What to watch on TV and streaming today: Love Rat, Nicholas Nickleby and Mayor of Mayhem
It's almost 40 years since Spandau Ballet released their hit single Through the Barricades. Some have dismissed it as a cheesy love song, but as this programme reveals, it's actually much deeper than that and was inspired by the murder of the band's Belfast-born roadie, Thomas 'Kidso' Reilly, by a British soldier in 1983.
Love Rat RTÉ2, 9.30pm
Four-part psychological thriller starring Sally Lindsay as a divorcee who tries to escape her personal problems by holidaying in Tenerife. She soon falls in love with a local hotelier and, to the horror of her friends, decides to give everything up to live with him — are her nearest and dearest right to be worried?
In the Footsteps of Killers Channel 4, 10pm
Emilia Fox and Professor David Wilson present the third run of the true-crime series. They begin by examining the case of Bulic Forsythe, a London council worker who was killed at home in 1993.
Nicholas Nickleby Film4, 11am
Classic take on Charles Dickens's novel, with Derek Bond in the title role. He's a teacher who, horrified by the brutal regime at the school where he works, quits his job and joins a band of travelling actors. However, he can't seem to shake off his past.
Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem Netflix, streaming now
Initially dismissed as a joke by politicians and the media alike, Rob Ford's unexpected 2010 Toronto mayoral election bid defied expectations with a stunning landslide victory. However, his administration soon spiralled into chaos, marred by scandals and allegations of hard drug use, igniting an international media frenzy. Rob was 15 years too early; no one would bat an eyelid nowadays.
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Sally Disney+, streaming now
Sally Ride made history as the first American woman in space, but behind her serene exterior lay a deeply personal story. For 27 years, she shared her life with writer and professional tennis player Tam O'Shaughnessy, who now unveils the untold journey of their relationship in this Cristina Costantini-directed film.
American Thunder Prime Video, streaming now
Celebrating its 100th anniversary in June 2023, the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans — one of motorsports' most prestigious endurance races — introduced an unexpected competitor: stock car aficionados Nascar. As for what they brought to proceedings? A Chevrolet Camaro to compete against cutting-edge Ferrari and Porsche prototypes in this almost fabled, gruelling test of long-distance racing. Competing at Le Mans was the lifelong dream of Nascar chairman and CEO Jim France. As such, he brought in Hendrick Motorsports, the most successful team in Nascar history, to build and race the car (which, again, was a Camaro). On the plus side, he also enlisted the help of elite drivers Jenson Button, Jimmie Johnson and Mike Rockenfeller. Over the course of 18 months, this team transformed a car built for (at most) three-hour oval track races in the US into one capable of surviving the relentless 24-hour challenge.
Deep Cover Prime Video, streaming now Not to be mistaken for the 1990s movie starring Fishburne and Goldblum, this film is about an improv teacher and her two students posing as criminals to slip into London's underworld. Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, Nick Mohammed and Sean Bean have their work cut out for them to make this fly.
Return to the Wild Disney+, streaming now Famed as 'the greatest living explorer', Sir Ranulph 'Ran' Fiennes joins his cousin, actor Joseph Fiennes (no sign of brother Ralph, unfortunately), on a breathtaking journey through British Columbia. As they navigate its rugged terrain, they reflect on Ran's legendary expeditions, his battle with Parkinson's, and the deepening bond forged through their shared adventure. Echo Valley AppleTV+, streaming now Julianne Moore and Domhnall Gleeson are getting all the work of late. Both co-star in this thriller about a mother who will do anything to keep her drug-addled daughter 'safe' (including body disposal). Written by Brad Ingelsby (Mare of Easttown), this moody (if a tad predictable) number stars Sydney Sweeney alongside 'dad' Kyle MacLachlan and Fiona Shaw.
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The Irish Sun
3 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
British boxing champion, 34, abused by army of rival fans in front of ‘worried' young son
REECE BELLOTTI is fighting for birthday boy Jackson - after Ryan Garner's army of fans labelled daddy a 'w*****'. The 34-year-old 2 Ryan Garner facing off with Reece Bellotti Credit: Queensberry Promotions And - in a St Mary's fanzone - The Garner Army of Saints turned sinners and pelted Bellotti with x-rated stick. The Bomber loved the added motivation to win the British, Commonwealth and European clash but his lad has not forgiven or forgotten and he wants revenge for his birthday even more than his new Nintendo Switch. Ahead of the 'He seems a decent fella and I don't think I'm an a***hole, so we get on well and both parties respect each other. READ MORE IN BOXING 'But when we launched the fight I was getting a lot of abuse, not from Ryan, but from his fans and I absolutely loved it because it got me pumped up and then I couldn't wait to get into training after that. 'They were swearing and chanting at me and every time I went to speak on the mic they hurled abuse at me. 'I loved it but my little boy was there with me and he was overawed by it and worried about me. 'He loves the build-ups and has done lots of them before but that side he hadn't seen before, the whole crowd abusing and against me. Most read in Boxing CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS 'Now he wants me to win more than ever and has mentioned Ryan to me a few times.' Old-school Bellotti was too polite to explain the exact words that upset his lad but 'The Piranha' didn't need to be asked twice. He QUIT! Chisora | Split Decision | Usyk vs Dubois 2 fight review | Sun Sport Before we could even get the question out, he giggled: 'I know what you are going to ask: w*****, w*****, w*****! 'I thought 'oh bloody hell, he's got his nipper here, bless him. 'I didn't expect it really, it took me back a bit, but I was speaking to Reece the whole time we were there together and there's no animosity, we're similar sorts of fellas. 'Me and Reece are just fighters, we will turn up and have it out and then we will shake hands after.' If Garner cleans up the domestic scene with his 18th pro win, he might nail down a world title shot at St Mary's next summer. And it will be an incredible turnaround for the 9st 4lbs ace, who used to be a little Saints toerag on the terrace. He laughed: 'I have a great relationship with the club and the dream now is to fight there - only problem is few of my pals from school are banned! 'I still just feel like a normal bloke but now I mix with some of the important people and players at the club. 'Me and all my mates are Southampton riffraff but suddenly I am mixing it with the top dogs, it's a bit mental.' 2 The European, British and Commonwealth titles are on the line Credit: Queensberry Promotions
Sunday World
an hour ago
- Sunday World
Showband star says he only had eyes for one woman despite ‘sea of screaming girls'
'She would then remind me in her well-spoken accent that 'if I ever catch you misbehaving, I will kill you.'' HE was one of the pin-up idols of the Miami Showband in the 1960s, leaving screaming female fans in his wake at ballrooms around the country. Today, musician Des Lee looks back on those heady days in his autobiography, My Saxophone Saved My Life, and tells how he only had eyes for one woman. Des, who survived the 'Miami Showband Massacre' when three of his band mates were murdered returning from a gig in the North in July 1975, also reveals that while the showband era in Ireland was a fun time for fans, it was often a cut-throat industry for those working in it. He tells how the ballroom owners and band management raked in the cash as thousands flocked to the dance halls, while many of the stars and musicians were on an average wage. In his book, Des reveals that one member of The Miami was sacked after seeking a pay rise – as a warning to the other musicians. But back to the girl fans, Belfast-born Des insists that his head was never turned as he was besotted with his then Cork girlfriend, Brenda O'Driscoll, who later became his wife. Des and Brenda on their wedding day He says Brenda totally accepted his life on the road, despite the fact that it prevented them for seeing each other on a regular basis. 'Her understanding of the life I had chosen and all the inconvenience that went with it left me in no doubt that I had someone special in my life,' Des writes. 'The screaming girls at the gigs never bothered her and she regularly joked, 'What the eye don't see, the heart don't feel.' 'She would then remind me in her well-spoken accent that 'if I ever catch you misbehaving, I will kill you.'' Lee, aka McAlea, had started out his working life as a salesman for a plumbing company before turning professional as a musician. He recalls how he met Brenda on a blind date after moving to Cork to join a group called the Regal Showband. 'One night, Mick Ahearne, the lead guitarist in the band, sensed that all was not well with me. The enthusiasm I showed when I first arrived in Cork had lessened somewhat and Mick noticed that something in me had changed. Des Lee 'Mick asked if I was alright. He said, 'You don't look very happy.' I told him I was homesick. Realising that perhaps what I needed was company to pass my precious free time away in Cork City, he suggested I might like to go on a blind date. I thought, 'why not?' 'Mick knew a lady called Brenda O'Driscoll, from Anglesea Street in the city. She was 21 and was a dedicated fan of the Regal Showband. 'Brenda would regularly attend the band's gigs, although she had not gone to any shows I had played in at that stage. 'Mick had a chat with Brenda and clearly made a successful sales pitch on my behalf. He arranged for me to meet her outside the GPO in Cork, just off St Patrick's Street, on a Monday evening in the summer of 1965. Mick told me she would be driving a blue Ford Anglia, reg: TIF 151.' The pair hit it off and their relationship began. 'Brenda and I met again and again and again. The more we met, the more I could feel the relationship getting stronger. On my nights off, we would go to see other bands performing, such as the Dixies from Cork, Butch Moore and the Capitol Showband, Joe Dolan and the Drifters, and more.' Performing in the Arcadia Ballroom in 1968 He played a gig the night before his wedding and afterwards the band gave him a pre-wedding night 'present.' He writes: 'Unknown to me, the band had planned something I would never forget. They forced me onto the floor, pulled down my pants, and, with a black marker pen, scribbled 'it's here Brenda,' with an arrow pointing towards my private parts. I couldn't believe it. The lads in the band were bursting their sides laughing. It was all good fun and we all took it in the spirit it was meant. The Miami Showband massacre. 'However, when I stood up, put my pants back on and recovered dignity, I had a slight problem to deal with it. The ink on my body wouldn't wash off.' Their marriage stood the test of the trials and tribulations of life until Brenda's passing 36 years later from cancer. Des told the Sunday World in recent years: 'In 36 years of marriage we never had one serious argument, and not many people can say that. I still talk to Brenda every day. I still believe she's part of my life. 'When I lost Brenda I hit the bottle. I was drinking far too much alcohol. I do believe that if I continued I would have killed myself. If the truth be known, I would say that I was an alcoholic and that is a tough thing to admit. 'When you are drinking a bottle of gin or a bottle of vodka every day you've got a big problem. Giving it up is one of the best decisions I ever made in life.' DES Lee's autobiography, My Saxophone Saved My Life, will be published on July 27.
Irish Times
11 hours ago
- Irish Times
One Day in Southport: Heartbreaking, and a chilling insight into the new reality
Watching the 2024 Southport riots from across the Irish Sea, there was an obvious and awful sense of history repeating. Just as the stabbing of a child in Dublin in November 2023 triggered racist violence, so the fatal attack on a dance class near Liverpool was seized upon as an excuse for carnage in the UK. Children had died, cities were burning – and British politicians appeared dazed by the scale of what had happened. Twelve months later, Finding Neverland director Dan Reed has painstakingly chronicled these terrible events with One Day in Southport (Channel 4, 9pm). If only a film-maker of equal stature would turn their attention to the anarchy that gripped Dublin seven months previously. Alas, we wait in vain. He begins with a close-up on one of the survivors of the attack – a now 13-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons. 'My vision was going blurry and I ran across to this guy and I said to him: 'I've been stabbed, I think I'm dying,' she recalls of the brutal assault by Axel Rudakubana on the Hart Space, a community hub in Southport, a quiet seaside town 27km north of Merseyside. READ MORE 'I was struggling to breathe, and I saw my sister there and she was saying, 'Please don't die, please don't die'.' Her voice is heavy with trauma, and the viewer's heart will break for her and for the families of the three children who died: six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice da Silva Aguiar, aged nine. What happened next was, of course, shocking but not surprising. Racists, thugs and 'citizen journalists' descended on Southport and whipped up hysteria against a local mosque. With police on the ground seemingly in the dark about Rudakubana, rumours that he was a Muslim immigrant began to spread. He was, in fact, born in Cardiff to a family from Rwanda, which is overwhelmingly Christian. Yet that was of little comfort to the terrified people inside the mosque in Southport. Reed isn't interested in blaming people and wisely avoids portraying Rudakubana as some sort of interesting or complicated villain ( he is now serving a 52-year murder sentence ). He wants to give a voice to the victims of the attack and to understand the anger that turned town centres across Britain into war zones. Those on the hard right tell Reed that their protests are not about race but about working-class people. 'The issue we are now fighting has changed. It ain't about race no more, it is about class,' claims Wendell Daniel, the black videographer who works with Tommy Robinson , one of Britain's most prominent far-right activists. However, chilling footage from around Britain suggests that the 2024 protests quickly descended into mob rule, as we see when another panicking videographer rushes back to his car after thugs surround his Asian wife. No Irish person needs to be reminded about racism in British society. Nonetheless, something has shifted since the pandemic, says Weyman Bennett, co-convener of Stand Up to Racism. Right-wing marches used to attract a certain type, he says – 'Billy No-Mates', middle-aged men, without friends or a purpose in life. Now, they are increasingly joined by women and young people, says Bennett – an entire swathe of society that feels abandoned, and believes people such as Robinson may have the answer. It's a terrifying thought. But then, as anyone who saw Dublin burn in November 2023 will know, it isn't really a thought at all, it's the new reality with which we are all going to have to come to terms and, sooner or later, perhaps, take a stand against.
