Latest news with #WeNeedToTalk
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Ashley Roberts thinks 'it'd be a shame' if Pussycat Dolls never reunited
Ashley Roberts is still holding out hopes for a Pussycat Dolls reunion. The Don't Cha hitmakers - which also included Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberley Wyatt, Carmit Bachar, Jessica Sutta and Melody Thornton - were set to reunite in 2020 after almost a decade apart, but the COVID-19 pandemic scuppered their plans. She told the We Need To Talk podcast: "We were ready to go, and Ms. Rona [Coronavirus] shut it down. "[And] there's legal stuff that was involved, so I can't actually speak about that. Unfortunately, legal stuff started happening and it wasn't able to get figured out. "But I mean, you never know, like honestly, because I didn't think we'd get back out there the time that we did. So it'd be a shame not to." The AGE-year-old singer and dancer admitted she wishes she'd have been able to take on a greater role in the group, where Nicole was positioned as the frontwoman of sorts. She said: "There was a structure to the group that we knew about. The structure was that Nicole was the lead singer... it was what it was. "Do I wish it was a bit more expansive? Yes. But also I was getting to live out my dreams. I don't want to sit here and bash and speak negatively about it." In November last year, Nicole and Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin "reached a settlement in principle" after a three-year legal battle of the cancelled reunion. The Poison singer was sued by Robin in September 2021 for allegedly refusing to take part in the comeback shows without full creative control and a 75 percent profit share. Her legal team branded the case "meritless", claiming she had simply asked to renegotiate her contract after the delay due to the pandemic. Later that month, Nicole announced the tour had been scrapped entirely, and in August 2022 she filed a cross complaint accusing the choreographer of mismanagement and misappropriating funds. Late last year, the New York Post newspaper's Page Six column reports the pair jointly filed documents in court in Los Angeles on Friday (01.11.24), which stated both 'parties have reached a settlement in principle, subject to the execution of certain written agreements.' The notice didn't disclose the terms of the agreement, but it meant a jury trial that had been scheduled for the following month was cancelled and replaced by a hearing on 28 July, 2025, to officially dismiss the case.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nadiya Hussain describes brutal BBC exit for the first time
Nadiya Hussain has spoken out on her BBC exit for the first time, claiming she felt that her TV career had been a "tickbox exercise". She claimed of her experiences with the BBC: "The second you don't fit the neat little box, there'll be no space for you. I don't fit that space any more." The baker and TV cook found fame after winning The Great British Bake Off in 2015 and went on to present a number of cooking shows at the BBC, as well as publishing recipe books. But in June, she released a statement on social media saying that she hadn't been recommissioned, adding: "As a Muslim woman, I work in an industry that doesn't always support people like me or recognise my talent or full potential." Now, Hussain has given her side of the story to Paul C. Brunson for his We Need To Talk podcast, where she also claimed to have made complaints about her treatment on unnamed shows which she says were ignored. Elsewhere, she opened up on how uncomfortable she felt walking into the Bake Off tent for the first time, her experiences with the publishing industry, and being bullied and abused during childhood. Hussain gave an account of her exit from the BBC after 10 years of making cooking shows with them, as well as a series of Remarkable Places to Eat co-hosted with Fred Sirieix. She said that she had learned to keep her TV personality "unbiased and neutral", but said: "I am not neutral. I have opinions. I have things to say." The Bake Off winner claimed: "They'll (BBC) keep you until you're of no use to them. I think that's what happened. I had lots of reasons but no definitive 'this is the reason we're not recommissioning your show'. My show got great ratings every year. I can't see why there's a reason my show wasn't recommissioned." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nadiya (@nadiyajhussain) She continued: "My husband and I always spoke about it and he just said, 'there's going to be a point where they're not going to need you anymore. They have a neat little box and the second you don't fit the box… there'll be no space for you.' "I suppose I don't fit that space any more, and I'm not comfortable in boxes anyway. I prefer glass ceilings to smash through. I suppose there's no space for me and I'm kind of alright with that." In June, Hussain posted a video on social media where she explained that she had not been recommissioned by the BBC and that she hadn't always felt the industry was a supportive place for a Muslim woman. A BBC statement at the time read: "After several wonderful series, we have made the difficult decision not to commission another cookery show with Nadiya Hussain at the moment." However, she claimed to Brunson that the "back and forth" with the BBC over how to announce her exit had suggested something quite different. She said one email had read: "This is a proposed statement, I think Nadiya should say 'I no longer want to do my show on the BBC because I'm focussing on different projects'. I said, 'That's not the truth, though. I do not OK that statement and I'm not going to put that out.'" Read more: Nadiya Hussain 'won't always be grateful' after BBC axing (BANG Showbiz, 2 min read) BBC cancels Nadiya Hussain's cooking show (BANG Showbiz, 2 min read) Nadiya Hussain says BBC dropped her after 10 years for no 'definitive' reason (The Independent, 3 min read) Hussain has now chosen to work without an agent or team, saying: "I wanted to start from scratch as if I had won Bake Off ten years ago when I had nobody but myself, my husband and my instinct. It's been the most freeing thing to know every decision I make is my own and no one gets to filter me.I will figure it out and find a space where I'm welcome. It might not be in this industry and I'm OK with that." She also made allegations about her treatment on various shows, claiming that she had made complaints that had not been acted on. She told how feedback on one series had requested that she stop wearing jumpers because they made her appear larger, and explained why she had not pushed back. "I was always made to feel like my trophy was just going to get taken away from me, because I felt like I always had to be grateful for the opportunity that I was given. A Muslim who was relatable. The people's Muslim. The people's person of colour. The digestible version of myself. Gratitude should not sit on your face like a muzzle, and that's what it felt like, I felt muzzled." She added: "When you complain, you're considered a nuisance. They protect the men in our industry, and they make excuses for men." Hussain continued: "In every job that I've done, I've felt I look back and think they just needed to look diverse. They had the Muslim - tick. They had the person of colour - was all a tickbox exercise until they didn't need me any more." Hussain also detailed two experiences that had hugely affected her, although she did not name a particular show, broadcaster or TV star. She said: "I filed a complaint with a very big breakfast show. They were mocking a recipe out of my book. I can almost guarantee if a Jamie Oliver or James Martin was on there, they would not sit at the end of the show and mock a recipe out of their book." The recipe had been for "chaat in a bag", which the show had suggested sounded like "s*** in a bag". Hussain called the comments "really distasteful and really hateful... deeply disrespectful" but said that the show had refused to apologise. Hussain also added that she had been "quite badly bullied" by a man that she had worked with, to the point that she had such a bad panic attack that she wet the bed. She said that she had filed a complaint with the show they worked on, but that nothing happened. "I've walked on sets and heard I'm not working if she's working. I'm not working with her," she added. Yahoo UK contacted the BBC for comment on all of the claims made, although the BBC was not directly mentioned in connection with Hussain filing complaints, and the "very big breakfast show" was not named. A BBC spokesperson told Yahoo UK: "After several wonderful series we have made the difficult decision not to commission another cookery show with Nadiya Hussain at the moment. Nadiya remains a much valued part of the BBC family, and we look forward to working together on future projects." The star also spoke about feeling like her voice didn't matter when her idea for a book about parenting children with two cultures was turned down by a publisher, and said that when she published her book Rooza with recipes for Ramadhan, various brand partnerships dried up. Hussain spoke about feeling uncomfortable as the only Muslim woman on her series of Bake Off, recalling: "I walked into the tent and was like, 'oh great'. I know that feeling, I know what it's like to be me and to walk into a room of people who all feel familiar to each other, but I felt like the alien...I stuck out like a sore thumb, and I felt different." She added: "My whole life I've constantly shrunk myself to make everyone else feel comfortable. So even when I was in that tent, I would speak, but I would try so hard not to sound like I was from Luton. I was like, sound as not bilingual as possible. Pronounce your Ts. Speak slowly. Say every word properly. I'm thinking that while trying to bake, while being judged." "I want to say that I stepped away feeling like my self-worth was at its best and I felt amazing," she continued. "But what happened to me so quickly after winning Bake Off was that I fell into a career I never expected to have and didn't want. Winning Bake Off did not prepare me for the cesspit that it is to be in the public eye. Hussain told how at one point production staff had to live in her family home with her as she had received death threats, and she had to have panic buttons installed. But she said that her TV work had been important, saying: "I didn't know how important it was to be the voice for the voiceless." She added of her children: "I tell them, 'elbows are going to work 10 times harder for 10 times less than everyone else.' I know because I have worked 10 times harder than others in my industry for 10 times less." Paul C. Brunson's We Need To Talk podcast is available to stream now.
The Independent
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Nadiya Hussain claims she had ‘no definitive reason' for BBC show's cancellation
Former Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain has claimed she was given 'no definitive reason' for the cancellation of her BBC shows. The 40-year-old, who won the sixth series of the baking competition in 2015, claimed the corporation will 'keep you till you're of no use to them' in an interview with the We Need To Talk podcast, after the BBC announced it would not be continuing with her cooking shows last month. Asked whether she felt she had been sacked for speaking out, Hussain said: 'I worked with the BBC for a really long time, and there's points where I've kind of looked at working with other channels and other broadcasters, the feedback they gave us was you're too BBC. 'I kind of accepted in my head that I was very BBC, I suppose it means that they've got me exactly where they want me, I'm utterly unbiased, and just… you're neutral, and I am not neutral, I have opinions and I have things to say. 'They'll keep you 'til you're of no use to them, and I think that's what happened. 'Essentially, I got lots of reasons why they couldn't commission the show, I had kind of rough reasons as to why they said that they couldn't commission the show, but no definitive, 'this is why we are not commissioning your show'. 'Considering my show got great ratings every year, like really good ratings, I can't see there's a reason why my show wasn't recommissioned.' Hussain said that when her show was discontinued she was told by the BBC to say that she was leaving to focus on 'different projects', despite the fact the statement was 'not the truth', and adding that she refused to agree to it, instead posting on social media that her show had been cancelled. Speaking about her departure, Hussain added: 'My husband and I always spoke about it, and he just said, 'There's going to be a point where they're not going to need you anymore', and the second you don't fit the box, like they have a neat little box, when you don't fit that box anymore, there'll be no space for you. 'And I suppose I don't fit that space anymore, and to be fair, I'm not comfortable in boxes anyway, I prefer glass ceilings to smash through, thank you very much. 'But, yeah, I suppose there's no space for me and and I'm kind of worn out with that, and that made me realise, and it was really interesting, because there was a lot of back and forth between how we how we talk about the fact that my show is no longer on the BBC.' Following her departure, Hussain said she would 'start from scratch, as if I had won Bake Off 10 years ago'. During the interview, Hussain, who hosted BBC shows such as The Chronicles of Nadiya and Nadiya's Family Favourites, also mentioned that she had made complaints about 'a really big breakfast show' and a co-worker who was bullying her, however she did not specify whether these were at the BBC. She claimed presenters on the breakfast show had been 'mocking a recipe out of my book', changing the name of her 'chaat in a bag' dish to 'shat in a bag'. A BBC spokesperson said: 'After several wonderful series we have made the difficult decision not to commission another cookery show with Nadiya Hussain at the moment. 'Nadiya remains a much valued part of the BBC family, and we look forward to working together on future projects.' It comes after the BBC's annual report was released today and saw director-general Tim Davie field questions on MasterChef hosts Gregg Wallace and John Torode as well as the Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone documentary.
Daily Mirror
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Sam Thompson spending time with Zara McDermott lookalike after second Love Island split
Former Made In Chelsea star, Sam Thompson, has been getting to know a holistic nutritionist from America after calling it quits with Love Island's Samie Elishi Sam Thompson is "spreading his wings again" after calling time on his relationship with Love Island's Samie Elishi. The Made In Chelsea star, 32, has had a rocky road to romance this year following his split with ex Zara McDermott, who has now moved on with Louis Tomlinson, in December. There were high hopes for Sam and Samie after they were seen snogging in the street in Chelsea in May, but they parted ways recently, with sources blaming their busy schedules - and Sam later adamant that he wouldn't date until he'd 'worked on himself'. However, two weeks later he enjoyed a drink with a holistic nutritionist from America called Steph Robinson, who posts lots of shots of herself posing in her bikini on Instagram - and who looks a lot like Zara. According to the Mail, the pair are said to have been seen on several dates together in the capital, where Steph, who recently attended Wimbledon and visited a host of beauty and wellness clinics, where she had a Sofia Richie inspired lymphatic drainage massage - which she 'highly recommended' - is currently living. Captioning an Instagram post in June, which was liked by Sam, she wrote: "London, I will be seeing a lot more of you soon." However, Sam's rep told the Mirror that the reality star wasn't dating anyone, but did confirm Sam and Steph enjoyed a drink together with a group of friends. A source told the Mail: "Sam and Steph have been on a few dates and are getting to know each other. They connected over Instagram and didn't waste any time to meet in person, especially given Steph isn't always in town. "Steph travels a lot for her work as a content creator but is currently spending an extended period in London and it couldn't have come at a better time. "Sam is definitely having fun as a single man, going out when he isn't working, and spreading his wings." The I'm A Me Out Of Here! winner was reportedly spotted on celebrity dating app Raya post-breakup from Samie and recently admitted he needed time to heal before getting to know someone new, telling pal, Pete Wicks: "I'm going to work on myself. No dating, I'm not ready and I've realised that." It comes after he broke up with Zara after five years together in a split, which was said to have left Sam 'blindsided'. Zara is now in a relationship with One Direction's Louis, with Sam appearing to make a dig at his ex when he spoke to Married At First Sight guru, Paul C Brunson. Appearing on We Need To Talk, Sam quipped: "A lot of people look for validation in other people and they look for the next person instantly. It's like, 'I need to find someone else to fill that hole and I need to find that excitement. "You know when you get that excited feeling when you are talking to someone new and fresh?" he added. "I can't do that."
Daily Mirror
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Maura Higgins' emotional tribute to friend after blaming herself for his death
Love Island star Maura Higgins paid an emotional tribute to her late best friend, Andrew Rowan, on social media after revealing she blamed herself for his death Love Island star Maura Higgins paid tribute to her late best friend, Andrew Rowan, on the anniversary of his death. Andrew tragically died at the age of 26 in a devastating motorcycle crash. He was involved in a collision with three cars in Athlone, Ireland, in 2017, with Maura previously admitting she 'blamed herself' over the tragedy. Maura took to her Instagram Stories to share a black-and-white video compilation of them in the car, hanging out and laughing in bed with a Snapchat filter on. She captioned the heartbreaking post: "Another year has passed.... but never a day I don't think of you!!! Love you always Andrew," and added a dove emoji and a white heart emoji. The TV personality previously revealed she felt guilty after his death. The Love Island star felt that the events of that tragic day might have unfolded differently if she had made other choices. During an appearance on the We Need To Talk podcast run by Married At First Sight expert Paul Brunson, Maura discussed the day of the crash as she revealed her guilt. Reflecting on the day, said: "For so long I blamed myself for it because when I look back at that day, the day was so crazy. I can't work my head around it. He called me and he'd finished work early, which wasn't really meant to happen. "He was like, 'I have finished work early, let's grab some food.' I was like, 'I can't be effed, I am still in my pyjamas, I really can't be f***ed'." She continued, admitting she still wonders about her decision: "I am not as bad as I was with it, but I still think, 'Why didn't I just go with him?' He wouldn't have been on the motorbike, we would have been in his car, we would have got food and maybe the day would have been different." While holding back tears, she said: "I don't want to cry. I am so not a crier as well. I think I just beat myself up over it because it would have been different." When Paul asked her if she still blamed herself, she responded: "I just know it would have been different if I just got f***ing dressed and wasn't so lazy." Maura said she saw him earlier in the day and questioned him when she saw him on the bike. "He's not a biker and every time he was on it, I just didn't understand. I just didn't like it. He was like, 'It's a great day, it is a lovely day outside'," she added. "I will never forget when he left, he said he was going to take a drive on the bike. I went into the toilet and I could hear his motorbike, and I got these shivers. "I remember thinking to myself, 'Maura, stop thinking bad.' Then a few hours later, I get a phone call. It is such a weird day when I look back."
