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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE East 17's Terry Coldwell, 50, reveals he's turned to God as he is baptised by former Krays' henchman Chris Lambrianou
East 17 star Terry Coldwell had his head dunked under water for several seconds by a former henchman to the Kray twins. But, fortunately, the boy bander was not being interrogated or punished by burly ex-gangster Chris Lambrianou - he was being baptised by him instead. The surreal scene saw 50-year-old Terry become one of seven born-again Christians immersed in a baptism pool at the River Church in London's East End as a public declaration of faith. He told MailOnline afterwards: 'I've just been baptised and I feel absolutely amazing. The service has been phenomenal today. 'I just feel great. I feel it was a long time coming and I'm really glad I did it.' 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. Lambrianou, 85, was once a feared member of 'The Firm' - a gang led by notorious Ronnie and Reggie Kray - and helped dump the body of Jack 'The Hat' McVitie just after he had been stabbed to death by Reggie in 1967. It was during a prison sentence for armed robbery that he found God and he has since turned his life around and now helps steer youngsters away from crime. He performed the baptisms with the church's pastor, Dave Gill and said: 'Baptising so many people gives me a spiritual high. It's like you cannot buy the feeling I have. That can only come from Jesus Christ. Trust in him and he will never fail you.' The Bible does not give specific instructions regarding who can baptize another person, although it is usually reserved for bishops or priests. Coldwell rose to stardom alongside East 17 band members Tony Mortimer, Brian Harvey and John Hendy in the 1990s. The band has sold over 18 million albums worldwide and notched up a Christmas number one in 1994 with Stay Another Day. East 17 have undergone multiple lineup changes over the years with Terry remaining the only constant member, now performing alongside Joe Livermore, and former Artful Dodger collaborator Robbie Craig. Speaking to MailOnline in November, Terry revealed he doesn't hold much hope of a reunion with the original lineup. 'I've tried to get us together over the years but it all fell through,' he explained. 'I've kind of had enough really.' Recently, Terry, John and Tony all featured on the BBC2 documentary Boybands Forever to reminisce on their time in the band. The trio were filmed separately and had no desire to catch up afterwards. 'We don't talk,' Terry explained. 'But I don't hold any grudges. There were good times and there were bad times but that's like in any job. 'We lived together basically, we worked for three years without a day off so of course we argued about things. 'But I'm grateful for the times I shared with them.' Lambrianou set up a charity with former Met detective Jon Wedger which strives to divert young people away from crime by mentoring them and working with them to find work. So far the project has helped a number of former criminals, including teenagers involved with knife gangs, a hardened bank robber and prolific prostitute, to go straight. Wedger was one of a handful of close friends to watch Sunday's service at the River Church in Canning Town. He said: 'I found the service to be very moving. 'I've know Terry for a few years and his faith has got stronger and stronger and I think it's been niggling away at him to get baptised for a while now. 'Myself and Chris have worked together for a while now. 'He is a man who has turned his back on crime and devoted himself to God and is making a difference now in people's lives and helping youngsters avoid making the same mistakes he did.'
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
JD Vance's brother advances to Cincinnati mayoral general election despite winning just 13% of the primary vote
Cory Bowman, Vice President JD Vance's half-brother, has advanced to November's general election in the Cincinnati, Ohio, mayoral race, despite picking up just 13 percent of the vote in Tuesday's non-partisan primary. Bowman, 36, running as a Republican, finished second in the three-way contest, a long way behind Democratic incumbent Aftab Pureval, 42, who scored 82.5 percent of the vote, but ahead of fellow Republican Brian Frank, 66, who picked up just 4.6 percent. The result means that Frank is eliminated, setting up a two-horse race between Pureval and Bowman on November 4. Left to right: Incumbent Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval and Republican challengers Cory Bowman and Brian Frank (Carolyn Kaster/AP) Cincinnati is a heavily Democrat-leaning city, so much so that Republicans have not fielded a candidate in its mayoral elections since future congressman Brad Wenstrup lost to incumbent Mark Mallory in 2009. That sentiment was reflected in last year's presidential race, when Kamala Harris picked up 76 percent of the vote to Donald Trump's 24 percent, an outcome at odds with the national picture. All nine of Cincinnati City Council's current members are likewise Democrats. Bowman, however, believes he can buck the trend and offer something different 'because people deserve a choice.' A pastor at the evangelical River Church in the city's West End, Bowman also owns the Kings Arms Coffee Shop in its College Hill neighborhood. He has never previously held public office but has said he was inspired by attending Trump and Vance's inauguration ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in January. 'As I was flying back here from the inauguration, it occurred to me that I could do something to serve the community,' he has said. Bowman shares a father with Vance, although they have different mothers. The future VP reportedly spent time on the Bowman farm in Preble County during his youth, and the younger brother describes their relationship as a 'friendly sibling rivalry.' Vance himself has not campaigned on his relative's behalf but did send a message of support on X this week, describing Bowman as 'a good guy with a heart for serving his community... Get out there and vote for him.' Cincinnati mayoral candidate and River Church pastor Cory Bowman, who is Vice President JD Vance's half brother, preaches during Easter worship on Sunday April 20 in Cincinnati, Ohio (AP) Reacting to his showing in Tuesday's primary, Bowman said: 'What I will say is that it looks like [Pureval] had a good head start, but we're kind of catching up a little bit... So once I see the numbers there, I'll know what our mission, our focus needs to be going into November.' Pureval responded to his commanding win by thanking his supporters and saying the city remains 'on the right path.' 'Based on the early returns, I'm incredibly grateful for the citizens of Cincinnati giving us an opportunity,' he said. 'Hopefully, it makes a positive statement. I'm not sure I can read anything into it other than the people think the city is on the right path.' However, he also warned against complacency among citizens, noting the worrying low turnout, which saw just 10 percent of eligible voters turn up to cast their ballots. 'Given the chaos and uncertainty from the federal government, now is the time for voters to be engaged and exercising their voice,' the mayor said. 'That is also on me. I've got to do a better job of making government relevant to people and making sure they see themselves in their local government.'
The Independent
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
JD Vance's brother advances to Cincinnati mayoral general election despite winning just 13% of the primary vote
Cory Bowman, Vice President JD Vance 's half-brother, has advanced to November's general election in the Cincinnati, Ohio, mayoral race, despite picking up just 13 percent of the vote in Tuesday's non-partisan primary. Bowman, 36, running as a Republican, finished second in the three-way contest, a long way behind Democratic incumbent Aftab Pureval, 42, who scored 82.5 percent of the vote, but ahead of fellow Republican Brian Frank, 66, who picked up just 4.6 percent. The result means that Frank is eliminated, setting up a two-horse race between Pureval and Bowman on November 4. Cincinnati is a heavily Democrat-leaning city, so much so that Republicans have not fielded a candidate in its mayoral elections since future congressman Brad Wenstrup lost to incumbent Mark Mallory in 2009. That sentiment was reflected in last year's presidential race, when Kamala Harris picked up 76 percent of the vote to Donald Trump 's 24 percent, an outcome at odds with the national picture. All nine of Cincinnati City Council's current members are likewise Democrats. Bowman, however, believes he can buck the trend and offer something different 'because people deserve a choice.' A pastor at the evangelical River Church in the city's West End, Bowman also owns the Kings Arms Coffee Shop in its College Hill neighborhood. He has never previously held public office but has said he was inspired by attending Trump and Vance's inauguration ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in January. 'As I was flying back here from the inauguration, it occurred to me that I could do something to serve the community,' he has said. Bowman shares a father with Vance, although they have different mothers. The future VP reportedly spent time on the Bowman farm in Preble County during his youth, and the younger brother describes their relationship as a 'friendly sibling rivalry.' Vance himself has not campaigned on his relative's behalf but did send a message of support on X this week, describing Bowman as 'a good guy with a heart for serving his community... Get out there and vote for him.' Reacting to his showing in Tuesday's primary, Bowman said: 'What I will say is that it looks like [Pureval] had a good head start, but we're kind of catching up a little bit... So once I see the numbers there, I'll know what our mission, our focus needs to be going into November.' Pureval responded to his commanding win by thanking his supporters and saying the city remains 'on the right path.' 'Based on the early returns, I'm incredibly grateful for the citizens of Cincinnati giving us an opportunity,' he said. 'Hopefully, it makes a positive statement. I'm not sure I can read anything into it other than the people think the city is on the right path.' However, he also warned against complacency among citizens, noting the worrying low turnout, which saw just 10 percent of eligible voters turn up to cast their ballots. 'Given the chaos and uncertainty from the federal government, now is the time for voters to be engaged and exercising their voice,' the mayor said. 'That is also on me. I've got to do a better job of making government relevant to people and making sure they see themselves in their local government.'
