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It says a lot that Katya Jones winning Strictly Come Dancing in 2017 is arguably the least interesting thing to happen to her since joining the show. Along the way, the Russian dancer has faced scandals, divorce and arguments with her partners, while honing a skill for polishing untrained celebrities into dance diamonds. Where certain pros who may now sit on the judging panel would get lumped with a “joke” contestant like, off the top of my head, Ann Widdecombe, and accept that stereotype, giving them unchallenging choreography and even, say, dragging them around the floor, Jones never does. For her, there are no “joke” contestants. Not Ed Balls. Not Tony Adams.

On day one of her first season in 2017, the pro was dropped in at the deep end. Partnered with Balls, a former shadow chancellor famous for, among other things, tweeting the words “Ed Balls” with no explanation, she chose to swim.

On September 23, the celebrity dance competition series “Strictly Come Dancing” launched series 20 on BBC One. This milestone iteration features a cast of 15 famous folks competing for the coveted mirror ball trophy by performing various ballroom and Latin dance routines with professional partners. Check out our gallery below to meet the “Strictly Come Dancing” cast for series 20.

Tess Daly and Craig Revel Horwood, who have respectively hosted and judged “Strictly” since its first season, are set to return to their posts. Daly will be joined by co-host Claudia Winkleman for the 13th consecutive year. The entire judging panel will also match last year’s, with Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton du Beke having signed on for their respective sixth, fourth, and second seasons.

In May, it was confirmed that mainstay judge Bruno Tonioli’s time on the show had come to a permanent end. He last sat on the panel...

On September 23, the celebrity dance competition series “Strictly Come Dancing” launched series 20 on BBC One. This milestone iteration will feature a cast of 15 famous folks competing for the coveted mirror ball trophy by performing various ballroom and Latin dance routines with professional partners. Check out our gallery below to meet the “Strictly Come Dancing” cast for series 20 championship.

Tess Daly and Craig Revel Horwood, who have respectively hosted and judged “Strictly” since its first season, are set to return to their posts. Daly will be joined by co-host Claudia Winkleman for the 13th consecutive year. The entire judging panel will also match last year’s, with Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton du Beke having signed on for their respective sixth, fourth, and second seasons.

In May, it was confirmed that mainstay judge Bruno Tonioli’s time on the show had come to a permanent end. He last sat on...

Among new members are Maren Ade, Hugh Grant and Hayley Squires.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) has revealed its 2018 intake of new members drawn from the film, TV and games industry.

Among the 386 new members are actors Hugh Grant, Willem Dafoe and Hayley Squires, directors Maren Ade (Toni Erdmann), Daniel Kokotajlo (Apostasy) and Michael Pearce (Beast), film execs Shana Eddy-Grouf (Studiocanal) and Katie Goodson-Thomas (Fox Searchlight), and La La Land producers Jordan Horowitz and Fred Berger.

Former UK and Ireland Screen Stars of Tomorrow in the new intake include producer Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly and actor Jessie Barden.

Hugh Grant, Jodie Whittaker and Letitia Wright are among 386 new BAFTA members. The 2018 intake span the film, games and TV industries across eleven countries. Scroll down for the full list of new members.

Among new members are BAFTA-winner Grant, Doctor Who star Whittaker, BAFTA-nominee Willem Dafoe, Black Panther star Letitia Wright, La La Land producers Jordan Horowitz and Fred Berger, Mad Max: Fury Road costume designer Jenny Beavan, Toni Erdmann director Maren Ade, and UK broadcasters Sandi Toksvig and Simon Mayo.

BAFTA comprises around 8,000 members worldwide. The UK org tweaked its membership requirements in 2016 in a bid to improve diversity of intake.

Amanda Berry, Chief Executive of BAFTA, said, “We’re delighted to welcome our new members to BAFTA. Our members represent the breadth of the ever-evolving film, games and television industries. They sit at the heart of everything BAFTA does, from mentoring emerging talent, voting in the Awards, sharing...

Yesterday evening we were on the red carpet for the 2018 Olivier Awards, held at the Royal Albert Hall.

Attending the awards were host Catherine Tate, Alfred Molina, Jez Butterworth, Mel Giedroyc, Sergie Polunin, Marcelino Sambe, Meera Syal, John Hodgkinson, Ophelia Lovibond, Imogen Poots, Anne-Marie Duff, Georgina Campbell, Indira Varma, Paddy Considine, Bryan Cranston, Andrew Scott, Pearl Mackie, Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton, Sam Mendes, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Joe McFadden, Christopher Wheeldon, Ronan Keating, Cuba Gooding Jnr, Shirley Henderson, Ciaran Hinds, Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Juliet Stevenson, and Micheal Sheen.

Cassam Looch and Colin Hart were on the carpet to interview those attending, here’s how they got on.

The 2018 Olivier Awards Red Carpet Interviews

The post The 2018 Olivier Awards Red Carpet Interviews: Imelda Staunton, Alfred Molina & more appeared first on HeyUGuys.

Former Heartbeat star Joe McFadden has campaigned for more money to be spent on television drama. The actor told The Sun that viewers had become tired of reality shows such as Big Brother. "Reality TV is so disposable," he argued. "People want to watch drama more. There has to be a place for both, but we are not making as many of these great dramas now." (more)...

Casualty producers have announced that fans will be able to watch a special webisode on the show's website later this month. The one-off instalment will focus on the programme's new homeless character Alistair (Joe McFadden) and his friendship with paramedic Polly Emmerson (Sophia di Martino). In Casualty's regular October 31 episode, viewers will see Polly making the surprise decision to call the police about Alistair. Once the TV broadcast concludes, fans will then be invited to follow the storyline online as the mysterious figure continues to struggle with life on the streets and discovers that Polly has turned against him. Discussing the project, McFadden commented: "It was really interesting to shoot in a very different way and great fun to explore my character in a bit more depth and show a gritty side of Casualty that (more)...

Heartbeat actor Joe McFadden has joined the cast of Casualty, it has been revealed. The 33-year-old, who plays Aidensfield policeman Joe Mason, is to take on the role of a mysterious character called Alistair who quickly befriends paramedic Polly Emmerson (Sophia di Martino). Speaking on yesterday's Paul O'Grady Show, he said: "I play a very dodgy guy, quite damaged from living on the streets, who is not as nice as he first seems." At the beginning of the year, ITV axed Heartbeat and its spinoff The Royal, having stockpiled a sufficient number of episodes to see transmission through to 2010. Filming for the final episode of Heartbeat took place last week. Speaking of the show's axe, McFadden said: "It's sad, you know. (more)...

The cast and crew of ITV1's 1960s police drama Heartbeat are currently filming an episode for the next series on location in Australia. Production of the Aussie special began on Monday and is expected to continue for two weeks. Regulars Joe McFadden, Clare Wille and Lisa Kay - who play PC Joe Mason, DS Rachel Dawson and Nurse Carol Cassidy respectively - are currently filming on the Gold Coast and hope that a spinoff could be in the pipeline. McFadden told news.com.au: "We were over in a really interesting place last week near Casino which hadn't changed much since the 1960s. Filming is going so well there is talk at the moment of perhaps doing a spinoff." He added: "I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I might be involved." Meanwhile, ex-Neighbours star Blair McDonough (more)...