Showbiz 10: July 4th 2021

Another ten top showbiz moments from the UK newswrapped by Vivian Summers.

Weakest Revival. For some unknown reason, the BBC is resurrecting The Weakest Link with neither Anne Robison nor equally as blunt Kay Burley of Sky News. Instead awfully nice Romesh Ranganathan will take the reins.

The twelve-episode series will see celebrity contestants answering general knowledge questions before only two remain and play head to head to do all they can to try and avoid elimination and emerge victorious, all in aid of their favourite charities.

Since making its debut in 2000, The Weakest Link went on to become one of the BBC’s most successful international franchises, with versions of the show airing in over 100 countries across the globe. The UK version last aired in 2017, with a special charity episode in aid of Children In Need. The BBC announced the news on the same day Anne Robinson was seen hosting her first edition of Channel 4’s Countdown, just a coincidence of course. If this version is a success I’ll eat Holly Willoughby’s nighttime Knickers.

Countdown

Showbiz Quickies

Rylan Clark-Neal was reported to have split from his husband Dan Neal after eight years. The former Big Brother personality met his hubby on the show when Dan was appearing as a contestant on the 14th series. The couple married two years later in 2016. Rylan took to social media to thank his fans for their well wishes, following days of silence from The Supermarket Sweep presenter.

Nick Grimshaw is to depart BBC Radio 1 this summer after 14 years. The current drive time DJ, who previously hosted the breakfast show and began on the station on programme Switch in 2007, has decided to ‘move on’ the BBC announced. They also confirmed his final offering will air on August 12th. Grimmy is best known for hosting the Radio 1 breakkie slot from 2012 to 2018 following the departure of Chris Moyles.

Vanessa Feltz opened up about how she felt ‘abandoned by her friends’ following the breakdown of her first marriage after her husband cheated. The former Mr Feltz was dumped in 1999 after sixteen years of marriage. Thankfully since 2006 the Radio 2 personality has been happily engaged to singer Ben Ofoedu. Speaking to Best Magazine she noted “You lose people who you thought were your friends,” she noted she believed in some cases the female former confidants were worried a new single Vanessa may try to run off with their husbands.

Stephanie Davis, best known for her role as Sinead O’Connor in Hollyoaks was admitted to hospital on Thursday where she was diagnosed with Covid-19 RTÉ News reported. Davis had shared a video from hospital after testing positive for coronavirus the Irish news service noted, adding, the actress had ‘developed a headache before bed and woken up with symptoms that led to her calling an ambulance.’

Sir Elton John, Ed Sheeran and Stevie Wonder are apparently being lined up for a ­musical extravaganza to mark the Queen’s ­Platinum Jubilee next summer, say The Sun. The paper adds, the BBC is planning a party to mark the new milestone. Which is quite a nice thing to do, considering all the recent disgraceful revelations concerning the corporation and the late Diana, Princess of Wales. If I was her Maj I’d be saying, ‘I’d rather have a special on ITV thanks…’

Babba news... Former Girls Aloud performer Kimberley Walsh gave birth to her third baby with hubby Justin Scott and revealed the child is called Nate Jackson Scott. Also this past week it was reported actor Michael Greco was emotional after his baby son was born prematurely, as anyone would be. The former EastEnders regular – when the show had a major audience unlike currently – posted on social media, “My boy. Gianluca Greco. Born July 1st 2021. Weighing 4.47lbs.” He also noted the newborn will spend a few weeks in hospital due to a rare birth defect called Gastroschisis.

Gogglebox regular Pete McGarry passed away aged 71 following a short illness. Also, it was goodbye to former ATV and ITC regular Stuart Damon who starred in the adventure series The Champions alongside Alexandra Bastedo and William Gaunt. The 81-year-old was best-known stateside however for the American soap opera General Hospital and its spin-off Port Charles in which he appeared for decades.

Birds of a Feather lead performer Linda Robson has once dismissed that there is a rift between herself and co-star Pauline Quirke. Pauline and Linda, who have been pals long before television, also worked as teenagers together on Thames TV children’s series’ as well as Central Television’s wartime period drama Shine On Harvey Moon.

The show originally aired on the BBC, and was revived by ITV who last aired a Christmas special last year – however without Quirke, which began the rumours to circulate that she’d fallen out with her pal and co-stars. Speaking to ITV however, Linda said that there was no falling out, just the simple reason that Pauline no longer wants to act and is busy with other ventures.

Diana Statue, Piers Morgan hit back at social media users who ‘bullied Davina McCall’ into deleting a comment about the Princess Diana statue. The figure of the late princess was unveiled in Kensington Palace’s Sunken Garden this week and reactions to it have been split between those who love it and those who think it looks like various other people, but not Diana. Davina had apparently called the statue ‘stiff’ but removed the comment after a backlash.

“Suffice it to say, I won’t be deleting my statue critique – because it’s true.” – Peirs Morgan

Morgan said of it, ‘Let’s be honest – it’s not a great statue of Diana.‘ In other Morgan news, the tabloid hack revealed he once hosted Good Morning Britain without “exchanging a single civil word” with co-host Susanna Reid following an off-screen row. He said thanks to their ‘fixed cheesy grins’ viewers hardly noticed. Also probably due to the fact before Morgan left GMB Ried hardly got a word in anyway.