BBC Debate Night to broadcast from Hamilton ahead of crucial by-election
A television politics show will be broadcast from Hamilton in the run-up to the constituency's crucial Holyrood by-election – with local voters being invited to take their place in the live audience.
BBC Scotland show Debate Night will come to the town for the first time for a by-election special to be screened next Wednesday, May 28.
Panellists for the show, hosted by broadcaster Stephen Jardine, are due to be announced later this week ahead of the filming and broadcast, eight days before residents in Hamilton, Larkhall & Stonehouse go to the polls in the hotly-contested ballot.
Interested prospective audience members can apply for free tickets by visiting www.bbc.co.uk/debatenight and clicking 'apply to be in the audience'.
The weekly political discussion show travels across Scotland and has previously been broadcast from Rutherglen in 2023 ahead of that constituency's Westminster by-election, as well as from North Lanarkshire venues at Motherwell and Cumbernauld.
Now local residents are wanted 'to be part of the studio audience and have their say on who should be the next MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall & Stonehouse' in the special episode, to be shown on BBC Scotland at 9pm and then BBC1 at 10.40pm.
Producers say: 'Debate Night is the only television programme of its kind in Scotland. It gives you the opportunity to put your questions to the country's decision-makers and public figures.
'We want people from all walks of life – you might be a parent, carer or student, perhaps you run a business or are a frontline worker; retired, self-employed, unemployed or just starting out in the workplace – we need you. It's your questions, stories, experiences and opinions that lead our discussion.'
A total of 10 candidates are standing in the constituency's by-election on June 5. The full list of those appearing on the ballot paper is: Collette Bradley (Scottish Socialist Party); Andy Brady (Scottish Family Party); Ross Lambie (Reform); Katy Loudon (SNP); Janice MacKay (UKIP); Ann McGuinness (Green); Aisha Mir (Liberal Democrats); Richard Nelson (Conservative); Davy Russell (Labour); and Marc Wilkinson (independent).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
14 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Review, Leanne, Netflix - old school comedy, new attitude
These fabulous creatures used to be everywhere in television, often with their names in the title - The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, Grace Under Fire, Roseanne, Cybill - and then just like that they disappeared. Invisible at home, work, and in film and television too. That has changed recently with Hacks, the much garlanded tale of a veteran stand-up on the comeback trail. With the arrival of Leanne, I'm now officially declaring this 'a thing'. Produced by Chuck Lorre, whose CV includes The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men, Leanne Morgan stars as a Tennessee belle whose husband has left her after 33 years. It's not the hippest comedy you will ever see, and the larger than life performances take a bit of getting used to, but Morgan is immensely likeable and there are some genuinely funny lines. Eight episodes in, I could easily have watched the same number again. Destination X (BBC1, Wednesday) has been called the new Traitors, but what hasn't? The BBC hit has generated so many wannabes, I half expect Songs of Praise to be next for a Traitors makeover. Hosted by Rob Brydon, the game is simple enough. Players are given clues about their location, and at the end of each episode have to guess where they are. Whoever is left at the end of the ten weeks scoops a very nice £100,000. Take that, Race Across the World with your measly 20 grand. There was a catch, of course. Producers controlled what the players saw via goggles that could be switched on and off, and coach windows that went from clear to opaque. Added to this was some faffing in a big box and a dash of Traitors-like skulduggery. The most exciting moment was the arrival of two luxury coaches: one for travelling, one for sleeping. Though kitted out nicely enough, a coach is still a coach (complete with a predictably small, shared toilet). Compared to Traitors HQ at Ardross Castle, this was roughing it. Every reality show relies on a few 'characters' emerging from the mix. Among the contenders here were a London cabbie who had climbed Kilimanjaro and rowed the Atlantic but who took 14 years to do The Knowledge; a nuclear engineer; a pilot; a historian; and a multiple-marathon runner. Deborah the crime writer, 62, looked like a possible winner till it emerged she doesn't like lying. Once the friendliness of the first week is over, that could prove a drawback. Dawn, a 34-year-old care assistant from Northern Ireland, whose prep for the series was buying a children's atlas from TK Maxx for a fiver, was another to watch. It wasn't much of a vote of confidence in the show when one of the younger contestants quit because he missed his mum's cooking. Will there be others? Not if Brydon has anything to do with it. Though sporting a navy blazer, Uncle Bryn went full Butlins Redcoat early doors and did not let up. If there was a Bafta for wanting to be liked, it would be his, no question. In the meantime, I don't think The Traitors has much to worry about. If there is one thing television doesn't need, it is more celebrities going on holiday. But in the case of presenters Helen Skelton, Jules Hudson and JB Gill, so often up at horrible o'clock in all weathers, we can make an exception. Coastal Adventures with Helen, Jules and JB (Channel 5, Tuesday) found the trio scattered to the winds. Skelton started the ball rolling with a video selfie on the beach. 'Have a look at this,' she said. 'It looks almost tropical, but I'm not in the southern hemisphere, I'm just north of the Scottish border in Dumfries and Galloway.' The coastline was close to where she had lived and worked for years in Cumbria, yet she never thought of it as a holiday area because it was on her doorstep. Not any more. 'This is landscape that rivals the kind of thing you would go to New Zealand for.' While she headed for Bainloch Deer Park and JB was dispatched to the Suffolk coast, Hudson was shown around HMP Peterhead by someone who had worked there for 27 years. The former guard could still remember the smell of the chamber pots waiting to be emptied when he arrived to start his shift. The scene was described so vividly I could almost smell them myself, and I fear Hudson was the same. The prison was defunct, and had been since 2013, but not defunked. Banners from the 1980s riots hung on the walls, telling their own story, and the guide filled in the rest. It was a fascinating if grim tour, with the prison, dubbed 'Scotland's toughest jail', not changed much since it was built in the Victorian era. If misery has a smell that must have been evident too. Skelton took an tour of the 860-acre deer park. All the animals, some 600 of them, were brought to the park, some after road accidents. 'I've never been close to a deer,' said Helen. 'I don't know why but it makes me quite emotional.' She was sent to look for an antler to take home as a souvenir, a task she thought akin to being asked for a tin of tartan paint, but one was found, no bother. In Johnshaven in Aberdeenshire, home to The Lobster Shop, Hudson was trying lobster for the first time. 'Delicious,' he said, demolishing the stuffed roll in a handful of bites. Skelton had the last word. 'The most perfect landscape,' she said, looking out to sea. 'I can try to think of something profound to say but I don't think words do this justice.' If only more presenters showed such restraint. With the Sunday politics shows off on holiday the way was clear for Sunday Brunch (Channel 4) to clean up. A mix of celebrity chat, cooking, and anything else the producers could throw in the pot to fill three hours of live television - including a competition to guess the age of expired food - this was the old 'zoo' format revived. In short, too many guests talking over each other. When not gabbing they stuffed their faces with whatever came out of the kitchen from a procession of chefs. Not an appetising sight at the best of times, never mind 10am on a Sunday. Irvine Welsh was there to flog his new book, Men in Love, and accompanying album. All was well until he referred in less than flattering terms to the vocal styles of some singers today. It was enough that the presenter, Tim Lovejoy, felt he had to apologise. The joys of live television. Contrast this with Katie Razzall's Irvine Welsh: The Next Chapter (BBC2, Monday). This was an old-school, pre-recorded sit-down, largely consisting of Razzall lining up a subject and allowing Welsh to talk at length. It didn't always work. On Scottish independence, for instance, Razzall asked if he thought 'the steam had gone out of the fight'. 'The steam's gone out of every fight now,' said Welsh. 'People are very despondent about the mainstream political institutions and their ability to change and adapt. Whether it's supporters of Scottish independence or supporters of anything, whether it's any kind of radical or revolutionary change or any kind of political change, people are just waiting for the system to fall apart rather than push it.' What did he think about the current political landscape in Scotland, or the swell in support for Reform UK? Detailed follow-ups might have produced tighter, more interesting answers. The chat occasionally wandered, at one point ending up in Alan Partridge territory. After footage of Welsh in a boxing gym, Razzall asked if the sport was useful to his writing. 'Boxing keeps me thin,' he said. 'Does that make you a good writer? 'Yeah, being thin does make you a good writer, because you have to be comfortable in a chair. If you're sitting down and you're overweight, it must be quite uncomfortable.' Was he being serious? It was hard to tell. Irvine Welsh discusses his new novel, Men in Love (Image: BBC) Never mind, Razzall was on a roll. Should Trainspotting have won the Booker prize? 'Emphatically no, it would have been the kiss of death. Because I would just have been another writer, another writer who won the Booker prize. Because I became the anti-Booker prize writer, I was pushed into a different category, and it gave me a radical, anti-establishment cachet that I maybe didn't deserve even, but I'll take it anyway.' Nor will he be accepting a knighthood any time soon, or ever. 'I've no interest in that kind of thing. They've got nothing I want,' he said. I expect the Palace will be crushed.
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Strictly Come Dancing signs model Ellie Goldstein as she vows to break barriers for Down syndrome community
STRICTLY Come Dancing bosses have signed model Ellie Goldstein for the new series. Sources said the 23-year-old will be 'thrilled' to be among the stars when the BBC1 ballroom show returns next month. 2 2 Essex-born Ellie is the first contestant with Down syndrome to take part in a full Strictly series, after CBeebies presenter George Webster performed in the 2022 Christmas special. A source said: 'Ellie is thrilled to be taking part in Strictly. She has broken down so many barriers in her career, from modelling for Gucci to being the first model with Down syndrome to appear on the cover of Vogue. "Ellie can't wait to get started on the show and show people what she can do.' She will join stars including former footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, EastEnders actress Balvinder Sopal, ex-rugby star Chris Robshaw and reality TV's Dani Dyer. Ellie's parents were told she would never be able to walk or talk after she was born with Down syndrome. However she defied the odds, and Ellie says she now 'never stops talking'. She began modelling as a teen and has worked with brands including Victoria's Secret, Adidas and Gucci. In 2023 she became the first model with Down syndrome to grace the cover of British Vogue and was honoured with her own Barbie doll, now sold worldwide. Ellie said: 'I am proving people wrong and I am a role model for people like me. "Doctors said I wouldn't talk but now I never stop talking! You should always believe in yourself.' England rugby legend lined up for Strictly – and pairing with show's sexiest dancer She added: 'Never give up, be who you are and smile all the way.' She will start training with her Strictly pro partner in the coming weeks. A source said: 'The BBC love to push boundaries and break stigmas so having Ellie agree to take part is something they are incredibly proud of. "Ellie is a fantastic signing and they think she could go all the way.' Ellie previously told of her love for Strictly, won last year by blind comedian Chris McCausland. She said: 'My absolute favourite thing in the world is dancing. 'One day I would love to be on Strictly Come Dancing. 'I went to watch it being filmed a few weeks ago, but I didn't want to be in the audience, I wanted to be on the dancefloor.' The BBC declined to comment.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
David Attenborough's shock BBC series on animal parenting has filming firsts
From orcas who drown blue whales and a mother spider who gets eaten by her children, prepare to be astonished by the filming firsts The extraordinary lengths that some animals go to in order to protect their young are highlighted in Sir David Attenborough 's new BBC1 series Parenthood. For some species this means teaching their offspring how to hunt, for others it means raising their young in their mouths or even sacrificing themselves to ensure that the next generation thrives. Filmed over three years across 23 countries in six continents, Parenthood showcases never-before-seen animal behaviours in 6K ultra high definition. The five-part series contains stories about animal behaviour that has never been caught on camera before and explores the heart-warming dedication, astonishing ingenuity and remarkable patience of animal parents across the natural world. It comes after Prince William was given a stark warning from 'appalled' David Attenborough on a pressing issu e. Producer and director Jeff Wilson says: 'Many of these very intimate behaviours are very difficult to film. When you see the behaviours come to life on screen, I think it gives you a new appreciation of the investment and commitment of many parents.' African social spider: The story follows a mother spider in Namibia who raises 30 offspring alongside her 50 sisters in a huge nest - and eventually sacrifices her own body to feed her young in an act called matriphagy. This is the first time this story has been captured in full for a documentary. Sir David says that the health of the mother spider starts deteriorating from the moment she lays her eggs.'The demands of parenthood are taking their toll,' he says. As she prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the survival of the next generation, her struggling mimics the vibrations of a distressed insect prey. 'The hungry spiderlings descend en masse to their mother's dinner table one last time - only this time, she's the main course,' he says. And once they've eaten her, they turn their attention to their aunties. 'They eat every adult in the colony, one by one.' Iberian Lynx: The Iberian Lynx is the rarest species in the documentary and one mother is filmed raising her kittens in a disused barn in souther Spain. Once on the brink of extinction, the recovery of the Iberian Lynx in the region is a remarkable success story and shows how humans can help animal parents thrive in the face of enormous challenges. In the barn, three generations of lynx are raising their young together. Sir David explains: 'This was only possible because farmers changed their practice to suit the needs of the native wild animals. Quicker than anyone imagined, the native animals moved back - prey first, then predators. 'We're beginning to understand that it's possible to use our world for our needs while also providing for wild animals.' Banggai Cardinal Fish: In coral reefs, where space is limited, creatures must be creative to find homes for their young. In Indonesia, a dedicated banggai cardinalfish father overcomes this problem by raising his young inside his mouth. This means he must go for a whole month without eating himself. 'Starvation, however, is the least of his worries,' Sir David says, because predators are lying in wait to try and eat his baby hatchlings. Somehow he has to negotiate a way to move from the safety of a sea urchin to the looser tentacles of an anemone - happily sharing his new home with a clown fish who looks just like Disney's Nemo. Once there, some of the babies seem unwilling to leave the safety of his mouth, Sir David notes, so the father gives them 'a little encouragement' in the form of a watery cough. 'His 30 days of fasting have given them an excellent start in life.' Killer whales: Few species are more inventive in their search for food than killer whales, who are seen off the coast of West Australia indulging in some never before filmed 'practice hunting' behaviour. Led by the grandmother matriarch, who can live into her 80s, members of one orca family work together to submerge the head of another group member to practice stopping it from breathing. This technique is then used for real when the granny orca spots a blue whale who is alone and a prime target. 'Working as a team, the orca keep their victim's blowhole beneath the surface, exactly as they've been taught,' Sir David says. Orca have only recently been discovered to hunt blue whales - the largest animals that have ever lived - in response, it is thought, to changes in their ocean home. Tri Tri Goby fish: In a Caribbean river, a Tri Tri Goby harnesses the currents to oxygenate the eggs about to be laid by the female. In a perfect nursery pool he selects pebbles to create the ideal protection for her, but a once-in-a-lifetime storm sweeps him and everything he's built downstream. The determined wannabe dad - he's not called Tri Tri for nothing - must climb 300m of waterfalls if he is to get back to the pool and have another chance at parenthood. Sir David notes that he is 'much bulkier' than when he did it as a youngster and that 'juveniles with boundless energy' dart past somehow he gets there, and sets about starting over. This is the first time a Tri Tri Goby fish has been filmed transferring rocks to build a nest tunnel for his young.
