Latest news with #NigelHavers
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Iconic sitcom Dad's Army RETURNS with huge stars for BBC's VE Day celebration as fans praise the 'amazing' cast and call for TV reboot
The iconic wartime sitcom Dad's Army was given a surprise reboot on Thursday, as the BBC marked the 80th Anniversary of VE Day with a star-studded concert. The famous comedy originally aired on BBC from 1968 to 1977, and focused on a group of soldiers from the United Kingdom's Home Guard during World War Two. A whole new cast of names who played the famous soldiers for a one-off sketch, including Iain Glen, Dylan Llewellyn, Nigel Havers, Jim Howick, Kevin Eldon, Daniel Mays and David Bradley. The concert, which took place at London's Horseguards Parade, is the last of many events this week to mark the 80th Anniversary of VE Day, which was the day the Second World War finally came to an end in Europe in 1945. And the specially-written sketch went down a storm with viewers, with one even calling for a permanent TV revival of Dad's Army. Posts on X included: 'This Dad's Army segment is amazing. If you close your eyes you would think it was the original cast;' 'Absolutely brilliant! Bring back Dad's Army with this cast!' 'Close my eyes and you'd think you were watching the original actors on Dad's Army;' 'Dad's Army is brilliant! Perfectly cast and they should really get them together for a new TV show;' However, some fans were less impressed, with posts including: 'Good Lord. That Dad's Army skit was dreadful;' 'Be better of putting on a 1972 episode of Dad's Army. Charles isn't impressed #veday80.' The comedy, which featured the misadventures of a Home Guard platoon in the fictional Walmington-on-Sea on the south coast of England, ran from 1968 to 1977 with 80 episodes produced. It featured Ian Lavender as hapless Private Pike, Clive Dunn, who played Lance Corporal Jones, and Arthur Lowe as Captain George Mainwaring. Sadly the last of the surviving Dad's Army stars, Ian, passed away in February this year aged 77. And the specially-written sketch went down a storm with viewers, with one even calling for a permanent TV revival of Dad's Army However, some viewers were less impressed, with one suggesting they should have re-aired a scene from a classic Dad's Army episode The news of the actor's death was announced on the Dad's Army's official social media account as they paid tribute. Lavender was cast in the classic comedy series at the age of 22 in 1968. Shortly before his death the actor revealed he would take his cast members' secrets to the grave. He said how the show's iconic cast were so close they shared secrets with each other that they 'never told their wives'. Ian admitted that he once promised co-star John Laurie (who played Private James Frazer) that he would never divulge the secrets they shared. Lavender told the We Have Ways of Making You Talk podcast: 'I talked with John [Laurie] for so many hours. He said, "There are things I've told you I've never told my wife, or my daughter. You must promise me you must never tell anybody yourself".' He went on to gush about his fellow co-stars and recalled filming as 'great fun' 10 weeks every year with 'wonderful people who became great friends'. Lavender also revealed that the cast were shocked with the show's success after the first series originally failed to find an audience. The post announcing his death read: 'We are deeply saddened to hear the passing of the wonderful, Ian Lavender. In what truly marks the end of an era, Ian was the last surviving member of the Dad's Army main cast.' Elsewhere, Their Majesties, King Charles, 76, and Queen Camilla, 77, smiled as they made an appearance for an evening of music, along with Prince Edward, 61, and his wife Sophie, 60. The mother-of-three stunned in an all-white ensemble, rewearing an effortlessly elegant Cream Tailored Bouclé and Chiffon Midi Dress by Self-Portrait. The artists included the cast of World War II musical Operation Mincemeat, West End legend Samantha Barks - offering her powerful rendition of We'll Meet Again - Fleur East, Calum Scott, John Newman, Toploader and Tom Walker. Elsewhere, Brian Cox - celebrated for his role in Succession - delivered a moving re-enactment of Winston Churchill's iconic wartime speech. On May 8, 1945 the nation celebrated Victory in Europe (VE) Day with church bells ringing out across the country and people gathering to revel in the end of hostilities, with crowds gathering outside Buckingham Palace calling for King George VI. e until August 15 that year.
The Sun
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Coronation Street star admits he wanted to KILL I'm A Celeb co-star in jungle saying ‘I'd be in prison if I hadn't left'
A CORONATION Street legend admitted he 'wanted to kill' an I'm A Celeb co-star while in the Australian jungle. Several Corrie stars have entered the Aussie jungle as campmates over the years. 4 4 4 Nigel Havers appeared on I'm A Celeb in 2010, but withdrew after just nine days in camp. He played Corrie's Lewis Archer on and off from 2009 until the character's death in 2019. Speaking to The Guardian over a decade on, the 73-year-old admitted he "wanted to kill" a jungle co-star. Nigel continued: "I'd never watched the show, so I had no idea what it entailed. "You think it looks bad on TV. S**t, it was terrible. It was the boredom more than anything. "There was a bloke called Lembit Öpik, the politician. After a couple of days, I wanted to kill him. "Had I stayed, I would've killed him and I'd be in prison now. So it seemed like a good idea to leave." Stacey Solomon - at the time best known for The X Factor - went on to be crowned Queen of the Jungle. That year's line-up also included Shaun Ryder, Gillian McKeith, Alison Hammond and Linford Christie to name a few. Last year, Lembit, 60 addressed his side of the pair's 14-year reality TV feud. 'We haven't spoken since' I'm A Celebrity star reveals 14-year feud with 'two-faced' campmate In an exclusive chat with The Sun on behalf of Instant Casinos, he said: "The ones that annoyed me the most were some of the celebrities, like Nigel Havers, who walked out because he couldn't take the heat and spent the last decade rubbishing me. "We've not been on each other's Christmas lists since 2010. "Yeah, Nigel Havers was two-faced. He pretended to be my friend. "I only realised what he really thought when I saw the show after I came out. I'm A Celeb cast 2010 Stacey Solomon - presenter and singer Shaun Ryder - Happy Mondays singer Jenny Eclair - comedian Dom Joly - comedian Kayla Collins - Playboy model Aggro Santos - rapper Linford Christie - former Olympic sprinter Gillian McKeith - nutritionist and author Britt Ekland - actress and Bond girl Alison Hammond - presenter Lembit Opik - former Liberal Democrat politician Sheryl Gascoigne - author Nigel Havers - actor "He considered me to be mad, but frankly, I was making his tea for him. "I was his tea boy. And the gratitude I got shown was to him for him to stab me in the back when he came out. "That's regrettable, and I would point out that I outlasted him in the jungle, and as far as I'm concerned, I win. "Nigel, you keep trying, but you can never take that away from me, Nigel. You walked out of the stage."
Scottish Sun
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Coronation Street star admits he wanted to KILL I'm A Celeb co-star in jungle saying ‘I'd be in prison if I hadn't left'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A CORONATION Street legend admitted he 'wanted to kill' an I'm A Celeb co-star while in the Australian jungle. Several Corrie stars have entered the Aussie jungle as campmates over the years. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 Corrie legend Nigel Havers is a former I'm A Celeb campmate Credit: Country Life/Future Publishing v 4 Nigel played Lewis Archer on and off for a decade Credit: Rex Features 4 Lembit was the second star to be eliminated Credit: Rex Nigel Havers appeared on I'm A Celeb in 2010, but withdrew after just nine days in camp. He played Corrie's Lewis Archer on and off from 2009 until the character's death in 2019. Speaking to The Guardian over a decade on, the 73-year-old admitted he "wanted to kill" a jungle co-star. Nigel continued: "I'd never watched the show, so I had no idea what it entailed. "You think it looks bad on TV. S**t, it was terrible. It was the boredom more than anything. "There was a bloke called Lembit Öpik, the politician. After a couple of days, I wanted to kill him. "Had I stayed, I would've killed him and I'd be in prison now. So it seemed like a good idea to leave." Stacey Solomon - at the time best known for The X Factor - went on to be crowned Queen of the Jungle. That year's line-up also included Shaun Ryder, Gillian McKeith, Alison Hammond and Linford Christie to name a few. Last year, Lembit, 60 addressed his side of the pair's 14-year reality TV feud. 'We haven't spoken since' I'm A Celebrity star reveals 14-year feud with 'two-faced' campmate In an exclusive chat with The Sun on behalf of Instant Casinos, he said: "The ones that annoyed me the most were some of the celebrities, like Nigel Havers, who walked out because he couldn't take the heat and spent the last decade rubbishing me. "We've not been on each other's Christmas lists since 2010. "Yeah, Nigel Havers was two-faced. He pretended to be my friend. "I only realised what he really thought when I saw the show after I came out. I'm A Celeb cast 2010 Stacey Solomon - presenter and singer Shaun Ryder - Happy Mondays singer Jenny Eclair - comedian Dom Joly - comedian Kayla Collins - Playboy model Aggro Santos - rapper Linford Christie - former Olympic sprinter Gillian McKeith - nutritionist and author Britt Ekland - actress and Bond girl Alison Hammond - presenter Lembit Opik - former Liberal Democrat politician Sheryl Gascoigne - author Nigel Havers - actor "He considered me to be mad, but frankly, I was making his tea for him. "I was his tea boy. And the gratitude I got shown was to him for him to stab me in the back when he came out. "That's regrettable, and I would point out that I outlasted him in the jungle, and as far as I'm concerned, I win. "Nigel, you keep trying, but you can never take that away from me, Nigel. You walked out of the stage."
The Irish Sun
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Coronation Street star admits he wanted to KILL I'm A Celeb co-star in jungle saying ‘I'd be in prison if I hadn't left'
A CORONATION Street legend admitted he 'wanted to kill' an I'm A Celeb co-star while in the Australian jungle. Several Corrie stars have 4 Corrie legend Nigel Havers is a former I'm A Celeb campmate Credit: Country Life/Future Publishing v 4 Nigel played Lewis Archer on and off for a decade Credit: Rex Features 4 Lembit was the second star to be eliminated Credit: Rex Nigel Havers appeared on I'm A Celeb in 2010, but withdrew after just nine days in camp. He played Corrie's Lewis Archer on and off from 2009 until the character's death in 2019. Speaking to Nigel continued: "I'd never watched the show, so I had no idea what it entailed. Read more on Corrie "You think it looks bad on TV. S**t, it was terrible. It was the boredom more than anything. "There was a bloke called Lembit Öpik, the politician. After a couple of days, I wanted to kill him. "Had I stayed, I would've killed him and I'd be in prison now. So it seemed like a good idea to leave." Stacey Solomon - at the time best known for The X Factor - went on to be crowned Queen of the Jungle. Most read in Soaps That year's line-up also included Last year, Lembit, 60 'We haven't spoken since' I'm A Celebrity star reveals 14-year feud with 'two-faced' campmate In an exclusive chat with The Sun on behalf of "We've not been on each other's Christmas lists since 2010. "Yeah, "I only realised what he really thought when I saw the show after I came out. I'm A Celeb cast 2010 Stacey Solomon - presenter and singer Kayla Collins - Playboy model Linford Christie - former Olympic sprinter Britt Ekland - actress and Bond girl Lembit Opik - former Liberal Democrat politician Sheryl Gascoigne - author "He considered me to be mad, but frankly, I was making his tea for him. "I was his tea boy. And the gratitude I got shown was to him for him to stab me in the back when he came out. "That's regrettable, and I would point out that I outlasted him in the jungle, and as far as I'm concerned, I win. "Nigel, you keep trying, but you can never take that away from me, Nigel. You walked out of the stage." 4 The actor withdrew from I'm A Celeb after nine days in camp Credit: Rex
The Guardian
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Post your questions for Nigel Havers
Nigel Havers has forged a career playing quintessential, charming, good-looking, well-educated Englishmen. The younger son of one-time Lord Chancellor Sir Michael Havers, Havers Jr opted against Eton, moving into theatre, radio and briefly training as a wine merchant, before finding fame as the lead of the 1977 BBC adaptation of Nicholas Nickleby, and opposite Bob Hoskins in 1978 Dennis Potter BBC musical drama, Pennies from Heaven. By the time he was cast in 1981's Chariots of Fire, Havers was a familiar face on British television. Here, he got to play his first lord – Cambridge student Lord Andrew Lindsay – and run, barefooted and in slow motion, across West Sands beach in St Andrews, earning him a Bafta nomination in the process. Roles soon followed as the public school-educated but class-conscious Ronnie Heaslop in 1984 epic period drama A Passage to India, and as father figure Dr Rawlins in Steven Spielberg's 1987 war film Empire of the Sun. He also plays David Niven in 2004's The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. Havers has spent the most recent part of his career on television, continuing the well-educated/peerage theme. His roles as lords (we count four) include Lord Hepworth in Downton Abbey and his portrayal of the beaten-down-by-the-bad-guys Lord Whitecroft in Guy Ritchie's 2024 Netflix series, The Gentleman – one of his most 'is it Nigel or is he acting?' parts to date. As doctors (we count five), he most famously played Dr Tom Latimer in all six series of the 80s BBC sitcom Don't Wait Up, and as Dr Jonathan Paige in ITV medical drama, Dangerfield. This February, he played his own grandfather, Sir Cecil Havers QC, in ITV drama A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story. He was gentleman escort Lewis Archer in Coronation Street for a decade. And you might also have caught him on stage in Art and Noel Coward comedy Private Lives, and in panto in Dick Whittington, Aladdin, Jack and The Beanstalk or more. With a penchant for everything from the gee-gees to the ladies to, erm, going to the tip on a Sunday, there's plenty to ask Havers as he sits for the Guardian reader interview. He's certainly in the mood to chat, as he's currently halfway through his first ever live tour – Nigel Havers Talking Bollocks – where he promises to … well, the clue seems to be in the title. But is he really Too Posh to be Privileged, like those adverts he did in the 2000s? Having played so many lords and sirs, is he disappointed he hasn't been made one himself yet? Does he have Chariots of Fire in his headphones when he goes for a jog? And who was his favourite co-barger in Celebrity Carry On Barging – Simon Callow, Lorraine Chase or Debbie McGee? Find out by getting your questions in by 6pm Tuesday 22 April and reading his answers online and in Film&Music on Friday 25 April. Nigel Havers Talking Bollocks is at Harrogate Royal Hall 25 April, Liverpool Playhouse 26 April, and Shrewsbury theatre Severn 21 May
