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Strictly Come Dancing Star AJ Odudu Admits She Was Previously Rejected By The Show

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Strictly Come Dancing star AJ Odudu has revealed she was previously turned down by the show a year before signing up for her series.

AJ was one of the first celebs to be announced for Strictly in 2021, and was a frontrunner throughout the show thanks to her impressive moves.

However, the Big Breakfast host has admitted that her journey to the Strictly dance floor wasn’t exactly a smooth one.

“I asked them in 2020 if I could do it and they said no,” she told The Sun.

“There are always those people that get asked every year and say: ‘I just haven’t found the time.’ That was not me – I had not been asked every year!”

AJ went on to say that she believes she manifested her involvement in last year’s run.

AJ posing with her Strictly partner Kai Widdrington
AJ posing with her Strictly partner Kai Widdrington

Ray Burmiston/BBC via PA Media

“I really do manifest hard,” she explained. “I spoke it into existence to the point that it actually happened.

“At the beginning of 2021, I sat down with my agent and said: ‘I want to do Strictly Come Dancing. I have to do it.’ And I could see myself doing it.”

Throughout the series, AJ received high scores from the judges and praise from viewers, making it all the way to the final alongside Rose Ayling-Ellis and John Whaite.

Unfortunately, she was forced to pull out at the eleventh hour due to an injury.

Admitting she felt “really angry at my ankle” at first, AJ told The Sun she coped by trying to focus on the positives.

“I was disappointed. And then I did a U-turn and thought: ‘You did what you needed to do. You got me as far as I needed to get’,” she said.

“I was literally living the dream. Strictly was an overwhelmingly positive experience. It was the first time that I was introduced to a whole new audience of people who were accepting me for me — flaws and all. That felt really special.

“Ultimately, I was part of Strictly in the most inclusive year that has ever been. I feel really honoured to get to know Rose and John and the whole cast. I feel like I’ve got a wider family now. And I feel really lucky, even though it didn’t end the way that I wanted it to, that I was able to learn to dance and be myself.”

Kai and AJ performing one of their show-stopping routines
Kai and AJ performing one of their show-stopping routines

Guy Levy/BBC via PA Media

After serving as the UK’s points announcer during the Eurovision Song Contest earlier this month, AJ will now be seen in action as the new host of Channel 4’s The Bridge.

It was also confirmed this week that she and comedian Mo Gilligan will front a new incarnation of The Big Breakfast, having previously won praise when they presented a one-off reboot as part of Channel 4’s Black To Front initiaitve last year.

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Paul Hollywood Admits Fame Has Turned Him Into A ‘Hermit’: ‘I Don’t Trust People Anymore’

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Paul Hollywood has opened up about the impact of fame on his personal life, admitting he now finds it difficult to trust other people.

The Great British Bake Off star is the only member of the current cast to have appeared in every series, as well as crossing the pond to judge various American versions of the show.

As a result of this, he’s arguably become Bake Off’s most recognisable figure, though he has admitted this has come with its setbacks.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Times (£), Paul admitted he had issues with paparazzi photographers coming to his home – even during lockdown.

“The paps didn’t care about the rules – they still came to my house,” he said. “They waited on the drive till I took the bins out and then it was, ‘Oi, Hollywood, you c***!’ or, ‘You Scouse t***!’. They need you to look up. What they really want is to get the angry shot. Well, I wouldn’t give it to them.

“And one time I caught the abuse on my doorbell camera and gave it to the police. They told the photographer if he came back he’d be arrested.”

When Bake Off made the jump from the BBC to Channel 4, Paul was famously the only member of the on-screen team to stay with the show, with reports in the press claiming his salary had been bumped up as a result of the move.

Paul with Bake Off co-stars Prue Leith, Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding
Paul with Bake Off co-stars Prue Leith, Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding

via PA Features Archive/Press Association Images

“I was called every name under the sun,” he recalled of that period. “It was so horrendous, I actually cried. No one wants to be painted as the pantomime villain, especially when I was just sticking with a job I loved. But you can’t kick against it.

“David Walliams actually took me aside and said, ‘Mate, it’s just a game. Enjoy it.’ You’re clickbait, basically. But it hurt me. After a while, though, I got tough. I just thought, ‘OK, I’ll be your bad guy’.”

On how fame has affected him, he continued: “I don’t trust people anymore. I’m really wary of who gets close and I never used to be like that. In fact, I’m a hermit, whereas I used to be the life and soul of the party.

“I was always first down the bowling alley. But now quite often someone suggests going out and I’ll say, ‘Yeah, I’ll be there,’ and I don’t go.”

Paul added: “There is no school that tells you how to deal with being in the public eye. And however much you think you’re not going to change, it’s impossible to stay the same. I defy anyone to do it.”

Paul in the Bake Off tent during a previous Christmas special
Paul in the Bake Off tent during a previous Christmas special

C4/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon via Press Association Images

Earlier this year, Paul was back in action with his fellow judge Prue Leith for the latest edition of the celebrity version of Bake Off.

The duo will be joined by Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding when the long-running reality show returns to Channel 4 for its baker’s dozen 13th season later in the year.

Read Paul Hollywood’s full interview in The Times (£) here.

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Piers Morgan Addresses Claims Guest Was Briefed On What Not To Say On His ‘Uncensored’ Show

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Piers Morgan has dismissed claims that a guest on his supposedly “Uncensored” show was briefed by producers on what not to say on air.

Earlier this week, the divisive host was joined by comedian and political activist Kate Smurthwaite for a discussion about one of Piers’ favourite topics (yes, that would be the Duchess of Sussex).

However, after her segment on Piers Morgan Uncensored aired, Kate said that her appearance on the show wasn’t quite as uncensored as its name suggested.

She tweeted on Thursday night: “Today in #MyLifeIsWeird I’m sat in the green room for Piers Morgan UNCENSORED (the producer has just told me at least three things NOT to say on air LOL #ActuallyCensored) when the other guest arrives who will be on for the second half of the show. It’s JOAN COLLINS…”

Piers soon contested this version of events, tweeting back 45 minutes later: “I just checked and nobody tried to censor you – we don’t censor guests, that’s the point of the show.”

“Yes I was,” Kate then responded. “Great, have me on again and I’ll say all the things I was told not to say.”

In a follow-up column in The Mirror, Kate claimed: “The producer pencilled the slot into my diary last week and rang in the morning to let me know what topics would be discussed and ask what my views were. Standard procedure.

“After their morning meeting, I had a confirmation call too. They were looking forward to having me on. The only thing was… they’d like me not to mention a couple of the things I had said in our earlier conversation. A remarkable request for a show that is literally called ‘uncensored’.”

She continued: “They didn’t want me to get ‘too personal’ with Morgan. They didn’t want me criticising or seeking to explain his ‘vindictive obsession’ with [Meghan Markle].

“The main thing they didn’t want me to say was: ‘You know that no matter how many hours you spend slagging her off, she’s still not going to shag you?’. True. Funny. Insightful. What’s not to love?”

Kate Smurthwaite on stage
Kate Smurthwaite on stage

Andrew Aitchison via Getty Images

Referring to Piers’ tweet, Kate added: “If, as he has subsequently claimed on Twitter, there was no effort to censor me, his producers would not have warned me beforehand to not get ‘too personal’ with Piers when discussing the topic of Meghan.

“I’d like to discuss his childish obsession with Markle. And then whilst I’m about it his nasty attitude towards some other celebrities and the way that the right wing media will cry censorship when it suits them and participate in the exact same thing when it doesn’t. I’ve got plenty to say.”

HuffPost UK has contacted Talk TV for comment.

Piers at the TRIC Awards last year
Piers at the TRIC Awards last year

Mike Marsland via Getty Images

Piers Morgan Uncensored debuted last month with a much-publicised interview with former US president Donald Trump.

In the weeks since its launch, reports have claimed that viewing figures for Piers’ show have taken a nosedive, with other programmes on Talk TV reportedly recording no audience at all at some points.

Amid reports of struggling ratings at Talk TV, Piers previously tweeted: “Linear TV [is] increasingly irrelevant [compared] to total eyeball potential for a global show like this, especially with younger viewers who don’t really watch TV any more.”

However, this somewhat contradicts what he repeatedly used to say during his tenure on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, when he would often goad BBC rival Dan Walker over their respective viewing figures.

Piers Morgan Uncensored certainly lived up to its name last month, when one interviewee dropped the C-bomb live on air while referring to the divisive host.

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Gogglebox’s Jenny Newby Updates Fans After Undergoing Surgery

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Gogglebox star Jenny Newby has given fans a health update after her recent surgery, which has caused her to miss most of the current series.

Jenny and her pal Lee Riley have been absent for the past few weeks of Gogglebox, while she recovers from a minor medical procedure.

Speaking on the red carpet at the TV Baftas earlier this month, Lee revealed his close friend has been “not very well” in recent times, saying: “She is having an operation, a mini one. But she is recovering well, though.”

On Friday, Lee posted a clip of himself on his and Jenny’s joint Instagram page, telling followers: “Hi everybody, you’ll never guess who I just bumped into.”

“Hi, it’s me!” Jenny announced, with Lee celebrating that his BFF was “out of hospital”.

Jenny then said: “I just want to thank you all for your kind ‘get well’ wishes, they’ve really cheered me up. Thank you very much.”

She went on to confirm she’d be out of action for the rest of the current series of Gogglebox, but would be back when the show returns to our screens in the autumn.

“I’m looking forward to seeing you all in series 20,” Jenny said, while Lee added: “September, guys. We’ll be back! Have a lovely summer everybody!”

“I hope you get tanned!” she then added. “Bye my loves!”

The post received a lot of love from other members of the Gogglebox cast, including Izzi Warner, who wrote: “Glad to see you’re feeling better Jenny lots of love.”

Her sister Ellie agreed: “So glad to see you looking so well Jenny! Lots of love.”

Meanwhile, Mica Vee commented: “Sending lots of love from Meesh and Marky.”

Jenny and Lee have been Gogglebox favourites since 2014
Jenny and Lee have been Gogglebox favourites since 2014

Lee and Jenny have become one of the hit Channel 4 show’s most popular pairings, offering their critiques on the week’s telly from the sofa in Lee’s caravan since 2014.

Now into its 19th series, Gogglebox airs on Friday nights at 9pm on Channel 4.

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Meghan Markle Donates Food In Uvalde Following School Shooting

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Meghan Markle was spotted in Ulvade, Texas on Thursday, just days after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at a local elementary school.

The California-based Duchess of Sussex donated food at a community center that was hosting a blood drive, and laid flowers at a memorial for the shooting victims, according to BuzzFeed News.

Blood drive volunteers told the news site that Markle quietly visited the center’s kitchen to drop off two large crates filled with sandwiches, drinks and desserts for blood donors.

“I had no idea who she was. She just was carrying on a conversation like her and I knew each other for years,” volunteer Gloria Contreras told BuzzFeed. “We were just talking about, you know, the situation and what happened what we were doing here.”

A representative for Markle confirmed to several news outlets that the duchess visited Uvalde in a “personal capacity as a mother” to offer her condolences to the community.

Meghan Markle placed flowers at a makeshift memorial outside Uvalde County Courthouse in Uvalde, Texas, on May 26.

CHANDAN KHANNA via Getty Images

Meghan Markle placed flowers at a makeshift memorial outside Uvalde County Courthouse in Uvalde, Texas, on May 26.
A representative of Markle said the duchess visited Uvalde in a “personal capacity as a mother."

Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

A representative of Markle said the duchess visited Uvalde in a “personal capacity as a mother.”

“She was just really sweet,” another volunteer, Georjean Burnell, told BuzzFeed News. “She just kind of walked in with her crew and started putting ice waters in the bucket with us and laying out chips for the people who were needing snacks before and after donating.”

“It’s funny, we didn’t even know it was her until after she left and now we’re so sad,” Burnell added. “I mean, to be honest, we thought she was our neighbour.”

A number of people remain hospitalised after the shooting. Uvalde Memorial Hospital received 17 children, two of whom were dead on arrival, a hospital executive told reporters earlier this week. Several patients were also transported to University Hospital in San Antonio, which is roughly 80 miles from Uvalde.

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Ricky Gervais Defends ‘Taboo’ Comedy Following Backlash Over ‘Dangerous’ Jokes About Trans People In Netflix Special

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Ricky Gervais has attempted to defend his style of comedy after he faced a backlash over jokes he makes about the trans community in his new Netflix special

The After Life creator’s newest show SuperNature began streaming earlier this week, and was quickly condemned over the material in his stand-up set, which also includes jokes about AIDS and female comedians.

SuperNature opens with Gervais telling the audience that his jokes are intended to be “ironic”.

He then goes on to refer to cisgender women as “old-fashioned women… the ones with wombs, those fucking dinosaurs”, before making disparaging comments about trans women.

The set then includes an imagined conversation between a cis woman objecting to sharing a toilet with trans women, including a joke about rape.

Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais

Vera Anderson via Getty Images

During an appearance on The One Show, the comic defended making jokes about “taboo subjects”.

“I think that’s what comedy is for, really – to get us through stuff, and I deal in taboo subjects because I want to take the audience to a place it hasn’t been before, even for a split second,” he said.

“Most offence comes from when people mistake the subject of a joke with the actual target.”

He continued: “It starts and they go, what’s he going to say? I tell the joke. Phew, they laugh.

“It’s like a parachute jump – it’s scary, but then you land and it’s all OK.

“I think that’s what comedy is for – getting us over taboo subjects so they’re not scary any more. So I deal with everything. And I think we second guess the audience too much.”

However, US LGBT rights group Glaad labelled the show “dangerous”, “anti-gay” and “anti trans” after its release on Tuesday.

“We watched the Ricky Gervais ‘comedy’ special on Netflix so you don’t have to,” they said. “It’s full of graphic, dangerous, anti-trans rants masquerading as jokes. He also spouts anti-gay rhetoric and spreads inaccurate information about HIV.

“Netflix has a policy that content ‘designed to incite hate or violence’ is not allowed on their platform, but we all know that anti-LGBTQ content does exactly that. While Netflix is home to some groundbreaking LGBTQ shows, it refuses to enforce its own policy in comedy.

“The LGBTQ community and our allies have made it very clear that so-called comedians who spew hate in place of humor, and the media companies who give them a platform, will be held accountable. Meanwhile, there are PLENTY of funny LGBTQ comedians to support.”

Gervais’ remarks have also been heavily criticised on social media, including by many comedians on Twitter.

Many also took the opportunity to repost an old set from British comic James Acaster, lampooning established comedians for taking aim at the trans community.

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Netflix previously came under fire over comments featured in Dave Chappelle’s stand-up special towards the end of last year.

During his show The Closer, he argued that “gender is a fact” and said he was “team TERF”, an acronym for trans-exclutionary radical feminist.

HuffPost UK has contacted representatives for Ricky Gervais and Netflix for comment.

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