Coventry Telegraph - Pass the Remote

The UK's Favourite Eurovision Song

2013-05-17T13:41:34Z

Bucks Fizz hit Making Your Mind Up has been named the nation's favourite UK Eurovision song more than three decades after its triumph.

Listeners to BBC Radio 2 listeners have been voting on their top choice among the homegrown entrants who have carried hopes over the competition's 57-year history.

The 1981 chart-topper topped the poll with barefoot sensation Sandie Shaw's Puppet On A String from 1967 in second place.

Both tracks won the contest, as did third placed Katrina And The Waves with Love Shine A Light from 1997.

Gina G's Ooh Aah ... Just A Little Bit, which came only eighth in 1996, took fourth spot while another winner Save Your Kisses For Me by Brotherhood Of Man were fifth in the poll of all-time favourites among UK entrants.

The 1969 winner Boom Bang-A-Bang by Lulu - who shared the triumph with three other countries when voting was tied - limped into 12th place.

It even finished behind Scooch's Flying The Flag, which managed only 22nd place in the 2007 contest but came ninth in the poll of favourites.

Radio 2 host Ken Bruce - who this week was revealed to have his highest ever audience figures - announced the list during his show which was broadcast live from Malmo, Sweden, ahead of tomorrow night's contest.

Bruce, who is celebrating his 25th year of presenting Eurovision for Radio 2, said: "Making Your Mind Up is an all-time Eurovision classic. There was some tough competition in the running but huge congratulations to the band. I remember when we won that year and how brilliant Bucks Fizz's performance was. It was a proud moment in Eurovision's history."

Top ten:

1. Bucks Fizz - Making Your Mind Up (1981)

2. Sandie Shaw - Puppet on a String (1967)

3. Katrina and the Waves - Love Shine a Light (1997)

4. Gina G - Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit (1996)

5. Brotherhood of Man - Save Your Kisses for Me (1976)

6. Michael Ball - One Step Out of Time (1992)

7. The New Seekers - Beg, Steal or Borrow (1972)

8. Cliff Richard - Congratulations (1968)

9. Scooch - Flying the Flag (For You) (2007)

10. Blue - I Can (2011)

All You Need To Know About David Duchovny

2013-05-17T12:04:07Z

American actor best known for:playing X Files hero Fox Mulder.

David William Duchovny was born on August 7, 1960, in New York to a Scottish teacher mother, Margaret, and publicist and playwright father, Amram. They divorced when he was 11.

He has a brother called Daniel. David earned an English Literature degree from Princeton University and a Masters in the same subject at Yale University. He became a part-time actor to help fund his PhD, but abandoned his studies in 1987 to pursue a show business career full-time.

One of his earliest roles was in a beer advert. Before making his debut as Mulder in The X Files in 1993 he was best known as Dennis/Denise, a transvestite FBI agent in cult TV drama Twin Peaks.

He also hosted The Red Shoe Diaries series. On the big screen he has starred in Kalifornia, movie versions of The X Files, as well as Return To Me, Evolution, Zoolander, Steven Soderbergh's Full Frontal, Connie and Carla, My Dark Places and House of D. Since 2007, he has starred alongside Natascha McElhone in comedy drama Californication.

He dated Perry Reeves and Sheryl Lee before marrying Tea Leoni in 1997. They have two children, Madelaine and Kyd, but divorced in 2011.

Top quote: "I never, ever, ever cook, and I would never eat anything I might cook."

Reese Witherspoon To Walk The Line Again With Joaquin Phoenix

2013-05-17T11:50:22Z

REESE Witherspoon could be reunited with her Walk The Line co-star Joaquin Phoenix in thriller Inherent Vice.

The Oscar-winning actress is rumoured to be in talks to join Paul Thomas Anderson's upcoming big-screen adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's novel, reported Deadline.

Joaquin - who previously starred in Paul Thomas' film The Master - is already on board the 1970s-set drama as a drug-taking private investigator, as he takes the case of an alleged kidnapping of a former girlfriend.

Reese, who has also signed on to star in Walk The Line director James Mangold's memoir movie Three Little Words, is the latest addition for Inherent Vice, following the casting OF Jena Malone, Martin Short, Owen Wilson and Beniciq Del Toro.

The actress - who was recently arrested for disorderly conduct - next stars in indie drama Mud alongside Matthew McConaughey and real-life crime drama Devil's Knot with Colin Firth.

The 37-year-old, who has begun shooting drama The Good Lie, is also attached to Passengers with Keanu Reeves, the big-screen adaptation of self-help book Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus and Disney film Wish List.

TV Baker Paul Hollywood Splits For His Wife

2013-05-17T11:43:49Z

Culinary TV star Paul Hollywood has split from his wife after 15 years of marriage.

The silver-haired 47-year-old has become a heartthrob after his appearances in The Great British Bake Off.

But the relationship between Hollywood and his wife Alexandra has now sunk and confirmation comes just days after he turned up to the TV Baftas without her.

He has recently been working on a US version of the contest called The American Baking Competition with Marcela Valladolid, 34, taking the place of cookery guru Mary Berry who starred in the BBC2 version.

A statement from Paul Hollywood's agent said: "We confirm that Paul Hollywood has separated from his wife.

"Their priority is protecting their son. He will be making no further comment on this private matter."

The cookery expert - recently seen in Paul Hollywood's Bread - has told how he has become a sex symbol thanks to his TV appearances. In an interview he said recently: "My wife finds it hilarious - I get marriage proposals, maybe one a week."

The TV baker, from Wallasey on Merseyside, was the head baker at a number of smart hotels before finding TV fame, launching his own artisan bread firm and writing books.

Sir Bruce Forsyth Dances On With Strictly Come Dancing

2013-05-17T11:39:08Z

Sir Bruce Forsyth has ended speculation by signing up for the next series of Strictly Come Dancing.

However the veteran host - back for an eleventh series later this year - is to up his number of absences and will miss three of the live Saturday shows for BBC1.

Each year there is much speculation that the star, aged 85, may step away from the show. He recently set tongues wagging when he suggested he would prefer to spend more time in a warmer climate, leading many to wonder whether he may not want to spend another autumn working on the show.

But the BBC has announced that he will return once again alongside Tess Daly when the show starts in September. The busy schedule means he will step back from three of the shows, rather than the usual one show which he has missed for recent series.

Claudia Winkleman - who co-hosts the Sunday results show with Tess - will again take his place.

Sir Bruce said: "After all the normal speculation, I'm doing it again, why not? But seriously, here's hoping for another spectacular series."

Mark Linsey, controller of entertainment commissioning said: "I'm delighted Bruce is back. He's the life and soul of the Strictly party so it's great news that we've managed to come up with a schedule that works for him and the show. Roll on September."

Hi-De-Hi Star Paul Shane Dies

2013-05-17T09:07:26Z

Hi-de-Hi! actor Paul Shane has died at the age of 72 following a short illness, his agent said.

The star of the 80s BBC sitcom was surrounded by friends and family in a hospice in his home town of Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

Linda Kremer, the actor's agent for 15 years, said: "Paul Shane was a consummate professional, a true gentleman, a good friend, and a joy to work with.

"He didn't suffer fools, always maintained his sense of humour, never stinted on the time he gave to his fans.

"He lightened my life and I'll miss him enormously."

Paul was a coal miner before starting out as a cabaret act touring working men's clubs in the 1960s.

As well as Hi-di-Hi!, in which he played holiday camp host Ted Bovis, he starred in the TV series You Rang M'Lord and Oh, Dr Beeching!

He also appeared in Holby City, Doctors, Coronation Street and A Touch of Frost.

He is survived by three daughters and six grandchildren. His wife Dory died in 2001.

People took to Twitter following the announcement of his death to share their favourite memories of the actor, with many posting links to a video of his enthusiastic rendition of You've Lost That Loving Feeling on Channel 4 in 1996.

Comedian Ricky Gervais wrote: "RIP Paul Shane. Old school Britcom hero. This one's for you mate...".

King Richard III's Head Goes On Display

2013-05-17T06:26:03Z

A facial reconstruction of King Richard III is going on display in Leicester's Guildhall on the first stop of a nationwide tour.

The model, which goes on display tomorrow, was commissioned by the Richard III Society and made by Professor Caroline Wilkinson and the forensic art team at the University of Dundee.

It was made using a 3D printing technique called stereolithography, and details such as the style and colour of his hair were taken from near-contemporary portraits.

Archaeologists discovered the body of King Richard III under a car park and they plan to exhume a 600-year-old lead-lined stone coffin found nearby.

University of Leicester Archaeological Services have applied to the Ministry of Justice for an exhumation licence and to Leicester City Council to extend their dig to discover more about the Church of the Grey Friars where King Richard III was buried.

In February teams revealed that remains found under the city car park were ''beyond reasonable doubt'' those of the last Plantagenet king.

Experts want to examine the second discovery found near the site and said the stone coffin potentially contains the 14th century remains of a medieval knight called Sir William Moton.

He is believed to have been buried at Grey Friars Church in 1362 - more than a century before King Richard III.

It's Third Time Lucky For American Idol Winner

2013-05-17T06:20:14Z

It was third time lucky for soul singer Candice Glover as she finally triumphed on American Idol.

The 23-year-old won the Fox TV singing competition after auditioning three times and making it to the finals this year.

She looked stunned when Idol host Ryan Seacrest announced she had beaten soulful 22-year-old country singer Kree Harrison.

"Three times," exclaimed a weepy Candice under a wave of confetti before she sobbed her way through her new single I Am Beautiful.

Her win marks the first time a female and a non-white singer has won the competition since Jordin Sparks dominated the sixth season in 2007. The previous five winners - Phillip Phillips, Scotty McCreery, Lee DeWyze, Kris Allen and David Cook - were all young Caucasian guitar players, known to Idol fans as white guys with guitars.

Besides the coronation of Candice, the finale also served as a farewell for Randy Jackson, the show's last remaining original judge who announced last week that he is leaving Idol to focus on his record label and other business opportunities.

Jackson served as a judge on all 12 seasons of Idol, and first appeared on the panel alongside Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul when the competition started in 2002.

"I love everybody that walked on this show," Randy said. He added: "Hopefully, I touched their lives a little bit. They certainly touched mine."

Oscar-winning former Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson returned for the finale to duet with Candice on Natalie Cole's Inseparable.

Jennifer was among the guest stars who helped fill out the two-hour finale show, including Psy, Frankie Valli, Emeli Sande, Jessie J, Aretha Franklin and former Idol judge Jennifer Lopez.

Will Smith's Wild West Future

2013-05-16T13:48:32Z

WILL Smith is in talks to star in a remake of classic Western The Wild Bunch.

The Hollywood star is also interested in producing Warner Bros' reboot of Sam Peckinpah's 1969 film through his Overbrook Entertainment company, reported The Wrap.

The original film followed a group of ageing outlaws planning one last bank robbery.

The remake is expected to be set in the modern day and will follow a disgraced Drug Enforcement Administration agent, the part Will is thought to be keen on, who is hunting for a Mexican drug lord.

Will previously dabbled in the Western genre in 1999 comedy Wild Wild West.

Star Words ... Lord Sugar

2013-05-16T13:43:08Z

"It doesn't matter how good you pitch, your product sucks. It is like going into war with a peashooter."
Lord Sugar attacks The Apprentice contestant Sophie Lau, whose team task was to design some flat-pack furniture.

One Direction vs The World

2013-05-16T13:16:52Z

One Direction have announced plans for a stadium world tour in 2014.

The chart-toppers released the first details of their Where We Are Tour at London's Wembley Stadium, which is due to host the boyband for one of five dates in the UK and Ireland.

Harry Styles said: "It feels crazy to be announcing this in the first place - every time we walk into one of these places (Wembley), we think it's absolutely huge. The concept of doing a gig in a place like Wembley is incredible. We're very excited."

The announcement brings to an end intense speculation on the internet, after the British-based boy band hinted at "one big announcement" on their official Twitter page, which included a link to an online countdown to the unveiling.

The stadium tour in 2014 will include five UK and Ireland dates and eight in Latin America. The band will play Sunderland's Stadium of Light on May 28, Manchester City's Etihad stadium on May 31, Edinburgh's Murrayfield stadium on June 3 and on June 7 they will perform at Wembley. They will play Dublin's Croke Park on May 25.

The website said more dates would be added soon. Tickets for the UK and Ireland dates will go on sale on May 25.

One Direction shot to fame after coming third in the 2010 series of the X Factor, where they lost out to singer-songwriter Matt Cardle, but the five-piece have gone on to eclipse the eventual winner, enjoying a string of top 10 singles, recording two hit albums and are now about to release their first film, 1D3D.

Niall Horan said: "We're incredibly excited to announce we're doing a worldwide stadium tour in 2014. We're three years into it (being a band), so stepping out to an audience of 65,000 a night is incredible."

The announcement comes in the middle of the band's current tour. Asked about what fans - known as Directioners - can expect next year, Harry said: "It's important that the fans know it's not the same tour going around again in stadiums. We want to make the stage bigger, with new songs. It's going to be a completely different tour and a lot of fun."

Fellow band members Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson were also present for the announcement, while the band also confirmed plans for a new album to be released later this year, describing the sound as "rockier" and "edgy."

All You Need To Know About James May

2013-05-16T07:35:39Z

The tousle-haired TV presenter is best know for Top Gear.

James Daniel May was born on January 16, 1963, in Bristol. He has a brother and two sisters. He attended school in Rotherham with Life on Mars star Dean Andrews before heading to Lancaster University to study music.

After graduating, James made ends meet in a series of jobs, including working in a hospital. During a stint with an engineering company, he produced a leaflet and liked what it involved, so applied for a job as a magazine sub-editor. He then worked for Autocar, but was fired after inserting a "secret" message in the text.

His TV career began in 1998 with the Channel 4 series Driven, which ran for four years. In 1999, he landed a presenting role on BBC's Top Gear before it was axed due to low ratings.

He rejoined the revamped version of the show in its second series. Other projects for the BBC have included Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure, James May's 20th Century, and James May's Big Ideas, and James May's Man Lab. Away from TV, he has written columns for several publications and penned the books May On Motors and Notes From The Hard Shoulder.

He lives with his cat, Fusker, a gift from Richard Hammond, and is said to have been dating music journalist Sarah Frater since 2000.

Top quote: On his sex-symbol status: "Perhaps they look at me in the way that I might look at a slightly tacky Jaguar XJS, and think 'that's potentially not bad, maybe I could improve that'."

Star Words ... Julie Walters

2013-05-16T07:29:43Z

"I am glad I wasn't born beautiful. My career was never based on my looks."
Actress Julie Walters.

Record Company Goes Gaga Over Accordian Player

2013-05-16T06:30:39Z

A virtuoso accordion player who triumphed in Lithuania's Got Talent and covers a Lady Gaga hit has landed a major record deal in the UK.

Martynas Levickis, aged 22, a world champion on his instrument and a graduate of London's Royal Academy of Music, has landed a classical deal.

He is the first accordion player to be signed by Decca Classics and says he aims to bring the keyboard to a wider audience.

The repertoire on his album Martynas, to be released in the summer, includes classical standards such as Air On A G String, Hungarian Dance and Rondo Alla Turca, as well as Lady Gaga's chart-topper Telephone.

Levickis developed his prodigious talent after his godfather gave him a tiny accordion as a child in his native Lithuania.

He went on to study with one of his country's leading teachers at the Saulius Sondeckis Music School.

Viewers were spellbound by his performances which led to him winning the TV contest and he also took first prize in the 2010 Accordion World Cup in Croatia. Levickis has gone on to play venues such as Wigmore Hall and Ronnie Scott's in London.

He said: "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Decca and bring the accordion to an ever larger audience."

Paul Moseley, managing director of Decca Classics, said: "Martynas is the master of an instrument lodged deep in most of our musical memories.

"His mission is to bring the accordion back into the mainstream where it belongs.

"His unstuffy virtuosity and showmanship are the advocacy this wonderful instrument needs and Decca is delighted to be breaking boundaries with him."

Nearly One Million Listeners Switch Off Nick Grimshaw

2013-05-16T06:25:36Z

Radio 1's Nick Grimshaw has lost nearly a million listeners since taking over from Chris Moyles - to score the lowest breakfast show audience for a decade.

The DJ has seen the average audience drop by 950,000 listeners in the six months since he took over the show last year.

His latest figures according to industry ratings body Rajar are 5.78 million - the lowest since Sara Cox hosted the show in 2003.

It puts him a colossal four million behind Radio 2's Chris Evans, who has hit a new high of 9.8 million. It is thought to be the biggest ever gap between the two shows.

The plunging audience comes after Grimshaw failed to land a nomination for the breakfast show of the year title at the Sony Awards. The prize, handed out on Monday, went to Radio 4's Today programme which now has 6.94 million listeners, according to the latest figures.

Grimshaw's figures had been largely stable for the first three months after taking over from Moyles, dropping just 40,000. But he lost a further 910,000 listeners in the past quarter.

Chris Moyles's lowest point during his eight and a half years on the breakfast slot was only a tiny margin above Grimshaw's latest tally, drawing just 5.79 million in early 2004, but he soared back to take his audience to a high of 7.9 million in 2010.

Grimshaw was given the job as part of a strategy to lower the audience profile of Radio 1 listeners to the core 15 to 24 age group at which it is aimed, following concerns from the BBC Trust.

The station now has 10.26 million listeners, down from 11.14 million a year ago.

The BBC said today: "While the audience is smaller. it is more focused on a younger demographic."

It said Radio 1 now had its highest proportion of 15-24s for two and a half years.

Helen Boaden, director of BBC Radio, said: "The brand new schedule continues to bed in at Radio 1 and we remain confident that it will emerge strongly from a period of transition.

"Radio 1 is in good health - as clearly demonstrated by five golds at this week's Sony Radio Academy Awards."

Radio 2 controller Bob Shennan suggested that his presenter Chris Evans had reaped the benefits from listeners who had deserted the Radio 1 breakfast programme.

He said: "We always anticipated that Radio 2 might become a new home for some of Radio 1's older listeners and I'm delighted that they've chosen to stay with the BBC and are enjoying what they've found on the station."