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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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Aerosmith Postpone Vegas Residency As Frontman Steven Tyler Enters Rehab

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Aerosmith have confirmed they are delaying the start of their upcoming Las Vegas residency after frontman Steven Tyler made the decision to enter a rehab centre.

In a statement posted on their Instagram page, the band explained that Steven had relapsed following surgery on his foot.

“As many of you know, our beloved brother Steven has worked on his sobriety for many years,” they explained.

“After foot surgery to prepare for the stage and the necessity of pain management during the process, he has recently relapsed and voluntarily entered a treatment program to concentrate on his health and recovery.”

The hit rock group were supposed to have begun their residency in Vegas next month, though these shows have now been pushed back until September.

“We are devastated that we have inconvenienced so many of you, especially our most loyal fans who often travel great distances to experience our shows,” the band’s statement continued.

“Thank you for your understanding and for your support for Steven during this time.”

Steven on stage performing with Run DMC in 2020
Steven on stage performing with Run DMC in 2020

Kevin Mazur via Getty Images

Steven has spoken candidly in the past about being addicted to drugs throughout the late 1970s and 80s, telling People magazine he took “heroin, coke, Valium, anything that anyone came near with”.

“We believed that the road to wisdom was through excess,” he previously told GQ magazine. “But it got really bad in the 80s.

“What happens with using is: It works in the beginning, but it doesn’t work in the end. It takes you down. There’s nothing but jail, insanity, or death.”

After his bandmates staged an intervention, Steven successfully completed a stint in rehab in 1988. In 2019, he told GQ he had been sober for nine years.

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Noel Gallagher ‘Covered In Blood’ And Needing Stitches After Being Headbutted During Manchester City Celebrations

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Noel Gallagher has revealed he needed stitches and was “covered in blood” after getting accidentally headbutted by Manchester City player Ruben Dias’ dad.

The Oasis star was in the stands at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon to watch Manchester City score three goals in five minutes to secure the Premier League trophy.

The musician and lifelong City fan was celebrating with the fans before getting caught by Ruben’s dad during the chaotic celebrations.

Sharing the story on talkSPORT, he said: “So as the third goal goes in, right, there is absolute bedlam, as you can imagine, in the stadium. Where we sit, Reuben Diaz’s family are in the box, a couple of boxes up.

“So I’m jumping around like an idiot, passing my 11-year-old son around like the Premier League trophy, everyone is lifting him up.

“I turn around and Rúben Dias’ dad runs straight into me, headbutts me while I’m on the floor covered in blood. I don’t see the last two minutes I’ve got to get taken down by the St John Ambulance and had to get stitched up. I’ve got stitches in my top lip, I’ve got two black eyes.”

Noel says he bumped into the winning team’s manager Pep Gaurdiola following the incident, who asked what had happened to his face.

“As I’m going down the corridor Pep’s running up crying and we kind of hug each other and he says, ‘What’s up with your face?’ And I was like, ‘Go see the players, nothing to do with me’.

“And if you’ve seen me today, I look like I’ve just arrived home from the 80s, from Elland Road. I look like I’ve had my head smashed in. It’s unbelievable.

“A lot of City fans are asking, ‘You alright? What’s happened?’ And I said – ‘You’ll never guess!’”

Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher

Dave J Hogan via Getty Images

Noel added that despite his own injuries, Rúben Dias’ dad came out of the exchange without a mark on him.

“He’s a big bear of a man – he almost knocked my teeth out.

“But as days go at the Etihad that’s got to be up there with the best.”

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David Beckham Watches Wrexham AFC Match At Wembley With Ryan Reynolds And Blake Lively

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David Beckham put in an appearance in the stands of Wembley Stadium on Sunday to watch Wrexham AFC, who are owned by Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds.

And just to up the A-list ante, the two stars were joined by Ryan’s wife, actor Blake Lively and Anchorman’s Will Ferrell.

David Beckham, Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell
David Beckham, Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell

Eddie Keogh – The FA via Getty Images

Alas, the famous foursome’s star power didn’t rub off on the team, who lost 1-0 to Bromley.

Ryan and his mate, fellow actor Rob McElhenney, took full control of the National League club from the Wrexham Supporters Trust in February 2021, investing £2million under the terms of the deal.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds

Eddie Keogh – The FA via Getty Images

Last year, Ryan revealed he had been seeking advice from Becks after buying the local British club.

“If you can just make heavy eye contact with Beckham for… about 20 seconds, your football knowledge grows exponentially,” Ryan joked.

“Sometimes I just FaceTime him and I’m just like, ’Don’t speak. Just stare at me″.”

Ryan and David struck up a friendship after Ryan’s superhero character made a quip about the footballer’s voice in Deadpool.

Becks later appeared in an online sketch where Deadpool apologised for saying he sounded like he “mouth-sexed a can of helium”.

Ryan Reynolds and David Beckham
Ryan Reynolds and David Beckham

Matt Lewis – The FA via Getty Images

Since buying the club, Ryan gifted his Wrexham AFC co-owner Rob a urinal at the club’s football stadium in the Welsh town, complete with commemorative plaque.

The plaque reads: “This urinal is dedicated to Robert McElhenney on his birthday – April 14. With love from Wrexham AFC, paid for by Ryan Reynolds.”

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Piers Morgan Tries To Reignite Feud With ‘Sycophantic’ David Walliams: ‘He’s Sooo Creepy’

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Piers Morgan has attempted to reignite his feud with David Walliams, labelling the Britain’s Got Talent judge “sycophantic” and “creepy”.

Piers, who used to sit on the judging panel of the ITV talent show from 2007 until 2010, didn’t hold back following the latest episode.

The TalkTV presenter has previously described David as a “treacherous piece of work” and “a snivelling today”, and he couldn’t resist having yet another dig at the former Little Britain star on Saturday night.

“Love the judging panel on @BGT – apart from David Walliams,” he wrote.

“All he does is drip & drool unctuously sycophantic drivel, and he’s soooooo creepy.”

It’s Piers’ latest attempt to try and get a rise out of David, who has kept his opinion about Piers (mostly) to himself.

Back in 2019, Piers called out the comedian and author after he liked a tweet that referenced the fake war torture pictures published in the Mirror that led to Piers losing his job as the editor of the newspaper in 2004.

Sharing a screen grab of the tweet liked by David and actress Amanda Abbington, Piers wrote: “Amusing that ⁦@davidwalliams⁩ regularly ‘likes’ the nastiest tweets about me, yet is such a snivelling toady to my face. It’s not my fault ⁦@BGT⁩ ratings were so much higher when I was in your chair Dave!”

Although David never responded, his former Little Britain co-star Matt Lucas jumped to his defence.

Matt tweeted at the time: “Purely objectively – 1) He was probably being polite. Some people are. 2) Boasting about the BGT ratings and popularity when you were briefly on it to someone who has not only transformed the show but is consistently the biggest-selling author in the country didn’t work.”

Meanwhile, BGT bosses have defended the acts on this year’s series, after it was revealed that around a quarter of them are professional performers or already have links to the show.

The show has faced criticism from viewers after it was discovered that many of the 60 competitors who have taken to the stage have a professional profile or have already appeared on other talent shows, including international versions of BGT.

Responding to the latest criticism, an ITV spokesperson told The Sun: “All acts enter the competition with the hope of elevating their career to the highest level and help to reach massive new audiences which Britain’s Got Talent brings in.

“As we’re all aware, the pandemic affected so many lives, particularly those that work in the entertainment industry, and it is wrong to deny these people the opportunity to showcase their talents and entertain the nation, and ultimately perform in front of royalty at the Royal Variety Performance.

“As has always been the case, Britain’s Got Talent is open to everyone.”

Britain’s Got Talent continues this Saturday at 8pm on ITV and the ITV Hub.

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Mick Jagger Gives His Verdict On Those Harry Styles Comparisons: ‘He Doesn’t Have A Voice Like Mine’

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Ever since Harry Styles broke away from his boyband past and launched his solo career, the comparisons to older, iconic stars have come thick and fast.

David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Prince and Mick Jagger have all obviously been an influence on Harry’s style – both musically and sartorially.

Now the Rolling Stones frontman has given his verdict on Harry channelling his early-Seventies look.

When asked about the similarities, the 78-year-old rocker told the Sunday Times that he has a “superficial resemblance”.

“I like Harry — we have an easy relationship,” her told the newspaper.

“I mean, I used to wear a lot more eye make-up than him. Come on, I was much more androgynous. And he doesn’t have a voice like mine or move on stage like me; he just has a superficial resemblance to my younger self, which is fine — he can’t help that.”

Harry released his third album, Harry’s House, on Friday to huge critical acclaim and will be showcasing many of the new songs at a special one-off gig at Bixton’s O2 Academy on Tuesday.

The critics are unanimous in their praise for singer’s third long player, describing it as “undoubtedly his best record yet”.

Harry Styles performs during a rehearsal on NBC's "Today" at Rockefeller Plaza on May 19, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images)
Harry Styles performs during a rehearsal on NBC’s “Today” at Rockefeller Plaza on May 19, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images)

Gilbert Carrasquillo via Getty Images

Last week, Harry opened up about his two forthcoming films, revealing that he had a “pre-negotiated” penis clause in his contract.

Later this year, the singer will be seen alongside Emma Corrin in a big-screen adaptation of the novel My Policeman, as well as the psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling.

Speaking on The Howard Stern Show on SiriusXM (via ET), Harry said he appears naked in My Policeman, but did not bare all on camera due to his contract.

“It does feel vulnerable. I’d never kissed anyone on camera before and it felt like giving a part of myself away in some ways,” he said.

“I wasn’t naked in Don’t Worry Darling. I was naked in My Policeman. There’s no peen in the final cut. There’s bum bum… I don’t think the peen was intended to be involved.

“The peen, it was pre-negotiated that that would remain my own.”

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Rebel Wilson Says Male Co-Star Sexually Harassed Her, Then Tried To ‘Destroy’ Her Career

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Rebel Wilson has revealed she was once sexually harassed by a male co-star who then tried to “destroy her career”.

The Pitch Perfect star detailed the “disgusting” incident in an interview with People in which she says the actor pulled down his pants and asked her to perform a sexual act.

She did not name the actor or say what film they were in together.

“He called me into a room and pulled down his pants,” Rebel recalled.

“It was awful and disgusting,” she added. “And all the behaviour afterwards — this was all before #MeToo — where they kind of tried to destroy me and my career. If it had happened after #MeToo, then I could have just blasted them.”

The 42-year-old star, who trained as a lawyer before she found fame on screen, documented the incident and told others what had happened.

She eventually finished the film with the unnamed actor, saying she wanted to “do the right thing, be a professional” but says with hindsight, she would never do that now.

Rebel Wilson
Rebel Wilson

“Why did I stay in that situation … with that awful guy?” she said. “I should have left. It wasn’t worth it. But at the same time, I was like, ‘Oh well, do the right thing, be a professional and finish the movie.’ Now I would never do that.”

The actor says that after complaining to the film studio behind the movie, she discovered she wasn’t the first person to make a complaint.

“I thought even complaining to my agency was a big step,” she said. “And to complain to the studio. I found out I was like the fourth person to complain about the guy. Such gross behaviour, but a lot of women have had it way worse.”

Read the full interview with Rebel here.

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Viola Davis Says A Director Once Called Her By His Maid’s Name

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Viola Davis recalled a microaggression she experienced decades ago as she discussed how race has impacted her Hollywood career.

Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival for a powerful Women In Motion conversation on Thursday, the Oscar-winning actor said an unnamed director once referred to her by his maid’s name. “And I’d known him for like, 10 years,” she said. “And he called me Louise, and I found out it was because his maid’s name was Louise.”

“I was maybe around 30 at the time, so it was a while ago. But what you have to realise is that those microaggressions happen all the time,” she explained.

The actor also spoke about times she’d been told she wasn’t “pretty enough” for certain roles. “It breaks my heart, and it makes me angry,” she said. “For many reasons. A lot of it is based in race. It really is. Because let’s be honest; if I had my same features and I were five shades lighter, it would just be a little bit different.”

Viola recently starred as Michelle Obama in The First Lady, which wraps up its 10-episode season in June, and also recently released her memoir, Finding Me.

She’ll also star in The Woman King, a historical epic inspired by true events in the Dahomey kingdom, a former West African state in what is now Benin.

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Jake Daniels Receives Wave Of Support From Footballers And LGBTQ+ Stars After Coming Out As Gay

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Blackpool FC player Jake Daniels has received a wave of support since coming out as gay.

On Monday afternoon, the 17-year-old spoke his truth in a statement published on his club’s official website.

He said: “I’ve hated lying my whole life and feeling the need to change to fit in. I want to be a role model myself by doing this.

“There are people out there in the same space as me that may not feel comfortable revealing their sexuality. I just want to tell them that you don’t have to change who you are, or how you should be, just to fit in. You being you, and being happy, is what matters most.”

Since speaking out, Jake has received countless positive messages, including from his peers in the football world.

Former footballer Ian Wright also retweeted a message sending “move love” to Jake and saying his coming out “will also mean so much to so many and help to normalise something that should absolutely be normal”.

The Football Association issued a statement saying: “Football is a game for all, with diversity at its heart, and this is a hugely positive step as we strive to build an inclusive game that we can all be proud of.

“We are with you and hope your story will help to give people across the game the strength and encouragement to be their true self.”

Meanwhile, a host of public figures from the LGBTQ+ community have also voiced their support for Jake.

Jake is the only current openly gay male professional player in the UK, and the first male professional footballer to come out publicly since the late Justin Fashanu 32 years ago.

Speaking to Sky News, he said: “I have been thinking for a long time about how I want to do it, when I want to do it. I know now is the time. I am ready to be myself, be free and be confident with it all.

“I feel like I am ready to tell people my story. I want people to know the real me.”

Jake praised his team for being “absolutely amazing” after he came out to them, saying his teammates have “all been so supportive and everyone has had my back”, adding that his captain had told him he was “so proud” of him.

“Their reaction has been brilliant. It’s the best thing I could have asked for,” he added.

Blackpool Football Club went on to say they had worked closely with the LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall and “the relevant footballing organisations to support Jake” in his coming out.

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Piers Morgan Uncensored Guest Brands Host A ‘C***’ Live On Air

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Piers Morgan Uncensored more than lived up to its name during Monday night’s episode, when a guest dropped a C-bomb live on air.

During the latest instalment of Piers’ topical Talk TV show, he spoke with “Jame” a protester at a trans rights demonstration organised by the activist group Trans Rise Up.

Jame wore a wig, sunglasses and face mask to obscure their true identity, with the former daytime star beginning the conversation by insisting he had “always supported trans rights to fairness and equality and I mean that sincerely”.

“That’s bullshit, bro,” his guest then suggested, with Piers responding: “You can say ‘bullshit, bro’ and you’re entitled to. It’s an uncensored show and you’ve just proven it.”

Jame then reminded the host that after a previous discussion about gender identity, the host had mockingly changed his Twitter profile picture to what Piers described at the time as a “two-spirit penguin”.

As the conversation continued, Piers apologised to viewers for Jame’s language, before stating his “issue” with trans women being allowed to compete alongside cisgender athletes in women’s sport.

“I think it’s very unfair that trans women should be competing against women born to female biological bodies,” he said, before Jame urged him to “shut up, bro”.

“Do you understand that a majority of women athletes do not give a shit about trans women in sports?” Jame asked.

Piers then said: “You can’t just call everyone who disagrees with you transphobic. If you keep swearing I’ll have to cut you off.”

The interview then culminated in Piers asking Jame what their issue was with his position, with the guest beginning to take off their mic, saying: “I don’t really know. I’m going to leave the interview, now. I kind of only came on here because I thought it would be kind of funny. But I wanted to say, ‘you’re a c***’.”

Jame ended the exchange by telling Piers they thought he was a "c***"
Jame ended the exchange by telling Piers they thought he was a “c***”

Responding to the jibe, Piers branded Jame a “complete idiot” and “very unpleasant piece of work”.

After apologising to viewers again later in the show, Piers added: “It’s a shame. I wanted to have a rational, sensible debate. They didn’t, so that’s it. They won’t be back on and we move on.”

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

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

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.”

This somewhat contradicts what the divisive broadcaster repeatedly used to say during his tenure on Good Morning Britain, when he would often goad BBC rival Dan Walker over their respective ratings.

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