21 Celebrities Who Turned Down Strictly Come Dancing (And Their Reasons Why)

For a host of celebrities, the idea of learning a new skill, boosting your public profile and stepping out of your comfort zone is a huge draw when Strictly Come Dancing come calling.

However, not everyone finds the idea of the Strictly ballroom so irresistible.

Indeed, every year big names from the worlds of music, TV, sport and politics turn the BBC down flat. Here are 21 of those stars who gave Strictly the thumbs down, and their reasons for saying no…

Gyles Brandreth

David Levenson via Getty Images

The Celebrity Gogglebox star and Countdown regular has spoken candidly about turning down Strictly down on multiple occasions, revealing there’s one major thing holding him back from saying yes.

I ain’t got rhythm… I REALLY ain’t got rhythm,” he tweeted in August 2022.

Steph McGovern

Dave J Hogan via Getty Images

The daytime favourite told HuffPost UK in 2022 that she’d been approached about signing up for Strictly Come Dancing several times, but had never been able to make it work with her schedule.

“I love the show and so many of my mates have been on it and they’ve all loved it,” the Steph’s Packed Lunch host said. “If I do it, I want to totally commit to it and as things stand, it would be near on impossible. I would worry about my little girl and not seeing her for so long.

“It’s interesting because the very first time I was asked to do it was probably when I should have done it, but then I had a baby. I’ll always say never say never but I’d just want to give it my all if I ever do it.”

Piers Morgan

Dominic Lipinski via PA Wire/PA Images

The former Good Morning Britain host told The Sun in 2018 that he has no desire to “humiliate” himself on Strictly, despite the apparent vast amounts of money he claimed producers were willing to offer him.

“Dancing is not for me,” Piers explained. “They’ve offered me vast sums of money to go and humiliate myself on national TV.

“But I prefer to do it with a bottle of Jack Daniel’s in the privacy of my own home.”

Melanie C

JOCE/Bauer-Griffin via Getty Images

However, Sporty Spice has a rather different experience of being offered a spot on the Strictly dance floor to Piers.

She claimed in 2016 that a major factor for her turning down Strictly “every year” was the fact that the money they offer is, in her words, “shit”.

“I have had a meeting with them – they ask me every year to do it,” she told the Daily Star. “The problem is if you do Strictly it’s so high profile and you’ll find yourself in the [Daily Mail’s] sidebar of shame every day. And the money’s shit!”

Melanie later followed in the footsteps of bandmate Mel B by appearing on the US version of the show, Dancing With The Stars, in 2021, where she and partner Gleb Savchenko (ahhh, remember him?) finished in 11th place.

Patrick Stewart

Michael Kovac via Getty Images

In 2017, the Star Trek legend was guest hosting Have I Got News For You when he let slip that he was a Strictly fan, and had even considered signing up for it when the BBC made him an offer.

It’s a wonderful show, it’s delightful. I wanted to [do it] at the beginning,” he explained, before cryptically adding: “And then the tone, it changed somewhat, and I thought…. yeah, I’ll pass.”

Dawn French

David M. Benett via Getty Images

On their podcast Titting Around, the Vicar Of Dibley star told comedy partner Jennifer Saunders she’d only be up for taking part on Strictly on one condition.

“If I did it, I’d want to properly dance. I’d want to be taken seriously and you can’t. At this age, you’re not taken seriously,” she claimed.

“I want the nicest dresses, the most elegant other dancer and to take it seriously, and nobody would want that.”

Jennifer agreed: “We’re up for making people laugh. We’re not up to be laughed at, that’s the big difference.”

Dawn reiterated this point in 2022, telling Graham Norton on his talk show: “I might have been asked to do Strictly, but I fear I would be regarded as the funny one and made to do silly things.

“I take dancing seriously and I would like to do proper dancing.”

Alan Carr

Dave J Hogan via Getty Images

Meanwhile, fellow comic Alan Carr had a rather x-rated concern that led to him saying no to Strictly.

He revealed on his podcast Life’s A Beach: “I get asked about what I think about same-sex dancing and I say no… I say no because I’d get a lob on if I dance with Aljaž [Škorjanec] or Gorka [Marquez].

“If I get on a bus, the vibrations make me hard. So doing the Argentine tango, forget it – that’s a sexy dance.”

He did agree with Dawn in a previous interview with Radio Times, though, insisting: “They always ask me to do Strictly and I say no because I want to be sexy doing the Argentine tango; I don’t want to be a joke.”

Nadiya Hussain

MelMedia via Getty Images

Unlike fellow Bake Off winner John Whaite, Nadiya declined Strictly’s offer to learn to dance, as she simply loves the show too much.

“I got asked to do Strictly, but I said no,” she told The Guardian. “I love the idea, but have no rhythm and I enjoy watching it too much; once you see how a programme works from the inside, it changes how you see it. That’s why I can’t watch Bake Off like I used to.”

Mary Berry

Jeff Spicer via Getty Images

Nadiya’s pal, former Bake Off judge Mary, has also turned down multiple offers from Strictly.

“My husband and children would kill me!” she told Radio Times in 2016. “I have two left feet and would make a terrible fool of myself.”

Alan Titchmarsh

Samir Hussein via Getty Images

Gardening expert Alan said he prefers a cosy night in front of the box to being on it these days.

“I’ve been asked to go on both Strictly and I’m A Celebrity and you won’t see me on either,” he insisted in 2021.

“I’m very flattered to have been asked, but all things considered, I’d rather sit down and watch Doc Martin, which my children call ‘old fogey television’. I’m happy to be an old fogey.”

Maya Jama

David M. Benett via Getty Images

Back in 2018, the Love Island host revealed she declined the opportunity to appear on Strictly as she felt she’d be one of the lesser-known contestants.

“I don’t think now is the right time, maybe later in life,” she told Good Morning Britain.

Two years later, she told Hello! magazine: “I love a dance, so I wouldn’t say no forever.”

Greg James

David Levenson via Getty Images

During 2020’s “pandemic” series, several celebs who’d previously turned Strictly down because they were too busy found themselves with a freer schedule, and therefore signed up.

However, Greg was not one of them.

Although Strictly did make him an offer, the Radio 1 host said the previous 12 months had left him “too tired” to say yes.

Kate Humble

Kate Humble
Kate Humble

TV Times via Getty Images

Unlike many of the stars on this list, the Springwatch host got pretty far through the process of trying out for Strictly, only to change her mind when things started getting a little bit too real.

“My agent phoned me up to tell me Strictly wanted me to do the show,” she told The Mirror in 2017. “I hooted with laughter at the thought and then went back in to tell the Springwatch team what I had been asked to do. They looked at me and said ‘you have to do Strictly’. It started to make me wonder if I was being really stupid as it is such a great show.”

Kate continued: “When we got to the meeting, the more talk there was of sequins, make-up and It Takes Two, the more I could feel myself pouring with sweat… I was literally about to have a panic attack at the thought of wearing make-up and dresses! My agent realised and gently put her hand on my knee as if to say ‘it’s OK, don’t worry’.”

Matt Willis

Mike Lewis Photography via Getty Images

The Busted star told OK! magazine in 2021 that he’d rebuffed Strictly every time they came knocking due to the “pressure” of being on live TV.

“The idea of Strictly terrifies me,” he admitted. “I’ve been asked a few times and always said no. Can you imagine standing there and suddenly you hear: ‘Tonight, dancing the cha-cha-cha, it’s Matt Willis!’

“You know something like 12 million people are watching – no thanks.”

However, it doesn’t sound like Matt had much choice in the matter.

His wife Emma Willis claimed in 2016: “He’s an amazing dancer… but I don’t want him grinding against hot women. I do get jealous, but I think that’s normal.”

Noel Edmonds

Clive Mason via Getty Images

Meanwhile, it seems Noel also couldn’t shake the infamous Strictly “curse” from his mind when the BBC came knocking.

He previously claimed: “I have been asked to do Strictly. [Noel’s wife] is a fully-trained singer and dancer and a couple of years ago she said, ‘Why don’t we cheat? Why don’t we say you’re a novice and I’ll teach you before’.

“Then I think there was one of those curse moments and I said to her, ‘Are you comfortable with me spending five or six days a week with a half-naked woman draped all over me?’ And it’s funny how the conversation just changed.”

He added: “I would be a cross between Ann Widdecombe and John Sergeant. But in my head I’m Fred Astaire. I don’t know why, nothing works — it’s hopeless, so I’d never do it.”

Diane Abbott

SOPA Images via Getty Images

When fellow MP Jacqui Smith signed up for the show in 2020, Diane Abbott admitted she’d also been approached in the past, but wasn’t interested.

“You’ll be surprised to know I’m not someone with natural rhythm and I didn’t want it exposed to millions of television viewers,” the Labour MP commented at the time.

Louis Walsh

Anthony Devlin via Getty Images

Back in the days when X Factor and Strictly were still considered TV rivals, long-serving judge Louis admitted that there was a time he came close to jumping ship, during one of his and Simon Cowell’s numerous spats.

He told Heat magazine in 2007: “The funny thing was, the day before the call from The X Factor [asking him to return], I got a call to be a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing! I thought: ‘I’d love to do it, just to annoy Simon!’.”

Michelle Keegan

Neil Mockford via Getty Images

Undoubtedly one of the most-rumoured celebs in Strictly history, Michelle is named in the press as a potential contestant pretty much every single year, but has never actually made it into the ballroom yet.

I have [been asked] a few times,” she told Jonathan Ross in 2021. “But for me, it’s the live audience… it’s a skill. It takes a lot of dedication and skill.

“[Mark Wright, Michelle’s husband] did it, like, five years ago. It’s the music before it happens and the audience is really quiet and the lights come on. My heart was in my mouth for him. I couldn’t be on the dance floor, I’d be too scared, too nervous.”

Gordon Ramsay

NurPhoto via Getty Images

Although the TV chef’s daughter Tilly Ramsay made a big impression on Strictly in 2021, the man himself is less keen to take part, even refusing a one-off appearance in the Christmas special.

“I would love to do it, though,” he admitted. “Secretly, I’d love to do it. I’ve always wanted to dance.”

Noel Gallagher

Jim Dyson via Getty Images

This is a tough one to imagine, but the former Oasis star was contacted about taking part during what he described as his period of “not doing anything”.

“It was just when Oasis split up and I didn’t do anything for like a couple of years,” he recalled to BBC Radio 6. “There’s obviously someone there going ‘You know what. He’ll be up for it now. He’ll be desperate now’.

“My manager called me up, saying I don’t really want to, legally, I have to inform you of this. Are you aware of Strictly Come Dancing?’. ‘Eeeeeeee, the phone goes’.”

Meghan Markle

Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty Images

OK, we’d probably take this one with a pinch of salt, but it was too good not to include anyway.

In Tom Bower’s book Revenge: Meghan, Harry And The War Between The Windsors, the author claimed that the future Duchess of Sussex first travelled to the UK in 2013, where she apparently set up an audition for Strictly.

Unfortunately, she was still acting in Suits at the time, and her schedule – which required her to be in the US for nine months out of the year – meant she had to “reluctantly” decline.

Strictly Come Dancing returns for its landmark 20th series in September.

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Heartstopper: 24 Behind-The-Scenes Secrets From The Set

In the year and a bit since Heartstopper launched on Netflix, it has not only become one of the streaming service’s most popular shows, but it’s made overnight stars out of its previously unknown cast.

But if you’re wondering what it took to bring the LGBTQ+ coming-of-age drama – which recently returned for its second series – to our screens, we’ve done some digging to find out the secrets from behind the scenes…

1. Creator Alice Oseman said casting the show was a “really stressful process”

The cast of Heartstopper
The cast of Heartstopper

Because she wanted to ensure the show was cast authentically to celebrate “all kinds of different queer experiences”, getting the right people to play Charlie, Nick and the other characters took its time.

“We wanted a trans actor to play Elle, we wanted the actors to be around the right age and obviously, there needs to be talented actors as well,” she told the PA news agency.

“So there were a lot of different factors, which made it a really stressful process, particularly trying to find authentic actors.

“If we didn’t find the people we knew the show just wouldn’t work. But we were determined to do it anyway. And we were lucky. We found the perfect people.”

2. Joe Locke had never acted professionally before Heartstopper

Joe Locke as Charlie in Heartstopper
Joe Locke as Charlie in Heartstopper

Netflix/Rob Youngson

Joe was cast as Charlie in the show after responding to an open casting call, to which 10,000 auditioned.

“You didn’t need an agent, you just sent in a self-tape,” he told This Morning. “I ended up getting the part and it was just all my dreams come true.”

3. However, he had no-one to celebrate his huge career news with due to Covid

He explained: “I was on my own in my house on the Isle of Man and it was during Covid last year. So I had to fly to London for an audition and then fly home and isolate on my own for two weeks in my house.

“So I was on my own and my agent phoned me and told me I’d got the job and it was just me and my dog in the house. I screamed very loudly.”

4. Kit Connor originally tried out for the role of Charlie

Kit Connor as Nick in Heartstopper
Kit Connor as Nick in Heartstopper

Netflix/Rob Youngson

While Kit said he knew he didn’t fit Charlie’s physical description, he wanted to go for the role because he loved it so much.

He told Radio Times: “The audition tape they sent through was one of Charlie’s speeches where he’s really just at his most genuine, most stripped back point and it’s really beautifully written, and I thought, ‘I really want to do this.’

“I thought, ‘There’s no chance I’m going to get it,’ because physically there’s nothing about me that could fit this character. But then luckily there was Nick that I could sort of slot into quite well.”

5. Kit’s casting as Nick initially caused some confusion among the make-up team

Speaking to Still Watching Netflix, Kit explained: “I’ve always had a baby face, a really bad baby face. When we got cast, they had my picture from when I was about 14/15 in the make-up room. Apparently, the whole make-up team was like, ‘I don’t think you cast the right person? He’s really young.’”

6. Stonewall were brought on board to support cast and crew

Netflix brought LGBTQ+ rights charity Stonewall on board to help advise and educate everyone involved in the project on topics such as queer history and pronouns, Yasmin Finney, who plays Elle, told Elle magazine.

“I already knew Heartstopper would be queer positive and celebrate chosen family, but I was so grateful of Stonewall’s involvement,” she added.

Yasmin Finney as Elle in Heartstopper
Yasmin Finney as Elle in Heartstopper

Jeffrey Ingold, the show’s LGBTQ+ consultant, said in a behind-the-scenes video interview for Netflix: “We can help give a more authentic view of the context in which the show is happening, so it doesn’t feel like a drama that is happening over here, it is based in the reality of what kids are going through.

“We did a lot of conversation and training around what is happening in schools these days, so particularly for the cast, they could take that into the roles, and for the crew, they could also understand why this show matters and what it’s going to mean to the audience who watch it.”

Executive producer Patrick Walters added that Stonewall helped read through scripts and trained everyone on appropriate language and how to cultivate a safe space.

7. The director wanted as many people behind the cameras to be from the LGBTQ+ community too

In a behind-the-scenes video interview for Netflix, director Euros Lyn said: “You tell a story as a director, you are not by yourself, you’re really on a huge team of designers, photographers, make-up, hair – loads of people. And I wanted as many of those people as possible to be from the LGBTQ+ communities, so they could bring their experiences and identify the bits of the story that can only be from an LGBTQ perspective.”

8. The show is “a little bit different” to the comic

“I like to think of it in that the TV show is an expanded version of the comic,” Alice Oseman told Netflix in a video interview.

“The core story of the comic is very much in the show, we haven’t changed what is in the comic, we’ve just made the story bigger and we’ve made the world wider. Beyond Nick and Charlie’s story, we learn a lot more about Tao and Elle, Tara and Darcey and there are also new characters as well.”

Alice Oseman (centre) with the Heartstopper cast
Alice Oseman (centre) with the Heartstopper cast

She continued: “The thing I’ve learned about adaptations is that something that works for one thing like a comic might not work for a TV show. So when developing Heartstopper as a TV show, we had to look at it from a TV perspective and how do we take this story and make it work on screen.”

9. Alice only tried to get Olivia Colman on a punt and was “shocked” when she said yes

Talking about casting the Oscar-winner as Nick’s mum, she told the PA news agency: “I was shocked. When we were discussing trying to get a big name to be Nick’s mum, I was literally like, there’s no way this is going to happen.

“This is the silliest idea ever and there’s literally not any point doing this. But we tried anyway and Olivia wanted to do it, and I just couldn’t believe it.

“There’s really no other way to say it, I was just shocked but so, so happy, because she’s such an incredible actress, she brings so much to that character, and all the scenes with Nick’s mum just feel so special and subtle and just really beautiful performance.”

10. Olivia shot all her scenes in series one in just two days

Olivia Colman played Nick's mum
Olivia Colman played Nick’s mum

Netflix/Rob Youngson

“She seemed to really enjoy it,” Alice told PA. “She was only on set for two days and to be honest, I didn’t really get to talk to her very much because we’re on set and it’s very intense.

“But I feel like she really loved the story and she really connected with Kit, who plays Nick, and just really enjoyed working with him.”

11. Olivia cried for real during filming of the show’s most emotional scene

Nick came out to his mum as bisexual in the final episode
Nick came out to his mum as bisexual in the final episode

While reading through the touching moment in which Nick comes out to his mother as bisexual, Olivia became tearful for real, which initially proved to be a bit of a worry for Kit.

He told This Morning: “Normally before every scene we read it through about 50%, you don’t go 100% of the way. We were reading it through and suddenly Olivia just started crying.

“At first, I was thinking, ’God, she’s just really good, I need to step up my game massively here,′ so I was really worried at that point. I think then other people told me afterwards that it was because it’s such a beautifully written scene and a crucial part in so many people’s lives. I think it really touched her.

“I was just scared to be honest,” he joked, describing her as “the most absolutely lovely person in the world”.

12. Joe missed out on seeing Les Miserables so he could meet Olivia

As Joe did not share any scenes with Olivia on the show, he was keen to meet the star, and gave up tickets to the West End production of Les Miserables so he could travel back to set on his day off and meet her.

Kit explained to Still Watching Netflix: “I had two days filming with Olivia. It was originally meant to be Olivia and I filming for two days, and on the second day, I think Joe was like, ‘I would like to meet her, obviously’, so they ended up scheduling some time…”

“That’s not what happened!” Joe contested. “I wasn’t supposed to meet her and then I got a call on the second day saying that we might have to do some pick-ups and reshoots of just before the rain scene in the hallway, so you’ll get to meet Olivia.’ So I was like, if that gets to happen, amazing. And then they called me at like 3pm, asking if I could come in.’

13. She is not the only A-lister in the show, however

Stephen Fry also has an unexpected role in the show – not that you will have seen him.

Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry

David M. Benett via Getty Images

The actor lends his voice to the character of Headmaster Barnes, who runs Truham Grammar School where Nick and Charlie go, and can be heard commentating over the tannoy on the school sports day.

14. Joe had an embarrassing moment filming Charlie’s running scenes

He told Attitude magazine: “I had to ask the extras to slow down because I was supposed to be this incredible runner and every take, they were just slowly getting closer to me. I was like, ‘Can you guys just like slow down a bit?’, which was very embarrassing.”

15. Joe’s coffee breath was a known thing on set

Kit revealed he would often make light of Joe’s love of coffee after filming a kissing scene.

“He had this joke that my breath always smelt of coffee,” Joe told Still Watching Netflix.

“Joe loves coffee and there was this one time where we had to do a practice kiss for a scene and Joe had just had a full cup of coffee and I was just like, this is not nice,” Kit recalled.

“I felt that I was a victim in that situation,” he joked.

16. Kit had a rugby coach to help him perfect Nick’s sporting prowess

Nick was on the rugby team
Nick was on the rugby team

Kit had only played rugby as a young child before being cast as star rugby player Nick.

Speaking to Still Watching Netflix, Kit explained that he worked on his game with a coach before and during filming to help him improve.

17. Joe was less keen on training, however

Joe did go along with Kit for one rugby training session, but “not any more after that”.

“I think he quickly decided that wasn’t for him,” Kit said.

“I didn’t own any sports clothes, so I arrived in loose jeans… It wasn’t rugby,” Joe said.

“I made the executive decision that Charlie wasn’t supposed to be good at rugby, therefore I was allowed to be bad.”

18. Harry’s birthday party had to be shot during the day

Darcey and Tara at Harry's party
Darcey and Tara at Harry’s party

Netflix/ROB YOUNGSON

In the season one episode where school bully Harry throws a birthday party, scenes were shot at Hampton Court House, a school in East Molesey.

However, while the party was set at night, it had to be filmed during the day, which the crew had to work around.

Cinematographer Diana Olifirova told IBC: “I loved the windows and had planned to shoot a moonlight effect through them. But we didn’t have access to the location at night. That meant we had to black out the windows, but we lit it to appear as if there were some light outside.

“The biggest challenge in a room full of people was having the camera pick out our main characters. This involved a little planning about where the camera would be so that the actors would hit a mark and we’d have a pre-set light trained on them.”

19. The animations honour Alice Oseman’s original graphic novels

Animations were a frequent device used on the show
Animations were a frequent device used on the show

Netflix/Rob Youngson

If you didn’t know that Heartstopper was based on graphic novels of the same name, you probably would have wondered where all the animated moments in the show came from.

All the leaves, lightening bolts and other little animated details all honour Alice Oseman’s original text, which executive producer Patrick Walters told Pink News became known as “Heartstopper moments” to the crew.

“Hopefully it gives you goosebumps and makes you lean in when those moments happen,” he said.

20. Alice has a cameo in series one

The writer and creator made a blink-and-you’ll miss it appearance in episode eight of season one, seen as a passenger on the train that Charlie and Nick travel to the seaside on.

She revealed on Twitter that she was even drawing the comic versions of the characters from her graphic novels during the scene.

21. She had never been on a TV set prior to filming Heartstopper

Alice said she “honestly didn’t know anything about TV making before” adapting Heartstopper. “I have never been on a TV set before,” she said in a Netflix video interview.

However, she said she was on set “every day” during the shoot, overseeing everything that was happening.

“I have learned so much about what everyone on set does, all the different roles that there are, and it really is a team effort,” she added.

22. There’s a reason why the show doesn’t touch on more adult themes

Executive producer Patrick Walters told Pink News: “We decided we wanted the show to speak to as many different ages as possible, so we were deliberate about not having too many swear words, too many overtly adult situations, because that stuff didn’t fit the tone of the show anyway. But also in not having that, we were opening up the show for more people to see it.

“I really hope the younger generation, 11, 12, 13, will watch the show and get something out of it.”

23. Season two contains a Marvel Easter Egg you probably didn’t spot

There’s an Easter Egg in season two’s second episode that makes reference to Joe Locke’s casting in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ahead of his appearance in Disney+ series Agatha: Coven of Chaos.

After nodding off on Nick’s chest, Charlie says: “Did I fall asleep?”

Nick then replies: “Are you tired or is this movie just really boring?”

“I did warn you I’m not a fan of Marvel movies,” Charlie says.

24. Joe has a dream cameo so great that we need it to happen immediately

Jennifer Coolidge
Jennifer Coolidge

RB/Bauer-Griffin via Getty Images

In an interview with Variety, Joe previously shared his casting hopes for one particularly inspired guest star.

“Jennifer Coolidge should play my grandmother,” he said. “That would be so cool. I love her. She’s amazing.”

Heartstopper is available to stream on Netflix now.

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The Great British Bake Off Is Back This Autumn – Here’s What We Know So Far

Yes, it’s technically summertime, but the weather has been feeling distinctly autumnal of late, meaning that our thoughts have started turning towards the next season’s TV schedule.

September means the return of many of our favourite reality shows, from Strictly Come Dancing to the brand new season of The Great British Bake Off.

This time around, there’s been a slight shake up in the Bake Off tent, with a brand new presenter on board following Matt Lucas’ departure at the end of last year.

Here’s what we know so far about season 14 of the Bake Off…

Who will be hosting the new season?

After a stint in the Bake Off tent during the third season of the show’s celebrity spin-off for Stand Up To Cancer, Alison Hammond will be joining Noel Fielding as a GBBO host.

She’ll be taking over from Matt Lucas, who announced he’d be leaving the show back in December in order to focus on other ventures, including writing a new project with his Little Britain co-creator David Walliams.

Alison’s new gig was confirmed earlier this year, when she shared a short video on Instagram, showing her and her new colleagues in cake form. “It’s official!!” she wrote in the caption, adding: “Let’s have it – the cake that is.”

“Alison is much loved, effortlessly funny and the owner of the best laugh in Britain,” Channel 4’s Chief Content Officer Ian Katz said when the news was announced. “She was a huge hit when she appeared on Celebrity Bake Off and we’re thrilled to have her back in the tent.”

We’ve already seen Alison bring the laughs to This Morning (remember when she even managed to make notorious grump Harrison Ford get the giggles?), so we can’t wait to see what she makes of her new role.

Alison Hammond is Bake Off's new co-host
Alison Hammond is Bake Off’s new co-host

Channel 4/Love Productions

And who will be judging?

Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith will be back on the show, providing their expert opinion on the contestants’ bakes and making tough decisions about which amateur baker to eliminate from the competition each week.

It’s Prue’s seventh season on the show, after replacing Mary Berry when the Bake Off jumped ships from the BBC to Channel 4; Paul, meanwhile, has appeared in every season to date.

When will The Great British Bake Off 2023 be on TV?

Channel 4 are yet to confirm an exact start date for the show, but we can certainly make an educated guess based on previous years.

The Bake Off tends to be filmed over the summer, and each 10 episode season usually begins in the middle of September, typically airing on a Tuesday evening. The final then takes place towards the end of November.

As well as watching on the night on Channel 4 (to avoid spoilers, of course) you’ll also be able to catch up on the broadcaster’s streaming site; plus, each series usually airs on Netflix in the US (where it’s known as The Great British Baking Show).

Who will be taking part?

Details of this year’s contestants are under wraps for now, but each season typically features a line-up of 12 skilled bakers of all ages, with different specialisms in the kitchen. Channel 4 tends to release information about new GBBO hopefuls at the start of September, a couple of weeks before the first episode, so keep your eyes peeled.

Is there a trailer for The Great British Bake Off 2023?

Not yet, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated as soon as the first teaser clip drops.

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This Is When Your Favourite ITV Daytime Shows Are On This Week

With ITV1 splitting TV coverage of the Women’s World Cup with the BBC, there’s set to be disruption to regular programming in the coming weeks.

The tournament is currently underway in Australia and New Zealand, meaning that many games are taking place in the morning hours for sports fans in the UK.

As a result, ITV1′s regular daytime staples Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women will either be off air completely or have adjusted timeslots.

So, if you’re flicking on the telly disappointed not to see Susanna Reid, Lorraine Kelly, Alison Hammond and co on your screens, here’s the full schedule for ITV1 daytime this week…

Monday 24 July

Daytime shows on ITV1:

No Good Morning Britain

No Lorraine

No This Morning

No Loose Women

Football on ITV1:

Italy vs. Argentina (kick off 7am)

Germany vs. Morocco (kick off 9.30am)

Brazil vs. Panama (kick off 12pm)

Tuesday 25 July

Daytime shows on ITV1:

No Good Morning Britain

No Lorraine

This Morning (11.15am)

Loose Women (12.30pm)

Football on ITV1:

New Zealand vs. Philippines (kick off 6.30am)

Switzerland vs. Norway (kick off 9am)

Wednesday 26 July

Daytime shows on ITV1:

No Good Morning Britain

Lorraine (9am)

This Morning (10am – 12.30pm)

No Loose Women

Football on ITV1:

Japan vs. Costa Rica (kick off 6am)

Canada vs. Ireland (kick off 1pm)

Thursday 27 July

Daytime shows on ITV1:

Good Morning Britain (6am – 8am)

No Lorraine

This Morning (10.45am)

Loose Women (12.30pm)

Football on ITV1:

Portugal vs. Vietnam (kick off 8.30am)

Friday 28 July

Daytime shows on ITV1:

Good Morning Britain (6am)

Lorraine (9am)

This Morning (10am – 11.30am)

No Loose Women

Football on ITV1:

China vs. Haiti (kick off 12pm)

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Anna Richardson Names The Stars Who Told Her They’d Be Up For Celebrity Naked Attraction

Naked Attraction presenter Anna Richardson has revealed a number of celebrities have told her they’d be up for appearing on a star-studded version of the outrageous dating show.

“I’ve bumped into a couple of celebs recently who’ve gone ‘I’d do it!’,” Anna told OK! magazine, naming Blue singer Duncan James as one of them.

She continued: “Duncan James was like, ‘I’m up for it!’, and I was like ‘oh my god!’.

“And the lovely Anna Whitehouse, who does the Dirty Mother Pukka podcast, said to me a couple of weeks ago that she’d do it.”

News presenter India Willoughby previously claimed she’d been approached about appearing on a celebrity special of Naked Attraction in aid of Stand Up To Cancer.

Meanwhile, reality star Lauren Harries took part in an episode of Naked Attraction back in 2019.

Anna has also teased that she still has one other “big dream” when it comes to Naked Attraction, which she’s hosted since it launched in 2016.

“I’d like to do it as a theatre show,” she explained. “I just think there’s a few things that we could do now to move it on and Naked Attraction Mark 2. But we’ll see…”

Earlier this week, Channel 4 was forced to set the record straight after reports in the press claimed that the divisive dating show could be facing the axe amid budget cuts at the station.

Naked Attraction will return for a new series in 2024.

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The Idol Is Already Shaping Up To Be 2023’s Most Controversial TV Show – This Is Why

HBO’s music industry drama The Idol is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about TV shows of the year – just probably not for the reasons producers were hoping for.

The controversial series stars Lily-Rose Depp as Jocelyn, a young pop star making her way back into the spotlight after a very public breakdown.

When she meets Tedros – a shady manager-producer-cult leader type played by The Weeknd (who uses his real name, Abel Tesfaye, for the show), her comeback plans become seriously derailed.

The opening episodes of the series premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last month, with the first debuting here in the UK earlier this week.

After its Cannes premiere, the show garnered some seriously mixed reviews, with many critics highlighting the show’s sex scenes and graphic drug use.

But it’s not just the plot that has polarised viewers – the furore around The Idol goes much further back…

Production delays

When The Idol was first announced back in June 2021, it seemed to have all the makings of another HBO must-watch, thanks to the buzzy names attached to the series.

The Weeknd was revealed to be collaborating with his creative partner Reza Fahim and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson to produce a drama exploring the darker side of the music industry, with Lily-Rose on board as its lead and the Can’t Feel My Face singer himself starring opposite her.

Jocelyn and Tedros dance together in the first episode of The Idol
Jocelyn and Tedros dance together in the first episode of The Idol

The following year, in April 2022, it was announced the drama’s original director, Amy Seimetz, would be leaving the project, after much of the show had already been shot.

HBO confirmed the news in a statement, explaining that The Idol’s creative team had “aligned on a new creative direction” and that the production would be “adjusting its cast and crew accordingly to best serve this new approach”, with Levinson stepping in to serve as director as well as a co-producer.

A report from Deadline claimed that The Weeknd had been “unhappy” with the direction the show had taken, believing it to be focusing on the “female perspective” too much, prioritising Lily-Rose’s character.

He later refuted this in an interview with Vanity Fair, dismissing suggestions he “wanted to be the star” and insisting that the show’s story is still very much told from Jocelyn’s perspective.

The Rolling Stone bombshell

In March 2023, the controversy stepped up a gear when Rolling Stone published a bombshell report, claiming that the show had gone “wildly, disgustingly off the rails”.

After speaking to 13 sources involved in production on The Idol, the magazine alleged that Levinson had scrapped most of the initial version of the show, resulting in extensive reshoots. One source even went as far as claiming that, under the Euphoria director, the tone of the show had shifted into “sexual torture porn”.

Production was beset by extensive rewrites and delays, Rolling Stone claimed, with some crew members especially critical of Levinson.

The Weeknd plays Tedros in The Idol
The Weeknd plays Tedros in The Idol

The cast responds

Addressing the report, Lily-Rose released a statement in March standing by Levinson, describing him as “the best director I have ever worked with”.

“Never have I felt more supported or respected in a creative space, my input and opinions more valued,” she added. “Working with Sam is a true collaboration in every way – it matters to him, more than anything, not only what his actors think about the work, but how we feel performing it.”

HBO, meanwhile, said that “the initial approach on the show and production of the early episodes, unfortunately, did not meet HBO standards”, and stressed that The Idol’s team had been “committed to creating a safe, collaborative, and mutually respectful working environment”.

When The Weeknd waded into the controversy, though, his response arguably fanned the flames further, sharing a clip from the series on Twitter in which some of the characters call Rolling Stone’s relevancy into question.

The mixed reviews

When the show finally premiered at Cannes last month, it received a five-minute standing ovation. That might sound like a decent reception, but in Cannes terms, it’s actually pretty much the standard.

As the first reviews rolled in from the festival, the series initially received an unenviable 9% on Rotten Tomatoes, although this has since risen to 27% as more critics have published their own takes.

Variety said that the show plays out “like a sordid male fantasy”, while The Hollywood Reporter wondered “if in trying so hard to be transgressive, the show ultimately becomes regressive”.

Abel Tesfaye and Lily-Rose Depp pose together on the set of The Idol
Abel Tesfaye and Lily-Rose Depp pose together on the set of The Idol

In a one-star review, The Telegraph branded the series “a new low for HBO”, claiming that any attempts to skewer the music industry fall flat. “If there was ever any satirical or cautionary element in this story of a young woman being chewed up by the game machine, it’s nowhere to be seen,” critic Robbie Collin wrote.

Some reviewers did single out Lily-Rose’s performance as a highlight, though, with Deadline describing her work as “riveting”.

The explicit content

Just one episode in and the show’s explicit scenes have already generated plenty of discussion online, with many critics branding some of the on-screen nudity gratuitous.

One storyline in the opening instalment sees Jocelyn deciding she wants to appear topless in a photo-shoot, with her manager (played by Hank Azaria) going as far as locking the set’s intimacy coordinator in the bathroom so that she can do so.

Lily-Rose Depp in the opening scene of The Idol
Lily-Rose Depp in the opening scene of The Idol

Elsewhere in the episode, Jocelyn becomes the victim of revenge porn, with one scene involving photos of certain body fluids on the character’s face.

And if this didn’t already sound like A Lot, the season premiere also features a masturbation scene involving ice cubes, not to mention numerous scenes depicting drug use.

With five more episodes to go, it seems like the controversy around the show won’t be disappearing any time soon. Brace yourselves for more feverish debate (and if you want to watch it for yourself, you can watch weekly instalments on Sky Atlantic and Now, dropping on Mondays).

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Jennifer Coolidge Reveals How She Almost Missed Out On Her Career-Changing White Lotus Role

Jennifer Coolidge has revealed she came close to turning down her award-winning role in The White Lotus.

The Legally Blonde star made her first appearance as the rich, needy, and self-absorbed Tanya McQuoid in the acclaimed comedy drama in its first season back in 2021.

Tanya quickly became a fan-favouriteand returned for the show’s second season with some unforgettable lines, including the forever-memed quote: “These gays, they’re trying to murder me.”

But in a new interview, Jennifer has admitted that she almost didn’t accept the part.

Speaking to British GQ about how she felt after landing the role, Jennifer admitted: “I was, like, not in the mood.”

“I was depressed,” she added. “I was very depressed.”

Luckily, Jennifer had a change of heart and committed to the show.

Her efforts were subsequently rewarded as she picked up an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Tanya, putting her career in a completely new direction.

Jennifer Coolidge with her two SAG Awards
Jennifer Coolidge with her two SAG Awards

FREDERIC J. BROWN via Getty Images

The White Lotus is a satirical anthology series created by former School Of Rock star Mike White, with each season set in a different branch of a luxury hotel resort chain.

The second series arrived in November 2022 and, set in Sicily, Italy, followed the demise and eventual death of Jennifer’s character.

Divulging what she had hoped the most recent season would have in store for her, Jennifer added to the publication: “I had encouraged Mike to tell an Italian story, I said I would love to be in Italy or something, riding around on a Vespa with all these men reaching out and trying to light my cigarette.

“That’s my fantasy. But then I guess that suggestion got me killed.”

It was announced last year that The White Lotus would be returning for a third series, with reports claiming that it will be set in Thailand.

In April, it was confirmed that Natasha Rothwell – who played Belinda Lindsey on the first season – will be reprising her role.

Seasons one and two of The White Lotus are streaming on NOW in the UK.

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43 Memorable Love Island Moments That Got Everyone Talking

Since its debut in 2015, Love Island has delivered as many (if not more) nuggets of telly gold than shows that have been knocking about for twice as long.

With a new series upon us, here’s a look back at just some of those moments that had everyone talking…

1. *That* Brexit discussion – series 4

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The worlds of politics and reality TV had a rare collision when the female Islanders attempted to discuss the UK’s exit from the EU back in 2018.

Hayley didn’t really seem to understand what everyone was on about, though, asking of Brexit: “What’s that?”

After someone tried to explain, she then questioned: “So does that mean we won’t have any trees?”

Priceless.

2. Camilla schools Jonny on feminism – series 3

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