United Kingdom

We knew it was only a matter of time before Nikki Grahame threw an epic tantrum after returning to the ‘Big Brother’ house on Friday (12 June) night, and sure enough she hasn’t disappointed.

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The ‘BB7’ legend has already been wound up by last year’s winner Helen Wood, who she is currently locked up in the Timebomb Bunker with, alongside BB8’s Brian Belo and current housemate Marc O’Neill.

nikki helen big brother

Nikki Grahame and Helen Wood

In a rant nearly as iconic as her famous “Who IS she?” diary room meltdown back in 2006, the pint-sized reality star branded her rival a “backing dancer” to her Beyonce, following a disagreement about lighting in the secret room.

As Nikki begged Big Brother to turn out the lights so she could go to sleep, Helen bit back: “Nikki you better not be some dried up fart, f**k off home,” leaving her highly unimpressed.

As Helen disappeared to the bathroom with Marc, Nikki unleashed her fury to Brian.

“I f**king hate her, who the f**k does she think she is, what is her f**king problem!” she raged.

“I am totally Beyonce and she is the backing dancer,” she hilariously added.

When Helen and Marc returned and jumped into bed together, Nikki’s face told a thousand words.

Amazing.

The foursome are set to enter the main house tonight in a special live show hosted by Emma Willis at 9pm on Channel 5.

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Nicole Scherzinger’s year has just gone from bad to worse, after reportedly being dropped by her record label.

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The former ‘X Factor’ judge has been let go by RCA following the poor sales of her latest releases, according to The Sun.

Nicole Scherzinger

It comes just months after she split from Formula One ace Lewis Hamilton, and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini blocked a potential return to ‘The X Factor’.

While her first release ‘Your Love’ charted at number six, follow up ‘Run’ only managed to reach number 46, while ‘On The Rocks’ only just scraped into the Top 100.

Her album ‘Big Fat Lie’ also only spent two weeks in the Top 100 before dropping out.

A source told the paper: “There is the feeling that Nicole didn’t get the support she needed on the release to make it a success.

“Fans have been grumbling that they didn’t think the right singles were released by the record label.

“A number of new songs from Nicole leaked online a few weeks ago and fans were angry that they weren’t on her last album.”

However, the insider added that it is likely the former Pussycat Doll will be picked up by another label.

Nicole is currently competing on US TV series ‘I Can Do That’, which sees celebrities performing talents members of the public didn’t know they had.

She wowed audiences earlier this week when she shot an apple with a crossbow while doing the splits.

See her perform the stunt in the video below...

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The four ‘Big Brother’ legends have finally entered the main house, but not before shocking their new housemates with the news of who they were nominating for eviction.

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The group were gathered on the sofas on Sunday night, where they learned that Marc O’Neill hadn’t actually left the house in Friday’s fake eviction, and had actually been shacked up with classic housemates Brian Belo, Nikki Grahame and Helen Wood in a secret room.

The ‘legends’ then announced that they were choosing Harry Amelia as their first nomination, having been watching the housemates’ every move since Friday night.

big brother

They're ba-ack!

Helen explained: “When we came into the house we were aware that Marc didn’t see eye-to-eye with Harry, but he didn’t mention anything about it, he just said he wanted us to make our own observations.

“She lies, she’s a bare-faced liar. She’s using Nick - she friend-zones him all the time, but then leads him up the garden path.”

harry

Harry branded the nomination "bollocks"

Helen - who controversially won last year’s series, despite coming to blows with practically all of her housemates - also accused Harry of only washing the clothes of the housemates she felt were “popular”, to try and stay on their good sides, relating to an incident which we presume will be aired in Monday's highlights show.

Over the next few days, the ‘legends’ will be making further decisions about who should face the public vote in this week’s eviction, alongside Harry.

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Harry is left alone on the sofas

Following this news, the group quickly ran to the Diary Room door to greet their surprise guests, leaving Harry alone in the sofa areas, to deal with the fact she’d been nominated… and that she was the housemate they’d felt most deserved to leave.

And judging from these tweets from the official 'Big Brother' page, we think there could well be trouble ahead...

Uh oh.

Find out how it all plays out in Monday night’s ‘Big Brother’, airing at 10pm on Channel 5.

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Image: Olivia Weetch

Shuffling between an underground gambling den and a pair of wily Bedouin traders passing off prohibited booze as "potatoes", I'm confronted by a belligerent stormtrooper who wants to know my business in the area. This six-foot towering replica, glimmering a pristine white and even speaking with a robotic twang, gives short shrift to my rebellious dissent, and in the blink of an eye I've been incarcerated in a back-alley prison. All the while, peculiar lifeforms with faces the shape of butternut squashes glare on at me.

You see, extroversion is the key to Secret Cinema, the flagship force and kickstarter behind the zeitgeist of "immersive" events that have swept over Western metropolises in the past few years. In Irvin Kershner's 1980 cinematic cornerstone, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, the company have once more trodden along the cult, cinephilic choice, but increasingly these options have been the blockbusters. Last summer's Secret Cinema production of Back to the Future made £3.4 million over its five-week run, while in just a few days it has launched Luke Skywalker & co. back into the UK box office top 10, for the first time in 35 years - perhaps not so difficult with tickets at £75 a pop.

Nonetheless, The Empire Strikes Back was ambitious and meticulous as ever. An essential experience for Star Wars fans. Where else would you get the chance to high-five Wookie, or frolic around the desert-cum-souk remake of planet Tatooine? (It should be noted that the customary exploration period for this edition is generally set in the 1977 film Star Wars: A New Hope). With those who have a strong personal connection with the franchise, of which there are undoubtedly many, the 400-plus actors who play and perform - at just the right tone - will forge great memories.

Image: Paul Cochrane

But, to be clear, this is not Secret Cinema's finest production. It really does test the boundaries between the expansive and the industrial - it's twice the size of last year's Back to the Future installation. There was never quite the charm of say 2011's The Third Man, which quite brilliantly transformed Farringdon's old Victorian Farmiloe building, and seemed to have hidden treasure everywhere. The numerous food stalls, pop-up bars, costumes, and other potential expenses, meanwhile, seem very much in line with the East End's skyrocketing prices. Even the attendees were more straight-laced than at previous iterations - this was no Comic-Con.

For all the naysayers there will be, however, Secret Cinema still offers a unique glimpse into the potential future of cinema. Surprises, which I shall not spoil, are aplenty. Whereas, some great innovations this year helped fuel a loose, late-night screening feel, where joyous chants, cheers and whoops were common. Of fundamental importance, too, is that the movie choices remain unquestionably excellent. Their force stays strong, for now at least.

SECRET CINEMA Presents STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK takes place from now until 27 September www.secretcinema.org/tickets

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‘Britain’s Got Talent’ is to be probed by media watchdog Ofcom, following the use of a stunt dog in its winning performance, it has been confirmed.

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The regulator received 1,150 complaints, after Jules O’Dwyer revealed that another of her dogs, Chase, had actually performed an impressive tightrope trick in her routine with border collie Matisse.

"We've opened an investigation to determine whether viewers of ITV's ‘Britain's Got Talent’ final, who may have paid money to vote, were misled about the competition," an Ofcom spokesperson said.

Jules and Matisse

In the immediate aftermath of the scandal, ‘BGT’ producers issued an apology to viewers, stating that they should have made it clearer that Chase was part of the routine.

Show boss Simon Cowell went on to insist that the act would not be stripped of their £250,000 prize money.

“There's a cloud over her and I want that cloud to go. I want people to feel proud of her and that she did well and she should be happy,” he told The Mirror.

“The producers are absolutely gutted. I was so depressed for the show, for Jules and for the producers themselves, because they are not horrible people. They didn't think how it would appear.”

Jules also insisted that she had not attempted to mislead the public, telling ITV News: "I was disappointed when people said I allegedly hid Chase and I was trying to make it like Chase was Matisse. That's not so.

"I introduced Chase in the semi-final, and I said Chase is Matisse's best mate. Why put the pressure on the dog when I already have another dog who can perform it on television?"

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Stephen Fry and his husband, Elliott Spencer, have revealed they were forced to cut short their honeymoon, because they experienced homophobia.

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The newlywed couple encountered trouble in the central American country of Honduras, which is largely Catholic.

stephen fry elliott spencer

Stephen Fry and Elliott Spencer

While being gay is not illegal there, same-sex marriages and adoption have been banned by law for a decade.

Elliott revealed (via The Telegraph): “We had a problem when we visited Honduras on holiday. It was homophobia. I don’t want to go into detail, but we had to leave."

While they were on their honeymoon, Stephen also posted a photo of himself on Instagram, with bananas on his head on, but just hours later he quit the site, claiming: “Hounded off. Goodbye.”

The couple had been planning their big adventure after tying the knot in a secret ceremony in Norfolk in January.

They even chose to have a gap in between the wedding and they honeymoon, so they could have longer to relax on holiday.

Elliott had previously spoken of how excited he was for the trip, telling the Daily Mail: "Stephen takes me on his travels and he educates me.

"Many of the countries Stephen’s been to before, but he likes to see them through new eyes with me.

"It has been an amazing bonding experience."

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On a show like ‘Coronation Street’, with a history spanning across six decades, it’s inevitable that there will be occasional crossed wires and errors in continuity - whether it’s a character forgetting a rather crucial or formative part of their history, or bosses failing to notice a glaring mistake in production, like an errant prop or hairstyle that subtly modifies itself with every change of camera angle.

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The soap launched in 1960, and back then things like continuity weren’t too much of a worry. However, over time, characters’ histories have become more full on screen, and thanks to the invention of on-demand telly and the Internet, it’s becoming more and more difficult to bury a continuity error.

In fact, soap viewers over time are becoming increasingly more eagle-eyed, such as those who spotted a continuity mistake with Kevin Webster recently, when he seemed to have completely forgotten about the death of one of his children.

That isn’t the only mistake to have struck a chord with ‘Corrie’, though, here are eight of the continuity errors that fans have spotted over time...

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There's a scene in the original Jurassic Park when Samuel L Jackson decides to re-boot the eponymous complex's computer system.
It takes place within a matter of seconds, but as any fan of the series will tell you, it's been 14 years since Jurassic Park III bowed out of cinemas and restarting the film saga has taken a lot longer.

At one point, rumour has it that writer director John Sayles came up with an idea about dinosaur human hybrids. I would have loved to see that daring premise in action.
But that version fell by the wayside, and eventually Steven Spielberg and writer director Colin Trevorrow (maker of terrific low-budget sci-fi comedy thriller Safety Not Guaranteed), along with a few others, came up with the idea for Jurassic World.
Basically it's more of the same, 22 years later, with a gene-spliced dinosaur antagonist.

I really wanted to hate the much hyped third sequel to 1993's groundbreaking blockbuster.
The whole thing looked incredibly generic, albeit on a bigger scale thanks to the advancement in technology over the past 22 years.

For the first half, my zero expectations seemed to be met. Bryce Dallas Howard was incredibly annoying as Claire, the corporate stooge/useless aunt to the integral kids in peril. She came across as one of the stupidest people in the saga.
Walking action figure Chris Pratt had all the appeal of an animated mannequin.

As Owen, he seemed to have one fixed expression throughout the movie; It may have been deliberate so the dinosaurs would appear more characterful.

Irfan Khan was terrific in Life of Pi, terrible here as the big cheese behind the eponymous arena, like he'd wandered in from another movie. He never conveyed a sense of gravitas or peril.

So many movies bore me, falling apart in the third act, but JW was a welcome surprise, generating some great moments, including a clever kids in hamster ball scene and that finale - the best since the original.

Yes, there were gargantuan problems, like the lack of build up when the big bad wanders out of its enclosure (like it had just nipped down the shops). And the obvious 'secret' component which made up the hybrid dinosaur villain: something anyone with a brain cell would have thought of; the fact it takes Owen most of the movie to figure it out is hilarious.

Oh, and it also has the funniest third act heroine hair since Shailene Woodley's disastrous 'do in Insurgent. And the less said about those awful closing lines the better.

Of course the half a billion dollar haul in the first three days means a fifth movie is now in the pipeline. Probably a bad idea, unless the makers shake up that "caucasian affluent kids in peril" formula.

Personally I'd like to see a fifth movie made on a London council estate, like Attack the Block, or something, anything different from what's come before.

For now, see it in IMAX 3d Dbox, with all the whistles and bells you can.
And if you have ankle biters, expect nightmares. Fantasy violence can still mess with young heads, regardless of what lenient rating (12A) a blockbuster like this gets.

To paraphrase the BBFC: 'Moderate threat, occasional bloody moments, action violence... and some really stupid characters.'

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Ed Sheeran surprised a fan who was singing his hit 'Thinking Out Loud' by joining her for a duet in a mall in Edmonton, Canada.

Sydney Bourbeau was performing as part of a fundraiser for Edmonton Humane Society when the singer hopped on stage with her to finish her song.

The 13-year-old remained cool, calm and collected when Sheeran appeared. She told the Edmonton Journal: "I didn't want to stop, but I wanted to talk to him. It's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

This isn't the first time Sheeran has turned up to surprise fans on special occasions. Back in March he proved he was probably the nicest pop star in the world by crashing one couple's wedding for an impromptu performance.

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Things didn’t get any easier for ‘Big Brother’ contestant Harry Amelia, when Marc O’Neill made his surprise return to the house.

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On Sunday night, as part of the week-long ‘Time Warp’ twist, Marc surprised the group with the news that he’d not been evicted, and had actually been living in Big Brother’s secret bunker, alongside ‘legendary’ housemates, Brian Belo, Helen Wood and Nikki Grahame.

Their entrance into the house was quite an awkward one for Harry, as she’d just watched the new arrivals tear into her while they nominated her for eviction, leaving her alone in the sofa area, while the rest of the group got better acquainted.

Awks

Sadly, as shown in Monday’s highlights show, Harry’s night didn’t get any less uncomfortable, with only Brian making the effort to introduce himself to the webcam model.

While Harry spent most of the night in the toilets alone, Nikki warned her close friend, Nick Henderson: “You’ve got to get away from that sea witch. This is your dream to be in Big Brother. You’re wasting this time.”

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Nikki and Nick get better acquainted

Nick admitted: “I’ve lost myself and these people have brought me back to me.”

Danny Wisker later tried to get Harry to join the rest of the group, but she insisted she was happy with Nick interacting with the newbies, while she stayed put.

Nikki and Helen also set about causing mischief with Jack McDermott, about whom they’d been pretty vocal about their disdain during their time in the bunker.

jack

Jack McDermott

The duo could barely hold in their laughter as they told him he’d managed to accrue over 200,000 Twitter followers, and was on track to win the series.

Over the next few days, it will be down to the newcomers to decide who joins Harry on the chopping block for this Friday’s live eviction.

Find out how it all plays out in this Monday’s ‘Big Brother’, airing at 10pm on Channel 5.

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Alistair McGowan’s impersonation of Jimmy Savile was so uncanny in the first read-through of new play about the late DJ that the playwright admits even he got frightened.

For Jonathan Maitland, the writer of 'An Audience With Jimmy Savile', the casting of impressionist and funnyman Alistair McGowan was a “happy accident”.

“I asked him to read the script, and I was surprised when he offered to read it publicly,” says the playwright.

“A few people tried to dissuade him, but I don’t understand that. It’s surely a no-brainer for any brave, curious, adventurous actor who wants to explore his craft and do interesting work.

Alistair McGowan needed to persuade himself to take the role, reports playwright Jonathan Maitland

“In narrative terms, the fact that it’s someone we know from light entertainment who turns out to be a monster adds to the shock aspect. At the first run-through, he frightened me out of my wits, with his depiction of this cigar-chomping eccentric that Savile used to cultivate deliberately. That’s the whole point of the play, that this wasn’t the real him, but what he used to groom the nation. I was slightly frightened, actually, because he got so nasty.”

Jonathan Maitland’s play ‘An Audience With Jimmy Savile’ is both a portrait of the country’s self-appointed jester with evil agenda – with Alistair McGowan earning superlative praise for his deeply unsettling impersonation – and an exploration of how the keepers of the nation’s most cloistered establishments, from the BBC to Broadmoor to Buckingham Palace, not only turned a blind eye to his singularity, but clutched him to their collective bosom.

The story of how Savile not only perpetrated his crimes, but got away with them for such a long period of time was, for Maitland, was exactly the prism he needed to write about the institutions at the heart of the matter.

Jonathan Maitland and Alistair McGowan talk about their new play on The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday

The play is set around a kind of tribute show, following the knighthood of the DJ, TV presenter, charity worker and all-round friend to the great and good. They’re queueing up to praise him. Meanwhile, a woman he’s abused is trying to find justice and is being denied at every turn. It follows her in her search, the desire for his accountability being the ‘audience’ of the title.

“Savile’s modus operandi was to was seek surrogate families and become at one with them,” says Maitland. “So that when he was questioned, they would do what all families do and protect their own. To me, this is the compelling, important part of the story.

“His louche behavior just seemed acceptable, because people didn’t realise the huge, submerged iceberg beneath it all.”

The journalist and playwright understands, however, why, for many, this will be an unwatchable evening of theatre.

“Some people have told me they can’t bear the idea, some have told me they can’t wait,” he tells me. “I understand that. Why would you want to go see a play about how a paedophile got away with it on such a grand scale?

“But I think there’s a huge public service in showing how he got away with it. There’s no real, satisfactory answer in how he did it. So we’re left with a combination of denial, regret and confusion.

”I want people to respond to this as a piece of drama, but I do want people to come away with an understanding of how he got away with it, which has to include our collective capacity for denial, and the problems that can cause,” says Maitland.

“And there are some very discomforting truths around Savile, about how a person pertaining to be one thing, can be something else entirely, and to what extent we collude in that.”

'An Audience With Jimmy Savile' is playing at the Park Theatre, Finsbury Park, London until 11 July - ticket info here.

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It’s been many a year since we heard the sweet sounds of Lindsay Lohan’s singing voice, but we’re pleased to report that the rightful queen of pop is about to make a musical comeback and snatch back her crown.

*ahem*

It has now been confirmed that Lindsay is one of several featured artists on Duran Duran’s upcoming album, ‘Paper Gods’, which will also feature collaborations with Mark Ronson, Nile Rodgers and Kanye West’s frequent collaborator, Mr Hudson.

lindsay lohan

Good hat

Although best known for her outstanding contributions to the acting world, Lindsay also made a name for herself at the height of her career as a singer, releasing the 10/10 bop ‘Rumors’ (which, we totally agree, there should be a ‘u’ in) and the emotional ballad ‘Confessions Of A Broken Heart (Daughter To Father)’, a song we still can't actually believe existed.

Regrettably, it’s now been seven years since we last had her dulcet tones, when she released the single ‘Bossy’, co-written by Ne-Yo, in 2008.

Duran Duran

Speaking about the aspects of the album which don’t involve Lindsay Lohan, frontman Simon LeBon said: “I judge what we release by my favourite albums - 'Horses', 'Harvest', 'Let It Bleed', 'Blue', 'Transformer', 'Aladdin Sane'. Those are classic albums. The only rule is it’s got to be music you can live with for the rest of your life.”

We wonder what his favourite Lindsay Lohan film is. Probably ‘Herbie: Fully Loaded’, right?

The album will be preceded by a single, ‘Pressure Off’, which also features Janelle Monáe, before it goes on sale in the UK on 11 September.

After appearing in her own docuseries-dont-call-it-a-reality-show-dont-dare-call-it-a-reality-show, ‘Lindsay’, the ‘Mean Girls’ star made a return to acting last year, appearing on the West End stage in ‘Speed The Plow’.

Although the play itself was torn apart by critics, Lindsay’s performance was singled out as one of its stronger elements.

Remind yourself of the joy of Lindsay’s musical stylings below...

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Congratulations are in order for Dan Osborne, who has announced that he is engaged to his ‘EastEnders’ actress girlfriend, Jacqueline Jossa.

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Former ‘TOWIE’ cast member Dan, who was axed from the ITVBe docusoap earlier this year, confirmed the news on his Twitter page on Monday afternoon, describing Jacqueline as "the woman of his dreams".

dan osborne jacqueline jossa

Dan Osborne and Jacqueline Jossa

It's thought that he proposed during the couple's recent family holiday to Greece, where they also took their baby daughter, Ella.

A source tells Now magazine: “Yes, it’s true. Dan and Jacqueline are engaged and they’re both over the moon.

“Dan has been planning this special moment for months, Jacqueline is the girl of his dreams and he can’t believe what a lucky man he is. They will marry next year.”

The couple began dating last year, and months later announced that they were expecting the first child together, welcoming a daughter, Ella, into the world back in February.

Dan also has a one-year-old son, Teddy, with his ex-girlfriend, Megan Tomlin.

His relationship with Megan took a turn for the worse earlier this year, when The Sun published leaked audio allegedly containing Dan making violent threats towards his ex-girlfriend.

The ensuing controversy saw him axed from his job on ‘TOWIE’, though Jacqueline later defended him on her Twitter page, insisting: “People selling stories on him, show one side to a story, but people around Dan know the whole truth, and you would all be shocked.

“I am 100 percent not saying what Daniel has said was right or okay, but people make mistakes when in dark places, and it's something we sorted out privately not in front of the whole world, it's something he has apologised for and is embarrassed about.”

His former co-star, Gemma Collins, recently came to his defence, claiming she thinks ‘TOWIE’ bosses should give him a second chance and allow him back on the show.

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Don't you just hate it when people seek to define you by your age, and even the latest kick in the face that life has just doled out? Just because I know my way around a computer (hey, I even mastered some of the intricacies of Excel this week), I would baulk at ever being called a 'Silver Surfer'. I would puke at the idea of becoming a 'pensioner' even though I yearn for the day when my pension pot starts to lavish me in rewards for saving all these years. And I absolutely hate being called a 'veteran' broadcaster even though it's true.

But one handle (a new one that's presumably been dreamed up by a young ad man somewhere in W1) has reduced me to spitting in anger. Apparently, according to the newspapers this week, I am one of a new breed of HENS. Yes, that's me, I'm a hen. And apart from the insulting clucking implication, or perhaps the suggestion that people my age have little brain and even less purpose, it stands for Happy Empty Nester.

It's as revolting and sweeping a generalisation as being called a Merry Widow - just because you get one with life, and dare to smile.

Empty Nester I may be - but happy at being so? Mmmm, that's a hard one to answer. Dropping your last baby off at university and driving home to a tidy house, a fridge full of food, and an upstairs full of bedrooms that don't whiff of rotting pizza, is a perplexing experience exposing equal amounts of dread and awe. Yes, it's a watershed moment - especially for a single mother. Perhaps couples in this situation do indeed eye the kids' bedrooms as potential gyms, saunas, bathroom extensions or even room for opening a b and b. Perhaps they do clink their champagne glasses and pull out from under the marital bed their secret stash of.... world cruise brochures, with an eager glint in their eyes.

I suspect far too many either cling to each other in bewilderment, or sit staring blankly, wondering how they're going to start talking to each other now there's no parents' evenings to attend, exam revision to do, nor sports kit to launder.

But for the single mum, suddenly an Empty Nester, it's one of those milestone moments reminiscent of coming back from the lawyers, decree absolute in hand, newly divorced.

Who am I now, you ask the wardrobe mirror. What sort of person am I now going to be?

But a HEN I am not. I refuse to be defined by the fact that my kids have all grown up, and that therefore I am happy to be free. Motherhood is a job that never stops, and neither do you want it to. I would never ever want to be 'free' from my kids, and I love the fact that they're always popping home. But neither does that mean that I live in a permanent state of mourning for the bustling family life we used to have. I can move on with a smile, learn to love being just me, and thoroughly enjoy time on my own. Can you imagine, after 28 years of always having children around, how amazing that is?

But call me a HEN and you imply that I'm happy to be free from my children - and I just won't have it. Unlike the appalling women interviewed in one national newspaper this week who proudly told the world that they regretted having all their children, that some were a 'mistake', whilst sitting for a photo-session with their brood, all of whom will have to live with the cruelty of Mum's words and her ghastly rant about wishing she'd stopped at two kids, now has to shop at Lidl instead of Waitrose, and holiday in Blighty rather than the Greek Islands. Ok, some mums might think it - but to say it in a national newspaper?

Children are a blessing and a wonder. Full stop. Yes, they're hard work and an eternal challenge and yes, they bring tears and woes as well as laughs and love, love, love. And when they've flown from the nest, you do have to learn to live a new life, and make up lots of excuses to lure them back home, if only for a weekend. Or meet up for lots of catch-up lunches.

I can adapt, but it will take a lot of re-learning. At the moment, I'm avidly painting walls, restructuring the kitchen cupboards and - oh yes - I am building myself a model railway. I have always wanted one and was hopelessly disappointed when none of my sons wanted to build their own. So now I am going to do just that - just for me. My kids think I'm becoming just a little eccentric - but hey, now I can be! Watch this space.

So, please, let's annihilate the concept of the HEN before it gains any sort of validity. I'm just a woman with a little more time to lunch, to build, to learn. But don't define me by my empty nest.

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Festival season officially kicked off over the weekend, as thousands of revellers descended on the Isle Of Wight.

The Prodigy were tasked with closing the night on Friday, after a solid set from The Black Keys, before Blur and Fleetwood Mac each had their turn on the mainstage.

It wasn’t just about the headliners though, and the likes of Pharrell Williams, Paolo Nutini and The Courteeners all impressed the crowds.

Away from the main arena, there was plenty on offer, and standout highlights include sets from La Femme, Findlay, Pretty Vicious and Ash.

Check out all the pictures from the festival below…

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@Stikmatik, one of North London's most prolific producers, describes his sound as a blend of "DnB, desi, Hip Hop, RnB, Folk, Grime and Dub all wrapped into a secret formula"
He displays his versatility with his latest offering, 'Heaven' h.o.t.h Remix. Need a hot track as well as a remix? Stikmatik is your guy.

@GraciousKisay, the creator of the phenomenon that was the 'Migraine Skank' returns with another head jerking, gun finger and screw face-maker of a tune. The intro alone sounds so solid (pun intended) and its topped off with bravado bars. Nice one Gracious!

@Yasmeen_music has that strong and pure pop ballad voice you hardly hear nowadays. 'Said U Would' is clean, stripped down with strings to emphasis the mood, before some kicks and hi hats bring it home for impact. Bookmark her soundcloud page.

According to her website bio, @LuvRell is best recognised for her 90's-inspired melodies, intricate harmonies and creative riffs. 'Luv You Right' exhibits this statement perfectly. Have a listen and you'll spend the £2.49 for her Alpha Tauri EP from iTunes HERE.

@DornikSpeaks uploaded Kitos remix to his latest track 'Drive', just a few days ago. In that time the epically euphoric remix has already amassed over 5,000 plays and steadily growing. This is a perfect example of not spoiling a delectable track, but simply adding a different spice to it.

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Apologies for the corny title. I promise I wasn't just struggling to think of a Star Warsy title. Although the Secret Cinema this year is titled 'The Empire Strikes Back', it's 1977's 'A New Hope' (the first Star Wars movie) which a large part of the experience is modeled upon. And it's in the hot and sandy Tattooine-inspired marketplace that your imagination is first allowed to run riot. That's where I spent most of my time, and wow, what an experience it was. The sights, the smells, the sounds, and the sheer vastness of the set is truly mind-boggling.

I've always wanted to do a blog about immersive cinema, so here it is. Initially a sceptic (80 gallactic credits per ticket had me horrified), I donned my critical cap and went for it.

But the reality is that Secret Cinema, I really, really, really, really, really, really like you.

I just love what Secret Cinema does; it makes you feel special. From the second you arrive, disguised, and in-character (you're assigned a unique ID) you're made to feel like part of the film. Excited, and slightly nervous (the actors are very convincing!) you're then ushered onwards through a series of impressive other-worldy surroundings, before being transported to another even more impressive realm, where you're quest begins. Stepping out onto that set you leave memories of groggy central London far, far behind.

The whole concept of Secret Cinema is novel, and in a time when a fiver a month can give you unlimited access to movies, it's revolutionizing film. Don't get me wrong, Netflix is great, but it's nothing on what Secret Cinema does. It makes us fall in love with movies again, and on this occasion it reminded Star Wars fans why they did in the first place.

The mind blowing venue is just one part of the allure (and no I can't tell you where, it's a secret, duh). Add to this the element of mystery (the location is only revealed to ticket holders at the 10th hour), and you're onto something. Throw in around 200 truly superb actors and actresses, and you've got yourself a real game-changer.

If you are wondering, like so many SC virgins, how immersive cinema differs from traditional cinema, and makes the hefty price-tag worthwhile, let me tell you. The quality of the experience itself depends on you. You are offered numerous opportunities to engage with the many actors scattered across the sprawling set, and it's down to you, as a member of the audience, as to how you choose to let you're your experience play out. My friend had an argument with Chewbakka after cheekily trying to barter his way to a secret area. I learnt how to use the force, a skill which proved very useful later in the evening, though I wont reveal why. I even saw a group of fans huddled around R2-D2, seemingly having a conversation with him. To my disappointment his other robot counterpart must have been hiding, which wouldn't be hard in a set as large as this. Sprawling across several large rooms, it's physically impossible to see it all. We tried, believe me, we tried.

Without giving too much away, I can say that we weren't left disappointed, all expectations were fulfilled. We took part in an important missions, booed Darth Vader (who was huge and terrifying by the way) , and knocked back weird and wonderful (and strong may I add), Star Wars themed cocktails in a bar that looked like something out of this world. The live music was a bonus, and added to the 'no expenses spared' feel to the evening.

With our senses overwhelmed, when we sat down to watch 'The Empire Strikes Back', towards the end of the evening, the whole experience was heightened. Oohs and ahhhs and booos and 'nooooos' from the excited audience punctuated this film (but I can't tell you why, that would spoil it). What I can say is that this experience was worth every penny. Secret Cinema isn't just 'watching a film', it's so, so much more than that. You feel like you're actually a part of the film, a member of the cast.

I entered SC a sceptic, and a Star Wars Newbee, but by the end of the night I found myself dancing away, lightsaber in hand. Five hours in this crazy place, (and boy did this time fly) and I felt like I'd been a fan my whole life. My only regret? Waiting 'til 24 to discover Star Wars.

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The revolving ‘Love Island’ door is still continuing to turn, with the news that yet another islander will be making his surprise arrival in the villa this week.

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Personal trainer Chris Baxter is to make his first appearance on the ITV2 reality show live on Tuesday night, and we’re guessing he could make quite an impression on the eight ladies currently soaking up the Mallorca sunshine.

Although Chris’s parents are both millionaires, he’s keen to point out that he doesn’t ride on anyone’s coattails, insisting: “I’m my own brand. Chris Baxter, the brand.”

Chris is also adamant that he’s “not spoilt”, though he does confess: “Money drives me.”
Speaking about a possible romance, he claims that his biggest turn-ons are “a nice smile” and someone who can make him laugh.

A quick peruse of his Instagram page shows that Chris has no aversion to getting his kit off, meaning he’ll fit in well with the rest of the remaining boys in the villa.

However, he isn’t all about the superficial, and has big plans to set up charities to prevent animal cruelty and childhood bullying, which he claims are both causes very close to his heart (or, at least, as close to his heart as his impressive pectorals will allow).

He isn’t the first late addition to the ‘Love Island’ line-up, though, after Naomi Ball and glamour model Daisy Muller arrived in the villa last week.

Watch Chris make his ‘Love Island’ debut on Tuesday night, at 9pm on ITV2.

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Greek tragedies are an unbelievably tough challenge for modern audiences - everything is literal, characters say what they mean, and the Gods are involved in everything. But these stories of revenge, questioning whether violence can ever be justified, are deeply entrenched in our culture, and arguably as relevant now as they have ever been. So, how to put on these stories and make them interesting?

Well, the Almeida has responded to this challenge magnificently with a gripping production of Aeschylus' Oresteia that not only dramatically re-examines this famous tale, but yet also claws away at its central theme of whether 'an eye for an eye' can ever be just.

Agamemnon (Angus Wright) is a weary King. The long running battle with Troy shows no sign of ending. And he is desperate for this war to end - as are his people. But when he prays to the Gods, they return with a simple message - "the child is the price."

Interpreting this to mean he must sacrifice his youngest daughter, Iphigenia (Amelia Baldock), Agamemnon battles with his conscience before accepting that he must do what is necessary, committing a crime that shocks his wife Klytemnestra (the superb Lia Williams) and one that will lead to a cycle of violence and revenge that will destroy his family.

And all the while, separate and running parallel to this famous story, is the fascinating voice of Orestes (Luke Thompson), Agamemnon's son, deeply involved in a session with his therapist (Lorna Brown) as he battles with the fact that his own terrible fate was sealed the moment his father killed his sister.

The central story is legend but it has been given an energetic and passionate new lease of life in this production from director Robert Icke and dramaturg Duska Radosavljevic, and the result is a show that is dynamic and challenging with dialogue that is believable and relevant. And thankfully they've even managed to break up the tragedy with humour in places.

It's not just the story that has been overhauled but the production design too. Out have gone the Grecian robes and sandals to be replaced with a sparse set and simple, contemporary clothes. In fact, if anything, my only gripe with this show is that, if you stopped the actors from speaking, you could be forgiven for thinking you were actually watching Ivo van Hove's revolutionary A View from the Bridge, which opened at the Young Vic last year.

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but this does go a bit far at times. The stark white set and lighting, the characters dressed in cool muted tones of greys and creams, even the benches around the edge of the stage where some of the characters will sit with their backs to you... All of this is present and correct.

Nevertheless, it works. And the cast is excellent throughout.

Angus Wright is fascinating as Agamemnon, the King desperately trying to rationalise what the Gods have compelled him to do, to match up the sacrifice he demands of his Army with the sacrifice now expected of him.

And Lia Williams and Jessica Brown Findlay, in their challenging roles of Klytemnestra and Electra respectively, bring complexity and depth to characters that can often become too overworked with hysteria to find sympathetic.

At the climax, it is the story of Orestes that comes to the fore, with Orestes having to answer for the crime he has committed, no matter how just he may have considered his act of revenge. And it's crazy just how this rings true with us even today with the sick perversity of the death penalty still with us, where we punish an individual act of murder with a State-sanctioned one.

It will be interesting to see how audiences react to this show. With a running time of 3h40min, I expect many will be put off, which is a shame as this is a gripping production where you really don't feel the length of that running time.

I applaud the risks taken in this production. Really, you have to. For what is the option? That we leave these tales to gather dust on the shelves? We can't do that. There's too much in them worth examining to just preserve them in their dated and often exhausting traditional productions.

As the cast took their bows, I left the theatre full of questions, the issues raised racing through my head. That's a good sign. That's what we call a result.

Almeida Theatre, London to July 18, 2015

Image credits:
1.Jessica Brown Findlay and Angus Wright in Oresteia. Almeida Theatre. By Manuel Harlan
2.Angus Wright and Lia Williams in Oresteia. Almeida Theatre. By Manuel Harlan
3.Eve Benioff Salama, Lia Williams, Ilan Galkoff & Angus Wright in Oresteia. Almeida Theatre. By Manuel Harlan

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Well, the final episode of ‘Game Of Thrones’ series five was quite something, wasn’t it?

The cast promised drama and the resulting episode certainly didn’t disappoint, though we do feel completely shell-shocked.

All in all, it’s been yet another bloody season for the show, and there’s been no shortage of deaths so hopefully we can be forgiven forgetting a few of the characters Westeros has said goodbye to.

When you’ve emotionally recovered from Monday night’s show, check out this supercut of every single death scene, from series five.

How many of the characters had you forgotten? Let us know below...

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