Coventry Telegraph - Pass the Remote

All You Need To Know About Jason Isaacs

2013-06-19T13:21:09Z

The dashing British thesp is best known for Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films.

Born into a tight-knit Jewish community in Liverpool on June 6, 1963, Jason moved at the age of 11 to London with his family; his parents later emigrated to Israel.

He's the third of four children. His brothers grew up to become a lawyer, a doctor and an accountant respectively. Jason initially also studied law, but gave it up after becoming hooked on acting while at Bristol University. He went on to train at London's Central School of Speech and Drama.

His film debut came in The Tall Guy in 1989. Other early roles came in Capital City, Inspector Morse and Taggart. A small role in the 1998 blockbuster Armageddon cemented his position as a noteworthy actor, and he hasn't looked back since.

Movie projects include The Patriot, Black Hawk Down, Divorcing Jack, Event Horizon and the Harry Potter franchise. On TV he's appeared in The West Wing, Brotherhood, Awake and Case Histories. He's also appeared on stage, most notably in the National Theatre's 1993 production of Angels In America.

Married documentary film-maker Emma Hewitt in 1988. They have two daughters.

Top quote: On the Harry Potter novels: "I suddenly understood why my friends, who I'd thought were slightly backward, had been so addicted to these children's books. They're like crack."

Billy Crystal's Monster Film Hit

2013-06-19T13:15:33Z

BILLY Crystal has revealed how excited he was to explore the back story of Monsters Inc in the Pixar sequel to the animated hit.

Monsters University joins huge fluffy blue monster Sully and his small green one-eyed pal Mike as they are starting out at the prestigious School of Scaring.

Billy, who voices ambitious bookworm Mike Wazowski, hit the blue carpet at the world premiere of the film in LA and revealed the chance to go back in time opened up more creative options.

"I was excited because it opened up more possibilities. Most people expected us to follow Boo, they wanted to see little Boo again but that was too obvious.

"Peter Pan went back to find Wendy and she was 45 and having hot flashes and that wasn't good. This gave us new possibilities of who these guys were, we could create a new life for them."

Amy Adams Says No To Hollywood Diets

2013-06-19T11:38:22Z

AMY Adams has said she's turning her back on Hollywood diets as she doesn't see the point of them.

The Man Of Steel actress, who plays Superman's girlfriend Lois Lane, told Allure magazine: "Perfect isn't normal, nor is it interesting."

Amy, who has a three-year-old daughter Aviana, said it didn't matter to her what other actresses looked like.

She said: "Some of these actresses or public personas who are very public about their disciplined diets, more power to them. I just don't see the point. Do you know, the people I love as actresses, I've never, ever sought out pictures of them to see what they look like in a swimsuit."

Diet Challenge Of 11 Stone Dog

2013-06-19T09:14:00Z

An 11-stone bullmastiff dog has become the fattest pet to enter an animal charity's fit club.

Mizzy tips the scales at 11 stone 4lb (72kg), weighing more than the average UK woman.

The five-year-old needs to lose more than a third of her body weight to reach her ideal size, according to PDSA which runs an annual Pet Fit Club.

The dog, from Littleover in Derby, is so large that her collar fits around the waist of the charity's veterinary nurse who is now in charge of her strict diet.

Mizzy is one of 21 overweight animal finalists - including a two-stone Norwegian Forest cat and an 11lb rotund rabbit - taking part in a six-month diet and exercise programme.

Owner Cheryl Pedley described Mizzy as a "giant cuddly teddy bear."

The 50-year-old said: "We got Mizzy when she was a year old and she has always been a big girl, but wasn't overweight.

"Then in early 2011 she had pyometra (a potentially fatal womb infection) and had emergency surgery. This and some other health problems severely restricted her mobility and she just piled on the pounds in just six months.

"She isn't given any naughty treats at all, just dental sticks."

Veterinary nurse Sue Bartlett, who is monitoring Mizzy at Derby's PDSA PetAid hospital, said: "Mizzy is morbidly obese, which can have very serious consequences on her health and life expectancy.

"Overweight pets are less mobile, less willing to play and more likely to develop a number of serious health conditions.

"The good news is it's never too late to make a positive change and improve a pet's lifestyle. We're confident that Mizzy will have a slim-line figure and new lease of life by the end of the competition."

Ms Pedley added: "I knew she had gained weight but simply didn't realise how overweight she had become, I knew her breed was supposed to be big.

"She used to love long walks so I didn't think anything of giving her big helpings then, but I should have adjusted her food when her activity levels decreased - hindsight is a wonderful thing.

"When the vet explained the problems her extra weight was causing her I wanted to do everything I can to help her. I couldn't bear to lose such an adorable dog to something preventable, so I entered her into PDSA's Pet Fit Club."

Mizzy and the other finalists will compete for the title of PDSA Pet Fit Club slimmer of the year.

Nightmare Dating For The Apprentice Candidates

2013-06-19T07:30:04Z

Apprentice candidate Alex Mills plays the role of a nightmare date - as a team leader steps down for the first time in the history of the BBC One show.

The 22-year-old, whose groomed eyebrows have become a show talking point, wears make-up and dons purple socks and ripped-jean shorts to play Herbert, the personification of a bad date, in a TV advertising campaign.

His team Endeavour, led by business analyst Jordan Poulton, make the commercial to plug their dating website, Cufflinks, for young professionals.

Meanwhile, rival team Evolve pick Jason Leech, aged 29, a historian and property developer, to lead their group.

But after Evolve spend 45 minutes deciding on the colour of their logo for their over-50s site Friendship And Flowers, Jason gets blamed for the chaos and is accused of being "out of his depth."

For the first time on the show, a team leader abdicates, and retail entrepreneur Luisa Zissman, who boasts that she has the sex appeal of Jessica Rabbit and a brain like Einstein, takes over.

Lord Sugar's sidekick Nick Hewer says: "Yesterday, I watched the disintegration of Evolve."

But he added: "After Jason abdicated, things have settled down."

The episode is broadcast tonight at 9pm on BBC One.

More Brits Opting For Stay At Home Holidays

2013-06-19T07:16:13Z

Fewer Britons are travelling abroad for their holidays because of the ailing economy, a report has found.

More than half of people will stay at home instead of overseas for a break this year, a rise of 14% over the last three years.

And 12% will not take any time off at all because of financial worries, research firm HPI found.

A study of 1,000 people across the UK found that 54% plan to stay at home this year, a rise from 40% in 2010.

Of the 46% who will go abroad, 19% will organise their own break rather than choosing a package holiday, 13% will specifically travel outside school holiday periods to cut costs and 5% will stay with family or friends who live overseas.

Of those who feel they cannot afford to go abroad this summer, 22% intend intend to book a holiday in the UK, while 13% will spend their time off at home.

Juliet Strachan, managing partner at HPI, said: "These figures clearly show how the recession has impacted holiday plans.

"Lack of consumer confidence, uncertainty around job situations and increasingly squeezed disposable incomes are forcing people to reprioritise and therefore compromise on their annual holiday.

"While the wider economy might be showing signs of a slow recovery, in reality consumers' own budgets are still under intense pressure, causing holiday-loving Brits to make sacrifices with how they use their time off."

:: HPI polled 1,000 adults between the ages of 18 and 65 in February.

Star Words ... Alex Jones

2013-06-18T12:04:38Z

"I love his mad behaviour, and he is a real macho man, hard-living with his blokeyness."
The One Show presenter Alex Jones would like to get Prince Harry on the programme, although insisting she has not got a crush on him.

I Didn't Pay My TV Licence Because ...

2013-06-18T06:25:47Z

A homeowner tried to wriggle out of paying their TV licence fee by claiming they merely used the glow from the set as a lamp to help them read.

Another said they did not think they needed a licence because their pet corgi was said to be related to one of the Queen's dogs.

They are among the excuses trotted out after viewers were found to have TV sets without having paid the annual fee.

They were revealed by officials from TV Licensing as they launched a drive to encourage more people to pay up.

Other excuses included being unable to get to the shops because the Olympic torch relay had made the area too busy, while another person who was caught said they were unable to pay as they had been barred from their local outlet after being caught shoplifting.

Another is said to have claimed they did not bother to buy one because they had stolen the TV set.

More than 400,000 people were caught last year watching TV without a licence.

Now to highlight the issue, TV Licensing has teamed up with a Bafta-winning animator to bring some of the excuses to life for a short-film on YouTube.

Spokesman Stephen Farmer said: "Some of the excuses are simply hilarious whilst others show a great deal of imagination and creativity, but being caught without a valid TV licence is a criminal offence and no laughing matter.

"Joking and wacky excuses apart, it's breaking the law to watch live television without a licence so anybody doing this risks prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000."

Some of the excuses offered to TV Licensing:

:: "Why would I need a TV licence for a TV I stole? Nobody knows I've got it." Kilmarnock, Scotland

:: "I have lost weight recently and had to buy new clothes. That's why I could not afford to buy a TV licence." Manchester.

:: "I had not paid as I received a lethal injection." Location unknown.

:: "Apparently my dog, which is a corgi, was related to the Queen's dog so I didn't think I needed a TV licence." Belfast, Northern Ireland.

:: "I don't want to pay for a licence for a full year. Knowing my luck I'll be dead in six months and won't get value for money." Cardiff, Wales.

:: "I could not pay for my TV licence because the Olympic torch was coming down my road and I could not get to the shop as the road was too busy." London

:: "I only use my TV as a lamp. If you switch it on it gives a good glow which allows me to read my book." Dundee, Scotland

:: "Only my three-year-old son watches the TV. Can you take it out of the family allowance I receive for him? He watches it so he should pay." Manchester.

:: "I got caught shoplifting so I'm barred from the shop that takes PayPoint payments." Leeds

Barry Cryer Says British Sitcoms Are No Laughing Matter

2013-06-18T06:17:33Z

Comedian Barry Cryer has criticised today's sitcoms for lacking believable characters.

Cryer, aged 79, said that writers had forgotten how to create people who viewers could identify with and wrongly focused on making jokes.

He told the Radio Times: "We're living in an era of back-to-basics sitcoms and it's no laughing matter. From Vicious to Mrs Brown's Boys to The Wright Way, the old-fashioned situation comedy is suddenly all the rage again.

"It's a serious business writing comedy. You don't necessarily need funny lines all the time. The key is to create characters. Characters people can identify with. But right now we've gone back at least 30 years in terms of format."

Cryer, who penned jokes for Jack Benny, George Burns, Tommy Cooper, Les Dawson, Kenny Everett, Bob Hope, Spike Milligan, The Two Ronnies and Morecambe and Wise, said that ITV sitcom Vicious, about a bickering gay couple, should have been "fantastic" thanks to "two great actors" in Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Derek Jacobi.

He told the magazine: "But it was insult, insult, insult every other line. You don't believe in them. You don't like them, for a start. It was positively homophobic! It made John Inman look restrained."

He added: "The great sitcom writers of the past didn't think jokes were remotely important. Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, who wrote Hancock's Half Hour and Steptoe And Son, knew that instinctively. Johnny Speight who created Alf Garnett never did jokes; he just wrote great characters. And for immaculate writing it would be hard to beat Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais's Porridge. That show had a great gallery of characters and not a duff moment in any episode. That's it. Great characters trapped in a situation."

The I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue panellist said that he rated BBC1 sitcom Miranda and the second series of Rev.

He added: "We will laugh again soon...It's straightforward stuff: character, character, character. You don't need jokes, you don't need funny lines. The humour will come because the secret to the truly funny sitcoms is simple - they are basically all about life."

Star Words ... Robbie Williams

2013-06-18T06:13:49Z

"I don't really want for much. I have a chef, I have 24-hour security, and I have people that look after me - those are my luxuries.. There's my five cars, there's my jewellery. Apart from that I don't need anything."
Singer Robbie Williams.

will.iam Speaks Out About The Voice's Failures

2013-06-18T06:05:43Z

The Voice coach Will.i.am has hit out at record label Universal over the failure of last year's winner to succeed in the charts.

Leanne Mitchell's debut single did not even reach the top 40, while her album recently missed out on the top 100.

The Black Eyed Peas star told the Radio Times: "The record company should be freakin' embarrassed. Somebody should be held accountable. These singers are on television every week. So you've already accomplished things that stars don't accomplish."

Will.i.am said that it was a mistake that a record was not ready for release within days of the winner - who was coached by Sir Tom Jones - of the BBC1 show being announced.

"Do you wait a year later? Somebody should get slapped because you waited too long.

"The show paid all this money for make-up, the lighting guy, wardrobe person, editor, director. Where are the b****y songwriters and producers? Boom! Somebody should be ready," he said.

"If you're having performers sing other people's songs, you should have a whole bunch of songs ready in your arsenal. It's hopeless to release a record so long after the series finished, especially in the attention deficit disorder society that we live in today."

He admitted that aspects of the show, which has returned for a second series with fellow coaches Sir Tom, Jessie J and Danny O'Donoghue, needed to change. He joked about dunking contestants in the show, which lost out to Britain's Got Talent in the ratings, in water.

"If it was always blind auditions, you'd get bored of that, too. I think something has to happen at the end that is just as unique. As the series nears its end it needs to be better than it was at the beginning," he told the magazine.

"Something like where you could actually dunk 'em: 'I don't like 'em,' and they're in the water. F***ing bubble singing. Pshhooooo.... An exit button and you just catapult them out. Pshhooooo."

Extra Time With Neighbours Star Alan Fletcher

2013-06-17T12:25:37Z

*Before entering Neighbours as Karl in 1994, Alan Fletcher previously appeared as mechanic Greg Cooper in 1987.

*Karl and Susan have been caught in the nude together three times - at the beach, in Lou Carpenter's spa and while skinny-dipping in the bush.

*The couple divorced, and Karl got engaged to Izzy while Susan married another man, but they eventually remarried on a boat on the Thames. They later separated again briefly but called off their second divorce earlier this year.

*Karl has four children - Malcolm, Libby and Billy with Susan, and Holly with Izzy.

*Fletcher's band Waiting Room performs weekly at the Neighbours Trivia Night where fans can meet the cast.

Stuart Hall Sent To Jail

2013-06-17T12:18:24Z

Veteran BBC broadcaster Stuart Hall has been jailed for 15 months after he admitted 14 counts of indecent assault against girls as young as nine.

Hall, aged 83, had initially issued an impassioned public denial of any wrongdoing before he finally admitted his guilt at Preston Crown Court in April.

The disgraced former It's A Knockout presenter was labelled an "opportunistic predator" of his victims, who he targeted between 1967 and 1987.

Lindsay Lohan Switches Rehab Centres

2013-06-17T10:07:44Z

LINDSAY Lohan has reportedly left her rehab centre - and checked into a new one.

The troubled star, who was sentenced to 90 days in treatment for violating her probation, was staying at the Betty Ford Centre in California but has now moved to a different facility in Malibu, according to TMZ.com.

It seems Li-Lo's move was approved because the Betty Ford Centre is better suited for a 30-day programme, which the Mean Girls star has already completed.

So she will reportedly finish her court-ordered rehab stint at Malibu's Cliffside Centre.

Music Soothes Robert Pattinson's Broken Heart

2013-06-17T10:01:47Z

ROBERT Pattinson has apparently poured his heartbreak into music since splitting from Kristen Stewart.

The heart-throb actor broke up with his Twilight co-star earlier this year, and has turned to songwriting and playing his guitar to help him get over the end of their on-off romance, The Sun reported.

A source said: "Rob's always had half a mind on his music, but when his film career and relationship with Kristen both took off at the same time, something else had to give.

"He's really enjoyed picking up his guitar again properly and it has given him something to focus on during the break-up."