THEGAYUK

Author: News Desk

  • Boy George Joins The Voice

    Boy George and Paloma Faith have been named as the newest judges to choice the BBC’s flagship talent show.

    Boy George and Paloma Faith will join Will I Am and Ricky Wilson in the new series of The Voice.

    Speaking about their new coach roles on The Voice UK, Boy George says:

    “I’m thrilled and excited to be a coach on The Voice UK. I’m a huge fan of the show and have watched and engaged with it from series one. If I can help someone to win I will be delighted. What a wonderful opportunity to share my experiences and help someone move forward with their musical career. I can’t wait to sit in that chair!”

     

    Paloma Faith adds:

    “I’m really excited about working with creative people who are there not just to be great singers, but also innovative personalities and performers. I have a long history of helping break artists as in my club nights I booked Kate Nash, Adele, and The Noisettes before they hit the big time, and four of my band members have gone on to pursue successful solo careers. I’m really looking forward to getting my teeth into something that cultivates the talents of another person and takes the focus off myself for a bit.”

    The coaches will all be heading to Media City in Salford, Manchester for the blind auditions next month ahead of a new series, which launches on BBC One in January 2016.

  • Meryl Streep Takes On Gaga’s Bad Romance

    We love a bit of Meryl Streep but not when she’s singing… Okay only that time in Death Becomes Her, but that is it.

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  • One In Ten Do Not Know Where The Prime Minister Lives

    Most modern Brits have no idea about UK politics – and one in ten doesn’t even know where the Prime Minister lives, a study has revealed. The poll of 2,000 adults showed nearly two-thirds of adults’ rate their political knowledge as average to poor.

    More than four in ten said their understanding was weak because they didn’t watch the news and didn’t want to read political stories.

    Top clangers include one-third not knowing the difference between Ed and David Miliband and the roles they play in government.

    One in ten didn’t even know what number Downing Street the Prime Minister lives at.

    7% of those surveyed even thought ex-PM Gordon Brown was the current Chancellor of the Exchequer.

    The research was conducted to mark the launch of the new series of Yes, Prime Minister series on Tuesday at 9pm on Gold, which found that 41% can’t keep up with government affairs as they change so frequently.

    Steve North, General Manager of Gold, said:

    ”Some terminology and policies are obviously very complex but it’s worrying that so many adults don’t know rudimentary facts such as who the current Foreign Secretary is.

    ”It would seem people really struggle with government terminology and it’s a shame such a large proportion of the country are embarrassed by their lack of understanding.”

    The poll found one quarter of respondents had no idea which party Ed Balls represents, while more than one third of adults could only name one to four British Prime Ministers.

    Only 60% knew it was the chief whip’s job to keep party rebels in line.

    Surprisingly one in twenty thought a chief whip was an MP who rode horses and 7% thought it was the head chef in Westminster.

    When it comes to political jargon we have no idea either- when quizzed on terms such as MOD, GDP and FCO, many adults answered incorrectly.

    Bizarrely, one in 20 thought MoD stood for Ministry of Deportation and 15% thought GDP thought meant Government Demands Priority (opposed to Gross Domestic Product).

    When asked what a shadow cabinet was – more than one in twenty thought it was a dark grey piece of furniture and others said it was a meeting of disgraced politicians.

    15% didn’t know what a ‘white paper’ was.

    Furthermore, only 82 % knew that William Hague was the Foreign Secretary – other answers given were Will-i-am, Teresa May and William Shakespeare.

    One in five Brits had the good grace to be embarrassed by their lack of knowledge when it comes to current affairs, while 42% said they would like to improve their knowledge,

  • 50 Things We Find Totally Boring

    Party Political Broadcasts, Fifty Shades of Grey and shopping channels have been hailed as life’s biggest bores according to a new survey.

    The study which asked 2,000 adults about what causes them to switch off revealed a list of the 50 most mind-numbingly boring people, places and things Brits come across in everyday life.

    The topical winner was Party Political Broadcasts, rated as excessively boring by over half of the adults polled.

    Ad breaks, queueing in the Post Office, and a painfully slow wi-fi connection were also placed highly in the list of biggest yawns.

    Mark Walters, Managing Director of Interparcel, which commissioned the study said: ‘’It seems we Brits get bored very easily.

    ‘’And we all have different boredom triggers – many often find themselves restless and looking for things to do, while others relish their free time.

    ‘’It seems our general impatience is a common cause for boredom nationwide and that suggests our free time is very precious.”

    ‘’It’s no surprise that most of the top ten were made up of situations where we have to wait around so any areas of life where we can avoid this are embraced.’’

    The research showed many of the most hyped elements of British life prove to be a source of boredom for many.

    Sport bore a brunt of the blame, with extended football analysis, Formula 1 races and horse racing on TV all making an appearance.

    And the gentlemanly sports of snooker, cricket and bowls were added to the many sporting mentions that sent those in the poll snoring.

    Ed Miliband, David Cameron and Gordon Brown were all deemed completely boring by the poll, as well as the current affairs discussion show, Question Time.

     

    Other TV entries included the daytime classics Bargain Hunt and Loose Women, while Scrapheap Challenge and Gardener’s World were also shown to tip Brits into tedium.

    On a similar gardening theme, TV presenter Alan Titchmarsh came in as the 50th entry, accompanied by the famously boring A-listers of Kanye West, Gwyneth Paltrow and Bono.

    The world of work was another source of boredom – 14 per cent claimed to work with someone who bores them to death; while company meetings and PowerPoint presentations made the top fifty.

    But life outside of work doesn’t provide entertainment it seems, as filling in tax-returns, washing the dishes and mindless small talk were also named.

    And doctor waiting rooms, staying in for a delivery and train delays all came within the top ten pinnacles of boredom.

    Amazingly, over seven in ten adults confessed they lead boring lifestyles, and almost half considered themselves a boring person.

    Though almost a third said they’re tired of their jobs, 58 per cent said they get bored on their days off, at a loss as what to do with themselves.

     

    Mark Walters continues, “As the research clarified, the majority of us find queuing boring. What seemed liked endless queues in the Post Office was a key trigger in the development of the Interparcel.com business.

    “The emergence of the internet and the rapid development of technology mean you no longer have to queue up to send a parcel.

    “You can now easily and cost effectively arrange for a courier to come to your home or place of work to pick up or drop off your parcels and deliveries; you can drop them off or pick them up at a convenient parcel drop off point such as your local shop, garage or even an automated parcel locker at a time that suits you”

     

    “Most importantly it saves time queuing and waiting around, letting you get on with the things that you enjoy doing.”

     

    THE 50 MOST BORING THINGS OF MODERN LIFE

     

    Party Political broadcasts 50.90%

    Being kept on hold 45.95%

    Queuing in the post office 44.45%

    Traffic jams 42.90%

    Shopping channels 42.65%

    Doctor waiting rooms 37.30%

    Slow Wi-Fi 34.35%

    Waiting for a delivery 33.60%

    Train delays 32.30%

    Ad breaks 31.30%

    Football pundits/analysis 31.10%

    The Kardashians 29.65%

    Bowls 28.85%

    Selfies 28.65%

    Horse racing on the TV 28.10%

    Ed Milliband 27.35%

    Fifty Shades of Grey 26.80%

    Darts 26.30%

    Gordon Brown 25.50%

    Men playing Fifa 25.30%

    Diet chat 24.95%

    Formula One 24.60%

    Rice cakes 24.55%

    Filling in tax returns 23.10%

    Cricket 23.05%

    Bargain Hunt 22.10%

    Snooker 21.75%

    Kanye West 21.65%

    David Cameron 21.35%

    Scrapheap Challenge 21.15%

    Football 19.45%

    Other people’s family trees 19.00%

    Loose Women 18.25%

    Updating your CV 17.90%

    Top Gear 17.60%

    Shakespeare 16.85%

    Gwyneth Paltrow 16.80%

    PowerPoint presentations 16.35%

    Coldplay 16.15%

    Time team 15.30%

    People telling you about their dreams 15.15%

    The Gadget Show 15.05%

    Bono 14.55%

    Company meetings 14.05%

    Question Time 14.05%

    Buying socks 14.00%

    Washing the dishes 13.90%

    Gardeners World 13.80%

    Small talk 13.75%

    Alan Titchmarsh 12.10%

     

  • 71 Per Cent Of Londoners Would Be Happy If London Mayor Was Gay

    A poll for radio station LBC has found that 71 percent of Londoners would be happy if the next Mayor of London was gay.

    The poll of 1100 adults found that most Londoners would be happy if the next Mayor of London was gay. Sixteen per cent said that they would be uncomfortable with a gay person taking the position.

    As it stands there is are three out candidates declared in the mayoral race which will see a new Mayor take over from Boris Johnson in 2016. Peter Whittle, UKIP’s mayoral candidate and the Conservative’s Andrew Boff are both out candidates, whilst Benali Hamdache is the chair of LGBTIQ Green Party.

    The poll by YouGov revealed that only 55% of those questioned would be comfortable with a Muslim Mayor and 31% said that they would be uncomfortable.

  • “Dramatic” Rent Increase Forces The Closure Of Yet Another London Gay Bar

    The George and Dragon pub in Hackney is to close after a lease review dramatically increased the cost of the rent.

    The George and Dragon is another LGBT venue which is set to close with the pub owner, Richard Battye blaming a lease increase which he decribed as “dramatic.”

    The pub, which was opened in 2002, still has seven years remaining on the lease, but the owners don’t feel that they will be able to meet the payments so have decided to sell on the pub “a little earlier than intended.”

    The owners are actively looking for a new space so there is hope that the George And Dragon will exist as an LGBT space in the future.

    Battye said in a Facebook post,

    “We will be looking for a new opportunity and hope very much that some of our dear G&D fans will be able to join us on this new journey soon.

    “We’ll try to be as open as we can throughout this process as we’d love as friends as possible to join us for a drink as we begin to bid farewell to our beloved old pub.”

    A number of LGBT pubs and bars have closed in the past year.

  • Your Dog Sparks Nearly 2000 Arguments In Its Life…

    The average dog will cause nearly 2,000 arguments between its owners during its lifetime, a study has revealed.

    A new study shows ‘man’s best friend’ can also be his worst enemy as it triggers up to three rows every single day.

    That’s the equivalent of 156 quarrels every year – or 1,997 over the average pooch’s life expectancy of 12.8 years.

    And the spats range from disagreeing about who should take the dog for a walk, feeding them too many treats and what to do with them when going away.

    Nikki Sellers, Head of Pet Insurance at esure, said: “Owning a dog is not that dissimilar to having a baby.

    “Round the clock care and responsibility throughout a dog’s life can become tiresome for any pet owner but should never be overlooked.

    “Maintaining a dog’s physical health through exercise plus regular stimulation to avoid them running riot around the house should at least help avoid some arguments.

    “A healthier dog may also lead to fewer costly trips to the vet too but for advice on how to look after a dog properly, owners should seek professional help.

    “esure pet insurance customers can call its 24-hour ‘Health and Wellbeing’ line where veterinary professionals are available to offer advice and tips on all aspects of pets’ health.”

     

    The poll suggests that a quarter of owners regularly argue about where the dog should be allowed to go in the house – in particular whether they should be able to go on the beds, upstairs or on the sofa.

    A fifth of owners frequently argue about whose turn it is to clean up the mess in the back garden, while one in 10 disagree about who should clear up the carpets should they be soiled.

    But disciplining the dog is one of the biggest causes of arguments – as 18 per cent of couples often fall out because one is accused of being too harsh on the dog.

    A further 15 per cent of families often row about who should be training the dog, while one in 10 people get annoyed if the dog is ‘humanised’.

    Other arguments about the pooch include who chose to buy it in the first place and how much has been spent on the dog.

    They’re also likely to cause unrest if they damage the children’s toys or chew the family’s shoe collection.

    The study shows that while the majority of family arguments are more likely to be about the children than the family pet, 14 per cent of owners reckon they row about the dog MORE than their children.

    Incredibly, in 17 per cent of households the dog disputes have got so bad that one member of the family has slept in the spare room, while a quarter of those polled have been known to storm off after things got too heated.

    In fact, 26 per cent of dog owners have at some point considered getting rid of their beloved pooch after a particularly bad barney.

     

    TOP 20 DOG DISPUTES

    • What to do with the dog when going away on holiday / for the weekend
    • The fact the dog hasn’t been walked / who should walk it
    • Whether the dog should be allowed on the beds
    • Whether the dog should be allowed upstairs
    • Who should clean up the mess in the back garden
    • One of you is being too harsh on the dog
    • One of you lets the dog onto the sofa
    • How much you have spent on the dog
    • Training the dog
    • Someone feeds the dog from the table
    • Who should babysit / look after the dog for you
    • Grooming the dog
    • Damage has been caused to the house by the dog
    • Who chose to buy the dog in the first place
    • Who should clear up the mess when the dog goes to the toilet on the carpet
    • Who should clear up the mess when the dog is sick on the carpet
    • One of you insists on treating them like a human
    • One of you lets them into a room of the house they are not normally allowed into
    • The kid’s toys have been eaten
    • Shoes have been chewed

  • RIP: Mr Gay World 2010 Has Died, Aged 33

    LGBT campaigner and Mr Gay World 2010 has died at the age of 33.

    After a short battle against lymphatic cancer, Mr Gay South Africa 2009, Charl van den Berg has died at the age of 33. He won the Mr Gay South Africa title in 2009 and then won the Mr Gay World title in Olso in 2010.

    A statement released by the Mr Gay World organisation said,

    “It is with deep sorrow that we learned of the passing of one of the prominent members of the Mr. Gay World™ family, Charl van den Berg, Mr. Gay World™ 2010 from South Africa who lost his mercifully short battle with lymphatic cancer.

    “Charl always conducted himself in a friendly, approachable and exemplary fashion, keeping his feet firmly on the ground and doing the job he was chosen for without airs and graces. His infectious laughter and warm character made him an absolute pleasure to work with.”

    An announcement on his Facebook page said that a funeral will take place on the 14th August.

    The former title holder said upon winning the world-wide Mr Gay World competition that it was his aim to “break down stereotypes and differing mindsets in the global community and promote oneness and equality for all people by bridging the gap between those mindsets.

    “It is my understanding that people are people before we are different.”

  • Passengers Overhear Homophobic Bus Driver Blaming “Bum Busters” For Traffic

    A petition is calling for the sacking of a bus driver in Northern Ireland after using a homophobic slur during Belfast Pride.

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  • PRIDE: Swindon & Wiltshire Pride Ready To Party In The Park

    After a packed park last year, Swindon & Wiltshire Pride are ready to do it all again this weekend. Good weather, check. Headline acts, booked. Carnival parade, final feathers, glitter and sequins being sewn on!

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  • INTERVIEW: Jonny Benjamin, Saved By A Man Called “Mike”

    In 2008, drama student Jonny Benjamin decided to take his life, by jumping from Waterloo Bridge in London. One man saved his life.

    What ensued was one of the most impressive manhunts in the history of Twitter. #FindMike (a man actually named Neil Laybourn) became a worldwide trend and attracted global mainstream media in the search for this one man who made the difference between life and death. We speak to Jonny about how his story is now the subject of a new documentary The Stranger On The Bridge, and how coming out as gay was equally as hard as coming out with a mental illness.

    JH: Now that the documentary is out and it’s not just morning TV or radio snippets, but the story told by you, can you describe how you feel?

    JB: It feels quite surreal to be honest for it to be out there. It feels good. I’ve had some really amazing feedback from people that either feel that they’ve been educated or people that have been going through similar things themselves. I’m really pleased with the reaction.

    JH: Does it feel like you’ve got closure?

    JB: Yeah it does. It feels like that chapter is closed, it was a really dark place that I was in and it feels like that door is closed to that chapter now. Which is a good feeling.

    JH: But Hollywood is knocking on the door?

    JB: Yeah, we have had approaches from Hollywood, again very surreal, but we’re in early days and early stages.

    JH: You’ve talked about getting closure and how it feels good, but how do you feel about this story being on the silver screen, going out to an even wider audience than you’ve had so far?

    JB: It’s great because the whole point of this is to raise awareness of both suicide and mental illness. If it goes even bigger, or even further then great, because it will increase awareness, help more people. So I’m happy for it to go far and wide as possible, if it’s going to help people.

    JH: How discriminatory do you think society is for those living with mental health problems?

    JB: I think it’s getting much better, I think the stigma around mental illness is decreasing, so it’s getting easier to live with a mental illness in public. It’s still got some way to go though, particularly for conditions like schizophrenia. There’s a lot of understanding out there on depression and bipolar, but there’s very little understanding about schizophrenia.

    I was reading one survey, it said that three quarters of people with schizophrenia don’t tell their friends and family, which is a huge number. So there’s a lot of stigma out there about schizophrenia and that’s the point of the film we’ve just done, to reduce that stigma really.

    JH: Was it difficult to go back to the bridge and to Neil (the man dubbed Mike) again and revisit the past?

    JB: At some points it was difficult. When I looked through all the photos of the different Mikes that came forward… that was really difficult. You definitely have to go back to that place that you were (at). I found that quite tough. Going back to the bridge? I got used to it in the end. We had so many interviews and so many photo-shoots on the bridge, you get used to it really.

    JH: Since the broadcast of the film, have you noticed people treating you differently?

    JB: No, I haven’t to be honest. Not at all. Everyone’s been the same with me. Almost like it hasn’t happened now. It feels quite strange, feels like it was a bit of a dream. No one’s treating me differently. What I have got is a really overwhelming response, which is lovely. Really overwhelming. In a good way.

    JH: Twitter can be used so positively but also it is a platform for trolling. Do you have a mechanism to deal with negativity? One particular celebrity who will go unmentioned had a pop… How are you dealing with people that might criticise you for bringing this issue to light?

    JB: I just try and ignore it really. Ninety-nine per cent of people had positive feedback to say. It was just one or two people who were critical of it. I just ignore it really. They’re looking to start a fight and I don’t want to detract attention away from what the programme is really about, which is to raise awareness. I don’t really care what they say to be honest. It just shows their ignorance really. I feel sorry for them if anything.

    CREDIT: Supplied by PR

    PICTURED: Mike, Whose real name is Neil.

    JH: What do you feel about the term mental health or mental illness? Could it be expressed better?

    JB: With mental health there is that stigma. But what other words do you use really? I know some people have got issues around mental health and mental illness but I really don’t know what other term we would use. We’ve all got mental health. It’s like a spectrum really.

    JH: Do you think more celebrities like Stephen Fry and Ruby Wax should be coming out with their mental health issues?

    JB: I think it’s really tough, because of the stigma for people to come out, but I think it’s happening, especially in the last few years I’ve noticed that people are becoming a lot more open. There should be no shame in it really. The more high profile people who come out and talk about it, is fantastic really. It inspires other people to do the same.

    JH: How much has your sexuality played a part in your depression and in your schizophrenia? Is there a connection?

    JB: I think there is. It was a massive weight on my shoulders hiding my sexuality and it definitely contributed towards what I went through I’d say. I was so scared about coming out. I come from a Jewish family and it’s something that’s frowned upon in the Jewish religion. I was really scared about coming out. It definitely added to my mental health issues for sure. When I came out eventually, I came out two months after I was diagnosed; it completely changed my life around for the better. Struggling with my sexuality definitely contributed to my suicidal thoughts and feelings. That’s how terrified I was about coming out.

    JH: Which was easier to come out about for you? Being gay or having mental health issues?

    JB: I think it’s equally hard to be honest. Equally as hard. Coming out about my mental illness was tough, really tough especially towards my friends. I found it really tough to come out to them. But with coming out about sexuality I found it harder to come out to my family.

    JH: People must feel like they know so much about you, but really they only know a certain section about you, because there’s more to you than a) being gay and b) having a mental illness. Do you think people think that’s it? Nothing more to Jonny? Does being open with your mental health make it difficult to find a partner?

    JB: Having mental health issues makes it difficult to find a partner more than anything. Things like paranoia and intrusive thoughts – some of the symptoms of schizophrenia are heightened when you’re in a relationship. I’ve never been in a proper relationship, I would say and I’ve always found it quite hard dealing with mental health issues when you’re with a person. A lack of understanding about my mental health makes it even harder. I might be very paranoid about where they’re going, whom they’re seeing. It’s a level of trust that I find hard to gain.

    JH: So are you more interested in looking after yourself at the moment then finding a partner?

    JB: Yeah. The last two months have been really difficult; I became ill again at the end of last year. That’s my priority now to get my mental health back on track and relationships will come second.

    JH: Is the NHS or the Government doing enough to engage in this issue?

    JB: There’s nowhere near enough, in the UK there’s 17 suicides every day. The reason why it’s so bad is because there’s not enough education and support. We should be going into schools at an early age, into universities and work places as well to educate people and let them know that they’re not alone and they can get support if they’re struggling. It feels like a taboo, the subject we don’t want to talk about. But it’s all about reaching out.

    When I was 16 or 17 at school and I was really starting to struggle with my mental health, if someone would have come in, a guest speaker, and just said “This is what mental health is, this is what you can do”, it would have changed my life around.

    But unless we start talking about it then more and more people are going to suffer and unfortunately take their lives.

    If you need to talk to somebody about issues raised in this interview there is a helpline for the LGBT community open from 10AM to 11PM everyday of year. Call: 0300 330 0630 or visit: www.llgs.org.uk