Latest news with #celebrityinterviews
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Lorraine Kelly reveals her two worst celebrity interviews as she reflects on her career after ITV's brutal daytime TV cuts
Lorraine Kelly has revealed her favourite and least favourite celebrity interviews of all time as she reflected on her TV career on Monday. During an appearance at the 2025 Hay Festival of Literature and Arts, Lorraine was interviewed about her 2024 novel The Island Swimmer before the floor was thrown to audience questions. One fan asked the TV presenter, 65, her best and worse talk show guests prompting Lorraine to gush over George Clooney. She replied: 'George Clooney is adorable. He just is. He's my favourite.' She then went on to admit interviews with singers Mariah Carey and Lady Gaga have been among the worst. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The ITV star said: 'The one that was difficult, not because she was horrible... but Mariah Carey was 'refreshed'. It's good we were [pre-recording] it because her first answer was 10 minutes long, and did not make any sense. 'But I always give people the benefit of the doubt.' She then recalled an interview with Lady Gaga, in which Lorraine's production crew were left waiting 'for five or six hours' for an interview that never materialised. She said: 'They kept saying "she's getting in the car, she's getting in the car", and of course my crew have all been up since God knows when... they need to go home to bed!' Lorraine added: 'She never turned up; I don't know what happened there'. During her four-decade career as a TV presenter, Lorraine has interviewed some of the world's most famous celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Elton John, and Hugh Jackman. Lorraine is reportedly ready to take drastic measures following brutal cutbacks at ITV in a bid to save her long-running show. The host, who has frequently let other presenters stand in for her, will now front her show five days a week after its running time was slashed from 60 to 30 minutes. In addition, the programme, which previously ran year-round, will now also air for just half of the year. And now a source has told The Mirror: 'Lorraine was not happy about what is happening and also had concern for the production team which will be cut back too. 'But the truth is she has to roll her sleeves up and work harder on her own show than she has in recent years, otherwise the long-term future does not look good. 'She needs to show bosses it is worth keeping on air. You can expect her to be pulling hard to get big name celebrities on her show instead of GMB or This Morning.' ITV claims that it is slashing the budgets of its daytime TV shows in a bid to increase long-term profitability amid changes in viewer habits and a move towards streaming services. The insider explained that while the Scottish host is a staple of daytime TV, changes have to be made in the current climate. Lorraine will now be vying to get the biggest name celebrity guests on her couch so that she can compete with other major talk shows like This Morning and Good Morning Britain. ITV has been contacted by MailOnline for comment. The changes come amid a huge cull of roles at ITV, which will result in hundreds of job losses. Now, anger is reportedly mounting behind the scenes after This Morning escaped the ITV cutbacks announced this month amid a schedule shake-up and overhaul at the channel. ITV announced on May 20 that there would be dramatic changes to their daytime TV schedule, with Lorraine's show slashed from an hour to 30 minutes and, like Loose Women, will only air 30 weeks of the year. Anchors Ruth Langsford and Kaye Adams, both 65, and presenters Nadia Sawalha, 60, and Denise Welch, 66, are believed to be 'angered' and 'panicked' about their livelihoods being at stake, causing uproar behind the scenes. Top TV talents including Lorraine are believed to be 'furious' and 'insulted' over the shake-up while the Loose Women are already fearing inevitable job losses. The new regime, set to come into effect in January, will cost a potential 300 staff members their jobs as a consultation period begins as soon as today, lasting until September, before employees are finally let go in December. But now there is reportedly growing resentment that This Morning is going to be unaffected despite scandals in recent years including Phillip Schofield's affair with a much younger colleague. A source told The Sun: 'There's a lot of rage towards This Morning, which everyone feels is constantly favoured despite it being the lame duck of the daytime flock. 'There's a feeling that Loose Women and Lorraine are delivering resilient, solid ratings while This Morning is always in the Press for its tumbling viewing figures. Loose Women is even winning awards. 'Never mind the Phillip Schofield scandal and then Holly Willoughby leaving, This Morning is like the black sheep and yet that's the show that is not facing any cuts.' An ITV spokesman said: 'At a time when our daytime teams are undergoing a period of change we will not comment on speculation around talent or staff contracts. 'Our intention is to keep our daytime shows as familiar to viewers as possible which includes seeing presenters they know and love.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lorraine Kelly names her two worst celebrity interviews
Lorraine Kelly named her favourite and least favourite celebrity interviews during an appearance at the 2025 Hay Festival of Literature and Arts. The Hay Festival is being held in partnership with The Independent for the second year running, and sees leading figures from across the world of culture gather to deliver talks and panel discussions. On Monday (26 May), Kelly was interviewed by Jude Rogers about her 2024 novel The Island Swimmer, alongside fellow novelist Holly Bourne. At the end of the event, the floor was thrown open to questions from the audience, whereupon the Lorraine host was asked to name her best and worst talk show guests. 'George Clooney is adorable,' she responded. 'He just is. He's my favourite.' She then went on to cite interviews with singers Mariah Carey and Lady Gaga as being among the worst. 'The one that was difficult,' Kelly said, 'not because she was horrible... but Mariah Carey was 'refreshed'. It's good we were [pre-recording] it because her first answer was 10 minutes long, and did not make any sense. 'But I always give people the benefit of the doubt.' She then recalled a interview with Lady Gaga, in which Kelly's production crew were left waiting 'for five or six hours' for an interview that never materialised. 'They kept saying 'she's getting in the car, she's getting in the car', and of course my crew have all been up since God knows when... they need to go home to bed!' Kelly said. 'She never turned up; I don't know what happened there,' she added. During her four-decade career as a TV presenter, Kelly, 65, has interviewed many of the world's most famous celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Buzz Aldrin, and Hugh Jackman. Held over 11 days in the town of Hay-on-Wye, the Hay Festival features a lineup that includes Donald Trump's estranged niece, Mary Trump, Welsh actor and activist Michael Sheen, actor and campaigner Jameela Jamil, and more. Throughout the festival, The Independent is hosting a series of morning panels titled The News Review, in which our journalists will explore current affairs with leading figures from politics, science, the arts and comedy.
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Angela Bishop shares never-before-seen photos of a young Nicole Kidman and Robin Williams as she marks 36 years at Channel 10
Angela Bishop has shared a photo gallery of the A-listers she has interviewed over the past three decades, showing big names like Nicole Kidman and Robin Williams Williams like we've never seen them before. The veteran presenter, 57, recently marked 36 years with Network Ten and to celebrate the occasion, uploaded a treasure trove of old photographs. One precious photo from the early '90s shows Angela posing with a frizzy-haired Nicole Kidman, as the Hollywood actress was on the brink of stardom. Another picture captures her posing with American actors Robin Williams and Billy Crystal, when they were in Australia in 1997 to promote their movie Father's Day. She also shared photos of her meeting Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones, U2 frontman Bono, Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman and Hugh Grant. The Sydney-born presenter captioned the gallery with some heartfelt words: 'This month marks my 36 year anniversary at Network 10. I got to flicking through some old pics. You never know what you'll find.' Many of Angela's celebrity friends took to the comment section to congratulate her on her long career. 'OMG ANG!!! You are such an icon of media! Love you & your amazing body of work! One of the most fabulous women I know!' gushed fellow presenter Jessica Rowe. 'The best of the best! Massive achievement, congrats!!!' added Nova radio star Jase Hawkins. Angela began working for Channel Ten in 1989 and is one of the network's most esteemed presenters. She made a name for herself on Studio 10 but the embattled program was axed in November 2023 after more than a decade on-air. Angela, as well as her fellow hosts Narelda Jacobs and Tristan MacManus, remained with Channel 10 and were redeployed to new roles. She now serves as 10 News First's entertainment editor and takes to the red carpet for the program interviewing the stars. Angela shares daughter, Amelia, 15, with her late husband Peter Baikie. Baikie died in late November 2017 after battling a rare form of cancer. The couple married in 2005. The 54-year-old mechanic was diagnosed in February 2016 and he died on November 22. In an interview with The Australian Women's Weekly, Angela revealed what it was like raising her daughter alone following the loss of her husband. 'I'm a single mum, not by any choice or planning, but unexpectedly,' she said. 'Parenting is a huge responsibility and when I lost Peter I had no-one to bounce off anymore,' she went on. 'We were often on the same page and now I don't have that person to run things by. 'I've had wonderful extended family to help since I've been on my own, but it's not quite the same.'
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Inside The Assembly: New groundbreaking ITV show sees a panel of neurodivergent and learning-disabled people interview celebrities
It can be hard sometimes to feel like celebrities are telling the public what they really think. In a hyper-vigilant era of elaborately constructed online personae, hawk-eyed publicists pre-approving questions and an increasingly liberal use of crisis PR, celebrity image is more carefully controlled and curated than ever. It is why a show like ITV 's new interview programme The Assembly is so appealing and refreshing - it cuts through all the noise. The set-up: a large panel of neurodivergent and learning-disabled people, who grill British celebrities in a no-limits interview, on topics ranging from death, to religion, to their favourite crisps - with both funny and poignant results. The first series, which finished on Sunday, saw guests as diverse as actors David Tennant and Danny Dyer, Little Mix singer Jade Thirlwall and football commentator Gary Lineker face the no-holds-barred questioning. It makes for some of the warmest, most sincere television in recent memory - and its creators, Michelle Singer and Stu Richards, have now spoken out about their magic formula. The first series, which finished on Sunday, saw guests as diverse as actors David Tennant and Danny Dyer, Little Mix singer Jade Thirlwall (pictured) and football commentator Gary Lineker face the no-holds-barred questioning The executive producers said in an interview with The Independent that the idea for the show's format is based on a French programme called Les Rencontres du Papotin, which first aired in 2022. Relatively early on in its two series, the programme managed to get French President Emmanuel Macron onboard. He was asked whether his marriage set a bad example after he met then-married Brigitte, his 39-year-old teacher and a mother-of-three, when he was just 15. The French politician responded, with candour: 'It's not about setting an example or not, you see? When you're in love, the choice isn't yours.' He also joked, to laughs from the interviewers: 'She wasn't really my teacher. She was my drama teacher. It's not quite the same.' The politician was astonishingly forthcoming - and the show's uniqueness immediately made an impact on The Assembly co-creator Stu. A pilot, on BBC One, soon followed, in April last year, with actor Michael Sheen, 56. He too was quizzed about his age-gap relationship, with partner Anna Lundberg, 30: 'How does it feel to be dating someone only five years older than your daughter?' The executive producers said the idea for the show's format is based on a French programme called Les Rencontres du Papotin, which first aired in 2022. Pictured: Gary Lineker on The Assembly He was asked whether his marriage - he met then-married Brigitte (pictured together last month), his 39-year-old teacher and a mother-of-three, when he was 15, wedding her after he graduated - set a bad example But it really worked. ITV took over, soon greenlighting a whole series, at the end of last year - and it began airing last month. Everything you see on-screen is completely real, according to the executive producers - also known for Channel 4 cooking chat show Dine Hard with comedian Rosie Jones and BBC sports mockumentary I Am Darren about a fictional Paralympian. The celebrities receive a short briefing from the crew but there are no scripts or rehearsals and all the questions do truly come from the panel themselves. This produced the bombshell age-gap question posed to Michael in the pilot - which saw the whole room, cast and crew, go 'Ohh, holy s***', producer Michelle said. But with no team to fly in to stop him responding, the actor was able to pause to really think and reply in a way he was happy with, she explained - and he ended up giving a wonderful response. The question was in reference to his daughter Lily, 26, who he shares with English actress Kate Beckinsale, following their relationship from 1995 until 2003. He has been in a relationship with Swedish actress Anna, 30, who he appeared with in BBC comedy series Staged, since 2019. They have two children together. He was, incidentally, also quizzed about his relationship, with partner Anna Lundberg, 30: 'How does it feel to be dating someone only five years older than your daughter?' Pictured: Michael and Anna in 2019 Michael replied on The Assembly at the time: 'I think because of the age difference, I think both of us were quite surprised when we got together. 'I don't think either of us were looking for that. It's not like I've dated lots of people who are much younger than me, but you meet who you meet. 'We were very aware of what differences that might make and how they might respond to that. 'It's not like it was the easiest thing to do. We were both aware it would be difficult and challenging. 'Ultimately, we felt it was worth it because of how we felt about each other. Now we have two beautiful children together. I'm really happy. 'Because of the age difference I know I'm a older father. It does worry me. It makes me sad thinking about the time I won't have with them. 'But I think if you find someone who brings you happiness and you make them happy, you've got to go for that I think and I'm so happy we did as we have this wonderful family now.' Some equally as powerful moments have been created on the episodes since then. He said: 'I was a p***k and she deserved better... She had every right to throw me out. She controls everything now' Danny tearfully revealed his wife Joanne Mas controls all their finances now, after throwing him out for his wild, drug-filled behaviour in his youth. He said: 'I was a p***k and she deserved better... She had every right to throw me out. She controls everything now.' Veteran Shakespeare actor David Tennant, performed a scene from Macbeth with a keen actor from the panel, while Jade Thirlwall spoke about how grounding her friendship with the late Liam Payne was in the early part of her career. Gary Lineker, meanwhile, was quizzed on his exit from Match of the Day and how it felt when his son George was diagnosed with leukaemia. David, Danny and Jade were all in tears by the close of the interview, which ended with musical performances from the panel - The Proclaimers' Sunshine on Leith, Primal Scream's Movin' On Up and Diana Ross's I'm Coming Out respectively. Gary watched on, captivated, by a beautiful contemporary dance by one of the interviewers, which ended his episode. Jade, after dubbing the process her 'favourite interview' on social media, asked for the name of each of the 35 cast members so she could hand write them a thank-you card. In fact, all the stars wrote to the production team via their agents to express how much of an impact the show made on them. Jade spoke about how grounding her friendship with the late Liam Payne was in the early part of her career Gary, meanwhile, was quizzed on his exit from Match of the Day and how it felt when his son George was diagnosed with leukaemia The show's creators are perfectly aware, though, that for less genuine celebrities, an appearance on the programme - in which the stars inevitably come off well - could cynically be viewed as a mere PR opportunity. Taking it back to the programme's origins with President Macron, Stu and Michelle laughed as they mentioned both US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer as interviewees they would love to get involved. Any attempted PR stunt would likely soon be detected - there is no hiding from the panel, they reflected. Ultimately, Stu hopes the programme can challenge stereotypes about disabled people, in a different and more helpful way than viewers might be used to. It is the main aim of his disabled-led production company Rockerdale Studios, which he co-owns with his show co-creator Michelle: 'The boring way of doing that is to sit and talk about stereotypes in the actual show and look it in the eye. 'We don't do that. We make an entertaining show. And if it does nice things, then f***ing great.' Michelle added The Assembly is about self-expression, about letting the stars show off their natural excitement - and cheeky nature: 'It isn't, "Ah, aren't they lovely? Look at people like that".' One interviewer named Essin (pictured) - who has asked particularly hard-hitting questions about Danny's absent father and Gary's thoughts on why it is hard for gay footballers to come out - has already been recognised in the street and asked for a selfie Stu explained: 'It's being given agency and power to be the subject of something rather than the sort of object of our sympathy.' The panel have loved the experience, the producers said - and have already begun to develop a celebrity status of their own. One interviewer named Essin - who has asked particularly hard-hitting questions about Danny's absent father and Gary's thoughts on why it is hard for gay footballers to come out - has already been recognised in the street and asked for a selfie. It seems what Danny said near the end of his episode may ring remarkably true: 'Listen, I will say this. You better prepare yourself for a bit of fame, you lot, 'cause I think this show is gonna be f***ing massive.' The Assembly is available to stream on ITVX.
Vogue Arabia
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue Arabia
At Work With Ajwa Aljoudi, Saudi's Red Carpet Gal
Aljoudi conducts interviews with celebrities on the red carpet as part of her show 'Red Carpet' on Althaqafiya. In the past, Aljoudi has gotten the inside scoop from A-listers such as Eiza González, Harrison Ford, Ramy Youssef, Walton Goggins, Giancarlo Esposito, Wanda Sykes, Adrien Brody, Glenn Close, and Dominic West, to name a few. After each interview, Aljoudi is always so amazed by the humbleness of the people she meets on the red carpet. 'Behind all this fame and success, I've consistently sensed a beautiful level of kindness and humanity, which is hard to sense through the screen,' says Aljoudi. The reporter's favourite part of the entire experience is selecting a red carpet-worthy outfit that also pays homage to her roots. 'I work with a number of amazing stylists who dive into the nitty-gritty details. One thing I always, always, always make sure of is I'm wearing a Saudi design. There's a special kind of pride in being able to answer those asking about my dress, loud and clear, This dress is Saudi designed and Saudi made.' Aljoudi's key to mastering the red carpet is understanding the industry while staying authentic to who she is. She believes that having a clear purpose as to whether she's there to report, represent, or create impact is a must. Aljoudi adds, 'For me, attending red carpet events isn't just about showing up; it's about showing up with intention, representing where I come from, and having something meaningful to convey.' Follow her work here.
