News

TV personality Gino D’Acampo, best known for his work on ITV’s This Morning and hosting numerous shows with Gordon Ramsay and Fred Sirieix, has been accused of inappropriate conduct and intimidating behavior by more than a dozen people.

An ITV news investigation, which broadcast earlier tonight, spoke with multiple people who have worked with him in the past and described D’Acampo making sexualized remarks that made them feel highly uncomfortable, as they detailed incidents that go back many years.

One woman said in 2011 D’Acampo told her he would “like to turn me over and f*** me up the a*** against the kitchen counter.” Another said that on a shoot he opened the door to his room wearing only boxer shorts before making reference to his penis. A third sent in a statement saying D’Acampo said to someone: “If you don’t get me a Cornetto I will f*** your girlfriend.

Storied UK labels Talkback and Thames are merging once again. Around six roles will be impacted, we understand.

Deadline revealed last year that plans were in place from super-indie owner Fremantle to bring the two together under a restructure that has now been rubberstamped with the exit of Talkback boss Jonno Richards.

The new TalkbackThames outfit will be led by current Thames MD Charlie Irwin. Fremantle said it will create a “single entertainment super-label.” Between them, the two produce the likes of Britain’s Got Talent, Too Hot to Handle, Blankety Blank, Family Fortunes, Qi and Never Mind the Buzzcocks. Upcoming shows include Netflix double Bear Hunt with Bear Grylls and Holly Willoughby, and Battle Camp.

In an internal email to staff sent out this afternoon, seen by Deadline, Fremantle UK CEO Amelia Brown said “whilst this is a positive move for the company, I do understand that with any change...

Dean Jones, the director of production on juggernaut UK entertainment shows including Britain’s Got Talent, has died. He was 56.

Jones died on July 6 after a short battle with cancer. He was director of production at Fremantle UK, where his credits included The X Factor, Game of Talents, and Take Me Out.

Jones got a taste for the entertainment industry as a production assistant at the Noel Gay Theatre and moved over to Noel Gay Television.

He later joined Talbot Television, which was eventually folded into Fremantle, bringing with it the rights to shows including Family Fortunes and The Price Is Right.

Former colleagues paid tribute to Jones’ professional skill and personal qualities, saying he will be a much-missed colleague and friend.

Fremantle UK CEO Amelia Brown said: “Dean Jones was someone that everyone in our industry should aspire to be like. He was a master of our industry as well as a mentor,...

There’s new blood at the top of Fremantle UK’s Too Hot to Handle co-producer Thames and The Apprentice maker Naked.

At Thames, Charlie Irwin has been upped to Managing Director from his current post as Director of Programmes, while Tom O’Brien’s acting Managing Director role at Naked has been made permanent.

They’ll both report into Amelia Brown, who was named CEO of Fremantle UK following the resignation of Simon Andreae, whose departure we told you first about in April.

O’Brien has been with Naked since 2016 and succeeds Fatima Salaria, whose departure was announced back in January. She had replaced Andreae, who we revealed had faced internal misconduct complaints before his exit. Irwin replaces Brown, who was initially set to exit Fremantle but took on the CEO post after Andreae’s exit.

In further news, Leilah Mason has been appointed Head of Production and Helen Moore...

Ken Bruce has claimed that BBC bosses have hastened his exit from Radio 2.

Last month, Bruce announced he would leave the corporation after 45 years to host a show on commercial rival, Greatest Hits Radio.

The veteran presenter, 72, has been on the BBC station since 1984, but told listeners in January: “I’ve done everything it is possible to do at Radio 2.”

He has hosted the 9:30am to 12pm weekday show since 1990, and been with the BBC since 1977 when he started out as a presenter on Radio Scotland.

His decision comes after Steve Wright was nudged out his Radio 2 afternoon slot, with Simon Mayo, Graham Norton and Paul O’Grady also moving on in recent months.

“I would stress that this is entirely my decision,” he said at the time. “I will always be very proud of my association with the BBC and Radio 2.”

But in a new tweet posted on Friday 24 February,...

Tributes are flooding in for EastEnders star June Brown, who has died aged 95, with Stephen Fry praising her “wonderful human qualities”.

Brown played the iconic Dot Cotton in the long running BBC soap opera for more than 30 years, and was much loved in UK entertainment circles.

She passed away peacefully on Sunday evening with her family by her side at her home in Surrey, England.

Actor and broadcaster Fry tweeted: “June Brown, amongst all her other wonderful human qualities and achievements, will be remembered as a tireless and fearless LGBT ally – especially during the darkest days of HIV/AIDS and Section 28 [legislation that banned ‘promotion of homosexuality’]… it was a privilege to know her.”

British actor and musician Martin Kemp, who appeared with Brown in EastEnders in the late 1990s and early 2002s, wrote on Twitter: “I was such a small part of your 35 years at EastEnders but you were a massive part of my time there.

Exclusive: Thames, the Fremantle-owned producer behind Too Hot To Handle and Britain’s Got Talent, is one of a number of UK production outfits inserting controversial coronavirus clauses into crew contracts that could leave freelancers out of pocket and out of work for up to three weeks if a shoot is suspended.

Deadline has obtained and reviewed screenshots of Covid clauses in three different Thames contracts. They state that during the first three weeks of a suspension, the freelancer “shall remain exclusive to the company,” and Thames “shall not be obliged to pay the individual’s fee and holiday pay shall not accrue.”

The terms have provoked disquiet among freelancers and some are refusing to sign them. Two sources, who wished to remain anonymous, said the Covid clauses have appeared in crew contracts for Netflix hit Too Hot To Handle and ITV shows, such as Family Fortunes. Britain’s Got Talent...

Exclusive: ITV is reinventing Family Fortunes for the coronavirus age, breathing new life into an entertainment show that was last on British television in 2015.

Deadline can reveal that Fremantle-owned Britain’s Got Talent co-producer Thames is working with ITV to pilot a lockdown version of the much-loved format, which is based on the American game show Family Feud.

More from DeadlineSarajevo Film Festival Still On Course For August Bow: CoronavirusVFX Major Framestore Names Pre-Production Services Team With 'Star Wars', 'Game Of Thrones', 'Hobbs & Shaw' Artists'Balcony Stories': ViacomCBS International Studios & Fremantle Team For Short-Form Isolation Series

Thames will do away with the shiny-floor studio and instead send cameras into the homes of two families, who will compete to win cash prizes by second-guessing the responses to a survey of the British public.

Observing the UK’s strict social distancing rules, a presenter will be stationed at a third location to preside over the two teams.

Kirsten Howard Mar 31, 2017

From The Shining to I Origins, these are just some of the worst offenders when it comes to moving between floors...

This article contains spoilers for just about every film on its list.

I don’t know when it started exactly.

When I was very young, it was fine. I maybe even enjoyed getting on an elevator and being whisked off, but somewhere in the timeline of my life, something changed. I began to dread stepping onto one. My heart would pound, a cold sweat would creep down my neck and my breath would quicken.

“What’s wrong?” a bemused acquaintance would ask as we were about to embark.

“Oh! Nothing, really,” I’d respond as casually as I could for someone suddenly about to lose control of their bowels. “I just thought I might take the stairs. Bit of exercise, you know.”

“But it…it’s 18 flights,...

Jenny Morrill Nov 17, 2016

From The Running Man and Trainspotting, through to Rainbow: the fictional game shows that make you run for the comforts of Bullseye.

Everyone loves a good game show. Where else can you watch Steve from Redditch win a canteen of cutlery just for knowing the capital of Tobago?

See related Humans series 2 interview: Gemma Chan, Emily Berrington, Will Tudor Humans series 2 episode 3 review Humans series 2 episode 2 review Humans series 2 episode 1 review

Game shows are a light hearted staple of our TV schedules. We can rely on them to be entertaining without demanding too much in return (apart from Only Connect). They are the TV equivalent of a warm bath or a nice pair of slippers. And what's more, the whole family can enjoy them. 92 year old grandma visiting? Best leave Game Of Thrones and opt for some Bullseye instead. Kids up late? Stick on some Family Fortunes...

Once you've watched Daniel Craig's latest James Bond outing Spectre - and let's face it, you're going to watch Spectre - one of the many questions on your lips will be "So who played Mr Hinx?"

The answer, as the credits, IMDb and the photocall will tell you, is former wrestler Dave Bautista.

So for a little bit more background on one of Bond's most intimidating foes, here's Digital Spy's newcomer's guide to the human embodiment of "Big Dave".

His wrestling career

A 46-year-old, 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), 278 lb (126 kg) man mountain of Filipino and Greek descent, Bautista has gone by many other names over the course of his wrestling career, including Batista (note spelling), Dave Batista, Deacon Batista, Khan and Leviathan.

As a wrestler, Bautista has claimed so many titles it's almost ridiculous. He is a six-time world champion, winning the World Heavyweight Championship four times and the WWE Championship twice.

Vernon Kay's All Star Family Fortunes will be missing from the schedules for a while, as ITV plans to put the show on an extended break.

The celebrity spin-off of the popular format was revived in 2006 and recently completed its 12th series, with an average of 3.3 million viewers tuning in over the ten episodes.

Broadcast reports that the show is unlikely to be seen on-screen again until late 2016 at the earliest, with a further delay until 2017 also said to be a possibility.

"Family Fortunes is an old favourite and remains very much part of the ITV entertainment slate," an ITV spokesperson said. "We haven't got any episodes scheduled at present but we definitely will be seeing it back very soon."

The final new episode featuring talk show host Matthew Wright and Emmerdale actress Charley Webb is scheduled to air this Sunday, June 14.

Regular editions of the show last aired...

American Idol was announced to be coming to an end after 15 seasons yesterday (May 12), but did you know that Ryan Seacrest used to have a co-host?

Brian Dunkleman hosted the Fox competition's first season alongside Ryan Seacrest, before the latter took sole control. History has not been kind to poor old Brian since, with Fox TV CEO Dana Walden joking about a possible reunion for the pair.

"Where is Brian Dunkleman? If you give me his number, I will call and invite him," she joked, though Dunkleman gave as good as he got last night:

I knew American Idol would never last without me #Cancelled

— brian dunkleman (@briandunkleman) May 11, 2015

To honour Dunkleman, we have collected a few hosts of massive shows that you may have cruelly forgotten, starting with the man himself.

1. Brian Dunkleman (American Idol)

The comedian co-hosted the Fox series with Ryan Seacrest for its first season, which...

Jj Abrams' new Star Wars movie is still a few months away, yet already seems to looms on the horizon.

Despite the arrival of the first trailer late last year, concrete facts about The Force Awakens are in meagre supply. We know Luke, Han and Leia are back - and that their progeny are likely to appear too. But Abrams is too canny a filmmaker to reduce the most beloved franchise in science fiction (sorry Star Trek!) to Family Fortunes in space.

If his Trek reboots are any guide, Abrams will be keen to keep fans onside by including other favourites from earlier instalments. It's probable the director will include relatively obscure aliens and humans from the annals alongside the better known. Who will make the cut? For now, only the director and an elite cabal of insiders can answer that question. However, it's fun to speculate – so here...

The Casual Vacancy launched with over 6 million viewers on Sunday evening, overnight data reveals.

The BBC One adaptation of Jk Rowling's novel was seen by an average audience of 6.61m (27.5%) at 9pm.

Call the Midwife continued to top the Sunday ratings, climbing over 100,000 viewers from last week to 8.95m (35.0%) at 8pm.

Earlier, Super Cute Animals appealed to 4.13m (21.9%) at 6pm, followed by Countryfile with 7.61m (35.1%) at 7pm. Match of the Day 2 scored 2.58m (19.8%) at 10.35pm.

On BBC Two, Top Gear entertained 5.44m (21.3%) at 8pm, while Dragons' Den gathered 2.51m (10.5%) at 9pm.

ITV's Get Your Act Together attracted 1.87m (8.4%) at 7pm, followed by Family Fortunes with 2.40m (9.4%) at 8.15pm. Mr Selfridge dropped around 700k to 3.17m (13.2%) at 9pm (302k/1.8% on +1).

On Channel 4, new drama Indian Summers opened with 2.57m (11.7%) at 9pm (413k/2.9%). Earlier, The Hotel brought in 1.22m (5.7%) at 7pm (176k/0.7%), while Auction House was seen by 1.18m...

A lot of people were pretty annoyed with Stars in Their Eyes when it returned this weekend.

On Saturday, the internet was up in arms claiming Harry Hill 'wasn't funny', ITV have 'ruined a classic' and – seriously –'bring back Matthew Kelly'.

Many had no doubt tuned in expecting Hill to emerge from the dry ice and sliding doors with a carbon copy of Kelly's (and Cat and Leslie's) version of the show, and so were left bitterly disappointed. We, meanwhile, were over the moon.

Harry Hill's Stars in Their Eyes was, shock horror, actually something different. The show was still about plucky members of the public wanting to emulate their musical heroes, but that's where the similarities ended.

Viewers who have never 'got' Harry Hill had tuned in lured by the promise of an ITV classic, and yet were smacked in the face with Hill's surreal mockery of what a singing competition is.

Vernon Kay wants the royal family on 'Family Fortunes'. The TV presenter has revealed his dream line-up on the ITV game show would include Queen Elizabeth and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh. When asked who his ideal family on 'Family Fortunes' would be, Vernon said: ''The Queen, without a doubt. Stood next to the Duke of Edinburgh, stood next to Prince Charles, stood next to Camilla, stood next to William.'' The cheeky host then quickly explained his decision to omit Prince William's wife the Duchess of Cambridge and his younger brother, Prince Harry, as he quipped: ''Well you can only have five...

Let's take a moment and spare a thought for the poor advertising people. An advertising employee's life is a tricky one. He or she may have a fat bottomed bank balance that makes their world go round but they face a tricky task. How do they put a new spin on a familiar advertising icon and keep it fresh? From puppies rolling around in loo paper through to cartoon tea northerners in big caps, these are the faces of vital products and if they get tired or stale, the folks won't buy 'em any more – leaving those poor advertising sorts as crying puddles in corners.

Taking this concept into time and space, let's also spare a thought for the big cheeses at the Doctor Who studios. Doctor Who has its fair share of familiar icons – the sort that you'd list in a Family Fortunes studio to win a hefty jackpot cash prize.

Vernon Kay wants the royal family on 'Family Fortunes'. The TV presenter has revealed his dream line-up on the ITV game show would include Queen Elizabeth and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh. When asked who his ideal family on 'Family Fortunes' would be, Vernon said: ''The Queen, without a doubt. Stood next to the Duke of Edinburgh, stood next to Prince Charles, stood next to Camilla, stood next to William.'' The cheeky host then quickly explained his decision to omit Prince William's wife the Duchess of Cambridge and his younger brother, Prince Harry, as he quipped: ''Well you can only have five...

It's the semi-final! After the hopefuls had to prove their ability with a solo skate, it was rugby hunk Kyran Bracken who left the competition last week. Now the skaters are down to just four.

The awesome foursome are hoping to win a place in next week's final and be named the champion of champions. Just to add to the pressure, the remaining skaters will also be flying this week. So who will succeed and who will fail? Join Digital Spy at 6.15pm to find out.

20:57So that's all from us this week. See you back here next week for the last ever Dancing on Ice!

20:55Totally forgot Emma Bunton was once a judge!

20:54After battling it out in five skate-offs, Sam is going home.

20:54So Ray is going through to the final.

20:54Jason predictably saves Ray.

20:53Ashley also saves Ray.

20:53Karen votes to save Ray.

Last week saw a battle of epic proportions with the girls taking on the boys. Unfortunately, the Super Six had to become the Fantastic Five and poor Suzanne Shaw was sent home after taking a tumble.

This week the remaining celebrities have nowhere to hide. Yes, it's the return of the solo skate. With their skating skills laid bare for all to see, who will be leaving this week? Join Digital Spy at 6.15pm for all the action.

20:56Join us again next week at 6.15pm. The celebrities will be flying - which is always exciting!

20:55So that's all from us this week.

20:53So we lose Kyran Bracken. Is that the result you were expecting? Let us know.

20:53Jason saves Sam too meaning he goes through to the semi-finals. Robin would have agreed with his fellow judges.

20:52Ashley also saves Sam.

20:52The first vote is for Sam.

Last week saw a battle of epic proportions with the girls taking on the boys. Unfortunately, the Super Six had to become the Fantastic Five and poor Suzanne Shaw was sent home after taking a tumble.

This week the remaining celebrities have nowhere to hide. Yes, it's the return of the solo skate. With their skating skills laid bare for all to see, who will be leaving this week? Join Digital Spy at 6.15pm for all the action.

20:56Join us again next week at 6.15pm. The celebrities will be flying which is always exciting.

20:55So that's all from us this week.

20:53So we lose Kyran Bracken. Is that the result you were expecting? Let us know.

20:53Jason saves Sam too meaning he goes through to the semi-finals. Robin would have agreed with his fellow judges.

20:52Ashley also saves Sam.

20:52The first vote is for Sam.

With just six All-Stars remaining in the competition, Dancing on Ice is starting to get really intense. So hey, why not up the tension with a good old battle of the sexes?

Leaderboard-toppers Ray and Hayley are going to lead the boys and the girls teams - with the winners getting their points doubled. In other words, it's all to play for! Join Digital Spy from 6.15pm and we'll bring you all the action from the rink...

20:55That's that, then! Suzanne and Matt are out of there - would you have predicted that? Are you happy with the result? Sad? Who are you loving and loathing? Let us know... and join us next week for more ice action!

20:55Suzanne says she was nervous and she's not used to doing the skate-off (humblebrag). But she says she's glad they went out on one of their best skates and does...

Les Dennis isn't exactly in our day-to-day thoughts, truth be told, but the news yesterday (January 23) that the light entertainment legend would be joining Coronation Street still managed to put a massive smile on our face. Les on the cobbles! Amazing!

To celebrate Les's biggest gig in quite some time, we look back at the celebrity good egg's life and career in order, and come up with eight reasons why we absolutely love him...

He's a talent show king!

Way back before Britain's Got Talent, The X Factor et al, there was New Faces, a notoriously tough competition where a panel of judges - including a youthful Noel Edmonds - marked variety acts on their "star quality", usually without chucking water over each other or trying to get into the papers with a particularly daring dress, as all that palaver is a modern talent show invention.

After doing the rounds...

Last week on Dancing on Ice saw the second bunch of celebrities take to the ice to perform. Zaraah Abrahams impressed everyone with her skating skills, while Todd Carty impressed no-one with his.

And it seems that being engaged to your skating partner or wearing a tight lycra shirt can't save you, as both David Seaman and Gary Lucy left the competition at the first hurdle. Join Digital Spy at 6.15pm, as the 10 remaining celebrities return to the ice.

20:55Don't forget to join us again next Sunday at 6.15.

20:55So that's all from tonight, Mr. Selfridge is up next.

20:54Maybe only by me but still...

20:53I don't know if I can hold it together! Goodbye Todd, you will be missed!

20:53Robin would have also saved Zaraah so Todd is leaving.

20:52Ashley also saves Zaraah as does Jason.

20:52Karen saves Zaraah saying it's Todd's time to go.

Dancing on Ice returned to our screens last week, and it was more dramatic than ever. The first show boasted sequins, skates and Sylvain Longchambon not trying to seduce his skating partner.

Now it's time to see who will fall and who will soar in the second week of the competition - but who will be joining Jorgie Porter and Joe Pasquale in hanging up their skates? Join Digital Spy at 6.15pm, as the second batch of past champions and fan favourites return to the ice.

20:56That's all from me tonight! Join us again next week, same time, same place.

20:55Next week will see both sets of celebrities join forces, as all 10 skate.

20:54So what did you think of the results? Were they what you expected? Let us know.

20:54Gary accepts defeat graciously, and both he and David are praised by Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.

The comedian and Family Fortunes alumnus on his telly-watching habits

Unmissable show?

Pointless. It's the best quiz show on TV. The relationship between Richard Osman and Alexander Armstrong is really warm and effortless. It's one of those gameshows that you have to play along with. Whenever I can, I'll always watch Coronation Street. I still love the fact that they've got really good dramatic stories alongside what I still think is consistently the best comedy writing on British television.

Box set?

Curb Your Enthusiasm. Larry David is hysterical. He speaks for us all; the kind of things you want to get away with saying sometimes. I'm absolutely obsessed with Breaking Bad. It is as addictive as anything I've ever watched. I keep going back to The Sopranos. I think it's the best televison that I've ever seen. It got really surreal. The dream sequences are brilliant. I was really gutted when James Gandolfini died.

ITV's charity fundraiser Text Santa will return for a third time this Christmas.

The event, which raises money for six UK-based charities, has raised over £10 million in its first two years on TV.

Last year's event was hosted by Ant & Dec, Phillip Schofield, Holly Willoughby, Christine Bleakley and Paddy McGuinness. It was watched by over six million viewers.

The evening of entertainment included special versions of ITV hits Family Fortunes and Celebrity Juice.

This year's charities are Barnardo's, BeatBullying, British Heart Foundation, Clic Sargent, Age UK and Help The Hospices.

100% of donations made by viewers go directly to the charities Text Santa supports.

Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden makes another jibe at ex-husband Les Dennis on this week's edition of Britain's Got More Talent.

The actress mocks the Family Fortunes presenter's weight during a segment on the ITV2 spinoff in which host Stephen Mulhern tests her knowledge of the other panellists.

When Mulhern asks her the question "David [Walliams] appeared in what Fat Les video?", Holden replies: "Are you talking about my ex-husband?"

Holden claimed in a previous episode of More Talent to have "forgot[ten]" about her eight-year marriage to Dennis, which came to an end in 2003 shortly after her affair with Neil Morrissey.

Britain's Got Talent boss Simon Cowell has also jested that Holden only came to his attention through her relationship with Dennis.

Elsewhere in this week's More Talent, Walliams recalls his embarrassment at once being romantically linked to Martine McCutcheon.

"This newspaper kept on saying that I'd dated Martine McCutcheon...

Simon Cowell mocks Britain's Got Talent co-star Amanda Holden over her failed marriage to Les Dennis when the show returns this week.

Speaking on the first episode of Britain's Got More Talent, Cowell admits that Holden only came to his attention through her troubled relationship with the Family Fortunes actor.

When More Talent host Stephen Mulhern asks Holden in an interview when was the first time she felt famous, Cowell interrupts with the suggestion: "Marrying Les?"

Holden replies: "Oh bog off! I forgot about that though, but probably," at which point Cowell reveals: "That's when I first heard about you."

Holden was married to Dennis from 1995 to 2003. The couple temporarily split when she had an affair with Neil Morrissey in 2000, which led to Dennis's infamous breakdown in the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2002.

The Britain's Got More Talent premiere will also introduce two new items, Ant & Dec's Fairground Fantasy and David Vs Goliath,...

When did primetime fluffy Saturday night TV suddenly turn into an evening of music industry A&R mechanics?

At some point over the last decade's long slog of Pop Idols, Britain's Got Talents, Fame Academies and nine series of X Factor, the emphasis switched from light entertainment to record sales.

Watching recent series of X Factor, it's occasionally felt like we were watching a meeting between record execs rather than a glossy family TV spectacle. The fearsome annihilation of cruise ship warbler Christopher Maloney by the producers and judges felt like a tipping point in the show's history as the singer's crime of being 'not very cool' seemed to excuse no-holds barred treatment of the blubbering Liverpudlian.

When the voting results were revealed, it turned out that Maloney had been topping the votes since week one. Despite a hammering from the judges and all the cool credentials of tattooed grumble-guts James Arthur,...

It's the week we've all been waiting for on Dancing on Ice. It's time to bring out the props!

However, that doesn't mean we'll be seeing a return for Lauren Goodger. Instead, it's the infamous week where the five skaters still (just about) standing are being handed the baton (or hats or chairs or whatever items were lying about in ITV's reception) as they take to the ice in a bid to make it to next week's semi-final.

So sit back, relax and let Digital Spy be your armchair companion for what could be the last ever chance we get to see celebs throwing hula hoops at each other on primetime telly...

20:55That's it! Another week gone, and only two to go. It's semi-final time next week, with Luke, Gareth, Beth and Matt going all-out to make it to the final. Join us back here next Sunday to see them all fly (well,...

Stacey Solomon is a Christmas traditionalist. The singer and TV presenter revealed she likes to stick to tradition on Christmas Day (25.12.12), including a turkey dinner, family board games and watching festive programmes on TV. She said: ''I'm really traditional so Christmas is the same for us every year, open our presents, eat too much food and fall asleep watching Christmas TV. ''Every year we have a new board game that the whole family plays after lunch, last year it was 'Family Fortunes' but we still haven't decided what it will be this year. ''It wouldn't be Christmas Day if everyone didn't fall asleep...

Stacey Solomon is a Christmas traditionalist. The singer and TV presenter revealed she likes to stick to tradition on Christmas Day (25.12.12), including a turkey dinner, family board games and watching festive programmes on TV. She said: ''I'm really traditional so Christmas is the same for us every year, open our presents, eat too much food and fall asleep watching Christmas TV. ''Every year we have a new board game that the whole family plays after lunch, last year it was 'Family Fortunes' but we still haven't decided what it will be this year. ''It wouldn't be Christmas Day if everyone didn't fall asleep...

Jonathan Ross and Jo Brand have filmed a Family Fortunes special for ITV's Text Santa charity appeal. Vernon Kay will host the celeb episode of the quiz, which will air on Friday, December 21 at 8pm. Ross and and Brand will captain teams of celebrity contestants to raise money for the Text Santa charities Age UK, Carers UK, Whizz- Kids, Together for Short Lives, Marie Curie Cancer Care (more)...

Gemma Merna has reportedly been declared bankrupt. The Hollyoaks actress is said to have failed to appear at a court hearing over an unpaid bill, reports The Sun. The star was reportedly filming Hollyoaks and an episode of Family Fortunes at the time instead. She was summoned to court after failing to pay a £500 bill for an artificial lawn at her farmhouse property in Ormskirk, Lancashire. NoMow took the actress to court and received an initial judgement against her to pay the bill, but she failed to make the payment. The company later took her to court again and won a second judgement including their (more)...

Max Bygraves has died. The former 'Family Fortunes' host passed away at his daughter Christine Green's Australian home on Friday night (31.08.12) at the age of 89, his agent has confirmed. The London-born singer-and-presenter - famed for his catchphrase ''I wanna tell you a story'' - had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease, and though his family admit his death wasn't ''unexpected'', it was still a ''shock''. His son Anthony Bygraves, 65, told Sky News: ''He was a natural, he was a great entertainer. He was a good mate - we had a lot of good times together. ''He had become terribly frail, but somehow...

Arguably the best game of all time, on what is arguably the best console of all time, Freedom Fighters came out in arguably the best year of all time; 2003. While some might argue in favour of all of these statements; I’m not going to, but Freedom Fighters certainly was a really good game that has since been shrouded in the clouds of time. Ok, maybe it is one of best game of all time and the Playstation 2 might be one of the best consoles ever, but I’m not sure what 2003 has going for it, other than it was “European Disability Year”, but that doesn’t sound fun.

Fight The Power!

Lets start with Freedom Fighters’ standout story, full of twist and turns, friendships and betrayals, truths and lies, general good story things. Set an alternative present day New York, well 2003 specifically, otherwise you would have been playing it...

Family Fortunes host Vernon Kay has revealed that he would like to be a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing. Kay, who is married to Strictly host Tess Daly, admitted that he could be lured into taking part in the BBC One reality show. The former T4 presenter also played down constant rumours that he could potentially succeed Sir Bruce Forsyth when the veteran entertainer decides to step down from the ballroom dancing series. Kay told The Sun's TV Buzz that "Are you going to host Strictly after Brucie?" is the question that he is asked the most, but claimed that his reply is always "no". "I (more)...

A star with a Twitter account is every publicist’s nightmare and every pop culture junkie’s dream come true. That felt especially true in 2011, the year of the unfiltered celebrity tweeter. (We’re looking at you Ellen Barkin, Ashton Kutcher, and Charlie Sheen!) But which stars had the most entertaining — for better or for worse — Twitter feeds of the year? Is it Steve Martin, Seth Meyers, or Elizabeth Banks that deserves bragging rights for the best, thanks to their smart and silly musings? When it comes to the worst, does anyone come close to chronic over-sharers like Kim Kardashian and Courtney Stodden?...

Vernon Kay has said that Simon Cowell would be wrong to replace Steve Jones on X Factor USA. Jones has faced criticism for his role hosting the American version of the singing competition. However, defending his former colleague's work, Kay said that Jones was "not going to leave" the show. "He's doing a great job. I know Steve well enough from T4 to know he's so dedicated," the Family Fortunes host told New magazine. "And he's doing everything in his power to do a good job. If they were to replace him, they would be very foolish." Discussing "stupid" criticism of his accent, which he received when hosting ABC's Skating with the Stars (more)...

The Only Way Is Essex cast will compete against the stars of Benidorm in a Family Fortunes Christmas special. Familiar faces from the two ITV shows will battle it out to raise money for charity, according to The Mirror. Several Only Way Is Essex stars, including James 'Arg' Argent and Joey Essex, tweeted earlier this year that they were filming a Family Fortunes episode. The Only Way Is Essex bosses are also said to be planning (more)...

Vernon Kay has said that he would like to try his hand at acting, by landing a role in Coronation Street. The Family Fortunes presenter admitted that he is keen to "spread [his] wings", telling The Sun that he wants to expand beyond "light entertainment" shows. "I'd love to be a shop assistant in Dev's shop or a barman, or the cleaner in the pub," he said. "I get offered loads of gameshows, but I host Family Fortunes - why would I want to do another one? Is there a gameshow out there that is better than ITV's Family Fortunes? I think not. "I want to go out there and spread my wings. I just want to do more stuff that is not in the genre of light entertainment gameshows. I'd like to do stuff where I go out and meet people, talk about an issue, or something (more)...

The cast of The Only Way Is Essex have filmed a Family Fortunes special for ITV1. Nanny Pat, Mark Wright, James 'Arg' Argent, Joey Essex and Amy Childs have all taken part in an episode of the Vernon Kay-fronted quizshow, which is expected to air later this year. Arg said on Twitter: "Filming for Family Fortunes with Mark, Joey, Amy and Nanny Pat. If only you could see us now its so funny Team Essex (sic)." (more)...

Bang Showbiz report today that several of the cast of hit reality TV show The Only Way Is Essex will appear on All-Star Family Fortunes when it returns for a new series.

Stars Mark Wright, James ‘Arg’ Argent, Joey Essex, Amy Childs and Mark’s 73-year-old Nanny Pat have reportedly already filmed the episode of the ITV1 game show – which is hosted by Vernon Kay – and according to Arg, the day’s filming was “hilarious”.

While commenting on their appearance on the show, he tweeted, “Filming for Family Fortunes with @MarkWright_ @JoeyEssex_ @MissAmyChilds and Nanny Pat!

“If only you could see us now its so funny #TeamEssex (sic)”

Joey Essex later tweeted, “Filming for family fortunes!!! Haha how funny man!!!

“Loads of fun. (sic)”

The Towie cast, including Lauren Goodger, Mark Wright, Joey Essex, Amy Childs and Sam Faiers, will also soon be filming an altogether most spooky show in...

The cast of 'The Only Way Is Essex' are to appear on 'All-Star Family Fortunes'. Mark Wright, James 'Arg' Argent, Joey Essex, Amy Childs and Mark's 73-year-old grandmother Nanny Pat have already filmed an upcoming episode of the ITV1 game show - hosted by Vernon Kay - and according to Arg, the outcome was hilarious. Writing on his twitter page, he said: "Filming for Family Fortunes with @MarkWright_ @JoeyEssex_ @MissAmyChilds and Nanny Pat! If only you could see us now its so funny #TeamEssex (sic)" Joey - who is dating co-star Sam Faiers - added: "Filming for family fortunes!!! Haha...

Latest instalment in cars-and-crime franchise takes pole position over Easter weekend, leaving Russell Brand's Arthur eating its dust

The winner

Over the past couple of weeks, distributors and cinema owners have been quick to blame the sunshine for the depressed box office. But this column has always maintained that if there's a film audiences really want to see, they will forego the pleasures of a sunny afternoon or a warm summer evening for a couple of hours.

The latest film to storm the box office despite an unseasonally warm Easter is Fast & Furious 5. The latest entry in the popular cars-and-crime franchise took a stonking £5.33m including £1.32m in Thursday previews. Add in Easter Monday takings, and that figure rises to £6.37m over five days.

The figures are in line with the opening of fourth picture, Fast & Furious, over the Easter 2009 weekend. That took £4.93m over the Friday-Sunday period, and £6.01m including Easter Monday.

Former Family Fortunes host Les Dennis has become a dad for the third time, aged 57. Dennis and his third wife Claire welcomed Thomas Christopher, who weighed in at 9lb 3oz, last Thursday. A rep for the couple said: "Les Dennis and wife Claire are thrilled and delighted at the birth of their baby son, born at a London hospital on Thursday, April 14 at (more)...

Vernon Kay has pulled out of a new TV show because it was too "crazy". The 'Family Fortunes' star was due to co-host 'Sing If You Can' with Stacey Solomon but after filming a pilot for the programme - which will feature celebrities including Boyzone's Mikey Graham, Jedward and Chesney Hawkes sing while being distracted by a series of random events such as having their chests waxed or objects thrown at them - agreed with producers that a different choice of host would be more suitable. A source told The Sun newspaper: "Vern would never describe himself as a serious sort of...

After playing radio jockey, anchor-presenter, theatre artist and actor in showbiz, Roshan Abbas has now turned director and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has produced his directorial debut 'Always Kabhi Kabhi'. He says is it was a happy accident in Dubai. <p /><p>'I was anchoring a live event with Shah Rukh in Dubai. We had some time before the show and he asked me what I was doing. I said that I have written a script and am looking forward to making a film,' Abbas told Ians. </p><p>'I said it's a strange script, it doesn't require big actors but needs a big production house. I said the film is about teenagers, but I want to do the film in a big way. It needs a big producer but freshers in the cast. He said we would talk about it in India,' Abbas told Ians in an interview. </p><p>For the first-time director,...