TV

Michel Roux Jr has quit the BBC after being banned from appearing in potato adverts.
The 53-year-old chef - who has appeared on 'MasterChef: The Professionals' for the past six years and also worked on the channel's 'Food & Drink' series - revealed yesterday that he had quit the channel after they refused to allow him to keep a number of commercial interests, including his role as ambassador for Albert Bartlett's Rooster potatoes.
BBC sources have now revealed that Michel was told he wasn't allowed to appear in adverts for the potatoes, adding that 'Match of the Day' presenter Gary Lineker's £1.5 million deal with Walkers crisps is irrelevant because there's no potential conflict of interest.
A source explained to The Sun newspaper: "When Gary is on Match of the Day he isn't likely to be talking about crisps whereas Roux talks about recipes and food.
"If you are going to be on the BBC as an expert in your field, you can't have commercial affiliations.
"It's a shame that Rooster potatoes seem to be more important to him that MasterChef but that is the choice he has made."
Michel - who has two Michelin stars - said the decision to leave his long-standing role as a judge on the BBC One cooking programme wasn't easy but claimed he couldn't continue to try and negotiate with "frustrating" BBC bosses.
In a statement he said: "This hasn't been an easy decision for me to make ... It's not for lack of trying, but sometimes negotiating with the BBC can be a frustrating process."

Kara Tointon won't appear in another soap.
The 30-year-old actress was portrayed Dawn Swann on 'EastEnders' for four years until 2009 and though she loved being part of a "team", she wouldn't want to commit to another long-running drama because she enjoys having variety in her career.
Asked if she would star in another soap, she said: "I think I did it at a time when I'd been acting from a young age and that came along and I quite fancied being part of a team for a while, because in this industry you just get warmed up and into something and then it ends.
"I knew it would be tough coming out so I really had to think about it but I did it and I loved it and it was four years, which seems like a lifetime ago and now I enjoy doing lots of bits and bobs, which is what I went into it for."
Kara also admitted she had "scary" encounters with fans who often got her confused with her soap alter ego.
In an interview with BBC Radio One, she recalled: "I always remember a really significant moment when I was in Ikea and a woman had a go at me because I was having an affair on the show. I thought she was joking but she wasn't, it was scary. So I ran."

Joey Essex is a fan of "deep" American TV shows - like 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians'.
The former 'The Only Way is Essex' star loves watching US TV and is particularly fond of the E! reality show, which follows Kim Kardashian and her famous family.
He told Radio Times magazine: "I like watching American things.
"They're very deep.
"I've seen 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' and if Kendall Jenner asked me to turn up for a bit, I wouldn't say no."
The tanned 23-year-old star also admits he would love to follow himself on Twitter and is enjoying fame after becoming a household name on 'TOWIE'.
He enthused: "I've gotten used to being famous now but when I was 18, 19, it was easy. I love watching myself back on 'The Only Way is Essex'. If I could follow myself on Twitter, I would."
The reality star also reveals he was starstruck by 'This Morning' presenter Phillip Schofield, who narrates his new reality show, 'Educating Joey Essex'.
He added: "I've never met anyone that famous. Actually, when I met Phillip Schofield I was starstruck. I used to watch him as a child. He's really cool."

Susanna Reid is getting on with her life "like anybody else" following her split from Dominic Cotton.
The 'BBC Breakfast' star says she is moving on after making headlines for both her professional and personal life after quitting the BBC for new ITV breakfast show 'Good Morning Britain', in addition to her separation from the father of her three children.
In her first public comments about the recent upheaval in her life, Susanna said she is dealing with it "like anybody else ... you get on with it".
The 43-year-old broadcaster collected the award for Best News Reporter at the Television and Radio Industries Club (TRIC) Awards in London today (11.03.14), where she downplayed her split from Dominic, with whom she has sons Sam, 11, Finn, nine, and eight-year-old Jack.
Quizzed how her family is doing, she told BANG Showbiz: "We're all fine ... you don't need to worry about us."
Just moments before, the BBC host alluded to "challenging" circumstances in recent weeks in her acceptance speech.
She said onstage: "It's been a challenging couple of weeks. Thank you to everyone that voted. Obviously you know that things have been changing in my life but this is all down to one team, the team at 'BBC Breakfast' who have been utterly brilliant."
Susanna described her new role with ITV - fronting new breakfast show 'Good Morning Britain' with Ben Shephard - as "exciting", but insists there is no pressure on her to improve ratings for the morning slot, which continues to flag behind 'BBC Breakfast' in the ratings.
She explained: "I don't think that's the expectation. Our aim will be to create great content, great viewing, and hope that people love watching it. My job as a journalist and a presenter is to make the best programmes possible.
"I'm not nervous at the moment. Obviously, live broadcasting is always nerve-racking. I'm excited. I'm really excited."
And the former 'Strictly Come Dancing' contestant looks forward to the challenge of working on a brand new show.
Quizzed on why she wanted to move from BBC to ITV, Susanna added: "It was the fact that this was something completely new, that we could create a programme ... and it's a big challenge, obviously, but it's exciting - you don't get many opportunities in broadcasting to do something like that. It was something I couldn't turn down."

Michel Roux Jr. has quit 'MasterChef: The Professionals'.
The top chef has decided to leave his long-standing role as a judge on the BBC One cooking show as well as scrapping his plans for presenting a new series of 'Food & Drink' due to a "frustrating" conflict with the network about his commercial interests.
He said in a statement: "This hasn't been an easy decision for me to make. I love working with the BBC, and am very proud of how we have built up the popularity and success of these two iconic shows.
"It's not for lack of trying, but sometimes negotiating with the BBC can be a frustrating process, and there are times when I have wondered if the corporation understands the realities of today's commercial world.
"The BBC needs to recognise the value of the talent they work with, and also that, whilst we love to be associated with top-quality television, we have other professional commitments that are as important to us as programme-making."
It is not yet known whether a replacement has been found for Michel, who has been a judge on the show since its beginnings in 2008.
A spokesperson commented: "MasterChef is sad to announce after a very happy relationship with Michel Roux Jr as one of the judges on the 'Professionals' series that he will no longer be appearing on the BBC due to a conflict in commercial interests.
"Chef Michel has been a committed and extremely well loved and respected member of the MasterChef team, an inspiration for the young chefs who have appeared on the show and those he works with on behalf of MasterChef off camera. We wish him the very best of luck in everything he does."
Michel, the son of Michelin-starred Albert Roux, started his career almost 38 years ago and is famed for his Le Gavroche restaurant in London's Mayfair.
The 53-year-old chef is still expected to honour his commitment to presenting upcoming BBC4 documentary, 'Chocolat'.

'Only Fools and Horses' won't return for new episodes, insist the show creator's sons.
Jim and Dan Sullivan won't revive their father John's hit sitcom - which aired on BBC One between 1981 and 2003 - following his death in 2011, despite recently penning a Sport Relief charity special starring David Beckham.
Jim told Radio Times magazine: "It's a relief now it's done as we were all sworn to secrecy for what felt like a long time. It's also good to be able to set the record straight about some of the rumours - that the sketch is a trailer for a new episode, that we're writing a new series etc. None of it is true.
"It really is a one-off sketch. We very much appreciate the passionate and loyal fanbase that the show has and in a perfect world there would be more episodes, but there was only ever one writer of 'Only Fools and Horses', and without him, there can be no more."
The brothers are both screenwriters and Jim wrote several episodes of 'Only Fools' spin-off 'The Green Green Grass'.
Dan and Jim admit they were reluctant to revive the show for the charity sketch but eventually decided to honour their father by inserting lines he had written in the past in the new script.
Jim said: "We checked dad's notes - snippets of dialogue he'd written but never found a place for - and worked it into the script. This wasn't easy because anything we added had to feel natural and unforced."

ITV are "thrilled" to have Cheryl Cole return to the 'X Factor' judging panel.
The 30-year-old star will reprise her role as a judge on the talent show for its eleventh series later this year, and ITV are delighted to have her on board since she was extremely popular when she first appeared on the show in 2008.
Elaine Bedell, Director of Comedy and Entertainment, said: "We're thrilled to be announcing Cheryl's return to 'The X Factor' panel.
"She was an extremely popular judge who struck a real chord with our viewers, and we're looking forward to welcoming her back on screen this autumn."
The 'Call My Name' hitmaker - who led Alexandra Burke and Joe McElderry to victory in 2008 and 2009 respectively - left the show in 2011 in order to join Simon Cowell on the US version of 'The X Factor', but was swiftly axed from the show.
Cheryl famously had a public falling out with Simon over her dismissal, but they recently reconciled and she is now is excited at the prospect of finding new talent.
She said: "I'm very happy and excited to be returning to 'The X Factor'. I'm inspired and ready to find new talent and potential pop stars. It's going to be a fun series."
Show boss Simon - who is also returning as a judge later this year - made no secret of the fact he wanted the brunette beauty back.
He said: "I am so happy that Cheryl has agreed to join 'The X Factor' again. The last time we worked together in the UK was incredible and produced some really successful artists. Obviously the plan is to do the same again... so it's back to work!"
It has not yet been confirmed who will take up the remaining two spots on the panel, although Irish music manager Louis Walsh is rumoured to be returning.

David Beckham can "die a happy man" after shooting a sketch for 'Only Fools and Horses'.
The retired soccer player is set to star alongside Sir David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst in a one-off special of the classic sitcom - which ran on BBC One from 1981 and 2003 - for the Sport Relief charity, and he says it was surreal to be on set with Del Boy and Rodney having grown up watching the show.
David gushed to Radio Times magazine: "I can die a happy man after these two days [of filming]. I think that what it's really about is making people laugh, making people smile and raising money for important charities that are doing a lot of incredible work."
The 38-year-old hunk admits he was incredibly nervous the night before filming the sketch and coming face-to-face with his favourite TV characters.
He explained: "The day of filming started off with a slightly sleepless night, going over my script. The thought of being on set with Nicholas and David was obviously very nerve-racking.
"I woke up that morning with my script on my chest. I've never done anything like this before, especially with two people I'm really in awe of and have been for many years.
"It wasn't just about learning the script, it was about delivering it, saying the right things at the right time."

Verity Rushworth has put her honeymoon on hold to return to 'Emmerdale'.
The actress is set to return to the ITV soap this month for the first time since 2009 as cheating cop Donna Dingle and she says the role is so important to her that she has postponed her plans to celebrate her union with theatre director Dominic Shaw in the Maldives.
She explained to The Sun newspaper: "We want to do something really special, like fly off to the Maldives. We were thinking about this year, when my show finished, then this job came up and I just had to do it, so we've still not got there.
"I've put my honeymoon on hold for 'Emmerdale', which shows how much I want to do it! We've started filming and it is hectic already. But he gets I'm working all the time because he is usually doing the same. We are together one day a week always, which is just the way it's always been and helps to keep things fresh."
Verity has pursued a stage career since leaving the soap, with roles in 'The Sound of Music' and 'Chicago', but insists returning to the set felt as natural as coming "home".
She added: "Once we started filming again it was like I'd never been away - it felt like coming home... Donna's changed a bit. She's more mature and a mum.
"She's skinny jeans and striped tops these days - but as a person she's the same so I hope the viewers will enjoy seeing her back in the village again."