Latest news with #KirstyAnderson
Metro
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Controversial BBC series viewers called 'abysmal' confirms return is weeks away
Mrs Brown's Boys is back for another run (Picture: BBC Studios / Kirsty Anderson) One of the BBC's most controversial shows is set to return in just a couple of weeks. For years now, Mrs Brown's Boys has split the nation down the middle, with some viewers branding the show 'abysmal'. Since 2011, the sitcom – which follows the life of the interfering Agnes Brown (played by Brendan O'Carroll) – and has aired five series and 12 Christmas Day specials. In an update that will have some people rejoicing and others wanting to bang their head against the wall, new episodes are on the way. The latest run was filmed at the beginning of May, and Mrs Brown's Boys will officially return on August 1 at 9:30pm. If you're really keen, you'll be able to binge all five episodes that same day, with the full series available on iPlayer – but it's safe to say not everyone is happy about the news. Viewers have branded the show 'abysmal' (Picture: BBC) The latest Christmas special was slated by viewers (Picture: BBC / BocPIX / Greame Hunter) 'Literally no one asked for this, the BBC becoming even more irrelevant and out of touch,' ranted one user on X. Others called the programme 'abysmal' when the fifth series was announced, and another quipped: 'Actually, I'm starting to think this is an elaborate prank on behalf of the BBC.' Someone else ranted: '[It] keeps coming back like a rotten smell! Give the investment to more new comedy, not keep old ones past best limping on @BBC.' Sorry, the video was not found The crass, provocative humour has had millions tuning in over the years, with the first December 25 special in 2013 pulling in a whopping 11.52 million nationwide viewers. However, after that the show averaged around nine million viewers as it slowly declined in popularity, with the 2024 Christmas Special Ding Dong Mammy pulling in just 2.2 million, while fans weren't kind. 'Baffles me how it's got so bad after the great start it had,' wrote @paulc1884, as @ads900 added: 'This was exceptionally bad this year…more than usual.' The show does have some supporters excited for the return (Picture: BBC / BocPIX / Greame Hunter) Not everyone agrees though, and comedy legend Ben Elton – best known for his work as a writer on The Young Ones and Blackadder – threw his support behind O'Carroll's sitcom. 'It's insane this show is so abused. It's so inoffensive,' he told The Sun. 'You can say it's unfunny or old-fashioned, but you cannot say it's stupid and lacks skill. 'These are brilliant comedians with perfect timing. They're doing a type of comedy you may not find appealing because maybe you're embarrassed about the fact you have no understanding of why it's funny, so you can't give yourself over to it.' Mrs Brown's Boys is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. Arrow MORE: Doctor Who legend takes swipe at 'grumpy old fans' of BBC series Arrow MORE: MasterChef's John Torode reportedly used 'worst racial slur there is' before sacking Arrow MORE: BBC confirms Two Doors Down is returning 2 years after show was cancelled
Daily Record
16-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Nationwide East Kilbride fundraiser coins in cash for dementia specialist nurses
Colleagues and customers came together over a cup of tea and a slice of cake to help fund more dementia specialist Admiral Nurses More than £200 was raised to help fund Admiral Nurses at an event in Nationwide Building Society's East Kilbride branch. Vital funds were raised for Dementia UK's annual Time for a Cuppa event on May 28 with £212 raised for the dementia specialist nursing charity. Colleagues and customers came together over a cup of tea and a slice of cake to help fund more dementia specialist Admiral Nurses. Download the Lanarkshire Live app today The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now. Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7. The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you. Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Dementia UK's specialist Admiral Nurses provide life-changing advice and support to anyone affected by dementia, whenever it's needed. But with rising numbers of families impacted by the condition, thousands aren't getting the support they need. Kirsty Anderson, Customer Relationship Manager at Nationwide East Kilbride, said: "We are so thrilled to have raised £212 through our Time for a Cuppa event to help more families access vital support through Dementia UK's Admiral Nurses service. "A huge thank you to everyone who took part in the event and supported us in being able to reach our fundraising goal. It also allowed us to draw attention to the amazing service Nationwide has put in place by having the dementia clinics based within our branches. This will provide an invaluable support for the local community." Statistics show that by the time you've boiled your kettle, another person will have developed dementia - it's a huge and growing health crisis. One in two of us will be affected by the condition in our lifetime. Dr Hilda Hayo, Chief Admiral Nurse and CEO of Dementia UK, says: 'At Dementia UK, we believe every family affected by dementia should have the support of a dementia specialist Admiral Nurse – but right now, we can't reach everyone who needs us. 'We are grateful to Nationwide Building Society for taking part in Time for a Cuppa this year to help us to recruit more Admiral Nurses who are a lifeline to families.' This year, Time for a Cuppa is proudly sponsored by Nationwide Building Society. The sponsorship forms part of Nationwide's new social impact programme, Fairer Futures, which seeks to address three of the UK's biggest social issues through charity partnerships – dementia (Dementia UK), youth homelessness (Centrepoint) and family poverty (Action for Children). If you need advice or support on living with dementia, contact Dementia UK's Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline on 0800 888 6678 or email helpline@ You can also book a free video or phone appointment to get expert dementia support from an Admiral Nurse. Find out more at Or pop into your local Nationwide branch. And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook?
Scotsman
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Scotland's Home of the Year: Remembering the historic Edinburgh house that won Scotland's Home of the Year 2023
As fans of the popular show will remember, a Victorian renovation in Edinburgh which was once a train station was named Scotland's Home of the Year for 2023. Old Train House, in the Leith area of the city, is home to Christina and Ben Blundell, their daughter Vesper and Watson the dog. It was boarded up and laid empty for 10 years before the couple lovingly transformed it into a welcoming family home. Inside, Christina and Ben's eclectic tastes can be seen as well as their desire to be sustainable with second hand furnishing adorning the three levels. In addition to extensive renovations, there are nods to the building's past including graffiti on the exterior garden walls, giving Old Train House a unique style. The SHOTY judges – interior designers Anna Campbell-Jones and Banjo Beale and architect and lecturer Michael Angus – crowned the winner of Scotland's Home of the Year 2023 from a shortlist of six finalists from across Scotland. From Edinburgh to Aberdeenshire, Auchterarder to Peebles, the Isle of Skye to Glasgow, the search showcased a variety of home styles including quirky conversions to grand designs self-build homes to period renovations, environmentally-friendly homes to bijou pads. Take a look through our photo gallery to see inside The Old Train House – as it looked in 2023. The final of Scotland's Home of the Year 2025 will be screened on BBC Scotland at 8.30pm on Monday, June 2. 1 . Look inside Old Train House Take a look through our gallery to see the Old Train House in Edinburgh, winner of Scotland's Home of the Year in 2023. Photo: BBC Photo Sales 2 . Street view The outside of Old Train House is attractive and well-maintained. Photo: Kirsty Anderson Photo: Kirsty Anderson Photo Sales 3 . Old Train House, Edinburgh Christina and Ben pictured in their stunning Edinburgh home. Photo: Kirsty Anderson Photo: Kirsty Anderson Photo Sales 4 . Home office One of the rooms at Old Train House has been converted into a home office. Photo: Kirsty Anderson Photo: Kirsty Anderson Photo Sales
Daily Record
20-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
East Kilbride bank to host dementia clinics hosted by admiral nurses
Clinics in the local Nationwide branch will be available for anyone affected by dementia, whether they're a Nationwide customer or not. Nationwide Building Society in East Kilbride has been selected to offer dementia clinics in partnership with Dementia UK. Under the charity partnership, they be funding 30 new admiral nurses - fifteen of which will run dementia support clinics from Nationwide branches across the country, providing access to help and advice in areas of need across the UK. Admiral nurses specialise in providing life-changing care for families affected by all forms of dementia. Clinics in the local branch will be available for anyone affected by dementia, whether they're a Nationwide customer or not. The free 45-minute appointments will be hosted by an admiral nurse, who can support with any aspect of dementia, including: worries about symptoms, understanding the diagnosis, financial and legal issues and emotional support. Kirsty Anderson, local customer relationship manager, said: "It's such a privilege to be a part of such a valuable service to not only our customers but the wider community. "Dementia affects everyone at some point in their lives and the support these admiral nurses can give is vital to helping families deal with this illness. "Having somewhere to go that is familiar and not clinical such as hospital really puts the families at ease and provides a safe space to have these difficult conversations." The East Kilbride branch will be running fundraising event 'Time for a Cuppa' On Wednesday, June 28 from 10am-4pm. There will be a bake sale, raffles and information available on the dementia clinics. Pop in and show your support to this fantastic service available for the local community and surrounding areas. *Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here. And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Head on over and give us a like and share!
Scottish Sun
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
We built our incredible home from scratch – now it's in the running for BBC Scotland's Home of the Year
THE judges – interior designers Anna Campbell-Jones and Banjo Beale and architect Danny Campbell - must run the rule over the home GORGEOUS GAFF We built our incredible home from scratch – now it's in the running for BBC Scotland's Home of the Year Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A FAMILY hopes to milk their success on Scotland's Home of the Year - after turning an old farm steading into their Californian dream home. Chris and Jessica Zanoni, 45 and 39, their son Chase, 18, and dogs Enzo and Dino all feature in the new series of the hit BBC series as they show off the unique property in Pitmedden, Aberdeenshire. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 It's a stunning home. Credit: Kirsty Anderson / IWC 5 The home gets a lot of natural light. Credit: Kirsty Anderson / IWC 5 There's a lot of modern twists on the traditional farm steading. Credit: Kirsty Anderson / IWC 5 The bathroom looks very plush. Credit: Kirsty Anderson / IWC Dubbed Hilltop House, the building was designed around the original footprint of the farm and given a modern twist when they created their dream home from scratch. The judges – interior designers Anna Campbell-Jones and Banjo Beale and architect Danny Campbell - must run the rule over the home, as well as a modern build in Orkney and a Victorian farmhouse in Peterhead, to see who will represent the North East and the Northern Isles in the Scotland's Home of the Year grand final. Designer Chris reckons building your own home is becoming more popular. He said: "The actual process of building a house is so much fun and it can be quite addictive. "It takes a lot of your time but the creative process is a lot of fun "It was an old farm building but we knocked most of it down and kept good parts like granite walls and arch window features and slid in pretty much a brand new house. "A lot of people would love to build their own home. It's such an important part of your life. I spend so much time in this house it's insane. "There's no limitations. This house almost echoes the original building that was here in terms of shape and footprint but we can do new things and add nice glazing and natural light into the building. "You can put your own stamp on it." Chris, who has lived in the house for five years, said the whole process should have taken seven months to complete. I was struggling to pay my rent but my creative side hustle paid for my home for a year – it costs me nothing to run However, Covid led to postponement when the building was just two weeks from completion. He added: "It's quite popular in the north east at the moment. "I've got two more neighbours either side who also built brand new homes. "So this is like a mini development of self builds. "I look out my window and can see four and I have another friend with one too. "There's a lot of old agricultural type properties that fell apart and planners are open to developing them." But despite having what many would consider their dream home, Chris and his family don't think they'll stay there forever. He admitted: "Me and Jess talk about it and we don't like the idea of a forever home, we like the idea of moving on. "It could be every five years you start a new project."
