Who is Roxanne Pallett?

Roxanne Pallett is a famous English actress who has also worked as a broadcaster previously. Roxanne Pallett is renowned for playing the role of Jo Sugden on ITV’s Emmerdale between 2005 and 2008. Roxanne Pallett also became famous for appearing in a string of horror  movies such as Lake Placid 3 (2010), Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort (2014) and Devil’s Tower (2014).

Where was Roxanne Pallett born?

Roxanne Pallett was born in Carlisle, Cumbria on December 26^th 1982. Roxanne Pallett was raised in the town of Currock by her mother and grandmother. She has Italian ancestry from her mother’s side while her father is from Iran.

What is the name of Roxanne Pallett’s band?

In her last year at university, Roxanne Pallett co-founded the all-girl band Urban Angel, writing songs for them with producer, ex-East 17 member and Ivor Novello award winner Tony Mortimer. Roxanne Pallett landed a recording deal soon after that and spent a year developing her music in London and co-creating a TV show.

When did Roxanne Pallett play Jo Sugden in Emmerdale?

Roxanne Pallett auditioned for several roles in Emmerdale and was offered the role of Jo Stiles (which eventually became Jo Sugden). 

During her three years on Emmerdale, she was nominated for several awards, including Sexiest Female, Best Storyline, and Best Actress at The British Soap Awards, the Inside Soap Awards, and the TV Quick Awards.

Roxanne Pallett played the role of Jo Sugden on Emmerdale  between 2005 and 2009. She made her debut appearance on the show as Jo Stiles. She changed her surname after marrying long time resident and farmer Andy Sugden.

Her show’s storyline involved domestic violence at that time and her relationship with her on-screen husband turned very toxic.

As a part of the story, Andy Sugden sent Roxanne Pallett’s character to the hospital on multiple occasions with broken bones.

On one occasion, Roxanne Pallett’s character, Jo Sugden stood up for herself and fought back valiantly to stop her husband’s physical abuse. In an intense fight, Jo Sugden ended up impaling her husband on some farm tools.

After the accident, Andy Sugden lied and claimed that Roxanne Pallett’s character Jo Sugden attacked him without being provoked. However, the truth came out eventually.

Roxanne Pallett’s character Jo Sugden tried to remain in the village following her split with her husband Andy Sugden. However, he refused to let her go, and she was forced to run away from him.

Jo Sugden also released a statement about Andy Sugden’s physical abuse when they were involved in a dispute regarding the custody of their child, Sarah.

What are the reality shows Roxanne Pallett has appeared in?

Roxanne Pallett is a big star in the world of reality television and she has appeared in several reality TV shows such Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes (2005), Soapstar Superstar (2006–07), Dancing on Ice (2009), Celebrity Big Brother (2018), Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls (2018) and Celebrity Coach Trip (2019).

In November 2005, Pallett won a celebrity edition of Stars In Their Eyes as Gloria Estefan, although the programme was never transmitted. During January 2006, Roxanne Pallett also appeared on the ITV entertainment singing show Soapstar Superstar. Roxanne Pallett finished fourth in the event and ended up raising over £70,000 for the Eden Valley Hospice Jigsaw Appeal. Co-incidentally, Roxanne Pallett also met her then partner, actor Richard Fleeshman while she was competing on Soapstar Superstar,. She was also named in the 2006 100 Most Sexiest Women in the World list by FHM in 2006. Pallett went on to do photoshoots for rival magazines Loaded and Maxim.

After leaving Emmerdale, Roxanne Pallett also participated in the fourth season of ITV’s Dancing on Ice in 2009. Roxanne Pallett’s partner was professional ice-dancer Daniel Whiston. She was voted off unanimously by the judges following a skate-off with former Blue Peter presenter Zoe Salmon, but went onto take part in the show’s spin-off Bolero Anniversary UK Tour.

Scheduled to play the lead role in 2009 Christmas pantomime Cinderella at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne, she left three weeks into the run following the death of her best friend.

In 2010, Roxanne Pallett also appeared in a guest role for the BBC’s Casualty show. She also made her professional stage debut in Rock Around The Clock, which toured the country until September. In the same year, she also made her film debut in Lake Placid 3. In September 2010, Pallett toured with Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues, opposite Nikki Sanderson and Sue Jenkins. In 2012, Pallett played a troubled 17-year old school girl, Shelby Dixon, in BBC’s Waterloo Road, a role that was twelve years younger than the actress herself in real life. That was followed by another guest appearance in Casualty as the psychotic character of Keeley Hyatt. She was also cast as Sarah McColl in British horror film Devil’s Tower, followed by the urban comedy It’s A Lot, in November 2013. Pallett also played Janet Weiss in the 40th anniversary UK tour of The Rocky Horror Show.

In 2016, Roxanne Pallett began a run in the UK touring production of the eighties musical The Wedding Singer based on the Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore film of the same name. Roxanne Pallett co-starred with Ray Quinn and Ruth Madoc in the popular stage musical. In April 2017, Pallett unexpectedly left the production mid-way through its run despite positive reviews. In February 2018, Pallett joined local radio station Minster FM as co-host for its weekday breakfast show, after admitting that she had felt unfulfilled and undervalued as an actress for many years. Pallett left the station after seven months, following her appearance on Celebrity Big Brother.

In August 2018, whilst participating in the twenty-second series of Celebrity Big Brother, Pallett falsely accused fellow housemate Ryan Thomas of punching her. She later slept in the spare bedroom, after she claimed that she felt uncomfortable sleeping in the same room as him. Following the incident, Thomas was given a formal warning, and maintained that he did it with “no malice”. However, Pallett branded him a “liar”, and a “woman beater”. She subsequently decided to leave the house in the early hours of Day 17 (1 September 2018). Two days after leaving the house, on 3 September 2018, she returned for an interview with show host Emma Willis, which was shown during that night’s eviction programme, where she apologised, stating she had made a “horrible mistake” and said that she wanted to be forgiven for her actions. The incident, which generated more than 25,000 viewer complaints to Ofcom, was dubbed “punchgate” by some sections of the press.

In September 2018, Pallett appeared on the third series of Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls, which was filmed in May. She left in the first episode after the camp fire smoke reminded her of a childhood house fire and she suffered a panic attack as a result. After waking in the night in a panic, Roxanne Pallett told all her camp mates: “Smoke that nearly killed my family in a house fire when I was 16, the smoke, the smell is taking me back to that time.” Another misfortune on the Island which Roxanne Pallett endured was getting her leg caught in a fishing net and having to be cut free by other camp mates.

In 2019, Roxanne Pallett appeared on the fourth series of Celebrity Coach Trip.

Is there a rose named after Roxanne Pallett?

Cheshire-based grower C&K Jones showcased a new rose during the 2007 Southport Flower Show. The deep red hybrid rose was named after Roxanne Pallett and it was known as Rosa Roxanne Pallett.

Why did Roxanne Pallett split from her fiancé?

In January 2019, her fiancé Lee Walton dumped her, according to a report published in The Sun.

According to a source close to Roxanne Pallett: “Roxanne’s whole life appears to have fallen apart in the past six months.

Professionally, no one wants to touch her and now her personal life is in tatters.

“She and Lee got very serious very quickly but it has ended completely. She is gutted.”

Roxanne Pallett got engaged to the steelworker Lee Walton just six days after the pair met in the summer of 2017. The couple started talking on Instagram over a mutual love for Elvis Presley.

Lee Walton famously stood by Roxanne Pallett during her infamous “punchgate” scandal in the Celebrity Big Brother house. While in the CBB house, Roxanne Pallett was involved in an alleged punching row with co-resident Ryan Thomas. Roxane Pallett also became close friends with Married At First Sight star Ben Jardine.

As per various reports, Lee Walton has moved on from Roxanne Pallett and was spotted taking a mystery blonde out for dinner with his parents in his hometown of Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

When was Roxanne Pallett in a car crash?

During a stock car race on July 18^th 2018, Roxanne Pallett crashed at high speeds into a concrete wall. Luckily she survived the crash.

The horrific accident occurred at the Hunmanby Raceway near Scarborough, Yorks. Roxanne Pallett blacked out for 30 seconds after the crash.

She was airlifted 41 miles to Hull Royal Infirmary after firefighters spent two hours trying to cut open the wreckage and rescue her.

Roxanne Pallett was involved in a race with Ben Fry, her Minster FM breakfast show co-host. The race was held in promotion for the Outlaw Gold Top Shootout event scheduled on August 11^th.

What is Roxanne Pallett up to after the CBB ‘punchgate’ scandal with Ryan Thomas?

After suffering a major blow to her TV and film career after the “punchgate” scandal, Roxanne Pallett has been considering a normal job.

According to a source that spoke to OK! Magazine: “Rox knows a TV comeback is not going to happen anytime soon, if ever.

But eventually she’s going to need to work again and is now thinking about where that next cheque will come from.

She would like to just get a normal job but she’s still too recognisable for that at the moment so she’s having to be a bit more careful with her spending.”

Roxanne Pallett’s last TV show appearance was during an episode of Celebrity Coach Trip on E4. However, that episode was filmed before she entered the Celebrity Big Brother house.

Who is Timothy Spall?

Timothy Leonard Spall OBE is a legendary and revered English character actor. On occasions, Timothy Spall has also served as a presenter on television and award show. After a slew of small but significant roles, Timothy Spall was cast as Barry Spencer Taylor in the hit 1983 comedy-drama show Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. The ITV show went on to become a huge hit, making Timothy Spall a household name all across England.

When was Timothy Spall born?

Timothy Spall, who is the third of four sons, was born in Battersea, London on February 27^th, 1957. Timothy Spall’s father, Joseph L. Spall worked in the post office while his mother, Sylvia Spall (née Leonard) worked as a hairdresser. Timothy Spall trained at the National Youth Theatre and RADA, where he went on to win the Bancroft Gold Medal for being adjudged the most promising actor in his year.

Timothy Spall started making a mark in the world of theatre by starting to perform in productions for the Birmingham Rep. Later on, Timothy Spall went on to perform for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Some of the plays that Timothy Spall performed in included The Knight of the Burning Pestle, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Three Sisters, and Nicholas Nickleby.

Timothy Spall made his silver screen debut in the film Quadrophenia. That led to a big boost in his popularity. However, Timothy Spall truly became a household name in England after he played the role of the awkward Barry Taylor in all four series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.

What are some of Timothy Spall’s career achievements?

Timothy Spall received critical acclaim for his performance in Secrets & Lies (1996), for which he was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Subsequently, Timothy Spall starred in many films, including Hamlet (1996), Nicholas Nickleby (2002), Enchanted (2007), The Damned United (2009), The King’s Speech (2010), Ginger and Rosa (2012), Denial (2016), and The Party (2017). Timothy Spall also gained international acclaim for his role as Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter films.

Timothy Spall has famously collaborated with director Mike Leigh, making six films together, including Home Sweet Home (1982), Life is Sweet (1990), Secrets & Lies (1996), Topsy-Turvy (1999), All or Nothing (2002), and Mr. Turner (2014). In 2019 he appeared as Lord Arthur Wallington in the acclaimed 6-part BBC Cold War drama “Summer of Rockets”. Between the years 2010 and 2012, Timothy Spall also starred in a television documentary featured around him sailing over the sea. The documentary was aptly named Timothy Spall: …at Sea. Timothy Spall also won the Best Actor award at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival for portraying the character of J. M. W. Turner in Mike Leigh’s biographical film Mr. Turner.

Timothy Spall also played the role of Kevin in Outside Edge. He also played Aubrey the appalling chef in Mike Leigh’s Life is Sweet.

In the year 1991, Timothy Spall also guest starred in the “Back to Reality” episode of the fifth season of Red Dwarf.

In the year 1993, Timothy Spall also played a guest role in Rab C. Nesbitt , the popular Scottish comedy series .

Timothy Spall has also appeared in numerous popular films such as Crusoe, Secrets & Lies, Shooting the Past, Topsy-Turvy, Vanilla Sky, Rock Star, All or Nothing, The Last Samurai, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events and The King’s Speech.

Which character did Timothy Spall play in Harry Potter?

If Barry Taylor in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet made Timothy Spall a household name in England, his role as Peter Pettigrew/Wormtail in the multi billion dollar Harry Potter film series made him a household name worldwide.

Timothy Spall performed lead vocals on the song “The Devil is an Englishman” from the Ken Russell film Gothic (1986), in which Spall portrayed John William Polidori.

Timothy Spall was also cast to play the starring role of Albert Pierrepoint in the popular 2005 film Pierrepoint. That movie was released with the alternate title of The Last Hangman in the United States of America.

Which character did Timothy Spall play in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories?

Timothy Spall also voiced a video game character in the famous video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. Timothy Spall voiced the manager of legendary British singer Phil Collins, Barry Mickelthwaite.

In 2007, Timothy Spall starred as Nathaniel in Disney’s Enchanted and Beadle Bamford in Tim Burton’s production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Timothy Spall also made an appearance in an one-off television drama The Fattest Man in Britain on ITV 1 as Georgie Godwin. The feature premiered on December 20^th, 2009. The feature presentation also starred Bobby Ball, Frances Barber, Aisling Loftus and Jeremy Kyle.

When was Timothy Spall given the OBE?

Timothy Spall was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2000 New Year Honours.

Which character did Timothy Spall play in The King’s Speech?

In the year 2010, Timothy Spall was cast as Winston Churchill in the critically revered movie, The King’s Speech. As a part of the movie’s ensemble cast, Timothy Spall won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

During the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympics in London, Timothy Spall reprised the role of Winston Churchill.

In the year 2012, Timothy Spall starred alongside Vanessa Kirby and Matthew Lewis in Wasteland (which was released as The Rise in Britain).

The movie was screened in April 2013 during the Newport Beach Film Festival in Newport Beach, California.

Timothy Spall was also cast to play the role of Charlie Morgan in the 2012 movie Comes a Bright Day.

For his role as J.M.W. Turner in the Mike Leigh directed film Mr. Turner, Timothy Spall was awarded the Best Actor Award during the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.

Between March 29^th and May 14^th 2016, Timothy Spall appeared as Davies during the performance of Harold Pinter’s play, The Caretaker. The play was performed at the Old Vic theatre in London opposite George MacKay and Daniel Mays. The play was directed by Matthew Warchus.

What age is Timothy Spall?

Timothy Spall is 62 years old.

How many children does Timothy Spall have?

Timothy Spall and his wife Shane Spall have three children: Pascale (born 1976), Rafe (born 1983), who is also an actor, and Mercedes (born 1985). He lives in Forest Hill, south east London.

Timothy is the proud owner of a Dutch barge that he and his wife used to sail around the British Isles as a part of the BBC Four TV series Timothy Spall: Back at Sea.

What illness did Timothy Spall have?

In 1996, Timothy Spall was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, but has since been in remission. He has said of his illness:

I didn’t know what made me ill but stress had something to do with it and the point is now to head off stress at the pass. It made me aware of things and become more selective. I am less worried about employment. I really do my homework so I am not getting stressed on the set because I don’t know what I’m doing.

Timothy Spall weight loss

Timothy Spall has spent a majority of his professional career as a person who was slightly overweight. However, Timothy Spall was photographed looking extremely slim in the year 2017. The change was so drastic that a lot of his fans were concerned about his health. Timothy Spall attributed his weight loss to a desire to be healthier and regulating his food and alcohol content. Speaking on the matter, Timothy Spall said:

“I wanted to change my lifestyle and lose weight. And it’s done what I’d always hoped it might.

As a character actor, it’s put me in a position where I’m not hobbled by being a certain shape. 

I’m no longer that avuncular round bloke. It does feel liberating on many levels.”

The great thing is that you get more time and can be a lot more creative. You get more time to develop the character, and really be part of the centre of the piece.

When you’re seriously ill, it gives you a certain sense of profundity.

“All the day-to-day inconveniences and annoyances count for nothing when you might not make it through.

“When you come out the other side, however, you realise that all those little daily aggravations are actually the texture of life, so you need to make the most of them.

“Even when it’s people continually asking me, ‘Are you all right now?’ Which I am, of course.

Famous Timothy Spall quotes:

It doesn’t bother me one iota that most of my career has been playing people who are not that – well, let’s say that people wouldn’t aspire to be like them.

“Life is not all about profundity. Life is about little things that piss you off, little triumphs, little defeats. So, you can’t spend all your time being profound.”

“You can make as many films as you like, but if nobody wants to put them on, what’s the point?”

“You can’t live your life in a state of profundity, because you’re never going to get anything done, and you’re just profound.”

“There’s nothing like the knowledge of being hanged in the morning to concentrate the mind wonderfully.”

“There’s nothing like a little bit of unemployment to kick the stuffing out of you when things are going well.”

“I was always insecure about the way I looked.”

“I know what I like when I see it, but no way have I ever become interested in learning about it.”

“Imagination is a beast that has to be put in a cage.”

“Never fear being a petty fool it means you ain’t dying”

“I’m working class, and want people to know I’m not unintelligent and all the other clichés that come with it.”

“I know I work quite hard at making people like me.”

Who is Peter Andre?

Peter Andre, born Peter James Andrea is a famous English-born Australian singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, and television personality.

Peter Andre first shot to fame as a singer. He released superhit singles such as “Mysterious Girl” and “Flava ” and became one of the most popular singers in the world. Peter Andre is also renowned for making an appearance on the third season of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, along with the thirteenth season of Strictly Come Dancing, during which he partnered with Janette Manrara.

Who was Peter Andre Married to?

While Peter Andre appeared on I’m A Celebrity, he developed an on-screen romantic relationship with fellow contestant, glamour model Katie Price aka Jordan. Peter Andre and Katie Price tied the knot two years after the show’s finale. The couple went on to have two children. While they were married, Peter Andre and Katie Price released the album A Whole New World together in 2006. Sadly, the couple divorced in the year 2009.

After his divorce in the year 2009, Peter Andre released the album Revelation with the single “Behind Closed Doors”. The single peaked at No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart. He followed that album’s success with his sixth album Accelerate, which was released in 2010.

Where was Peter Andre born?

Peter Andre was born on February 27th 1973 in the Harrow locality of London. Peter Andre’s descent is from the countries of Greece and Cyprus. During the year 1979, when Peter Andre was six years old, his family relocated to Sydney, Australia. Three years later, Peter Andre’s family settled on Australia’s Gold Coast.

When he was 11 years old, Peter Andre finished second behind Wade Robson in a dancing competition. The winner got a chance to meet the King of Pop Michael Jackson.

During the year 1989, a 16-year-old Peter Andre participated in an Australian talent show called New Faces. After winning that talent show, Peter Andre was rewarded with a recording contract for $146,000. Around the time that he received his first record deal, Peter Andre used to live in a beachside apartment in Surfers Paradise. He was a student of the Benowa State High School on the Gold Coast during that time as well. Peter Andre was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, but he doesn’t follow it anymore.

How did Peter Andre start his music career?

During the early 90s, Peter Andre started establishing himself in the Australian music scene. Peter Andre released his debut single, “Drive Me Crazy” in the year 1992. The single went on to peak at number 72 on the Australian singles chart. However, Peter Andre achieved his musical breakthrough with the help of his second single, “Gimme Little Sign”. That song climbed all the way to number 3 on the Australian singles chart and spent a grand total of 31 weeks on the charts. During the year 1993, Peter Andre won an ARIA Award for the highest-selling Australian single of the year. Peter Andre’s second studio album was released worldwide on September 30th 1996. The album was a hit and it topped the UK Albums Chart. The super hit album included the hit single (and Peter Andre’s most famous song) “Mysterious Girl”. That song peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. After achieving such incredible success in the UK, he re-located over there during the mid-90s.

How did Peter Andre meet Katie Price?

Peter Andre started dating British glamour model Katie Price aka Jordan after meeting her on the set of the famous reality show I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! during the early part of the year 2004. Peter Andre and Katie Price decided to get engaged in secret in May. Their engagement wasn’t announced to the public until months later. Peter Andre and Katie Price formally tied the knot on September 10^th 2005 in Highclere Castle, Hampshire. During their marriage, Peter Andre and Katie Price had two children: son Junior Savva, who was born on June 13^th 2005, and daughter Princess Tiaamii Crystal Esther, who was two years later on June 29^th 2007. Prior to her marriage to Peter Andre, Katie Price had a son Harvey, from a previous relationship with English Premier League football player Dwight Yorke. Peter Andre served as Harvey’s stepfather while he was married to Katie Price.

After three and a half years of marriage, the couple became estranged in May 2009 and started living separately. They signed on the divorce papers in September 2009.

While they were married, Peter Andre and Katie Price launched the Katie & Peter franchise on ITV2. The franchise documented all the aspects of the couple’s life together. The franchise went on to include several fly-on-the-wall reality series which comprised When Jordan Met Peter, Jordan & Peter: Laid Bare and Jordan & Peter: Marriage and Mayhem (2004–05); Katie & Peter: The Next Chapter, Katie & Peter: The Baby Diaries and Katie & Peter: Unleashed (2007); Katie & Peter: Down Under; and Katie & Peter: African Adventures (2008); and Katie & Peter: Stateside in 2009. Following their divorce in the year 2009, the couple recorded individual shows: Peter Andre: The Next Chapter continued on ITV2 until 2011, followed by Peter Andre: Here 2 Help (2011) and Peter Andre: My Life (2011–13).

Three years after his divorce with Katie Price, Peter Andre started a relationship with a young medical student named Emily MacDonagh. On January 8^th, 2014, she gave birth to Andre’s third child, a daughter, Amelia aka ‘Millie’. On July 11^th 2015, Peter Andre and Emily Macdonagh got married at the Mamhead House in Exeter. A year and a half later, Macdonagh gave birth to the couple’s son, Theodore James aka ‘Theo’ on November 22^nd 2016.

What other things has Peter Andre done?

Peter Andre and Jason Manford served as team captains on the popular ITV series Odd One In in July 2010.

Peter Andre also served as a guest judge on the popular ITV entertainment series, Your Face Sounds Familiar in the year 2013.

During the year 2013, Peter Andre also served as a guest-presenter for five episodes of ITV’s Sunday Scoop. Since November 11^th 2013, Peter Andre has also been a presenter of 60 Minute Makeover. The show was eventually re-named as Peter Andre’s 60 Minute Makeover.

In 2014, Peter Andre’s lead single from his album Big Night, “Kid” was used in the soundtrack for the film Mr. Peabody & Sherman.

On October 8^th 2014, Peter Andre and Jamelia served as co-hosts of the the ITVBe opener.

In the year 2014, Peter Andre also became the new face for the TV commercials of Supermarket Iceland.

Peter Andre has also appeared on the ITV weekly show Give a Pet a Home. The show worked alongside Birmingham’s RSPCA to rescue and rehabilitate abandoned pets.

In September 2015, he appeared in the 13^th season of Strictly Come Dancing with Janette Manrara. The team of Andre and Manrara finished seventh in the competition.

What are some of Peter Andre’s most famous albums and songs?

The complete discography of famous British-Australian pop star Peter Andre consists of eleven studio albums, three compilation albums and twenty eight singles. Peter Andre has sales of over 920,000 albums and 1.4 million singles in the UK, making his total UK sales 2,320,000 according to the BPI. His current Australian sales stand at over 1,000,000.

Peter Andre’s debut album Peter Andre was released worldwide on 28 November 1993. The album peaked at number 27 on the Australian Albums Chart. Peter Andre released “Drive Me Crazy” as the Australian lead single in 1992. The album also includes the singles “Gimme Little Sign”, “Funky Junky”, “Let’s Get It On / Do You Wanna Dance?” and “To the Top”. Peter Andre’s second studio album, Natural, was released on 30 September 1996. The album went on to climb to the top spot on the UK Albums Chart. The album spawned the blockbuster superhit single “Mysterious Girl”, which ended up peaking at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. The album also spawned hit singles such as  “Turn It Up”, “Only One”, “Get Down on It”, “Flava”, “I Feel You” and “Natural”. Time, Peter Andre’s third studio album, was released on 17 November 1997. It went on to peak at number 28 on the UK Albums Chart. The album spawned hit singles such as “All About Us”, “Lonely” and “All Night, All Right”. The Long Road Back, Peter Andre’s fourth studio album, was released on 7 June 2004, peaking at number 44 on the UK Albums Chart. He re-released his 1995 single “Mysterious Girl” it peaked at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart. The album also includes the singles “Insania” and “The Right Way”.

A Whole New World, Andre’s fifth studio album, was released on 27 November 2006, peaking at number 20 on the UK Albums Chart. He joined forces with his former wife English model and celebrity Katie Price aka Jordan for the release of the album. Revelation, Peter Andre’s sixth studio album, was released on 14 September 2009, peaking at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart. For the album’s promotion, “Behind Closed Doors” was released as its lead single during August 2009. The single climbed all the way up to number 4 on the UK Singles Chart. That single was followed by the release of “Unconditional” in November 2009. Accelerate, Peter Andre’s seventh studio album, was released on November 1^st 2010, debuting at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart. The album marked a distinct change in Peter Andre’s sound and a move towards the urban direction. In October 2010, the song “Defender” was released as the album’s lead single. It went on to peak at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart. “Perfect Night”, the album’s second single peaked at number 48 on the UK Singles Chart after being released in July 2011. Angels & Demons, Peter Andre’s eighth studio album, was released on October 29^th 2012 and reached number 18 on the UK Albums Chart. To promote the album, “Bad As You Are” was released as the lead single 22 October 2012. It didn’t chart very well. Big Night, Peter Andre’s ninth studio album, was released on May 26^th 2014, peaking at number 23 on the UK Albums Chart. To promote the album, “Kid” was released as the lead single on February 9^th 2014. The song only managed to reach number 144 on the UK Singles Chart. Despite its lukewarm performance on the charts, he song was chosen for the DreamWorks animated movie Mr. Peabody & Sherman. It was also used for the Autumn Iceland TV commercials. The album’s second single, “Big Night” was released on April 13^th 2014. Come Fly with Me, Peter Andre’s tenth studio album, was released on 15 October 2015. The album debuted at No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart. White Christmas, Andre’s eleventh studio album, was released on 30 October 2015.

Why has Peter Andre criticised the Brit Awards?

After famous music artist Sam Smith decided to self identify as a non binary individual (neither male nor female), the Brit Awards have decided to scrap its gender based award categories from the year 2021. The Brit Awards have traditionally had ‘best male artist’ and ‘best female artist’ categories. However, since Sam Smith came out as non-binary via an Instagram post, the Brit Awards organizers have decided to get rid of the male and female category to accommodate for people like Sam Smith.

This decision didn’t go down very well with Peter Andre. He was fuming at the organising committee’s decision of getting rid of the best male and female artist in favour of a non-gendered category.

Peter Andre said: “I’m fine with Sam and other people identifying themselves however they like, but I don’t agree with getting rid of best male and female categories.

I think it’s all going way too far now. By all means add a brand new gender-neutral category, but what’s wrong with celebrating the exceptional people in the music industry who identify as men and women?

“I don’t get it. The problem is people get offended way too easily nowadays.”

Peter Andre’s opinion is shared by Good Morning Britain’s host Piers Morgan. When Sam Smith had come out as non binary/gender-queer, Piers Morgan had said: “I think it’s just great that time-honoured traditions should be scrapped because one guy can’t decide if he is male or female.

So they are saying they want to accommodate non-binary performers like Sam Smith. Now he’ll enter the non-binary categories.

“The whole point of having gender categories is to make it fair, to make it equal. Now we are going to go the other way.”

Piers Morgan said that he thinks it’s a load of nonsense and suggested that every category at the awards ceremony will need to change now as “that is the way it goes”.

Piers Morgan added: “Well I think it is a load of nonsense. The idea you have to change entire award categories for one guy, it’s nonsense.”

However, a source within the organizers committee told The Sun : “Bosses are listening to changes happening in the industry. The categories will evolve in the coming years.

The male and female categories will still be in place next February but changes are being planned for the following year.

Organisers will be consulting labels and artists alike to work out what is best for the future of the Brits ceremony.”

Who is Sandi Toksvig?

Sandra Birgitte ‘Sandi’ Toksvig, is a British-Danish (born in Denmark, acquired British citizenship later) writer, broadcaster, actor and producer on British radio, stage, and television. Sandi Toksvig is also very well known for being a political activist. She is the co-founder the Women’s Equality Party. Throughout her career, Sandi Toksvig has written numerous plays, novels, and books for children. She became the first British public figure to come out as a lesbian in the year 1994.

During the year 2016, Sandi Toksvig took over the hosting duty of the BBC television quiz show QI from Stephen Fry. Prior to that, Sandi Toksvig had spent ten years hosting The News Quiz on BBC Radio 4. In the year 2017, Sandi Toksvig joined comedian Noel Fielding as a co-presenter of The Great British Bake Off.

Sandi Toksvig was installed as Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth in October 2012, and is the president of the Women of the Year Lunch. For her lifelong contributions in the field of broadcasting, Sandi Toksvig was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours.

Where was Sandi Toksvig born?

Sandi Toksvig was born in Denmark on May 3^rd 1958. Her father, Claus Toksvig, was a prominent Danish journalist, broadcaster, and foreign correspondent. As a result of her father’s job, Sandi Toksvig spent most of her childhood and youth outside Denmark, with a majority of that time being spent in New York City. Her mother, Julie Anne Toksvig (née Brett), is a British citizen. She has an older brother Nick and a younger sister Jenifer. During the year 1969, Sandi Toksvig’s father covered the Apollo 11’s moon landing mission from the mission control room in Houston. During the landing, Sandi Toksvig tightly clutched the hand of Neil Armstrong’s secretary to fight her nerves. She went to school in Guildford, while her father was based in London. Sandi Toksvig landed her first job at the age of 18, as a follow spot operator for the musical Jesus Christ Superstar.

She went to university and studied law, archaeology and anthropology at Girton College, Cambridge. She graduated with a first-class degree and her outstanding achievements were rewarded with The Raemakers and the Theresa Montefiore Awards. During her time at college, one of her law supervisors was Lord Denning.

How tall is Sandi Toksvig?

All avid viewers of The Great British Bake Off must’ve noticed a distinct height difference between Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig.

Sandi Toksvig stands at a diminutive five feet tall. However, in an interview with The Telegraph, she said that she was confused by why so many people were obsessed with her small stature.

She said: “I am five feet tall myself and it is rare that I meet someone new who doesn’t comment on my height. I am curious that the world is so interested but it was ever thus.“

What all is Sandi Toksvig known for?

Beginnings

Sandi Toksvig kickstarted her comedy career at Girton. Sandi Toksvig wrote and performed in the historic first all-woman show at the Footlights. Sandi Toksvig was a part of that around the same time as fellow members who went on to become entertainment stars such as Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Tony Slattery, and Emma Thompson. Sandi Toksvig also contributed additional material for the Perrier award-winning Footlights Revue. Sandi Toksvig also served as a member of her university’s Light Entertainment Society.

Sandi Toksvig’s television career started with a children’s series. She  presented No. 73 (1982–1986), the Sandwich Quiz, The Saturday Starship, Motormouth, Gilbert’s Fridge, and factual programmes such as Island Race and The Talking Show. The program was produced for Channel 4 by Open Media.

Comedy

As a part of Players, an improvisational comedy team of the Comedy Store in London, Sandi Toksvig performed on the first night.

In television, she appeared as a panellist in comedy shows such as Call My Bluff (a regular as a team captain), Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Mock the Week, QI, and Have I Got News for You, where she appeared on the very first episode in 1990. Sandi Toksvig also hosted What the Dickens, a Sky Arts quiz show.

For all BBC Radio 4 listeners, Sandi Toksvig is an extremely familiar voice. Sandi Toksvig has been a part of I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, The Unbelievable Truth, and has served as the chair of The News Quiz, where she replaced Simon Hoggart in September 2006. Sandi Toksvig left the show in June 2015 so that she can focus on entering politics and championing for women’s rights. The first broadcast of her final show took place on June 26^th 2015. Sandi Toksvig also served as the presenter for BBC 4’s travel programme Excess Baggage until its cancellation in 2012.

Drama and Factual

In 1993, Sandi Toksvig wrote a musical for the Nottingham Playhouse called Big Night Out at the Little Sands Picture Palace. The musical featured Anita Dobson and Una Stubbs with Sandi Toksvig. In 2002, it was re-written, with Dilly Keane, for the Watford Palace Theatre, in which they appeared with Bonnie Langford.

Toksvig and Elly Brewer wrote a Shakespeare deconstruction, The Pocket Dream, which Toksvig performed at the Nottingham Playhouse and which transferred to the West End for a short run. The aforementioned pair also wrote the 1992 TV series The Big One. Sandi Toksvig starred in that show as well. Sandi Toksvig has made an appearance on numerous stage plays as well. Some of them are Androcles and the Lion, Much Ado About Nothing, and The Comedy of Errors.

In the year 1996, she was the narrator for the Dragons! interactive CD-ROM published by the Oxford University Press. The software’s development was carried out by Inner Workings, along with inputs from Harry Enfield. The Dragons! interactive software was mainly aimed towards children and featured numerous songs and poems associated with dragons. Sandi Toksvig was also the narrator for Winnie the Witch CD-ROM. She also made an appearance in the 2006 Doctor Who audio drama Red produced Big Finish Productions. I n December of 2006, she hosted and sang at Make the Yuletide Gay, a London Gay Men’s Chorus sold-out Christmas show, performed at the Barbican Centre. During Christmas and New Year 2007-2008, Sandi Toksvig narrated the pantomime Cinderella at London’s Old Vic Theatre. In October 2011 at the Queen’s Theatre, London, Sandi Toksvig narrated the new musical Soho Cinders. In the year 2011, Sandi Toksvig went on to host the second season of BBC Two’s Antiques Master.

Sandi Toksvig also wrote a play on post-traumatic stress among members of the British military. The play was called Bully Boy. The play premièred at the Nuffield Theatre in Southampton in May 2011, and starred Anthony Andrews. The play then launched the debut season of St James Theatre in September 2012, the first new West End theatre to open in 30 years.

In the 2013 Christmas Special of BBC’s Call the Midwife, Sandi Toksvig made a cameo appearance as grumpy ward nurse Sister Gibbs.

On 28 April 2015, Sandi Toksvig’s departure from BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz was announced. She was going to leave the show in June at the end of the 28th series, which was scheduled to begin on May 15th of that year. She said: “I have decided it is time to move on and, of course, I feel sad but I think it’s the right moment. The show is in great shape and, like a good house guest, you should always depart when people still wish you’d stay a bit longer.” According to the BBC, Sandi Toksvig had made the “difficult decision” to leave so that she can “embark on a new and exciting stage of her career”. On April 30th 2015, Sandi Toksvig announced that her decision to quit The News Quiz was been made to help her focus towards setting up a new political party called the Women’s Equality Party.

In November 2015, Sandi Toksvig appeared a guest on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. Some of her selected artists includee Joe Nichols (“What’s a Guy Gotta Do”), Gustav Winckler, The Weather Girls, Barbra Streisand, and Bonnie Langford. The book of her choice was The Ashley Book of Knots, and for her luxury item, she chose an endless supply of the Daily Mail.

Her most recent play Silver Lining premiered on February 11^th 2017 at the Rose Theatre Kingston. The play then went on to tour Portsmouth, Oxford, Cambridge, Ipswich, Keswick, York, and Salford. The plot of the play centred around five elderly ladies and a young carer who lived in a retirement home about to be flooded by a storm. The play starred Rachel Davies, Keziah Joseph, Maggie McCarthy, Joanna Monro, Sheila Reid, and Amanda Walker. Sandi Toksvig’s son, Theo Toksvig-Stewart, also made his professional stage debut with this play.

Writing

Sandi Toksvig has written more than twenty fiction and non-fiction books for children and adults as well. She started in 1994 with Tales from the Norse’s Mouth, which was a fiction story for children. In 1995, she joined John McCarthy, who had been held hostage in Beirut for a voyage around the coast of Britain. In 2003, Sandi Toksvig published a memoir Gladys Reunited: A Personal American Journey, chronicling her travels in the USA and retracing her childhood. Sandi Toksvig writes columns on a regular basis for Good Housekeeping, the Sunday Telegraph and The Lady. In October 2008, she published a history book for girls entitled Girls Are Best.

Sandi Toksvig’s columns for The Sunday Telegraph were collected and published in book form under the title The Chain of Curiosity. In 2012, she published a historical novel set in the Boer War, Valentine Grey,

Television Presenter

During 2012–13 Sandi Toksvig presented the show 1001 Things You Should Know for Channel 4’s daytime telecast. In April 2014, Sandi Toksvig also presented the revival edition of the daytime game show Fifteen-to-One. Compared to the original half-hour edition presented by William G. Stewart, Sandi Toksvig’s version lasted for an hour. After two successful seasons, Channel 4 announced renewed the show for three more seasons, with Toksvig as a host.

When Sandi Toksvig took over presenting duty from Stephen Fry as host of QI, it made her “the first female presenter of a British mainstream TV comedy panel show”. Sandi Toksvig was the host of the first episode of the show’s series “N”, which was broadcast on 21 October 2016

On March 16^th 2017 Sandi Toksvig was announced as one of the new co-presenters of Channel 4’s The Great British Bake Off, alongside Noel Fielding. They duo replaced the out going hosts Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc.

Political Activism

Sandi Toksvig surfaced to wider public prominence in the year 1994. After she came out as a lesbian, the charity Save the Children dropped her services as the host of its 75th anniversary celebrations. However, the charity was forced to apologise after a direct action protest by the Lesbian Avengers.

Sandi Toksvig is an avid supporter of the charity and pressure group Liberty, she even hosted its 2012 awards ceremony. Sandi Toksvig also served as the President of the Women of the Year Lunch. Sandi Toksvig is an atheist and humanist. She is also an active patron of the Humanists UK movement.

During the Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal in October 2012, Sandi Toksvig said that she was groped by a “famous individual” on air in the 1980s. This led to more people claiming that the BBC’s culture in the 60s, 70s and 80s tolerated sexual harassment. According to Sandi Toksvig, the allegations of inappropriate behaviour at the BBC “did not surprise her at all”. In September As the BBC gender pay gap controversy continued to unfold in the year 2018, Sandi Toksvig reported that her salary was only 40% of what Fry made before her. Before she got the job, Sandi Toksvig had spoken with Radio Times and said that it would be “absurd” if she did not receive the same salary as him for chairing QI.

In the year 2003 Sandi Toksvig also stood as a candidate for the election of University of Oxford’s Chancellorship. She supported a campaign against the high student fees. However, she lost in the first round of voting itself, acquiring only 1,179 first-place votes out of a total of about 8,000 votes that were cast. The election was eventually won by Chris Patten. Ten years later, she became the successor of Sheila Hancock as Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth.

Sandi Toksvig’s party-political sympathies have changed over the years. During the 1980s, she was a part of Red Wedge’s comedy tour, which supported the Labour Party. During the 2004 elections, she was one of the high-profile celebrity supporters of Britain’s Liberal Democrats. Sandi Toksvig introduced frontbencher Menzies Campbell at the party’s conference in 2004. She was also named as a possible parliamentary candidate from the party. 

Over the years, Sandi Toksvig has come under fire for joking about the Tories in 2011 (they’ve “put the ‘N’ into cuts” to child benefit). However, she called former Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May “a good person”. She also went on to joke about UKIP leader and nationalist figure Nigel Farage. In 2012, she said “I don’t think there’s a party that represents anything I believe in”.

Women’s Equality Party

In April 2015, Sandi Toksvig served as the chairperson of the first, informal, conference of a new political party, the Women’s Equality Party. Soon after that, she left her job as presenter of The News Quiz and formally co-founded the party. In a later explanation behind her decision, she said that she had decided that it was “not too late to fight the good fight, after all. Later that year in September, Sandi Toksvig announced the dates for a comedy tour in order to raise funds for the party. The party launched its full set of policies at Conway Hall, 20 October 2015.

How many children does Sandi Toksvig have?

Sandi Toksvig has two daughters (Megan and Jesse) and a son (Theo). The children were carried by her then partner, Peta Stewart, from whom she separated in 1997, and were conceived through artificial insemination by donor Christopher Lloyd-Pack, younger brother of the actor Roger Lloyd-Pack.

Her three young children were a big reason behind her choice to come out publically. Sandi Toksvig did not want her children to grow up ashamed of having two mothers. Sandi Toksvig was warned about losing her job, and the family was bombarded with death threats forcing her to go into hiding.

Who is Sandi Toksvig married to?

Sandi Toksvig lives on a houseboat in Wandsworth with her wife, psychotherapist Debbie Toksvig. Since gay-marriage was illegal in England and Wales in 2007, the couple had entered into a civil partnership. whom she joined in a civil partnership in 2007. On March 29^th, 2014, when gay-marriage was legalized in England and Wales, the couple renewed their vows and became officially married.

Sandi Toksvig acquired a British citizenship in 2013. She describes her “posh” accent as being the result of a deliberate attempt to copy the voice of Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter, after being ostracised at boarding school for having an American accent.

In an appearance on BBC 1 show The TV That Made Me, she stated she held the hand of Neil Armstrong’s nervous secretary to calm the woman down during the final moments. Sandi Toksvig confessed about her lifetime fear of famous children’s television puppet Basil Brush. In 2002, she wrote an episode of The Basil Brush Show entitled “Molly Christmas”.

The Gypsy King Tyson Fury’s treasure trove just became significantly larger after he signed a blockbuster five-year £80 million TV deal with ESPN. This has almost tripled his net worth, to above £100 million. The heavyweight boxer who has 29 unbeaten bouts to his name, is one of the most dominant forces in the current heavyweight category in boxing. Tyson Fury’s new deal has raised his status to the astronomical level of Britain’s richest athletes such as Rory McIlroy and fellow heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua.

The 6’9″ Tyson Fury is a former heavyweight boxing world champion. He won the title by defeating Ukrainian legend Wladimir Klitschko in 2015. Soon after that, Tyson Fury started battling some personal demons, grew overweight and took an indefinite break from the sport of boxing.

Tyson Fury’s legendary victory and breakthrough moment against long time champion Wladimir Klitschko made him richer by somewhere between £3.5 to £5 million. The fight was held in Dusseldorf, Germany’s Esprit Arena. The 55,000 seat arena was packed for the fight and millions tuned in to watch the legendary fight via pay-per-view.

Tyson Fury’s famous victory over Wladimir Klitschko catapulted his earning power to the next level. After winning the fight, Tyson Fury earned the entire cabinet of Wladimir Klitschko’s belts. Boxing fans and analysts alike were extremely impressed with Tyson Fury’s performance. He outboxed and outfoxed Wladimir Klitschko over 12 brutal rounds of top class heavyweight boxing. His net worth after that fight was around £20 million.

In a shocking aftermath to his legendary win, Tyson Fury went on a downward spiral in his personal life and was forced to spend three years away from the sport to deal with personal problems. That cost Tyson Fury all of his titles. After a three year absence, Tyson Fury signed an agreement with MTK Global and made a return to the ring in the year 2018.

Tyson Fury has often publically claimed to not care about money. However, he does have plenty of it. He even claimed that he will give away the £7 million he earned for fighting Deontay Wilder to a draw last year. Every body was highly impressed with his resilience when he got up from a knock down punch.

At the end of last year, his basic pay for the draw against Deontay Wilder during the Los Angeles bout was around £2.5m. Many people believed that Tyson Fury should’ve been judged as the victor of that fight.

After pay-per-view earnings were added up, Fury’s net earnings from the fight swelled up to £7 million. Tyson Fury said that he donated it to various charities.

Tyson Fury is now back and on a hunt for his second world title victory as he has targeted a second shot at Deontay Wilder in 2019.

Financially, it is bound to be an absolutely mouthwatering prospect for the Gypsy King.

Tyson Fury’s first fight of the new bumper ESPN deal saw him pocket a hefty £10 million for knocking out Tom Schwarz within two rounds. Tyson Fury is set to earn £12 million for his upcoming fight against Otto Wallin, which will take his net earnings from his new deal somewhere around £30 million.

This mammoth amount of money can really useful for Tyson Fury after he claimed last year that he was skint and is “on the dole”.

The 30-year-old Gypsy King Tyson Fury said: “To be honest, I’m skint. I don’t have any money in the bank. I’m on the dole.

I’m on Jobseeker’s Allowance at the moment. I’m not winding you up – I’m being truthful. Seriously, I didn’t make any money out of boxing at all. Don’t feel sorry for me – it’s not a bad thing.

“I give my promotional team half of the money and I donate the other half to charity or give it to people in need because I don’t think people should make money out of punching other people in the face. I fight because I love to fight.

“I’ll continue boxing until I’m 50 – until I can’t box any more.

“I help a lot of people with my money from boxing. I create homes, take homeless people off the streets, I give it to children’s charities. You can’t take money with you.”

Most people are extremely impressed with the new and improved Tyson Fury and he is expected to dominate during Saturday’s fight against Otto Wallin.

Steve Bunce said: “He looks faster, slimmer and is clearly better mentally. He is getting close to optimum.”

Mike Costello, 5 Live’s boxing commentator, added: “Wallin was a key sparring partner for Anthony Joshua.

v“He is not unknown but looking online he does look slow on his feet, so he will be beaten for speed, variety and class, it seems.”

Who is Jayne Torvill?

Jayne Torvill, OBE (Order of the British Empire) is a legendary English figure skater and ice dancer. Jayne Torvill won a figure skating Olympic Gold Medal along with Christopher Dean during the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. She was barred from competing in the Olympics after turning professional soon after that. However, she returned to the Olympics after a rule change by the International Skating Federation in 1993. She won a bronze medal during the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. In the process, she became one of the oldest figure skating medalists in Olympic history.

When was Jayne Torvill Born?

Jayne Torvill was born on October 7^th 1957 in Clifton, Nottingham, England. She grew up in Nottingham, where she attended the Clifton Hall Girls’ Grammar School. She also worked in Nottingham as an insurance clerk at Norwich Union.

How did Jayne Torvill start Ice Skating?

Jayne Torvill was hooked on to ice skating at the tender age of 8 after a life changing after-school trip to the local ice rink. In the year 1971, when Jayne Torvill was only 14 years old, she became the British National Pairs Champion along with her partner Michael Hutchenson. After parting ways with Hutchenson, Torvill continued to skate on her own for a while before teaming up with Dean in 1975. After they finished 5^th during the Lake Placid’s Winter Olympics in 1980, Dean quit his policeman’s job and Jayne Torvill gave up her job of an insurance clerk. They both decided to skate together full time.

When did Jayne Torvill win her Olympic Gold Medal?

During the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Jayne Torvill and Dean’s performance to the music of Maurice Ravel’s Boléro, became famous world wide. For their performance, Jayne Torvill and Dean received twelve perfect 6.0 marks. This was the first of five occasions when the pair of Jayne Torvill and Dean was awarded all perfect scores for artistic impression. Watched by an audience of 24 million Britons, it ended up being one of the most watched achievements in the history of British sports. Since the time limit was four minutes and ten seconds and their music was four minutes 28 seconds, they moved their bodies to the music for 18 seconds before starting to skate.

Torvill and Dean turned professional after their 1984 Olympic win and under then existing Olympic Committee rules their professional status made them ineligible to compete in the Olympics again. However, in the year 1993, much like every other sports governing body around that time, the International Skating Union relaxed the rules for professional skaters, allowing professional skaters to participate in the Olympics. As a result, Jayne Torvill and Dean participated in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, winning a bronze medal.

Between 1998 and 2005, Jayne Torvill went on a seven year hiatus from skating. In January 2006, Jayne Torvill and Dean began starring in the ITV show Dancing on Ice. Each year, the show runs from January to March and then goes on tour to arenas across the United Kingdom. In November 2011, Torvill said, “the standard each year has gotten higher and higher, which is exciting for us – to think what we can achieve with people who have never skated or are relatively unknown to skating.”

Jayne Torvill and Dean were appointed as the honorary ambassadors for the 2012 European Figure Skating Championships which was held in Sheffield, England. In February 2014, Torvill and Dean visited Sarajevo for the 30th anniversary of the 1984 Olympics, and recreated their Bolero routine in the same arena where they won the gold.

Which are some of Jayne Torvill’s most legendary performances?

Encounter 1984

Encounter runs at over six minutes and was for Torvill and Dean their most enduring professional performance, winning them the World Professional Championships in 1984 and known to be used as performance piece until 1987. They resurrected the piece in 1994 to win at the World Team Championships. It is last known to have been performed at Wembley for the Face the Music World Tour filmed in June 1995.

The piece’s theme revolves around two people who walk past each other on the street, then they notice each other, do a double take, and instantly fall in love. What follows is a brief encounter of two people very much in love but destined to be apart. The costumes for this performance were very minimalist and unobtrusive, meant to keep up with the understated-ness of the piece. Jayne Torvill’s costume consisted of a sleek light grey-blue dress which was cut like a mini-skirt. Dean wore a silver-grey outfit. During Encounter’s repeat performances in the 90s, Torvill wore a dress designed to look identical to the original. Dean’s shirt and trousers were designed to match the colours of Torvill’s outfit.

Shepherd’s Song 1986

This dance was designed specifically for the 1986 Sports Aid Gala, the proceeds of which went to causes in need in Africa. There is no clarity about any repeat performances of this dance. However, a photo caption on page 76 of the book Fire on Ice suggested that Shepherd’s Song was indeed incorporated into the World Tour, especially for for its next visit to the Wembley Arena.

The lyrics are in fact those of a very simple old folk song depicting a Shepherd and Shepherdess calling to each other across mountain pastures. 

The booklet with the CD “A La Francaise” gives the following translation of the song.

Shepherd, across the water, you are scarcely having a good time,

Sing bailero, lero, lero.
Scarcely, and you?
Sing bailero, lero.
Shepherd, how do I get over there, there’s a big stream, sing bailero, lero.
Wait, I’ll came and get you,

Bailero, lero, lero.”

Paganini 1987

Paganini was a full Company Ballet that choreographed by the legendary Tatiana Tarasova. Torvill and Dean, served as the leads for this performance along with Yuri Ovchinikov. This spectacular performance consisted of many complex and stunning balletic dance exchanges between Torvill and Dean. It also featured a few solo performances with the other company members who were present on the ice along with Jayne Torvill and Dean. The piece evoked a sensation of a traditional Russian ballet with both Jayne Torvill and Dean performing extremely well throughout the routine, punctuating it with many beautiful and unique moves. The costumes are simple – Chris in a flamboyant white shirt piece and Jayne all in white, very similar to, if not the same as, her costume in Shepherd’s Song. Originally filmed and performed for the one-off televised production with the Russian All Stars at the Luzhniki rink in Moscow in 1987, it is not clear whether it became a permanent part of the Russian All Stars Tour, but it seems likely that it was performed in at least the first five months of the Tour. La Ronde, another company performance that they were working on during that time was probably never finished or performed. It would appear that it was probably disbanded and replaced with Akhnaton.

Excerpt from Torvill and Dean’s biography:

Tatiana wanted to do a story of Paganini, portraying two sides to his character. Niccolo Paganini was many things: the greatest violin virtuoso of the last century, a composer, the megastar of his day, and romantic adventurer devoured by melancholy. He had seemed to Tatiana to be a perfect hero for Russian – a soul in conflict with himself. Yuri Ovchinikov would be dancing Paganini’s crazy persona, Chris dancing the creative one, with Jayne as the great man’s muse. Neither of us took to the number, but restrained ourselves for the sake of a peaceful life.

Missing 1987

This (intentionally) dimly lit performance was always accompanied with South American Music. The performance gave the impression of two people on the run, traveling at night and contending with the elements. Chris wore grey-brown trousers and shirt, with Jayne in a simple one-colour burnt red dress. This dance featured some incredible symmetry, most notably the spinning moves that were specifically created to demonstrate the state of despair running through the dancers/characters. This routine was performed throughout the Russian All Stars Tour. It was also performed at various exhibitions including the 1990 Sports Aid Gala. In the year 1994, Missing was recreated for the American Artistry on Ice documentary.

Excerpt from Torvill and Dean’s biography:

One thing that required our attention was Chris’s response to some Andean music, which reminded him of the terrible things – particularly the officially sanctioned kidnappings – that had been happening in Chile and Argentina in recent years. The subject was very much in the air after the Falklands War, and more recently the Costa Gavras movie, Missing. Chris saw in his mind those who had vanished, the fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, lovers, friends and children, and devised a series of movements linking two people who could be seen as friends or brother and sister, confronting authority, cowering before it, searching for lost loved ones, and ending where they started, in limbo.

Akhnaten 1987

Akhnaten is another company performance devised for the Russian All Stars Tour that was never commercially released on film, and only a home video filmed by a former cast member is available on the internet. The costumes were of traditional Egyptian royalty design. The piece received good reviews including repeated praise in the New York Times, and they refer to the piece regularly in their autobiography.

Excerpt from Torvill and Dean’s autobiography:

Chris had been interested for a while in ancient Middle Eastern history, and on a trip to London immersed himself in the Egyptian room of the British Museum. He liked the feel of the mythology, Isis and Osiris, Pharaoh as god, the idea of dying as rebirth into the real world, the richness of the funerary ornamentation, all that gold lapis lazuli, the stylised poses in the paintings, the hieroglyphics, and in particular the love story of Akhnaten and his queen Nefertiti. Then by chance we came across the CD of a new opera by Philip Glass, called, of all things Akhnaten. This is not exactly top ten material – minimalist style, vastly long phrases of repeated notes, but in mood just what Chris was looking for. All we needed was to reduce a three-hour epic to 30 minutes. To do that demanded total immersion in the story and imagery. It was an odd thing to do, which involved some long negotiations on our behalf with Philip Glass himself.

The dance opened with a strong image to seize and hold the audience. A huge pyramid of silk, 25-foot square at its base, was being admired by modern tourists. Suddenly, a line attached to the top whipped the pyramid up and away, revealing the world of ordinary Egyptians in the 14th Century BC, all in skirts and sandal-like skates. Chris as the Pharaoh made his entry carried on a throne, which led into a love sequence with Jayne as Nefertiti, then a rebellion by the people and a royal death, leaving Jayne/Nefertiti in mourning.

1989 Revolution/Imagine

Performed during the latter half of the All Stars Tour and also used to win the 1990 World Professional Championships, this piece is very different from any other they performed. This visual stunner was extremely technical and physically demanding. Iy involved quite a few high and drawn out lifts. True to the style of the music, Revolution is extremely fast-paced and performed with an aggression that neither had displayed before. The movements express violence, dissent, anguish, and entrapment. The costumes were very sophisticated in style: Chris wore back trousers, white open-necked shirt, and a smart black and purple waistcoat, while Jayne wore black trousers and a voluminous white silk blouse. In an unusual move, Jayne Torvill put on black skates which blended right in with her trousers. Something like this was normal for Chris who always wore skates which matched with the dominant colour of his costume. However, Jayne Torvill rarely matched her skates with her costumes, and she used white skates for most of her routines.

Excerpt from Torvill and Dean’s autobiography:

Revolution was most ambitious. Its inspiration was a Montréal dance group we had seen in Sydney with the odd name of La La La Human Steps, whose rapid, machine-gun, staccato movements were unlike anything we had seen before. Chris thought the technique might be adapted for the ice, if we replaced the dancers’ lifts and throws with quick-fire upper-body movements. It was long, fast and very testing, not only of our abilities as dancers, but also as actors, in particular Jayne, who had to go completely against character, with vicious movements and displays of anger. That was new, not only for her: nobody to our knowledge had done anything like this on ice before.

Excerpt from the Blade Runners documentary:

I didn’t like Revolution at first because I’m not an aggressive person, so it was good that he pushed it because it brought out another side of me – another character that I could portray”. Chris then goes on to explain the theme of the piece, and explains how it leads into imagine and why the perform the two pieces together: “the idea is of it’s a young couple that have been married for a few years and it’s not that fairytale life of happiness. Which happens to a lot of people – that something goes wrong and tension builds and anger grows within that. And I wanted to put that onto the ice – this raw aggression – and overstate it – so that, for people sitting right the way back, it becomes literal though body. But it follows on in a sort of resolve – not necessarily a happy ending – it then goes into Imagine. Maybe there is something else, maybe there is a compromise or at least an understanding of their situation. They may not get back together or it may not be resolved but they’ve analysed that they have a problem and maybe there is something to work towards and achieve a happier solution

1991 Iceworks/Tilt

In the year 1990, Jayne Torvill and Dean were approached by the BBC programme Omnibus to do a special programme on their choreography. The documentary focused on how their choreography had advanced during their professional years, away from the rigid rules of amateur competition, focusing on the comic performance of Hat Trick, the highly political expressiveness of Missing, the technical difficulties of Oscar Tango, and the stylistic flamboyance of Revolution / Imagine. The documentary makers also managed to convince Jayne Torvill and Chris to choreograph, perform and produce a specific dance for it. The piece was named Iceworks for the documentary but later named Tilt when performed at events. As an ice dancing piece produced for television, Iceworks was able to include dry ice effects, an artistic backdrop, and highly evocative lighting effects in its production. The up-and-coming Jazz composer Andy Sheppard was asked to compose an entirely new piece of music specifically for the routine, and Chris worked closely with him on the composition process. The music was derived initially by blending saxophone with the sound of Chris and Jayne’s blades gliding across the ice; thereafter a beat kicks in together with a slightly ethereal simple tune. The costumes used for this piece were essentially matching tight fitting all-in-one pieces. The colour scheme was a mixture of pastel colours: yellow, pink, mauve, and blue.

This dance routine was extremely difficult for Jayne Torvill and Chris:

“I couldn’t relate to the stark, modern music that had been commissioned by the Omnibus people. To be frank, I couldn’t understand Chris’s ideas for the music, couldn’t understand what he was trying to get me to do” (source: Facing the Music: 1995:227–228). They were working to a tight deadline for the programme but in the end the pressure became too much and the programme was delayed with the BBC’s agreement. Jayne took a two-week break with her just-married husband Phil Christensen before returning to start work with Chris on Oscar Tango. Iceworks was later completely for transmission as part of Omnibus in 1991, and achieved the highest viewing figures ever for the programme.”

Who is Peter Kay?

Peter John Kay is a legendary and beloved English comedian and actor. Peter Kay has written and acted in several film and television projects. He has also served as a producer on many such projects. Aside from that, Peter Kay has also written three successful books.

When was Peter Kay born?

Peter Kay was born on July 2^nd 1973 and brought up in Bolton, Lancashire, to a family of Irish descent, Kay studied media performance at the University of Salford. He began working part-time as a stand-up comedian, winning the North West Comedian of the Year award. In 1997, he won Channel 4’s So You Think You’re Funny contest and the following year was nominated for a Perrier Award for his show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. As his popularity and public stature increased, Peter Kay co-wrote and starred in That Peter Kay Thing for Channel 4 in the year 2000. This resulted in a spin-off sitcom, Phoenix Nights, which ran for two series from 2001–02, and in turn generated another spin-off, Max and Paddy’s Road to Nowhere, in 2004. During the year 2005, Peter Kay recorded a funny promotional video. In the video, Peter Kay mimed to Tony Christie’s 1971 hit “Is This the Way to Amarillo“. The video was re-released later in aid of the Comic Relief charity. Upon the re-release, the video was credited to “Tony Christie featuring Peter Kay”. The song reached #1 in the UK Singles Chart, remaining at the top spot for seven weeks and ended up being the the best-selling song of 2005 in the UK.

In 2008, he co-wrote and starred in Britain’s Got the Pop Factor… and Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice, a parody of several British reality television shows. While starring in it, Peter Kay released the single “The Winner’s Song” as Geraldine McQueen, the fictional protagonist of the series. The song was a super hit and reached #2 in the UK singles chart. His 2010–11 stand-up comedy tour was officially inaugurated into the Guinness World Records as the most successful of all time, playing to over 1.2 million people. He co-wrote and starred in Peter Kay’s Car Share, a sitcom screened by the BBC for two series between 2015–17. He also starred in the 2015 BBC sitcom Cradle to Grave. Peter Kay received a large number of awards in the year 2016. He won the BAFTA TV Awards for Best Male Comedy Performance and Best Scripted Comedy. Peter Kay also won the National Television Award for Best Comedy for Car Share. Aside from the awards for his comedy, he also received an educational boost by receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Salford.

Where did Peter Kay grow up?

Peter Kay was born and brought up in Deane, Bolton, Lancashire, where he attended Mount Saint Joseph RC School, leaving with one GCSE in art. Peter Kay’s father, Michael Kay worked as an engineer. Sadly, he didn’t live long enough to see Peter Kay’s success and passed away just before Peter’s career was about to take off. Peter Kay’s mother, Deirdre O’Neill, is a Roman Catholic from Coal Island, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland and Peter was brought up in her faith.

Growing up, Peter Kay worked several minor jobs. His résumé includes working in a Netto supermarket, cash and carry, toilet roll factory, cinema, petrol station and a bingo hall. Peter Kay’s previous jobs inspired episodes for his show, That Peter Kay Thing.

Peter Kay began a degree course at the University of Liverpool in Drama, Theatre Studies and English Literature. Struggling with the course, he changed to studying a Higher National Diploma (HND) in media performance (including stand-up) at the University of Salford’s Adelphi Campus School of Media, Music and Performance. On July 19^th, 2016, at Salford’s Lowry Theatre, as reward and recognition for his incredible contribution to the entertainment industry, Peter Kay received an Honorary Doctor of Arts degree from his alma mater.

His first stand-up was the competition the North West Comedian of the Year, which was held in Manchester and hosted by Dave Spikey, who would later be the co-star and co-writer of Phoenix Nights. Even though Peter Kay was last on the bill, he still won the competition. He beat Johnny Vegas for the title. Peter Kay has maintained that he was always seeking a career in comedy. While Peter Kay’s comedy success was growing, he was still not able to earn enough money to make a living off it. As a result, Peter Kay was forced to continue working part-time as an usher at his local cinema in Bolton while performing stand-up locally. However, the cinema shut soon and Peter Kay had to choose  between finding another job or pursuing comedy full-time.

After Peter Kay entered and won Channel 4’s So You Think You’re Funny? contest in 1997, he started making his first semi-professional stand-up appearances. Peter Kay’s first semi-professional stand up gig was at the 1998 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. At the festival, Peter Kay also received a prestigious Perrier Award nomination. During this time, he also appeared at various other clubs, such as London’s Comedy Store.

Though the aforementioned success led to a boost in Peter Kay’s public recognition, he didn’t really achieve mainstream recognition until his first live video show Live at the Top of the Tower in 2000. During this period, he appeared on several chat shows, such as Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and Parkinson, on the latter of which he had previously served as warm up. During this time-period, work also began on his Phoenix Nights series. Following advertisements for John Smith’s butter which imitated Peter Kay’s style from Phoenix Nights led to the development of Peter Kay’s catchphrases such as “‘ave it!” and “two lamb bhunas”.

Who is Peter Kay married to?

In a Bolton nightclub in 1998, Peter Kay met Susan Gargan whilst he was working at the local cinema. The couple married in 2001 after being in a relationship for three years. They have remained very private about their children. They have a teenage son, Charlie Michael Kay (that they named after their fathers, with Charlie being the name of Susan’s late father). They are also thought to have other children

Which was Peter Kay’s first TV project?

Peter Kay’s first TV project came during a 1997 episode of New Voices. It was a  a comedy series which focused on showcasing rising talent. His episode, “Two Minutes”, written by Johanne McAndrew, saw him play a getaway driver as two of his friends attempted to rob a pub of its takings. Peter Kay played a delivery driver as a part of the cast for BBC drama Born to Run in the year 1997. Peter Kay presented a slot titled “Peter Kay’s World of Entertainment” on BBC2’s The Sunday Show. Peter Kay then went on to make an episode of Channel 4’s Comedy Lab, “The Services“, in the year 1998. That went on to win a Royal Television Society award for the best newcomer. That award winning episode went on to serve as a pilot for That Peter Kay Thing. After the spectacular success of the series, Peter Kay and his co-writers – Neil Fitzmaurice and Dave Spikey, utilized the “In the Club” episode as the basis for Phoenix Nights. That show went on to be an immediate hit. Phoenix Nights was set in a newly refurbished social club which was run by Brian Potter. Part of the first series was filmed at the St Gregory’s Social Club in Farnworth, Greater Manchester. The club’s exterior, hallways and function suite were used for the show.

In 2004, Peter Kay followed the success with Max and Paddy’s Road to Nowhere, a spin-off of Phoenix Nights. The show featured the bouncer characters from the show—played by Kay and Paddy McGuinness—and at times also featured other characters from Phoenix Nights. Six episodes were made and broadcast from November to December 2004 by Channel 4. In 2005, Kay was awarded a Rose d’Or at the international television festival in Montreux for Best Performance by an Actor.

On 17 April 2006, Channel 4 broadcast a “Peter Kay Night”, showing out-takes from Phoenix Nights (previously featured on DVD), a behind-the-scenes documentary “180 – A Tour Documentary”.  The show featured behind the scenes of Peter Kay’s Mum Wants a Bungalow tour. It also screened the Peter Kay Live in Manchester show in its entirety. After an absence of four years, Peter Kay returned to television with the BAFTA-winning satire of reality talent shows, Peter Kay’s Britain’s Got the Pop Factor… and Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice, in the year 2008. Peter Kay co-wrote the show with Paul Coleman. The two-hour special was screened on Channel 4 on 17 October 2008. Peter Kay won his second Royal Television Society award for best actor for playing an Irish transsexual dinner lady called Geraldine McQueen.

Which are Peter Kay’s Best Live Performances?

Peter Kay has released numerous DVDs of his incredible live performances. The titles include Live at the Bolton Albert Halls (which holds the record as biggest selling British stand-up DVD), Peter Kay: Live at Manchester Arena, Live at the Top of the Tower, Peter Kay: The Live Collections (the previous two combined), and Peter Kay Live – The Tour That Didn’t Tour Tour (this DVD was recorded during his fifteen-night sold-out run at The O2 Arena in London).

In the year 2007, for Comic Relief, Peter Kay released a wonderfully hilarious cover version of “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)”, a song originally recorded by the Proclaimers. The video was essentially Peter Kay’s celebration of British talent. In 2009, Kay switched his musical fund-raising to Children in Need with the release of Peter Kay’s All Star Animated Band, which had taken two years to complete. He brought together over 100 animated children’s characters in a six-minute animated medley. These characters included Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder and Paddington Bear. The video also featured a lot of the characters’ original voice artists such as Bernard Cribbins, Neil Morrissey, Ken Barrie and Ringo Starr. The video premiered on BBC1 on November 20^th 2009.

Peter Kay returned to Comic Relief in 2011 with a cover version of “I Know Him So Well”. Multi-platinum artist Susan Boyle and Peter Kay in the guise of Geraldine McQueen from Britain’s Got the Pop Factor re-recorded the song. The video which accompanied the single was also directed by Kay and identically parodied the original video shot for shot. It premiered on Comic Relief on Friday, 18 March 2011.

Peter Kay’s Car Share, his own sitcom began airing in May 2015. The series proved to be a huge success and much to Peter Kay’s joy, a second series was commissioned to start in April 2017. In October 2015, Peter Kay also starred in Cradle to Grave, a BBC sitcom based on the teenage life of Danny Baker.

After an absence of seven years, Peter Kay announced a return to stand-up in November 2009. Peter Kay returned with four (later extended to 20) dates at the Manchester Arena the following April with a show entitled The Tour That Doesn’t Tour Tour…Now On Tour. The ridiculously high demand for tickets caused Peter Kay to announce soon that the entire show would become a part of a tour. In January 2012, the tour entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the most successful stand-up comedy tour of all time, featuring a total audience of 1.2 million people.

Peter Kay’s stand up tour faced some criticism when a lot of disabled fans were hit with bills of up to £39 while being on premium phone lines to book Peter Kay’s tour tickets.

Peter Kay announced his intention to again make a return to stand-up with his first brand new tour in eight years in November 2017. Peter Kay Live: Have Gags, Will Travel was scheduled to start touring in 2018, beginning with the Genting Arena in April before touring at venues such as SSE Hydro, Manchester Arena, The O2 Arena, First Direct Arena, SSE Arena Belfast, Sheffield Arena and Echo Arena Liverpool.

However, much to his fans’ chagrin, Peter Kay announced on December 13^th 2017 that he was going to cancel all future work projects (including Peter Kay Live: Have Gags Will Travel tour) for family reasons. Peter Kay also implored the media to respect the family of him and his family. The tour hit criticism once again because of the highly expensive phone calls for refunds. Fans were charged 62p per minute to call premium rate phone lines to claim ticket refunds.

In February 2007, Kay played flamboyant gay director Roger DeBris in the Mel Brooks musical The Producers at Manchester’s Palace Theatre for 120 shows.

He appeared in the first episode of the 2002 series of Linda Green, playing a pizza delivery man who ended up being something of a soulmate to the eponymous heroine. He has had two roles in Coronation Street. The first, in the late 1990s, was a brief appearance as a shopfitter, but in January 2004 he co-wrote his own scenes, appearing alongside Sally Lindsay, who played Shelley Unwin.

Who did Peter Kay play on Doctor Who?

On 17 June 2006, Peter Kay appeared in the Doctor Who episode “Love & Monsters”. Peter Kay’s character was the sinister Victor Kennedy. As the episode progressed, Victor Kennedy was exposed as an alien named Abzorbaloff.

Peter Kay was also included in the Independent on Sunday’s “Happy List” in 2009 as “simply Britain’s best comedian”. Peter Kay was included in 2010 as well (as an exception to their general rule). He was mainly appreciated for raising funds for the Children in Need foundation.

On September 9^th, 2017, Peter Kay participated in the “We Are Manchester” benefit concert to mark the reopening of Manchester Arena after it was shut down because of the terrorist attack in May. Peter Kay addressed the crowd with a moving speech before he introduced the concert’s headline act Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds