Latest news with #LauraWhitmore
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Laura Whitmore: 'Life happens very quickly'
Laura Whitmore stars in the latest stage adaptation of The Girl on the Train, which is based on the hugely successful thriller by Paula Hawkins. John Byrne catches up with her ahead of the Irish leg of the show's tour Who is Laura Whitmore? Or - more to the point - what is Laura Whitmore? As well as doing stuff mere mortals also do - like falling in love and having children - she's also something of a one-person entertainment industry. She's a successful radio and television broadcaster best known for hosting on MTV and the Bafta-winning Love Island, the I'm A Celebrity spin-off show, Celeb Juice, and her own breakfast show on ITV. She launched the documentary series Laura Whitmore Investigates in 2023 and is currently working on a new documentary series, Britain's Killer Teens. That's about as far removed from Love Island as it can get. Also: she currently hosts BBC Podcast, Murder They Wrote alongside Iain Stirling, aka her husband. Not content with all of that, in March 2021 she released her first book, the best-selling No One Can Change Your Life Except For You. Oh yeah, Laura's also an actor. She trained at the Leinster School of Music and Drama, studied Shakespeare at RADA and has worked on stage as well as the small and big screens. She wrote and starred in the award-winning short film Sadhbh, toured in Peter James' Not Dead Enough, and has several film/TV acting credits to her name. In 2022 she made her West End debut as Jenny in 2.22: A Ghost Story and returned home to play Lauren in its Dublin run in 2024. Now she's on her way back to the Irish stage - two of them actually; the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin and Cork's Everyman Theatre - to perform in the smash-hit production of The Girl on the Train. The gripping thriller, based on the internationally acclaimed number one best-selling novel by Paula Hawkins, sees Laura star as the show's central character, Rachel Watson. Catching up with Whitmore ahead of the show's arrival here, the obvious first question is about her outrageously versatile career . . . John Byrne: Hi Laura. I have to say that I read your CV earlier and there was so much there I had to lie down afterwards. I was exhausted. You're obviously a highly motivated individual . . . Laura Whitmore:"It doesn't feel like work, if you love what you do. And I've been lucky to have quite a variety . . . which makes life not boring. And I think, once I feel excited and I feel challenged, that's always been really important to me. "Sometimes I'm better off not thinking (laughs) how am I going to get through next week? That's my mindset. I get really excited by everything that I've done so far and everything I still have to do." Is this all part of a plan, or do you just do whatever you fancy next - or is it maybe a bit of both? "I have a masterplan . . . Honestly, things change as well. When I first started in television, doing Pick Me MTV, and doing the auditions for that, and getting the MTV gig. That was just a year's contract, which ended up becoming seven years. "Then I went to do ITV stuff and radio, and the BBC. But the landscape changes constantly. One of the most consistent things is I do a BBC podcast. And, to be honest with you, I think I'd always prefer radio over a podcast, but actually at the moment I prefer podcasting because it pays better (laughs), and I can record it from anywhere in the world. "And we've got our own audience that we've created ourselves, rather than being the host of a particular show that already exists. You create your own space. I find the world fascinating, how it's constantly changing. And then there's a lot of things that I've always loved to do. "Anyone who knows me - like all my ex-school friends, when they see me coming back to Dublin to do a play - says: 'This is you! This is you!' Life happens very quickly, but I've always had these things that I wanted to do." The Girl on the Train - you read the book and now you're in the play. That must be quite a buzz? "I was a huge fan of the book when it first came out. And the character of Rachel, and [the author] Paula Hawkins, who I met this year. She's written this beautiful - beautifully flawed - character, who I think anyone in the acting world would jump at to play, because there's so much to her. "I've done a bit of acting before. I've done a few roles for telly, and some films, and theatre before - but this one in particular . . . there's just so much on the page. "She goes on such a journey that I'd be mad to turn it down, because I think it's really challenging. And it's scary. But I feel there's so much there that you have, if you give it the time. And I've been doing it for a few weeks over the UK. "I might have been the person who suggested it coming to Ireland (laughs). I had a feeling that the Irish audiences will - I hope - love it. The book did really well over in Ireland. "And I think what the director Loveday Ingram and the whole creative team, the people who worked on the stage screenplay, have created is a beautifully adapted version for the stage." Turning a novel into a play makes it a very different experience for an audience - people who've read the book saw the story unfold through their mind's eye . . . "The question I'm most asked is 'How do you get a train on the stage?' (laughs) It's very cleverly done. There's a lot of lighting; there's a lot of movement. You feel immersed in it. It's very stylised. It's very minimal. It's a minimal set. There's not a lot to it. "But you don't have a second to think, because it's constantly moving. And it really represents what's going on inside this character Rachel's head. "I'm so proud of it. I think it's so clever. I wish I could take credit for the production side of it. I can take credit for my version of Rachel, but I can't take credit for the production. But I think it is very clever and that people will love it." You've played around the UK, but will it feel a bit different for you when the time comes to play Dublin and Cork? These are your own people - you know what we're like! "The aunties will be there, John. My aunties will be there. The real judges! I think Irish people have a high standard when it comes to theatre. And I look at some of the people who have graced our stages. "I actually spoke to someone about this recently - because I do a lot of presenting, and I present TV shows in front of millions of people, and I presented at Wembley and big things - but theatre is particularly intimidating. You can practically hear people breathing. They're that close. "You're very vulnerable - but then you have the joy of being vulnerable as a character. So that almost lets your guard down a little bit more." And you kind of play a character when you're presenting, I'd imagine? Maybe a larger than life version of yourself? "Especially on different shows. I've hosted everything from Love Island and I'm a Celeb, MTV and documentaries. And obviously, the Love Island version of Laura . . . it's still Laura - but it's very different to the documentary-making version of Laura." For another example, you've Britain's Killer Teens coming up on TV in September. There's a totally different tone required for that, as opposed to, say, Love Island. "And it's also very real. "A lot of these families have gone through real-life trauma and it's very hard. But it's also really important issues that I feel strongly we should be talking about. And I admire anyone who is willing to put themselves out there and talk about something so raw and emotional. "Sometimes it's a similar skill set, in some ways, but I love having time with people. Some of the shows I've worked on in the past, you don't have time to kind of talk . . . "We live in a world where everything is like, 'That has to fit into an Instagram page', or go a certain direction, and I love being able to have time to get to know much as you can."
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Laura Whitmore: 'Siobhán McSweeney said I'd have the best time at the Everyman'
There can be a lot of snobbery around the acting world, Laura Whitmore tells me, with a drama school pedigree considered de rigueur in certain circles. Considering the 40-year-old Bray native's credentials include a stint at RADA, a 2022 West End debut, and various film and TV roles, it's fair to say she's earned her acting chops, but her impressive CV still doesn't dampen the disdain from some quarters. 'I'll still get, oh yeah, but you're a presenter. You presented a reality television show. How can you do that?' she says, meaning acting, which was the craft she actually pursued first, getting down to the last eight for a role in Channel 4 series Totally Frank when she was 18. (She didn't get the part, much to the relief of her mother who wanted her daughter to see out her journalism degree at DCU.) Whitmore knows her worth, though, and has no truck with haters or misplaced snobbery. 'You just have to listen to your own voice, do what's right for you, create your own path and be authentic.' Being authentic has certainly worked for the former MTV presenter who, having got that gig ahead of 3,000 other applicants back in 2008, has since forged an impressive multi-hyphenate career across the worlds of TV, radio, podcasting, journalism, and entrepreneurship. She's consistently been drawn back to acting, though, starring in three plays in the last 12 months alone, and getting rave reviews for her performances. Laura Whitmore in The Girl on the Train 'I get such joy from it, which sounds weird because sometimes it's quite dark, some of the places you have to go. But, really, I'm really enjoying this,' she says, referencing her role in the stage adaptation of Paula Hawkins's 2015 bestselling thriller The Girl On The Train. Whitmore plays the 'flawed' titular girl, Rachel Watson, and in addition to loving the fact that the role requires her to be 'me at my least glamorous' — 'it's probably the least amount of time I've ever had to spend in hair and makeup, in that there is no hair and makeup' — Rachel's faults are what drew her to the role in the first instance. 'She's not this perfect protagonist who does everything right. She makes a lot of mistakes. But at the heart of this, there is a woman who is rebuilding her life.' Whitmore loved the fact that the story is written 'by a woman about a woman' and found the strong themes of alcoholism, domestic abuse, and coercive control that run through the narrative, 'relatable'. 'I think that's what I was drawn to, the human side of it. Rachel is very human and every single character in this play is flawed. There's no good guy and bad guy. Some are worse than others, but everyone has these traits that don't make them perfect, which is all of us really, isn't it?' Laura Whitmore attends the BRIT Awards after party at Claridge's on March 1, 2025 in London, England. To the casual onlooker, Whitmore herself might well come across as perfect. There's something of a head girl vibe about her, a sense that she's got her 'i's dotted and 't's crossed; that she charted her course for success early on and hasn't deviated. She's made her own luck and created her own opportunities, though, and is as far removed from the modern day 'nepo baby' phenomenon as it's possible to get. She's a grafter — 'If I'm given an opportunity, I will work my ass off to the best of my ability,' she tells me — and attributes her work ethic to the influence of her mother Carmel. In Whitmore's 2021 bestselling self-help book, No One Can Change Your Life Except for You, she also credits her mum with giving her 'the knowledge that having a child AND working is possible'. Having had her daughter, Stevie Ré, with Scottish comedian husband Iain Stirling in March 2021 (the trio live in North London), she's now well versed in the working mum juggle, and while she's making it work, with mum Carmel getting a shout out — 'every now and then, my mother comes over from Ireland and helps us out and saves the day' — Whitmore doesn't sugar-coat the downsides that come with her chosen career.'I remember working in Australia where I was on a different time zone, so you couldn't even talk to your family when you came up off set because they were asleep. It's hard. You have to really love it.' She's always had a clear delineation between her work and personal lives (although there has been crossover; Sterling narrates Love Island, the reality TV show Whitmore presented for three series, and the two have a podcast together, Murder they Wrote), but she's made it clear from early on in her working life that certain topics are off-limits, and that extends to her social media. 'I've got friends who show everything online and give all of themselves online and they're able for it. I just don't think I'm emotionally able to do that. I need boundaries. I know what I can cope with and what I can't cope with. Having boundaries helps.' When it comes to live theatre, Whitmore says it's the immersive nature that drews her to it. 'When I watch a film these days, I'm terrible. I'll be on my phone, scrolling, going, 'I know her'. Then my husband will say 'put down your phone and watch', because I'm, 'oh, I've missed a bit'. When you're in a theatre, you're not allowed to have your phone out, you have to be part of it and you have to be present.' Laura Whitmore attending the BAFTA TV Awards 2024 Whitmore says she hasn't been to Cork city 'in years' — although she did recently visit Skibbereen and Stevie Ré's godmother is Corkonian — but is looking forward to exploring when the production arrives Leeside later this month. 'Siobhán McSweeney was like, 'I hear you're coming to the Everyman. You are going to have the best time, they're so lovely down there. I'm so happy you're doing it'.' Cork is the only city in which Girl On The Train has an 8pm curtain up, she notes. 'Everywhere else is 7.30pm. I was like, 'that's so Cork. They just love the night!'' At this point in the run, the character of Rachel is 'in her bones' she says, but she's had to learn to leave her behind when she comes off stage. 'I found that was one thing I've had to learn, even from presenting. I've been doing quite a few documentary series recently, and I found that hard because I was bringing it home. I was lucky to speak to psychologists about that. The one thing they always say to me is you can't bring it with you, you have to be able to park it. You have to be able to, not forget about it, but be able to, again, have boundaries. It's the same with a character, when you're taking on a role who has been through a lot of trauma, you have to be able to step away and be Laura. Otherwise, it would be very difficult. I drink a lot of fake wine on stage. Sometimes I need a real glass afterwards.' The chameleon-like ease with which she switches between her various work hats is impressive, and she's her own best cheerleader. Laura Whitmore: 'The presenting makes me better at acting.' 'People like to put you in boxes and go, 'You're this or you're this',' she says. 'I think it's okay to constantly evolve and grow. The presenting makes me better at acting sometimes. And the acting makes me better at presenting. I'm doing a documentary series that's coming out in September and I touch on real-life subject matter that's quite dark, but actually the character of Rachel's quite dark. So some of the stuff I've learned from talking to families doing that series has helped me with the role of Rachel. It all links together in a weird way.' She's embracing it all and enjoying it too. 'It doesn't seem like a fun role, but I feel it's quite cathartic. And it's challenging and it's a bit scary. I quite like that.' She pauses and then adds: 'I don't think I want a boring life. I don't think I have a boring life.' Far from it. The Girl on the Train comes to The Everyman August 19-23 at 8pm; matinee, Saturday, August 23 at 2pm. Tickets from The play is at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre from August 26 to 30,
Daily Mail
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Maya Jama displays her natural beauty as she steps out makeup-free after having the 'grime, dirt and crust' removed from her system
Maya Jama cut a casually stylish figure in London on Thursday after getting a facial ahead of the Love Island final on Monday. The presenter, 30, who has fronted the show since 2023, visited the Shane Cooper Skin clinic in Chelsea to ensure she was looking her best for the event. In a video posted to her Instagram stories, the practitioner explained that she was having the lumination exfoliation. She joked: 'This is to get all that grime and dirt and crust out of your system.' Maya looked particularly fresh-faced as she stepped out in a pair of black jeans and a matching black top. The star finished off her look with a pair of black sunglasses and flip-flops. Maya was catapulted to new levels of fame after becoming Love Island's presenter in 2023, taking over from Laura Whitmore, 40. Her career has only been going from strength to strength in the years since with a booming beauty business of her own and a rumoured role in a Netflix show. However, the current series of Love Island saw its lowest launch viewing figures since 2016 with just 1.4 million tuning in. Meanwhile, Maya has no shortage of offers for other projects to keep herself busy. Although she is known as a TV presenter, Maya's first career goal was to become an actress. She auditioned for roles in her teens and even made it to the final round for a part in E4 teen drama Skins. When she didn't get the part in Skins, Maya focused on presenting instead, but it appears her acting ambitions have recently been reignited. The star has reportedly 'landed a sizzling new role' in the second series of Guy Ritchie's gangster drama The Gentlemen. Her career has only been going from strength to strength in the years since with a booming beauty business of her own and a rumoured role in a Netflix show She will reportedly play the glamorous wife of a shady associate linked to Theo James' lead character Eddie Horniman. Back in January, the BBC Three Glow Up presenter revealed she had been auditioning behind the scenes for a 'dream role' and hinted she wanted to play something completely different from her bubbly TV persona. She said: 'My dream role, I would want to be like a villain or something that's completely not like me, so then it shows that I can actually act. 'And then people would be like, wow, two different people.'
Daily Mail
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Maya Jama debuts chic new hairdo and wows in a tiny miniskirt on Love Island's Aftersun
Maya Jama debuted a new look on Sunday's episode of Love Island: Aftersun as she sported a shorter hairstyle. The presenter, 30, looked incredible with shoulder length hair while she put her figure on display in a figure-hugging pink suit. She showcased her long legs and tiny waist in the co-ord that flattered her incredible physique. Maya finished off the look with a pair of white, open-toed high heels. Taking to Instagram to promote the show, Maya shared a very cheeky video referencing her new look, calling her self a 'Bobby b***h'. Speaking in American accent, Maya filmed herself saying: 'OK, bobby b***h is ready to host the show. Make sure you tune in....' she then stumbled on her words before adding: 'I'm a clueless c*** today'. First hosted by the late Caroline Flack, Love Island's Aftersun is a popular addition to the reality dating show that takes a look at the week's events in the villa, often featuring interviews with departed islanders. Maya's show comes amid fears that the TV personality could be ready to say farewell to the ITV dating show as her career reaches new heights elsewhere. She got the biggest gig of her career to date when she was announced as the new presenter of Love Island in October 2022. Maya took over from Laura Whitmore, who presented for three seasons, and has been fronting the ITV2 show ever since. But her career has only been going from strength to strength in the years since with a booming beauty business and a rumoured role in a Netflix show. The current series of the show saw its lowest launch viewing figures since 2016 with just 1.4million tuning in. Meanwhile, Maya has no shortage of offers for other projects to keep herself busy. Although she is known as a TV presenter, Maya's first career goal was to become an actress. She auditioned for roles in her teens and even made it to the final round for a part in E4 teen drama Skins. When she didn't get the part, she focused on presenting instead, but it appears her acting ambitions have recently been reignited. The star has reportedly 'landed a sizzling new role' in the second series of Guy Ritchie's gangster drama The Gentlemen. She will reportedly play the glamorous wife of a shady associate linked to Theo James' lead character Eddie Horniman. Back in January, the BBC Three Glow Up presenter revealed she had been auditioning behind the scenes for a 'dream role' and hinted she wanted to play something completely different from her bubbly TV persona. She said: 'My dream role, I would want to be like a villain or something that's completely not like me, so then it shows that I can actually act. 'And then people would be like, wow, two different people.'
Daily Mail
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Ophelia Lovibond is pregnant! Actress reveals she's expecting her first child with husband Henry Pettigrew and shares sweet bump photo
Ophelia Lovibond has announced she is expecting her first child with her husband, actor Henry Pettigrew, whom she met while playing his on-stage lover. The 39-year-old actress, known for her roles in Guardians of the Galaxy and the BBC comedy W1A, confirmed the joyful news on Instagram on Monday alongside a black and white snap revealing her blossoming baby bump. In the photo, Ophelia cradles her belly as she walks barefoot along a sandy beach in a bikini and unbuttoned shirt, beaming beneath a pair of oversized sunglasses. 'Baby on the way!,' she captioned it, adding the hashtags #overthemoon #comingsoon and #littledarling - and tagging her husband. The announcement was met with a wave of love from fans and friends, with singer Pixie Lott writing: 'congratulations!' while Sophie Ellis-Bextor commented: 'Woo! Congratulations! Happy news xxxx'. TV presenter Laura Whitmore added: 'Congrats lovely. The best x.' The 39-year-old actress, known for her roles in Guardians of the Galaxy and the BBC comedy W1A, confirmed the joyful news on Instagram on Monday [pictured with Henry in 2023] Ophelia met Henry, who played moon-landing astronaut Neil Armstrong in The Crown, when they were cast as on-stage lovers in Lucy Prebble's play The Effect in 2015. At the time, Ophelia was in a relationship with actor Tom Hughes, who later struck up a romance with Jenna Coleman after they played husband and wife in ITV's Victoria. 'It was quite intense - the characters in the play fall in love. We just knew,' Ophelia has since reflected. She got engaged to Henry in 2021, and they married the following year at London's historic Wilton's Music Hall. Ophelia described the event as her 'dream wedding,' sharing a flurry of photos from the day on Instagram. She stunned in a flowing white satin gown by Halfpenny London, complete with a dramatic oversized bow, while Henry looked dapper in a navy suede blazer and bow tie. The announcement was met with a wave of love from fans and friends, with singer Pixie Lott writing: 'congratulations!' She got engaged to Henry in 2021, and they married the following year at London's historic Wilton's Music Hall [pictured] 'Dream wedding, dream man, dream dress, dream flowers, dream food, dream music, dream guests, dream day ❤️ Still not sunk in how spectacularly special it all was…' she wrote. Her new husband echoed the sentiment, posting: 'I married my best friend.' The pair were serenaded by a gospel choir performing Stevie Wonder's Signed, Sealed, Delivered, and exchanged vows surrounded by wildflowers and twinkling fairy lights. Ophelia's career has gone from strength to strength in recent years. As well as her leading role in feminist comedy Minx, she starred as Carrie Johnson - wife of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson - in Sky's This Sceptred Isle, chronicling the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also appeared as Carina in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: The Dark World.
