Category Archives: uktv

Here’s How The Great British Bake-Off Handled This Year’s Heatwaves

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Usually, The Great British Bake-Off is filmed between April and June.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that fans have been wondering whether the most recent batch of bakers would be subjected to multiple record-breaking heatwaves.

The show (partly) addressed the problem directly on its Instagram page on May 27, soon after we saw the hottest May day on record.

“Us filming chocolate week,” they wrote over a clip of the iconic GBBO tent. The video was overlaid with the sound of comedian Peter Kay’s famous bit: “I like it warm, but I don’t like it this warm!”

“It’s always chocolate week when we have a heatwave,” a commenter wrote.

The Mirror reported that the show’s filming is still “underway”, and that its cameras were rolling during the June heatwave, too.

That meant amateur bakers had to continue to work their culinary magic while schools had closed due to the heat, and travellers had been advised to avoid “non-essential” journeys.

Though some fans worried filming would have to stop, the publication confirmed the show went on.

A source from the show told The Mirror, “Every measure that could be taken has been, to make the bakers comfortable. The lighting gaffer from the crew who’s in first every morning, opens up the tent, takes down the sides and gets airflow moving before everyone arrives.

“Earlier in the run, when temperatures were the opposite and it was freezing, he was doing the same thing in reverse, arriving early to put the heaters on and warm the tent up before the bakers and crew got in.

“Production runners have also kept everyone going in the heat by handing out ice lollies to bakers and crew throughout the day.”

Another source reportedly told The Mirror that the tent’s location near a cooling river, and a “welcome” breeze in the final weekend of May, made filming possible.

In 2018, then-hosts Paul Hollywood and Dame Prue Leith shared how heatwaves affect bakers’ creations.

Prue told Rolling Stone conditions were “Worse for the bakers than for us, because we just come in briefly and go out. They’re in there all the time,” while Paul added: “Yeah, chocolate week suffered a little bit. Caramel sugarwork suffered a little bit”.

Ironically, he added, bread week – when warm conditions would have made loaves rise faster – was a little cooler that year.

New host Nigella Lawson has previously said she is “allergic to the sun”, so time will only tell how she handled the hotter temps.

HuffPost UK has reached out to Channel 4 for more details.

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William Rush, Waterloo Road Actor, Dies Aged 31

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Former Waterloo Road actor William Rush has died at the age of 31.

William was best known for his work as Josh Stevenson in the long-running BBC school drama, playing the character for four seasons between 2009 and 2013.

His mother, soap actor Debbie Rush, shared the news on Instagram on Thursday morning, writing that her “beautiful baby boy” had died the previous day.

“As a family, our hearts are completely broken, and there are no words that can truly capture the depth of our loss,” she wrote.

“Even in our darkest moment, William gave the most precious gift of all. Through being an organ donor, he has given hope and life to other families, thinking of others right to the very end. His kindness and love will forever be part of his legacy.”

She added: “We kindly ask that our privacy be respected as we navigate this unimaginable grief. William will always be loved, always missed, and forever in our hearts.”

Debbie signed off her message using the hashtag “#bekind”.

William Rush in character as Josh in Waterloo Road
William Rush in character as Josh in Waterloo Road

William began his career as a child actor, appearing in shows like Grange Hill and Shameless before landing the role of Josh in Waterloo Road.

Throughout his time in the series, William’s character, Josh, was involved in several of the show’s major storylines, including coming to terms with his sexuality, issues with drug addiction and his mental health.

He also appeared in Coronation Street, the same soap in which his mum starred as Anna Windass, and the ITV detective drama in 2014.

William was also a musician and singer, appearing on the talent search The X Factor in 2016, making it through to the infamous “six chair challenge” stage, before being cast in the Australian miniseries Friday On My Mind as the musician George Young, which marked his final on-screen role.

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Richard Gadd Reveals He Cut 1 Baby Reindeer Episode For This Chilling Reason

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Richard Gadd has revealed the reason why one episode of Baby Reindeer didn’t make the final cut.

The British actor and writer achieved international acclaim with the Emmy-winning Netflix miniseries based on his real-life experiences with a stalker, who is portrayed in the series by Jessica Gunning.

It’s no secret that the show features some pretty dark moments, exploring the traumatising impacts of stalking, Donny’s sexual assault and his character’s struggles with sexuality.

Yet this was exactly how Richard envisioned his series, even going so far as to remove one episode entirely because it didn’t match the dark vibe of the show.

Speaking at the Future Visions conference in Melbourne, Australia, the actor explained that TV executives had suggested he make the show lighter.

“I remember when we were developing it, there was the note that kept coming in, and probably rightfully so, about ‘The show is just too dark. You need to give us a respite’,” he said, according to Metro.

That led to an episode where Richard’s character visited his family in Scotland and spent a lot of screen time playing football with his dad.

But Richard noticed during editing that it removed all tension, and found himself, rather ironically, wishing for Martha back.

“When we got to the edit, I thought, ‘You miss her every time she’s not on screen’. And I thought, in a lot of ways, the sooner you get back to her, the better,” he said.

The deleted episode reportedly featured a climactic moment which sees Martha get into Donny’s kitchen, which was instead repurposed as a scene in the rejigged third episode, according to Variety.

The success of Baby Reindeer hasn’t been without controversy, with Richard notably becoming embroiled in a legal battle with the woman claiming she inspired the “Martha” character.

Netflix previously vowed to “defend this matter vigorously”, while insisting they stood by “Richard Gadd’s right to tell his story”.

Back in May, Richard explained that the success of the show has brought its own set of “challenges”.

During a new interview with The Guardian, he admitted: “There have been a lot of challenging moments. The show has reached such an extreme pitch – there have been times when I’ve felt like the pressure was intolerable. It’s been a hurricane.”

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This Iconic UK ’90s Show Has Finally Hit Streaming For The First Time Ever

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Get ready to journey back down memory lane, because Byker Grove is about to be available to binge-watch for the very first time.

All episodes of the iconic 90s kids drama starring Ant and Dec will be on STV Player and ITVX by the end of this year – and the first five seasons are already available to watch on the latter.

The beloved kids’ drama starred Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly as PJ and Duncan, and the pair have been a dynamic duo ever since.

The show aired on BBC One from 1989 to 2006 and followed the lives of youngsters at a Newcastle youth club.

Now ’90s kids and new fans alike will be able to stream the series in full for the first time as part of a deal with Ant & Dec’s production company Mitre Studios.

The show was widely praised over the years for its handling of societal issues like drug addiction, abuse and homophobia, and it also featured the first gay kiss on a UK children’s programme in 1994.

Richard Williams, STV’s Managing Director, Audience: Video & Technology, said in a statement (via Radio Times): “Just when you thought the ’90s revival might have been slowing down, we’ve only gone and brought back one of the seminal TV shows of the decade.

“Byker Grove was an integral part of so many British childhoods and we’re delighted that those original viewers – now of a slightly more mature vintage – can relive all the nostalgic action on STV Player. And if any Gen Z viewers want to find out who really started the baggy trousers trend, look no further than Byker Grove!”

The announcement comes after the presenter duo announced in 2023 that they would be rebooting the classic show, though we’re still waiting for new updates on that.

“Once again it will follow a new generation of young people and their families as they try to navigate the challenges they face today in the 2020s,” the pair teased in their announcement.

After leaving the show, Ant and Dec went on to launch their music careers as PJ & Duncan, before they moved into their successful career as a presenting duo.

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Jeremy Clarkson’s Grand Tour Replacement Could Be This TikTok Trainspotter

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Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May parted ways with their Amazon Prime series The Grand Tour last year.

Co-star James May explained that this was because “I think Jeremy, Richard and I gave the format a really good thrashing and now it’s time to let a younger generation have a go.”

But working out who that “younger generation” may be seems to have proven difficult, with rumours of a replacement from The Sun only circulating a year on from when the last episode aired.

Francis Bourgeois
Francis Bourgeois

via Associated Press

The publication says a source told them TikTok sensation and train lover Francis Bourgeois was set to replace Jeremy (sorry, what?).

“Francis is a big noise online and Amazon producers are hoping to bring him into the mainstream,” the TV insider alleged.

“He is loved by everyone – from royals to rappers – and is sure to be a hit with Grand Tour viewers.

“Francis is not just a social media sensation but trained as a mechanical engineer so knows his stuff,” they told the publication.

Of course, this is all rumour at the moment – HuffPost UK has asked Amazon for comment to clarify – but that hasn’t stopped fans from having pretty strong reactions to the suggestion.

“April the 1st is not until Tuesday,” one X user wrote.

Still, it wouldn’t be Francis’ first dip into mainstream TV.

Channel 4′s Trainspotting With Francis Bourgeois starred big-name guests like Tom Daly, Aisling Bea, and Sam Ryder.

He also worked with Louis Theroux on YouTube series Scooting & Chatting with Francis Bourgeois.

Francis has also appeared in Clean Bandit, Anne-Marie, and David Guetta’s Cry Baby music video.

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He has also worked with brands like Gucci before.

Only time will tell if the sustainable transport lover will be able to add the car-obsessed show to his extensive CV too…

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