Showbiz 5: From Tom Daley’s crocheted briefs to Olivia Attwood’s bad boys

Welcome to a newswrap of entertainment lowlights with Penelope Teeth…

Another round of lifestyle, showbiz and telly stories that could be interesting if you’ve nothing better to do.

Tom’s skimpies sell at auction

This week Tom Daley sold a pair of his own swim briefs for a staggering £10k in a public charity auction.

The five-time Olympic medallist sold his very own pair of the limited edition crocheted briefs in support of the new responsible drinking campaign he has developed with Malibu and the Royal Life Saving Society UK, called ‘Don’t Drink and Dive’. All proceeds from the auction will go to the Royal Life Saving Society UK, the charity that strives to provide water safety and educate in life-saving skills.

The briefs received a total of 112 bids when the auction concluded on Sunday evening, as fans flocked for the chance to purchase the 100% wool crocheted swimming briefs, handmade in the UK in partnership with Tom Daley’s Made With Love clothing line. Tom Daley took to Instagram to thank fans for supporting the auction and celebrated the money raised for the charity.

Celebrating Sven

Sticking with sporting personalities and on Wednesday’s Good Morning Britain, ex-wife of England Manager Sven-Göran Eriksson, Nancy Dell’Olio joined hosts Charlotte Hawkins and Richard Madeley live from her home in Puglia for an exclusive interview after the passing of her ex-husband this Monday.

Nancy, who met Sven in 1998 when he was manager at Rome club Lazio, described her ex partner as “a very kind person” who was “generous” as she said: “I find it difficult being here and talking about Sven knowing that he is not with us anymore. Talking about him and all the memories make him still feel alive… When you love someone, you are always going to still love them forever.”

She added: “I am very privileged to spend more than a decade with a person like him.” 

Opening up about how she remained faithful to Sven through several affairs, she said: “I made an important choice. You never want to regret the decision you made and I knew that it was right… I know from him, as he admitted himself just a few days ago, that he had been very stupid. He told me immediately that meant nothing for him and would not even call them relationships. It was stupid for him to do it for his own self-admission.”

Discussing the last conversation she had with Sven, Nancy said: “When we were able to speak on the phone, he was fine. Most of the time he would not answer or he would say he was going to have some treatment. It’s hard pretending that you don’t know that he was about to die and I never thought about that because until life is done you always think there will be sort of a miracle or I thought at the beginning that the doctors had made a mistake.” 

GMB weekdays from 6 am on ITV1 and STV if you’re interested in this kind of thing.

Wilfred Webster keeps CALM

Suicide prevention charity, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), has this week announced that content creator and TV personality Wilfred Webster (The Traitors) will join the charity as their latest Ambassador to kick-start a much-needed conversation about suicide in the UK and raise awareness for CALM’s life-saving work.

The announcement comes as Wilfred prepares to walk 274 miles over two weeks from Monday 2nd September to Sunday 14th September with fellow Traitors contestant Ivan Brett, beginning at CALM’s office in London to its original headquarters in Liverpool, and inviting people across the UK to join them along the route.

On becoming a Campaign Against Living Miserably Ambassador, Wilfred said: “I’m so proud to be a CALM Ambassador. People think that suicide only affects people with mental health problems, but there are so many things that can happen to us that can lead us to think we have no way out. I know from experience how that can feel, but I also know how it feels to come out the other side. CALM is a highly interventionist organisation that can pull people out of their darkest moments and I’ll do all I can to keep shining a light on the great work they do.”

Data shows that one in five people will have suicidal thoughts in their lifetime, with someone dying by suicide every 90 minutes on average in the UK. However suicide can be prevented with the right support and interventions. One of those tools is talking about suicide to stop the stigma silencing people’s struggles and preventing people from seeking help. Need help? Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) hosts a life-saving suicide prevention helpline and provides vital online mental health resources for anyone who needs them. Visit www.thecalmzone.net.

Newswrap Wraps

• Disney Store is shaking things up with a massive product overhaul, introducing an exciting array of new items across toys, fashion, and homewares. The revamped collection is now available online at DisneyStore.co.uk and in-store at their Oxford Street, London location. Leading the charge is the highly anticipated Deadpool vs. Wolverine collection, featuring stylish hoodies, t-shirts, and a range of Marvel x Pandora jewellery. Marvel fans can expect bold designs that showcase their favourite anti-heroes in action, making these pieces a must-have for any wardrobe. For adults, Disney Store continues to impress with fashionable items such as Stitch and Angel Pyjamas and the Scarlet Witch Spirit Jersey. The store also celebrates the 60th anniversary of Mary Poppins with a special Loungefly Mary Poppins Ears Headband and other themed accessories.

• True Ranch Collection’s Circle Bar Guest Ranch in central Montana serves as the location for an upcoming unscripted series that will air on The CW Network. “The Wranglers,” which follows the personal and professional lives of young staff members working at the Circle Bar Ranch, will premiere on The CW at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Thursday, Oct. 24. While the ranch will wind down its season at the end of September, reservations are available for the 2025 season, which begins in late May.

• In 2023 alone, 125 grassroots music venues (GMVs) in the UK permanently closed, according to Music Venues Trust’s annual report – 16% of all GMVs in the UK. There are now just 835 venues left in the UK, with venues citing financial issues, including soaring utility bills and an average 37.5% rent hike, as the main reason for closing. While closures of GMVs have soared, interest in them has also surged, with searches for “grassroots music venues” rising by 70% over the last year. The most recent to announce its closure was The SHED in Glasgow which announced its final curtain yesterday after nearly 30 years.

• Funny Woman returns to Sky Max and streaming service NOW on 6th September. The second series finds Sophie on a high. She is the nation’s favourite TV comedy star; she’s got a group of good friends and her romance with Dennis is full of promise. But trouble is just round the corner: Dennis’s divorce will take three years; Sophie’s new sitcom flops and she uncovers a devastating family secret. Sophie escapes the turmoil by taking a leading role in a film opposite a glamorous French movie heartthrob. The film is a hit and Sophie’s slick new US agent offers her a fresh start in Hollywood… But Sophie returns to London, determined to get the gang back together and to create a new show which reflects her real life and challenges outdated cultural conventions.

• ReedPop has confirmed that the cast of Avatar The Last Airbender will be attending MCM Comic Con x EGX from the 25th to the 27th of October at ExCeL London. Fans of the series will be able to meet Zach Eisen – The voice of Aang, Zach Eisen played the show’s titular avatar throughout all 61 episodes of the series. Zach’s voice acting lent much of the heart and emotion which enthralled a generation. In addition to Aang, Zach also voiced Pablo in The Backyardigans for nine years.

Jack De Sena – Jack voiced Aang’s best friend, Sokka, who grew immensely as a character over the course of the series. Starting out as a brash, abrasive teen, Sokka ends the show as a caring and thoughtful tactician. Jack also runs the aptly-named “Chris and Jack” sketch comedy YouTube channel with over 400,000 subscribers, alongside his friend and fellow actor, Chris W. Smith Michaela Jill Murphy – Also known by Jessie Flower, Michaela is best known for voicing Toph Beifong in Avatar The Last Airbender, a role she embodied from the age of eleven until her first year of highschool. Aside from voicing Toph, Michaela also voiced characters in films such as Curious George and the Emperor’s New Groove 2, all before graduating Yale University.

Channel 4 sucks it to corporate Dyson

Channel 4 and ITN this week confirmed that Dyson has abandoned its libel case against Channel 4 News, after over two years of court proceedings.

A joint Channel 4 and ITN statement:

“Channel 4 and ITN confirm that Dyson has abandoned its claim against the programme, two years after it investigated appalling conditions in Malaysian factories where Dyson products were made. Despite prolonged and costly court proceedings, Channel 4 News was determined to defend its fair, accurate, and duly impartial reporting. The freedom to report without fear or favour is essential to both the industry and a thriving democracy.

“Today’s outcome underscores the vital role of robust, independent investigative reporting that is clearly in the public interest and sets an important precedent for the future of investigative journalism in the UK.”

Dyson sued Channel 4 and the makers of the programme, ITN, after the programme reported on appalling conditions in factories in Malaysia where Dyson products were being manufactured. In February 2022, Channel 4 News’ investigations team revealed how a group of migrant workers, recruited by Dyson’s contractor ATA IMS from countries including Nepal and Bangladesh to make appliances for Dyson, were taking legal action alleging exploitative working and living conditions.

It reported how concerns about forced labour conditions at ATA had been flagged to Dyson as far back as 2019; concerns Dyson categorically denied until September 2021 when an extensive audit revealed serious abuses at the factory. ATA also denied the allegations. Before the broadcast, Channel 4 News put the allegations formally to Dyson.  Dyson responded by warning that if the programme ran the allegations, it could be liable for billions of pounds of damages. Confident of its journalism, Channel 4 News broadcast the story.

In a statement to Channel 4 News, Dyson said: 

“We strenuously deny the false claims made by Channel 4 News in its broadcast. It is ATA – an independent manufacturer – that must answer questions about its treatment of its workers in Malaysia. Dyson will never condone the mistreatment of workers anywhere in the world and defends its reputation when it is necessary. It is categorically wrong to describe this defamation action as a SLAPP. This was a legitimate complaint against false claims made in a broadcast which harmed Dyson’s reputation. Like anyone, Dyson is allowed to exercise its right and defend its reputation through the Courts.”

A protracted and costly two-year legal battle that followed has now come to an end, after the programme submitted its lengthy 184-page defence to the High Court. Sir James Dyson’s claim over the report was struck out back in 2022 after the High Court ruled the allegations of exploitation of workers at a factory that used to supply goods to his firm did not defame him. Campaigners have this week hailed the outcome as a victory for public interest journalism.

Meanwhile, Dhan Khumar Limbu and 22 other former migrant workers continue to fight for compensation from Dyson which denies any liability.  Dyson is vigorously fighting their claim – and the next hearing will be at the Court of Appeal.

Charlie Holt of the UK Anti-Slapp Coalition:

“These legal tactics are used by anyone who seeks to block accountability. We’ve seen them used by Russian oligarchs, by corporations such as Dyson, and other powerful figures.  And they’re used against a range of different communities seeking to exercise their democratic rights to speak out and advance accountability. These lawsuits represent a form of legal bullying which are designed to force the target to retract their criticism. And they do that by using the litigation process to harass, intimidate and drive up costs.”

ITV peek into Olivia Attwood’s Bad Boyfriends

Badly behaved boyfriends, cheaters and DM-sliders beware! Presenter and podcaster Olivia Attwood is coming for you in a brand new explosive reality format on ITV, this September.

Eight unsuspecting bad boyfriends will be flown to a Greek island under the premise of filming a series about manhood and bromance in a hedonistic holiday mecca, before getting the shock of their lives when Olivia appears to announce their wild partying days are on hold and to reveal the true purpose of the show – to whip them into better boyfriend shape. All at the behest of their long-suffering girlfriends, whose surprise, dramatic arrivals cause mayhem.

But Olivia has her work cut out attempting to reform this wayward bunch of boys from serial cheaters and lazy lovers, to commitment-phobes and man-children, it’s time to shape up or ship out. Across 11 episodes, the boys will compete in a series of challenges, designed to rectify their ways and battle it out to become the most improved boyfriend.

Expect tough love, lots of humour and plenty of mischief, alongside unexpected revelations and explosive scenes along the way. Can the couples get back on track with Olivia’s help? And how will the girlfriends react when the spotlight is turned on them?

There will be eliminations across the series as the least improved boyfriends deemed incapable of improving are voted out, resulting in one boy being crowned the most improved boyfriend but left facing a huge dilemma…