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South Wales Argus
01-07-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Billy Harris not getting carried away after Wimbledon win
Making only his second appearance in the main draw, the British wild card enjoyed a fine victory over Dusan Lajovic, defeating the world No.118 6-3 6-2 6-4 to clinch a maiden win in SW19. But while the result sees Harris tick off a lifelong ambition, the Nottingham-born star insists he has no plans to get carried away as he gears up for uncharted waters. "It's always been on the radar to get to the Grand Slams and win some matches," said Harris. "It's a great start today and hopefully I can continue. I didn't really celebrate in the locker room. I just saw my family and my coaches and they all said it was a great performance. "I'm definitely happy, but you can't be jumping up and down when you have won one match, can you? It's got to be the highlight of my career so far, but you don't really want to think about that too much and just focus on the next match." Harris won't have to wait long before he is next called into action, with the spectre of Portugal's Nuno Borges looming large later this week. Such is the quick turnaround of life on the tennis circuit, but Harris has had plenty of time to get accustomed to the grass court. Just last week he reached the quarter-final of the Eastbourne Open as a lucky loser and the 30-year-old believes his recent experiences leave him in good stead for his battle against Borges. "It was good to get those extra matches after losing in qualifying and being the lucky loser [at Eastbourne]", added Harris. "That has put me in good shape coming into this week so it was a good fill of confidence to get some wins over good players. What I've been practicing the last few days with my coach has been working well. "I know Nuno's a good all-around player who is very good from the baseline. It's going to be a tough match, but I think if I focus on my own game and do what I can to bring my strengths to the court, it will be a good one." For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website.
South Wales Argus
25-06-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Harris believes adaptation key to Eastbourne second round
The Nottingham-born star and former Eastbourne semi-finalist fell short in qualifying but entered the main draw as a lucky loser, and made sure not to waste his second chance by defeating Norrie in straight sets 6-4 6-4 in a blustery battle of the Brits. Harris salvaged seven out of the eight break points in their encounter - four of which came at 5-4 in the second set as he stepped up to serve for the match - en route to clinching the contest in an hour and 25 minutes. And Harris believes that the key to his victory lay in acclimatising quicker than Norrie to the tricky conditions. "I thought it was a great match in the conditions," said Harris. "I came out quick out of the blocks so I'm very happy with how I played. "It was the two matches in qualifying and getting used to the wind that helped me get the edge at the start. "I was timing the ball a lot better in the wind today and served better and that always helps on the grass." Harris was one of several Brits in action on Tuesday, including British women's No.1 Emma Raducanu. Raducanu defeated American Ann Li in a three-set thriller 6(5)-7 6-3 6-1 to set up a second round clash with Australian teenager Maya Joint. Joining Raducanu in the round of 16 is Jodie Burrage, who defeated Japan's Mokuya Uchijima in straight sets 6-3 6-2 to confirm a meeting with reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Kreicikova, who defeated fellow Brit Harriet Dart. Krejcikova beat Dart 6-3 6-7(4) 7-5 after two hours and 45 minutes, with the win holding an added significance as the Czech star's first of this year's grass court season. British No.3 Sonay Kartal battled bravely against Jelena Ostapenko but could not find a way past the former champion, losing 6-3 7-6(2) Elsewhere, George Loffhagen went the distance against Reilly Opelka but was ultimately defeated 7-6(6) 3-6 7-6(1) by the American. It was a similar story for Ilkley Open runner-up Jack Pinnington Jones, who lost to Portugal's Nuno Borges 4-6 6-3 6-3. For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website
Powys County Times
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Harris believes adaptation key to Eastbourne second round
Billy Harris believes adaptation was the key to thriving and not just surviving after he defeated compatriot Cameron Norrie to reach the second round at the LTA's Lexus Eastbourne Open. The Nottingham-born star and former Eastbourne semi-finalist fell short in qualifying but entered the main draw as a lucky loser, and made sure not to waste his second chance by defeating Norrie in straight sets 6-4 6-4 in a blustery battle of the Brits. Harris salvaged seven out of the eight break points in their encounter - four of which came at 5-4 in the second set as he stepped up to serve for the match - en route to clinching the contest in an hour and 25 minutes. And Harris believes that the key to his victory lay in acclimatising quicker than Norrie to the tricky conditions. "I thought it was a great match in the conditions," said Harris. "I came out quick out of the blocks so I'm very happy with how I played. "It was the two matches in qualifying and getting used to the wind that helped me get the edge at the start. "I was timing the ball a lot better in the wind today and served better and that always helps on the grass." Harris was one of several Brits in action on Tuesday, including British women's No.1 Emma Raducanu. Raducanu defeated American Ann Li in a three-set thriller 6(5)-7 6-3 6-1 to set up a second round clash with Australian teenager Maya Joint. Joining Raducanu in the round of 16 is Jodie Burrage, who defeated Japan's Mokuya Uchijima in straight sets 6-3 6-2 to confirm a meeting with reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Kreicikova, who defeated fellow Brit Harriet Dart. Krejcikova beat Dart 6-3 6-7(4) 7-5 after two hours and 45 minutes, with the win holding an added significance as the Czech star's first of this year's grass court season. British No.3 Sonay Kartal battled bravely against Jelena Ostapenko but could not find a way past the former champion, losing 6-3 7-6(2) Elsewhere, George Loffhagen went the distance against Reilly Opelka but was ultimately defeated 7-6(6) 3-6 7-6(1) by the American. It was a similar story for Ilkley Open runner-up Jack Pinnington Jones, who lost to Portugal's Nuno Borges 4-6 6-3 6-3.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jake Dunn Is Fiercely Protective of BBC Trans Drama ‘What It Feels Like for a Girl'
'Whenever I work, I'm like, 'This will be the last time you do that,'' Jake Dunn laughs. 'I just can't believe it.' His candid disbelief is no surprise when the Nottingham-born star, fresh out of drama school, went straight into filming a Sally Wainwright show. Dunn might be best known to viewers as Thomas in Renegade Nell, Disney+'s fantasy adventure penned by the Happy Valley creator, which was canceled after one season last year. More from The Hollywood Reporter Banijay Has No Immediate Plans to Buy ITV Studios as CEO Talks Consolidation at SXSW London Letitia Wright on Overcoming Impostor Syndrome for Directorial Debut, Ryan Coogler Prophecy Death of "Grassroots" Live, Electronic Music Venues Gets U.K. Parliament Review: SXSW London 'It does give you an understanding,' Dunn continues, 'of when something is fizzing and exciting versus when something maybe doesn't have that same impact on first read.' The 25-year-old would know better than a lot of people — he's also worked on Jack Rook's Big Boys, Nick Hamm's historical epic William Tell and now turns to the BBC Three's millennial coming-of-age drama based on the memoir by transgender journalist Paris Lees. What It Feels Like for a Girl, on BBC iPlayer from June 3, follows Paris as a teen when she was known as Byron (played by Ellis Howard). Byron is still working through sexuality, identity and widespread prejudice in the working class town of Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, but when they enter the world of sex work before adulthood, it also guides them to solace in the form of 'The Fallen Divas,' a group of queer, like-minded young people, including Laquarn Lewis' Lady Die, against the backdrop of the Y2K boom in the early 2000s. From there, Byron embarks on a journey toward womanhood but gets embroiled in deeply coercive and often uncomfortable relationships along the way. Dunn stars as Liam, an intimidating, criminally inclined boy who also secretly dabbles in sex work. Additional cast members include Laura Haddock, Hannah Walters, Calam Lynch, Hannah Jones, Michael Socha and Alex Thomas-Smith. The show has received some negative attention in recent weeks following the U.K.'s controversial Supreme Court ruling. In April, judges decided that the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the 2010 Equality Act 'refer to a biological woman and biological sex.' Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling was among those celebrating the news. The decision makes even the title of Lees' adaptation more contentious. 'Presenting the idea of an effeminate boy 'becoming a girl' as an edgy coming-of-age story is presenting delusion as self-discovery,' said Maya Forstater, a gender-critical activist who set up the British campaign group Sex Matters. Dunn's not having any of it. Below, he catches up with The Hollywood Reporter about landing the complex role of Liam, working with some of the best British writers in showbiz, playing the bad guy and why the U.K. Supreme Court ruling has muddied the waters of what should be jubilant time for Paris Lees and the cast of What It Feels Like for a Girl: 'It's a very uncertain time, politically, to be releasing a show that has, at the head of it, trans people.' I feel like this is so emblematic of a great little BBC show. Original storytelling, fantastic cast. What piqued your interest? It's a funny, sort of leading question because the reality of it is that, obviously, you audition for everything you can. Anything that comes through, you try and audition for because you want to work, you want to make rent, all those things. And then, very occasionally, maybe once or twice a year, you end up auditioning for something that you actually also think is really interesting. And it was a weird situation where I'd done a film called William Tell in 2023. Oh, of course. How was that experience? Great. We love our swords and shields. (Laughs.) But I shot that for about four and a half months and it finished, and I was knackered. I was like, I just want to take a few months to just not do anything. At the same time, a couple of my friends started auditioning for this show What It Feels Like for a Girl and asked me for help with the Nottingham accent. And I think most of my friends back in Nottingham would tell you that I'm really posh compared to anyone there. (Laughs.) I just never really inherited the accent. I helped people audition for different parts and read in, but it just never came my way. There was this part called Liam, which I'd heard about. People had been like, 'You could be auditioning for this.' And I didn't want to push it — I was tired from the previous jobs. I thought, it's not coming my way very easily. But then it did, and I did a couple of auditions and somehow managed to get the part. It was very surprising. So you feel like you're very much still in the audition for everything phase of your career? Yeah, definitely. There's no two ways about it. I'm not at all known or being sought at all, which is great — I don't expect that at all. I've been very lucky the last two years to get a job every so often. I think that's healthy. I think I would be nervous if that changed at all because while starting from the same place every time is scary, it's also very good. If you're not right for the part, you're not right for the part and that's that. It becomes less about anything else. But yeah, I'm always scrambling a little bit. It goes to show how many talented people in the biz have to scramble. And, of course, at the same time, lots of people would love to be in your position. Oh yeah, God, I'm also very aware that I've been incredibly lucky to work at all in the last couple of years. Since I left drama school, [I've worked] on things with really amazing people. I spent four months making William Tell and it was such a fun time. It was four months working with the funniest, best, most talented [people]. When it happens and you get something, it's the most exciting thing. So I am very, very, very lucky to work at all. Talk to me about Liam and what it is you think the casting directors saw that they liked in you. Why did people urge you to audition? I don't know. Maybe they said it in a Nottingham sense. But when I heard what the part was, I was like, that sounds really interesting but not like me at all. I think I got close to something else that was in a similar vein, [so] I had the skinhead at the time! Sometimes, those cosmetic things help you. But Liam himself, even when I got cast, I couldn't quite believe it. I didn't come out of the chemistry reading and go, 'I think this is gonna work out for me.' After that, it was about getting a hold of who he was as quickly as possible. I had access to the first three episodes and I basically found everything out about Liam through the script in a way that I don't think I've ever fully had before. I think it's so well written and because it's based on reality, on someone's life, it has that amazing thing about it [where] it's quite a jagged shape. It doesn't sit in narrative conventions as much as a [fictional] drama would because it was someone's life. Episode three, specifically, I learned a lot from. He was someone that I think was really similar to Byron when he was Byron's age and had been through the same things that Byron was about to experience. And he has, as a result — in my head — built himself tough to respond to it. People like Liam exist, I know people like that. It was also the first time I really based someone on people I used to know in Nottingham. People like Liam are survivalists. They go from moment to moment and they feel like they've got no money, no future and no one listening. When you're living that way, you see how it becomes about cheating the system. Do you know what I mean? That's super interesting that you say Liam has been through what Byron has. There was a line — it was cut from the final [product], which is fine — where Byron heard that Liam also used to work [in sex work]. We're learning how to talk about it. Byron is 15, and we, as an audience, get to decide how we feel about what's happening when in the eyes of morality or law, what we're seeing is statutory rape and a form of coercion and grooming and all these things. It felt really useful for me when playing Liam to realize that if Liam had gone through what Byron had, it meant that he couldn't see what he was doing as coercion because it would mean Liam was coerced as well. So, for me, it felt like Liam was a mirror. Liam saw Byron in himself and thus became fascinated, obsessed with him and hated him. There were all these muddled, intense feelings that are brimming throughout episodes two and three. It meant you could kind of do anything with it. It felt much more freeing. Also, bear with me if I over-talk a character; I really don't know whether it makes sense or not… No, no, it makes perfect sense. Did you speak to Paris about who Liam was in real life? I did a little bit. It's so specific and esoteric that I feel quite nervous to almost touch on what I do and don't know because there was a gift for me in reversing what actors would normally do. I held off on the knowledge. There was a point where I was like, if I knew anything about him or who he was based on, what they looked like, it might take me into a realm of something that is a bit too documentarian. I based Liam's voice on someone I knew from when I was 15, 16. I based his movements on the same chap and then [Paris and I] created this look together. However, much of it was based on the true person I wasn't privy to, in a way that I'm quite grateful for because I don't want to dredge up anything. You never know where the line is in this because this is about Paris's life. Paris has written it. But it's also about keeping the freedom of what we're exploring. I almost didn't feel bad for not asking permission for certain things that we improvised during scenes because we knew we were making a drama. How do you feel about finally being out in the world? I mean, I don't know if you saw the U.K. Supreme Court ruling about the definition of a woman. We're living in a very scary time, and I feel excited in the sense that I'm so proud to be a part of this show. I think that the acting is nuts, and I think Ellis and Hannah and Laquarn are incredible, but it's a very uncertain time, politically, to release a show that has, at the head of it, trans people. Jake, am I allowed to ask what you have coming up next? (Laughs.) I'm heading away in about a week for four months to shoot something, which I'm super excited for. And it's the first time I'm not playing someone really, really evil. So that is a real big turning point for me. Do you feel you've been typecast in your career so far as the bad guy? I mean, I've really enjoyed it. I just played Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire [at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield]. I finished that about a few weeks ago. We did a month run and a month of rehearsals. I played Liam. I didn't work for seven months because, you know, auditioning, and then I played Stanley and before that was Stussi in William Tell and before that was Thomas in Renegade Nell. It's sort of a track record. (Laughs.) They're all very different and exciting! But you're like, 'Oh, is this my thing?' It's all about variation, though, right? You never want to feel like you're playing the same character twice. I never have felt that. Like I said, I'm always auditioning. I'm always trying. It is hard. I'm very lucky. But the people, the characters I've got to play have been so developed and nuanced and different. And I feel really incredibly lucky to have played Liam. It's such a specific person and character and not something that I would ever even [think I'd] be considered for. And you've really worked with some of the best British writers in the biz — Sally Wainwright, Jack Rook, now Paris. One hundred percent. I left drama school and did a Sally Wainwright show and I couldn't believe it. It does give you an understanding of when something is fizzing and exciting versus when something maybe doesn't have that same impact on first read. And it's a funny dichotomy — you're trying to audition for everything, but then you've also had a run of working with the best writers you can think of. I've been very happy. What would your dream role be, or dream filmmaker, writer, or fellow actor to work with? I'm quite bad with things like that. I'm always very pessimistic and assume that any job is the last one. And I really don't have career dreams. I don't know if it's [that] I don't have an imagination, but I just can't believe it whenever I work. So whenever I do work, I'm like, 'This will be the last time you do that.' (Laughs.) It's really good for me. It keeps me aware of everything outside of acting, rather than putting your whole life on this. You gotta be careful with things like this… OK. Max Porter is a writer who — I mean, I think everyone is phenomenal — but he is phenomenal. I heard along the way that he watched Renegade Nell, so I would love to come across his radar. Andrea Arnold — I saw Bird last year and I thought it was one of the most exciting films I'd seen in a long time. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
Daily Mirror
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
This Morning star's wedding bombshell as they 'feel bad' for fiancé
Rising star of daytime telly Sian opens up about the juggling her career with being a new mum and what she's got lined up next Sian Welby is taking daytime telly by storm – fronting This Morning and recently jumping in the hot seat on Lorraine while the host recovered from an operation. She's also part of the much-loved Capital Breakfast show alongside Jordan North and Chris Stark. And she does all this while being a first-time mum to little Ruby, 11 months. Sian's taking it all in her stride. 'I'm so lucky, and I have the most incredible time,' she beams. 'I really feel like I'm just in this amazing momentum at the minute. A lot of hard work has finally come together. Like the stars have aligned. It is a relief because sometimes you think you're never gonna quite get there and no one's gonna give you a chance "My life is such a whirlwind – but it's the best thing I ever did" – Sian Welby on becoming a mum 'All these shows that I'm on now are bucket list, dream jobs that I could only have imagined a few years ago. Now they're a reality.' Sian, 38, is sunshine personified, so it's no surprise she's been such a hit on daytime telly. Her boundless energy transfers through the screen – even with so much on her plate. It may feel like Nottingham-born Sian popped up from nowhere when she landed the This Morning job last January on the back of starting on Capital FM five years ago – but she has been working hard since 19. She's gone from reporting on cycling, golf, gaming, Formula E and the weather to interviewing some of the biggest names in showbiz and becoming the hottest property in telly. 'I was always in the wrong job,' admits Sian. 'The subjects were never something I was interested in. I was either talking about golf or quad biking or whatever. I was trying my best to get to where I am now. I just wanted to be in entertainment. Funny, light-hearted stuff, and it's taken this long to get there.' When she did finally get her big break with ITV, Sian was keeping a secret. Through fear of losing her job, she hid her pregnancy from bosses. She was 20 weeks pregnant when she started co-hosting alongside Dermot O'Leary and kept it quiet because she felt she had 'something to prove'. But Sian has shown everyone that she deserves all the opportunity and success that's coming her way, including recently when she say in for Lorraine Kelly on her show while she underwent an operation. 'It has been a whirlwind and I wish I'd kept a diary because I've done so many things this last year that feel like a fever dream, they don't feel real,' she admits. 'I've met Robert De Niro, I've been to Elton John's house, I've had a baby. I've hosted This Morning. I can't even remember it all, but it's amazing.' Sian doesn't regret putting in the hard yards to get her where she is today, she says it's stood her in good stead. 'When we interviewed Elton John on Capital, he said overnight success isn't really good for anybody because you're not ready,' she recalled. 'I feel the same. I've made my mistakes on shows that didn't have as many viewers and I've learned my craft.' Sian may make it look easy but she is spinning a lot of plates. As she runs through a standard day in her life, it's exhausting just to listen to, never mind experience it. The alarm goes off at 4.15am on the days she's working – and sees her go to bed at 8.30pm. Getting to Capital FM at 5.15am, her show runs from 6am until 10am. 'That's four hours non-stop,' she says. 'Even in between the songs and the adverts, we are working.' Then she'll hotfoot it across London to get to the This Morning studios in White City for 11.30am. 'I put a video on TikTok showing a moment when I had arrived two minutes before I was on air,' she remembered. 'I was being mic'd up, with an eyelash being put on at the same time my hair was being done.' She'll finish at 12.30pm – but the day's not over there. Some days she's whisked off in the cab to a hotel to do a movie junket and interview an A-lister like Harrison Ford. 'It's just mad,' Sian says. 'And while I'm prepping for Harrison, I might be getting a message from my other half saying, 'Oh God, Sian. It's a poonami here. Help.' So all the worlds collide at once.' Sian welcomed Ruby with her fiancé, Heart Breakfast producer Jake Beckett, in June. They have been together for four years. She heaps praise on him, saying their 'modern situation' really works for their family. 'He's done a lot of the parenting as well as me, we feel so even,' she smiles. 'He knows as much about Ruby as I do, and she equally loves being with either of us.' The couple make sure they carve out time for dates, adds Sian. 'It's nice to have a bit of us time again,' she says. 'It's important. I like a day date in Clapham or Balham.' Sian's busy schedule has meant their wedding is on the back burner for now – which she admits she feels 'a bit bad' about. She explains, 'You sort of get in a weird loophole of going, 'So when will we do it?' A bit like anything in life, the more you overthink it, there's no good time to do any of this. 'Once I maybe get into a new rhythm, then I will have the brain capacity for wedding planning. But at the minute, my brain is at full capacity. So something has to sort of go out before I can think of something new. I have to just take it one day at a time.' Sian's scheduling is another level – to the point she has to schedule toilet breaks. 'I have to schedule in a wee, I'm not joking,' she laughs, as she tells how she had to put one in her diary before this interview. 'The songs on Capital are very short. Sometimes, there is not time to go to the loo. And then the same with This Morning . When I'm hosting, I never go to the loo. None of my clothes are ever easy to get off. We got mic packs, sound packs. It's not worth the effort. So I just have to hold it the whole time!' Always striving for the next goal, Sian has big hopes for the future. 'Getting the job is day one, proving yourself is the rest of it,' she explains. 'So you have to keep that standard up, and I hold myself to account. I really do want to impress people. 'I love comedy,' she says. 'I don't take myself too seriously. So I take any opportunity to make fun of myself. I'd love to be in a comedy sketch when I can play a part, that's so up my street. 'The dream would be Saturday night telly. A glossy, big, fun show. My career is so hard to predict. You never know what doors are going to open,' she smiles.
