Latest news with #LesDennis
Edinburgh Live
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Layton Williams shares reason celebs sign up for Strictly as he names 'true winner'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Strictly Come Dancing star Layton Williams has revealed the real reason celebrities participate in the show, as he named the "true winner" from his series. The Bad Education actor competed in the 21st series of Strictly in 2023, where he was paired with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin. The pair finished runner-up alongside Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell. Coronation Street star Ellie Leech won the series after being partnered with Italian dancer Vito Coppola. West End star Layton however says Les Dennis was the real winner of the series. Speaking on the Savoy Originals podcast with Alex Zane, Layton discussed his decision to join Strictly. He said: "I was looking at people's careers who had done Strictly Come Dancing or Dancing With The Stars because they also had, like Zendaya, people don't really remember but Zendaya eating up Dancing With The Stars back in the day." He added: "Obviously this is a bit of a random one but Kim Kardashian, she's not exactly not killing life, you might not necessarily agree with what she's doing but there's so many people that have done that show, like Clara Amfo and Aj Odudu, and their careers are soaring." (Image: Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images) He concluded by saying: "I was in the era of, yes there was social media and things like that, but I was coming up when all of that was happening. So I thought, 'Let's rise the profile a tiny bit' and I'm not afraid to say that, because that's literally why people go on there. "Obviously, they didn't exactly pay me a tenner, so I was like, 'I'm from the streets, I'm going to get some cash'. And it doesn't matter if you get kicked out first or second, you still get your cheque. "So Les Dennis, you ate that. I always say Les Dennis was the true winner because he said deuces and probably got paid more than all of us." (Image: Getty Images) Bury-born Layton, aged 30, is gearing up for a fascinating appearance on tonight's episode of BBC One's Who Do You Think You Are?, airing at 9pm on May 12. The celeb will dive deep into his past and uncover a lineage full of Londoners, while also following the footsteps of his great-great-grandfather William, who joined the military at the tender age of 17, one year after the First World War ended. As a Remount Rider, William played a crucial role in preparing horses for the battlefields in France. Adding to the intrigue, Layton's exploration takes a poignant turn as he discerns his Jamaican heritage and finds a jarring historical note – an ancestor registered as a child slave. Layton shared his thoughts on the show via social media, saying: "I investigate my London roots, revealing a surprising musical connection, before travelling to Jamaica to uncover my family's history. "I walk through life with a new sense of pride now. Can't wait for you to see why. It was an unbelievable experience."
Times
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Amanda Holden trying to get adulterers back together? Yes, really
Amanda Holden does not look terribly different now, at the age of 54, than she looked when she made the arguably unhinged decision to marry Les Dennis at the age of 22. Some Mephistophelian pact was entered into, obviously. It is hard to pinpoint the reasons for her enormous success: turn on your television right now and you can probably find her in five or six shows, delivering herself of opinions that, while vapid, are enunciated with sufficient fluency to make them sound almost astute. She is attractive, of course, which helps. She also understands the market and is apt to pop up in the tabloids advising everybody on how to have really 'hot sex' and other similar encomiums. Hers is a telegenic naughtiness mediated
Wales Online
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Amanda Holden opens up on 'hilarious' rumour that was spread about Les Dennis divorce
Amanda Holden opens up on 'hilarious' rumour that was spread about Les Dennis divorce Amanda Holden has opened up about her divorce from Les Dennis and revealed the most 'hilarious' and far-fetched lie that was spread about the end of their marriage Amanda Holden and Les Dennis divorced in 2003 Amanda Holden has finally set the record straight regarding a "hilarious" rumour surrounding her split from Les Dennis. The Britain's Got Talent judge, who was married to the comedian from 1995 until 2003 and parted ways following an affair with Neil Morrissey, has since found long-term happiness with husband Chris Hughes. Nevertheless, a candid Amanda reminisced about a particularly amusing media blunder involving her friend Jane Wall – an actress of mixed heritage – while discussing her former marriage on the Tea At Four podcast. Sharing a laugh about the mistaken identity incident, she said: "I hate to bring it up, but when I was going through a divorce, my friend Jane Wall, who is a mixed-race actress, was living in my house. We were helping her, she was living there basically so she could save up for a mortgage and, it [the newspaper article] said, my then-husband was being 'comforted by Diana Ross'. So that was hilarious." Amanda Holden is the host of the new Netflix show Cheat: Unfinished Business (Image: WireImage ) Les Dennis himself had previously addressed this bizarre press error during an interview with the Independent in 2004. On the most outlandish stories spun about him, he'd remarked: "Well, there've been a few, but there was one instance that was particularly ridiculous." Article continues below Recounting the events that led to the wild misreporting, he continued: "When everything was going a bit crazy a few years ago, a friend of mine, Jane Wall, was visiting my house. She's an actress who's been in The Bill, among other things. When she left, these two journalists chased her down the street in a car. "The next day, the headline said that I was being comforted by pop diva Diana Ross." In the podcast, Amanda discussed the topic of infidelity and stressed the importance of trust in any relationship: "If the trust's been broken, you have to repair the trust, and that can be tough." Her debut on television was on Blind Date, a British dating game show that rose to fame in the 80s. Despite the show's romantic theme, she confessed during her interview that while participating, she had a boyfriend, attributing her appearance to seeking a TV break during her time at drama school. Amanda has now been with Chris Hughes for 20 years (Image: Getty Images ) Amanda, now 54, married her now-husband Chris in 2008 and shares two daughters with him. In an interview with Hello! magazine, she expressed pride in their "healthy" relationship, saying: "When my husband came out to visit during filming, I felt grateful to be in a lovely, secure relationship. "We have ups and downs like everyone else. But when I was looking at the pain and suffering that some of the people we were working with were going through, I felt so grateful that I had somebody in my life with no complications." Article continues below During the podcast, when asked about the 'rose, thorn and banana' of her career – highlighting the high point, low point and something random – Amanda referred to Britain's Got Talent as her 'banana'. She elaborated: "I was an actress up until that point. I think Simon is obviously famous, that he asked Cheryl Cole to do it first. "She turned it down... From there, I just seemed to have turned into a host and a presenter and I don't really act particularly anymore." As she reflected on the high points of her career, Amanda acknowledged that last year "just never stopped." It was during this non-stop period that an exciting opportunity arose with Netflix. "When I was asked if I would host a relationship show on Netflix, I just thought, 'surely I've reached the top of Everest now'," she revealed. "Because this is all I've ever wanted. Because Netflix seems so out of our reach as British people, and slowly us Brits are trickling in."
Wales Online
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Amanda Holden admits 'I loved that' as she shares nickname Les Dennis gave her
Amanda Holden admits 'I loved that' as she shares nickname Les Dennis gave her Amanda Holden gave a candid look back at her relationship with former Coronation Street star Les Dennis as she shared one thing that she 'loved' about their time together Amanda shared the nickname given to her by Les Dennis (Image: Getty Images ) Britain's Got Talent star Amanda Holden opened up about one aspect of her relationship with Les Dennis - admitting "I loved that". Looking back to her younger days, in her memoir, No Holding Back, the TV personality reflected on her years married to the renowned former Coronation Street star. Sharing the ins and outs of her time with the actor, she let her fans into a little-known intimate detail as she revealed that Les used to call her his "teacher". Revealing how his kind words had been of comfort during the early phases of their relationship, the 54-year-old said: "He said we were each other's teachers, and I Ioved that. I still do. Listening to his advice made me want the security of a relationship again and he made me feel safe." Article continues below Amanda and Les first met back in 1993 while performing on stage together (Image: Gareth Davies, Getty Images ) The pair first clapped eyes on each other when they appeared together on a production of The Sound of Music at Bournemouth's Pavilion Theatre in 1993. After tying the knot just two years after crossing paths for the first time, Amanda also noted how she felt somewhat uneasy during the early parts of their relationship as Les was more of an established star than her due to his appearances in shows such as Family Fortunes. However, despite sharing her affection for the actor, their relationship wasn't to last, after their marriage began to become overshadowed by rumours, and eventual confirmation, of infidelity. Their marriage came to an end in 2003 after Amanda's affair with Waterloo Road's Neil Morrisey became public three years earlier. The pair divorced back in 2003 (Image: Getty Images ) But since the end of her relationship with the former Coronation Street star over two decades ago, Amanda later went on to find love again after exchanging vows with her now husband, Chris Hughes, who she has two children with, Alexa 'Lexi' Louise Florence and Hollie Rose. Away from her home life, Amanda has become a household name thanks to her numerous TV appearances. Her first foray into broadcasting came when she appeared as a contestant on Blind Date. While she has appeared in number of acting roles, she is more commonly seen co-hosting some of the nation's most popular morning TV shows, with guest appearances on likes the of Lorraine and This Morning. Article continues below More recently, after she first appeared on the ITV show in 2007, she has become best-known for making up one fifth of the Britain's Got Talent judging panel alongside Simon Cowell, Bruno Tonioli, Alesha Dixon and guest judge, KSI. Meanwhile, Amanda is set to join forces with relationship coach, Paul Brunson as the pair co-host new Netflix series, Cheat: Unfinished Business next week. The show will follow eight former couples, broken up by cheating, as they spend a stay together at a stunning Mallorca villa.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The end of Notts TV is a blow for local journalism - and the city of Nottingham
Ten years of local broadcasting will come to an end later this year as Notts TV broadcasts its final show. The local TV station - owned and mostly subsidised by Nottingham Trent University - announced on Monday (February 17) its licence would not be renewed and it would come off air in November. I've worked closely with Notts TV since its inception and know lots of the staff there. The kind of opportunities it can offer for journalism students on the 'Notts TV pathway' at NTU are unrivalled and I've hired many of its graduates myself. Where else could students work on a live TV station like this? READ MORE: Britain's Got Talent's Amanda Holden made heartbreaking admission after meeting ex Les Dennis READ MORE: Take That BAFTA Awards performance leaves fans 'embarrassed' as they 'turn off' Reader, you may think I'd be celebrating the loss of a competitor. But it doesn't work like that. The local media ecosystem is a poorer place without Notts TV. We each brought something different for audiences but we found much common ground. Over the years, we've worked on several projects together - most recently a hustings event for the East Midlands Mayoral elections which was screened on Notts TV and our Facebook pages and featured on our website and in print. Our photographer also provided imagery for the post-event publicity. Nottinghamshire Live used to have a daily slot on the news show where we would talk about the biggest stories of the day. This personally gave me experience of live and pre-recorded television, something I would later go on to do fairly regularly in my role as editor on much bigger channels. It's been a breeding ground for many great journalists who have gone on to different jobs and that sort of environment is important in our industry. With the number of jobs shrinking across the board, no journalist out there would take pleasure in seeing yet another outlet close down. The more voices out there in the media, the more choice the audience has, the better. But it's the training opportunities for student journalists that will be irreplaceable in our city. That safe, yet real, environment is unlike anywhere else and will be missed. NTU has an excellent reputation for its journalism training and I hope students will still find it an attractive prospect, without the Notts TV feather in its cap. So where does the Nottingham media scene go from here? What do you read, watch and listen to (apart from Nottinghamshire Live of course!) Will you miss Notts TV? I am interested to hear your thoughts - email me at .
