While it may feel a little too early to mention the ‘C’ word yet (sorry Mariah Carey), retailers are already trying to get us in the festive spirit in a bid for us to spend our Christmas cash.
Disney has become one of the first major brands to release their Yuletide ad, and we’ll admit, it could warm even the Grinch’s cold heart.
Entitled The Stepdad, it tells the story of a man called Mike moving in with his new partner Nicole’s family and his struggle to bond with her two young children, Max and Ella.
The ad focuses on a precious storybook filled with Disney and Pixar characters, which was given to Max by his father.
As Mike becomes accepted by the children, he is eventually able to make the stories on the book come to life.
DisneyThe 2021 Disney Christmas advert has been released
The ad makes reference to a number of films under the Disney umbrella, including Moana, Toy Story, Spider-Man, Black Panther Star Wars and Frozen.
And eagle-eyed viewers may have also spotted that the new clip serves as a continuation of the 2020 advert, with the mother Nicole being the same young girl who was given the stuffed Mickey Mouse in last year’s promotional film.
DisneyThe Step Dad tells the tale of Mike’s journey to bond with his new family
The 2021 ad has been soundtracked by Gregory Porter with his original charity track Love Runs Deeper.
The animation short also supports children’s charity Make-A-Wish, as part of Disney’s festive retail campaign, From Our Family To Yours.
Love Runs Deeper will be available for download from Wednesday, with 100% of the proceeds between now and the end of the year going to Make-A-Wish.
Ed Sheeran has admitted appearing in Game Of Thrones was “bittersweet” after receiving a backlash to his cameo.
The singer popped up in the seventh series of the hit fantasy drama as a Lannister soldier who serenaded Maisie Williams’ character Arya Stark after meeting in the woods en route to King’s Landing.
Addressing the reaction during an interview with Dave Berry on Absolute Radio, Ed said: “Game of Thrones was like bittersweet because I feel like I pissed off a lot of people by being in that, but anytime I meet someone that is like ‘oh you cameoed on that show’ I’m like what would you say? Like everyone would say yes. I was a fan of the show, they asked me to be in it.
“I didn’t expect there to be that much backlash but I am definitely like more careful when I am offered cameos now.”
HBOEd Sheeran and Maisie Williams
In an interview with HuffPost, Kristian Nairn told HuffPost: “I’m not a fan of the cameos in Game of Thrones. I don’t like them. I think it’s stupid. I don’t mind going on the record on that. I just think it takes you right out of the world. Especially Ed Sheeran.
“I was like, ‘Why is Ed Sheeran here?’ I mean, Ed Sheeran’s great. He’s a great guy, great musician, but why is he in Game of Thrones?”
He added: “I’m being tactful here, but just not a fan of the cameo. I think most people would agree with me there. It was a big snap to reality. It’s like, ‘What? What?’”
There were previously reports that Ed left Twitter because of the reaction to the cameo, but he denied that was the case, saying he had always planned to abandon the platform and his cameo was “clearly fuckin’ awesome.”
Matthew Perry has reportedly signed a seven-figure deal to pen his autobiography.
The Friends star will write an “unflinchingly honest”account of his addiction issues in the as-yet-untitled book, which is set to be published in the autumn of 2022.
The actor, who played Chandler Bing on the US comedy, will take readers “behind-the-scenes” of Friends and will also explore the substance abuse and alcohol issues that have dogged his career, publisher Flatiron Books said.
According to reports in the US, the deal was in the “mid-seven figure range”.
Paul Zimmerman via Getty ImagesMatthew Perry
The memoir is “the book that Friends fans have been waiting for but will also shed a powerful light for anyone who is in their own battle for themselves or a loved one”, Flatiron, a division of Macmillan, said.
Megan Lynch, publisher of Flatiron Books, said: “We need humour, we need catharsis, and we need to agree on something – and Matthew’s extraordinary story, told in his inimitable voice, is that thing.
“Matthew’s book has unrivalled potential to bring people together, which feels especially galvanising right now, a time of isolation and division.”
The 52-year-old was one of the best-known and best-paid television stars during the 10-year run of Friends from 1994 but he struggled to overcome addiction.
In 2016, Matthew told the BBC his drug use was so bad he cannot remember roughly three years of his time on Friends, from seasons three to six.
Perry joined his former co-stars for the highly awaited Friends reunion special in May.
The actor got a serious case of the giggles when she appeared on the latest episode of Red Table Talk on Wednesday.
The 49-year-old star buried her head in her hands when host Jada Pinkett Smith got x-rated with a toy paddle and talked about using it to playfully spank someone on the bum.
“A little tap on the fanny never hurt anybody,” Jada said as she pulled out a paddle from the pile.
Clearly blushing, Gwyneth covered her face before being reduced to a fit of giggles.
Red Table TalkGwyneth Paltrow
There was also talk of female orgasms, sensation play, a vulva puppet and a whole host of household items the women could use in the bedroom.
Talk then turned to Gwyneth’s own sex life when Jada brought up how the actor had been “having some of the best sex these days.”
“But I’m a newlywed,” Gwyneth, who married producer Brad Falchuk in 2018, replied. “So it’s cheating, you know, maybe a little bit.”
Last week, during an appearance on Ellen, host Ellen DeGeneres teased Gwyneth by pulling out one of the company’s vibrators.
“Can you show that on TV?” Gwyneth asked, prompting Ellen to wave it quickly one more time.
Ellen asked how Gwyneth’s son Moses, 15, “feels about things like this that you’re selling.”
The proud mother replied that she wanted to tell the host “the sweetest thing”.
She recalled: “A few months ago, he said, ‘Mom, I was really embarrassed for a minute that Goop sold vibrators and then I realised like no, this is great. You’re making people feel not embarrassed to buy something and that’s great. You’re a feminist.’”
Eric McCandless via Getty ImagesJoJo Siwa and Jenna Johnson perform a jazz routine on Dancing with the Stars
On nearly every level, a dance performance featuring the evil clown from Stephen King’s It and one of his child victims set to the tune of a Broadway score shouldn’t work.
And yet, here’s JoJo Siwa in full Pennywise drag delivering an absolutely deranged and downright genius performance to the tune of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes on the US version of Strictly Come Dancing on Monday night.
Fully understanding the assignment of Horror Night for Dancing With The Stars’ series’ Halloween episode, the Dance Moms alum performed a jazz routine alongside pro Jenna Johnson – dressed in a children’s rain costume with a big red balloon, naturally – to a creepy remix of the song by District 78 featuring Patrice Covington.
Despite her relentlessly positive demeanour off the dance floor, JoJo managed to capture exactly what makes Stephen King’s creation so menacing. Keeping low to the ground and bouncing on one leg at a time, she tapped into her inner Pennywise, all while showcasing her well-established killer dance skills.
The performance ended with JoJo grabbing Jenna by the throat, ripping off her fake hand and then chomping on it, as the song came to a close with a blood-curdling scream.
The judges uniformly lavished praise upon the star, who for the second week in a row earned a perfect score.
“It. Is. Terrifying. And absolutely brilliant. You turned a nightmare into a work of art,“ remarked Bruno Tonioli. “The quality of your dances — the thing you did in there, combining jazz, ballet, contemporary, acrobatics. I’m telling you, you are a terrific talent.”
Carrie Ann Inaba said: “What I loved about this performance is you pushed yourself further,” while Len Goodman added:“If ever a dance captured the flavour of a book, that was it.”
JoJo, who’s made history on the series as the first contestant to be paired with a same-sex partner, is now the clear front-runner to win the Mirrorball Trophy.
Her performance also stirred up plenty of reactions on social media, with fans watching along and celebrating the delightfully unhinged dance.
JoJo Siwa is currently dancing to ‘Anything Goes’ while dressed as Pennywise from ‘It’ … THIS IS CAMP!! #DWTS
Jojo Siwa is finally giving the gay and clown communities the mainstream representation they deserve, which is very exciting for me, because I am both gay and a clown. https://t.co/s6xIhyKBSt
Jojo Siwa is taking advantage of the #DWTS platform to change her public image and broaden her appeal better than anyone has in a long time. She is a Performer with a capital P. https://t.co/sMgiXf8ZqF
Channel 4 viewers have been sharing their thoughts on Breastfeeding My Boyfriend after the documentary aired on Monday evening, and it’s fair to say some don’t think they’ll ever recover from the experience.
It’s not like the clue wasn’t in the title…
Some TV shows have titles and you’re like “Ooh intriguing, add to list” and then some TV shows are called #breastfeedingmyboyfriend and you’re like got it, totally know how it ends, no need to watch, excuse me while I vomit for days.
The broadcaster described the doc as “a look at the taboo surrounding adult breastfeeding, exploring a growing underground scene that ranges from women producing milk for their partners to the lucrative lactation porn industry.”
One contributor, known as Milky Mummy, explained how she made £30,000 a month selling lactation videos.
Another woman, called Lana, said the practice is the perfect foreplay for her and her boyfriend and that she missed breastfeeding her two children once they grew up.
While Tip and Button explained they were doing ANR – that’s an “adult nursing relationship” – and typically breastfeeding three to five times a day, because they enjoyed it.
The show quickly started trending after shocked viewers flocked to Twitter to share their thoughts.
Many questioned why the people featured would even agree to appear in the doc in the first place…
Most viewers wondered if they’d ever recover from the experience…
And it wasn’t just the visuals that some found upsetting…
It inspired some people to start a brand new life…
I thought I might have been too negative about social media recently. I open Twitter and the first hashtag I see is #breastfeedingmyboyfriend and now I need to go and build a new life in the wilderness away from the fall of civilisation and it’s not even 9am yet. pic.twitter.com/Z6K1i9zVcO
On Sunday evening, the BBC confirmed that Tom and his professional partner Amy Dowden had tested positive for coronavirus and would need to self-isolate.
Because of this, they will not be appearing in the second of this year’s live shows, but will be allowed to return to Strictly the following week.
Following the news, Amy shared a post on her Instagram page, assuring her followers that she was not experiencing Covid symptoms.
Guy Levy/BBCAmy Dowden and Tom Fletcher on the Strictly dance floor
“Unfortunately Tom and I have tested positive for Covid-19. I’m not suffering any symptoms but am now isolating at home,” she wrote.
“I have no doubt that over the next 10 days my mind will be going crazy with choreography ideas ready to get back on the Strictly dance floor for the live show in week three!
“Thank you for all of the support and good luck to all of the couples this week. I will be cheering you all on!”
Clearly keeping his spirits up, Tom – who had been on tour with his band McFly until he tested positive for Covid – then commented: “Rest up partner. We’ve got to pull something special out of the bag for week 3.”
A BBC spokesperson said: “Tom Fletcher and Amy Dowden have tested positive for Covid-19. The pair are now self-isolating separately following the latest government guidelines.
“While they will both miss Saturday’s live show, Strictly Come Dancing protocols mean that all being well, they will return the following week.”
Tom and Amy were the first of this year’s Strictly couples to perform on Saturday night, earning 21 points from the judges for their Cha Cha Cha routine.
Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday night at 6.45pm on BBC One.
Strictly Come Dancing fans were loving the fact that a certain A-list celebrity could be seen in the studio audience during Saturday night’s show.
Dame Emma Thompson was among the Strictly audience during the first live show of the series, showing her support for her husband Greg Wise, who is among the 15 stars competing in the BBC dance show this year.
After Greg and his partner Karen Hauer’s first dance of the competition, Claudia Winkleman pointed out that “your wife and daughter are in the audience”.
The cameras then cut to Emma and the couple’s 21-year-old daughter Gaia, with the Cruella star jokingly mouthing: “She’s the wife, I’m the daughter.”
It wasn’t just during Greg’s time on camera that Emma could be spotted enjoying a night out in the Strictly studio, though.
Because of her eye-catching pink jacket (and the fact she was seated directly behind Craig Revel Horwood for most of the night), the much-loved star could be seen throughout the episode, and Strictly viewers were absolutely loving it:
Emma Thompson mouthing that she’s the daughter, and the daughter is the wife is the reason we love her, right?! #Strictly
Something absolutely wonderful about the fact Oscar winner Emma Thompson is currently sitting only a matter of metres away from Zainab Masood from Eastenders. #Strictly
Although he was about to sign up for a lucrative film contract, it was chatting to Emma that convinced him to say yes to Strictly, with the star of Sense & Sensibility and The Crown coming in joint fourth place for his first routine of the series.
David M. Benett via Getty ImagesGreg Wise and Emma Thompson
It’s no secret that GB News got off to a bumpy start when it debuted in June, with former chairman Andrew Neil detailing some of the behind-the-scenes drama that blighted his time with the station in a new interview following his departure.
In a new interview with the Daily Mail – during which he reportedly broke down in tears – Andrew spoke out about his time at GB News, explaining that working at the station brought him “close to a breakdown”.
Referring to GB News’ many technical blunders, he recalled: “Live TV is stressful at the best of times but not knowing whether or not the technology would work…
“It just got worse and worse. At one stage, we were waiting to go on air and the whole system went down. It had to be rebooted and we only managed it with 15 seconds to spare. That stress was just huge. It meant you couldn’t think about the journalism. You were just constantly wondering: ‘Will we make it through the hour?’.”
GB NewsAndrew Neil speaking live on GB News
He continued: “By the end of that first week, I knew I had to get out. It was really beginning to affect my health. I wasn’t sleeping. I was waking up at two or three in the morning.
“I had a constant knot in my stomach. When I did wake up I’d feel fine, then remember all the problems I had with GB News and this knot would come and wouldn’t leave me for the whole day.”
Referring to some of the station’s specific issues, he stated: “The studio had four areas. One was the digital wall, another was the breakfast table area – which I thought looked rather good – the other was the sofa, which looked like a Habitat sofa we’d picked up off a skip in Notting Hill, and the fourth, which was where I did my show from, was so black I had to take my jacket off and wear a white shirt.”
“We only had a floor manager because I’d insisted,” he claimed. “We were meant to operate our own autocue and do our own make-up. It makes student TV look well-financed.”
PAAndrew Neil posing with the on-air GB News team after its launch night
Andrew added that despite broadcasting from “the most diverse, multi-ethnic city in the world”, the team was not able to provide appropriate lighting for people of colour.
“I raised the issue that the reputational damage we were risking was monumental,” he told the Mail. “I said it was a disaster. There were endless things and, by the second week, things weren’t getting any better. Some things were getting worse. It was terrible.
“I came off air one night and I looked straight at [GB News’ CEO Angelos Frangopoulos], I said: ‘This is a disaster and it’s my reputation that’s on the line’.
“That’s what really did me in the end – and it’s my own stupidity for getting into it – the fact that everybody saw my face on the tin. It was Andrew Neil’s channel. That’s what everyone talked about.
“What nobody knew was [before the June launch] in March, April, May… my face was still on the tin but I had no say over what was going into the tin. That’s what was unsustainable for me.”
Leon Neal via Getty ImagesGB News has had a tumultuous few months since its launch in June
In leaving GB News, the Mail reports that Andrew “walked away from a £4 million contract”, though he insisted: “It was a big decision but I frankly couldn’t care if it was £40 million. This would have killed me if I’d carried on.”
A statement from GB News issued to the Daily Mail said: “As with all companies, decision-making rests with the board, and GB News is no different. As a member of the board, Andrew had the same rights and abilities to raise concerns, and he was privy to all decisions.”
Their spokesperson added: “The board allowed Andrew time off over the summer to recharge his batteries. He subsequently asked to leave and the board agreed to this request. The terms of his departure were properly negotiated and documented, with Andrew taking legal advice throughout.
“The fact that he has chosen to ignore these terms and make his departure unnecessarily contentious and public is a decision he will have to live with.”
HuffPost UK has contacted GB News for additional comment.
The veteran broadcaster said his former employer “unilaterally” cancelled his exit deal and he “couldn’t be happier” to have severed ties following his departure from GB News earlier this month.
A GB News spokeswoman told PA the channel had no comment on the remarks.
The presenter, who was also chairman of GB News, tweeted on Wednesday evening: “After weeks of talks with @GBNEWS, resulting in exit settlement, the channel then broke it by briefing Mail on Sunday with load of smears/lies then unilaterally cancelling exit deal.
“Leaving me free to do, say whatever I want + never again be on GBNews. Couldn’t be happier.”
After weeks of talks with @GBNEWS, resulting in exit settlement, the channel then broke it by briefing Mail on Sunday with load of smears/lies then unilaterally cancelling exit deal. Leaving me free to do, say whatever I want + never again be on GBNews. Couldn’t be happier.
A report in the Mail on Sunday cited a leaked memo claiming Andrew was about to be sacked before he walked.
The former BBC presenter had been chairman of the fledgling channel and its most high-profile star when it endured a troubled launch in June.
He took a break two weeks after the launch. Reports of a difference of opinion between him and other senior executives soon followed.
Initially, it was said he would still appear on the channel as a commentator.
However, he appeared on Question Time last week and said he had been in a “minority of one” over the future direction of GB News, which has been accused of trying to import Fox News-style journalism to the UK.
Eddie Keogh via ReutersAndrew Neil
“More and more differences emerged between myself and the other senior managers and the board of GB News,” he said.
“Rather than these differences narrowing, they got wider and wider and I felt it was best that if that’s the route they wanted to take then that’s up to them, it’s their money.
“The route is what I think you can see on GB News at the moment, people should make up their own minds what they want to watch.”
It said: “During last night’s BBC Question Time, a number of demonstrably untrue remarks were made about GB News. We stand for fair debate, tolerance, free speech and factual journalism. There are always more than two sides to any story and we believe in listening to all of them.”
A number of big names joined the channel for its launch including ITV News journalist Alastair Stewart, BBC journalist Simon McCoy and former Labour MP Gloria De Piero.
Guto Harri quit the channel following a row over him taking the knee during a debate on the racism directed towards England football players, while other staff members have reportedly left.
