then.' The good news is that What It Feels Like For A Girl is available to watch on iPlayer right now! It landed on the platform on Tuesday 3 June, with all eight episodes available. The show will also air weekly double bills starting at 9pm on Tuesday, June 3 on BBC Three.
BBC News
06-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
British Judo suspends coach over bullying allegations
British Judo coach Jamie Johnson has been temporarily suspended pending the results of an independent investigation into bullying who is a five-time national champion, oversaw the women's team at the 2024 Olympics in Paris."British Judo takes any allegations of any form of inappropriate behaviour extremely seriously," British Judo chief executive Andrew Scoular said."All of our athletes are encouraged to report any safeguarding concerns, including any instances of bullying via our internal teams, which are then fully investigated using external independent investigators."He added: "We will not be commenting on any ongoing independent investigations."Johnson previously faced an allegation of bullying from former British judoka Lubjana Piovesana, but the 52-year-old said he was cleared of any misconduct."The historical investigation was upheld five years ago and no wrongdoing was found," Johnson said in a statement."The recent allegations are ongoing, so I am unable to comment at this time, but one thing I will say is, there are two sides to every story."
The Guardian
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Spurs' Lenna Gunning-Williams: ‘A lot of people believe I'm a real-life Jack Marshall'
For most football fans, the name Jack Marshall would be of no significance. But for the Tottenham forward Lenna Gunning-Williams the name is synonymous with the start of a compelling – and unorthodox – journey into the world of professional football. Unlike most professional players in the modern game, the 20-year-old did not get her first taste of academy football until her mid-teens. Instead, she spent the earliest stages of her career juggling grassroots football with an acting job. Between the ages of 11 and 16 Gunning-Williams played a leading role in the hit CBBC football drama Jamie Johnson. Her character, Jack Marshall, was a young girl vying with the boys while dreaming of going pro – something that resonated with the actor herself. 'I feel like we actually kind of relate, being young, growing up in football with boys. Our journeys are similar,' the England Under-23s international says as we sit down at Spurs' training ground. Gunning-Williams's time on Jamie Johnson came with some unforgettable experiences – including a training session with the England players Fran Kirby, Jordan Nobbs and Nikita Parris at St George's Park. That day in particular remains special to the Tottenham player as six years later she found herself in the exact same spot, only this time as an England international. 'It is funny, the pitch we train on for the under-23s is the pitch in the bit from Jamie Johnson. So that's the first thing I thought. I was like: 'Oh, like a full circle moment.' I don't really tend to think about Jamie Johnson too often because my focus now is football. But it's little things like that I'm like: 'That's really cool.' Lenna then would have no idea that Lenna now would be in the under-23s training at St George's Park.' The forward's time on the CBBC show came to an end in the series three finale, although she did return for the odd cameo after that. A career in acting was never something that Gunning-Williams entertained as a teenager despite her success – it was always football. 'I knew I couldn't really act either,' she jokes. 'I just got away with it because I was young! If I tried to do that now people would be like: 'What is she doing?'' Jack Marshall was taken out of the show at Gunning-Williams's request, and her exit storyline mirrored what she was striving for in real life. 'I got written off Jamie Johnson by going to an academy in London and then I joined Spurs' Academy,' Gunning-Williams recalls. 'It was really weird how they aligned.' Although she stepped away from CBBC in 2018 to pursue a career in football, Gunning-Williams still gets recognised as her on-screen alter-ego: 'Most of the time it literally is like: 'Jack, oh wait, Lenna.' A lot of people really do believe that I am real-life Jack Marshall, which is quite cute actually. Because I suppose the people that grew up watching it were around my age, they grew up with me because I was acting as an 11-year-old being 11, so it makes sense. But yeah, it's crazy how much the new generation have watched it because I thought it fizzled out a bit but I still get recognised for it, which is quite cool.' Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion Still playing Sunday league football, the forward was scouted by Tottenham in her mid-teens. Back then, the under-16s were still a grassroots team so it wasn't until the following year that Gunning-Williams experienced academy football for the first time. In just her second term with the under-21s she was called up to the first team and in November 2022 the dream was finally realised when the London-born player, who grew up not too far from Tottenham's training ground in Enfield, scored on her first-team debut in a League Cup tie with Coventry. 'I imagined the night before – because I'm very much a visualisation, manifestation type of person – I was like: 'It would be really cool if I scored a header.' Scoring on your debut is something that you'll remember for ever. Then I came on, 85th, 90th minute or something, it was really late. I scored and I was absolutely buzzing! I thought I was offside so I looked to the lino but their flag was down. It was really cool.' Gunning-Williams's whirlwind journey from child actor to professional footballer has been nothing short of unique. Following a successful season-long loan with Ipswich last term, where she scored 14 goals in all competitions, the forward has now established herself in the Tottenham first-team squad. 'I've really got stuck in with the girls and now I'm starting to make relations with them on the pitch. I trained with Spurs alongside playing matches with Ipswich last season. But being here full-time and my head being fully assigned with Spurs, I think it's helped building relations and learning new positions. I'm only 20. I'm playing with people who have been in the game a lot longer than I have and I just need to learn from them, watch them and when my opportunities do come, take them.' So, would Jack Marshall – that girl who dreamed of becoming a top player – be a fan of WSL star Lenna Gunning-Williams? 'Wow. You know what I actually do. I feel like Jack would have a Lenna Gunning-Williams poster on the wall.'
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Engine 5, Steuben County workhorse on 'Champagne Route', acquired by Rochester area museum
An historic 75-year-old diesel locomotive that served Steuben County for decades will have new life at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum. "Engine 5," which currently sits on the Bath & Hammondsport Railroad in Cohocton, has been acquired from the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency and the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad. The Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum will preserve Engine 5 and have it on display for visitors at its facility in Rush, about 20 minutes south of downtown Rochester. Jamie Johnson, executive director of the Steuben County IDA, said the train is an "important piece of local railroad history." "Engine 5 helped transport goods throughout the region, playing a vital role in supporting our economy and the efforts of the railroad museum will help educate the public on the role the railroad has and will continue to play in our business development activities," said Johnson. Engine 5, a 660-horsepower diesel switcher, was constructed in March 1950 by the American Locomotive Company in Schenectady. It was reassigned to a freight car manufacturing and repair facility in East Rochester in January 1965, according to the museum. When the shops closed five years later, the train was sold to Steuben County for operation on the Bath & Hammondsport Railroad. The B&H can be traced back to 1872 when it connected Hammondsport at the south end of Keuka Lake with the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad at Bath. The B&H became known as "The Champagne Route" as the wine industry grew in the Finger Lakes, with many wineries serving as customers of the railroad. The B&H expanded in 1976 when it became the operator of IDA-owned track between Bath and Wayland. Twenty years later, the county named Livonia, Avon & Lakeville the new operator of the combined B&H lines, which included a 2001 expansion from Bath to a connection with Norfolk Southern at Painted Post. Engine 5 was sidelined and designated as surplus by LA&L in recent years as freight traffic increased on the B&H and more powerful diesel locomotives were required on the railroad. The museum acquired Engine 5 in February after the idea was presented by the Flour-by-Rail Legacy Project. "We are excited to preserve this historic diesel locomotive and return it to Rochester," said R&GV Museum vice president Jackson Glozer. "Besides helping preserve the history of Bath & Hammondsport Railroad, this diesel also worked locally at Despatch Shops in East Rochester, replacing a steam locomotive of the same number which we also just added to our collection a few years ago." More: Corning Inc. named one of America's Best Large Employers in 2025. See where it ranked. The museum has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help offset the cost of transportation from Steuben County to Rush. The campaign had raised roughly a quarter of its $9,500 goal as of Thursday afternoon. This article originally appeared on The Leader: Railroad Museum buys Bath & Hammondsport train from Steuben County IDA
