TV
TV
Russell Kane's best ever Christmas present was a bike his dad made for him.
The 'Unzipped' star has fond memories of unwrapping the bicycle on Christmas morning but he didn't realise for years that his late father had in fact built it out of scrap parts.
He told BANG Showbiz: "The best Christmas present I've ever received was a bike when I was younger, a Raleigh Grifter. It took me years to work out that it wasn't a real Raleigh and my dad made it out of scrap from the garage. I always wondered why the frame was too big! But still, at the time, it was the best."
However, not all the festive presents Russell has received have been as exciting as the bike.
One particularly poor gift is forever emblazoned on his mind.
The TV comic - who is engaged to make-up artist Lindsey Cole - recalled: "The worst Christmas present I've ever received was probably the one time my nan wrapped me up a shiny two pence piece. She thought because it was shiny that it was a good gift. And after I had unwrapped all this wrapping paper, it was just two pence - bless her. I said, 'Ooh, it's shiny grandma.' I just pretended to love it."
Russell Kane loved homemade bike
Russell Kane's best ever Christmas present was a bike his dad made for him.
The 'Unzipped' star has fond memories of unwrapping the bicycle on Christmas morning but he didn't realise for years that his late father had in fact built it out of scrap parts.
He told BANG Showbiz: "The best Christmas present I've ever received was a bike when I was younger, a Raleigh Grifter. It took me years to work out that it wasn't a real Raleigh and my dad made it out of scrap from the garage. I always wondered why the frame was too big! But still, at the time, it was the best."
However, not all the festive presents Russell has received have been as exciting as the bike.
One particularly poor gift is forever emblazoned on his mind.
The TV comic - who is engaged to make-up artist Lindsey Cole - recalled: "The worst Christmas present I've ever received was probably the one time my nan wrapped me up a shiny two pence piece. She thought because it was shiny that it was a good gift. And after I had unwrapped all this wrapping paper, it was just two pence - bless her. I said, 'Ooh, it's shiny grandma.' I just pretended to love it."
TV
Amelia Lily would love to return to the 'X Factor' as a judge.
The 20-year-old singer was a contestant on the talent show in 2011 and has admitted she'd love to get involved with the show again.
Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, she said: "I'd love to ... What better person to take advice from than somebody who's been in exactly the same boat.
"I mean, not right now obviously because I'm so young and I'm doing my own thing but ... definitely in the future."
The 'Shut Up (And Give Me Whatever You've Got)' had a rollercoaster of a journey on the 'X Factor' where she left the competition in the first live show, only to be asked back when Frankie Cocozza was axed for a breach of rules and subsequently finished third.
Speaking about her time on the show, she said: "It was stressful obviously because I was out and back in again. I think it's exciting as well for the public.
"[They] voted me back in because I was well-liked and people wanted to see more of me so that was really special for me. But I wouldn't change my journey on the 'X Factor' at all. I have no regrets and I'm very lucky."
Amelia Lily wants to be X Factor judge
Amelia Lily would love to return to the 'X Factor' as a judge.
The 20-year-old singer was a contestant on the talent show in 2011 and has admitted she'd love to get involved with the show again.
Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, she said: "I'd love to ... What better person to take advice from than somebody who's been in exactly the same boat.
"I mean, not right now obviously because I'm so young and I'm doing my own thing but ... definitely in the future."
The 'Shut Up (And Give Me Whatever You've Got)' had a rollercoaster of a journey on the 'X Factor' where she left the competition in the first live show, only to be asked back when Frankie Cocozza was axed for a breach of rules and subsequently finished third.
Speaking about her time on the show, she said: "It was stressful obviously because I was out and back in again. I think it's exciting as well for the public.
"[They] voted me back in because I was well-liked and people wanted to see more of me so that was really special for me. But I wouldn't change my journey on the 'X Factor' at all. I have no regrets and I'm very lucky."
TV
Katie Hopkins didn't have sex for two months after putting on three stone in weight.
The former 'The Apprentice' candidate tripled her calorie intake and limited her physical activity for her new series 'Katie Hopkins: My Fat Story' in a bid to prove how easy it is to lose weight and has confessed she didn't want her husband touching her until she'd shed the pounds again.
She explained: "I am normally the first one to get my kit off - and I don't give a damn who sees me naked. However, after I put on my first stone I stopped having sex with my husband.
"As a fat bird, I stuck to pyjamas and getting naked in the dark.
"When you look gross, you feel gross. When you feel gross you don't want anyone else touching bits of you that wobble."
The controversial 39-year-old star's weight rose from eight stone and twelve pounds to eleven stone and thirteen pounds but she successfully managed to get back to a size eight simply by cutting her calories and becoming more active.
And despite admitting she'd really struggled with the experience, she insists she still believes that being fat is a result of laziness.
She told The Sun newspaper: "I still wouldn't employ a fat person, now I've lived a fat life. Being fat is hard work. You can't be fat and happy. If you're still holding on to that life raft you've probably still got a long journey before you're prepared to eat less and move more."
Katie Hopkins put husband on sex ban
Katie Hopkins didn't have sex for two months after putting on three stone in weight.
The former 'The Apprentice' candidate tripled her calorie intake and limited her physical activity for her new series 'Katie Hopkins: My Fat Story' in a bid to prove how easy it is to lose weight and has confessed she didn't want her husband touching her until she'd shed the pounds again.
She explained: "I am normally the first one to get my kit off - and I don't give a damn who sees me naked. However, after I put on my first stone I stopped having sex with my husband.
"As a fat bird, I stuck to pyjamas and getting naked in the dark.
"When you look gross, you feel gross. When you feel gross you don't want anyone else touching bits of you that wobble."
The controversial 39-year-old star's weight rose from eight stone and twelve pounds to eleven stone and thirteen pounds but she successfully managed to get back to a size eight simply by cutting her calories and becoming more active.
And despite admitting she'd really struggled with the experience, she insists she still believes that being fat is a result of laziness.
She told The Sun newspaper: "I still wouldn't employ a fat person, now I've lived a fat life. Being fat is hard work. You can't be fat and happy. If you're still holding on to that life raft you've probably still got a long journey before you're prepared to eat less and move more."
TV
Len Goodman has never eaten a curry or spaghetti.
The 'Strictly Come Dancing' and 'Dancing with the Stars' judge revealed he hates "all foreign food" and is set in his ways when it comes to his eating habits because he doesn't like the look of meals which aren't typically British.
He confessed: "I have never had a curry and I've never had spaghetti - all those worms and big brown sauce! No!"
The 70-year-old television personality explained his food phobias span from his childhood when his grandad told him to never consume foods from abroad, and has been something he has stuck with ever since.
He continued: "It all started with my grandad. He said, 'Never eat anything you can't spell and anything you wouldn't want to tread in!'"
Speaking about the types of seafood he likes, the former ballroom champion admitted he has no wish to try Japanese sushi but loves the ocean-dwelling delicacies he was brought up on at the English seaside.
He said: "Sushi? No! Cockles, mussels and maybe a winkle. Lovely jubbly!"
Speaking on BBC One's 'Room 101', he said: "We'd all be happier and healthier if we could go back to those days of fish and chips."
Len Goodman has never eaten a curry
Len Goodman has never eaten a curry or spaghetti.
The 'Strictly Come Dancing' and 'Dancing with the Stars' judge revealed he hates "all foreign food" and is set in his ways when it comes to his eating habits because he doesn't like the look of meals which aren't typically British.
He confessed: "I have never had a curry and I've never had spaghetti - all those worms and big brown sauce! No!"
The 70-year-old television personality explained his food phobias span from his childhood when his grandad told him to never consume foods from abroad, and has been something he has stuck with ever since.
He continued: "It all started with my grandad. He said, 'Never eat anything you can't spell and anything you wouldn't want to tread in!'"
Speaking about the types of seafood he likes, the former ballroom champion admitted he has no wish to try Japanese sushi but loves the ocean-dwelling delicacies he was brought up on at the English seaside.
He said: "Sushi? No! Cockles, mussels and maybe a winkle. Lovely jubbly!"
Speaking on BBC One's 'Room 101', he said: "We'd all be happier and healthier if we could go back to those days of fish and chips."
TV
Jeremy Jackson has signed up for 'Celebrity Big Brother'.
The former 'Baywatch' star - who played David Hasselhoff's character Mitch Buchannan's son Hobie in the iconic lifeguard series - has signed a £100,000 deal to star on the upcoming series of the Channel 5 reality TV show.
A source revealed: "Jeremy brings with him star power from his days on 'Baywatch' but has also had a complicated life since then and is sure to be a fascinating housemate.
The 34-year-old actor is renowned for his troubled personal life after he was arrested in 2000 for manufacturing methamphetamines.
He has also admitted to an addiction to steroids in the past and has been to rehab five times.
The star - who has been clean since 2000 - was also involved in a scuffle with former 'Celebrity Big Brother' contestant Jasmine Waltz in July this year after she allegedly hit him over the head with a vodka bottle during a party at Paris Hilton's Malibu home.
The source added to The Sun newspaper: "Jeremy is hoping his criminal past won't affect him going into the house.
"But if there is an issue, bosses have told him they want him for the summer series instead."
It is thought the actor will star in the new series - which kicks off on Channel 5 at 9pm on January 7 - alongside presenter Keith Chegwin, former 'The Apprentice' star Katie Hopkins and notorious womaniser Calum Best.
Jeremy Jackson joins Celebrity Big Brother
Jeremy Jackson has signed up for 'Celebrity Big Brother'.
The former 'Baywatch' star - who played David Hasselhoff's character Mitch Buchannan's son Hobie in the iconic lifeguard series - has signed a £100,000 deal to star on the upcoming series of the Channel 5 reality TV show.
A source revealed: "Jeremy brings with him star power from his days on 'Baywatch' but has also had a complicated life since then and is sure to be a fascinating housemate.
The 34-year-old actor is renowned for his troubled personal life after he was arrested in 2000 for manufacturing methamphetamines.
He has also admitted to an addiction to steroids in the past and has been to rehab five times.
The star - who has been clean since 2000 - was also involved in a scuffle with former 'Celebrity Big Brother' contestant Jasmine Waltz in July this year after she allegedly hit him over the head with a vodka bottle during a party at Paris Hilton's Malibu home.
The source added to The Sun newspaper: "Jeremy is hoping his criminal past won't affect him going into the house.
"But if there is an issue, bosses have told him they want him for the summer series instead."
It is thought the actor will star in the new series - which kicks off on Channel 5 at 9pm on January 7 - alongside presenter Keith Chegwin, former 'The Apprentice' star Katie Hopkins and notorious womaniser Calum Best.
TV
Kym Marsh is quitting Twitter.
The 'Coronation Street' star has reportedly grown tired of being abused by online trolls on the social media site and is now planning to deactivate her account after a bully told her that they hope her three kids, Emily, 17, David, 19, and Polly, three, get meningitis.
The 38-year-old actress was left horrified by the sickening tweets, which saw another troll label her "a worse mother" than the infamous serial killer Rose West.
A friend told The Sun newspaper: "Kym has taken stick over the years on Twitter and given it back but sometimes it goes too far."
However, this is not the first time Kym - who plays Michelle Connor on the ITV soap - has fallen victim to a tirade of abuse on the social networking site.
She previously quit Twitter in 2011 when she received vile comments after tweeting her shock that BBC One show 'Waterloo Road' had beaten 'Coronation Street' in the Best Drama category at the National Television Awards.
Meanwhile, the brunette beauty - who recently got engaged to boyfriend Dan Hooper - opened up about her struggle with depression earlier this month.
She said at the time: "I've suffered a couple of times. Depression is something that kind of remains with you. You do get better, but there are times when you do end up revisiting it ... It's weird because at the time you don't realise that's happening to you. You feel that what you're doing is completely normal and actually it isn't. And it takes people to kind of point things out to you."
Kym Marsh quits Twitter
Kym Marsh is quitting Twitter.
The 'Coronation Street' star has reportedly grown tired of being abused by online trolls on the social media site and is now planning to deactivate her account after a bully told her that they hope her three kids, Emily, 17, David, 19, and Polly, three, get meningitis.
The 38-year-old actress was left horrified by the sickening tweets, which saw another troll label her "a worse mother" than the infamous serial killer Rose West.
A friend told The Sun newspaper: "Kym has taken stick over the years on Twitter and given it back but sometimes it goes too far."
However, this is not the first time Kym - who plays Michelle Connor on the ITV soap - has fallen victim to a tirade of abuse on the social networking site.
She previously quit Twitter in 2011 when she received vile comments after tweeting her shock that BBC One show 'Waterloo Road' had beaten 'Coronation Street' in the Best Drama category at the National Television Awards.
Meanwhile, the brunette beauty - who recently got engaged to boyfriend Dan Hooper - opened up about her struggle with depression earlier this month.
She said at the time: "I've suffered a couple of times. Depression is something that kind of remains with you. You do get better, but there are times when you do end up revisiting it ... It's weird because at the time you don't realise that's happening to you. You feel that what you're doing is completely normal and actually it isn't. And it takes people to kind of point things out to you."
TV
Jamie Oliver was offered a role in 'The Hobbit' films.
The TV chef has confessed he had to turn down a chance to play one of the mythical creatures from J.R.R. Tolkien's books in the film adaptations because he had other work commitments.
He explained: "The worst thing that happened to me was that I got phoned up by the executive producer and asked did I want to go and cook for [director] Peter Jackson's birthday, the big birthday.
"And if I did, they would fly me over and I could be a hobbit in the film. But I was working. I couldn't get out of it."
The 39-year-old cook also admitted he was looking forward to seducing his wife Juliette 'Jools' Norton in his middle-earth style outfit until he realised he was too busy to appear in the trilogy, which concluded with 'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies' earlier this month.
Speaking to actress Kate Hudson on his and broadcaster Jimmy Doherty's Channel 4 show 'Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast' - which airs on January 2 at 8pm - about parts she's missed out on, he added: "I really wanted to do it, I would have got right into it as well, I would have taken the costume home and said, 'Jools, let's make love!' "
Jamie Oliver offered role in The Hobbit films
Jamie Oliver was offered a role in 'The Hobbit' films.
The TV chef has confessed he had to turn down a chance to play one of the mythical creatures from J.R.R. Tolkien's books in the film adaptations because he had other work commitments.
He explained: "The worst thing that happened to me was that I got phoned up by the executive producer and asked did I want to go and cook for [director] Peter Jackson's birthday, the big birthday.
"And if I did, they would fly me over and I could be a hobbit in the film. But I was working. I couldn't get out of it."
The 39-year-old cook also admitted he was looking forward to seducing his wife Juliette 'Jools' Norton in his middle-earth style outfit until he realised he was too busy to appear in the trilogy, which concluded with 'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies' earlier this month.
Speaking to actress Kate Hudson on his and broadcaster Jimmy Doherty's Channel 4 show 'Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast' - which airs on January 2 at 8pm - about parts she's missed out on, he added: "I really wanted to do it, I would have got right into it as well, I would have taken the costume home and said, 'Jools, let's make love!' "
TV
Jonathan Ross was offered the chance to present a US chat show.
The 54-year-old entertainer, who has fronted chat shows on the BBC and ITV in the UK, has confirmed he was considered for a CBS series and has backed fellow Brit James Corden to make a success of presenting 'The Late Late Show' on CBS.
He shared: "I've got no advice for James because he - okay, I'm going to tell you something that I don't think James knew - years and years and years ago, when David Letterman first moved to CBS, I was offered that show, believe it or not, and I turned it down for two reasons.
"One - because my children were a bit older than James's [kids] so they already had their friends and social life so we couldn't really move over, and secondly I turned it down because I didn't think I could pull it off [in America], and I think I was right."
However, Jonathan claims James is one of few British entertainers who could make a successful transition to TV in the US.
Speaking on 'Alan Carr: New Year's Specstacular', he said: "For real - he's one of the few guys I think could make it work over there, and I think he'll be huge!"
Jonathan Ross ‘was offered US chat show’
Jonathan Ross was offered the chance to present a US chat show.
The 54-year-old entertainer, who has fronted chat shows on the BBC and ITV in the UK, has confirmed he was considered for a CBS series and has backed fellow Brit James Corden to make a success of presenting 'The Late Late Show' on CBS.
He shared: "I've got no advice for James because he - okay, I'm going to tell you something that I don't think James knew - years and years and years ago, when David Letterman first moved to CBS, I was offered that show, believe it or not, and I turned it down for two reasons.
"One - because my children were a bit older than James's [kids] so they already had their friends and social life so we couldn't really move over, and secondly I turned it down because I didn't think I could pull it off [in America], and I think I was right."
However, Jonathan claims James is one of few British entertainers who could make a successful transition to TV in the US.
Speaking on 'Alan Carr: New Year's Specstacular', he said: "For real - he's one of the few guys I think could make it work over there, and I think he'll be huge!"
TV
Samia Ghadie watches 'Santa Claus: The Movie' every year.
The 'Coronation Street' actress - who stars as Maria Connor in the ITV soap - admits the festive season is one of her favourite times of year and although new Christmas films are released every year, she always watches the 1985 classic starring Dudley Moore.
Quizzed on what her favourite Christmas movie is, she told BANG Showbiz: "Its got to be 'Santa Claus: The Movie', it reminds me of being a kid and I watch it every Christmas without fail!"
The 32-year-old star - who is currently dating her 'Dancing on Ice' partner Sylvain Longchambon - also spoke of her other Christmas traditions and confessed she likes to get in the mood by listening to Wham's 'Last Christmas'.
She said: "I always loved putting out mince pies on Christmas Eve, leaving carrots out for the reindeers and feeling really cosy at home. I still love doing that."
And Samia has enjoyed the festive break as she gets to spend quality time with her five-year-old daughter, Freya.
She added: "I love getting everything ready for my little girl, Freya, too and just being at home with her really. I think Christmas is more for kids and New Year is for adults, so Christmas will be all about Freya and making her dreams come true."
Samia Ghadie watches same Christmas movie every year
Samia Ghadie watches 'Santa Claus: The Movie' every year.
The 'Coronation Street' actress - who stars as Maria Connor in the ITV soap - admits the festive season is one of her favourite times of year and although new Christmas films are released every year, she always watches the 1985 classic starring Dudley Moore.
Quizzed on what her favourite Christmas movie is, she told BANG Showbiz: "Its got to be 'Santa Claus: The Movie', it reminds me of being a kid and I watch it every Christmas without fail!"
The 32-year-old star - who is currently dating her 'Dancing on Ice' partner Sylvain Longchambon - also spoke of her other Christmas traditions and confessed she likes to get in the mood by listening to Wham's 'Last Christmas'.
She said: "I always loved putting out mince pies on Christmas Eve, leaving carrots out for the reindeers and feeling really cosy at home. I still love doing that."
And Samia has enjoyed the festive break as she gets to spend quality time with her five-year-old daughter, Freya.
She added: "I love getting everything ready for my little girl, Freya, too and just being at home with her really. I think Christmas is more for kids and New Year is for adults, so Christmas will be all about Freya and making her dreams come true."