Latest news with #LAMDA
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE 'Walter Mitty' actor who starred in The Crown is convicted conman who posed as Army officer with fake medals to get into military dinners
A 'Walter Mitty' actor who claimed to have starred in Netflix 's The Crown has been exposed as a convicted conman who posed as an army officer. James Edward Yeates, 42, claimed to be a reservist Captain in a crack unit within the British Army's intelligence corps, sharing pictures online in full uniform and sporting a chest full of medals. He even appeared to have taken part in a mess function at the Honourable Artillery Company's base in London alongside other veterans and serving personnel. Having founded Military and Aviation Advisors (MAA) Ltd in August 2023, Yeates boasted online about being a 'LAMDA-trained actor, armed forces officer, and skilled pilot'. But LAMDA has told MailOnline they have no record of him being a student. And defence insiders say there are no records of him having ever served in the military. He has now been accused of 'a despicable act of stolen valour' amid claims he tried to dupe film firms into hiring him as a 'military advisor' with his fake army career. A gushing post on MAA Ltd's Instagram account read: 'James brings a dynamic blend of talents. Collaborating closely with industry leaders, James crafts authentic scenes by seamlessly blending creative artistry with military and aviation experience.' It adds: 'With James leading the way, MAA guarantees a fresh level of authenticity and storytelling for your project.' But he has today been exposed as a liar, masquerading as an intelligence chief, after his tale unravelled under scrutiny from the Walter Mitty Hunters Club, a secret network of former soldiers who unmask dubious military claims. According to Walter Mitty Hunter's Club, when they approached him, he signed off his email with 'Major James Yeates, Co-Founder, Military and Aviation Advisors.' The Walter Mitty Hunters Club said no records existed for Yeates in the London Gazette, which publishes honours and awards for gallantry and meritorious service in the armed forces. After checking with dozens of sources across a number of military intelligence units, the group added that 'nobody had ever heard of him'. 'Checks were carried out by multiple sources and everyone came back with a nil return,' the group said. 'Not one mention of his name on anything, no one from the military intelligence (MI) world, regular and reserve could find him, more importantly, no one knew or had heard of him and going by his medals he would have at the very least served for around 19 years to have earned the QJM which he's wear's on his mess dress. A spokesman added: 'The Army is small and the MI world very small, someone would have known of met him, but not a whiff of existence in the corps, or the wider pool. Yeates also claimed his firm, MAA, had worked on the film Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, but there is showing their involvement. LAMDA confirmed Yeates had not attended any of its courses and that 'no conclusive proof' existed he had been a student with the institution. Yeates, of Dorking, Surrey, dodged jail in 2006 after he took more than £20,000 from customers' bank accounts after his company collapsed. He splashed £22,650 in just three days and later admitted using criminal property and transferring criminal property at Guildford Crown Court. A previous indictment of 30 counts relating to theft was left on file. Yeates was later jailed for 12 months in May 2015 for fraud after spending £7,700 on a credit card that did not belong to him. He bought first class flights to Los Angeles to shoot a video which he hoped would encourage influencers to join his YouTube network Jey Management. Speaking to The Sun, Yeates said: 'Some comments I've made in the past may have been misunderstood or taken out of context. 'My focus has always been on working professionally and in good faith.' He added: 'At no point have I intentionally misled anyone, nor have I attempted to benefit professionally from any misrepresentation.'
Business News Wales
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Wool Insulation Wales Joint Venture Secures £300,000 Investment Boost
Ruth-Marie Mackrodt and Liam Britnell A new venture which is pioneering the development of rigid insulation panels made from sheep wool is set to scale up after securing a £300,000 investment boost. Wull Technologies, a joint venture between Manchester-based Vector Labs and Wool Insulation Wales, has received backing from the University of Manchester Innovation Factory and Greater Manchester Combined Authority's GM Advance fund. Each has invested £150,000 in the business. It is the latest 'spin-in' company to gain funding support from the University of Manchester Innovation Factory, following input from university academics into the development of LAMDA, the brand name for its rigid wool fibre panels. A 'spin-in' is an existing company which partners with a university or research institution to leverage resources in order to accelerate growth and innovation, in contrast to a 'spin-out', where a business is created from university research. The funding will enable Wull Technologies to commercialise LAMDA. The panels are being manufactured in Manchester using Welsh mountain sheep wool and a patent-pending green chemistry process developed by Vector Labs' material scientists. Wull Technologies team has now secured more than £500,000 in backing so far, following a grant of £214,000 from Innovate UK's Resource Efficiency for Materials and Manufacturing (REforMM) programme for its initial research project in 2023. Vector Labs is based at Manchester's Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre and is the technology division of Vector Group. The group includes Vector Homes, which uses sustainable and advanced materials in its low-carbon, affordable, energy-efficient building systems designed for rapid construction and assembly. Wool Insulation Wales, based in Neath Port Talbot, was founded in 2022 by Ruth-Marie Mackrodt and Mair Jones. It turns Welsh sheep wool into loft insulation rolls distributed under the brand name Truewool. Ruth-Marie heads Wull Technologies as commercial director alongside Liam Britnell as technical director. The partnership came about following Vector Homes' development of its flatpack, rapid-build show home at the University of Salford's Energy House 2.0. Liam said: 'Wool Insulation Wales brought sheep wool to our attention. Welsh mountain wool is naturally insulative, breathable and fire-retardant. However, farmers lose money on every sheep sheared. Together, we set out to use materials science to open up new markets for this abundant and underutilised material. 'Rigid panel insulation is widely used and preferred across the construction sector because it is easy to handle, install and cut to shape. 'To our knowledge, there is no rigid wool panel product on the market in the UK, and many natural fibre alternatives use a plastic binder. 'Our scientists have developed a patent-pending process to create rigid sheep wool panels without adding any plastics. This ensures that LAMDA panels are recyclable, biodegradable and provide a sustainable alternative to mineral wool insulation, which is derived from high-energy mining processes. 'LAMDA competes with mineral wool in thermal and acoustic performance while offering superior moisture management, making it ideal for retrofitting heritage buildings where breathability is essential, and for preventing damp in homes, an issue which the UK Health Security Agency has said affects over two million people in England alone.' Liam added: 'What is additionally exciting is how this material could be applied across sectors beyond construction. We've been overwhelmed with interest and positive feedback from sectors including packaging, horticulture and interior design.' The Wull Technologies joint venture sees Vector Labs leading on the research, development and manufacturing, and Wool Insulation Wales contributing its extensive sector expertise. Ruth-Marie said: 'The retrofit challenge presents a huge opportunity to invest in circular economies built around local supply chains and natural materials. 'With many millions of kilograms of wool produced annually in the UK as a byproduct of sheep farming, Wull Technologies provides an innovative and new market for it. 'The biophilic look and feel of LAMDA also makes for a refreshing change from the plastics that dominate our built environment. 'We're incredibly grateful to both the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the University of Manchester Innovation Factory for their support. Their investment means we can now move forward to the next stage of development and begin scaling up for full commercialisation.' Nic Gowland, senior investment and licensing manager at the University of Manchester Innovation Factory, said: 'We've helped facilitate collaborative input from academic experts into the materials science behind LAMDA, ensuring the product is grounded in cutting-edge research. 'We're delighted to formalise our partnership with Wull Technologies and to be part of the company's journey as it grows and continues to innovate in future. 'Through this partnership and continued engagement with the university and Innovation Factory, we're confident the company can become a major player in the application of sustainable materials across multiple industries.' The GM Advance fund, established as part of Greater Manchester's Investment Zone, supports the growth of companies in the advanced materials and manufacturing sector.
BBC News
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Brian Cox on the hard truth about acting
Acting is no easy path, even for legends. At London's LAMDA, Emmy-winning actor Brian Cox shares hard-earned wisdom with a new generation of performers. Drawing on 60 years of experience, he offers tough, honest advice about craft, class, vulnerability, and why holding onto a sense of play is vital for any great actor.
Metro
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Coronation Street's Carl Webster actor has famous TV star wife
Coronation Street viewers were recently introduced to the newest member of the Webster clan, when younger brother Carl (Jonathan Howard) turned up in Weatherfield to surprise his siblings. He has since caused chaos for Abi Webster (Sally Carman) with his incessant flirting, unbothered by the fact that she is married to his brother, Kevin (Michael Le Vell). Away from the cobbles, actor Jonathan Howard is happily married – to none other than Tv and Film star Elodie Yung. Jonathan himself is no stranger to the big screen, having appeared in Thor: The Dark World, World War Z and Godzilla: King of the Monsters. French-Cambodian actress Elodie got her big break in French TV drama La Vie Devant Nous, before going back to law school. However, at age 29 she moved to London to study acting. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Her first Hollywood role came in the form of hit movie The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and she has since starred in some major TV series, such as Marvel's Daredevil and The Cleaning Lady. Her Daredevil character Elektra was skilled in martial arts – something that Elodie herself has a talent for, having achieved a black belt in Karate. Jonathan revealed that he and Elodie moved from LA to another state for her work, and that they enjoy living there together. 'My wife has been working on a TV show for the last few years in another state in America and we've been based there for the last couple of years. We enjoy our life there. 'My wife is French Cambodian and we never thought we'd be living in the States, but we like it out there. That's our life right now.' He recently spoke about moving back to the UK to take on the role of Carl, after living in America with Elodie and their daughter. 'I left the north of England 20 years ago, when I was 20. I went to do Dream Team in London then I went to drama school for three years. 'I left drama school and managed to work in America and moved to America and I've been in the States for the last 10 years with my wife and I have a daughter over there. 'The only hard thing is being away from them, but at the same time it's a real gift to be back in the north of England.' He went on to reveal that Carl wasn't the first Coronation Street role he'd auditioned for, explaining that he'd been in to read for Gary Windass prior to going to drama school. If he'd got the role, his whole life would have been completely different, he revealed. 'I was in the process of auditioning for drama school at the same time as I had a screen test for a new family, and that was the Windass family. Gary Windass was the character I was auditioning for. Obviously I didn't get it, I lost out to a great actor and he's done amazing things with that character. More Trending 'But in that moment, if I'd been offered Corrie I would have taken it and I wouldn't have taken my place at LAMDA, at drama school, and I wouldn't have done that training. 'So it was very disappointing at the time because, as a northern actor, Corrie is the main staple of an actor's diet. But to not get it meant that I went to drama school. You have to trust the universe and trust that things happen and it's all for the right reason. View More » 'I got a great training at drama school, I left and got a good agent and therefore had opportunities that took me to America, met my wife – can't forget that! I wouldn't have met my wife if I hadn't have gone to drama school, so it worked out for the best.' MORE: Coronation Street star 'holding head up high' as she denies 'broke' claims MORE: Hollyoaks' Jamie Lomas utterly transformed in role worlds away from Warren Fox MORE: Oscar-winning UK soap icon welcomes first baby with TV star husband
