Latest news with #NewTricks
Metro
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Emmerdale casts EastEnders star Joe Absolom as dark new story is confirmed
Former EastEnders star Joe Absolom has joined the cast of Emmerdale as part of a dark new storyline involving Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb). Joe, who rose to fame as Matthew Rose in the BBC One soap during the 90s, will play a former contact of Mack's named Ray. Ray arrives in the village in upcoming scenes with a calm and collected exterior, claiming to be selling farm machinery, but it's not long before his drug dealing ways come to light – and a menacing streak surfaces. Discussing his casting, Joe said: 'Well what an honour to join such a talented team at Emmerdale! It's an iconic show and I'm grateful to be part of it. I can't wait to see what's in stock for Ray!' Emmerdale boss Laura Shaw added: 'We are thrilled to welcome Joe Absolom to the cast. 'It's fantastic to have such a high calibre and immensely talented actor join our wonderful team to play the role of Ray. 'Charming, charismatic and effortlessly likeable, Ray is an extremely complex character who very quickly shows his dark and villainous side to some of our most loved villagers, leaving them in no doubt as to what he's capable of.' Consider us intrigued . Mackenzie isn't exactly having the best year after he was accused of causing the slurry leak which led to Harry's hospitalisation, not to mention Claudette and Charles Anderson suffering a spell of sickness in the aftermath due to the contaminated water supply. He was also the subject of a flash-forward that we still know little about as he was seemingly chased through the woods – or at the very least was seen running away from something. To top it all off, Mack was also trapped in Lewis Barton's (Bradley Riches) loft this week when he and Ross (Michael Parr) concocted a scheme to try take the newcomer's cannibis plants. More Trending But just what trouble will Ray bring to his door? Actor Joe is best known for his time in Walford between 1997 and 2000 as Matthew Rose, who was famously framed for the murder of Saskia Duncan (Deborah Sheridan-Taylor), who had actually been killed by club owner Steve Owen (Martin Kemp). Since leaving EastEnders, he has went on to land roles in The Bill, New Tricks, Doc Martin, Death in Paradise and A Confession – and recently appeared in Silent Witness. View More » Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 or stream first from 7am in ITVX. If you've got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@ – we'd love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. MORE: Emmerdale confirms who sets in motion John's downfall – and it's the most unexpected of characters MORE: Mack left trapped in Emmerdale as Lewis Barton takes revenge over crime plot MORE: Emmerdale legend falls victim to killer John in ITVX streaming release – and it's not Mack
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
The detectives trying new tricks on old cases
A team of cold case detectives recently involved in solving three major crimes still has more than 70 unsolved murders on its books. The specialist investigators are part of a joint major crime unit set up by police forces in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. Their work has made headlines in recent years after men involved in the killings of Carol Morgan in1981, Rikki Neave in 1994, and Una Crown in 2013, were jailed. The team - which began life nearly 20 years ago - has been compared to the fictional officers featured in the BBC drama New Tricks. Senior officers say the team has 78 unsolved murders, nine unsolved attempted murders, and less than 50 unsolved serious sex crimes on its books. They say unsolved major crimes are subject to a system of review and the oldest cold case dates back to 1955. Det Ch Supt Ian Simmons, who heads the major crime unit, does not expect the numbers of unsolved murders to grow. He said police solve most murders now and he thinks the number of unsolved crimes will drop because of scientific advances. Det Ch Supt Simmons said 21st-Century detectives have access to evidence - including DNA, information stored on mobile phones and CCTV - police could not have imagined decades ago. "That is why we are probably quite successful in solving current cases - because of the range of investigative opportunities, tactics, covert techniques and so on that are available to us," he said. He added: "If you take an investigation from 1955, for example - no phones, no automatic number plate recognition, no CCTV." He said the "beauty" of reviewing an old unsolved case was the benefit of "hindsight". Three Headline Cases Rikki Neave: In 2022, the killer of a six-year-old schoolboy who evaded justice for nearly three decades was jailed for a minimum of 15 years. Rikki Neave's naked body was found posed in a star shape near his Peterborough home the day after he disappeared in November 1994. He had been strangled. Three years ago, James Watson, then 41 but 13 at the time of Rikki's, was convicted of murder. Carol Morgan: A husband accused of hiring a hitman to murder his former wife in 1981 was found guilty and jailed in 2024. Carol Morgan, 36, was killed in a shop she ran with her husband Allen Morgan in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. Morgan, who is now in his 70s, from Stanstead Crescent, Woodingdean, Brighton, denied conspiring to murder. Una Crown: A man who carried out "a ferocious and sustained knife attack on a defenceless old lady in her own home" more than a decade ago was jailed in February after being convicted of murder. The body of former postmistress Una Crown, 86, was found at her bungalow in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, on 13 January 2013. She had been stabbed four times and her throat cut. Neighbour David Newton, who is now in his 70s, was prosecuted after a DNA breakthrough. Det Ch Supt Simmons said the team did not routinely tell the public, or victims' families, when unsolved crimes were being reviewed. And he said detectives sometimes concluded an unsolved crime should not be "proactively" re-examined unless new information emerged. But he said everything "is on the table for reinvestigation" and victims' families should know that no case was "put to bed". Det Ch Supt Simmons said: "We have got a large number of undetected investigations that go back decades, which we routinely review on a time basis, whether it's two years, five years, 10 years. "And it depends on solvability factors. "It depends on whether witnesses or victims and families are still alive. "It depends on forensic factors." The team has access to crime exhibits going back decades and works with an archivist. Det Ch Insp Nick Gardner, who is in day-to-day charge, said some exhibits were kept at stores in Hertfordshire and Cambridge - and some in a more unusual location. "There's a lot in a large salt mine in Cheshire," he explained. "Material is kept there because of the climatic conditions." He said anything relating to murder was kept for 100 years. "Paperwork in particular, some of it is starting to degrade," he added "We are starting of getting to the point of trying to digitise as much as possible." Det Ch Insp Gardner said the oldest "solved" case was the 1981 murder of Carol Morgan. He said the older cases were most demanding. "Cases we were not able to solve in the 2010s, 2000s, there is going to be so much more evidence available," Det Chief Insp Gardner explained. "The older cases are almost either a change of allegiance or a complete re-imagining." Det Ch Insp Gardner said the three-force cold case team was "absolutely" value for taxpayers' money. Senior officers say resources limit the type of unsolved crimes which can be routinely re-examined. Fact and Fiction Television viewers might draw parallels with New Tricks - a drama, which has starred Dennis Waterman, James Bolam and Amanda Redman, about a police cold case team made up of a serving officer and three retired detectives Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. How a love affair led to a murderous plot Man loses appeal over 1994 murder of Rikki Neave No DNA clue found when widow died, court told The Boy in the Woods - The Murder of Rikki Neave True Crime: Cold Case Mysteries Cold Case Investigators: Solving Britain's Sex Crimes
The Independent
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Rose Ayling-Ellis called ‘amazing' as viewers praise new British Sign Language show
Viewers of Rose Ayling-Ellis 's new show, Old Hands, New Tricks, have called the two-part documentary 'amazing' and 'uplifting' following its premiere on BBC One on Wednesday (26 March). The new project from the Doctor Who star and former Strictly Come Dancing winner sees the 30-year-old introduce British Sign Language to the elderly residents at Hughenden Garden retirement village. After initially being met with scepticism, Ayling-Ellis's efforts gradually lead to heartwarming transformations among the participants who begin to strengthen their relationships and address the loneliness that can come with hearing loss. During a conversation with one of the participants, Ayling-Ellis became emotional when talking about her own experiences. "It's interesting to see you as such a sociable person but what people don't realise is that you come back and you feel lonely on your own,' she said. "As a deaf person as well, sometimes I go to work and I have a face on that I look like I know what's going on all the time and make it look easy, but I go home on my own too. "I feel really passionate about sign language as I get to communicate to the deaf community and I don't feel lonely. I just don't want anyone to feel lonely. I just don't." Viewers have since showered Ayling-Ellis with praise for bringing such a moving and inspirational show to the BBC. One person said: 'What an absolutely uplifting programme. The residents did a fabulous job and what a darling Rose Ayling-Ellis is. More of this please BBC.' Another viewer wrote: ' Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks is incredible.' The Association of Lipreaders added in a post: 'This is an absolute 'must-see.' It encompasses a wide range of emotions and was truly a delight to see such positivity and informative content on TV for once.' 'Rose Ayling Ellis is the most amazing advocate for the deaf community and sign language,' said a fourth person. A fifth impressed viewer remarked: 'So many beautiful, important stories being told on this programme If the elderly are nurtured, look how they can thrive. In Sue's words, they're 'recycled teenagers' and can achieve so much. Thank you to Rose who is a blessing to the deaf community and us all.' Ayling-Ellis was made Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King's Birthday Honours list in June 2024 for voluntary services to the deaf community. She portrayed Frankie Lewis in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2020 to 2022 after starting her career in short films and on stage. In May 2022, she became the first celebrity reader to perform a CBeebies bedtime story in sign language, telling the tale of Raymond Antrobus's children's picture book Can Bears Ski? She was also the first deaf person to deliver the Alternative MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival, where she urged TV channels to 'fix their problem' and subtitle 100 per cent of shows to improve access and representation for deaf individuals. In addition, she worked with Mattel on the production of the first deaf Barbie doll equipped with behind-the-ear hearing aids, released as part of the Barbie Fashionistas line of diverse dolls, and featured in the promotional campaign. The first episode of Old Hands, New Tricks aired on BBC One on March 26, 2025, at 9 pm, and the second episode is scheduled for 2 April.
Telegraph
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks, review: taking sign language outside the deaf community
We may not want to talk about the impact that the sweeping hands of time are having on our senses but, as anyone who spent too much of their youth getting their ears buzzed by Radiohead (substitute your over-amplified rock band of choice) can testify, hearing ain't what it used to be. So why not get ahead of the game and learn British Sign Language? In Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks (BBC One), the deaf actor/Strictly champion/trailblazer tested out her belief that BSL should be taught beyond the hardcore deaf community. The idea is simple enough. At a retirement village where the residents are all 70 plus and some the other side of 100, failing hearing is a fact of time. So teaching them sign language would be an invaluable communication tool. The first of a two-part report injected a slither of fake jeopardy as Ayling-Ellis's initial efforts to whip up interest fell at first (sorry) on deaf ears. But this was at heart a touching and feelgood look at how any project that brings people together can foster wellbeing and prompt slumbering grey cells back into action. The fact that it was BSL at the heart of it became almost secondary as a growing group of students at Hughenden Retirement Village forged new friendships and explored feelings that had been bottled up. As resident Sue discovered, the fact that BSL relies on using facial expressions to emphasise emotions meant that the carefully created social mask we use to protect ourselves began to fade away. As much as it was an entertaining promo for the benefits of having a working knowledge of sign language, the bigger takeaway was its look at how best we should be tackling our senior years. Care homes and retirement villages that have a working knowledge of BSL are as rare as hens' teeth, yet here the social benefits rang out loud and clear. At the deaf karaoke night that brought the curtain down on the first half of this inspiring experiment, it was clear that the impact of learning sign language was as emotional as it was educational. As Eric signed Perry Como's And I Love You So to wife June, who has Alzheimer's, it wasn't only the packed room at Hughenden that was tearing up.
The Independent
12-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
MPs: Ministers must give protections to creative sector amid AI copyright fears
Ministers must heed warnings from the creative industries over the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on copyright and provide them with legal protections, according to MPs. The Data (Use and Access) Bill was amended by peers in a bid to protect creatives from having their copyrighted work used to train AI models without permission or remuneration. The measures would explicitly subject AI companies to UK copyright law, regardless of where they are based, reveal the names and owners of web crawlers that currently operate anonymously and allow copyright owners to know when, where and how their work is used. Technology doesn't care what or who it replaces, but we should Labour MP Chris Kane MPs made clear their desire for the Government to act, either by retaining the amendments or bringing forward new legislation, when the Bill made its first appearance in the Commons on Wednesday. A Government consultation on the issue is due to close on February 25, with ministers suggesting they may introduce an exemption to copyright law for 'text and data mining'. Labour MP Chris Kane (Stirling and Strathallan) said the amendments supported by the Lords on copyright and transparency 'resonate greatly with me and much of the creative community' as he urged colleagues to 'give them due consideration' at committee stage in the Commons. Mr Kane, who previously worked in broadcasting, welcomed the Government's consultation before adding: 'The concerns of the creative industries must be heard and must be acted upon. 'Copyright protections are not a barrier to AI innovation and competition, but they are a safeguard for the work of an industry worth £125 billion per year, employing over two million people. 'We can enable a world where much of this value is transferred to a handful of big tech firms or we can enable a win-win situation for the creative industries and AI developers, one where they work together based on licensed relationships with remuneration and transparency at its heart. 'Technology doesn't care what or who it replaces, but we should.' Alison Hume, Labour MP for Scarborough and Whitby, said she was a writer on the BBC show New Tricks and episodes of the show are 'being used by generative AI to write scripts'. She said: 'Twice a year, I receive the royalties collected for me by the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society. 'I am paid fairly for my original work when it is rebroadcast around the world or on digital platforms. 'This week, I discovered that the subtitles from one of my episodes of New Tricks have been scraped and are being used to create learning materials for artificial intelligence. 'Along with thousands of other films and television shows, my original work is being used by generative AI to write scripts which one day may replace versions produced by mere humans like me. 'This is theft, and it's happening on an industrial scale. 'As the law stands, artificial intelligence companies don't have to be transparent about what they are stealing.' SNP MP and musician Pete Wishart (Perth and Kinross-shire) said the creative industries are key to the UK Government's growth agenda, saying: 'What was it – £125 billion to the economy in 2022, providing 2.4 million jobs? That is real growth. The Government's commitment to an industrial strategy includes our brilliant creative industries, but discussions with this industry should focus on how we advance and enhance it Labour MP James Frith 'You do not mess with that and undermine it in the way that this Government might possibly be doing with the watering down of some of the copyright provisions and giving access to generative AI to our nation's creative treasures.' Mr Wishart urged the Government to 'bring it on' if it has new legislation to protect the creative industries, noting the amendments to the Bill before the House must be supported until that point. Labour MP James Frith (Bury North), a former member of the band Finka who once played at Glastonbury, thanked ministers for being in 'listening mode' on copyright matters. He said: 'The Government's commitment to an industrial strategy includes our brilliant creative industries, but discussions with this industry should focus on how we advance and enhance it; we risk, otherwise, making it about how we protect its very existence if we do not take seriously the deep alarm voiced by creators over the threat posed by AI.' Opening the debate, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said the UK has an ability to support a 'cutting-edge AI sector, with world-leading creative industries at the very same time'. He said: 'Both are fundamental to our future prosperity and our standing in the world. The final framework must reward human creativity and incentivise innovation and promote the certainty required for long-term growth in both sectors 'I refuse to choose between them. 'The final framework must reward human creativity and incentivise innovation and promote the certainty required for long-term growth in both sectors. 'But the importance and the complexity of the issue means it should be considered through the live consultation. 'And as I've said in that consultation, legislation is ultimately likely to be needed.' The Bill as a whole governs a range of data including on births, marriages and deaths, to healthcare, crime and driving licences. It was also amended in the Lords by the Government to ban the creation and solicitation of intimate images of people without their consent following a campaign spearheaded by Conservative Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge.
