Latest news with #LeighFrancis
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Daniel Bedingfield breaks 10-year silence to slam Leigh Francis for claiming he was DEAD on Celebrity Juice telling the Keith Lemon comic 'f*** you'
Leigh Francis has been blasted by another of his comedy victims, who claims the controversial comic went 'too far' with an outrageous death 'gag.' Chat show host Trisha Goddard and singer Craig David have previously slammed the Bo' Selecta! creator, 52, for his offensive portrayals of the pair on his Channel 4 series. Plus ex-TV host Melanie Sykes also hit out at Leigh for making personal remarks about her during an appearance on ITV series Through The Keyhole, which he hosted in the guise of another of his alter egos, Keith Lemon. And now 10 years after the comic claimed he had passed away while appearing on ITV2 's Celebrity Juice, also in the guise of Lemon, singer Daniel Bedingfield has broken his silence and slated Leigh for the impact the viral gag had on his family. The Gotta Get Thru This hitmaker, who was a showbiz recluse at the time, revealed many loved ones feared Leigh's claim was true and the 'joke' caused much distress. Daniel, who referred to Leigh by the name of another of his comic creations - Avid Merrion, accused the funnyman of taking great 'delight' in tricking the public he had passed away. He said: 'The delight in Avid Merrion telling people I was dead - f**k you, Avid Merrion. 'All my friends called me saying, are you dead? Not cool, man. 'He said I was dead as a human, it's not cool bro. It's too far.' Speaking on the Nicky Byrne HQ podcast, Daniel, 45, added Leigh was part of a culture who enjoyed 'taking down' celebrities and lauded one of his other targets, 7 Days singer Craig, for speaking out about it. He said: 'There's a delight in taking apart the people we respect in Britain, tearing people down. Craig's been really open about that.' Leigh's gag went viral shortly after it was mentioned on Celebrity Juice, which was axed after 14 years in 2022. Daniel became one of the most searched artists on Google in 2015, due to fans desperately trying to find out if Leigh's claim was true. The joke was particularly sensitive for Daniel given he nearly lost his life for real in 2004 following a near fatal car crash in New Zealand, which left him with serious head and neck injuries. Leigh no longer performs as Keith Lemon, or any other of his characters, following a backlash in recent years. The comedian, who now presents a drive time show on Virgin Radio as himself, issued an apology to both Trisha Goddard and Craig David after they criticised him for his 'racist' depictions on Bo' Selecta! Channel 4 have since removed all episodes of from their streaming platforms. Speaking in 2020 in BBC2's Newsnight, Trisha, 67, said: 'A couple of times I bumped into Leigh, I couldn't even talk to him I felt so sick.' She also said Leigh had since 'had a long talk' with one of her daughters and had been 'absolutely horrified' to learn of the bullying she endured at school as a result of his portrayal. And Craig, 44, told in 2023 he moved to America to escape the 'reaction' to his mocking, likening the abuse to childhood bullying. He said: 'It was very reminiscent of days at my school, when I was growing up, when I'd been bullied, not for long periods of time but just the experience of bullying. 'Once you've experienced it, it's like a trauma that sticks with you. Even then, it was that when the teacher's there, you sort of lean in to that 'everything's OK' and it's a smile, and the guy's holding you, he's gripping you like 'if you say anything it's not just going to be here, it's going to be outside the school gates. 'And I felt that all over again with this, it was being ridiculed and bullied all over again on national TV. The fact that he was wearing a black rubber mask, I mean that throws open the whole thing of him blackfacing, which just wouldn't be acceptable now.' Leigh made a public apology in 2020, expressing his regret at mimicking the black stars. He said: 'I portrayed many black people. Back then I didn't think anything about it, people didn't say anything, I'm not going to blame other people. 'I've been talking to some people and I didn't realise how offensive it was back then. 'And I just wanna apologise and, you know, say sorry for any upset I caused.' He added: 'I guess we're all on a learning journey.' Former Big Breakfast presenter Sykes, 54, claimed Leigh's offensive remarks about her while she made a guest appearance on Through The Keyhole left her 'crying all night.' Melanie Sykes told how she even complained to producers about the comments. She said: 'I went into the studio and I didn't think Keith was going to be like he was on the other show that he does (Celebrity Juice) where it's all sex and b*** jobs and talking about people's a***holes and all that. 'I sat there for a three-hour record and he did all of that stuff to me verbally to entertain the live audience – because it was never going to make the edit of the show, because it was a family, Saturday night show, so he used me to entertain the audience. 'I had Jonathan Ross to my right and Jordan Banjo to my left and the first thing that Keith said to me, in character, was: 'I bet your a***hole smells of flowers.' It makes me want to cry right now because I was so caught in the headlights and wasn't expecting it.' She added: 'It went from bad to worse, I kept thinking, what am I going to do? I can't get up and storm out because it will be all over the newspapers that I've walked out and it will, of course, be my fault, everybody in the audience has a mobile phone so they could see.'
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Holly Willoughby reunites with Leigh Francis after quitting his controversial panel show Celebrity Juice - following comedian admitting he hadn't seen her since major ITV drama
Holly Willoughby reunited with her former co-star Keith Lemon as she shared a heartwarming snap of the pair together. The presenter, 44, and the comedian, 52, worked alongside each other on controversial ITV2 comedy panel show Celebrity Juice from 2008 to 2020. The pair went through a period of not speaking for several months in 2023 as Holly dealt with the fallout from Phillip Schofield 's departure from This Morning. Keith has also had to contend with his bawdy brand of character comedy being criticised by more sensitive modern audiences, saying it is now 'going out of fashion'. Taking to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday, Holly shared a photo with Keith, whose real name is Leigh Francis, smiling together in a bar. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Alongside the post, she wrote: 'Caught up with this one today... love you @leighfrancis'. Celebrity Juice became a no-holds-barred playground for celebrity guests who were more than willing to leave their dignity at the door. The show debuted in 2008 and was cancelled in 2022, which Keith has partly attributed to changing attitudes around comedy. The comedian has had to face the reality that over the years, younger generations humour changes and it's become increasingly harder to win over younger viewers. Speaking to The Sun, the presenter confessed 'nothing is acceptable anymore' and just like fashion, comedy tastes change. He told the publication: 'Now, nothing is acceptable any more — we had 'the rules were the rules' in past times, and they're different now, so of course there are things back then that you wouldn't do any more. 'Now, nothing is acceptable any more — we had 'the rules were the rules' in past times, and they're different now, so of course there are things back then that you wouldn't do any more. 'You don't set out to offend anyone, you just set out to make people laugh, but for me, now when I come up with an idea, it has to be a straight one, with just a bit of silliness. 'Quite a lot of comedians are now presenting straight shows, entertainment programmes that are funny, just maybe not as funny as a sketch show.' He confessed that he thinks it is a 'shame' for viewers because some still want to watch that old-school silly comedy that was peak television in the noughties. Leigh admitted that comedy will 'always offend someone,' but he feels it is all 'being taken too seriously.' 'At the end of the day, you're always going to upset someone — but it's just comedy and, in these modern times, I feel that it's all being taken too seriously', he added. He then revealed that because he has dimmed down his dramatics in comedy he is frequently asked if he has 'gone woke?' to which he explained that he doesn't understand what that meant. While on the show together, Keith frequently referred to Holly by her old nickname Holly Willoughbooby. The former children's TV presenter got the moniker when she started to work on primetime shows in the Noughties, and the mother-of-three admitted she was 'proud' of the cheeky nickname. Holly credited Keith for coining the term, telling the Standard: 'In all seriousness, it's very nice and I'm proud that a mother who has breastfed children can have that accolade…if you can call it that.' However, she ultimately distanced herself from the show when she left in 2020 and was replaced by Emily Atack. Her and Keith remained friends however, with Holly attending his 50th birthday party in April 2023. They didn't see each other for several months after however as Holly became embroiled in the drama surrounding her This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield when he stepped down after admitting to an affair wiht a younger male colleague. That same year, she became the target of obsessed security guard Gavin Plumb who was convicted for plotting to kidnap and murder her. Speaking about a quieter period in their friendship, Keith told MailOnline in September 2023: 'The last time I saw Holly was on my birthday. I haven't seen her since all the telly drama. April was the last time I saw her in real life. 'I just text people and go, 'Are you ok?' I reached out to everyone.' For the iconic show, each week, two celebrity teams were led by regular captains Holly and Fearne. They then would go head-to-head, tackling ridiculous challenges that often left them covered in food, squirming in embarrassment, or laughing until they cried. From cringe-worthy confessions to unexpected antics, Celebrity Juice was the show where anything could happen and was seen as the perfect late-night fix. Keith Lemon, the outrageous alter ego of comedian Leigh, was born out of Francis' creative and absurd humor, blending influences from his personal life, pop culture, and his knack for embodying eccentric characters. Before Keith Lemon, Francis had already gained popularity with other characters, especially Avid Merrion, from his previous show Bo' Selecta. Leigh based parts of Keith's personality on people he knew in his hometown of Leeds, as well as his love for 1980s pop culture. The name 'Lemon' came from a friend Leigh had who was called Keith and shared some of the same cheeky, over-the-top personality traits. The character of Keith Lemon debuted in Keith Lemon's Very Brilliant World Tour in 2008, where he portrayed himself as a fictional version of a successful entrepreneur and ladies' man. It comes as the ITV Daytime schedule is undergoing a major shake-up. Lorraine and Loose Women have been axed for half the year and Lorraine's runtime has been slashed by 30 minutes, as ITV Daytime bosses announced huge cuts with job losses in excess of 220. Host Lorraine Kelly faced the brunt of the cuts with Good Morning Britain now taking her 9-10am slot for 22 weeks of the year. For the remaining 30 weeks of the year, Lorraine will present five days a week, meaning her Friday stand-in presenters Ranvir Singh and Christine Lampard are no longer needed for the show. Lorraine's show has also been slashed in half, now running for just 30 minutes from 9:30am to 10am. ITV sources told MailOnline that they have decided to cut resources on their daytime schedule so that the network can invest in more drama programmes. One said: 'There is a need to cost save but also so that the right money can go to the right shows and with everything getting more expensive these things have to be looked at.' The source added: 'Christine and Ranvir remain part of the ITV daytime family.' This Morning, whose presenters include Alison Hammond, Ben Shepherd, and Cat Deeley, remains untouched. It was also announced today that ITV Studios will no longer make Good Morning Britain but instead it will be made by ITN - the organisation which makes ITV News. That means that there could be a merger between the staff working on GMB - which is hosted by Susanna Reid - and the channel's news bulletins. Meanwhile, ITV said that it is unlikely any on-screen talent will be axed. An ITV source insisted that the changes have not be influenced by any of the show's performances, saying: 'We recognise daytime is a very popular genre and these changes and efficiencies are about preserving the future of the genre, whilst also funding additional investment in dramas like Mr Bates vs The Post Office and in coverage of the biggest sporting events like next year's football World Cup as well as the UK's biggest reality and entertainment shows. 'This has nothing to do with under performance, the bosses are very pleased with all four shows. This Morning and GMB have escaped unscathed, their social media footprint is booming.' Kevin Lygo, Managing Director of ITV's Media and Entertainment Division, explained the changes: 'Daytime is a really important part of what we do, and these scheduling and production changes will enable us to continue to deliver a schedule providing viewers with the news, debate and discussion they love from the presenters they know and trust as well generating savings which will allow us to reinvest across the programme budget in other genres. 'These changes also allow us to consolidate our news operations and expand our national, international and regional news output and to build upon our proud history of trusted journalism at a time when our viewers need accurate, unbiased news coverage more than ever.' Lygo added: 'I recognise that our plans will have an impact on staff off screen in our Daytime production teams, and we will work with ITV Studios and ITN as they manage these changes to produce the shows differently from next year, and support them through this transition. 'Daytime has been a core element of ITV's schedule for over 40 years and these changes will set ITV up to continue to bring viewers award winning news, views and discussion as we enter our eighth decade.'
The Sun
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Holly Willoughby reunites with ex ITV co-star amid daytime schedule shake-up
TV presenter Holly Willoughby has reunited with one of her former ITV co-stars for a cosy new snap. Holly was all smiles as she reunited with her old colleague Leigh Francis, more often known as his character alter ego, Keith Lemon. 4 Uploading a beaming selfie to Instagram, Holly looked radiant as she posed alongside her pal whom she worked alongside for 12 years on former ITV2 panel show, Celebrity Juice. Leigh could be seen wearing his trademark hat in the snap as the long-time pals enjoyed a catch-up. Holly shared her love and appreciation for the comedy star in the snap as she added the sweet caption: "Caught up with this one today... love you @leighfrancis." Holly and Leigh first began hosting alongside one another on Celebrity Juice in 2008. They were joined by fellow co-star Fearne Cotton before she left the programme in 2018. Holly remained for an extra two years before also quitting for good in 2020. Emily Atack and Laura Whitmore eventually took over but the show dwindled soon after and it was axed for good in 2022. Leigh retired the character of Keith shorty after. The pair's meeting comes as Holly's former show This Morning managed to come away unscathed as part of ITV daytime's shock shake-ups. This week, it was revealed that Lorraine and Loose Women had both been slashed to 30 weeks instead of all year-round as part of cost-saving measures. Watch Holly Wiloughby and Rylan get their revenge on Ant and Dec with cruel prank in final ever Saturday Night Takeaway Lorraine will also be reduced in length to 30 minutes with Good Morning Britain being extended. GMB will be produced in close connection with ITV News' output underneath ITN. 4 4
