X Factor stars Bratavio have spoken out about the hate they’ve received from the gay community since leaving the ITV talent show.
CREDIT: Bradley Hunt /Instagram
Speaking on Simon Gross‘s YouTube The Showbiz Show today, singing duo, Bratavio have opened up about the negativity they’ve recieved from the gay community since they left the show. The pair were the first act to be voted off in last year’s series – but had one of the most talked about auditions in the show’s history.
The duo said that they never have trouble when they make appearances at straight clubs, but in gay clubs they say that people snub them and that club-goers shout abuse at them. The pair even fear that they will get pelted with eggs.
Warwickshire-born Bradley Hunt said,
“I’d say the amount of abuse after the show has been off gay people in clubs and that, I go to all the straight clubs and it’s fine. I go to the gay clubs and they shout ‘fake’, ‘look at them’, ‘don’t ask them for a photograph’.
They also claim that many in the community say they are a disgrace, but Bradley hit back saying that he never claimed to be an ambassador and says he’s not “representing” the community.
He said,
“They say that we disgrace the community and I don’t even that I’m the ambassador for it, I’m not representing it, it’s our personalities that we are showing on the show”.
Ottavio, who appeared in a previous series of X Factor before teaming up with Bradley in 2016 says that the act fear they’ll be attacked on stage.
He said,
“We always worry when we go onstage that someone is going to throw something at us like eggs or something and if they did that I’d go down the stage and knock them out”.
Wikipedia has marked The Daily Mail as an “unreliable” source for stories and has banned its thousands of volunteer contributors from using the paper or the Mail Online as a source for facts after its volunteers decided that the 120-year-old newspaper was “unreliable” and that other sources should be cited. The editorial department of the world’s biggest online encyclopaedia have decreed that all references from the paper should be scrubbed and replaced by other sources. The Mail Online is one of the world’s most successful newspaper websites.
In a statement, the editors wrote,
“Based on the requests for comments section [on the reliable sources noticeboard], volunteer editors on English Wikipedia have come to a consensus that the Daily Mail is ‘generally unreliable and its use as a reference is to be generally prohibited, especially when other more reliable sources exist’.
“This means that the Daily Mail will generally not be referenced as a ‘reliable source’ on English Wikipedia, and volunteer editors are encouraged to change existing citations to the Daily Mail to another source deemed reliable by the community. This is consistent with how Wikipedia editors evaluate and use media outlets in general – with common sense and caution.”
It did, however, note that historically the DM had been noted as a reliable source, saying,
The Daily Mail may have been more reliable historically, and it could make sense to cite it as a primary source if it is the subject of discussion. These seem to be good points, but should come up very rarely. Editors are encouraged to discuss with each other and apply common sense in these cases.
Wikipedia went online in 2001 and was created by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger. It has become one of the world’s most popular websites. It works by allowing anyone to make edits. This can sometimes lead to false entries or vandalism of pages. It is policed by thousands of volunteers who regularly delete and reedit deliberate and accidental errors.
Every year at THEGAYUK we list the films and stars that should win the Oscar picked from films that people have actually seen as opposed to over rated critics favourites that couldn’t sell a tub of popcorn in a million years.
CREDIT: DWilliams / CC / Pixabay
None of the top twenty most viewed films of the last year are up for any of the important Oscars which shows the disconnect from what the chattering coffee swilling elite of Soho want you to see – usually involving an ex-war refugee with family issues and a terminal illness as opposed to the latest Star Wars, Pixar or Superhero which actually put bums on seats and made it way beyond a single art house screen in a leafy part of West London.
Has anyone actually seen Moonlight, Hidden Figures,Loving or Fences anyway and if you have, tune in on Feb 26th to see the results from The Kodak Theatre with the ever decreasing viewing figures the show now attracts.
If you are a movie fan read on and see what the Oscars should be like if they gave statuettes to people and films folks have heard off.
BEST PICTURE – Should Win:Hacksaw Ridge…Will Win:La La Land(The most predicatble in years watch those viewing figures plummet)
BEST ACTOR – Should Win: Channing Tatum’s 12 incher in Vacation or Andrew Garfield/Hacksaw Ridge…Will Win: Casey Affleck/Manchester By The Sea (Total yawnfest).
BEST ACTRESS – Should Win: Amy Adams/Arrival…Will Win: Natalie Portman/Jackie (Pure boring Oscar bate, not made to entertain but just collect gongs)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – Should Win: Chris Pratt’s naked ass in Passengers or John Goodman/10 Cloverfield Lane…Will Win: Mahershala Ali/Moonlight.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Should Win: Nicole Kidman/Lion… Will Win:Viola Davis/Fences.
ANIMATION – Should Win: Sam Worthington’s acting or The Secret Life of Pets… Zootopia Will Win: (Because it’s about serious issues!)
Best Foreigh Language Film – No such thing!
Costume Design – Should Win:Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them…Will Win:Jackie (1963 is so hard to do!)
Directing – Should Win: Damien Chazelle/La La Land… agreed!
Editing – Should Win:Hacksaw Ridge…..Will Win:La La Land (Long tracking shots are hardly editing but it was shot in the Hollywood Hills so…)
Make Up & Hair styling – Should Win:Suicide Squad… Will Win:Harley Quinn and her mates, yippee a Superhero Oscar.
Music – Should Win:Eddie The Eagle (Pure 80’s Pop)… Will Win:La La Land (Because it is so full of hit songs… not!)
Original Song – Should Win:Can’t Stop The Feeling/Justin Trousersnake from Trolls… Will Win:City of bloody Stars (that will get you dancing if you don’t have a pulse)
Sound Mixing – Should Win:Rogue One : A Star Wars Story…Will Win:La La Land as the voters don’t really know what Sound Mixing is but it’s a musical so it must have some, right?
Visual Effects –Should Win:Brexit or Doctor Strange… Will Win:The Jungle Book (We won’t complain either way on these two)
Adapted Screenplay – Should Win:Arrival…Will Win:Moonlight (God help us – we give up!)
Original Screenplay – Should Win:Deadpool…Will Win:La La Land (you bored yet?)
The Gay Oscar Film of the Year – Absolutely Fabulous a real crowd pleaser.
Stunt of the year – Climbing into the Elephant’s asshole in Grimsby. Sascha Baron Cohen has the laugh out loud scene of the Year.
Hunk Of The Year – Zac Efron for his eight pack in Bad Neighbours 2 – We are counting down the days to those beach scenes in Baywatch.
Lifetime Gay UK Achievement Award – Jason Statham with The Mechanic: Resurrection making 29 films in a row where his shirt falls off showing his hairy chest and muscles.
Obituary of the Year – Martin Scorsese for Silence what on earth were you thinking man; with runner’s up the Ghostbusters franchise, anything with Daniel Radcliffe in and anyone who stayed awake all the way through The Revenant.
Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.
When the winter months arrive, and mini-breaks to beaches become an implausible option, then the best gay vacays to be had are hurtling down a mountain. Yes, skiing holidays remain a popular getaway, as snow bunnies head to higher altitudes to bomb down mountains, strapped into wood and wrapped up in Lycra. Sounds ideal.
But if Courchevel has lost its appeal, and St Moritz is feeling a bit overcrowded, then the idyllic Swiss town of Adelboden may be just what you’re looking for. Not an especially gay travel destination, the core elements of gay travel are there if you look for them: luxurious spas, 4-star hotels, great food, plenty of apres ski indulgence, and incredible scenery that will take your breath away, whether you’re skiing down it or not.
We travelled to Adelboden from London City Airport, flying with the small yet comfortable Skywork, who operate two flights daily from LCY to Berne-Belp (return flights cost from £190). We stayed at the insanely beautiful and luxurious four star plus Parkhotel Bellevue & Spa in the heart of the resort (room rates start from £115 per person sharing a double room on a half board basis).
Adelboden-Frutigen
Photo Courtesy: Adelboden.ch
Nestled in the heart of the Bernese Oberland, Adelboden-Frutigen captures the true Alpine culture and is host to a wide array of snowsports, as well as plenty of indulgent pampering.The Engstligen Valley was the home of the very first British package ski holiday, dating back to the 1930s. It is now the home of the Ski World Cup, with runs suitable for every level of skier, including the wobbly “get down a mountain without dying” kind such as myself. Coming about as close to traditional Swiss cabins as you can get, the village is built almost entirely in chalet style, and the long main street is lined with shops housed in chalets. Fairly compact, there is some effort required in getting to and from the slopes, but there are buses to the satellite ski areas of Engstligenalp and Elsigen-Metsch.
Travelling to Adelboden
The small Swiss-German town’s biggest drawback is also, quite possibly, its biggest strength. Unlike larger ski resorts and busier winter destinations, there are no direct flights or large-scale transfers in place. The closest city you could fly into would be Bern, which is then roughly 45 minutes from the town by car. However, this being Switzerland and all, public transport is impeccable, and the trains run like clockwork (not surprisingly so). You can easily hop on a train to Frutigen and catch a connecting bus that will take you straight into Adelboden; a town which can then be easily navigated on foot.
Skiing
Photo Courtesy: Adelboden.ch
While Adelboden is apparently equally beautiful and popular during its summer months, the main reason most international tourists will be heading there is the skiing. There are seven ski sub-regions accessible from Adelboden, all with really long and very German sounding names. You can now ski in all of these sub-regions with one ski pass and by paying one tariff:
Adelboden-Lenk is one of the largest snow sports regions in Switzerland, with over 210 km (130 miles) of international-standard pistes, boasting guaranteed snow on 60% of the main areas. Now I’m not much of a skier but the conditions were amazing. And while the different areas were spread out over some distance, each location offered a good variety of runs on beautiful snow-kissed mountains.
It didn’t hurt that we were insanely lucky with our weather when we went towards the end of January, just before the start of the peak skiing season. The snow was soft and plentiful, and the skies were bright and blue.
Things to do (other than skiing)
Skiing isn’t the only thing that makes a great skiing holiday, and this quaint little Swiss village offers plenty of other ways to spend your time if your ski boots start to chafe.
Sledging
Ok, it’s pretty close to skiing, but comes without any requirement of skill or self-control. After spending days attempting to perfect my snowplough, a morning spent bombing down a mountain on a cannibalised single-ski with a bicycle seat was just what I need to vent my frustrations. SchlittelPark has 14 km of sledge runs that criss-cross Tschentenalp. And as you pause to catch your breath and clear out the kicked-up snow from your beard, the “Mountain of Views” is true to its name, with some of the most spectacular scenery I’ve ever seen.
Leisure and Sports Arena
If the weather lets you down, you can keep active while indoors. The Leisure and Sports Arena Adelboden offers ten-pin bowling, ice skating, ice hockey, curling and climbing/bouldering. A cheesy alternative but still a fun day if skiing isn’t an option.
Fondue-Igloo
Eating an entire bucket of melted cheese would be frowned upon at home, but when skiing it’s more than acceptable, some would say even a prerequisite of a good trip. With several dining rooms each decorated in a different motif, hand-carved out of the man-made igloo, this is a must-see during your stay. Whether a romantic candlelit dinner for two or a pack of your closest mates, I’d definitely recommend a rendez-vous with some fondue in an igloo.
Photo Courtesy: Adelboden.ch
Wellness Spas
Let’s face it, after skiing, the best reason to go to a mountain resort is the spa. Parkhotel Bellevue & Spa Adelboden is not only a modern and luxurious hotel, they also offer a wide range of spa treatments at not ridiculous prices. If you’re a guest of the hotel, you can enjoy the spa facilities without charge, such as the Turkish spa, the pool, and (most impressively) the incredible outdoor hot tub.
Seriously, watching the sun set over the Alps while bubbles massage your butt and snowflakes land on your nose. You couldn’t craft a more fairy-tale setting.
If you’re not a guest of the hotel, you can obtain a day pass and make full use of the luxurious facilities. Have a swim, a steam, and then soak up the stunning view. You deserve it.
So for a classier trip to the pistes, consider the perfect little slice of Swissness that is Adelboden. You can find more information about Adelboden on their website, or feel free to tweet me with questions about my trip!
Max Schutler, whose real name was Jorge Schmeder, has had a long-spanning career as an adult star and has performed for many of of the world’s biggest gay porn studios including Raging Stallion, Lucas Entertainment and Jet Set Men. His career lasted a nearly a decade after starring in his first film in 2007.
The cause of his death has not yet been announced.
In 2008, the star won the Mr Argentina competition. He was asked to withdraw from the International Mr Gay competition after his porn past came to light.
The star worked in gay porn until 2011. He returned in 2015 to star a number of scenes for Lucas Entertainment.
Friends and family have paid tribute to the performer on Facebook.
Jordan Fox, another gay porn actor, said,
‘So sad to die so young and beautiful! RIP, your friends and fans will never forget you.
When asked “What is the greatest car ever produced?” there is only one country that can make such a car. It comes from a company that is not shy of failures. Maybe without these they wouldn’t have been so good when it came to the things that worked well?
By Tony Harrison – originally posted to Flickr as Lancia Delta Integrale Evo 2 IMG_9403, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4811977
Without this companies motoring passion we would never have had some great ideas that just needed a little more investing. They were engineers. They are also one of the greatest shames of motoring of the twentieth century. I knew at a young age the nation was good at everything automotive. In primary school we had to pick a country and present it in assembly. l choose this country purely because of its cars and one manufacture in particular. It’s in Italy that we find the greatest car ever to have been produced.
The Lancia Delta is an utterly amazing car. The humble beginnings of the Delta are nothing special yet the illustrious history and development of the Delta should in reality make it a brand name like Mini, Beetle and 500. Launched in 1979, the Giugiaro designed body was crisp and clean. It had minimal fussing along the flanks that were a signature mark of Giugiaro’s Ital design studio. It was a sharp dressed car. A 5 door hatchback with sophisticated style.
The Delta followed a typical tradition for Italian car manufacturers of the 70’s and 80’s. On its launch it was a very important car that people hoped would carry the Lancia brand into the future following the disastrous recall of the Beta from epic rust around the subframe. To help in the costs and using a proven platform from new owners Fiat, it was based on the Fiat Strada though it shared very little with it. Even the Fiat based engines had Lancia developments in them and it used MacPherson struts all round instead of the single rear leaf spring of the Strada. The Delta won the coveted prize of Car of the year 1980.
The risk of Fiat taking control of Lancia was that their ideas would be shaken out of the company and it would end up as badge engineering of Fiat products in a way Peugeot had done with Citroën. This was not to be. Those ideas were still in full flow at Lancia as we will see. Saab on the other hand did have some input into the development of the Delta’s heating system and between 1980-82 it was sold as the Saab-Lancia 600 in the Nordic countries. Already then the Delta is proving to be a little bit different.
Those engineers at Abarth that were all part of the Fiat group were quick to make their mark on the Delta with the 1983 launch of the Delta HF (High Fidelity) with a turbo. It wasn’t until 1985 that the turbo name was mentioned with the launch of the short lived Delta HF Turbo i.e. 1983 saw strange changes made to the humbler GT i.e with the cylinder head being spun 180 degrees and the exhaust now being at the front of the engine to aid cooling whilst also lowering the gravity of the unit.
We mustn’t forget Lancia’s rally program that was continuing while the Delta was being fettled. While the little hatchback was being made in several guises it was their 037 rally champion based on the Beta Montecarlo that was being watched on the international circuit. A car that was loosing rapidly despite its sheer speed ability to the all conquering Audi Quattro.
1985 was a good year for the Delta. Lancia had comeback with a double bang to the world rally championship with their Delta S4. A mid engined turbo and super charged road warrior with 4 wheel drive and almost 500 bhp from its 1800cc engine. The Delta shared nothing with the hatchback except for the name. Unlike the WRC offerings from Austin Rover, Peugeot and Audi, the Delta S4 didn’t even look like the Delta except for a hatchback type style body.
The Delta S4 was a beautiful brute in WRC. In its 12 races it won 5 of them. It could have gone on to do better if it was one little problem that it had. The Delta came with fatalities. In group B rallying it was a weapon of the road. A 4 wheeled killer claiming the lives of 29 year old Henri Toivonen and co-driver Sergio Cresto. Ironically a year to the day that Attilio Bettega died at the wheel of a Lancia 037. The writing was on the wall for Group B and the Delta S4.
http://gty.im/638416708
1987 started as a quiet year for Lancia. Numb from the latest fatalities they entered the Delta HF 4WD in the new standard Group A WRC. Lancia were the best equipped for rallying at the time. Over the 13 races that year the Delta won 9 of them. Not a bad start to a new chapter in world rally dominance. 1988 was even better with 10 out of 11 races being won with a Delta. However something hot was just around the corner for 1988. The Delta Integrale 8v saw Lancia engineers perform magic. The Delta HF 4WD had its fair share of problems and to combat these the Integrale sported bulging wheel arches allowing for bigger wheels and brakes to be used thus making the car even better on tarmac. As a road car it was only available in left hand drive form and would remain so until its demise.
The Delta was once again an unstoppable force and dominated the WRC until it started to see challenges from Toyota and Mitsubishi. So the engineers upped their game and launched the Delta Integrale 16v. To mark the occasion it was painted red with Martini stripes. By the second to last rally, Lancia had every award and trophy going so decided to party into 1990 by not partaking the last race of 89. However 1989 was not without a fatality for Lancia. Though not connected with the Lancia Martini team, the Delta cost the lives of Lars-Erik Torph and Bertil-Rune Rehnfeldt when Alex Fiorio lost control of his Delta at 90mph and ended up down an embankment.
Between 1990 and 92 the Delta continued to be a dominating force but the writing was on the wall despite half the rallies won by a Lancia and again Lancia collecting a lot of trophies for their bulging cabinets. 1993 saw the Delta, no longer in Martini colours, take not one victory. A sad end to a car that gave 46 rally wins to Lancia in a just a few years.
The Delta Integrale continued as a left hand drive only road going car for another 6 years until its total demise in 1999. This was some 5 years after the original Delta hatchback had ended production. After 13 years in production, 1993 saw a new Delta being produced on the Fiat Tipo platform. You could be forgiven for thinking that you have never seen a new Delta before because in 1992 Lancia pulled out of the UK market. A day l remember well.
And so in 1999 the Delta story ended. It restarted in again in 2008 to 2014 when Lancia resurrected the name for the trilogy. These were then effectively badged as Chrysler Delta’s in the UK and I’ve not really got a good word to say about them. They cannot be unseen once you have seen them.
http://gty.im/638418868
And so the Delta story finally ends. From a little car with a big job on its hands to an all conquering race winner, the humble Delta became the greatest car of all time. At one stage you could get a Delta with a 1300cc or 2000cc engine and fuelled by petrol or diesel. Power outputs ranged from 75bhp to 500bhp. From 1983 to 1990 you could also get it in a 4 door saloon style called the Prisma. It offered 5 seat comfort and hatchback practicalities while also offering super car performance. Name me another car that can match those credentials?
There are many who still hold a passion for Lancia. Davide Cironi from Drive Experience on youtube who is one such man. Check out his homage to the Delta in over 16 minuets of pure glory below (also check out his other videos. The Lancia Theme 8.32 in particular).
Fiat boss Gianni Agnelli commissioned a one off 2 door convertible Delta Integrale for himself. You could take it into a multi-storey carpark, load it up with flat pack furniture and annihilate almost anything at the traffic light grand prix. Now I’d like to see you try and do that with your Lamborghini Gallardo!
