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The camp comedian talks about cancel culture and his ups and downs in the cut-throat world of television. Julian Clary has released his latest crime caper (Alamy/PA) “You need to write about what you know,” says camp comedian Julian Clary who sets his latest crime caper, The Midmorning Murders, in the cut-throat world of TV, something with which he is painfully familiar. “There are awful people in television,” he claims. “It’s a ruthless world, and I thought, how far would so

These are our top podcast picks. Sara & Cariad have a new podcast (Plosive Podcasts/ PA) From true crime cases to culture and society, this week has lots of interesting podcast episodes. 1. The Good Immigrant: The Official podcast Streaming platform: All streaming platforms and YouTube Genre: Culture and society The Good Immigrant Podcast (Gill Heeley/Kishan Rajani/PA) Following 10 years since the publication of The Good Immigrant essay collection, editor Nikesh Shukla has no

Litter-picking, rewilding her garden and giving blood all helped, she reveals. Feeling hopeful: Caitlin Moran (Alamy/PA) Caitlin Moran, the energetic and witty award-winning columnist and bestselling author who seems to be a glass-half-full type of person, woke up one morning in 2019 and realised she had reached the peak of despair. She couldn’t cope with the endless barrage of rolling bad news, online toxicity, filthy rivers and litter-strewn streets and decided she wanted t

As Strictly returns to BBC One, Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe share their excitement about joining the beloved show. By Lynn Rusk Strictly Come Dancing Series 24: Pictured: Presenters Johannes Radebe, Josh Widdicombe and Emma Willis As the leaves start to change colour, there are a few constants we can look forward to: cosy nights in, winter coats, and the return of Strictly Come Dancing. This series, the nation’s favourite dancing show, welcomes a new line

The fashionista and DJ is ‘celebrating’ his age and zest for life while listening to his body. By Lisa Salmon. Zest for life: Gok Wan (LornaRoach/Benecol/PA) Gok Wan might have made his name as a TV fashion guru, but now he’s more focused on being a DJ – calling his newfound career a “huge part of my exercise every single week”. Nowadays, Wan, 51, tours the country doing high-energy DJ sets at clubs and festivals, and says jumping around on stage (he absolutely does not stand

Camilla Foster chats to the Latin dance teacher and TV star about ice baths, weight-loss jabs and the power of dance. Cold showers and ice baths are a big part of Shirley Ballas’s wellness routine (Alamy/PA) Self-proclaimed “health freak” and BBC One Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas says that cold water therapy, eating clean and, most importantly, dance, have helped her stay fit and healthy well into her 60s. “I drink a lot of water, I have ice baths and freezi

At 68, she is tackling the subject of end-of-life decisions in her fifth novel. Dawn French’s latest novel deals with end-of-life decisions (Pål Hansen/PA) Comedian, actor and writer Dawn French is fervently aware that broaching the subject of end-of-life decisions in her latest novel is likely to cause controversy. The theme of having control over end-of-life decisions might not seem an instant holiday read from The Vicar Of Dibley star, but it forms the backdrop to her new

The presenter and campaigner tells Eleanor Fleming how concern over the planet has impacted him and how nature aids his mental and physical wellbeing. Chris Packham has shared his earliest memory of eco-anxiety and how it affected him (Handout/PA) Wildlife TV presenter and campaigner Chris Packham’s earliest memory of eco-anxiety traces back to his early teens, when he felt “blind rage” for the first time. The now-65-year-old, who lives in the New Forest with his partner Char

The quirky comedian talks about his love of suburbia, feeling old and a life of pottering. Tom Allen has embraced life in suburbia (Jiksaw/PA) He didn’t leave home until he was 37, but comedian and TV presenter Tom Allen says he has always felt older than his years. He admits that he likes nothing better than to be in his own suburban garden with his partner, Alfie Garston – his first boyfriend – and inviting celebrity guests to join him on his Pottering podcast. Sounds fairl

The former Loose Woman talks to Prudence Wade about her experiences with shame on the public stage. Andrea McLean’s latest book explores the different ways she’s experienced shame (Mark Harrison/PA) TV presenter Andrea McLean describes going into debt as a “whirling feeling of hopelessness and helplessness” – one she dealt with secretly for a long time. McLean left her 13 year stint on ITV’s Loose Women in 2020, going on to found a female personal growth business called This

The singer had two rounds of egg freezing when she was 24 and 27. Rita Ora told Women’s Health UK she is happy that she decided to freeze her eggs in her 20s (Ian West/PA) Rita Ora has opened up about why she chose to freeze her eggs while she was still in her 20s. The 35-year-old British singer, songwriter, and television personality, who is best-known for songs such as Hot Right Now, How We Do (Party) and I Will Never Let You Down, had two rounds of egg freezing when she wa

The iconic cook talks about how gardening has helped her through good times and bad. As Mary Berry releases her gardening book, she offers insight into her time outdoors (Yui Mok/PA) Dame Mary Berry may be famed for her great cooking skills, foolproof recipes and mouthwatering bakes, but her passion for gardening comes a close second. While she claims to be no expert and over the years has taken advice from top plantsmen and women including Alan Titchmarsh, Jekka McVicar, Bun

The TV presenter reflects on the longevity of her career and the chat show hosts that inspire her, ahead of the launch of The Claudia Winkleman show. Claudia Winkleman during filming for the Graham Norton Show, at BBC If the first-look teaser trailer for Claudia Winkleman’s new chat show is anything to go by, it’s going to be all of the elements that have become her trademark: quirky, self-deprecating, funny and classy. A short video released last week (February 27) shows the

The Body Coach is back with a new cookbook, Protein In 15, which he hopes will get us all back in the kitchen and away from ultra-processed foods. Joe Wicks The Body Coach “My little boy, he had leftover Thai green curry for breakfast yesterday,” says Joe Wicks, 40, deadly serious. “It had baby corn, mangetout, chicken, not even any rice, it was just the actual curry, and he loved it. And it’s like, why do I need to give my child sugary cereals when that’s just been sold to u

In an exclusive interview, Michael Sheen discusses why he chose Swansea Grand for Our Town, how the play resonates with Welsh audiences and his vision for the Welsh National Theatre. Michael Sheen Why did you decide to bring Our Town to Swansea Grand, do you think the play will resonate with Welsh audiences today? I originally wanted to do the play in order for Francesca Goodridge, who’s directing it, to direct on a bigger stage. So that’s what came first, wanting to work wit

Laura Harding talks to the best-selling author about the latest adaptation of her beloved books. Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler - The Scarecrow’s Wedding From an adventurous fish, an ambitious dragon and a dastardly rat to a cunning mouse, lovestruck aliens or a lost stick, the latest animated adaptation of a book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler has been synonymous with Christmas for children around the country. The Gruffalo, Zog, Stick Man and last year’s Tiddler h

Writer Russell T Davies and Russell Tovey discuss their new Doctor Who spin-off series The War Between The Land And The Sea. By Lynn Rusk. The War Between The Land And The Sea airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday, December 7. Russell T Davies, a lifelong Doctor Who fan, began writing reviews of the cult sci-fi series in the 1970s. After the show ended in 1989, he lobbied the BBC to revive it and became the series’ showrunner for its 2005 return. Davies remained the main

The former Love Islanders tell Lisa Salmon about their ‘golden’ children and how they’re supporting the Let’s Move! campaign to get kids active. Getting kids moving:Olivia and Alex Bowen with their baby Siena (DCMS/PA) As the parents of a new baby and a toddler, you could forgive Alex and Olivia Bowen for feeling a little frazzled and worn out. But although the couple, who met on ITV’s Love Island in 2016, admit parenting three-and-a-half-year-old Abel and three-month-old Sie

From gripping thrillers and award-winning novels to beautifully illustrated hardbacks and joyful festive stories, these are the top books to buy from Waterstones this Christmas, guaranteed to delight under the tree. Mary 90: My Very Best Recipes Mary 90: My Very Best Recipes (Hardback) £14.00 Join Britain’s best-loved cook, Mary Berry, as she celebrates her 90th birthday with a career-spanning collection of iconic, fuss-free recipes for every occasion. The Impossible Fortune

The Gavin and Stacey star talks to Lauren Taylor about health in later life, writing poetry and living alone. Actor Larry Lamb talks about his ‘war-damaged’ childhood, writing a novel and solitude (Ian West/PA) Actor and writer Larry Lamb says he’s learned the importance of taking care of his body later in life, saying: “You’ve really got to respect the fact you’ve only got one of them, and you better look after it.” Eight or nine years ago he underwent surgery to correct ner