We all know who Tom of Finland was, but not many people know the real life story of the man behind the sexy images – Touko Laaksonen. The new movie ‘Tom of Finland,’ tells us about his fascinating, and interesting life.
But it’s a bit of a shame because the film is not very exciting. It should have been given that this man is most famous for his drawings of muscular and very well-endowed men in various incriminating sexual positions, but this aspect of the film takes a bit of a backseat to the more biographical nature of his life. Laaksonen, (ably played by Finish actor Pekka Strang), was a decorated officer in WWII and fought in battles against the Nazis where he was face to face with the enemy, and which makes an indelible impression on him for life. After the war, he returns home to live with his homophobic sister Kaijia (Jessica Grabowsky) and leads a very unexciting life working at an advertising agency. It’s only when he starts drawing men is when he starts feeling alive, more so because he starts to explore his sexuality in a place where it was illegal. Laaksonen then falls in love with the young lodger Veli (Lauri Tilkanen) he and his sister take in. This relationship instils confidence in Laaksonen and this is when his artistic talent starts to blossom.
Instead of getting sexier and more erotic, Tom of Finland the film maintains its understated and muted tone. As Laaksonen’s work (who by now goes by the name Tom of Finland given to him by his publisher) becomes more well known around the world, he goes to Berlin and then is whisked away to Los Angeles at the behest of a rich gay patron (played by Seumas Sargent) where we get glances of men frolicking in a swimming pool but it’s not enough to warrant any sort of excitement in a film that should be releasing hormones right and left. Some of the supporting characters start getting sick but there’s no real mention of the words HIV or AIDS in the film and it’s this disease that hits his community hard, at a time when no one really knew how the virus was contracted. And with no timeline mentioned in the film, it’s a bit difficult to know when these events took place to put the story into some sort of context.
Directed by Finnish Director Dome Karukoski and written by Aleksi Bardy, Tom of Finland has, of course, a very Finnish feel to it (definitely foreign and a bit dull and grey), which may or may not have impacted the film’s lack of excitement and dramatic possibilities. But the cast are all very believable and Strang does a very good job of playing Laaksonen’s life over a span of 50 years (!!). But Laaksonen deserves a more fitting tribute. He was a seminal figure in gay culture, one of the most influential and celebrated figures of twentieth-century gay culture, and ‘Tom of Finland’ the movie is not quite what I’d hoped it would be.
If you want real excitement, there is the Tom of Finland Organic Vodka to try – launched in the UK last month. Made in Finland from a blend of the finest organic wheat and rye with no added sugar, the vodka pays tribute to Tom of Finland through its smooth, spicy taste and flavour and it’s sexy packaging. The vodka was launched to coincide with the release of Tom of Finland.
The vodka is available now from select retailers including Gerry’s Wines and Spirits in Soho, London for an RRP of £32.50/50cl. I’ve tried it and it is superb.
As Big Brother ends and a new Celebrity bunch start their journey in the famous house, we take a look back at those gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans contestants to see where they all are now.
We all remember the ex-Nun lesbian from series one. She went on to become a TV presenter, including The Great Irish Bake Off, and is now Head of Development for COCO Television as well as an opinion columnist for The Herald.
After winning the second series Brian Dowling returned to be crowned the Ultimate Big Brother contestant in 2010. Since, he has been the face of various UK shows- most recently holding the mic on Big Brother himself. Now presenter of Sitting On A Fortune in Ireland.
Joshua Rafter – Series 2
Since his five minutes of fame on Big Brother 2 he has been found in next to nothing for various modelling shoots, does his bit for a number of LGBT charities and worked with the NHS on a campaign promoting safe sex. Now he is the managing director of a property company.
Adele has continued with the DJ work she was doing when entering the house in series 3. She DJs at festivals, nightclubs and celebrity parties and has just been announced the new host of BBC Radio 1’s early morning show.
She cashed in on her success from winning series 5 with various reality shows such as Come Dine With Me and even had a single out A Little Bit Of Action which amazingly reached number 27 in the UK charts. Her popularity altered after appearing in 2010’s Ultimate Big Brother where she came across as a bully. She has stated that the show made her consider suicide.
Dived back out of the spotlight (which is probably why I personally couldn’t remember him!) to continue his career as a hair stylist.
Kathryn Pinder (Kitten) – Series 5
Famous for portraying the ‘rule breaker’ by getting kicked out of series 5 within the opening week. After leaving the house this persona continued when she attended court for parking fines. She is now living in Australia and active in her local politics. So far she hasn’t been kicked out of Perth too, so that’s something.
Famous in the house for being an annoying whimpering character he hasn’t done much in the spotlight since leaving. He had a part in Little By Little a Broadway production back in 2004 and has been part of Big Brother Panto.
Known as the ‘bunny boiler’ of series 6 towards the winner Anthony Hutton, he allegedly made a, shall we shall personal, web cam show – maybe he was still thinking of Anthony…
After leaving series 6 he famously had a 6 month relationship with fellow housemate Kinga Karolczak before having gender reassignment surgery to emerge as Zulekya. With her new female confidence she has released a single Through With Love.
After having a great friendship in the house with Lea Walker, he has worked with her closely after leaving the show – including The Dick & Dolly Show a segment they developed through his own radio spot on Gaydar Radio. He is now a freelance writer for various gay interest magazines.
Not much can be said for Shahbaz – he has left the spotlight with a shah-bang. He allegedly suffered nightmares after his appearance on series 7 and tried to sue the shows creators at Endemol.
Tracey Anne Barnard – Series 8
The “Ave It,” contestant of series 8 has stepped out of the spotlight since her time on the show. She didn’t want to enter the celebrity circuit.
Seán O’Kane – Series 8
After having a child with a lesbian couple he has appeared on various parenting and discussion TV shows to talk about his role as a father. He was awarded the Outstanding Passionate Heart award at the People’s Heart Awards 2013.
Charlie Drummond – Series 10
Famous for being part of BB’s first gay couple with fellow housemate Rodrigo Lopes he has recently been sentenced to 21 months in prison after attacking a man. Perhaps his time within the solitary Big Brother walls will help him out.
Lisa Wallace – Series 10
She did a Britney in the house and shaved her head, and has since resided back to her life without a trace. Not even a hair on her head has been seen.
Rodrigo Lopes now Rebekah Shelton – Series 10
After finding the strength to be herself as Rebekah it all went downhill for her. She allegedly couldn’t find any work as her new self. In 2014 she slipped into a coma after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. She is out of hospital now and on the mend.
Mario Mugan – Series 11
He was naked in the house, a lot. Since he has managed to keep his clothes on but that’s about all he’s managed to do. He created a show called Almost: Six Lives, Six Stories and Six Destinies but it never made its debut on screen.
Thomas O’Connell – Series 12
Since leaving series 12 he has gone back to his work in PR.
Luke Anderson – Series 13
He returned to work in the restaurant he used to work in. In 2012 he told Closer magazine that he was expecting a baby with his wife.
Scott Mason – Series 13
He had a troubling time in series 13 after leaving briefly due to the death of his sister. Since he has kept to himself mainly with the odd appearance in Gay Times Magazine and New Magazine.
Dan Neal – Series 14
Dan Neal met his husband to be Rylan Clark during his time on Big Brother in 2013. They got married in 2015
Christopher Hall – Series 15
Mark and Christopher.
Emerging from BB 2014 as one of the most likeable housemates he has kept to himself so far apart from the odd interview in Attitude. It is early days though so I’m sure we’ll see more of him in the future.
Mark Byron – Series 15
Since being a contestant on last year’s run he has won the award of Most Stylish Scouser from Juice FM Style Awards.
Chris R Wright – Series 15
Actor Chris, opens up about the idea of sexuality in conversations with fellow housemates. He said, ‘I don’t like the term straight, we‘re all kind of melding now.’ He observes that people between 18-25 aren’t as bothered by sexual labels.
Simon Gross – Series 16
Channel 5
Simon Gross looks to be a controversial character in this year’s Big Brother. A few people have taken to Twitter with the hashtag #AbusedBySimonGross to discuss their upset at him appearing in the new series.
He also wants to be the first male Margaret Thatcher.
Adjoa didn’t last long in the house but her cool and calm personality won her a legion of fans – she quietly but confidently came out as gay showing that you don’t always need to explode out of the closet, although the news did shock some of the housemates.
Aaron Frew – Series 16
Aaron Frew
Aaron Frew twerked himself into stardom – especially amongst the gay community. He wasn’t afraid to talk sex and twerk, or twerk and talk about sex. It was a good combo. He now works as a model and getting naked on social media.
Andy West – Series 17
In 2015, Andy gained public attention when he made a YouTube video and tweeted about being “ashamed to work for the BBC” for nominating “homophobic and misogynistic” Tyson Fury for Sports Personality of the Year award.
Hughie Maughan – Series 17
Irishman Hughies bisexual and recently came out to some of his immediate family
Ryan Ruckledge – Series 17
Ryan admits that he loves to get tanning injections. He has them three times a week and uses sunbeds six times a week
Sam Giffen – Series 17
Sam states that he had always been single until January 2015, when he met his first boyfriend. They split after a year due to the long-distance involved.
Raphael “Raph” Korine – Series 18
The 22-year-old is a student at the University of Exeter. He is half American and half Japanese.
Following the announcement, MARISSA said her goodbyes and left the house, greeted by Emma and cheers from the crowd.
Emma asked Marissa if she is surprised to be first out: “I don’t think I have enough support out here. I felt like I was underdog since the second I came in. The other members in the house were definitely more known than I was.”
Asked if she wanted to win, Marissa told Emma: “I would have loved to. I got cheap-shotted. The person who put me up, I know he regretted it.”
On her killer nomination, Marissa said: “There was allies in the house. Even if people weren’t friends, there were people who knew of other people. It was easier to target someone you didn’t know.”
Emma quizzed Marissa about Jordan: “He was fun. I wasn’t really taking his actions seriously. I didn’t really know how he felt up until yesterday.”
On whether she will see Jordan outside of the house, Marissa told Emma: “I’m definitely going to see him on the outside. He’s amazing. He’s a good soul. He’s very animated, he’s full of life. But I love that about him. He’s well-rounded.”
On Chad and Amelia, Marissa said: “I think we created something out of nothing to be honest.”
The classic musical ‘Evita’ has returned to the West End to mark the 65th anniversary of the death of Eva Perón, the woman who was revered in Argentina not only as the wife of that country’s President Juan Perón but also as a woman who was perhaps more powerful than her husband.
‘Evita’ takes us through the highs and many lows of Eva Perón. Played by Emma Hatton (‘Wicked’), ‘Evita’ begins somberly at her funeral, attendees dressed in black – and this sets the tone for the first 30 minutes of this show – dark, deep and depressing. With lyrics by Tim Rice and Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, ‘Evita’ finally finds it feet with the rise of Eva, which was her real name. She becomes as actress in Buenos Aires, but she had bigger ambitions, ambitions that would lead her to meet Juan Perón at a party she’s helped to organize to raise money for San Juan, Argentina, which was devastated by an earthquake. Juan, played by Kevin Stephen Jones, falls head over heals with Eva – he’s met his match – she’s just as strong and confident as he is. But it’s the public that takes to her – they love her and see her as a queen and perhaps more – perhaps as a leader for their country. But as history tells us, Eva Perón never got to see her 34th birthday, she died at the age of 33 in 1952, and ‘Evita’ the musical takes us through this journey, with the help of narrator Che (excellently played and sung by Gian Marc Schiaretti).
‘Evita’ is pure musical joy. There’s not one word in the show that is spoken – the plot is all told in song, and what great songs they are, 39 years after they were first written. This includes the lovely melodies of ‘I’d be Surprisingly good for you’ – when Evita initially meets Juan; to the rousing ‘A New Argentina;’ and the show-stopping ’On the Balcony of Casa Rosado’ where we see, in a breathtaking scene, Evita speaking (singing) to the crowd from the balcony of the palace; also the classic ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’ where Eva sings in the hospital after her fatal diagnosis; and the fantastic and very memorable ‘And the Money Keeps Rolling In’ where Schiaretti really shines, and proves, that he is the true star of this show. As Che, he literally steals the spotlight from Hatton. Schiaretti is a regular concert performer and has performed throughout Europe and has played Tarzan on stage – ‘Evita’ will definitely raise his profile. The rest of the production is just fine, with an excellent supporting cast (especially Sarah O’Connor as the mistress of the President who Eva replaces, and holds her own in the solo number ‘Another Suitcase in Another Hall.’) ‘Evita’ is only on for three months, so if you’ve never seen it before (this is third version I’ve seen, though I’m a bit too young to have seen the original version which made Elaine Paige a star in London and Patti Lupone a star in New York), I urge you to see it. While Hatton is very good, Schiaretti is amazing. And in this touring revival, directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright, is staged perfectly in the cozy Phoenix Theatre.
★★★★★ – Dangerous, jaw-dropping and comedy genius!
Mischief Theatre, in role as The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, brought to the Cambridge Arts Theatre stage an uproariously funny murder mystery entitled The Murder at Haversham Manor and it went south, literally.
The Play That Goes Wrong was a comedic masterpiece, like its successor Peter Pan, Goes Wrong, with dangerous and risky tricks that left audiences clutching on to their seats as pieces of stage fell off and got thrown around, sometimes missing the actors by inches. The actors were so efficient in everything they did, from balancing three objects across two body parts, to expertly delivering their lines while dodging canvasses, candelabras and each other. What was sublime about The Play That Goes Wrong was that if ever you have seen an amateur, or a badly produced professional, play, this show embodies the different mistakes and disasters that have occurred in the former shows. There’ll be a moment where you cannot help but recall a bad production where sets had fallen down or actors had genuinely forgotten lines and asked for “line” throughout entire speeches.
Jason Callender who plays Jonathan playing Charles Haversham was brilliant. His gag was always turning up at the wrong point in the play, revealing the ending every time. It was very comedic, too, when Jonathan was rarely allowed to play dead, for actors clumsily walked on him, sat on him, or fell on him. He made the audience laugh at his every entrance, and I chiefly loved his sneaking off stage wriggling subtly on the floor as if to kid the audience that we couldn’t see him depart. Patrick Warner who plays Chris playing Inspector Carter was a comedy genius. Every reaction was crafted to perfection, and his lines were well-timed with the action. The audience hung on to every word he said. He played the director too, so it was particularly hilarious when, under his breath, he would mutter a direction to understudies that had come on to fill in for a part. Ham acting is a feature often prominent in amateur murder mystery productions, and Alastair Kirton playing Max playing Cecil Haversham did a sterling job showcasing this. Max’s sawing the air with his hands and over dramatising his role while stopping to smile as the audience laughed during one of his lines, was incredibly entertaining. When Max changed role to be the Gardener he flashed his clothes to tell it was still him, and that he had returned, but as a different character. Absolutely hilarious. Lastly, Natasha Culley as Sandra Wilkinson enacting the role of Florence Colleymoore was a treat. Sandra was everything that had ever gone wrong with acting all sewn together in one actress. Her ticks, shallow demeanour, and not able to improvise without direction, was a great feast for the senses. Her overproduction of movement as she spoke, too, was hilarious. Overall, each cast member contributed to one of funniest nights I’ve had this year.
The Play That Goes Wrong was especially entertaining for the set was a safety hazard, as the study, built atop of the drawing room, with no rails or support, collapsed gradually while the actors were still on there. It eventually fell down while an actor was under it, but the dexterity by which the actors moved and positioned themselves, made the accidents sort of safe, and we could exhale once again.
Mischief Theatre is like Alton Towers, you queue to get on, you get several scares, and then you want to hop on again and again.
The Play That Goes Wrong is playing at the Cambridge Arts Theatre, until 12th August 2017
Well someone had to sit down and do it… Putting porn to one side, here’s six of the most memorable gay same sex scenes in film.
6. Threesome
Intellectual Eddie (Josh Charles) is in the closet. Heading to college, he finds himself sharing a dorm with Stuart (Stephen Baldwin), a jock and serial womaniser. But due to an administrative error, their other roommate is Alex (Lara Flynn Boyle), a feisty young woman who is down as a male on the college records. But the complications start as they grow closer. Stuart loves Alex and wants sex with her. Alex loves Eddie and wants sex with him. And Eddie loves Stuart, hiding his desires to have sex with him and secretly checking him out at every opportunity. The three of them become firm friends and, of course, sex gets in the way. Until that is, they think that they have found the perfect solution…. But will the three of them end up in a ménage a Trois and will Eddie ever get his desires towards Stuart fulfilled? A mostly shirtless, muscular Baldwin brother plays the all-American depraved teen with lustful desires towards his female roommate, but who gets more of an education at college than he probably imagined when he filled out his application.
Zack is an aspiring artist trapped in a life of supporting his dysfunctional family and caring for his nephew, until his best friend’s gay brother, Shaun (Brad Rowe), comes back from L.A. As the two hang out and surf together their feelings for each other develop among the waves, surfboards and wetsuits. Not only do they hide their relationship for Zack’s benefit, who is struggling with his new found feelings, Shaun encourages Zack to take control of his life and follow his ambitions. But not before the two of them have engaged in plenty of bedroom activities. If a hunky surfer, a semi-twink and lots of manly dudes in wetsuits is your thing, then this film may be for you. The beautiful boys find time to kiss, cuddle and caress each other in the California sun, the highlight of this film is an early morning romp whereby the boys nearly get caught by their brother and best friend.
In this steamy thriller, two girls accuse a high school counsellor of raping them in a convoluted extortion plot. But as they key players in the plan find themselves increasingly mistrusting of the others, Suzie Marie Toller (played by Neve Cambell) attacks Kelly Lanier Van Ryan (Denise Richards) in a swimming pool, but the attack turns to lust as the two girls kiss passionately and undress each other, whilst all the time being observed and filmed by a police officer hiding in the undergrowth. The swimming pool scene is one example of how this film strides out where other erotic thrillers (Basic Instinct, Showgirls) feared to tread by showing erotic lesbian sex scenes with partially nude Hollywood starlets. After watching this, it becomes clear why they stayed in the pool to cool off.
Teenage life on a London council estate is difficult for Jamie, who has a crush on his handsome classmate and neighbour, Ste (played by the very beautiful Scott Neal). Ste has his own problems with his dysfunctional family and alcoholic father. Love slowly blossoms between the two boys as they deal with an interfering neighbour, visit their first gay bar and grow into their sexuality. The catalyst for all of this is when Ste is beaten by his father and spends the night at Jamie’s. Sleeping “top to toe”, Jamie starts by massaging Ste’s bruised body, but this turns into much more as the two boys end up kissing and subsequently sleeping together. But what makes this scene so special is that it is a beautifully tender moment which takes you back to your first love and maybe even reminds you of those fledgeling fumbles you once had.
In this film noir fuelled movie, Violet (Jennifer Tilley) wishes to escape her violent criminal boyfriend and so engages in a clandestine affair with a sexually charged ex-con, Corky (Gina Gershon) and the two of them plan to rip off $2 million of mob money. Double crossing, violent criminals and underhand tactics cannot detract from the explicit sexual aspects of this film. The two women are beautiful and their first encounter is a breathy, whispered and intimate one. Who ever thought that showing someone your tattoo would lead to such an erotic encounter? But their second encounter is why this film makes the list. As the camera pans around the two women, their graphic intimacy is clearly shown and the passion of the two women for each other really shows. More visually detailed than your usual mainstream Hollywood film, this was a groundbreaking film at the time and settles in a high position in this list.
Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist Jake Gyllenhaal) are two Cowboys who find themselves with only each other for company whilst working high up on the slopes of Brokeback Mountain. With nothing but a supply of whisky and each other, they find a way to pass the time, leading to some fairly rough initial intimacy and huge feelings of guilt. But as the years go by, they share something more special than either of them ever anticipated and what starts off as a drunken fumble becomes a deep love for each other, although Ennis struggles more with it than Jack, who wants them to be together. Who could resist Heath ledger and Jake Gyllenhall dressed as cowboys and engaging in some manly fun? Their first encounter in the tent, involving some spit and a few minutes of grunting is perhaps the best-known sex scene in the film, despite a number of other more romantic encounters as the years go by. But the film makes the list not for this scene or for the tantalising prospect of the two leads in various states of undress, but for the most romantic scene whereby, on a fishing trip, Ennis approaches Jack and simply folds his arms around him in an emotional embrace. Who says that romance is dead?
Lip Sync Battle UK airs tonight on Channel 5 – and stars David Walliams and Alesha Dixon.
Two of the UK’s most famous talent judges, David Walliams and Alesha Dixon go head to head tonight on Channel 5 in Lip Sync Battle UK. The show is hosted by former Spice Girl Mel B and Professor Green. The show is a repeat.
What time is Lip Sync Battle UK on tonight?
Lip Sync Battle UK airs tonight on Channel 5 at 11.35 PM and repeats on 5+1 at 12.35 PM
Who is David Walliams?
Not only is David a talented comedian and actor in his own right, with millions of fans, but he’s also one of the UK’s most beloved talent judges thanks to his involvement in the juggernaut ITV show Britain’s Got Talent, and it might just be because of this show that many people search the internet for clues about David’s sexuality.
He has in the past, stood accused of camping up and “acting gay” during his time as a judge on the show, with many suggesting that he’s doing it just for the laughs. In fact, earlier this year, he sent the Internet into overdrive over his sexuality after seemingly falling in love with an act. Fans of the show took to social media to question David’s sexuality. Many viewers suggested that David’s behaviour was offensive and insulting because he seemed to be using overtly camp gestures or using homosexual innuendos for laughs.
Up until 2015, David Walliams was married to the supermodel, Lara Stone, after their split, fans of David’s started to question whether the Little Britain star was, in fact, gay or potentially bisexual.
In an interview with the Radio Times, he may have answered their question by saying that the gender of a partner isn’t important, but that their “heart and soul” were key factors. He hinted that he could potentially fall for either a man or a woman and suggested that “things can change for people over the years“.
In an interview, he said that as a child that he had “gay experiences” and remembering being “very confused” about it. He also admitted that has always been effeminate and that people often confuse effeminacy with being gay. He finished by remarking,
“I guess I’m just very honest about my sexuality.
“But there are plenty of effeminate people who are straight, and plenty of butch people who are gay.
Anyways, as it’s 2017 it doesn’t matter which way David swings…
Celebrity Big Brother continues tonight on Channel 5 at a slightly later time.
The UK’s most famous house returns tonight at 22.30 PM – a slightly later time than usual. You’ll be able to catch up on all the latest gossip from the last 24 hours in Celebrity Big Brother.
Tonight sees Helen Lederer, Derek Acorah and Paul Danan get immunity from nomination.
What time is Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit On The Side on tonight?
Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit with Rylan on the Side isn’t on air tonight and returns on Monday night at 11.05 PM.
Who is Rylan Clark-Neal?
Rylan is probably most famous for his stint on the X Factor in 2012 where he finished in fifth place. He then went on to take part in and win Celebrity Big Brother in January 2013. He was born in 1988 and actually first made his name on a smaller reality show called, Signed By Katie Price, which he placed runner up.
I had some reservations about Gayby. A lot of these ‘gay films’ are usually clichéd drivel, almost always, an unlikely relationship sparks and then it’s just an hour of plot-holes and bad acting.
Jenn, a yoga instructor, and Matt, a comic book store worker, are best friends from college who are now single and in their 30’s. In agreement with a pact they made in their youth, the two decide to have a baby (“Gayby”) together, even though Jenn is straight and Matt is gay. Jenn’s grandmother set her up with a trust fund for if she ever had a child, so Jenn is confident that she and Matt will have the finances to have one. However, Jenn states that she wants to have a baby through natural conception, so the two begin awkwardly having sex.
Gayby was something very different indeed. I found it to be relentlessly charming in every way, with just the perfect amount of drama peppered in. Superbly written and directed by relative newcomer Jonathon Lisecki, It had something that all these other films are missing… A great script.
The awkwardness of the “Attempted Conception” scenes was genius, with just the perfect combination of one liners, curious glances and the various montages of penetration were just divinely cringe worthy.Possibly the stand out performance of the film is that of Jenn Harris. Harris plays the quintessential fag hag (Jen) to the devastatingly handsome Matthew Wilkas (Matt). Harris brings a depressive vibe into a relatively overused character, which is surprisingly, a breath of fresh air.
Although it’s the supporting characters that steal the show, both fag and hag have terrifically bitchy henchmen as it were, the ‘femme-bear’ “Nelson” and the incredibly bitchy “Jamie” (Jack Ferver)
By far the highlight of the film is the fabulous wannabe bear, Nelson, played brilliantly by writer and director Lisecki. The character of Nelson wasn’t particularly appealing to me at the beginning, then suddenly; the character soon manifests as the star of the show. Clearly, Lisecki gave himself some of the best lines, yet you don’t really mind, seeing as he pulls them off in the most gorgeously sarcastic manner.
Gayby’s plot isn’t really anything special; it is essentially a romantic comedy in disguise.
It’s the characters that make the film stand out. They are multidimensional and most importantly they’re ‘real’.
Uncompromisingly jovial, I would certainly recommend Gayby to anyone; it has buckets of charm, something that I find to be a rarity in gay cinema.
The BBC is set to broadcast a programme which aims to see if kids can go gender free.
Is the way we treat boys and girls the real reason we haven’t achieved equality between men and women?
In this bold, engaging and provocative experiment, Doctor Javid Abdelmoneim aims to find out whether stripping away the pink and blue will change the way this class of seven-year-olds think.
Being gender neutral
Taking over one Year 3 class from Lanesend primary school in the Isle of Wight, Doctor Javid aims to remove all differences in the way boys and girls are treated to see if, after six weeks of gender neutral treatment, he can even out the gaps in their achievement across a range of important psychological measures from self-confidence to spatial awareness.
As a doctor, he knows there are basic biological differences between the sexes, but he believes our biology can’t fully explain why men and women’s life chances – from pay, to careers are still so unequal in the UK. Even a quick shopping trip reveals just how much childhood has changed since Dr. Javid was growing up, with a tsunami of pink and blue clothes and toys aimed at different genders. A visit to Professor Gina Rippon at Aston University, one of the UK’s leading experts in brain imaging and neuroscience, reveals there is no such thing as a male or female brain type and instead the brain is a plastic organ, shaped and moulded by experiences, in which childhood is key.
Shocked by the children’s own polarised opinions on how boys and girls should live their lives, Doctor Javid commissions Dr Stella Mavroveli from the Psychometric Lab at University College London to assess between boys and girls behaviour and psychological traits from confidence to self-esteem, empathy and social skills. Upset by the results, Dr Javid sets out a series of interventions both in class and at home, to tackle these differences. Will Doctor Javid’s gender neutral mission produce meaningful change when he later repeats his tests at the end of term?
There are two episodes in this series, episode 1 will broadcast on Wednesday 16th August and the second will air on the 23rd August. Times to be confirmed, both will be broadcast on BBC 2
No More Boys And Girls: Can Our Kids Go Gender Free? is produced by Outline Productions for BBC Two
Jonathan Cheban is joining Rylan Clark-Neal on Channel 5’s Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit On The Side tonight, but what do we know about the man?
Jonathan Cheban is probably most famous for being Kim Kardashian’s best friend and starring in the hit reality TV Series, Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
Has Jonathan Cheban ever been on Celebrity Big Brother?
Yes in January 2016 Jonathan joined a whole host of celebs for Celebrity Big Brother, in what would become one of the most famous series of the show. Most notably it was the show where Angie Bowie found out that David Bowie had died and Tiffany Pollard upon hearing the news from Angie, mistook the news believing that her fellow housemate, David Gest had died.
However, Jonathan left the show before being nominated or facing the public vote. A spokesperson confirmed his exit by saying, “Jonathan Cheban has decided to leave the Celebrity Big Brother House.
The news came just two days after Cheban had voiced his concerns about feeling comfortable in the house and suffering anxiety.
Is Jonathan Cheban married or gay?
In 2012, during an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kris Humphries suggested that Jonathan might not be straight, which caused Kim to take matters into her own hands and ask the question outright, “What is your preference? Girls, guys, what?” she asked.
Kim even had an entire episode of her reality show dedicated to the speculation about his sexuality, although Heavy.com notes that “We’ve never really gotten a solid answer.”
It is not known if he is married or single. He has however been linked with Anat Popovsky.
