Showbiz Newswrap
Showbiz: ‘Ooh, it’s five to eight, must get home quick because the safe pair of hands is on’
Penelope Teeth casts her views over recent showbiz and telly stories…
Tarrant Tears into Schofield: “Fame Went to His Head—And Then It All Imploded”
Chris Tarrant has unleashed a scathing assessment of Phillip Schofield, branding him “the most over-exposed man ever” and accusing him of letting fame rot his judgment long before his dramatic downfall.
Schofield, once the golden boy of ITV, fronted This Morning for over two decades until his carefully polished image crumbled in 2023. His admission of a secret relationship with a much younger colleague — someone he had mentored — triggered an immediate resignation and the swift collapse of his career. Though he dismissed the liaison as merely “unwise but not illegal,” the fallout was swift, brutal, and deserved, according to Tarrant.
In an interview with The Telegraph, the former Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? host didn’t mince words. “There was not a hint of apology or ‘Maybe I was a little bit out of order.’ Christ Almighty,” Tarrant said, clearly exasperated by what he sees as Schofield’s refusal to take meaningful accountability.
“He was the most over-exposed man ever,” Tarrant continued, twisting the knife. “Maybe apart from [Terry] Wogan at his peak – but Wogan was actually brilliant, funny, likeable, and sharp. Schofield? He was ‘a safe pair of hands’—but did anyone ever say, ‘Ooh, it’s five to eight, must get home quick because the safe pair of hands is on’?”
Tarrant’s comments cut to the heart of a broader critique: that Schofield’s ubiquity wasn’t a product of talent, but of blandness packaged as reliability. His glossy persona was protected by decades of daytime TV warmth and tabloid fluff, only to be undone by the hypocrisy beneath the surface — a man with a carefully curated public image who couldn’t own his private missteps until they were exposed.
Since his swift exit from ITV and being dropped by his agent, Schofield has stayed largely off-screen, save for a brief and forgettable return in Castaway. For Tarrant, it seems that absence isn’t just welcome — it’s overdue. And for those still clinging to Schofield’s old “safe pair of hands” branding? Chris’ message is clear: don’t mistake saturation for substance. I don’t think the former Tiswas host is wrong really in his assessment of the Scoffe issues. I liked Phil when he was on Going Live! but then that ego was stroked more than a 20-year-old runner in his This Morning dressing room, and it all went south.
‘Enders departure
Another week another departure from the BBC One soap that has rode a wave of success thanks to Chris Clenshaw But now he’s gone and they’ve put a fanboy in charge of the show, and that didn’t end well the last time that happened with Dominic Treadwell Collins making ‘fan fic’ actual plots. However, there is a vision, a vision that puts Kat and Alfie centre stage. It didn’t work 15 years ago, so sod knows why anyone thinks its a good idea to do it again. And Ben Mitchell, the endless same old roundabout…
In this quest of good Knight, goodbye, Molly Rainford is leaving the show after two years as new boss Ben Wadey meddles with the winning format. Hopefully it’ll not end up as disastrous as it was a few years ago under a long-gone producer who helped its ratings go so low you’d have to bend over to find them. So, it will soon be time to say ta-ra to Anna Knight who was first seen in 2023 as part of the new family taking over The Queen Vic. An insider told ‘The Sun‘:
“New boss Ben Wadey is making sweeping changes on the show and his decision coincided with Mollie deciding she wanted to pursue other challenges. She’s hugely talented and wants to spread her wings and see what else is out there for her.”
Panto and Hollyoaks is the usual outcome.
Dermot Murnaghan Reveals Stage Four Cancer Diagnosis: “I’m Responding Positively”
Veteran broadcaster Dermot Murnaghan has revealed he is battling stage four prostate cancer. The 67-year-old former BBC, ITV and Sky News anchor took to social media to share the personal news, confirming that he is “responding positively to treatment” and is currently “feeling well.”
In a candid and heartfelt message, Murnaghan praised the medical team supporting him through his cancer journey, describing them as “outstanding” and “administering the best possible care with expertise, compassion and sensitivity.” The former newsreader added, “I’m blessed to be fortified by the monumental love and support of my wife, family and close friends.”
But Murnaghan didn’t just share his diagnosis—he used the moment to deliver a powerful call to action, urging men over 50 and those in high-risk groups to get tested for prostate cancer and to support routine NHS screening.
“Early detection is crucial,” he stressed. “Be aware, this disease can sometimes progress rapidly without obvious symptoms.”
Despite his diagnosis, the much-respected journalist isn’t slowing down. Murnaghan announced he will be taking part in Sir Chris Hoy’s charity bike ride in Glasgow this September, helping to raise awareness of stage four cancer. The Olympic personality himself revealed a similar diagnosis in 2023.
Murnaghan is a familiar face to millions of viewers, having been a lead presenter on Sky News from 2007 until 2023. He notably delivered the historic broadcast announcing the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.
Before joining Sky, he had an illustrious career at ITN, BBC, and Channel 4, fronting flagship bulletins such as Lunchtime News, (ITV), News at Ten (ITV), Breakfast (BBC One), and the Ten O’clock News (BBC One). Dermot also had a spell with Channel 4 News (Ch4/ITN) He also became a quizmaster as host of the long-running BBC Two quiz show Eggheads for over a decade.
Murnaghan’s announcement has prompted a wave of support from colleagues, viewers, and public figures alike, with many praising both his strength and his advocacy for awareness around men’s health.
Glittery, glowing rainbow
This week the Rainbow Honours, headline sponsored by Paramount, took place at the London Hilton on Park Lane. A night that shone a light on the unsung heroes in the LGBTQIA community who dedicate themselves all year round to driving change, and championing equality.
Dame Kelly Holmes, Sinitta, Mark Foster and Dame Arlene Phillips were amongst just some of the star-studded names who came out to support the event. The evening was hosted by Comedian Stephen Bailey, with music from Kathy Sledge (Sister Sledge).
In the public facing categories, actor, best known for her stand out role in Heartstopper,Yasmin Finney, won Celebrity LGBTQIA Champion of the Year, for navigating sex and relationships as a trans woman through her character Elle. Award-winning trans advocate Ella Morgan won the prestigious Influencer of the Year award, praised for her fierce advocacy for the trans community, and Sally Lindsay won the coveted Celebrity Ally of the Year award.
The historic EastEnders wedding between Suki and Eve, making the first lesbian wedding in the show’s history, picked up Media Moment of the Year award, received by Balvinder Sopal who plays the role of Suki.
Actress and singer-songwriter Anthony Lexa won Musician of the Year. Best known for her role as Abbi Montgomery in British comedy-drama Sex Education, she is also an up-and-coming indie pop artist, releasing her first single in September 2023.
British Lawyer and former Judge Victoria McCloud won distinguished Outstanding Commitment to the LGBTQIA Community, who made history as the UK’s first openly transgender judge.
Music to my ears
Music can boost your mood and improve happiness in just nine minutes by triggering the release of dopamine so I’m told. This Dopamine is the brain’s ‘feel good’ chemical, not likely to be released during any episodes of Coronation Street or Emmerdale then. Anyway, when it comes to music certain types seem to be more effective than others.
From metal to EDM, SeatPick analysed more than 8 million Reddit posts and comments to determine which genre’s fans are the happiest, most opinionated and most passionate about the music they love. Utilising VADER, a sentiment analysis tool, they created a happiness score based on a range of metrics – from percentage of positive and negative comments to emotional divide among fans.
The findings note that R&B fans are the happiest with their music in 2025, generating the most positive discussions, followed by reggae and classical while metal, rock and punk fans are the most opinionated, with fans racking up almost half a million comments in the past year and hip-hop fans rank as the most passionate, forming the longest and most detailed discussions.
| The most passionate fans | The most opinionated fans |
|
1. Hip-hop 2. R&B 3. Reggae 4. Classical 5. Opera |
1. Metal 2. Rock 3. Punk 4. Pop 5. Hip-hop |
It’s a streaming stream of talent
The six winning films from this year’s Netflix Documentary Talent Fund premiered at the Raindance Film Festival earlier this week. Now in its third year, the Fund champions the next generation of documentary storytellers. The winning filmmakers were selected from thousands of applicants and were given £30,000 to produce a bold, original short film inspired by the prompt: “You’re never gonna believe this…”.
Speaking at the premiere, Zainab Ali Khan, Documentary Series, Netflix said: “This year’s filmmakers brought creativity, passion, and vision to their projects. They are a hugely inspiring group of documentary filmmakers and have shown incredible resilience and tenacity. We truly believe that this is the next generation of UK and Irish creative talent.”
Filmmakers received year-long support from Netflix, including production workshops on legal, creative, HR, production, and finance, as well as guidance from Netflix and filmmakers to bring their 8-12 minute documentaries to life. A special thanks to Molinare and their exceptional teams for delivering world-class post-production on three of these remarkable films, and for hosting an insightful post-production masterclass for the 2025 cohort.
The films can be seen now on the Still Watching Netflix Youtube Channel.
Quickies
♦ Actress Rita Simons has, The Sun reported, said goodbye to Hollyoaks, the E4 saga, after 18 months. The former EastEnders regular popped up in the Cheshire based thrice weekly serial last year as the long-lost, aren’t they always in soap, mother of Joel Dexter. The character – Marie Fielding – was also the ex-lover of gangster Warren Fox. Her final scenes are due to air in the autumn of this year.
♦ The casting for Friends: The Musical has been recently confirmed. The producers of the 2025/26 UK and Ireland tour note casting for the musical comedy are Enzo Benvenuti as Ross, Alicia Belgrade as Monica, Daniel Parkinson as Chandler, Eva Hope as Rachel, Ronnie Burden as Joey, Amelia Atherton as Phoebe and Edward Leigh as Gunther, Tom Selleck and Paolo. The cast is completed by Lottie Lester and Meg Darcy as Female Ensemble Covers, Jared Thompson and Harry Mallaghan as Male Ensemble Covers.
Packed with all of the iconic moments from all ten series of ‘Friends‘ the tour will run from 14th July 2025 – 2nd May 2025, tickets are on sale now. We can all be thankful that James Corden isn’t in this, as he was quite an irritant on the reunion special a few years ago. Well, he’s quite the irritant in most things, really.
♦ Actor Jonathan Bailey has said he is “proud” to support School Diversity Week, the UK-wide celebration of LGBT+ equality in schools, organised by Just Like Us. The week takes place every June in schools across the UK. From 23 to 27 June 2025, schools across the UK were involved in a range of activities from fundraisers like Rainbow Friday dress-up days, to LGBT+ inclusive lessons and activities, to assemblies and school talks from Just Like Us.
Jonathan Bailey said: “School Diversity Week is an incredible initiative that creates the inclusive environment every young person deserves. Growing up, I would have loved to see LGBT+ inclusion celebrated in schools – it would have made such a difference in feeling seen, supported, and accepted. This week gives pupils the chance to learn, have fun, and embrace diversity, helping to build a future where all young people can be themselves without fear. I’m so proud to support Just Like Us in making that a reality.”
♦ Squid Games series three arrived this week and with that also unleashed is the brand-new Squid Games Experience available to buy now on Moonpig. Set within an immersive reimagining of the show’s surreal world, this experience has five pulse-racing challenges including the iconic Marbles, Mind-bending Memory Steps and Red Light Green Light. Afterwards participants can then dive into the vibrant atmosphere of the Korean night market with cocktails, exclusive merchandise and photo ops that transport you to the heart of the Games.
Available now from £79 (for two) or £152 (for four) check it out here. Squid Game Experience is located at Immerse LDN – Excel Waterfront, Excel, London E16 1XL
♦ This Morning favourite Ben Shephard had a busy weekend full of mud and milestones as he took on the World’s Toughest Mudder – a 24 hour obstacle endurance event reserved for the hardest of participants willing to push their limits to the extreme.
As part of his Fit at 50 challenge which has also seen him on the cover of Men’s Health, Ben set his sights on the 24 hour event to push himself to see what he could do. Impressively, he went past the 50 mile mark during the time limit and had loyal support from friends and family who joined him on the adventure.
Wandsworth Culture
Wandsworth – the Mayor of London’s Borough of Culture 2025 – is seeking proposals from organisations or individuals that can deliver community focused, cultural, arts, and heritage-based activities and events.
Welcome to Wandsworth Project Grants commission fees of up to £10,000are available to support the development of content or programming for Welcome to Wandsworth between September 2025 to March 2026 with an application deadline of 5pm, Mon 14 July.
Led by Wandsworth Council in partnership with local people and organisations, Welcome to Wandsworth’s year-long programme, featuring hundreds of cultural events and creative initiatives, kicked off in April 2025 and continues through to March 2026.
From Roehampton to Battersea, Tooting to Putney, the borough has already seen an explosion of creativity. People have already come together to celebrate Wandsworth’s heritage and diverse communities, supercharging health and happiness. Project Grant funded initiatives will support the vision and ambition of the London Borough of Culture and make lasting impact on our communities, people and places. Further details available here
Wandsworth based creatives can also apply for Micro-commission Awards up to £1,000 to create new artworks during the London Borough of Culture year. With the aim of piloting new ways to support the borough’s cultural sector, the Micro-commission awards will help nurture local talent and inspirational ideas around the theme of health and happiness. Applications are open now with an 8– week rolling deadline until December 2025. These are reviewed by the London Borough of Culture Champions Group which is made up of Wandsworth residents from diverse backgrounds, who ensure the year is truly made with, by and for local communities. Full details of the Cultural Micro-commission grants is available here
Micro-commission awards are also available to schools in the borough with the next round available from September. The Micro-commission funding ensures all students and staff have access to enhanced creative opportunities throughout the year and are designed to help schools to scale up their existing projects or develop entirely new projects. Full details here
The views expressed are an opinion piece and are only of the author and not ATV Today. Penelope Teeth, Judi Dentures and Joanna Gumley are ATV’s exclusive showbiz drag queens with bite.
