Latest news with #Toyah
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Celebrity MasterChef star shares true feelings on John Torode and Gregg Wallace
80s singing sensation Toyah Willcox competed on the first ever series of Celebrity MasterChef back in 2006 and has given her thoughts on the show's former co-hosts Former Celebrity MasterChef contestant Toyah Willcox has reminisced about her stint on the popular cooking show following the recent departure of judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace. The BBC cooking competition, which was revived in the early 2000s, became a staple of British TV thanks to the dynamic duo of Torode and Wallace. Over several weeks, the pair would scrutinise the dishes of the contestants, gradually eliminating them until a champion emerged. However, the show's future is now uncertain after a report confirmed 45 complaints against Gregg Wallace, including an instance of "unwelcome physical contact" and three counts of inappropriate undress. John Torode faced one upheld claim of racism, which he has vehemently denied, expressing his shock and sadness over the accusation. On a lighter note, during an episode of the Spooning with Mark Wogan podcast, Toyah reflected on her experience competing in the celebrity version of MasterChef in 2006. Reminiscing about her time on the programme, the singer shared: "I did MasterChef with both Gregg and John and they were divine. They were lovely to be with." Taking part in what marked the inaugural series of the revamped programme, Toyah progressed through to the quarter-finals before viewers witnessed Matt Dawson claim victory in the competition, triumphing over Roger Black and Hardeep Singh Kohli in the final showdown. Beyond her stint on the programme, Toyah had already established herself in the late 1970s when she gained recognition as part of the new wave and post-punk movements that were flourishing during that era. Following a string of chart successes including It's a Mystery, I Want to Be Free, and Thunder in the Mountains, she subsequently pursued acting with appearances in films such as Jubilee and Quadrophenia, alongside stage performances in Calamity Jane. A BBC spokesperson has issued the following statement: "John Torode has identified himself as having an upheld allegation of using racist language against him. "This allegation – which involves an extremely offensive racist term being used in the workplace – was investigated and substantiated by the independent investigation led by the law firm Lewis Silkin. John Torode denies the allegation. "He has stated he has no recollection of the alleged incident and does not believe that it happened. He also says that any racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment. "The BBC takes this upheld finding extremely seriously. We will not tolerate racist language of any kind and, as we have already said, we told Banijay UK, the makers of MasterChef, that action must be taken. John Torode's contract on MasterChef will not be renewed."
Miami Herald
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Legendary Rock Star, 79, Performs Punk Classic Following Terrifying Health Scare
A heart attack hasn't slowed Robert Fripp down. Two months after the King Crimson co-founder underwent emergency surgery to have a pair of stents inserted, Fripp, 79, showed his heart was just fine by delivering a fast-paced rendition of the Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated" alongside his wife, Toyah Willcox. In the YouTube video uploaded on June 29, Fripp sported a Ramones-esque wig while Wilcox, 67, rocked out in a red wig and some dark makeup. The two did a quick version of the Ramones' signature hit, released in 1978 off their Road to Ruin album (the band made a music video for the song in 1988 to promote their compilation, Ramones Mania; it became a staple of late '80s MTV). At the end of the performance, Fripp declared that he did not want to be sedated, but "present, engaged and entirely vigilant for the mayhem and absurdity of this kitchen." And Toyah added, "We now go boom boom." The video was part of the couple's Toyah and Robert's Sunday Lunch, a long-running YouTube series. Willcox-an icon in her own right, who fronted the eponymous punk band Toyah before launching a successful solo and acting career-performs with her husband in a variety of outrageous outfits in a delightful, sometimes scandalous display of rock and roll euphoria. The Ramones cover was the first Toyah and Robert's Sunday Lunch since they performed Rod Stewart's "Do You Think I'm Sexy" in April, right before Fripp's health scare. The prog rock legend revealed in mid-May that, while on a trip to Italy, he started to suffer chest pains. Though Fripp initially thought it was acid reflux, his friends took him to a hospital where the doctors discovered that he had suffered a heart attack without knowing it. He underwent five hours of emergency surgery before going under the knife for a second operation. Ultimately, the medical professionals diagnosed him with a trifurcated artery, and he had two stents put in. A day after going public with his health scare, Fripp expressed "gratitude to all the many good people who have sent good wishes, privately and publicly." Related: Classic Rock Guitarist, 74, Reveals He 'Actually Died' During Recent Operation Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Singer and Strictly star heading to Dudley for intimate evening
TWO renowned singers have announced they will be stopping off in Dudley for two intimate shows, getting up close and personal with fans. Huey Morgan – frontman of Fun Lovin' Criminals and host of The Huey Show on BBC Radio 6 – will bring his show, The Fun Lovin' Criminal: An Evening of Music and Conversation, to Dudley Town Hall in 2026. Coming to prominence as a driving force of the eclectic American Rap/Rock outfit Fun Lovin' Criminals, Morgan led the band from 1993 untill 2021, best known for their hit record Scooby Snacks. As host of The Huey Show on BBC Radio 6 since 2008, Morgan is a cherished voice on national radio in the UK, where he hosts a mix of Hip Hop, Soul, Punk, Funk, Rock and everything in between for his listeners. Fans will be able to get "up close and personal" with Huey on Friday, April 10, next year. Meanwhile, Toyah – dubbed the High Priestess of Punk – is also to bring her show, Songs and Stories, to Stourbridge Town Hall in 2026. A singer and actor, a TV host and author, a BRIT Award winner and recently a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing - Toyah has worn many hats during a remarkable career spanning more than 50 years. Her role in Quadrophenia made her a household name and, soon after, she gate-crashed the charts with It's A Mystery, I Want To Be Free, and Thunder In The Mountains, as the album, Anthem, earned a gold disc, and BRIT Award Best Female as well as a BRIT Nomination for British Breakthrough Act. The "intimate" show will feature hit songs and stories from a showbiz career spanning over half a century and will be hitting the stage of Stourbridge on Friday, May 1, 2026. Tickets for both shows are on sale now.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Legendary Rocker, 78, Recovering After Emergency Heart Surgery
Robert Fripp is grateful that he's alive. Robert, best known as the guitarist and co-founder of King Crimson, gave an update on his life alongside his beloved wife, Toyah Wilcox. In a video posted to their YouTube channel on May 10, the prog rock icon said he'd suffered a heart attack 'but hadn't known it.' 'On Saturday, Apr. 6, I flew to Italy,' said Robert. He was scheduled to perform with 124 members of The Orchestra of Crafty Guitarists at Villa Sancelso in Castione della Presolana. But he could tell something was wrong. 'I'd been suffering what I considered to be acid reflux for a couple of weeks before,' he said. 'I had this in 2019, and though, 'oh, just a little acid reflux. I'd deal with this.' But on the Saturday morning I flew, it felt a little bit more.' Robert arranged a doctor's visit in Italy, but upon his arrival in Bergamo, his companions didn't take any chances. They took him straight to 'the leading cardiac hospital in Italy.' 'I was in A&E thinking, 'Oh, they're going to give me a prescription for acid reflux,'' said Robert, before the doctor gave him the news. ''You're supposed to have 10 of these, but you've got 500 of them,'' said Robert, likely referring to his troponin levels ('That's a measurement in your blood,' said Toyah). High troponin levels can indicate a heart attack, according to MedlinePlus. Toyah said her husband underwent five hours of surgery, intensive care, and then a second operation.'My husband has never had anything wrong with them,' said Tonyah. 'He's only had one stay in hospital when he was about 22. He's not experienced [a] hospital as perhaps many times as women have, especially at my age.' 'I'm so proud of you and so grateful to your team who kept us all informed,' she added, wiping away tears. After the surgeries, Robert still managed to make the gig and play with all of his "friends." The rock legend is now on medication for life, and his wife says he's 'getting used to the balance." A very "fortunate" Robert then advised everyone watching: 'If you think you have heartburn or acid reflux, really look into it. It might be something more.'
Perth Now
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
UK Decay musician Steve 'Abbo' Abbott wants a wave of new bands to take a stand against the 'Andrew Tates and people out there' spreading hate
UK Decay rocker Steve 'Abbo' Abbott has called for Generation Z to debunk the nonsense spouted by divisive social media influencers like Andrew Tate and go and form bands spreading messages of inclusion. The 65-year-old guitarist has been outspoken against sexism and discrimination throughout his career and he is concerned that the progress made in the late '70s and '80s by the post-punk movement and 2 tone bands in Britain is being reversed by people like the controversial Tate who uses his huge following on social media platforms to promote misogyny and more recently antisemitic rhetoric. Abbott says it's up to the younger generation to call out people like Tate and spread the opposite messages and the best way to do it is by forming a band. Speaking about women in the music business at a Q+A to launch the Forever Now Festival, he said: "Women are still sexualised, big time. They're not just taken for their music. 'There was a lot of support for women, now I don't see it as much. 'With the Andrew Tates and people out there, now these figures like him exist and they're eating through everything that has been improving. I don't think enough men are standing up and saying, 'This is bulls***.' 'It's a call to arms for us to debunk all this crap, and probably form a band. 'We've all got opinions, is there right and wrong? Yeah there is a right. On so many issues there is a right. And we know that. Racism, bigotry, sexism, discrimination, that's wrong." The musician believes the late '70s in Britain were a similar climate to now when it comes to sexism and other issues in society but there were a host of female punk artists who changed the perception of women in music. He said: "I think 1977 was a revolution for female artists. Toyah, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Slits, X-Ray Spex, there were so many of them. Before that the female had been the sexy front person of the band. "A 15-year-old and 16-year-old me would have looked at Siouxsie [Sioux] as being my ideal woman, she was so strong. 'I still play those records, it's not nostalgia for me, it's a wake-up call, how brilliant Poly Styrene was. Before that there wasn't anything. 'Unfortunately the industry always grabs any moment of revolution and turns it into a product, it happens time and time again. I think it was a moment where women in music could tell their story. It wasn't ideal, it's still not ideal, but it was a big step." Abbott and his band UK Decay will be performing at the Forever Now Festival which is a celebration of the post-punk movement, which emerged in the UK in 1977 in the wake of the punk rock explosion spearheaded by The Sex Pistols. The line-up for Forever Now includes The Psychedelic Furs, The The, Berlin Theatre, Johnny Marr, The Damned The Jesus and Mary Chain, Billy Idol and headliners Kraftwerk among many other artists. Abbott feels proud that a movement began six decades ago is still being celebrated for its cultural impact the and music made by the artists. He said: "Festivals are now a bit everything for everybody. It's quite nice to go to a festival where it's focused. Jazz festivals are focused, blues festivals are focused. Here you've got bands that didn't quite fit into a genre back in the day all coming together. 'I think it's really interesting. 'I don't think it's a bill where you come and see one band. I've been to festivals where I've gone just to see one band, and you might discover something which is great. This is not a day of discovery, it's a day of celebration." Forever Now will take place on 22 June, 2025 at the iconic National Bowl, Milton Keynes, and tickets are on sale now via AXS and Ticketmaster.
