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Sphere Media, a Canadian TV and film producer, has secured the rights to Dancing With Diana: A Memoir by Scottish/Canadian dancer Anne Allan, who was Princess Diana‘s top secret dance teacher and co-choreographed a legendary Uptown Girl routine at Covent Garden for her. And Glasgow-based Two Rivers Media and Sphere have struck their first co-production deal to make a 90-minute feature documentary based on the memoir, published last year, they said on Wednesday.

Sphere Abacus will distribute the documentary globally.

“The documentary will chronicle the nine-year period from early 1981 when Allan served as Princess Diana’s private — and top secret — dance teacher,” according to a description of the project. “Over hundreds of weekly one-hour lessons at a private dance studio, teacher and pupil forged a close friendship as Diana negotiated stratospheric fame, the joy of motherhood, her crumbling marriage and her struggle with bulimia. In her role as confidante as well as teacher,...

The Crown once came under fire for making things up about the British royal family. In 2022, not long after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, there were calls for the show to add a disclaimer stating that it was not historically accurate. Politicians and celebrities alike slammed the show for its portrayal of events such as the death of Princess Diana.

Indeed, there were many things in the show that were made up. But there were also plenty of scenes that seemed unbelievable yet really happened. All sorts of strange things really took place behind the locked palace doors.

Prince Philip Was Even More Prone to Racism Than The Crown Presents

In the early seasons of The Crown, Elizabeth has to chastise her husband Philip when he refers to an African king's crown as "a hat." The implication is clear: Prince Philip is a racist and doesn't see African royalty as his equals.

Fox’s ballet-themed comedy-drama pilot The Big Leap is taking the somewhat unusual step of recasting multiple roles at the 11th hour. And, yes, Covid is to blame.

According to Deadline, Covert Affairs vet Piper Perabo is replacing Laura Benanti (Supergirl, Nashville), while Kevin Daniels (Council of Dads) will be stepping in for Little Britain alum Matt Lucas. Both Benanti and Lucas exited tBig Leap due to scheduling conflicts brought on by the project’s pandemic-related production delay. Additionally, Galavant‘s Mallory Jansen is also joining the cast in a lead role.

More from TVLineMasked Singer's Trio of Castoffs Talks...

Exclusive: Piper Perabo and Kevin Daniels have joined The Big Leap, Fox’s ballet-themed hourlong comedy-drama pilot, in recastings, and Mallory Jansen also is set as a lead in the project inspired by the UK reality series Big Ballet.

Written by The Passage writer/executive producer Liz Heldens, The Big Leap is described as a funny and contemporary tale about second chances, chasing your dreams and taking back what’s yours. The show revolves around a group of diverse underdogs from all different walks of life who compete to be part of a competition reality series that is putting on a modern, hip remake of Swan Lake. What they lack in the traditional dancer body type, they make up for with their edge, wit and desire to reimagine an iconic story to fit their own mold.

Perabo will play Paula Dirks, a dancer and white-collar former VP at one of...

Princess Diana dancing on stage to Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl" might sound like the kind of storyline The Crown would make up for added drama, but it's actually a completely true story! Much to the surprise of her husband and the assorted elites gathered at a Royal Ballet gala, Diana managed to plan, rehearse, and sneak onstage to perform without anyone finding out! Here's how she pulled it off - and how she got mixed reactions.

Princess Diana famously loved dance her entire life. As a child, she took dance lessons, and at one point, she even aspired to be a ballerina, before she grew too tall as a teenager to ever be able to have a professional dance career. Of course, as a member of the aristocracy (and one of the oldest titled families in Britain), she wouldn't have been able to have a career in dance anyway,...

Fox’s drama pilot “The Big Leap” has added four series regulars.

Matt Lucas, Ser’Darius Blain, Ray Cham, and Teri Polo have all joined the one-hour project, which centers on a group of diverse underdogs from all different walks of life who compete to be part of a competition reality series that is putting on a modern, hip remake of “Swan Lake.” It is inspired by the UK docuseries “Big Ballet.”

Lucas will play Wayne Sleep, who is said to be a joyful British fellow who is one of the co-hosts of the reality show. He is a former dancer and is entertaining, enthusiastic and encouraging. Lucas is known for his roles on British shows like “Little Britain” and “Doctor Who” and in films such as “Bridesmaids,” “Alice in Wonderland” and its sequel “Alice Through the Looking Glass.” He is repped by Wme.

Blain will play Reggie Sadler. Described as a stunning specimen of humanity,...

Teri Polo leads a quartet of actors cast in The Big Leap, Fox’s ballet-themed hourlong comedy-drama pilot from The Passage writer/executive producer Liz Heldens. Matt Lucas, Jumanji;s Ser’Darius Blain and Ray Cham also are cast in lead roles in the project, inspired by the UK reality series Big Ballet. It is a co-production between 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment.

Written by Heldens, The Big Leap is descried as a funny and contemporary tale about second chances, chasing your dreams and taking back what’s yours. The show revolves around a group of diverse underdogs from all different walks of life who compete to be part of a competition reality series that is putting on a modern, hip remake of Swan Lake. What they lack in the traditional dancer body type, they make up for with their edge, wit and desire to reimagine an iconic story to fit their own mold.

We all remember Princess Diana as a major style icon, but what's not always evident in the glam pictures of her is just how tall she actually was - 5'10" to be exact. In fact, she was quite statuesque, which was a plus for making a major impression but a negative when it came to one of her most beloved hobbies.

As an adult, Diana stood 5'10", which is generally taller than the majority of women. More frustrating for her: her height prevented her from continuing on with her love for dance. In general, elite female dancers are not tall, and children who grow too tall often are left behind or self-select out as the opportunities shrink going forward.

Diana's height was the main reason that restricted her from pursuing her lifelong passion for dance. As a child, she took ballet classes and fell in love with the art. At one point,...

Prince William and Prince Harry have been candid in the past about the grief they suffered after the death of their mother, Princess Diana.

But for the first time ever, the brothers are coming together in a new documentary to discuss Diana’s parenting style and the many ways her influence had shaped their lives.

In a promo for Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy — the documentary commissioned by the U.K.’s ITV network that will air in the States on HBO — William and Harry look through a private family album together that was assembled by their mother,...

A collection of “exceptional voices” will celebrate the life and legacy of Princess Diana in an upcoming TV event from People and ABC, it was announced on Thursday.

Diana’s brother Charles, 9th Earl Spencer, along with some of her close friends and others who knew her, are among those providing their reflections for The Story of Diana, a four-hour special airing on ABC on August 9 and 10.

“One of the reasons I wanted to talk now is because I think after 20 years, somebody shifts from being a contemporary person to one of history, actually,” Spencer explains in a clip released today.

Rylan Clark, Sarah Harding and Chesney Hawkes have been announced for Celebrity MasterChef 2015.

They are joined by Keith Chegwin, Yvette Fielding, Arlene Phillips and others for the tenth anniversary edition of the cookery contest.

12 episodes will air over six weeks this summer. The first four heat weeks will see judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace whittle down the 20 celebrity entrants to eight semi-finalists.

Finals week ends in a 90-minute contest between the three remaining cooks, feeding an all-female Chef's Table hosted by Michelin starred Angela Hartnett.

The full list of 2015 contestants is as follows:

Scott MaslenTish (Patricia) PotterCraig GazeyAmanda DonohueSheree MurphyMica ParisSarah HardingKimberly WyattTom ParkerChesney HawkesSam NixonKeith ChegwinAndy AkinwolereYvette FieldingRylan ClarkSyd LittleArlene PhillipsSamira AhmedNatalie LoweDanny Crates

Past Celebrity MasterChef champions and finalists who will appear through the run include 2013 winner Ade Edmondson, 2014 finalist Wayne Sleep, semi-finalist Christopher Biggins and 2014 reigning champion Sophie Thompson.

Executive producer for the BBC Carla-Maria Lawson...

Eight Days a Week: Hockney Doc Shows Artist’s Colorful Life

Guiding auds through his career from his early days growing up in Bradford, to moving to Los Angeles in the sixties, influential British artist David Hockney’s life is laid bare in Randall Wright’s titular Hockney. Although there have been documentaries following Hockney before, recently Make Your Own Damn Art! (John Rodgers, 2013) and Waiting for Hockney (Billy Pappas, 2008), this is the first documentary to give a full picture of his upbringing, his influences and to interview the artist himself as well as his dearest friends. The result is an intimate portrait of an intriguing man, whose cheeky spirit and sense of fun hasn’t yet diminished, despite now living a relatively quiet life in Los Angeles.

Now 77-years-old, it’s obvious that Hockney enjoys his privacy, and doesn’t like having his life displayed in public as his art is.

Friday night's Strictly opener got off to a dazzling start with the great (Pixie Lott, Jake Wood and Caroline Flack) and the not-so-great (Scott Mills) providing us with excitement, drama and a few laughs.

This evening, the remaining nine celebrities hit the dance floor for the first time with their pro partners. Frankie Bridge, Thom Evans, Simon Webbe and Gregg 'Buttery Biscuit Base' Wallace are among those hoping to impress us with their cha chas, jives and waltzes.

20:27So that's all folks. Time for a breather and a chance to look back at all my dreadful spelling and grammar during the evening. Apologies for that! It's been lovely working on Strictly again. Please let us know who you think was the best in the comments below.

20:26Looking back at all the dances now, Mark Wright's performance is looking more impressive than most. Especially considering his personality is...

Andy Murray's third round Wimbledon win was seen by an average of 4.66 million (25.1%) on BBC One.

Murray beat Roberto Bautista Agut is straight sets to progress to the fourth round in the early evening. The action peaked with 4.78 million as the reigning champion closed in on the victory.

BBC One's evening continued with 3.82 million (19%) for Celebrity Masterchef at 8.30pm. This week's guests included Leslie Ash and Wayne Sleep.

Looking back at the best bits from the latest series, The Graham Norton Show was seen by 2.69 million (22.5%) at 10.35pm. It was followed by 950k (11.5%) for Uncle at 11.20pm.

Because of the delayed start to the tennis, The One Show aired at 7pm on BBC Two. It was seen by 1.66 million (9.1%), while 1.19 million (5.6%) stuck around for Today at Wimbledon at 8.15pm.

Gardeners' World pulled in 1.81 million (8.9%) at 9pm, while Qi was seen by 1.17 million (5.8%) immediately after.

BBC Two's first visit...

Andy Murray's third round Wimbledon win was seen by an average of 4.66 million (25.1%) on BBC One.

Murray beat Roberto Bautista Agut is straight sets to progress to the fourth round in the early evening. The action peaked with 4.78 million as the reigning champion closed in on the victory.

BBC One's evening continued with 3.82 million (19%) for Celebrity Masterchef at 8.30pm. This week's guests included Leslie Ash and Wayne Sleep.

Looking back at the best bits from the latest series, The Graham Norton Show was seen by 2.69 million (22.5%) at 10.35pm. It was followed by 950k (11.5%) for Uncle at 11.20pm.

Because of the delayed start to the tennis, The One Show aired at 7pm on BBC Two. It was seen by 1.66 million (9.1%), while 1.19 million (5.6%) stuck around for Today at Wimbledon at 8.15pm.

Gardeners' World pulled in 1.81 million (8.9%) at 9pm, while Qi was seen by 1.17 million (5.8%) immediately after.

BBC Two's first visit...

Celebrity MasterChef: BBC One, 9pm

It's the third heat of the culinary competition, and 5 new celebrities take on the challenge to become MasterChef.

Trying to impress judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace are dancer and choreographer Wayne Sleep, one-time EastEnder Alex Ferns, actress Leslie Ash, TV presenter Tania Bryer and former Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh.

The celebrities are put through three tests before Wallace and Torode must decide who will be hanging up his or her apron.

The Good Wife: More4, 9pm

The season finale of the American drama sees Alicia (Julianna Margulies) have a chance encounter with a charming entrepreneur.

After a camera is mistakenly left on after a teleconference, Alicia and Cary (Matt Czuchry) are surprised to learn of a new threat to the firm. The fate of Lockhart, Gardner and Canning hangs in the balance as Louis (Michael J Fox) vies for a bigger role.

Christopher Biggins, Jls singer Jb, model Jodie Kidd and former soap star Todd Carty are among the celebrities taking part in Celebrity MasterChef this year.

Made In Chelsea's Millie Macintosh, actress Leslie Ash and former Coronation Street star Ken Morley have also signed up to be judged by hosts John Torode and Gregg Wallace.

The full list of 20 celebs also includes: Tina Hobley, Alex Ferns, Amanda Burton, Sophie Thompson, Emma Barton, Kiki Dee, Jason Connery, Alison Hammond, Tania Bryer, Russell Grant, Charley Boorman, Wayne Sleep and Susannah Constantine.

Six weeks of shows will see the celebrities whittled down through a series of challenges, which will include cooking for past MasterChef champions, the first ever Relay Invention Test, facing the dreaded restaurant critics and feeding the "Italian cooking-mafia" - Antonio Carluccio, Aldo Zilli, Theo Randall and Giorgio Locatelli.

The winner will follow in the footsteps of previous champions Ade Edmondson,...

Trained dancer and choreographer Raj Parmar will be showcasing his expert dance skills across the globe, as the successful Channel 4 documentary Big Ballet is set to air on the American arts network, Ovation.

The multi-talented choreographer is dancing onto screens in the USA, after he took his leave from Bollywood dancing to try his hand at ballet for the show. Impressively, beating 500 hopefuls for a much-coveted spot in the documentary, Raj ultimately landed one of the lead roles as the heinous villain Baron Von Rothbart in the much-loved Swan Lake. In a troupe of 18 plus-size dancers, Raj stands out as one of the two male dancers and the only South Asian in the group.

The dance expert displays his versatility in the Big Ballet documentary, something which is also apparent in his professional career. Having trained as a radio presenter, makeup artist and model, Raj also established his own...

While fans of Star Plus’s hit soap Saraswatichandra scoured London streets in search of their favourite stars – Gautam Rode and Jennifer Singh Grover, Bradford based actor and Bollywood dancer Raj Parmar got the chance of a lifetime – not only to meet the actors but to show off his acting skills in the special UK scenes of the hit series.

The multi-talented actor, choreographer and presenter on Sunrise Radio in Bradford, was most recently seen on TV screens across the UK, in Channel 4’s Big Ballet with legendary dancer Wayne Sleep. Parmar, who beat 500 hopefuls for a much-coveted spot in the documentary, landed one of the lead roles as heinous villain Baron Von Rothbart in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. In a troupe of 18 plus-size dancers, Raj stood out as one of the two male dancers and the only Asian in the group.

However, as well as dancing, acting and...

Trained dancer, makeup artist and presenter Raj Parmar takes a short break from Bollywood dancing to try his hand at ballet for a new television documentary. The multi-talented choreographer is starring in Channel 4’s Big Ballet, which sees 18-plus-size dancers fulfill their dream of performing in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.

The documentary sees Raj train and ultimately perform as the heinous villain Baron Von Rothbart in the iconic Ballet. Proving his versatility in the world of dance, Raj takes his temporary leave from Bollywood to master the art of the classical dance. Impressively, Raj beat 500 hopefuls for a much-coveted spot in the documentary. Surviving the grueling selection process, Raj now stars as one of the two male dancers and the only Asian in the group. Taking Bollywood to the ballet, Raj builds on his previous experience as a dancer for the role, for which he underwent four months of intensive training.

Former Harry Potter star Rupert Grint on making his stage debut as a Soho dealer and watching Shia LeBeouf drop acid

Rupert Grint's dressing table is piled high with throat lozenges and manuka honey. On stage for eight performances a week in Jez Butterworth's Mojo, his voice is suffering: "I've had to have vocal massages, which are extremely painful. You basically get strangled."

When it was announced that the Harry Potter actor would be making his stage debut in a play about rival gangs in 50s Soho, it was seen as a risk. But as the drug-dealer Sweets, he is finally distancing himself from his alter ego, Ron Weasley. He has been nominated for a Whatsonstage.com award, London newcomer of the year, and the run has been extended. "I love the fact that it's not a play for the theatre elite. Young people are camping out for the £10 day tickets,...

After Gucci went on a Twitter tirade calling out all the celebs he claims to have slept with and Nicki fired back with her own scorching disses, fans took to Twitter to voice their opinions about this heated social media battle!

Nicki Minaj wasn’t the only one who had something to say about Gucci Mane‘s insanely inappropriate Twitter rant on Sept 9. Nicki and Gucci’s fans started a Twitter war of their own as they debated who was telling the truth. Read on to see what they had to say!

Nicki Minaj & Gucci Mane Twitter War — Fans React To Online Beef

After Gucci tweeted that he slept with Nicki, Keyshia Cole, rapper Tyga‘s wife, and a long list of others, several of the alleged notches on his bedpost fired shots right back at him, accusing him of fabricating the stories.

While many fans say they aren’t buying Gucci’s story,...

Stepping Out's Carl Froch will perform his next dance topless.

The 36-year-old professional boxer and his wife Rachael Cordingley will be attempting a Bhangra dance routine on the ITV celebrity show, which airs live tonight (September 7).

Froch, who won a GQ award for 'Sportsman of the Year' this week, and Cordingley have impressed Stepping Out judges Mel B, Jason Gardiner and Wayne Sleep.

However, the couple who receive the lowest combined score between the judges and the public will leave tonight.

Stepping Out airs tonight at 6.30pm on ITV.

Stepping Out star Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has revealed that he turned down the opportunity to join Strictly Come Dancing because he wanted to dance with his wife Jackie.

The former Changing Rooms star said that he is often asked why he has never appeared on the BBC dancing series.

He told Pa: "So many people have always asked me for years and years why I've never done Strictly and I've never said yes to Strictly - because I don't want to dance with anyone else... crazy!

"For goodness' sake, why would I want to spend ten weeks learning to dance when actually the woman that I've been married to for the last 25 years very patiently has been waiting for me to rumba her?"

Brian McFadden, Denise Welch, Oritsé Williams, Carl Froch and Glynis Barber also feature on the lineup for the new ITV series.

The new show is hosted by Davina McCall and Mel B,...

Elizabeth

Directed by Shekhar Kapur

Written by Michael Hirst

UK, 1998

The trouble with biopic is that, for the most part, the real life story of the big name doesn’t fit into any kind of cinematic format that we have become accustomed to over the years, and there seems to be a rule that the further back the setting, the more creative license can be employed. Historians may scream blue murder, educated audiences may turn up their nose, but a necessity of storytelling is spinning a decent yarn; hence Titanic, hence Gladiator, hence Braveheart. Approach such material with the perspective of ‘historical fiction’ and chances are you’re going to enjoy the drama of proceedings much more than, say, the damp squib loyalty to fact at the expense of dynamism of this year’s Hitchcock. Taking plenty of liberties but providing a fresh dose of excitement and intrigue to the...

View the original post Celebrity Come Dine With Me: Diane Abbot takes on Terry Christian, Danielle Lloyd and Wayne Sleep on Unreality TV

Diane Abbot MP takes on TV presenter Terry Christian, serial Wag Danielle Lloyd and ballet dancer Wayne Sleep.

While Diane launches her West Indian-inspired menu with rum punch, Terry’s evening kicks off with an undrinkable cocktail and continues with a string of questionable jokes and dubious conversation topics.

After a solid first half performance at home serving an Oriental-style menu, former Miss England Danielle takes her eye off the ball and gets in a panic over her crème brulées. Finally dance diva Wayne hot foots it into the kitchen to try and cook for the first time in 20 years.

Monday 10 January 2011

8:00pm, Channel 4...

Ahead of this Saturday's first So You Think You Can Dance live show, Digital Spy will be bringing you exclusive profile interviews with the final 14 dancers. First up is Lancashire-born Alastair Postlethwaite, who got into dance when he followed his best mate along to ballet classes. He has trained at the Royal Ballet and recently appeared alongside Wayne Sleep in Cabaret. There's not long to go now until the live shows. Are you nervous?

"I just want to get up there now and do it. I think I was born to be a dancer. I need to be on stage and perform because I hate it when I am out of work and can't do it. Any chance to be up there, I grab. I just can't wait for Saturday now. In fact, I can't wait for Friday because we get to do a run-through then! Whether it is ten...

Lancashire born-and-bred ballet boy, hoping to further his career from the show. If he’s not dancing he’s farming.

Alastair was born in March 1981 in Preston, Lancashire, the youngest of three boys. He entered the world of dance at a young age when he insisted on following his best childhood mate along to Saturday morning ballet classes.

At the age of 11 he was accepted into The Royal Ballet where he attended White Lodge in Richmond. He was assessed out after a year, but remains proud to have made it in at this early stage, as it proved wrong people who had doubted his ability as a dancer. He then went to on to train at Arts Ed School in Tring until he was 18.

After graduating he joined Adventures in Motion Pictures where he performed in Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake on a European, UK and West End tour.

He worked with the Scottish Ballet,...

I'd Do Anything star Samantha Barks has landed the lead role in a UK touring production of Cabaret. The 17-year-old, who finished in third place on the BBC talent search earlier this year, will play cabaret performer Sally Bowles in the popular musical. Barks will appear alongside established performer Wayne Sleep, who is taking on the role of the Emcee. I'd Do Anything (more)...