Category Archives: Christmas

Tamzin Outhwaite Confirmed For Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special Line-Up

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EastEnders favourite Tamzin Outhwaite has become the fifth celebrity confirmed to be taking part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special.

Tamzin is best known for her performance as Mel Owen in the long-running BBC soap, for which she earned two wins at the National Television Awards.

Her other credits include Doctor Who, the police drama New Tricks, The Fixer and Red Cap.

On Wednesday evening, it was revealed that Tamzin is one of the stars who’ll be performing in Strictly’s Christmas Day special, where she’ll perform with Nikita Kuzmin.

Nikita had been paired with Olympian Sam Quek on this year’s regular series of Strictly, until she was eliminated earlier this month.

Tamzin Outhwaite is competing on this year's Strictly Christmas special
Tamzin Outhwaite is competing on this year’s Strictly Christmas special

Tamzin said: “I’m so excited to swap the stage for the Strictly ballroom this Christmas. I’m used to performing in front of a live audience, but this is a whole new experience.

“I can’t wait to immerse myself in all things glitter and sequins, let’s hope the judges show Nikita and I some extra festive cheer this Christmas!”

Strictly bosses began revealing the line-up for this year’s festive special last week, beginning with comedian Josh Widdicombe.

Although Strictly’s annual Christmas episode typically features six new celebs competing in a one-off special for the Silver Star trophy, two of the contestants on the regular series of Strictly this year are former festive winners.

JLS singer JB Gill triumphed on Christmas Day back in 2012, while Jamie Borthwick’s own festive win came just last year.

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Thought The Stars Of Hot Frosty Looked Familiar? Here’s Where You’ve Seen The Cast Before

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We’ve only just passed the halfway mark of November, but apparently people are already flocking to watch Christmas films in their droves.

No sooner did Netflix’s original festive movie Meet Me Next Christmas rise to the top of the platform’s list of most-watched films this week than it was replaced by another new Yuletide film, Hot Frosty.

If you’re not familiar with the new Netflix original, it centres around a young widow whose life changes when she accidentally brings a snowman to life with a magic scarf (yes, really), only to discover that, as the title suggests, he’s actually extremely hot.

And for those who are familiar with Hot Frosty, you might have found yourself pondering exactly where you’ve seen certain members of the cast before.

Well, wonder no more. Here’s a quick guide to where you recognise the stars of Hot Frosty from…

Lacey Chabert

Lacey Chabert in Mean Girls
Lacey Chabert in Mean Girls

Lacey Chabert’s most famous role is as Regina George’s second-in-command, Gretchen Wieners, in the cult teen comedy Mean Girls (y’know, the one whose dad invented toaster strudel).

As well as playing Gretchen, Lacey is also a voice actor, playing Eliza Thornberry in the animated series The Wild Thornberrys and originating the role of Meg Griffin in Family Guy, before Mila Kunis took over the character.

The US star is also no stranger to a Christmas movie or two, appearing in *deep breath* A Christmas Melody, All I Want For Christmas Is You, Black Christmas, A Royal Christmas and The Three That Saved Christmas, to name but a few.

Dustin Milligan

Dustin Milligan in Schitt's Creek
Dustin Milligan in Schitt’s Creek

Dustin Milligan plays the titular Hot Frosty, and will be familiar to Schitt’s Creek fans for his portrayal as Ted Mullens in all six seasons of the Emmy-winning comedy.

The Canadian performer got his start in the teen drama 90210 as Ethan Ward, and has since appeared in X Company, A Simple Favor and the star-studded reality show RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race.

Craig Robinson

Craig Robinson in The Office
Craig Robinson in The Office

Chris Haston/NBC

Craig Robinson was previously nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award alongside the rest of his co-stars in The Office, in which he played warehouse foreman Darryl Philbin.

He’s also known for his work on Mr Robot and his many collaborations with Seth Rogen, which have included Pineapple Express, This Is The End and the X-rated animated comedy Sausage Party.

More recently, he fronted the US version of The Masked Dancer and took the lead in the comedy Killing It, on which he was also executive producer.

Joe Lo Truglio

Joe Lo Truglio in Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Joe Lo Truglio in Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Erica Parise /NBC

If you’ve seen the police comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the chances are you remember Joe for his portrayal of detective Charles Boyle, the right-hand man of Andy Samberg’s character.

As well as his own career as a stand-up, Joe also has roles in a number of hit American comedies including Superbad, Role Models, Wet Hot American Summer and I Love You, Man.

Chrishell Stause

Chrishell Stause in Selling Sunset
Chrishell Stause in Selling Sunset

No, you weren’t mistaken, that was, indeed, Selling Sunset’s own Chrishell Stause playing Jan.

Before venturing into the world of real estate, Chrishell was a US soap star, with long-standing roles in both All My Children and Days Of Our Lives.

Since her new-found rise to fame, she’s also competed on Dancing With The Stars and the US version of The Traitors.

Katy Mixon

Katy Mixon as Victoria Flynn in Mike And Molly
Katy Mixon as Victoria Flynn in Mike And Molly

Katy’s TV work has included leading roles in American Housewife and Eastbound And Down.

Comedy fans might remember her from her performance opposite Melissa McCarthy in Mike And Molly or her short stint in Two And A Half Men.

Like co-star Lacey, Hot Frosty is also not Katy’s first time at the festive rodeo, as she previously appeared alongside Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn in the comedy Four Christmases.

Lauren Holly

Lauren Holly in NCIS
Lauren Holly in NCIS

Again, Lauren already had plenty of Christmas films to her name before being cast in Hot Frosty, such as The Town That Christmas Forgot, Christmas Catch and Country Roads Christmas.

NCIS devotees will also remember her for her role as Jenny Shepard in three seasons of the police drama, while her additional film work has included Dumb And Dumber and Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.

More recently, she also played Monique in Tiny Pretty Things and Joanne Kowalski in Family Law.

Sherry Miller

Sherry Miller in Queer As Folk
Sherry Miller in Queer As Folk

Like Hot Frosty co-star Dustin Milligan, Sherry will be a familiar face to Schitt’s Creek fans thanks to her two-episode stint as Bev in the hit Canadian comedy.

Prior to that, she was part of the US remake of Queer As Folk, playing Justin’s mother, Jennifer Taylor.

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Hit Podcast Host Becomes Third Celebrity Confirmed For Strictly’s Christmas Special

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Vogue Williams has become the third celebrity confirmed for this year’s Christmas special of Strictly Come Dancing.

The Irish presenter is perhaps best known as one of the co-hosts of the podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me, and previously fronted her own documentary series On The Edge.

She’s also competed on reality shows like Bear Grylls: Mission Survive, The Jump and Stepping Out (the short-lived ITV dance series, on which she competed with then-husband Brian McFadden).

She also competed on the Australian version of Strictly, Dancing With The Stars, back in 2012, and was the third person to be eliminated.

Vogue Williams
Vogue Williams

Vogue will compete with Carlos Gu in the festive special, which will air on BBC One on Christmas Day.

“I’m so excited to join the Strictly family! Carlos would have more of a chance of winning a Nobel prize than turning me into a good dancer but I am determined to try my very best!” she joked. “I’m loving it so far, bring on the ballroom floor.”

Earlier this week, comedian Josh Widdicombe became the first celebrity confirmed for the special, followed by Drag Race UK finalist Tayce.

Tayce will make history as the first drag artist to compete on the Strictly floor, where she’ll be paired with Kai Widdrington.

Next week, the remaining three celebrities who’ll be put through their paces on the Strictly Christmas special will be unveiled.

Before that, though, the regular series will be taking its annual trip to Blackpool, with a special episode broadcast live from the Blackpool Tower Ballroom.

Take a peek at what to expect below:

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RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Favourite Tayce Joins Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special

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Tayce is set to make history as the first drag performer to compete on Strictly Come Dancing.

On Tuesday evening, it was revealed that the RuPaul’s Drag Race UK finalist will be one of six celebrities taking part in Strictly’s annual Christmas special next month.

She’ll be performing in the one-off special alongside professional dancer Kai Widdrington.

Kai Widdrington
Kai Widdrington

via Associated Press

“I cannot wait to sleigh on the Strictly ballroom floor,” she enthused. “My partner and I are going to dance for our lives!”

Tayce added: “In all seriousness, it’s an incredible honour to be the first drag artist to be taking part in Strictly Come Dancing.

“I hope I do all of my Drag Race and Welsh fans proud! Sign me up for all the glitz, glam and disco balls.”

Tayce will be competing on Strictly's Christmas special next month
Tayce will be competing on Strictly’s Christmas special next month

The Welsh queen first rose to prominence on the second season of Drag Race UK back in 2021.

After winning fans’ hearts with her brilliant one-liners, amazing looks and iconic lip syncs to the likes of Memory, You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me and Last Thing On My Mind, Tayce wound up finishing as runner-up behind eventual winner Lawrence Chaney.

She and Lawrence also formed half of the girl group the United Kingdolls, alongside Bimini and A’Whora, who even managed to crack the UK singles chart with their musical offering UK Hun.

Tayce is the second star to be announced for this year’s Strictly Christmas special, following on from comedian Josh Widdicombe on Monday.

The other four celebrities on the line-up will be announced later this week.

Josh Widdicombe is taking part in this year's Strictly Christmas special
Josh Widdicombe is taking part in this year’s Strictly Christmas special

Traditionally, the Strictly Christmas episode features six new celebs competing in a one-off special for the Silver Star trophy.

However, two of the contestants on this year’s regular series of Strictly are former Christmas champions.

JLS singer JB Gill triumphed on Christmas Day back in 2012, while Jamie Borthwick’s festive win was a little more recent.

The EastEnders star came out on top during the 2023 Christmas special, during which he and Nancy Xu landed a perfect score for their Quickstep routine.

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20 Years After ‘Mean Girls,’ Jonathan Bennett Is Finding New Ways To Make Fans Swoon

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To a generation of viewers, Jonathan Bennett will forever be known as Aaron Samuels, the dreamy jock who won the heart of Lindsay Lohan’s character in the 2004 teen comedy classic “Mean Girls.”

The actor, who is gay, has more recently been finding creative ways to reflect his lived experience through his work. This fall, he’s one of the principal stars of Hallmark’s “The Groomsmen” trilogy, in which he portrays Danny, a gay athlete who supports his two straight friends (Tyler Hynes and B.J. Britt) as they prepare for their respective weddings ― while holding out hope for a fairy-tale ending of his own.

In the series’ second installment, “The Groomsmen: Second Chances,” Danny grapples with a “My Best Friend’s Wedding”-like conundrum when he’s asked to be the best man for a longtime pal, Zack (Alexander Lincoln), who is preparing to tie the knot in Greece. What Zack doesn’t know, however, is that Danny has been suppressing his own feelings for him.

From left: B.J. Britt, Jonathan Bennett and Tyler Hynes star in Hallmark's "The Groomsmen" trilogy.
From left: B.J. Britt, Jonathan Bennett and Tyler Hynes star in Hallmark’s “The Groomsmen” trilogy.

Elena Nenkova/Hallmark Media

“I got married two years ago [to television personality Jaymes Vaughan] and I had a bunch of my best friends as my groomsmen, and I’ve been in a bunch of my friends’ weddings as their groomsmen,” said Bennett, who is also a co-creator and co-producer on the trilogy. “Half my friends are straight, half my friends are gay, and we’ve always been a wolf pack.”

“Those friends are there for you when you need each other,” he continued. “But they also have an innate ability to call you out on your crap when you’re not being your best self. So I thought there was an interesting story that hasn’t been told of that male squad in the romantic comedy space.”

Bennett made his Hallmark debut in 2020 when he appeared in “The Christmas House,” the network’s first holiday-themed offering to include an LGBTQ+ storyline. Similarly, “Second Chances” is billed as Hallmark’s first to feature a gay wedding in a principal storyline.

Of course, Bennett knew he’d have to stay true to rom-com tradition by having the film end on a happy note for both Danny and Zack. But he and the rest of the creative team nonetheless looked for unexpected ways to subvert LGBTQ+ tropes.

In "The Groomsmen: Second Chances," Bennett's character (left) must work up the courage to admit his feelings for his longtime friend (Alexander Lincoln).
In “The Groomsmen: Second Chances,” Bennett’s character (left) must work up the courage to admit his feelings for his longtime friend (Alexander Lincoln).

Elena Nenkova/Hallmark Media

Given the scarcity of openly LGBTQ+ athletes in professional sports, Bennett felt he would “offer aspiration and hope” to fans by making Danny a Major League Baseball player.

“We want to make sure when we’re telling stories ― whether it’s a holiday story or a wedding story ― that there’s always a seat at the table for everyone,” he said.

With four years of Hallmark experience under his belt, Bennett is also thrilled to be mentoring would-be heartthrobs as the host of “Finding Mr. Christmas.” Airing Thursdays, the competition series finds 10 actors vying to be the leading man in an upcoming Hallmark Christmas movie, “Happy Howlidays,” starring Jessica Lowndes and due out Dec. 21.

“My dream for the show is for it to be like the early days of ‘American Idol,’ where everyone gathers around the TV together at the holidays, and everybody has their favorites that they’re rooting for,” Bennett said. As to what makes the ideal Hallmark holiday heartthrob, he noted: “They have a wit and a kindness to them. They have a whole lot of heart and charisma coming out of their ears. And, of course, they look good in a Christmas sweater.”

Watch a teaser for “Finding Mr. Christmas” below.

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With his television career once again in high gear, Bennett also got to fulfill a lifelong dream this year when he made his Broadway debut in the musical “Spamalot” as Sir Robin. Looking ahead to 2025, he’s eager for an opportunity to return to the stage or turn his attention behind the camera by directing his first feature film.

Meanwhile, he and Vaughan have emerged as queer role models in their own right, offering quirky and colorful glimpses of their journey as a married couple to over 1 million followers on social media.

Bennett has been pleasantly surprised by just how warmly his marriage has been embraced by legions of youngsters ― and their parents ― who may be coming to terms with their own sexuality or gender identity.

“Sharing my love for my husband unapologetically with the world has been one of the biggest honors of my life,” he said. “We don’t post pictures of us kissing because we want pictures of us kissing ― I’m not even a good kisser. We do it because we didn’t have a love that looked like ours to look up to. This way, our love can be seen by the people who need to see it.”

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