Gemma Bissix has revealed that she almost made it a soap hattrick when she auditioned for the part of Andrea Tate in Emmerdale. However, she didn’t mind losing out on the role to Anna Nightingale as the bitchy character was similar to ones she had played in other serials. The actress is, of course, best known for her roles as Clare Bates in EastEnders and Clare Devine in Hollyoaks.
BBC One is to celebrate Father’s Day with Jack Whitehall. The comedian is to feature in a 90 minute special for the Beeb as he visits his father Michael ‘the lockdown way’ by setting up on the pavement outside his front door. The father-son duo will reminisce over old family photos, awkward home video footage and tell some classic Whitehall tales.
Famous faces set to appear on Celebrity Gogglebox include Denise van Outen and her partner Eddie Boxshall, Nick Grimshaw and his niece Liv, as well as Loose Women’s Stacey Solomon with Joe Swash. The cast also includes Harry Redknapp and his wife Sandra, Zoe Ball and her son Woody, Olympian Nicola Adams and her partner Ella, and the voice and face of Love Island (and real-life couple) Iain Stirling and Laura Whitmore.
Gary Hailes, who played Barry Clark on EastEnders from 1986 to 1989, has claimed that his character’s storyline was cut short by the anti-LGBT+ section 28 law. On the Distinct Nostalgia podcast, Hailes talked about his character’s relationship with Colin Russell, played by Michael Cashman.
“The BBC found themselves in a difficult position. They had to be seen to be doing right by the law. There was stuff we shot of Barry coming out to his dad and the backlash. They changed it and that helped put the brakes on what they could do with the characters.”
Actor Tony Scannell has died at the age of 74. His most popular role was Detective Sergeant Ted Roach in ITV’s police drama The Bill, which he portrayed between 1984-1993 and again in 2000. He also appeared in Waking The Dead and the films Flash Gordon and Evil Never Dies.
The BBC is to delve into the archives for a look back at Glastonbury with this year’s festival not going ahead due to the pandemic. There will be three 90 minute live programmes in prime time on BBC Two – one for each night of the main Glastonbury weekend, Friday 26, Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June. Presenters include Clara Amfo, Edith Bowman, Jo Whiley, Lauren Laverne and Mark Radcliffe.
Birds of a Feather could be heading back to ITV screens for a lockdown special. “There was talk of one of me and Lesley on lockdown,” Linda Robson told Distinct Nostalgia podcast this week. The series is being repeated on ITV Friday nights at 8pm and at 8.30pm. “It’s really nice for people who have not seen it before or people that are used to it can have another look and it will cheer them all up a bit.”
The BBC has said that Emily Maitlis’ introduction to Newsnight on Tuesday (26th May) “did not meet our standards of due impartiality”. The presenter took a swipe at the Prime Minister’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings, noting that he had “broken the [lockdown] rules” and that “The country can see that and it’s shocked the government cannot.”
