Latest news with #Grantchester
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Pregnant Coronation Street star Melissa Johns heartbroken over cruel 'cripple' jibe
Former Coronation Street star and Grantchester actress Melissa Johns has opened up about her pregnancy and how it has made her love her body after years of struggling with the world's perception of her Grantchester star Melissa Johns says pregnancy has finally taught her to love her body after years of loathing it. Her online announcement that She and her husband Dan Hampton were expecting prompted a flood of celebratory messages – and made her rethink her relationship with her body. Born without a right forearm or hand, Melissa, 35 – who has also appeared in Coronation Street and Adolescence – says, 'I was eight when I really started to feel I was different. We were playing tag in the playground and someone said, 'If you touch Melissa, you've got Melissa disease.' It was like a punch to my stomach.' Aged six, she was in the local paper under the headline 'Girl with one arm rides bike'. 'Some of the other children would scream and run away when they saw me,' she adds. Even more shocking has been the ignorance of adults. Blissfully happy with Dan, a senior transport planner, she reveals, 'On our honeymoon we had people saying to Dan right in front of me 'Do you not mind?' (referring to her disability) and one man called me 'a cripple'.' But, as a pregnant woman, she says people's focus is now on her bump. 'People have commented on my body all my life. Either it's something horrible or something about me being inspirational.' 'But now people are talking about my body in a lovely way,' she says. 'For once in my life it's not about my disability, it's about my bump.' The disability activist revealed her pregnancy to her online followers last month alongside a picture taken on the beach with 36-year-old Dan – who she married in her native Herefordshire last year – cradling her bump. 'I have a strong history of loathing my body,' she admits. 'It came from society telling me that my body was wrong. But there is so much positivity around pregnant bodies, and now I really do very much like what I see when I look in the mirror. It feels lovely.' Like most first-time mums, Melissa feels both excitement and trepidation, but when people ask how she will cope, she says, 'That just adds an extra layer of anxiety to the pressure that all first-time mums feel. 'We're all worrying, how does this work? And on top of that I'm thinking, 'What about when my husband is at work – will I be able to find a one-handed pram that I can collapse with one arm? How will I get the pram in and out of the car on my own? How will I drink a cup of coffee with my friends while holding the baby?' 'I feel like saying, 'I don't know yet, I haven't worked it out, but I will find a way.'' Steely determination has certainly served her well in life. A turning point came in her twenties after watching old camcorder footage of herself as a girl at a family party. 'I saw this happy little girl dancing and spinning, without a care in the world and thought, 'I'm so sorry for the life I'm giving you,'' Melissa recalls. She would hide her arm on dates, saying, 'It would get to the third date and I'd have to tell them that I'd got one arm. I'd see that as winning, that I'd hidden it so well. I needed to control how people saw me. I thought that part of my body was ugly and they shouldn't have to look at it. 'Now I know that winning is having a wonderful husband, where my disability doesn't even come into play.' Training at East 15 Acting School, she was one of the first disabled actors to win the Laurence Olivier Bursary Award and, in 2015 aged 25, she landed her first TV role, alongside Jo Joyner and Trevor Eve in the BBC One drama The Interceptor. Two years later she was cast in Coronation Street as Kate Connor's girlfriend Imogen Pascoe. She played school nurse Carla in Adolescence and joined Grantchester in 2021 as police station secretary Jennifer Scott. She is currently filming the 11th and final series, with series 10 due to air early next year. It will pick up where series nine ended, with Miss Scott finally kissing policeman Larry Peters. 'It's been a will-they-won't-they for many years,' says Melissa, who plans to work until two weeks before her baby is due in November. On other shows, she's been asked if scriptwriters can make reference to her arm, as the audience might wonder about it. 'I don't think in the six seasons I've been in Grantchester we've even brought it up,' she says. 'They couldn't be more supportive. They've been so nice about my pregnancy, too.' When Robson Green spotted her coming out of a lift as they began filming, his delight was obvious, she tell us. He said, 'Oh, my gosh! Look! I'm just made up for you.' And Kacey Ainsworth and Tessa Peake-Jones both went, 'Oh! Can we touch it?'' Melissa is working on a TV adaptation of Snatched, the one-woman show she wrote in 2022, exploring her experience of having explicit photos leaked online after her iCloud was hacked. And, of course, she is looking forward to becoming a mum. 'Because of looking very different to other people growing up, the world questioned whether I would have a family of my own,' she says. 'Now, I'm in my own home, with my incredible husband and a baby on the way that I just can't wait to hold and cuddle.'
Daily Mirror
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Grantchester star: 'People have commented on my body all my life'
Grantchester, Corrie and Adolescence star Melissa Johns gives her first interview about her pregnancy and reveals hurtful comments she's endured about her disability Proudly displaying her baby bump, the bloom of pregnancy isn't the only reason for Grantchester star Melissa Johns' radiant online announcement that she and her husband Dan Hampton were expecting prompted a flood of celebratory messages. And people wanting to touch her baby bump makes her appreciate the beauty of her body for the first time. For Melissa, 35, who also appeared in Coronation Street and Adolescence, has been programmed to hate her body - by other people. Born without a right forearm and hand, she recalls:'I was eight when I really started to feel I was different. We were playing tag in the playground and someone said: 'if you touch Melissa, you've got Melissa disease.' It was like a punch to my stomach. 'In the summer we'd go on caravan holidays. I'd take my little brother to the play area and some of the other children would scream and run away when they saw me.' These shocking reactions have not just come from kids. More shocking in many ways has been the ignorance of adults. Blissfully happy with Dan, a senior transport planner, he makes her feel like 'a winner.' Yet, she reveals: 'On our honeymoon we had people saying to Dan right in front of me 'do you not mind?' (referring to her disability) and one man called me 'a cripple'.' As a pregnant woman, for the first time, people's focus is on her bump and not her disability. She explains:'People have commented on my body all my life. 'Either it's something horrible or something about me being inspirational - I was in the local newspaper when I was six years old and the headline was 'Girl with one arm rides bike.' 'But now people are talking about my body in a lovely way. They're going: 'oh my God, look at you!' or 'Ooh, can I touch?' And for once in my life that's not about my disability, it's about my bump. 'I've been in shows where even other actors have said about my arm, 'can I touch it?' So, my pregnancy feels even more special. Now it's my bump they want to touch and for the first time they're mentioning my body in a positive way.' Disability activist Melissa, who plays Grantchester's Jennifer Scott and previously starred as Coronation Street's Imogen Pascoe, revealed her pregnancy to her online followers last month alongside a picture taken on the beach of Dan - who she married in her native Herefordshire last year - lovingly cradling her bump. 'I have a strong history of loathing my body,' she says candidly. 'That never came from me – it came from society telling me that my body was wrong. 'But there is so much positivity around pregnant bodies and now I really do very much like what I see when I look in the mirror. It feels lovely and I think to some degree it takes away from the other parts of my body that I have questioned for so long.' Like most first-time mums, Melissa is approaching things with excitement and trepidation. But when people, clearly referring to her disability, ask how she will cope, she says: 'That just adds an extra layer of anxiety to the pressure that all first-time mums feel. 'We're all worrying - how does this work? How does that work? How will I do this?' And then on top of that I'm thinking 'what about when my husband is at work – will I just stay in the house all day, or will I be able to find a one-handed pram that I can collapse with one arm?' ''How will I get the pram in and out of the car on my own? How will I drink a cup of coffee with my friends while holding the baby?' There are so many things. I feel like saying 'I don't know yet, I haven't worked it out. But I will find a way.'' Steely determination has certainly served her well in life. A turning point came in her 20s, after watching old camcorder footage of herself as a young girl at a family party. 'I saw this happy little girl dancing and spinning, without a care in the world and I thought 'I'm so sorry for the life I'm giving you,'' she recalls. 'It was at a point where I had really stopped doing most things. I wouldn't dance anymore and I wouldn't go out without a cardigan – I'd essentially stripped myself of my own freedom, because I needed to control the way that people saw me. I thought that part of my body was ugly and they shouldn't have to look at it. 'I had boyfriends where it would get to the third date and I would have to tell them that I'd got one arm. I'd see that as winning, that I'd hidden it so well. 'Now I know that winning is having a wonderful husband, where my disability doesn't even come into play.' Training at East 15 Acting School, she was one of the first disabled actors to win the Laurence Olivier Bursary Award. In 2015, aged 25, she landed her first TV role, working alongside Jo Joyner and Trevor Eve, in the BBC1 drama series The Interceptor and two years later was cast in Coronation Street, spending two years as Kate Connor's girlfriend Imogen Pascoe. She played school nurse Carla in Adolescence and joined the cast of Grantchester in 2021, as police station secretary Jennifer Scott. She is currently filming the 11th and final series, with series 10 due to air early next year. It will pick up where series 9 ended, with Miss Scott finally kissing policeman Larry Peters. 'It's a wonderful storyline,' Melissa enthuses. 'It's been a will-they-won't they for so many years.' Melissa plans to work until two weeks before her baby is due in November. 'Grantchester has been a brilliant show to work on,' she says. 'Some other shows in the past have said: 'do you mind if we write something in to acknowledge your arm, because the audience might wonder?' But I don't think in the six seasons I've been in Grantchester we've even brought it up. 'And they couldn't be more supportive. They cut my food up for me and I have help into my costumes when I need it. Things like that have such a positive impact on my day. 'They've been so nice about my pregnancy too. Robson Green was the first person I saw when I came out of the lift when we started filming the new series. 'He said 'Hi gorgeous' and then he went 'Oh my gosh! Look! I'm just made up for you.' 'Later he texted me and said 'Welcome to the most beautiful club.' 'And Kacey Ainsworth and Tessa Peake-Jones both went 'Oh! Can we touch it?' in such a loving way. They're such close colleagues that I was happy to say yes.' When Grantchester finishes Melissa will be working on a TV adaption of Snatched, the one-woman show she wrote in 2022, exploring her experience of having explicit photos leaked online after her iCloud was hacked. She says: 'It sold out around the UK and I got offers from TV companies, so I'm currently developing a six-part series with Kudos.' For now, though, Melissa is looking forward to becoming a mum. 'Because of having one arm and looking very different to other people growing up, the world questioned whether I would have a family of my own,' she says. 'I didn't know what else to believe, so I believed what I was told. Now, I'm in my own home, with my incredible husband and a baby on the way that I just can't wait to hold and cuddle.'
Daily Mirror
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
James Norton spotted filming huge new role for very first time
Happy Valley star James Norton's latest acting role has been unveiled and he's due to star alongside some big names, including Matt Smith James Norton has been pictured on the set of his latest acting project for the very first time, as he gets set to make his debut in hit series House of the Dragon. James, famed for starring in the likes of Happy Valley and Grantchester, was spotted filming scenes for the third season of the Game of Thrones spin-off alongside Matt Smith, who plays Daemon Targaryen. James will be portraying Ormund Hightower, the head of the powerful House Hightower, and could be seen surrending his sword to Daemon in the snaps. It is unclear if Ormund is surrending or allying himself with Daemon in the scenes. In the rare glimpse into filming, the stars could be seen acting in the Surrey countryside. James was snapped in full costume, which feature his house's colours of greens and silvers. A release date for the third season of House of the Dragon is yet to be confirmed. After the premiere of the second series last year, it was confirmed that the show had been renewed. Filming commenced in March and it's currently predicted that the third series will land at some point in 2026. The season will consist of eight episodes, with the story of the Targaryen civil war continuing. Fans of the show were left disappointed with the end of the second season, with many even issuing complaints over how it concluded. House of the Dragon had been teasing big battle scenes between two Targaryen factions as Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) tried to force his sister Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) to fight as a dragonrider. Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) prepared for battle with the stark army marching south to support Rhaenyra's claim. At the time, fans took to social media to complain about the ending, as it did not live up to expectations. One person said: "Rhaena's been tracking this damn dragon all season and I don't get to see her claim it?! Ryan Condal when I catch you!" "I'm tired of things being put into motion. BE IN MOTION," another person fumed on X. House of the Dragon was created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal, and is a prequel to hit series Game of Thrones, which finished in 2019. It is the second series in George's A Song of Ice and Fire franchise. House of the Dragon is based on parts of George's 2018 book Fire & Blood, and begins around 100 years after the Seven Kingdoms are united by the Targaryen conquest. This is nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. The show focuses on the events leading up to the decline of House Targaryen, a war known as the Dance of the Dragons. House of the Dragon is available to watch on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV
Daily Mirror
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Grantchester star shares filming update as series comes to an end
The beloved series is coming to an end with an eleventh and final season. Kacey Ainsworth discusses writing an episode of Grantchester Grantchester star Kacey Ainsworth has shared an emotional update as filming for the final series has come to an end. Fans were left sobbing when ITV confirmed earlier this year that the beloved show would be returning for a final eleventh series. The crime drama first aired in 2014, with a tenth season yet to air, though it'll be the penultimate. Sharing a look at filming with behind-the-scenes selfies with her co-stars and snaps of scripts, Cathy Keating actress Kacey wrote on Instagram: 'On a hot hot day last week we all came together for our final readthru. 'What a joy it is, it has been for the past ELEVEN! Series. 'Thank you @emlyjkl @daisycoupow and everyone @kudostv past and present. 'Cathy has evolved in all ways thank you all for the opportunists you have given me on screen and on the page and to @masterpiecepbs for our international success.' 'I am so sad to see the end of Grantchester. I love it so much. Thank you to everyone involved in such a wonderful programme,' one fan wrote. Another said: 'I'm so grateful for the longevity of the series. I discovered it during Covid and it's become one of my favorite shows ever. I've even begun reading the books because of it and I'd love to visit the real Grantchester one day. I'll have to cherish all the remaining episodes that much more. Thank you for all your wonderful work on the show!' A third added: 'I have been watching and loving this show from the very first episode!! Cathy's evolution has been the best throughout the series and you have played her to perfection!! So sad for us viewers but so happy for you and the entire cast and what your futures hold!' Former EastEnders actress Kacey has starred as Cathy from Grantchester's conception, alongside the likes of James Norton, Robson Greene, and Rishi Nair, who began starring in the series from season nine. Fans were left sobbing at the news Grantchester was coming to an end, though ITV promised that Geordie (Robson) and Alphy (Rishi) would be 'going out with a bang'. Daisy Coulam, writer, series creator and executive producer, said: 'At its heart, Grantchester is a show about the power of friendship and love. We've been so lucky over the last 11 series to experience that on and off screen. 'For over a decade now - cast and crew (many who've been there since the beginning) have met each Summer to film. And it's been an absolute joy. 'Thank you to James Runcie for entrusting us with his characters. Thank you to the lovely people of real Grantchester. Thank you to everyone who's been a part of the show in any way - big or small. I'll miss you terribly.'
Wales Online
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Good Morning Britain star fights back tears as they issue apology
Good Morning Britain star fights back tears as they issue apology Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins was left fighting back tears on the ITV show during Tuesday's instalment. Tuesday's (July 15) episode of Good Morning Britain was particularly poignant as hosts Charlotte Hawkins and Richard Madeley interviewed Tristan, a man who recently lost his wife to breast cancer. Dr Susan Michaelis, died last week after a 14-year battle with lobular breast cancer. Over the past few years, she had been a staunch advocate for research into the disease. Charlotte Hawkins appeared deeply moved during the conversation with Tristan, her voice wavering with emotion as the segment concluded. Tristan expressed his gratitude on air, saying: "Thank you to all the women who have this disease, for giving it some airtime." To which Richard Madeley responded: "Oh, it's you that deserves the thanks." Good Morning Britain star fights back tears as they issue apology (Image: ITV ) Article continues below Grantchester star breaks silence as ITV show comes to an end after 11 years READ MORE: Charlotte, struggling to maintain composure, said: "Thank you for coming in when this has only just happened, and you know, I know that obviously, you were supremely proud of her and everything she was doing-". Her voice began to break as she fought back tears, continuing: "I know she would be so proud of you continuing this fight. "Sorry, it's one of things that have effected a lot of people this morning." Tristan appeared on Good Morning Britain to raise awareness of the cancer Tristan discussed the Lobular Moon Shot Project, a campaign initiated by his late wife in 2023 with the goal of raising £20m for research into invasive lobular breast cancer, emphasising its political support and his commitment to securing funding for researchers, reports the Mirror. Tragically, she died last Wednesday, with an announcement stating she was in the company of her husband and dear friends, proudly wearing her cherished Lobular Moon Shot Project tee. Content cannot be displayed without consent This week, her husband Tristan took part in discussions with Health Secretary Wes Streeting—a meeting Susan had aspired to be at herself before her death. On the matter of the illness, Tristan conveyed to Richard and Charlotte: "Every day 22 more people are being diagnosed with this disease. Article continues below "So, the sooner we get the research done into the basic biology of the disease, the sooner we will have specific treatment for this disease." Good Morning Britain is available to watch on ITVX.
