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  • TOWIE | Cheating Harry Sent Home By Bobby

    TOWIE’s Harry Derbidge And Bobby Cole Norris have called it a day.

    The pair who announced their relationship with a bedtime selfie earlier this year have called time on their relationship have Harry revealed that he had cheated on Bobby.

    Harry admitted to his boyfriend that he had slept with his ex-boyfriend while in Tenerife.

    In the first episode of the new series of the ITV 2 show The Only Way In Marbs Harry admitted to seeing his ex confessing, ‘Before I tell you this just know I absolutely love you so much. Please don’t cry, please.

    ‘When we was in Tenerife I did sleep with my ex, I’m f***ing so sorry because I f***ing never meant to hurt you, I really didn’t.’

    When Bobby asked where the two now stood in terms of their relation Harry responded, ‘If I wanted to be with him I would be with him but I’m not. I’m dedicating my love to you.’

    Bobby wasn’t having any of it saying, ‘I’ve been cheated on in the past and I’ve always told myself ‘Bobby, you cannot accept that anymore’. So as it kinda stands I cant make you happy so maybe being together isn’t the right thing right now.’

    ‘I can’t go through this. I still love you. I love you to the world but I’m never going to make you happy. I’m going to let you go but I want you to be happy but I need to go.’

    The Only Way is Essex returns Sunday July 29 on ITV2 at 10pm

  • COLUMN | Everything old is new again

    Every summer our movie reviewer Roger Walker-Dack re-locates to Provincetown on the tip of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. In fact he is there right now to cover their International Film Festival exclusively for THEGAYUK.

    This rather stunning small coastal town that is a prime vacation destination has a fun packed calendar that has literally special events for everyone from Bears to Circuit Boys, to Women of Color & Gay Family Week to ensure that all shades of LGBT people are catered for. But away from silver screen I have noticed a surprising new trend in the roster of entertainers who are flocking to perform on all the main stages here. Whilst there are still most of the regular stars such as the impeccably hot Well Strung Quartet who play as well as they look, so many of the new stars this year are very old indeed.

    So old in fact that it’s a wonder that these legendary Broadway stars can, and are still, performing. At the top of the scale is the original Hello Dolly Miss Carol Channing who is now 92 years old. She is at least sharing her stage with a much younger performer, the long-legged Tommy Tune who’s barely 75 years old. The potty-mouth Joan Rivers who clocks in at 80 years old will be here, so will jazz singer and favorite guest on the late Johnny Carson’s Show, Miss Marilyn Maye who will be 86 years old.

    Donna McKenrick who won a Tony in the original version of A Chorus Line is still doing the high kicks at age 71, and then the week later Helen ‘I am Woman’ Reddy, the queen of 70’s pop and who is now 72, will be doing her stuff.

    One of the youngest of this bunch of Tony Award winners is Liza Minnelli with just 68 years under her belt is probably the most likely one to send a sick note instead especially as she is now more famous for the concerts she cancels than the ones she performs. And then there is Andrea McArdle the original Annie and who is STILL singing The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow as she has done for the past 36 years, is a mere 50 years old.

    P Town does have this wonderful joyous spirit and real sense of community that is both embracing and encompassing. I’m sure then if one of these Grand Dames doesn’t show then they will be generous and forgiving, and at the very least send out one of the plethora of the local talented Drag Queens who can probably do a better Liza (or Carol) than they can do themselves.

  • FASHION | Thanks for the spanx

    It has to be said Spanx for men is a winning formula.

    Sometimes you need a little extra help in keeping that slender image of your’s slimlined, especially if you’ve been slacking on the gym and the daily jogs, but Spanx for men can help you cheat, just a little.

    This is truly a game changing product, that lets you walk a little taller. The moment you put on your Spanx you can feel your body confidence restored.

    It’s in our Top 5 picks in our latest issue – and prices start from just £22 for the comfort brief to the £69 zoned Performance V neck, which is physique–improving. It is a seamless undershirt, designed with cooling features and compression zones that transform the torso and chest.

    Find out more at http://www.spanx.co.uk/shop/spanx-for-men.html

  • Tom Daley: Splash Unlikely To Return For Third Series

    Fans of Tom Daley, will, undoubtedly be gutted that Splash! will probably not be returning for a 3rd series.

    Due to the diver’s work load and his concentration on the 2016 Rio Olympic games, Tom Daley‘s Splash! is unlikely to return to screens in the near future.

    According to a spokeperson in Broadcast, ‘no decision has been made’ on whether there will be a new series.

    The 2nd series, which led to pictures like this, this and this – drew in respectable 3.8million viewers, but a far cry from the reported 5.4million for the first series.

  • FILM REVIEW | Bright Days Ahead

    ★★★★ | Bright Days Ahead

    64-year-old Caroline has retired earlier from her dental practice than she had expected too after falling out with a colleague and she now finds herself at a loose end with too much spare time on her hands.

    She feels somewhat depressed and disorientated after the death of her best friend from breast cancer just three months prior, and this has made her even more aware of her own mortality. Her two grown up children with their own busy lives, want to encourage her to move on and so buy her a trial membership to a local seniors club that has the innocuous title of ‘Bright Days Ahead.’

    Caroline’s first nervous visit to the centre ends every badly when she feels patronised by the young woman running the drama classes, but when she gets home and neither she or her husband can work out their new wifi set up, she reluctantly agrees to go back and try the computer class instead. This is led by Julian an attractive 41 year old man who confides in her that he has a toothache and after Caroline takes him back to her ex-surgery to fix it for him, he returns the favour by making a pass at her.

    It’s not exactly the main reason why this man, who is the same age as her daughters, wants to bed her as he turns out that he is quite the ladies man with a small stable of regular ‘dates’. But even when she discovers this Caroline is more happy to indulge in some very hot love-making as she and her husband had stopped being physical with each other some time ago.

    The secret affair brings more than colour to Caroline’s cheeks as it makes her extraordinary happy and gives her such a sense of purpose that she throws herself enthusiastically into most of the activities at the Club and becomes friends with all the other women there. When word eventually gets out about her daily dalliances in Julian’s office etc, her classmates are in awe and egg her on. However Phillipe her husband doesn’t take too kindly at being cuckolded especially as in this small coastal town that they live in, news like this travels very fast.

    It seems like as a respected dentist, a loyal wife and a good mother, Caroline has always put the consideration of others first in her priorities, but now she has done a complete U turn and thought of nothing more than her own pleasure and happiness. With such a past track record, it’s obvious that she will end up doing the ‘decent thing’ in the end, but hopefully with the realisation that there is an alternative to the inevitable after all.

    The movie has received criticism that it portrays a very unrealistic view of old-age greatly enhanced by the fact that Caroline is played by the strikingly beautiful and exquisite Fanny Ardant. One would never ever dream of calling this great French actress a senior citizen no matter what her age. It is her very presence that so radiates in every scene on the screen, and so I for one am more than happy for Caroline to indulge in this fantasy, no matter how unrealistic it may be.

    A very light and enjoyable piece with one of THE grande dames of French cinema out from 20th June

  • Are you more sexually adventurous than your partner?

    Research conducted by an online pharmacy has revealed that 67% of Britons believe that they are more ‘sexually adventurous’ than their partner, with a quarter of these stating that they are ‘frustrated’ by the mismatch in their sexual preferences with their partner.

    A new study by an online pharmacy in the UK, which specialises in sexual health, has revealed that a quarter of Britons are left ‘frustrated’ by their partner’s sex drive. It was unveiled that more than two thirds (67%) of people in relationships believe that they are more ‘sexually adventurous’ than their other half.

    The study was conducted by www.UKMedix.com, an online pharmacy in the UK which specialises in sexual health, in order to investigate Britons’ sexual habits and attitudes. 2,013 UK citizens took part in the online survey, all of whom were aged 18 and over and in a co-habiting relationship of six months or longer.

    Respondents were first asked ‘Do you believe that you are more sexually adventurous than your partner?’ with the term explained as ‘open-minded and willing to try new things’. More than two thirds (67%) of respondents stated that they felt they were more adventurous in the bedroom than their other half.

    These respondents were asked to share their exploits, in terms of the things they had tried in the past. The top five most popular antics of sexually ‘adventurous’ Britons were as follows:

    Role play – 72%
    Sex outdoors – 61%
    Sex in public places (e.g. toilets, lifts etc) – 37%
    Sex with a stranger – 28%
    Threesomes – 26%

    Less than half of the respondents (47%) stated that they had embarked upon these experiences with their current partner. Instead, the most common accomplice was ‘an ex-partner’ (64%), followed by ‘a friend with benefits’ (28%).

    When asked if they ever felt ‘frustrated’ with their current partner’s sexual preferences, a quarter (23%) confirmed that they did. The top three issues amongst frustrated Britons in relationships were voted as ‘my partner is not adventurous enough’ (73%), ‘my partner doesn’t want to have sex as often as I do’ (63%) and ‘my partner wants to have sex too often’ (31%). One in ten respondents, 11%, confessed that they were no longer sexually attracted to their partner.

    Sarah Bailey of UKMedix.com commented on the findings, ‘Who knew that us Brits were so adventurous in the bedroom!? It even appears that we can get a little demanding with our need for adventure! There are bound to be differences between partners in any relationship and sex is a really subjective thing. Everyone has different tastes and no two people are the same. If you are really struggling with a mismatched sex drive, then the first and most important thing to do is talk to your other half.’

  • EastEnders Spoiler: Is Johnny Carter getting a first boyfriend?

    Is Johnny Carter about to get a boyfriend? An insider says very possibly after gay pride episode.

    A Walford insider said, ‘It soon becomes clear that Johnny (played by Sam Strike) met someone at gay pride and they really hit it off. He’s got a love bite on his neck and a phone that won’t stop buzzing with text messages – it seems some is smitten!’

    However it seems he is trying desperately to cover his tracks from his mum Linda, who has yet to fully come to terms with Johnny’s sexuality.

    Johnny Carter came out at the end of last year, which resulted in one of the most talked about gay moments of TV when he told his father Mick Carter (Danny Dyer)

    Last month our roving photographer caught a sneak peak of Sam Strike filming in Soho. See the exclusive pictures here.

  • Gay couple attacked in London; one left unconscious by TEEN gang

    A gay couple in London were beaten by a number of teenagers in London, leaving one unconscious.

    According to the London Evening Standard, Walter Adrian, 23, and his partner, who has asked not to be named were approached by seven Bangladeshi teenagers who then assaulted the couple and called them anti-gay slurs, including ‘f*cking faggots’.

    The attack happened on Whitechapel Road, after leaving a friend’s party, on the 13th June, just before midnight.

    ‘We weren’t even holding hands or kissing or anything, but all the comments were based on us being gay.

    ‘One of them said “f**king faggots” so we wanted to try and leave and my partner pushed one of them but then they got physical.

    ‘They punched him and then there were six or seven of them just going at us while we were cornered against the wall.

    ‘They were saying, ‘this is our street, this is our area, get out of here’, just because they thought we were gay. It happens a lot round this area and East London.

    ‘We weren’t even acting gay and that’s what’s upsetting. Whether anyone is gay or not you just can’t feel safe. You’re scared of being attacked and afraid to go out by yourself.’

    Adrian was left unconscious, he has bruises to his head and stomach, while his partner had a swollen jaw.

    The attackers were described as 15-to-18 year old Bangladeshis who were wearing dark sports clothing.

    A Scotland Yard spokesman said: ‘We were called at 1.40am on June 13 to reports of an assault in Whitechapel Road. Investigations continue.’

    Last year anti-gay incidents were recorded in East London, where a number of men were arrested after harassing a ‘gay looking’ man.

  • House prices have risen 31 PER CENT in London

    New research from comparison site Gocompare.com has highlighted the disproportionate growth in the London housing market when compared to the rest of the UK since the last general election in May 2010.

    Under the Conservative-led coalition, average house prices in the capital have risen by a staggering £103,323, on average, from £331,711 in 2010, to £435,034 this year. This means purchasing a property in London four years ago is the equivalent of having a second income of £25,830.

    However, the figures show that the story isn’t the same across the entire country, as only five of the nine regions of England and Wales enjoyed any rise whatsoever over the four year period. The house price data also shows that the North/South divide is alive and well, as the North West, North East, Wales and Yorks & Humber regions all experienced a drop in house prices.

    Though London house prices have risen by a staggering 31.15%, excluding the capital the rest of England and Wales only saw a rise of 0.16%, or £217.38, on average. Of the other regions, the South East experienced the most growth with a 7.8% (£16,384) rise in property values, which is still nearly four times lower than the boom enjoyed in London.

    Conversely, the North East suffered the biggest drop in house prices as values fell by 8% from £107,717 in 2010 to £99,001 in 2014, an average slump of £8,716.

    Matt Sanders mortgage spokesperson at Gocompare.com commented, ‘It’s no secret that London is a particularly expensive place to live, however the difference between house price rises in the capital when compared with the rest of England and Wales really does lend weight to the phrase ‘London prices’.

    ‘These figures will do little to comfort Londoners looking to get on the property ladder. However, those in other areas of the country should be reassured that despite talk of rising house prices across the UK, outside of the capital, there hasn’t been a big change in the affordability of property. And even with the recent tightening of mortgage lending rules, with low interest rates and competitive mortgage deals available it’s still very much a buyer’s market.

    ‘With the European elections behind us and British political parties now focusing on next year’s general election, balancing the housing market and preventing a London bubble, must surely be a key issue.’

    For people overwhelmed by mortgages, Gocompare.com has a collection of mortgage guides available on their website, including guides for first time buyers and information regarding the government’s Help to Buy scheme.

  • Big Brother’s Danielle talk about marriage with Winston

    All the latest on tonight’s episode of Big Brother… And Danielle talks to Winston about Marriage and why men are basically men whores… it’s because of their DNA – apparently.

    Speaking to Winston, Danielle says, ‘Say a man slept with ten girls and then you had a women who slept with ten girls (sic), that would offend me that the women done it but I wouldn’t judge the guy. I can understand why a man does it because it’s just how they are in their DNA really, but women it’s different; they’re not made like that.’

    Danielle made headlines when entering the Big Brother house 19 days ago because of her strict Catholic views against same-sex marriage

    Here’s what else is going on in the house tonight, from 10:00PM on Channel 5

    • Danielle talks to Big Brother and says she “feels emotionally and mentally exhausted…there’s so many vindictive people in here…I just feel like a caged bird” She goes on to talk about Helen saying, “the girl has serious issues…has a personal problem with me, whatever that is. Such a rude, vile girl…she’s just horrible, just horrid. She is quite honestly the nastiest person I’ve ever met in my life”.

    • Matthew, Jale, Toya and Ashleigh talk about Helen in the bedroom. Toya remarks, “the things that she’s done…the snide comments, the remarks, the things that I’ve witnessed are absolutely disgusting…” Jale adds, “I’m getting annoyed with myself for giving Helen a chance up until a couple of days ago…she can’t be that unbalanced otherwise she wouldn’t be in here”.

    • Helen talks to Steven, Ash, Mark and Kimberly about how she’s feeling in the House.

    • Kimberly and Toya discuss being in the House. When Kimberly asks if she’s happy not to have the power, Toya says, “I’m more happy that I’m up for nomination to be honest…do you think I want to stay in this House? No, I don’t…”

    • Danielle talks to Ashleigh about Kimberly saying, “we’re done…we are through. I will never speak to her outside this House” Ashleigh responds saying, “I won’t be either, she doesn’t give a sh*t” Danielle adds, “She’s not got my back…she’s got no loyalty to me…I will never, ever trust her again”

    • Helen talks to Toya about Danielle and says, “I’d rather be friendly and polite… I don’t want to upset someone, that upsets me…I just need to accept and stop being childish about things and think she’s different to me and I don’t think we’re ever going to see eye to eye”

    • Kimberly talks to Danielle about some of the other Housemates and explains that they bond by putting their cards on the table and making fun of one another and that “it’s kind of them trying to bond with you in a weird way” Danielle responds that she doesn’t think a lot of people like her in the House and she’s “fine with that…I know who my friends are”

    • Ashleigh talks to Toya about Danielle saying, “I’m going to have to smack her, I swear to God. I need to give her a shake”

    • The Housemates successfully compete in a trust task

    • Toya tells Matthew about her troubled relationship with Marlon and says, “If he calls me a fuc*ing bit*h one more time, I will verbally, verbally destroy him”

    • Kimberly and Danielle talk about Steven and speculate that they may be booked for a double photo shoot when they are evicted

    • Ash, Winston and Marlon analyse the eviction odds. Marlon observes, “It’s either gonna be me or Toya…I can’t wait to see that reaction” Ash adds, “It’s going to go either way”

    • Toya tells Big Brother, “When I told you hurricane Toya was brewing… well hurricane Toya arrived. There was no destruction, just some superficial damage.”

    • Steven talks to Jale about the upcoming evictions and says, “I think Danielle’s perception with the public has changed” He goes on to speculate that the argument between Marlon and Toya has put them both in jeopardy with Jale saying, “she’s written herself off”

    • Danielle talks to Ashleigh about her earlier conversation with Kimberly regarding Steven

    • Kimberly talks to Jale about Helen saying, “The one benefit about Helen is that if she has something to say, she’ll say it.”

    • Matthew tells Big Brother that he thinks “Ashleigh and Toya have become very close”

    • Kimberly and Steven talk about her barriers.

    • Danielle talks to Winston about marriage.

    • Danielle, Kimberly and Jale jump in the pool and are joined by some of the other Housemates for an impromptu pool party

    • Following the pool party, some of the boys joke that Marlon has his eye on Danielle to which he responds, “I can crack that nut”

    • Helen tells Big Brother that she thinks she’s turned a leaf with Danielle who showed a fun side during the evening

    • Kimberly and Danielle discuss Ashleigh and Toya’s influence over her

  • FILM REVIEW | The Case Against 8

    ★★★★★ | The Case Against 8

    On the morning of November 5th 2008 our euphoria over the election of Barak Obama as the first African/American President of the US was severely dampened when we learnt that voters in California had passed Proposition 8, albeit by a slim majority. Overnight they had taken away the legal right of same-sex marriages in the State. It was a bitter blow for those still wanting to marry and it created sheer confusion and dismay for the 18000 couples that had wed in the past few months.

    There was immediate talk of mounting a legal challenge in federal court but it wasn’t until someone had the inspired idea of engaging the services of Ted Olsen did the notion take flight. Olsen seemed a highly unlikely choice as he was not only a prominent Republican who had been the US Solicitor General but more famously had been the chief advocate in the US Supreme Court in Bush vs Gore which resulted in George W. snatching the Presidency from Al Gore who had won the popular vote. There was a great deal of opposition to Olsen from many sections of the gay community who thought he was a ‘mole’ planted by the Right wing, and also many in the Republican considered him a traitor to their cause.

    Olsen however soon showed his sincerity and total commitment to fighting for the overturn of Prop 8 by persuading prominent Democratic Lawyer David Boiles, who had been his opposition when he had acted for Vice President Gore, to now be his co-counsel. It was a shrewd move as the two high-flying lawyers not only had a great deal of respect for each other, but they brought different skills to the case and made an invincible team.

    Olsen explained the reasoning for his own stance very clearly in the film. “Marriage is a conservative value. It’s two people who love one another and want to live together in a stable relationship, to become part of a family and part of neighborhood and our economy. We should want people to come together in marriage.’ It was one of the many times in this riveting documentary that Olsen quietly demonstrated what an outstanding humanitarian he really is.

    The legal challenge was mounted by Chad Griffin and the leadership of American Foundation of Equal Rights (AFER) and what strikes you so vividly as this story unfolds is not just the dogged determination and commitment of the vast team but the realisation on how much gay activism has changed. Gone are the rabid well-meaning dis-organised hippies of my youth whose anger always fueled our protests that so often muddied the water rather than help us make progress as the establishment ran rings around us.

    Griffin’s team of lawyers and the lead counsels mounted the whole campaign with such sheer professionalism, micro-managing every minute detail that made for an impressive compelling argument. Their strategy was to focus on the very obvious facts of the matter with the reality that this was about a basic human right. Whereas the opposition who were much better funded, relied on hot-headed rhetoric and their own personal opinions steeped in bigotry and hate with scant regard for the proven facts.

    When David Boiles personally supervised the taking of depositions from all the expert witnesses the opposition put forward, he was so relentless that they all but one, withdraw before the first trial. The remaining ‘expert’ David Blankenhorn was the cause of some merriment when the Team uncovered that asides from the tome he had penned on marriage his only other qualification was his Masters Degree. It was on Victorian Cabinet making! And later on when he was being cross examined by Mr Boiles on the witness stand in court he did a complete U turn and actually agreed that same sex marriage should be legalised. It was, as Mr Olsen described as ‘a Perry Mason moment’ and the start of the collapse of the Opposition’s case.

    AFER’s thorough search to find the perfect Plaintiffs on whose behalf the Law would be challenged was impressive. More so that the two couples who were selected were four of the most self-effacing brave individuals who were willing to step out of their comfort zones and allow every facet of their lives to be examined in minute detail. They were never ever be out of public gaze for the next 5 years.

    Kris Perry and Sandy Steir had married in 2004 and had four sons, whereas Jeffrey Zamillo and Paul Katami had been together for 6 years and wanted to marry before they started a family. The fact that they allowed the filmmakers to record even the very painful experiences of some very brutal and highly personal questioning they faced when they were put through their paces by Olsen as a practice run, endeared them even more to us all.

    The Federal trial before Judge Walker resulting in Prop 8 being struck down, and the subsequent Appeal by the Opposition that failed leading to the whole Case winding up in the US Supreme Court was covered extensively in the media. However what this exceptionally wonderful documentary does is give a fascinating record of all the goings on behind the scenes and in particular a very highly personal look at some of the crucial and personal highlights that made this struggle seem even more poignant. When the victorious four Plaintiffs are finally on the steps of the Supreme Court after the Justices have struck D.O.M.A. down, Chad Griffin passes them his cellphone. Barak Obama is on the line from Air Force One proffering his congratulations. If you were not crying before then, you certainly were then. It is a moment in history which should never be forgotten.

    There is another wee part later on when the tears are of joy. Jeffrey and Paul are at Los Angelas City Hall where they are about to be married by the Mayor himself. It is the first day that same-sex is legal again in California but the Clerk refuses to give them a License as she claims she has not been officially notified. The ACER lawyer accompanying the men makes a quick call passes the phone to the Clerk’ s Supervisor. On the line is Kamala Harris, California’s Attorney General who orders him to issue the license immediately. It’s so good to have friends in high places.

    Filmmakers Ben Cotner and Ryan White approached AFER in 2009 with the idea of making this documentary not knowing how the legal action would turn out. They were giving unprecedented access and so were there filming every single step of the five year battle. They spent endless emotional days and sleepless nights with the entire team and the Plaintiffs and ended up with over 600 hours of footage.

    What they achieved, along with editor Kate Amend, is a remarkable concise and spellbinding account that covered this historic turning point in a style it so richly deserved. It perfectly captured the sheer energy of all the people who put their own lives on hold and gave this fight their all to enable gay men and women should be accorded this basic human right and with such dignity.

    Even though we all knew by now the outcome of this particular fight it’s still impossible not to be somewhat overwhelmed with emotion when you witness this account. You will certainly not be the only one who is reaching for a Kleenex more than once.

    N.B. the final word must go to Ted Olsen, who along with David Boiles, deserve nothing less than our utmost respect and deep gratitude (and maybe the Presidential Medal of Freedom too!) Mr Olsen simply said that equal rights are always worth fighting for.

     

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