Showbiz Newswrap
Showbiz 5: Departures, Tributes and Fury
Penelope Teeth bites into another week of showbiz headlines…
The Corrie Exodus continues
Shelley King who appears as Yasmeen Nazir has been revealed as one of the latest to depart The Street…
The character of Yasmeen Nazir has been part of Coronation Street since 2014 and has featured in several of the thrice weekly saga’s core dramas over the years including a coercive control plot that – in the tale of everyday folk on a northern street – saw Yasmeen stranded on the roof of her house after being chased by former partner Geoff Metcalfe (Ian Bartholomew). This came after he had brutally attacked Yasmeen’s granddaughter Alya (Sair Khan) in the bistro and set fire to the sitting room at number six.
Tabloids this week suggest that the 69-year-old performer made the decision last year to depart Weatherfield to look for ‘new opportunities’. Probably ones that don’t include endless police, violence, “social issues” and fires.
“This will be another blow for fans of the show, as Yasmeen is a much-loved character who’s part of the fabric of Corrie. She’s had some huge storylines since she joined the soap in 2014, and she’ll be sorely missed by cast and crew. It’s understood she is leaving so she can explore other projects.” An ‘insider’ at Corrie told The Sun newspaper
Just days later it was also announced that Paddy Bever, who plays Max, had also decided to depart. At this rate there will be only the dreary repetitive characters left who no one at ITV seem to want to get rid of for some unbeknown reason, like Kirk (the idiot), Maria (the tart) and Sean (the 1970s gay). But don’t tell Samia Longchambon I’ve said this as, she who plays Maria, thinks a soap job is for life, not just for the time a character is useful to the plot.
Which actually, might be good for Corrie if that was the case come to think of it – they’d have no deaths until the actor croaks, no serial killers or criminals until an actor had the urge to do what professional actors do – go look for a variety of ever different roles. Which for those who play Kirk, Maria and Sean might not be a good idea; they’re not exactly John Thaw or Judi Dench sweetie.
For the 60th anniversary of The Street it was a quiet affair up on the roof of number 6 / ITV
No longer Live for London
After a decade the ‘Local TV’ operator for the capital is calling it a day. London Live will cease to broadcast at midnight on January 20th. In a statement the broadcaster that offered a mix of regional news and programming such as documentaries and classic movies said:
“We want to update our loyal followers that very sadly London Live will be closing down. The TV channel will no longer be on air from 12am on 20th January and the final news programme will be on 16th January at 6pm. We want to thank you for following and supporting us over the last 10 years. We have loved helping to share the stories that matter in London, making sure the voices that count are heard.
The London Live station was one of several launched to bring regional content to cities across the UK with others in Leeds, Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham, Cardiff and Edinburgh to name a few. They started off with the ambition of a schedule entirely of local content, but soon due to terrible ratings and low-quality production, most ended up filling their schedules with cheap repeats, films and music videos. The exception on quality was that of STV2 and London Live, both of which offered well presented regional news and associated programming. In comparison Made In Newcastle was presenting its news from a bush somewhere on a housing estate.
Until January 2025 the owner of London Live was Russian oligarch Evgeny Lebedev, who is also the chairman and owner of both Evening Standard Ltd, which he bought in January 2009, and Independent Print Ltd, which he bought in March 2010. In January 2025 it was bought by David Montgomery’s Local TV Ltd.
The whole original exercise was seemingly just a project that made some rich while the output was pretty dire. A Tory scheme, so not unsurprising that was the outcome really.
Six months of “exceptional hardship” ahead for Helen Flanagan
Former Coronation Street actress Helen Flanagan has been banned from driving for six months. RTÉ News reports that ‘The 34-year-old said her boyfriend Robbie Talbot was driving her Audi when it was caught speeding twice in Merseyside in the UK in June last year.’ However, the reality was Flanagan was behind the wheel. Helen is best known, well let’s face it she’s only known, for her role of Rosie Webster in The Street.
The magistrates stated they were not convinced that a ban would result in exceptional hardship for Flanagan, who already had six points on her licence. Consequently, she was ordered to pay a £2,000 fine, an £800 surcharge, and £110 in prosecution costs.
Fury at the Love Island?
Tommy Fury is 5/2 with William Hill to appear on Love Island: All Stars after the beginning of the winter series on ITV2 this month. The former Islander coupled up with fellow contestant Molly-Mae Hague on the show in 2019, but after their split many are wondering what the pair’s next move will be. Fury is 6/4 to step back into the ring with Jake Paul this year, whilst being 5/2 to enter the I’m a Celeb jungle.
Molly-Mae is 8/1 to appear on Love Island All Stars, and 13/2 to go down under on I’m A Celeb.
William Hill spokesperson, Lee Phelps: “Both Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague could be heading back to Love Island, with the pair 5/2 and 8/1 respectively to enter the villa for a second time.
“Lots has been made of Fury’s next move following his well-publicised split from Molly-Mae, and he’s just 6/4 to have a rematch in the boxing ring with Jake Paul. Other reality shows are a possibility with an I’m a Celeb appearance priced at 5/2. Molly-Mae is 13/2 to appear in the jungle and 10/1 to star on Celebrity Big Brother.”
Love Island: All Stars is back on ITV2 and ITVX
Icey Tribute
Viewers of Dancing On Lee, sorry Ice (it’s the logo, looks like ‘Lee’) have voiced their outrage following the show’s pathetic attempt at a tribute to late contestant The Vivienne. The death of the RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner was announced on January 5th, with police confirming that an investigation found no suspicious circumstances.
Professionally known as The Vivienne, a name inspired by their admiration for Vivienne Westwood fashion, the performer’s real name was James Lee Williams. He tragically passed away at just 32-years-old. Williams participated in Dancing On Ice in 2023, finishing as a runner-up alongside professional skater Colin Grafton. Their appearance marked a historic milestone as James became the first drag queen to compete on the show.
In the first show of the ice-skating celebrity contest returned to ITV1 and STV last weekend presenters Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern opened with very brief words in memory of Williams. However, some viewers thought a photograph or at least one clip of The Vivienne performing on the show would have been nice. Instead, a few words were said and the show quickly moved on.
Willoughby, in a style not too dissimilar to her infamous ‘Are you okay?‘ speech when returning to This Morning following the Phillip Schofield ‘scandal’ Holly said, ‘Before we move on, like us, many of you will have been saddened by the tragic news of The Vivienne’s passing last weekend. Now, they were a huge part of our show, making it all the way to the final in 2023. They’ll be very sorely missed, and our thoughts are with The Vivienne’s loved ones at this time. So sad.’
While the in-show tribute was as meaningful as plastic flowers on Valentines Day, Dancing On Ice did at least show a photo at the end of the episode with the programme dedicated to The Vivienne.
In other tabloid reports this week it was suggested ITV bosses were keen to ‘keep Holly’ as one of their golden stars. According to reports, the broadcaster has lined up a trio of new shows for her, leaving her set to earn £1,000,000. The Sun noted. Well, good for Holly. I always admire people who can make money out of virtually nothing.
In the celebrity departure lounge this week…
Dame Joan Plowright passed away age 95, her acting career spanned over six decades. She received several top gongs including two Golden Globe Awards, an Olivier Award, and a Tony Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. She was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004.
Actor Christopher Benjamin died at the age of 90, he was best-known for appearing in BBC sci-fi romp Doctor Who.
Former Hollyoaks actor, and reality personality, Paul Danan passed away at just 46. He had great taste; he was a long-time supporter of ATV Today, and we’ll remember him fondly.
In more detail ATV Today Entertainment remembers Linda Nolan, Diane Langton and Tony Slattery who all left for the celebrity hospitality suite in the sky this week.
The views expressed are of Penelope Teeth and not ATV Today. Penelope Teeth, Judi Dentures and Joanna Gumley are ATV’s exclusive showbiz drag queens with bite.
