Big Brother is 18-years-old. Hard to believe but this year marks the 18th series of Big Brother and the 22nd of Celebrity Big Brother. It was widely reported that this season of the British version would be the last, on Channel 5 at least, but Rylan, who currently hosts Bit On The Side has hinted that it could go on for at least another two years.
The show has been on Channel 5 since 2011, when it moved from Channel 4, the show’s original home.
In a Q&A, speaking about how great BB is he said, “It’s amazing, and it’s amazing to be a part of TV history like that….LET’S MAKE IT 20!”
He recently took a break from hosting, but he said, “I’m over the moon after our extended break to be back where I belong. Looking after my baby. Not a series goes by that I don’t get excited about a new launch”.
Well indeed. Are you a fan, would you like to see another two series?
The question of Cher’s gay iconicness was a recent discussion on Quora and a couple of people, shared their reasons why Cher is loved and revered by gay men across the globe.
With her popularity on the rise again after the campest appearance on Mamma Mia, Here We Go Again, (I mean could you find a gayer show) we ask why the gays just love Cher.
One commenter simply wrote, “In her day she broke the mold. She’s a strong woman”, which may answer why she’s popular – everyone loves a winner right? But what makes a diva?
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Drag Queen Friendly
Darrin Huss, a singer and lyricist, wrote, “I find it fascinating that there seems to be some kind of DNA in Gay Men for Divas” and wrote about how easy Cher is to imitate for drag queens across the globe, he added, “from a drag queen’s point of view Cher is the ultimate clothes horse with many recognizable personality traits that can be imitated”.
Her voice, which is a lower alto also makes it relatively easy for men, who have naturally lower singing voices, to sing along with her tracks.
LGBT folk are always looking for powerful, hopeful, outsider or underdog role models and Cher fits all of those categories Darrin continues, “I assume it still has to do with the initial idea that coming out, and knowing you are different from the majority makes you seek powerful role models, and women who have been considered outsiders that fought their way into the hearts of the mainstream are powerful role models.
“They can dress up, perform, and create their own unique universe when they are successful enough. It’s harder for gay men to find role models in their own gender, who rarely are so daring, and over the top.”
Rolling Stone‘sJancee Dunn wrote, “Cher is the coolest woman who ever stood in shoes. Why? Because her motto is, ‘I don’t give a shit what you think, I’m going to wear this multicoloured wig.’ There are folks all over America who would, in their heart of hearts, love to date people half their age, get multiple tattoos and wear feathered headdresses.
Approachability
Another of Cher’s traits is that she seems approachable. Just following her on Twitter gives an insight to a woman who doesn’t think she is better than anyone else, and she’s funny as hell. She’s one of us – despite being more glamorous than any of us could hope for.
Perhaps it’s also the way she treats people as equals, Tim Janes, wrote, “Maybe because she doesn’t make broad statements about them that reinforce ignorant stereotypes”.
Forever youthful
Cher has refused to look old, despite being in her 70s – for many gay men, or at least men who are careful or mindful with their appearance, Cher is the perfect role model.
Staying the course
Cher has been a constant figure in the industry for over 50 years. Reinventing herself and not being afraid to move with the times. She ultimately gives her audience what they want, regardless of what general society expected of her. Gay people, and perhaps gay men, in particular, will appreciate that and is something to aspire to- being yourself regardless of what the world expects from you.
The glitter balls are spinning all around the world as the ultimate gay icon Cher announces her 26th album to be released next month on the 28th September and it is an ABBA tribute.
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Five years after her hugely successful 2013 Closer To The Truth album with its hit lead single ‘A Woman’s Work’ we get Cher’s 26th album released on digital, CD and even vinyl if you want it. The album will be called Dancing Queen and features 10 previously unreleased Cher versions of ABBA’s greatest hits all very different from the originals.
Following on from the massive success of Mamma Mia Here We Go Again the movie which is on target to out-gross the original. In its first three weeks has made $243 million from a budget of just $70 million which of course stars Cher and includes two new songs by her.
In the film, Cher duets with Andy Garcia on her current top 40 hit ‘Fernando’ and also closes the movie and album out with ‘Super Trouper’. The soundtrack is holding steady at number one in the album charts holding the likes of Drake and George Ezra off comfortably.
Dancing Queen, Cher’s new album does contain a different version of ‘Fernando’ to the one from the film. The lead single, released digitally this week is ‘Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)’ and it has instantly leapt our gay goddess to number six on the iTunes’ charts (up from 93) likely to go number one next week. See the full new CD track listing at the bottom.
Cher spoke about the project on The Today Show, “After filming Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, I was reminded again of what great and timeless songs they (ABBA) wrote and started thinking, ‘Why not do an album of their music?’ The songs were harder to sing than I imagined but I’m so happy with how the music came out. I’m really excited for people to hear it. It’s a perfect time. I have always liked ABBA and saw the original Mamma Mia musical on Broadway three times”. She added, “It’s not what you think of when you think ‘ABBA,’ because I did it in a different way.”
Of course, that is an understatement that many agree with who have heard her new great version of ‘Gimme Gimme Gimme’.
As she previously announced on The Graham Norton Show she is doing an Australia and New Zealand only tour, titled the ‘Here We Go Again Tour’ which is now being rebranded the ”Dancing Queen tour, in support of the new album, is set to launch on September 21, 2018, in Auckland, New Zealand. She is planning on doing six of the below Abba numbers in that show and of course promoters worldwide are now trying to pin her down do extend the tour to Asia, Europe and North America as the demand created by the film, soundtrack and predicted pre-orders of the tribute album make her hotter than at any time since ‘Believe’, maybe hotter as she is now a triple threat.
After the disappointment of her only other movie musical to date Burlesque in 2010 she decided to move away from acting in 2012 and concentrate on her music career which was a very wise move indeed as it is turning out. Due to the success of the new movie talks with theatre producers are now underway to bring Here We Go Again to the world’s stages to play alongside the original massively successful Mamma Mia musical which is not likely to be leaving any stages soon as ticket sales are back through the roof again and the original 2008 soundtrack is also back in the Top 5 itself with ABBA Gold the original artist compilation just three places lower (making 3 ABBA-inspired albums in the Top 10).
ABBA is coming back soon!!!
If that is not enough excitement for ABBA fans then we are now just 12 short weeks from the release in November of their first new material for 36 years when in 1982 they put out their final song ‘The Day Before You Came’ (In 1983 they recorded ‘Put On Your White Sombrero’ for single release but withdrew it for it later to turn up only on a box set). The new song ‘I still Have Faith In You’ is currently the bookmaker’s favourite to be the Christmas Number One 2018 which would be their first ever Xmas chartopper and 10th number one in the UK. All four members of Abba said, “The decision to go ahead with the exciting Abba avatar tour project had an unexpected consequence.
“We all four felt that, after some 35 years, it could be fun to join forces again and go into the recording studio. So we did. And it was like time had stood still and that we had only been away on a short holiday. An extremely joyful experience!“
It resulted in two new songs and one of them, ‘I Still Have Faith In You’, will be performed by our digital selves in a TV special produced by NBC and the BBC aimed for broadcasting in December.
“We may have come of age, but the song is new. And it feels good
The full track listing of the new Cher album available to pre-order now is :-
Dancing Queen
1. Dancing Queen
2. Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (a Man After Midnight)
3. The Name of the Game
4. SOS
5. Waterloo
6. Mamma Mia
7. Chiquitita
8. Fernando
9. The Winner Takes It All
10. One of Us
Music is a funny thing. It does evoke such memories and for the majority of the time in my life, they are good ones. Even if the outcome hasn’t been as I had wished for, I can still see the goodness in it. Misinterpreting, however, is easily done when it seems to offer an escape or fits a situation even if that wasn’t what the artists intended. One song in particular just does it for me.
“China Chris” ‘Wishful Thinking’ came on the radio the other day. I loved that song. Even though the song was released in 1984, I loved it even more back in 1994. I’d bought a CD titled Electric Dreams and at the time it was the only album l played. It also went well with a 1980 Citroën GS Club estate l had at the times.
Anyway back to the song in hand by China Crisis. Apparently, it’s not a gay song and yet when you look at the song cover sleeve you can see why I thought it was. Lead singer Eddie Lundon was fit. Bandmate Gary Daly was looking up at him sort of in my eyes wishfully thinking what I was.
Listen to the song and you can quite easily see why, as a confused 19-year-old youth with a longing for the man from Securicor deliveries, that I made it about him.
“It’s time we should talk about is
There’s no secret kept in here
I see the likeness in his smile and the way he stands
Makes it all worthwhile”
Just those last two lines from that chorus did it. I would stand at the window of the awful soft furnishing shop I worked in and look out for him whenever the blue Securicor Ford Transit van would pull up down the high street.
My word, l was in lust with him. I’ll spare his name though don’t think for one second I haven’t looked him up on Facebook. I’m not very good at stalking and I failed miserably. I’ve either not quite got the last name right or he simply isn’t there. Just getting his name was a feat of success that I remember it well. I can’t tell you how I kicked myself with joy when l did. I even kept the piece of paper with his name in and I still have it to this day.
Life was simpler for a 19-year-old Stuart with no mortgage to pay.
I can’t quite admit that l would find fault in fabrics and curtains just so they would be returned and that he’d have to come in to collect but I did. Lust is a silly thing. Makes you do silly things. Didn’t resort to stalking though, as I say I’m not very good at it. I didn’t have time either. To be honest, where do people find time to stalk people?
Back to Mr Securicor, he was just perfect. Or so I thought. One day he came in and told me he was leaving to become a supervisor. He broke my heart. He left me, stranded in the shop I hated and never to be seen again and he wasn’t. I never saw him again. Except for today when that song came on the radio and again after that when l played it on loop for about 15 times not sobbing uncontrollably into the sleeve of my jumper. If I can’t be an excessive stalker, then at least let me stalk with a song and happy thoughts.
Our returns reduced quite dramatically after that and where is he now? Haven’t a clue. It was a silly lustful crush and “Wishful Thinking”… only just.
It’s hard to believe that this car as it is, on my driveway is just £3650 more than the Astra we tested recently. And you’ll notice this through other manufacturers. There once was a time when they made more money from their big cars. That doesn’t always seem the case these days but is the Insignia £3650 extra about right or an absolute bargain?
Driving
The engine in Insignia is down by 26ps over that fitted to the Astra, and it feels it. It runs out of puff rather quicker to reflecting its leisurely 11+ 0-60 sprint, yet that is the wrong way to drive this version on Vauxhall’s 1598cc turbo diesel. The power of 300Nm on this engine comes in lowly at 1750rpm to 2000rpm. In the Astra, it was higher up at 2000rpm and beyond. This lower engine power suits the Insignia well and here is the reason. It’s a smoother car to drive. The feel of the Insignia is more relaxed.
Inside
The overall ambience of the cabin is of serenity. There is subtle lighting across the tops of the doors and along the dashboard. It’s very in keeping with the current trends. What is also like the tendency is to exclude this nicety from the rear doors. Why the rear passengers are not given this, I do not know. Thankfully the rears are treated to heated seats and have access to two USB ports to charge up the smartphones that will no doubt be connected to Vauxhall’s WiFi hotspot within the car. They are also given vast amounts of legroom too. It’s more than spacious in the rear.
Living with it
As estate cars go, there is a load of space in the back. A bulkhead style cargo net comes as standard. It is integrated into two positions. It can be placed in front of the rear seats folded up and down. If you only carry a load that sits below the window line you’ll never appreciate this but for those who carry to the max will, and its fitting and removal are incredibly easy. Just like folding the rear seats to reveal a flat load area. You’ll find the release catch either inside the boot or on top of the seats.It’s a simple operation.
The Verdict
It’s a bargain. As load luggers go, the Insignia carries more as you’d expect. It’s rather nice inside and made for effortless cruising. Considering what I said about it being lower powered compared to the Astra, don’t let that put you off. It all comes together to make for a more cohesive car that carries loads and cruises well. In my mind, that is a better combination. The problem I did find with the estate style body was the height of the rear door. At 6’1” my head brush closely to the underside. Depending on the angle I parked at I did once knock my head on it. It is, however, the price we pay for sleeker looking estate cars.
Love
Comfort
Load-lugging ability
Ease of converting to full estate
Loathe
Low tailgate edge
Lack of cabin joy in the rear
Road noise with the cargo cover missing
The Lowdown
Car –Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer SRi Nav 1.6 110PS Turbo D
It might seem like a wise move – after all carrots are phallically shaped and are cheap as chips but they might not actually be the best thing to use as a sex toy.
The problem is that they don’t have a flared end, like dildos and butt plugs, which means if you lose your grip you’re going to have to poop it out – wide end first. Which might be your thing, but probably won’t feel great.
What’s more, if you end up having trouble passing it, you could end up in casualty, which let’s face it is not the best way to spend a Sunday morning.
Sex and Fruit
Using fruit and veg could be a great way to excite and reignite your sex life though. Using soft fleshy, non-acidic fruit such as honeydew melons or watermelons can be an exciting way to get new sensations. Simply put a hole in it and thrusting in and out will provide interesting brand new feelings.
Alternatively, you can always use other foodstuffs such as chocolate spreads or even Marmite, who recently brought out body paint.
Caution must be used when inserting anything into your butt that doesn’t have a handle or gives good grip. People have ended up in A&E after failing to retrieve a cucumber, banana or carrot that’s gotten lodged in their rectums. Anything that gets stuck up your butt will be a painful experience that can actually lead to death if left untreated. We would urge anyone who has gotten anything stuck up there to seek medical advice immediately, no matter how embarrassed you feel.
If you’re looking to insert a food, why not try a lollipop or ice cubes, which will melt.
It’s best to use toys that are actually designed for insertion, such as dildos and vibrators. Don’t forget if you’re using toys together and share them, to use a fresh condom before using it on your partner, and wash them properly after use.
If you are going to insert a carrot, gherkin, cucumber or banana, make sure you’re relaxed. Some of these veg can be much larger than a penis, so using lots of lube and taking your time is a must.
Porn star, Pierre Fitch has seemingly split from his boyfriend, Ethan Chase and is now on the prowl to make movies with another guy on the ex-couple’s shared Just For Fans account (NSFW) – ouch!
Taking to Instagram, the porn star, wrote a simple message to his 157,000 fans saying, “I’m now single — looking for sexy hot models to film for my site justfor.fans/ChaseFitchxxx”
Ethan hasn’t broken his silence about the split. His last IG post was a picture of the couple together celebrating their one year anniversary. His post is dated 29th July.
A post shared by Ethan Chase Official (@x_ethanchase_x) on
Up until now, the pair have made films together – according to the site, at least 76 videos of them. Some of the clips are with other actors. Just For Fans is a website that allows porn stars to upload their own content and charge fans a monthly fee for exclusive content and private videos.
Back in the 80’s, movie musicals such as Fame and Footloose blazed a trail across cinema screens and into the hearts of foot tapping teens everywhere. But nestled between the two was Flashdance, the story of Alex – a welder by day and a club dancer at night, with a dream to make it into a prestigious to dance school. Now fully embedded in popular culture, being mimicked by Geri Halliwell and Comic Relief; and even making an appearance in The Full Monty, Flashdance now takes to the stage with Strictly Come Dancing’s Joanne Clifton.
Based incredibly loosely on the film, the stage show waters down the story of the gritty welder and her struggles to make it, and provides a fairly sanitised version of the story, with plenty of nods to the film, but placing the emphasis on different aspects of the story. The show retains a handful of songs from the film’s soundtrack, including “Maniac”, “Gloria” and “Flashdance (What a Feeling)”; but packs them in tightly with a high number of original songs which are functional, but not particularly memorable.
Filled with an abundance of day-glow, colourful neon, the show is little more than an excuse for some vibrant dance numbers, nowhere more alive than in Demmileigh Foster’s show-stealing rendition of “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”, and in the rather upbeat closing medley. Joanne Clifton shows that she can sing as well as dance, and Colin Kiyani was perfectly affable as Nick, Alex’s boss and boyfriend.
Those wanting a theatrical version of the film (akin to the Dirty Dancing musical) won’t get that here, given the light plot, two dimensional characters and a rather lacklustre script; but this story is really a wraparound device to tie together the musical numbers of which there are plenty; with a few good set pieces and a feel-good ending to be had.
She’s been starring in Orange Is The New Black since 2013, but who is Taylor Schilling and what else has she appeared in?
(C) BIGSTOCKTaylor Schilling plays the bisexual character Piper Chapman in Netflix’s massive hit drama/comedy Orange Is The New Black. In the show, she plays the real-life person on which the entire series was based upon, Piper Kerman, who was incarcerated for money laundering. Taylor has appeared in 77 episodes of the show, all but one of the 78 episodes of the show.
OITNB is her first major role in a TV series since playing Veronica Flanagan Callahan in Mercy in 2009 in which she starred in 22 episodes. She has starred in at least 10 films as well her TV credits.
When it comes to sexuality, Taylor’s differs somewhat to Piper’s. Speaking about her sexuality Taylor said to the Evening Standard, “I’ve had very serious relationships with lots of people, and I’m a very expansive human. There’s no part of me that can be put under a label. I really don’t fit into a box — that’s too reductive … I’ve had a lot of love, and I don’t have any qualms about where it comes from.
How old is Taylor Schilling?
Laura was born in July 1984 which makes her 34 in 2018. She was born in Boston Massachusettes USA.
Is Taylor Schilling Married?
Schilling is not married as far as we know. She was linked to out musician and actor Carrie Brownstein in the summer of 2015 – although she managed to keep that under the radar until 2016 when she said that she was single. Speaking to People about her love life she said, “If I was in a relationship I was happy with, I’d love to talk about it. But I don’t like to date. It takes a lot for me to be into somebody. By default I’m a monogamist. I want a partner in crime.”
It is reported that she currently has a boyfriend living in Gowanus in Brooklyn.
The UK government’s LGBT Action Plan sounds like the blueprint for some upcoming wargame, rather than a 32-page, 75-commitment based document aimed at pulling down barriers for the LGBT community in both their public and private lives. Yet one promise causing the most interest appears to commitment to finally ban the so-called ‘gay conversion therapy’:
“We will bring forward proposals to end the practice of conversion therapy in the UK. These activities are wrong, and we are not willing to let them continue. Led by the Government Equalities Office, we will fully consider all legislative and non-legislative options to prohibit promoting, offering or conducting conversion therapy. Our intent is protect people who are vulnerable to harm or violence, whether that occurs in a medical, commercial or faith-based context. We are not trying to prevent LGBT people from seeking legitimate medical support or spiritual support from their faith leader in the exploration of their sexual orientation or gender identity”.
It is rarely the child who finds the problem with their own sexuality once they understand and accept it, rather it is those around them; those who would otherwise provide support. LGBT charities still exist to tackle those occasions when parents are unaccepting – if you want to appreciate the real scope, just take a glance at the homelessness statistics and the functions of the Albert Kennedy Trust. The government’s promise on introducing both legislative and non-legislative options to prohibit “promoting, offering or conducting conversion therapy” is an important and substantive change in tenor that should not be underestimated.
The conversion therapy makes the fundamental assumption that sexual orientation is a psychological disorder that can be ‘cured’. Previously, while there was no general acceptance of it, the UK government’s position was that the regulation and code of ethics for any regulated practitioner would prevent LGBT individuals being offered or undergoing this treatment. The government would not legislate for the sake of it and nor would they criminalise the conduct.
There is not harmony or unified thinking about this across either Europe or the rest of the world. Some countries, like Brazil and Argentina, and a few US states have banned it but great swathes still take no real affirmative action.
How can the Government ‘Ban’ Conversion Therapies?
The government has many tools in its war cupboard when approaching these. The big guns of the arsenal could be the criminalisation of the therapy itself, but it can just drive the practice further underground and some would argue that it is a practice which people ‘choose’ to undertake. Criminalising the promotion of it is another route, or introducing hefty fines for those practitioners caught conducting or condoning it. How would you regulate it though? Those who are professionals are already regulated by their professional body and who have already taken steps to prevent it.
Some, including myself, have argued previously about how the government was simply burying their heads in the sand on this point and was failing vulnerable children who are not being taken to regulated professionals, but camps involving the most inhumane physical and psychological torment.
Whichever way the government shapes this, a root and branch approach is going to be needed to get this from the core and strip it back to a fundamental understanding in all sections of society. Gender identity and sexual orientation already have incredibly high levels of suicide and depression amongst young adults and children. It is important that they see this change and the support that it brings them when society will step in and say, “This is not just wrong, it is abhorrent. This will not be tolerated in any form anymore.”
For the most determined parent, could they still just take their children abroad? How can we protect and prevent this too without a wider consensus in foreign countries as well? I would hope the UK government has a plan to deter this from happening, but what safeguards can they put in place? Here we would hope to see non-legislative change, promoting better understand and LGBT education in schools, building relations with different parts of society and adding these forms of harm to child protection officers in schools and local authorities. The Church of England acknowledged this in 2017. Will other community leaders openly do so too?
The LGBT Action Plan is a tome of information, statistics and ambitious promises. It highlights many other facts, such as disclosure of their sexual orientation at work and the high level of discrimination in the workplace that still remains. While we have legislation in this area already, the absence of real and substantive legislation or debate in the area of gay conversion therapy is astounding. Whether the government of the day decides to criminalise the practice, or place deterrents in some other form, this will be hailed by the LGBT community as a step towards not just equality but basic, human dignity.
The more cynical side of my mind remains with a question though: will the government be able to create a robust enough system of ‘prevention’ which is better than the ‘cure’?
Andrew Spearman is an award-winning lawyer and Director of A City Law Firm
A North London LGBT+ venue, Her Upstairs has closed abruptly, without warning for unspecified “legal reasons”.
North London’s gay scene has been dealt another blow after the popular LGBT and drag venue, Her Upstairs, closed with no warning. The venue’s management announced the sudden closure on its Facebook page.
The statement reads,
“It is with great sadness that as of today Her Upstairs is no longer open for business at 18 Kentish Town Road.
“For legal reasons we cannot share the details of this sudden closure.
“We regret that we have had to do this so abruptly and without giving our incredible community a chance to say goodbye to the space.
“Our queer spaces are so vital, but it’s the people, not the bricks and mortar that make the space. We may be lacking in a physical space but we feel each and everyone of our family with us no matter where we go.
“This is a goodbye for the present but not a farewell.
“With love from the Her Upstairs family, stay tuned and we’ll see you very soon.”
The closure comes just a few years after the landmark venue, The Black Cap was forced to close in Camden. The only LGBT venue that now exists in North London in permanent form is Central Station which is close to Kings Cross train station. THEGAYUK.com has been running a campaign called Lost LGBT Scene which keeps track of LGBT venues closures in London since the year 2000. The loss of Her Upstairs take the number of venues closed to around 117.
