Bruno Tonioli Speaks Out About His Decision To Leave Strictly: ‘The Schedule Was Insane’

Posted on 23/07/2022 by Boris Clair

Bruno Tonioli has spoken out about his decision to leave Strictly Come Dancing, admitting it was a “miracle” he lasted 18 years on the judging panel.

The 66-year-old Italian dancer and choreographer had been a judge since the BBC dance show launched in 2004.

In May he announced he was quitting the show for good to focus on his judging role on the US version of the show, Dancing With The Stars.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Bruno spoke candidly about his decision to leave Strictly and focus on his working commitments in America.

“There is no animosity, it was a mutual decision with both of us saying, ‘Listen, this is not going to work like it used to’,” he explained.

Bruno has held a spot on the Dancing With The Stars panel since its launch in 2005, resulting in frequent flying back and forth between the UK and the US while both shows were running.

“I just couldn’t do the flying any more,” he said.

“I don’t know how I survived that schedule. To be honest, it’s a miracle.”

He added: “I have no idea what it did to my health, don’t go there!”

Anton Du Beke was announced as Bruno’s replacement in May, following his success as a temporary replacement for him during the 2021 series as a result of Covid-19 pandemic travel restrictions.

Former Strictly pro Anton Du Beke has replaced Bruno on the judging panel.

Bruno also faced difficulties while appearing on the show in 2020, after pandemic travel uncertainty meant he could appear only via video-link to give his verdict on the performances during the Sunday night results show.

To illustrate the toll the “insane” schedule took on him, Bruno reflected on a scary moment during a live Strictly show, saying: “There was a moment in the middle of a run when I blanked.

“I did not know where I was or what I was doing.

“It only lasted a second, then I saw the audience looking at me and it all came back to me.”

He went on to explain the added stress of maintaining his flamboyant character while on air: “I’m playing a character. My accent becomes stronger, the facial expressions and body movements become bigger.”

He added: “You have to pump yourself up and keep it up for two hours. That’s so hard when you have all the added stress of the travel.”

Despite the difficulties of balancing his judging commitments, Bruno was clear that above all else Strictly had been a life-changing, positive experience. He said: “Strictly changed my life, it was like being born again.

“I was a successful choreographer but this was like going back to the beginning as a performer. I loved it.”

Bruno also spoke warmly about his successor and, reflecting on Anton Du Beke’s judging role during 2021, said: “He did a very good job because he made it his own.”

When asked if he felt in any way jealous of Anton, Tonioli said: “You don’t think like that.

“It’s like James Bond, right? You have Sean Connery and Daniel Craig but they are both still Bond.”

Strictly Come Dancing 2022: From Start Date To Line-Up, Here’s What To Expect

Posted on 23/07/2022 by Boris Clair

It might seem slightly unbelievable, but Strictly season is nearly upon us once again as a brand new set of set of celebrities get ready to sashay onto that famous dancefloor.

As such, various details about the forthcoming 20th series have already started trickling in, which is doing nothing to slow down our excitement for its return.

Here’s what we know so far about Strictly Come Dancing 2022…

When is Strictly likely to start then?

Going by last year’s series – which returned to its regular length after a shorter run in 2020 owing to Covid – the launch show looks likely to air on 17 September, with the live shows then beginning on 24 September. Of course, the BBC will confirm air dates in due course.

For the last two years, the show has broken with its previous tradition taking a two-week break in between the pre-recorded launch show and the main competition kicking off, instead showing it the week before.

However, last year the launch – which sees the stars find out who their celebrity partner is – was still recorded a few weeks prior to airing in order to allow the couples to begin training.

Who is taking part?

Some of Strictly's rumoured celebrities for 2022 — Some of Strictly’s rumoured celebrities for 2022

Rumours about who will be taking to the floor have been coming in thick and fast in recent weeks, with many famous faces linked to a spot on the show.

These include former Coronation Street star Kym Marsh, TV chef Gino D’Acampo, Olympic diver Tom Daley, Radio 2’s Richie Anderson, rugby star Mike Tindall, and Packed Lunch host Steph McGovern.

Take a look at a full round up of the rumoured stars here.

However, the BBC is yet to officially unveil any contestants – with announcements likely to start in early-to-mid August.

Who is on the judging panel?

Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke

After standing in for Bruno Tonioli last year, Anton Du Beke has been confirmed as his permanent replacement as a judge on Strictly, this year.

Bruno has been absent from the panel for the last two series owing to pandemic travel restrictions, and has since decided to leave Strictly in order to focus solely on his judging role on the US version of the show.

Once again, Anton will sit alongside returning panellists Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and head judge Shirley Ballas.

What about the professional dancers?

Carlos Gu; Lauren Oakley; Michelle Tsiakkas; Vito Coppola

The show will have the biggest line-up of professional dancers in its history when it returns, after welcoming four new pros into the fold.

European cup winner Vito Coppola, Chinese National Champion Carlos Gu, former Under 21 British National Champion Lauren Oakley and Latin dance champion Michelle Tsiakkas are all joining the line-up.

Their arrivals follow the exits of fan favourites Oti Mabuse and Aljaž Škorjanec, who both announced they were standing down as pros earlier this year.

Vito recently competed in and won Ballando con le Stelle, the Italian version of Strictly, while Lauren recently appeared alongside Strictly regulars Giovanni Pernice and Anton Du Beke in their national tours.

Michelle Tsiakkas has also starred alongside a number of Strictly pros in the stage show Burn The Floor.

The new foursome join returning dancers Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Graziano Di Prima, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Cameron Lombard, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Giovanni Pernice, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington and Nancy Xu.

Who is presenting?

Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly are expected to return as hosts

While it has not yet been officially confirmed, it is widely expected that long-standing hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will be back at the helm of this year’s Strictly.

Will there be a live audience this year?

Over the last two years, there has been a heavily reduced studio audience.

In 2020, this was due to social distancing restrictions and subsequent national lockdowns. While there were no Covid laws in place last year, bosses kept the reduced audience in a bid to protect the stars on the show from catching the virus and forcing them to miss a week of the competition.

However, it has been reported bosses are planning to welcome back a full studio audience for 2022.

Claudia Winkleman later said during an appearance on The One Show: “Hopefully, we’re really hoping that we’re allowed an audience.”

What about Blackpool?

There hasn't been a Blackpool special since 2019 — There hasn’t been a Blackpool special since 2019

Likewise, it has been claimed the show is hoping to return to Blackpool for its annual special from the iconic Tower Ballroom after a two-year hiatus.

The BBC is yet to confirm plans, however.

And what’s this about a Buckingham Palace special?

There could be a special from inside Buckingham Palace

In June, The Sun claimed the BBC has been invited by the royal family to air a live show from the palace later this year.

Reports suggest either the semi or quarter-final of the series could be broadcast from the residence’s ballroom.

Neither the BBC or the Palace has commented on the reports, but Anton Du Beke recently welcomed the idea.

During an appearance on Good Morning Britain, he said: ”[The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall] have been great fans of the show over the years.

“I would love to say yes. I don’t know about the show, I hope so. I would like to go and have a dance with someone.”

What about It Takes Two?

Last year’s series saw former pro dancer Janette Manrara replace Zoe Ball as one of the hosts of the daily BBC Two spin-off It Takes Two.

While no details about the 2022 series have been announced so far, it is expected she will return alongside co-host Rylan Clark.

Liz Truss’s Economic Guru Says Her Tax Plans Will Send Interest Rates Soaring

Posted on 23/07/2022 by Boris Clair

Liz Truss’s plans to cut taxes would lead to interest rates rising to up to seven per cent, according to her economic guru.

Professor Patrick Minford said higher rates – which would send monthly mortgage repayments soaring – were “a good thing” for the economy.

At the moment, the Bank of England interest rate is 1.25 per cent.

Earlier this week, Truss said Minford supported her plans to reverse the increase in national insurance and halt a planned rise in corporation tax, despite warnings they could lead to higher inflation.

Former chancellor Rishi Sunak, Truss’s rival for the Tory leadership, has insisted that taxes should only come down once inflation is under control.

But in an interview with The Times, Minford said: “If we raise corporation tax we’ll kill off growth.

“It’s crazy to try to begin getting the debt-to-GDP ratio down five minutes after Covid. Borrowing is actually something that allows you to pursue the right policies and not be blown off course by temporary shocks.”

On warnings that tax cuts will lead to higher interest rates to bring down inflation, he said: “Yes, interest rates have to go up and it’s a good thing.

“A normal level is more like 5-7 per cent and I don’t think it will be any bad thing if we got back to that level.”

Minford added: “If you’ve got incredibly low interest rates you kill off savings and create febrile markets with a lot of zombie companies surviving because it costs them nothing to borrow.

“It’s right that a healthy economy should have a decent interest rate. That’s certainly one thing I want to see.”

A Truss campaign source told The Times: “Patrick Minford has no formal involvement in Liz’s campaign.

“Liz’s absolute priority is tackling the cost of living and getting our economy growing faster. We can’t have business-as-usual economic policy.”

Paddy And Christine McGuinness Announce Split After 11 Years Of Marriage

Posted on 22/07/2022 by Boris Clair

Paddy and Christine McGuinness have publicly announced they have separated after 11 years of marriage.

In a joint statement posted on Instagram Stories, the couple revealed they had made the decision to part ways “a while ago”.

However, Paddy and Christine – who married in 2011 after four years of dating – are still living together with their three children, daughter Felicity and twins Penelope and Leo.

“We hadn’t planned on sharing this publicly until we were ready but after the lack of privacy surrounding our personal life, we feel left with no other option but to clarify,” the Top Gear presenter and former The Real Housewives Of Cheshire cast member said, referring to recent speculation about their marriage in the tabloid press.

“A while ago we took the difficult decision to separate but our main focus as always is to continue loving and supporting our children.

“This was not an easy decision to make but we’re moving forward as the best parents we can be for our three beautiful children.

“We’ll always be a loving family, we still have a great relationship and still live happily in our family home together.

“We hope this now draws a line under any more unwanted and unnecessary intrusion into our private life. Although we work in the public eye we ask kindly if you could respect our wishes for privacy on this matter.”

The couple met in 2007 at the Liverpool Tennis Tournament, and got married at Thornton Manor in Cheshire in June 2011.

In December, the couple, whose three children all have autism, shone a light on the condition in a BBC documentary, Our Family And Autism.

Christine subsequently received a diagnosis at the age of 33, describing it as “a huge relief” that helped her understand “why I am the way I am”.

EU Launches Fresh Legal Action Against The UK Over Northern Ireland Protocol Breaches

Posted on 22/07/2022 by Boris Clair

Brussels has launched fresh legal action against the UK for failing to comply with aspects of the controversial Northern Ireland protocol.

The European Commission said it was bringing four new claims against the UK despite “repeated calls” on the government to implement the agreement on trade between Britain and Northern Ireland.

It comes in addition to infringement claims lodged in response to the UK’s refusal to carry out checks on certain agrifoods.

Relations between the government and the EU were made even worse by the introduction of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which would give ministers the power to unilaterally over-ride key parts of the agreement.

Critics have said that would be a breach of international law, something the government denies.

The commission said in a statement: “Despite repeated calls by the European parliament, the 27 EU member states and the European Commission to implement the protocol, the UK government has failed to do so.

“In a spirit of constructive co-operation, the commission refrained from launching certain infringement procedures for over a year to create the space to look for joint solutions with the UK.

“However, the UK’s unwillingness to engage in meaningful discussion since last February and the continued passage of the Northern Ireland protocol bill through the UK parliament go directly against this spirit.”

The UK has been at loggerheads with the EU over aspects of the protocol — the mechanism that has prevented a hard border on the island of Ireland by keeping Northern Ireland in the single market — since its inception.

This means that goods entering Northern Ireland from mainland Britain must undergo checks.

The government says customs checks are disrupting trade and causing delays, as well as causing problems with those who do not want the province to be treated differently from Britain.

At the core of the Northern Ireland Bill are plans to simplify checks on goods travelling between Britain and the province by creating so-called green and red lanes.

Goods that enter Northern Ireland from mainland Britain, and are destined to stay there, would enter the green lane where there would be no checks and minimal paperwork, which is frustrating businesses.

Goods that move from Britain to Ireland would have to use a red lane, where checks would be applied at Northern Ireland ports. This is so the EU can be certain that goods entering its market are compatible with the its trade rules.

The Northern Ireland protocol bill cleared its final stages in the Commons just days ago by 267 votes to 195 and will be sent to the House of Lords in the autumn.

A government spokesperson said: “It is disappointing that the EU has chosen to bring forward further legal action, particularly on goods leaving Northern Ireland for Great Britain which self-evidently present no risk to the EU single market.

“A legal dispute is in nobody’s interest and will not fix the problems facing the people and businesses of Northern Ireland. The EU is left no worse off as a result of the proposals we have made in the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill.

“We will review the EU’s arguments and respond in due course. ”

Lorraine Kelly Planning Tattoo Tribute To Dame Deborah James

Posted on 21/07/2022 by Boris Clair

Lorraine Kelly and other friends of Dame Deborah James are planning to get matching tattoos to honour the late cancer campaigner and podcast host.

Deborah, known to her one million online followers as Bowelbabe, died last month from bowel cancer at the age of 40.

She had been a regular guest on Lorraine’s ITV show, and as the presenter discussed her friend’s funeral – which took place on Wednesday – she revealed she will be getting a permanent tribute.

“There was a whole bunch of us that said we’re going to get tattoos with Rebellious Hope on them,” Lorraine said on Thursday, referring to a phrase that became synonymous with Dame Deborah.

“I think I agreed to that! We’re just deciding where they’re going to be.”

She added: “We might have to film that, I think that’s going to happen.”

Deborah had been a regular guest on Lorraine's ITV show, seen here in 2018 — Deborah had been a regular guest on Lorraine’s ITV show, seen here in 2018

During the same segment on her show, Lorraine discussed Deborah’s funeral, which she attended.

“There were a lot of tears and there really was genuinely a lot of laughs too, so it was great,” Lorraine said.

“She planned it all and it was perfection, as you would expect.”

She continued: “I was very honoured to be there with some of our team. It was a beautiful beautiful send-off, it was so lovely and it was sad but it was also a celebration of a wonderful wonderful woman.”

Lorraine discussed attending Dame Deborah's funeral on her show on Thursday — Lorraine discussed attending Dame Deborah’s funeral on her show on Thursday

Dame Deborah’s friends and family gathered to celebrate her life during an intimate service at St Mary’s Church in Barnes, west London.

Her coffin arrived in a vintage Rolls-Royce hearse with more than a dozen members of her family walking in procession behind, and it was adorned with the rose that was named after her.

Lorraine airs weekdays at 9am on ITV.

4 Bits Of News You May Have Missed Due To The Tory Civil War

Posted on 21/07/2022 by Boris Clair

It’s difficult to stay across all of the news at the best of times, never mind when a Tory civil war is unfolding.

Boris Johnson’s resignation and the battle for his place in No.10 has definitely dominated the news cycle for the last two weeks.

And while the appointment of the new prime minster is important, the government turmoil means other stories may have slipped under the radar.

So here are four other bits of news that you may have missed.

1. Russia makes progress in Ukraine

On Thursday, Russia targeted a densely populated area in Kharkiv, killing at least two people and injuring 21 more. It looks as though the shelling him a market, a bus stop, a gym and a residential building.

It comes after Moscow’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Russia was expanding its military objectives in Ukraine on Wednesday.

This means it is essentially looking to take control of the entire southern regions of Ukraine, and that the Russian Armed Forces are moving beyond the so-called “People’s Republics” of Donestk and Luhansk in the east.

The invasion is now in its fifth month, and continues to take much longer than Russia initially predicted. But, despite the slow start and the strong resistance from Ukrainian forces and the repelling of Russian troops from other corners of the country (including the capital Kyiv), it seems Putin is not giving up.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted in response to the expansion of the Kremlin’s military aims that “Russians want blood, not talks”, and called for more help from allies.

Lavrov has warned the West that the Kremlin will continue expanding its objectives if Nato allies continue supplying the country with long-range weapons.

2. Worker strikes continue

The summer of discontent is still rolling on, with Royal Mail workers voting to go on strike over pay on Tuesday.

More than 115,000 employees who are part of the Communication Workers Union supported the action, which – if it goes ahead – could amount to the largest walkout ever by its members.

When Royal Mail tweeted that it was “disappointed” by the strike action, the CWU replied: “Dry your eyes mate.”

Disputes over pay are affecting industries across the UK, with railway workers and airport employees pushing back against their current salaries due to the cost of living crisis.

CWU is just one of many unions to ballot for strikes recently, as inflation climbs to highest rate in 40 years.

3. Annual grocery bills climb by £454

Shoppers across the UK will soon see their annual grocery bills for the year jump up by £454 due to food and drink inflation.

Grocery price inflation increased to 9.9% in the four weeks leading up to July 10, according to retail research firm Kantar, having been at 8.3% the previous month.

Fuel costs and supply chain issues are being passed onto consumers.

Fraser McKevitt, the head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, told PA news agency that he expects the record for grocery inflation to be broken “come August”.

4. NHS not coping with Covid

While the worst of the heatwave has passed (for now), the health service is still having to grapple with Covid infections, more than two years on from the first lockdown.

Editor of the British Medical Journal, Dr Kamran Abbasi, and Health Service Journal editor, Alastair McLellan, wrote an alarming editorial on Monday, warning that the NHS might buckle under the ongoing Covid pressures.

This is down a range of factors, including periods of underfunding over the last decade, “lack of an adequate workforce plan” and “a cowardly and short-sighted failure to undertake social care reform”.

Now, it seems the government’s “living with Covid” strategy might be the final straw with yet another wave of infections washing across the UK.

Abbasi and McLellan claimed that the government is “pretending it is not happening or implying it is all under control”, and said the health service was actually “dying” from Covid.

They called for the government to “stop gaslighting the public” and be honest that the pandemic is still very much looming over the NHS.

Boris Johnson Says Voters Were Right To ‘Trust’ Him In 2,584 Word Goodbye Essay

Posted on 21/07/2022 by Boris Clair

Boris Johnson has said he is “proud” of his time as prime minister and that people were right to “trust” him when they voted Conservative in 2019.

In a 2,584 word written statement to parliament published on Thursday, Johnson listed what he saw as his achievements in office over the last three years.

Parliament breaks for its summer recess and when it returns Johnson is due to have been replaced as Tory leader.

Unless there is an emergency during August, the statement is likely to be his last to parliament as prime minister.

“I am proud of our record in office since 2019. I remain determined that we continue to deliver in our final weeks,” he said.

“I know that the Conservative government that follows after us will do what its predecessors have always done and meet the challenges of the day by serving the British people.”

Johnson said his government had “focused relentlessly on delivery” and that the lengthy defence “puts on record why the millions of people who voted Conservative in 2019, many for the first time, were right to place their trust in me”.

The prime minister was removed as Tory leader largely because his own MPs and cabinet said they could no longer trust him.

The PM’s list of achievements, as seen by him, include having “got Brexit done” and having successfully “guided the country” through Covid.

He said his government had “acted on every front” when it came to “bringing down crime, strengthening our health system, sorting out social care and improving our schools”.

Leak Inquiry Launched Over Briefings Against Penny Mordaunt

Posted on 20/07/2022 by Boris Clair

The head of the civil service has launched an inquiry into leaks allegedly designed to damage Penny Mordaunt’s leadership campaign.

Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, launched the probe after papers drawn up by civil servants made their way into a Sunday Times story.

The paper claimed the documents suggest she backed watering down the legal process for transitioning when she was equalities minister.

Her team fiercely rebutted the story, saying the contest was being distracted by side issues. Mordaunt’s campaign has been the subject of a number of briefings that she has described as “toxic”.

Case has promised the investigation will be completed “as quickly as possible” given the “importance” of the subject.

David Davis, who is supporting Mordaunt’s run to be prime minister, wrote to the government equalities office demanding to know how the policy paper was released.

In a letter to Tory MP Davis, Case said: “Thank you for your letter of 17 July, raising your concerns about the apparent leaking of information designed to influence the Conservative leadership election.

“I have been very clear in writing with the civil service that it is paramount that public resources are not used to support leadership campaigns during the Conservative Party leadership election.

“Further to that, unauthorised disclosure of government information to the media is clearly inappropriate.

“In light of these facts and the concerns you raise, I can confirm that I have launched a leak investigation into this matter.

“The investigation will be completed as quickly as possible given the importance of the subject.”

Mordaunt herself has accused her Conservative leadership rivals of mounting a smear campaign against her and condemned “toxic” briefings from rival camps.

In response to the original story, Baroness Williams of Trafford, the equalities minister from 2018 to 2020, refuted the allegations, saying: “I feel compelled to issue a statement to challenge the factually incorrect representations put forward by leadership candidates in relation to Penny Mordaunt MP’s position and tenure at the equalities office.

“The events relayed at the hustings and repeated again to the media today in relation to the self-ID debate are completely incorrect.

“As minister for equalities in the department under both Penny Mordaunt and Amber Rudd I saw first hand that the position stated was absolutely not Penny Mordaunt’s and completely refute the allegations made by other candidates about the self ID debate.

“Having sat in the equalities office for many years, I am shocked to see such incorrect reporting and briefings by our colleagues and would question the motives of those seeking to do so.”

Tory MPs voted on the PM’s successor on Wednesday afternoon, with the result announced by Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers, at 4pm.

The final two candidates will then be put to party members to make the final decision, with the winner announced on September 5.

Theresa May Stages Silent Protest Against Boris Johnson As He Leaves His Final PMQs

Posted on 20/07/2022 by Boris Clair

Theresa May suggested there was no love lost between her and Boris Johnson on Wednesday when she refused to clap him while he left the Commons.

While almost every Tory MP stood, clapped and cheered as Johnson left the despatch box for his final time as PM, one among them stood out.

Footage from ITV’s Shehab Khan showed that May stayed sitting, even looking the other way as Johnson departed.

After a few seconds, she did stand, and stared after Johnson. Once the benches around her started whistling, she folded her arms and looked on after the prime minister.

May was actually forced out of Downing Street by her own party, much like Johnson, but the two have come to blows in the past.

She appointed him as her foreign secretary back in 2018, although they clashed over Brexit as Johnson repeatedly tried to make her take a more hardline approach with the EU.

May wasn’t the only person who held back from applauding Johnson upon his exit – Labour refused to clap at all.

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Bruno Tonioli Speaks Out About His Decision To Leave Strictly: ‘The Schedule Was Insane’

Strictly Come Dancing 2022: From Start Date To Line-Up, Here’s What To Expect

When is Strictly likely to start then?

Who is taking part?

Who is on the judging panel?

What about the professional dancers?

Who is presenting?

Will there be a live audience this year?

What about Blackpool?

And what’s this about a Buckingham Palace special?

What about It Takes Two?

Liz Truss’s Economic Guru Says Her Tax Plans Will Send Interest Rates Soaring

Paddy And Christine McGuinness Announce Split After 11 Years Of Marriage

EU Launches Fresh Legal Action Against The UK Over Northern Ireland Protocol Breaches

Lorraine Kelly Planning Tattoo Tribute To Dame Deborah James

4 Bits Of News You May Have Missed Due To The Tory Civil War

1. Russia makes progress in Ukraine

2. Worker strikes continue

3. Annual grocery bills climb by £454

4. NHS not coping with Covid

Boris Johnson Says Voters Were Right To ‘Trust’ Him In 2,584 Word Goodbye Essay

Leak Inquiry Launched Over Briefings Against Penny Mordaunt

Theresa May Stages Silent Protest Against Boris Johnson As He Leaves His Final PMQs

When is Strictly likely to start then?

Who is taking part?

Who is on the judging panel?

​​What about the professional dancers?

Who is presenting?

Will there be a live audience this year?

What about Blackpool?

And what’s this about a Buckingham Palace special?

What about It Takes Two?

1. Russia makes progress in Ukraine

2. Worker strikes continue

3. Annual grocery bills climb by £454

4. NHS not coping with Covid

What about the professional dancers?