THEGAYUK

Category: Entertainment

  • Kellie Maloney wants out of Celebrity Big Bro

    Kellie Maloney has admitted to some of her friend housemates that she wants out of the Celebrity Big Brother to ‘face it’.

    Kellie talks to James and George about her disagreement with Audley. Kellie said she asked to leave again last night and James asks her why she would do that. Kellie says that she should have been told that Audley had a ‘phobia about trans-people.’ James says: ‘I don’t think that is the case babe.’ Kellie says: ‘I was Audley’s biggest enemy in the outside world; I set out to bring him down totally in boxing. Audley tolerates me, he doesn’t accept me.’

    In a conversation in tonight’s episode, Kellie talks to Dee, saying that she wants to go and doesn’t see the benefit of staying and that she wants to ‘go outside and face it.’

    Later on, whilst with Edele, she has the same conversation, but Edele tells her that one purpose of Kellie staying is to raise awareness and Kellie says: ‘I’ve done that.’ Lauren comes over and says that Kellie is being silly and weak and that she is stronger than that. Audley says goodnight to Kellie and they have another hug.

    Big Brother continues tonight at 9:00PM on Channel 5

  • Leslie Jordan is the second celeb to be evicted from Big Bro

    Former Star of the Show Leslie left the Celebrity Big Brother House to cheers from the audience.

    During his interview Emma remarked that he had “such a droopy lip” because he was evicted. Leslie suggests that it was more entertaining for the audience when he was “on my worst behaviour” joking that his 81 year old mother would probably fly over to tell him off.

    Leslie said that he “was surprised” that Audley nominated him, joking about their height difference, “Do you even know I’m down here?!” He went on to say that he was “called out for eating too much” and admitted that it “never crossed my mind that I couldn’t eat what I want”, admitting he took it on board and was calmer…which didn’t work out for him!

    When asked about his experience in the House, Leslie admitted “I was so naïve” and that he was advised to watch the show before going in. “I thought I was going to come in and it was going to be an endless cocktail party” he said, but goes on to describe it as like a “boot camp”

    After being shown footage of him losing his temper in the House, a visibly shocked Leslie said, “That’s so hard, I could weep… that’s not me…That’s a sad little man to me” Emma suggests that it was an adjustment period and he admitted that his life is very different on the outside world, with lots of red carpet events and slapping on the back, “I couldn’t even go into the Pod without someone irritating me” he added.

    Emma goes on to ask about his relationship with Frenchy and Leslie admitted “There were a lot of rituals” with her. He then goes on to discuss the time Frenchy “stomped all our food” and joked, “Little fatty likes his food!” He then said that he said “horrible things” to Frenchy but “gives her an A for effort” for trying to be nicer.

    The conversation moved onto his frustrations with Gary and Leslie said “Gary, I adore now” but admitted “He’s very difficult…but another A for effort” He added that “We had real problems with his hygiene” and suggests that he must be used to someone telling him when to clean. Leslie goes on to recount his argument about CGI, likening it to “the playground”

    Join Emma next Wednesday for Celebrity Big Brother’s third live eviction.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Compulsion

    ★★★ | Compulsion

    What’s your secret? What do you do in private that you wouldn’t share with anyone? What happens if the quiet, secret compartments in our heads start to invade our consciousness? And if the curtains are torn down for all to see, could we survive? Would we adapt or die?

    Tom Staunton’s a nice guy. A genuinely nice guy. A little damaged and a little quirky. Who isn’t? But his secrets and compulsions are coming to the fore in a very public way that he can’t control. The voices in his head won’t keep quiet. They have to be heard. What’s his secret? Why is it tearing him apart? Is any part of our nature as human beings too shameful for others to see?

    Join Tom as we examine the dark corners of his mind. Meet the different facets of his personality that hold power over him and witness the incidents in his past that have made him who he is.

    Compulsion is a darkly comic journey into one man’s sub-conscience. Tune into the noise in his mind that simultaneously tortures him and helps him to keep going. Witness the struggle of having to live with oneself.

    As I arrived at the theatre, I was amazed to see an empty stage with just two actors and a chair. I knew this was going to be a true Fringe performance. As I sat down and began to cool down, I was instantly drawn in. Evidently, we were dealing with a gay man being haunted by the different elements of his subconscious. We were presented with three variations of his psyche played by Kim Maouhoub, Paul Storan and Nigel Fyfe.

    We were immediately transported into Tom’s mind by the exquisite use of lighting that matched perfectly with the angst dealt Declan Cooke’s character. Kim Maouhoub, who had an air of Helena Bonham Carter, played her parts brilliantly. Each new character portrayed was performed beautifully with excellent characterization. The other two actors, Paul Storan and Nigel Fyfe were also great with real determination and emotion in their performance.

    The only downside was the length; it only lasted just under 50 minutes with the majority of the time being the scene changes. An interruption which I feel could have been done better. I would have liked to have seen the play developed more and made into more of a developed narrative rather than a glimpse into his innermost thoughts. Furthermore, the LGBT themes seemed to be a bit cliché; a gay man with an abusive past that had been accused of being a paedophile. It is these clichés that I wish were avoided. Instead I would have liked to have seen a deeper dive into Tom’s mind and even perhaps not having a clear and concise answer to why he felt the way he did, however all in all an excellent and true Fringe performance.

    More details in the link below:
    https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/compulsion

    Or feel free to ‘Follow’ them on Twitter: @thecompulsion or ‘Like’ the page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Keep-You-Company-thecompulsion/533083020145519?sk=timeline

    Final words: An interesting production with clichéd themes. Definitely worth a view if you’re in the area especially for Kim Maouhoub. Not bad!

  • FILM REVIEW | Magic In The Moonlight

    ★★ | Magic In The Moonlight

    Within a few minutes after the opening of this movie… Woody Allen’s 46th, and probably one of his most tedious … it is very obvious that the magic in the title refers strictly to the staged tricks created by the two leading characters and not to the film itself.

    Allen’s very thin story, set in Europe some time between the two World Wars, is about a famous English professional illusionist who’s stage persona is a very crass Chinaman complete with Fu Manchu moustache (which I’m guessing that Allen must have considered was not racially offensive). Wei Ling Soo aka Stanley is recruited by his best friend Howard to unmask an American psychic who he believes is faking her way into the bosom of a wealthy American Family vacationing in their chateau on the French Riviera. Sophie is aided and abetted by her scheming mother in order to get their hands on some of their fortune and marry the gormless heir of the family.

    It turns out she really is a fraud but for totally different reasons than the ones that we expect, but by the time that the pompous sarcastic Stanley has uncovered this, we have lost all interest anyway. Forget the sleight of hand tricks he plays, as its the plot that is so slight to the point of being so transparently obvious.

    Cold-hearted cynical Stanley with his very unemotional fiance back in London naturally falls in love with Sophie but as she is practically 30 years younger, we are as uncomfortable about this age-inappropriate romance as Stanley awkwardly appears to be as well.

    Colin Firth makes heavy going of his portrayal of Stanley, and a radiant looking Emma Stone fares little better in this very stilted script that gives neither of them much of a chance to shine. The only cast member that relieved the fast encroaching boredom was the wonderful Eileen Aitkens as Stanley’s Aunt, even though her part was very small.

    Kudos though for the stunning period costumes and very glorious sets and locations which at least gave us something pretty to look at, but not enough to stop me nodding off from time to time.

    P.S. Look closely in the scene set in a Jazz Club for the fleeting glance of the singer who is none other than the fabulous Ute Lemper.

  • David McIntosh First Celebrity To Be Booted Out Of Big Brother

    The Housemate with the fewest votes, and first to be evicted from the Celebrity Big Brother House, was David McIntosh

    After hugging his fellow Housemates, David left to cheers from the crowd, before performing a dance routine for the awaiting photographers.

    David told Emma he thought there would be three people leaving the House and admitted “I am a competitive man, but it doesn’t matter…I’m good” He went on to say that when he was “starved” of food in the House and it was hard to “put on a show”.

    Emma then asked David what it’s like living in the House and he admits it “different” and there are many challenges. “There were three people everyone was arguing with” he said in reference to the American Housemates. David goes on to discuss Leslie and his decision to put him on the scrapheap, admitting “I got him hot under the cover!”

    David talks about the “young lads” in the House and admits he “ended up spooning” Ricci a few time “out of force of habit”

    David says that there “was no friction” apart from with the American Housemates, especially Gary.

    After seeing a montage of some of his altercations with Gary, David admits “it was worse than that” He describes Gary as “manipulative” and Emma asks if the Housemates are not patient enough with him. David suggests that Gary’s “ridiculous, insane” stories wound people up, plus the fact they had to repeat everything three times. David adds, “He’s definitely a manipulative person…he’s playing a game. He’s an actor, but not a great actor”

    Emma then asks David about Gary’s relationship with James and he says that he’s nice to Gary and tries to coach him through. When asked about James and Audely’s relationship, David says that they’re friends in the House adding, “James is not one to hold his tongue…he says what he thinks”

    Before showing David his best bits, Emma tells him that “it’s been wonderful looking at you!”

    Join Emma on Friday for Celebrity Big Brother’s second live eviction.

    Emma then reveals that the Housemates will nominate for the first time after the show, face to face

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Odd Shaped Balls, Etcetera Theatre, London

    ★ ★ ★ ★ | Odd Shaped Balls, Etcetera Theatre, London

    After a four-week run at The Edinburgh Festival with stellar five star reviews and award nominations, Miller Theatre Productions returns with Odd Shaped Balls for a limited run at the Etcetera Theatre in Camden.

    Odd Shaped Balls is a new play exploring the difficulties faced by gay sports stars through the eyes of a young rugby player. Brothers, Richard D Sheridan (playwright) and Chris Sheridan (actor), forged the show after witnessing a real life incident of homophobic bullying in the sport that they love.

    When rising rugby star James Hall is publicly ‘outed’ by his ex, his life becomes a struggle of dealing with increased media attention and the pressures of being labelled a role model on and off the pitch, while trying to adapt to changes in his personal relationships. The show takes an honest and often comical look into the changing room banter of male sports teams and their relationship to their fans and how it can intimidate players to live a lie.

    With rave reviews and a fascinating subject matter, this play looks like it’ll be well worth checking (as does Chris Sheridan, judging by the publicity shots).

    Odd Shaped Balls is on at the Etcetera Theatre from 18th to 20th of September.

  • Kellie Maloney’s mum think she wears too much make up

    Trans Celebrity Big Brother contestant Kellie Maloney has revealed what her mother said when she first saw her as Kellie.

    Kellie Maloney, who came out as trans recently, has spoken to George Gilbey in the Big Brother house about what her mother thought about her transition.

    George and Kellie were chatting by the pool when George asked how Maloney’s mum took the news and Kellie admits she was ‘fantastic’ and said, ‘You’re still my child, no matter what you want to do’, George replied that it’s was a ‘lovely’ story and Kellie then described the first time she met her mum as Kellie and she said, ‘I think dear, you’re wearing too much make up!’

    Earlier in the week, during a conversation with Bad Girls’ actress Claire King, Kellie admitted that thinks she will be a heterosexual male mentally.

    Celebrity Big Brother continues tonight on Channel 5 at 9:00PM

  • ALBUM REVIEW | Lines And Circles, O-Town

    ★★★★ | Lines And Circles, O-Town

    O-Town’s decade out of the pop limelight is a long time. In fact, some might say it’s a lifetime. Countless wannabes have flounced in and out of the charts, Mega stars have been created and wasted, sales have plummeted, and everything is starting to sound like everything else. The music industry is nothing like it was back in 2003. It was before the iPhone and iPod. People still bought CDs, and a band, arguably the last ‘out of the box’ boy-bands, O-Town went their separate ways, breaking the hearts of girls and gays worldwide.

    Well, boys and girls, they are back, with their best, most honest and commercially viable album for a world that is unrecognisable since their last output.

    What you’ll notice is that Lines and Circles is a straight-up pop record, crafted with strong melodies and a grownup sensibility in its production. No tricks needed. These guys have spent the last 10 years honing their craft and each of these tracks is a gem and deserves radio play in its own right. Their voices, with ten years of living, have become soulful, chilled; yet still retain a power and sexiness that made the lads successful in their formative years. They are back and this time it’s on their own terms.

    If you’re looking for teeny boppery hyped up crap, this album isn’t for you. If you’re looking for boy-band or rather man-band 2.0, then O-Town have excelled in bringing this to you in the shape of Lines And Circles.

    Highlights: The epic Skydive, the stripped back and unexpected Buried Alive and the anthemic Lines And Circles.

  • FILM REVIEW | Obvious Child

    ★★★★★ | Obvious Child

    The movie opens with a very confident Donna in the middle of her stand-up comedy routine in a small nondescript bar in New York. She is extremely funny and disarmingly honest as she talks candidly about the absurdities of her own life.

    The small audience loves it and applaud her enthusiastically when she finishes her Set. All that is except her boyfriend who had been standing at the back of the room listening to a stream of highly personal jokes made at his expense. Then minutes later the two of them are together in a rather busy unisex bathroom and he dumps her. Not for the jokes but because he has been sleeping with her best friend for some time now.

    Suddenly life doesn’t seem quite so funny for this part-time comedian so she takes to her bed with a large bottle of wine and her phone. The more she drinks, the more she leaves a series of ugly voicemails on her (now ex) boyfriends machine.

    Days later she’s back on stage and recounts this new development that resulted in her being a reluctant single again but she is so bitter and angry that she totally alienates the dwindling audience. This calls for more drinking in the bar afterwards and when she is well-plastered allows herself to be picked up by Max a clean-cut preppy business studies graduate who seems a fish-out-water both in this Dive and also in Donna’s bed where he ends up later.

    Fast forward a few weeks and Donna discovers she is pregnant. She knows that the baby is Max’s but, as she tells Nellie her roommate, she doesn’t know how it happened. She was sure they had condoms and that she had even helped Max open the packet, but she was unsure if in their drunken stupor they had actually used them.

    What Donna has no doubts about is that she will have an abortion, but when in a series of coincidences, she keeps running into Max again, she feels an obligation to at least share the news with him. The trouble is she never knows how too. She tries to confide in her puppet-making very supportive father and even in her rather cold micro-managing Professor mother but she fears losing their support. Naturally, when she does break down and break the news they are in her corner anyway and back her choice completely.

    But still left with having to deal with Max, she invites the unsuspecting (and very sweet) man to watch her perform at the Bar the night before the ‘procedure’ is scheduled, the date is February 13th. She is brutally upfront with all the details regarding the unwanted pregnancy and her chosen route and has her slightly shocked audience laughing along with her. Except, Max who runs out into the cold.

    This wonderful, refreshing, heart-breaking comedy that bravely dares to tackle the oft-taboo subject of abortion head on is the work of director and co-writer Gillian Robespierre and is based on the successful short film she had made a few years earlier. Both Donna and Max are very believable characters, thanks to a combination of some excellent writing and great performances, and even though they are so totally opposite on many levels they are a good fit. This is, despite the plot I have outlined so far, a romantic comedy after all. There are still some moments of great pain and struggle as Donna wrestles with the finality of her choice and I think it is also very important to note that even with its very honest and open approach to abortion, no-one in this story treats the subject glibly.

    There is also a rather wonderful unexpected ending that so refreshingly steered cleared of all of the usual cliches but as it includes spoilers I have omitted covering it here.

    This is indie movie making at its best and I loved it now just as much and when I first saw this at Sundance.

  • FILM REVIEW | Man At Bath

    ★ | Man At Bath
    Emmanuel is a man of very few words, a hustler and the live-in lover of Omar.

    They live in an apartment in a tower block in Gennevilliers, a working-class suburb of Paris. When Omar announces that he is going to New York for a week to work on a film project, an angry Emmanuel punishes him by brutally sexually assaulting him. After that, as Omar goes to leave, he tells Emmanuel to move out of the apartment by the time he returns from his trip.

    Emmanuel wiles his way seemingly having sex with half of the men in his neighbourhood, some for money, and others just for the hell of it. It’s hard to tell as he is one very emotionless cold fish. He does have the idea of trying to contact Omar in New York but as he is so detached from real life, he somehow thinks that the only way to do this is by the defunct Telegram system.

    Omar, on the other hand, is traipsing around New York videoing his friend Chiara Mastrioniani (playing herself) promoting her latest movie. Along the way, he manages to pick up a skinny Canadian film student who becomes an obsession for both his sexual appetite and his camera too.

    Despite trying to desperately read between the lines trying to discover any deep or disguised existentialist meaning, that sadly is the total sum of it. The movie is the latest from French filmmaker Christophe Honoré whose somewhat indulgent output in recent years has gone from quite bizarre (Beloved) to downright bad (Let My People Go) and this one fits neatly in both camps.

    I’m not sure if the whole affair was meant to be a vehicle to ‘legitimise’ the gay porn star Francois Sagat’s move into mainstream films because if it was, it was a complete and utter failure. I kept thinking back to Manhola Dargis of The New York Times when she once wrote about Janet Jackson: ‘how can I put it gently? She is a woman of very limited facial expressions!’ Ms Dargis has evidently not seen Mr Sagat on the screen, as he has none!

    When the very short muscular Sagat strips his clothes off every other scene despite his erect penis he fails to imbue the act with any sexuality at all, which doesn’t make this even a half-decent piece of soft porn.

    Evidently, the whole project had been commissioned by the writer/director Olivier Assayas on behalf of the Theatre de Gennevilliers, and Honore took his own inspiration from a local Impressionist painting entitled Man at Bath. The end result is hardly something that would make me want to visit Gennevilliers, or even sit through another Honore movie in the near distant future.

  • Celebrity Big Brother Kellie Maloney still feels like a straight man mentally

    Kellie Maloney, who recently came out as a trans woman has been opening up about her transition.

    In a conversation with Claire King today on Channel 5’s Celebrity Big Brother, Kellie Maloney, says that she still thinks she will be a heterosexual male mentally but isn’t sure if having a relationship with a woman would make her a lesbian.

    Famously in the Mayoral election race in 2004, Maloney, a UKIP candidate at the time, garnered much criticism from the LGBT community by saying, there were “too many gays” in Camden.

    Maloney, who was living as a man at the time, tried to justify these remarks telling the BBC, ‘I don’t want to campaign around gays… I don’t think they do a lot for society… what I have a problem with is them openly flaunting their sexuality.’

    Kellie says that her decision to transition was about gender identity and not about sexual orientation and thinks that she will probably live the rest of her life without a partner.

    Kellie also talks to Edele about her forthcoming operations.

    Kellie says she needs to have her boobs done and more work on her face before the final operation at the end of the year. Kellie says, ‘Then there will be no stopping me.’

    Watch Celebrity Big Brother on Channel 5 tonight at 9:00PM