Latest news with #TheBigReunion
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
90s star says 'alcohol became my medicine' as they open up on struggle with fame
The star appeared on ITV's Lorraine and shared his struggles with alcoholism ahead of his new memoir 90s singer Kavana has opened up about his struggle with alcoholism and fame. The star, whose real name is Anthony Gerard Kavanagh, rose to fame in the late 90s, and went on to appear on the likes of The Big Reunion and Celebrity Big Brother, where he made it to the final. However, despite scoring a number of chart singles, Kavana was struggling with his mental health and dependency on alcohol. He's now opened up about that period of his life in a memoir titled Pop Scars, and shared his journey on ITV 's Lorraine. Speaking to guest host Christine Lampard, Kavana explained that during that time there had been 'no talk about mental health' and he became 'conscious of how I looked'. 'You become very self-conscious and you become this person that everybody else wants you to be,' he went on. 'I didn't know at the time but I am an alcoholic… it became medicine, it became my boyfriend, and it worked for a long, long time,' he said. Lorraine airs weekdays from 9am on ITV1.
Scottish Sun
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
X-rated slur that ended Kerry Katona's hopes of Atomic Kitten reunion – pals reveal why band will NEVER forgive her
Sources reveal the real reason Natasha and Liz won't speak to Kerry as the star's wishes to reunite are falling on deaf ears CLAWS OUT X-rated slur that ended Kerry Katona's hopes of Atomic Kitten reunion – pals reveal why band will NEVER forgive her Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SHE'S not heard from either of them in years, but Kerry Katona has issued yet another olive branch to former Atomic Kitten bandmates, Liz McLarnon and Natasha Hamilton, saying: 'I wish I was closer to the girls'. However, pals have revealed that despite Kerry's pleas, there is no chance of the band reuniting and that years of bitter feuding, drunken brawls and vicious slurs have ensured there's no going back. 9 Kerry Katona reveals she wishes she was closer to former Atomic Kitten bandmates, Liz McLarnon and Natasha Hamilton Credit: PA 9 But despite Kerry's pleas to reunite, pals say there's no going back after years of bitter feuding Credit: PA:Press Association 9 Kerry was replaced by Jenny Frost in 2001 when she fell pregnant Credit: Getty Speaking about Spice Girl Mel B's wedding last week, Kerry was speculating that Victoria Beckham, Geri Horner and Mel C might not have attended due to a fall out and lamented on her own dysfunctional band. 'It would be sad if they weren't going due to a fallout, as the Spice Girls have so much history,' Kerry, 44, mused in her weekly new! magazine column. "It's like me and Atomic Kitten – I do wish I was closer to the girls because we had amazing experiences together. But sometimes it is what it is.' Now sources close to the situation have revealed the real reason Natasha, 42, and Liz, 44, won't speak to Kerry - and it's sure to devastate her. 'The truth is, they simply got fed up with dealing with Kerry,' the insider said. 'She became unreliable, every gig they did she would make some kind of foul mouthed joke and it all became very tiresome and embarrassing for Tash and Liz." Now, almost a decade after they last spoke, Kerry is desperate to reunite once more - though her wishes are falling on deaf ears. 'Kerry genuinely believes getting the girls back together would be as big as the Oasis reunion,' our insider said. 'But it's just not going to happen. "Liz is currently expecting her first baby and Tash is trying to make it as a solo star. "Kerry's making a fortune on her OnlyFans and doing Celebs Go Dating, and these are things the other two just don't want to be associated with.' Kerry Katona risks reigniting feud with Atomic Kitten as she sings hits on stage after bitter band split - Instagram, nptpride The girls formed in 1998 but Kerry initially quit the group in 2001 when she fell pregnant with Molly, her first daughter with Westlife star Brian McFadden. She was replaced by Jenny Frost and the band continued with moderate success. However, an opportunity for Kerry to rejoin the band in 2012, for ITV show The Big Reunion, meant Jenny was out - and Kerry was back in. According to reports Jenny, now 47, was 'devastated' and fell out with Natasha and Liz as a result. 'She's a toxic c***' She also got a dig in at Kerry, telling Closer Magazine she'd 'rather eat her own kidney with a spoon' than ever work with her. She later moaned, 'I'm not in contact with them any more, which I think is a real shame. But I didn't like how things were handled with the reunion and Kerry replacing me.' 9 Kerry on the troubled Australia trip in 2017 Credit: Splash 9 An awkward appearance on Lorraine in 2017 with Kerry, Michelle Heaton, left, who stood in for Liz McClarnon in Australia, and Natasha The Kittens continued in their original format for the next few years, though it wasn't without copious amounts of drama. Kerry recalls in her book Whole Again how she and Natasha 'got physical' when on a tour of Australia in 2017, both accusing one another of setting up unflattering pap shots. The girls had to be dragged apart in a pub, with Kerry getting locked out while Natasha screamed obscenities inside. Kerry later blamed a mystery 'panto injury' for then missing one of the Australia gigs, where Liberty X's Michelle Heaton had temporarily replaced Liz. The truth is, they simply got fed up with dealing with Kerry Insider Kerry also remembered when Liz 'punched me in the back of head' after performing on ITV kids show SM:TV. Writing in her new! column in 2019, Kerry revealed: "I remember some of the fights we had in Atomic Kitten back in the day. "Once, Liz punched me from behind after we had a little row. I was furious and got my own back. "I made her get changed in the toilets at SMTV Live, then I stamped on her feet while we were up on stage singing Whole Again." But the straw that broke the camel's back came in 2018 when Kerry did a comedy gig with some drag queens, which, in her own words, was 'vulgar and in bad taste but hilarious'. 9 Natasha, 42, and Liz, 44, aren't speaking to Kerry, 44 Credit: KerryKatona/Backgrid 9 Sources say they got fed up with the star, who would make some kind of foul mouthed joke at every gig, above Liz with Natasha and Jenny in 2008 Credit: Getty 9 Jenny once said she'd 'rather eat her own kidney with a spoon' than ever work with Kerry, above Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd When asked by a queen what Natasha was really like, Kerry joked to a packed house: 'she's a toxic c***'. 'It was all meant in good humour, and if you'd been in the audience you would've known that straight away from my delivery,' she later said. However, when word got back to Natasha, she didn't see it that way and just a few weeks later while gigging at Butlins and still fuming, she told Kerry, 'I don't wanna do this anymore.' When the press got wind of this, headlines splashed with the news that the Kittens were done, but Kerry, believing Natasha would come back after a break, insisted that wasn't the case. The truth left Kerry shattered. Natasha and Liz had continued to gig behind Kerry's back, without her. 'It broke my heart,' Kerry wrote in her book. 'I had no idea what had happened or where I stood. No one would answer my texts and we never spoke in person again.' Our source explained, 'Kerry truly believes Natasha was looking for a reason to lose her and the toxic joke was a perfect excuse. She never, ever, forgave Kerry for that. Kerry truly believes Natasha was looking for a reason to lose her and the toxic joke was a perfect excuse. She never, ever, forgave Kerry for that Source "It was humiliating for her and it's typical of Kerry, to say something so ridiculous and get herself into trouble. Tash even blocked her on social media, she genuinely doesn't want anything to do with her.' In developments that are sure to devastate Kerry further, Natasha recently hinted that the Kittens might get back together yet again - only this time with returning member Jenny, now all their bridges are mended. "If we did have a reunion, it would be me, Liz and Jenny,' she said in May. 'And we're all still close. We all speak. We all hang out. So there's no reason why, if it was for the right thing, and everyone was in the right place, that we could do it.' Meanwhile there's still no love loss between Kerry and Jenny, even though Kerry stayed at the hotel Jenny now owns in Ibiza, where she currently lives, while filming Celebs Go Dating. Keen to get a dig in, Kerry said the hotel and Ibiza was 'gorgeous' and that Jenny had 'done so well for herself,' but added, 'I can't say I've got any desire to go back - it's not my scene.' Miaow, indeed.
Broadcast Pro
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Disney+ appoints Angela Jain as Head of Content for EMEA
Jain will lead Disney's EMEA content strategy for original productions on Disney+, including commissioning, production management, business affairs and Disney+ originals' branded acquisitions. The Walt Disney Company has announced the appointment of Angela Jain as Head of Content for Disney+ across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Jain, who currently serves as Director of Unscripted, UK, at ITV Studios, will assume her new role in September. This newly created position comes as Disney strengthens its focus on international markets and original local content—an emphasis highlighted during the company's recent earnings call. As part of its broader growth strategy for Disney+, the entertainment giant plans to significantly increase its output of local original productions across Europe over the next four years. In her new role, Jain will oversee Disney+'s original content strategy in the EMEA region, including commissioning, production management, business affairs, and the acquisition of branded originals. She will report directly to Eric Schrier, President of Disney Television Studios and Global Original Television Strategy. Commenting on the appointment, Schrier said: 'Angela's appointment to lead original content in EMEA is an essential piece of our ambitious plan to grow our local slate for Disney+. Her expertise and experience will help build on our recent success and elevate our storytelling, bringing customers more local stories that complement our incomparable movies and shows from our global studios.' Jain added: 'It is an irresistible opportunity to join Disney, return to commissioning and work alongside Eric Schrier and his talented team. The growth and vision to expand original productions is invigorating, and I look forward to collaborating with the very best creative talent to produce shows of real excellence and ambition for Disney+. 'I'm grateful to ITV after so many wonderful and successful years. I will miss enormously the most incredible and dedicated production teams, colleagues and friends from whom I have learned so much and to whom I would like to say a heartfelt thank you.' Jain brings with her decades of experience in content creation, commissioning, and channel management. At ITV, she held a range of senior positions, including Controller of Digital Channels and Acquisitions, Managing Director of Lifted Entertainment, and most recently, Director of Unscripted UK, where she led 11 labels responsible for globally successful formats. Earlier in her career, as Controller of ITV2, she commissioned major hits like Love Island, Plebs, The Big Reunion and Timewasters. At E4, she oversaw iconic series such as The Inbetweeners, Misfits and Dead Set, while also acquiring US hits like Glee and The Big Bang Theory. Her early career included freelance roles in independent production across a range of genres.
Daily Mirror
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Lorraine host forced to pull out of show last minute and is replaced by 90s icon
Lorraine viewers were left wondering where Ranvir Singh was this morning as an icon from children's television stepped in to fill her shoes at the last minute Lorraine viewers had a surprise this morning after a popular host failed to appear on the show, and was replaced by a children's television icon. Ranvir Singh, who regularly hosts the Friday show, was missing from today's episode as presenter Andi Peters took her place. Andi, 54, told viewers that Ranvir had been forced to pull out due to health reasons. Lorraine Kelly herself has been missing from her show this week as she recovers from surgery. He explained: "Just want to say get well soon to Ranvir who can't be here today. That's why they have drafted in a man with a bright orange shirt this morning. Get well soon Ranvir, we send you all of our love." Andi became a staple of children's TV after first appearing on CBBC's The Broom Cupboard in 1989, after being poached from ITV. His role, alongside a puppet called Edd the Duck, was to introduce shows and fill in the gaps between programming. He later revealed to The Telegraph that as a The Broom Cupboard presenter, succeeding Phillip Schofield and Andy Crane, he did everything himself, even switching on the lights. Andi said: 'What The Broom Cupboard did was bring an intimacy between the presenter and the viewer. It was one camera, no bells and whistles, no graphics, just the presenter talking to the audience at home.' In more recent years, he has narrated the ITV2 series The Big Reunion and appeared on the ITV daytime show Show Me the Telly. He has also hosted competitions on Good Morning Britain, Ejector Seat, and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. Andi has also appeared as a contestant on Dancing on Ice and Celebrity MasterChef, during which he finished as runner-up. Earlier this week, Lorraine revealed that she would be taking time off the show due to a surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes. She shared the news on Instagram but assured fans that the procedure was 'purely preventative'. It was to be done by keyhole surgery, she explained, adding: 'I just wanted to let you know I'm having a wee procedure today. "I've not been feeling all that well for a little while, so I had some scans and tests, and I have to have my ovaries and my tubes taken out.' Following the operation, Lorraine shared a snap of her smiling, surrounded by healthcare workers. She wrote: 'Huge thanks to these kind, caring, gorgeous professionals who took care of me at @heatherwoodhospital - back home now and following doctors orders to rest up.' While Lorraine has been out of action, the show has been hosted by a range of presenters, including Christine Lampard, Ranvir, and Sian Welby.
Scottish Sun
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Noughties pop star looks unrecognisable as he flexes his muscles 23 years after finding fame as a school kid
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A NOUGHTIES pop star looks unrecognisable in snaps and videos shared on his Instagram account. 23 years after finding fame as a school kid in his teens, James Kenzie looks unrecognisable and totally different from his days in Blazin' Squad. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 8 James Kenzie looks unrecognisable these days Credit: Instagram 8 He has a very ripped figure Credit: Instagram 8 He shot to fame in the 00s as a member of Blazin' Squad Credit: Getty - Contributor On Instagram, James, 39, can be found showing off his ripped physique while encouraging his fans to get coached by him. With over 24,000 followers, the former Blazin' Squad member describes himself as an "online coach" who runs COACHING BY KENZIE. He urges fans to "Burn Fat, Build Muscle & Stay Motivated" with his plan, boasting that they will achieve "Results That Last - Without the Restriction". Sharing sizzling snaps of his muscles on social media, James often displays his ripped abs and figure. Read More on 90s & 00s Stars RAP REUNION Noughties band reunite for 'massive tour' years after controversial performance "You looking absolutely incredible gorgeous," said one fan underneath a recent ripped snap of James. "How are you the bustiest Blazin Squad guy?" asked another. "Omfg!! Beast mode on," gushed a third. Underneath a video promoting how he trains people, someone else said: "How many of his fans wanna be trained by Kenzie. Roll up roll up." Meanwhile, his former Blazin' Squad bandmate Marcel Somerville said underneath one of his snaps: "Go on Kenz! I'm coming down for a session." James shot to fame in 2001 when the band Blazin' Squad hit the charts. Noughties boyband look unrecognisable 27 years after No1 smash Crossroads as they reunite for huge pop gig The band, which comprised of 10 members, had six consecutive Top 10 hits, including the number one single Tha Crossroads. Blazin' Squad released two albums which just made the UK Top 40 album chart. While in the Blazin' Squad, James went by the name MC Kenzie. The group split in 2005, with MC Kenzie, MC Flava and MC Strider going on to form the group Friday Hill. 8 The band shot to fame in the noughties Credit: Getty - Contributor 8 Blazin' Squad had many members over the years before disbanding Credit: Alamy 8 In 2005, he appeared in Celebrity Big Brother Credit: Channel 4 Kenzie then became well-known as the youngest ever Celebrity Big Brother housemate when he appeared on the show in 2005 at the age of 19. In 2013, it was revealed that Kenzie would be joining forces with Adam Rickitt, Gareth Gates, Dane Bowers and Kavana to form the supergroup 5th Story. The band was formed the second series of ITV2's The Big Reunion. When Kenzie was at the top of his game in the band in the mid-noughties, he dated glamour model Jodie Marsh in 2005. He has been with his current girlfriend Frankie since January 2012, as per reports. The rapper and online coach shares two daughters with his partner. Kenzie and Frankie are parents to Wynter and Wyllow. Wynter was born in 2013, and Wyllow was born a year later in 2014. 8 Jodie Marsh dated Kenzie in 2005 Credit: PA:Press Association
