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EastEnders theme tune played at Anne Kirkbride’s memorial


The 'EastEnders' theme tune was played at Anne Kirkbride's memorial service.
Friends and family gathered at Manchester Cathedral last month to remember the 'Coronation Street' legend - who died of cancer in January - and the late star's husband David Beckett couldn't resist playing a joke to lighten the mood.
'Corrie' star Kym Marsh revealed: "At one point, as a joke, the 'EastEnders' theme tune boomed out of the speakers! It must have been Dave who chose that - it did make us laugh."
The 38-year-old actress thought the service was an "amazing tribute" to the late star, but she thinks Anne would have been uncomfortable with the attention.
Writing in her OK! magazine column, she added: "Anne's memorial was an amazing tribute to her ... During the service they played some wonderful videos of Anne. A choir and opera singer sang and friends and family shared their memories...
"There was laughter but it was also very emotional and there were tears too - but for the most part it was a celebration of her life and remembering what a wonderful person Anne was.
"Although Anne would have probably hated it as she didn't like any fuss. She never liked to go to awards ceremonies or anything like that, but I'm sure she'd have been really happy that so many people were there."

Rigsy returns to Doctor Who


Joivan Wade is returning to 'Doctor Who' as Rigsy.
Joivan's character helped the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and his companion Clara Oswald (Jenna-Louise Coleman) save the world from aliens The Boneless in last year's 'Flatline' and now he's back for an adventure in series 9.
The Doctor Who Official Twitter account tweeted the actor to welcome him back to the Whoniverse, posting: "Hey, you helped save the planet last time - it was the least we could do! Great to have you back!"
To which he replied: "Thanks for having me back!"
Fans from all over the world loved Rigsy in his previous outing and many took to Twitter to express their excitement and congratulate him on his return.
One gushed: "We loved seeing you in #DoctorWho. Congrats from Chicago! (sic)"
Another fan penned: "Yaaaay you're back! Joy rising! Flatline is one of my favourites. (sic)"
The episode featuring Joivan will be directed by Justin Molotnikov and has been written by Sarah Dollard, whose previous credits include 'Being Human' and the BBC's acclaimed spy drama, 'The Game'.
Speaking about her excitement at penning a 'Doctor Who' adventure, Sarah said: "Getting to play in the 'Doctor Who' toy box is a dream come true. It's a total honour to contribute to a show that has brought me such joy as a fan. However, writing for Peter and Jenna has presented a serious problem - some days I've been too excited to actually sit down and type!"
'Doctor Who' will return to BBC One in the autumn.

Sheridan Smith left heartbroken by new drama


Sheridan Smith felt heartbroken after filming dramatic scenes for new ITV drama 'Black Work'.
The 33-year-old actress was emotionally distraught from acting in the series in which she plays mother and police widow Jo Gillespie, whose husband is shot dead in mysterious circumstances leaving her to break the news to their two children.
She said: "You get so involved in it all. The scene where she has to tell them their father is dead broke my heart and I couldn't imagine what it would be like for a real family."
Sheridan particularly got close to her on-screen kids, played by youngsters Honor Kneafsey and Oliver Woolford, which only added to the emotion in their scenes together.
She admitted: "I became so close with both of them and there are some emotional moments. I put myself in those scenes.
"We were in a beautiful cathedral. Holding Honor's hand and having to walk behind the officers carrying the coffin was really powerful to film."
Sheridan has received rave reviews for recent acting performances in TV shows 'Cilla' - in which she portrayed showbusiness legend Cilla Black - and 'Mrs. Biggs' and subsequently she was awarded an OBE from Queen Elizabeth.
The star admits preparing for those roles was much easier than doing her research for 'Black Work'.
Speaking about her former work, she said: "When you're playing someone like Cilla or Mrs. Biggs you get all these research packs. I watched all the interviews of Cilla from the 1960s and so on.
"Of course with this you can't just go into a police station and say 'Can I watch what you're doing?' But I got enough information to know where to pitch my performance as far as what it's like being in the force.
She added: "I have a cousin in the police. I'm hoping she thinks I've done a good enough job. Or she'll be on the phone straight away!"
The three-part drama will air later this month.

Maggie Smith: Downton Abbey corsets are agony


Dame Maggie Smith insists wearing her 'Downton Abbey' corsets is "agony".
The Oscar-winning actress and the rest of the cast will be waving goodbye to their roles in the period drama after season six wraps and she is looking forward to never having to squeeze her frame into the corsets ever again and she struggles to comprehend how women in the early 1900s wore the tight-fitting garments every day.
Maggie - who plays Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham - told website MailOnline: "It's not riotously funny to be in corsets and a wig from seven o'clock in the morning until seven o'clock at night. The cast are enchanting and all the young are really lovely, so it was all very enjoyable on that level. But, to tell you the truth, the corsets are agony. God knows how they lived in the days when they had to wear them all the time."
Smith, 80, previously admitted she thinks Julian Fellowes has made the right decision to end the show after the next series.
She said: "They say this is the last one, and I can't see how it could go on. I mean, I certainly can't keep going. To my knowledge, I must be 110 by now. We're into the late 1920s."
The 80-year-old actress might be calling it a day on 'Downton Abbey' but she will continue to pursue acting.
She said: "When you're not working it's scary, and when you are working it's scary, because you don't know if you've got the energy to get through the day. But the bleakness of not doing it, and missing out on the friendships that you make, is too much to bear."

Nikki Grahame and Helen Wood’s shock Big Brother return


Nikki Grahame is to return to 'Big Brother' as part of a twist in the current 'Timebomb' series on Friday (12.06.15).
The blonde beauty - who first appeared in the seventh series of the reality show in 2007 - will come face to face with one of the current housemates in the upcoming fake eviction.
Host Emma Willis revealed the latest twist and explained that the housemate who is evicted on the weekend will not be removed from the house but will instead be thrown into a "secret lair" with former contestants including Nikki and last year's winner Helen Wood.
The fake eviction is the biggest twist since the "four in four out" night, where four housemates were evicted and replaced with four new contestants.
Nikki - who romanced fellow housemate and 2006 winner Pete Bennett during her first stint in the house - previously hinted she was going to return to the show.
She at the time: "I'm not going in tonight but I would quite fancy doing 'I'm A Celeb' before I go back in the house. I don't want to spoil any surprises."
The 33-year-old star - who was famous for throwing tantrums including one in which she screeched that the house was "too cold" - believes she's "mellowed" since her first time on the show.
She added: "I was a real crazy character, wasn't I? But that was like ten years ago. I had a lot of nervous energy. I've mellowed."
Meanwhile, Helen - who is known for having reportedly slept with footballer Wayne Rooney - has revealed she wants to stir things up when she enters the secret lair.
She said: "I want to go in and stir up a hornets nest. Who the f**k wants to sit and watch a bunch of people getting along?"

Mark Wright launches Twitter attack on Lauren Goodger


Mark Wright has slammed his ex-fiancee Lauren Goodger for earning "a living" by talking about him.
The former 'The Only Way Is Essex' star has spoken out on Twitter to beg his former co-star and girlfriend of ten years to "respect" him and his new wife Michelle Keegan and stop discussing them in interviews and her magazine column.
He wrote: "Endless mentions RE: me and us is embarrassing. I really though after lawyers being involved and polite pleas to stop mention me she ... Would stop. Maybe not. It's hurtful to think one person needs to mention YOU every week to earn a living. Being married to another women ... Almost makes it unfair !! If your reading this, please PLEASE respect my wife and STOP. Everyone has a past, get over it !! I really didn't ... Want to have to do this but enough is enough. I wish you well but leave me, my life and my wife out of it. I'm sure there is other ways to make money. (sic)"
The 28-year-old hunk - who split from on/off girlfriend Lauren for good in 2011 before getting together with Michelle on New Year's Eve in 2012 - went on to retweet a number of messages from fans who agreed with his comments.
One user wrote: "@MarkWright_ Don't give her the attention & publicity she craves, leave lawyers to deal with it. Congratulations on your wedding xx (sic)."
The former 'Strictly Come Dancing' contestant - who tied the knot with Michelle last month - responded saying: "Well said but Iv done this for long enough. I had to speak up. Thankyou for the message x (sic)."
Lauren is yet to respond to Mark's rant and is currently on holiday in Dubai, which is coincidentally where Mark and Michelle are enjoying the last leg of their honeymoon.



Former Coronation Street actor Charlie Condou ties the knot


Former 'Coronation Street' actor Charlie Condou has got married.
The 42-year-old actor - who played Marcus Dent on the ITV soap from 2007 to 2014 - took to his Facebook page to reveal he and his partner Cameron Laux were getting married exactly ten years after they went on their first date.
According to Attitude magazine the post reads: "Exactly 10 years ago, Cam and me had our first date. Today we are getting married. We haven't told anyone because we don't want a fuss. Just doing it quietly with the kids and a few close family peeps. Exactly the way we always wanted."
Charlie - who raises five-year-old Georgia and three-year-old Hal with both Cameron and the children's biological mother Catherine Kanter - also revealed the news to his fans on Twitter.
Retweeting the link to the magazine's announcement about his wedding, he wrote: "About bloody time too."
The former soap star - whose character dated actor Antony Cotton's character Sean Tully in 'Corrie' - also retweeted a message from his close pal, 'Atlantis' actress Sarah Parish.
She joked: "Ha! Your married! Now you can sit in restaurants and not talk to each other."


Lenny Henry confirms knighthood


Lenny Henry has confirmed he is to receive a knighthood.
The 56-year-old comedian is to be knighted in the Queen's birthday honours list, which will officially be announced this Friday (12.06.15), and he admits he's very "chuffed" to be recognised for his career and involvement with the Comc Relief charity, which he co-founded with scriptwriter Richard Curtis in 1985.
In an interview with BBC Radio 2, he said: "I'm very chuffed. It's not something you think about really when you grow up in Dudley. But it's a fantastic thing."
Lenny also revealed his family have been constantly quizzing him about the honour since he found out and are keen to know if he will be bequeathed a castle by the British monarch.
He added: "I'm being pummelled from all sides by my family, saying, 'Do we get some land? Do we get a castle now? Do we get 100 men in plate armour following us around Dudley?'
"I'm very pleased. And my mum would have loved it. It is a wonderful thing and my family are really, really chuffed. My friends have not stopped ringing up and saying congratulations. It is an extraordinary thing."
Lenny's knighthood coincides with the 30-year anniversary of Comic Relief.
The charity revealed earlier this year that it had raised a total of £1 billion during over the last three decades with the money funding almost 16,000 projects in the UK and 70 abroad.
Lenny - whose ex-wife is Dawn French - was previously awarded the CBE in 1999.

Ant and Dec make £23,000 each a day


Ant & Dec make £23,000 each a day.
The presenting duo - whose full names are Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly - reportedly took home a whopping £8.4 million between them last year, which works out at £23,000 each a day, after continuing to host the hit ITV shows 'Britain's Got Talent', 'I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!' and 'Saturday Night Takeaway'.
A source told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Its little surprise they are raking it in given they are fronting three of the biggest and most popular shows on TV, with huge ratings to boot.
"For the big cheeses at the top of ITV, they are worth every penny."
The pair - who first began working together when they starred alongside one another as PJ and Duncan on the BBC drama 'Byker Grove' - are also said to own £10 million worth of property between them and reportedly made another £15 million by selling the rights to 'Saturday Night Takeaway' to the US network NBC.
The latest figures come after the private firm Hurley Promotions - who, along with Teecourt and Deecourt, Ant & Dec manage their earnings through - filed their accounts.
Hurley - which is owned by the presenters - was incorporated in October 2013 and posted a profit of £1.97 million during its first trading period.
Meanwhile, Ant's Teecourt and Dec's Deecourt posted identical profits of £3.2 million last year.

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