Showbiz 5: From vile Kyle to soap suds

Welcome to another round up of the good, the bad and the bloody awful…

Drag act with bite, Penelope Teeth, rounds up some showbiz in a newswrap. Warning may contain some naughty words…

It was the modern day TV version of throwing rotten veg at the unwise and unfortunate in the town square stocks, and The Jeremy Kyle Show  – something he often liked to remind viewers and participants of that it was his show, and he got the final say – was back in the news this week five years after it was axed from ITV.

The inquest into the death of a participant of an un-aired episode saw footage screened for the first time. In a selection of clips Kyle was his usual ‘persona’ of being a bit of a twat. Kyle told a guest in a clip to “grow a pair of balls” days before the man is thought to have killed himself.

The Guardian report that ‘Steve Dymond, 63, was found dead at his flat in Portsmouth, Hampshire, seven days after filming the ITV programme in May 2019.’ Other delights from the vile ITV Daytime offering, that amazingly ran for nearly two decades, showed Dymond clearly stunned by the ‘accurate’ lie detector test, which Kyle said he stood by the findings – even though such devices are unreliable. Dymond was then bated for cheating on his ex-fiancee Jane Callaghan. He continued to deny such a thing had happened, but Jeremy was having none of it. It was also revealed he was only allowed on ITV after he stopped taking tablets for depression.

In his defence Kyle, who now works for Rupert Murdoch’s Talk Radio, said “The show developed, it was a character, a part, by understanding that from day one, as I keep saying, it’s conflict resolution so it involved many aspects of many stories and many different approaches. I de-escalated, I calmed it down and I put them backstage. That’s what I always believed the show was about – conflict resolution.” And all this was done by being a twat…

It’s Crossroads 1987 all over again, weekly departures, revamped theme tune and new titles. Yes Hollyoaks really has gone Kings Oak – and like a later revival of the midland motel soap – is also jumping a year ahead. Both these happenings for Crossroads killed off the show in 1988 and again with its revival in 2003, but will it make it or break it for the North West village set saga?

Some cast have ‘chose to leave’ while others have stated they were dumped from the long-running show. The latest names to announce their departure are Annie Wallace will be leaving her role as Sally St Claire, a part she has played for nine years.

Digital Spy note that ‘Wallace made history when she joined Hollyoaks, becoming the first transgender person to play a regular transgender character in a British soap opera.’

In other shocking departure news fans were left stunned as producers at Lime Pictures have for quite some time had their focus on the McQueen dynasty of the soap, with now the departure of a family name that has been part of the show since episode. Last week  Tom Cunningham – played by Ellis Hollins since the age of three – said goodbye to the village. The 24-year-old performer was seen departing with his sister Cindy – played by  Stephanie Waring – following her involvement with a gangster that turned dangerous.

The full on new era of Hollyoaks beings next week.

Former Granada Television presenter Brian Trueman who went on to bring Children’s ITV the legendary cartoon series Danger Mouse, as its writer, has died at the age of 92 this week his family confirmed. His son, Jonathan, posted online that his father had passed away in hospital after a short illness.

Manchester born Brian had a long media career which took in radio and television. Hosting for ITV North West station Granada as well as BBC Television. Programmes included Screen Test (BBC), Cinema (Granada) and Anything You Can Do (Granada).

It, however, is his time with  animation company Cosgrove Hall Films – including Danger Mouse, Count Duckula, Chorlton and the Wheelies which he brought to life as a writer. Paying tribute Cosgrove Hall Films noted, “Brian’s writing and humour had the unique ability to appeal to both adults and children, which contributed to the success of Cosgrove Hall series such as Danger Mouse, The Wind in the Willows [and] Jamie and the Magic Torch.”

EastEnders has brought fans another reunion; and after nearly 20 years, its one that Sharon probably could have done without. Yes, the woman who killed ‘Dirty’ Den Watts – Sharon’s beloved father – is now sharing a prison wing with his little princess.

“I did say to Chris before we even discussed Chrissie coming back, ‘what’s the storyline?’ and he rang me, and I remember sitting down on a bench outside a coffee shop because it was such a good storyline. It was fun, and I just kept thinking it’s like Orange is the New Black. It’s brilliant.”

Says Tracy-Ann Oberman who plays hissy Chrissie, who goes on to add:

“When I read the script, I just kept thinking this is like Orange is the New Black meets Prisoner Cell Block H, meets Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. It was just great. I’ve had so many years of people asking me what happened in Chrissie’s court case, and if she would ever come back because people loved that character. I sometimes would wonder what Chrissie was up to so it’s really lovely to be able to come back and revisit that woman. I have to thank Tony Jordan and Sarah Phelps for creating that character and writing for her so well.”

Tasha Ghouri is now the favourite to win the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing after seeing her odds shorten in recent days, according to betideas.com. The former Love Island contestant was third in the market at 9/2 to win the Glitterball Trophy at the beginning of the week, but now occupies top spot in the betting at 4/1.

 That move sees Tasha leapfrog previous favourite Jamie Borthwick (9/2) and Shayne Ward (5/1) in the outright market, with Sam Quek (7/1) making up the top four.

Lee Astley, spokesperson for betideas.com:“There’s already been plenty of movement in the Strictly outright market ahead of the show’s opening episode later this month, with Tasha Ghouri the newest leader in the betting. The ex-Love Islander has moved into 4/1 to win series 22 of the beloved BBC show, leaving previous frontrunner Jamie Borthwick in her wake.”

Strictly Come Dancing Series 22: Outright Winner