CAROL VORDERMAN COMES TO EDINBURGH FOR TV FEST

By K Monroe 

BROADCASTER, writer and campaigner, Carol Vorderman MBE, is heading to Scotland to talk about her life in telly and her views on where it is going. 

Carol will be the Alternative MacTaggart speaker at the 2024 Edinburgh TV Festival supported by Screen Scotland, and will speak to a room full of TV delegates at the annual fest.

Carol, who the showbizlion.com has met on various occasions, is one of the UK’s most popular and successful presenters and, more recently, political commentator and campaigner. With a passion for everything mathematical and a skill with numbers, Vorderman made a name for herself when she started her TV career in 1982 as the maths genius on Countdown, working with the late Richard Whitely for 22 years and then with Des Lynam and Des O’Connor until she left in 2008. 

Awarded an MBE in 2000 for her services to broadcasting and having appeared on and presented a raft of the nation’s favourite TV shows, Vorderman currently hosts a weekly radio show on LBC, a daily quiz podcast ‘Perfect 10’, the Pride of Britain Awards and is now also known for her political activism.  

Vorderman grew up in a single parent family in poverty in North Wales with her sister, brother and her beloved mum. As a free school meals child in a comprehensive, she became the first from North Wales to go to the University of Cambridge when she was just 17 years old. Now with an extensive broadcasting career under her belt, Vorderman has become a significant voice in the political landscape with a passionate determination to hold those in power to account. September this year will see the publication of her new book, ‘Now What? On a Mission to Fix Broken Britain’.  

For the Alternative MacTaggart, Vorderman will bring her extensive experience in TV and frontline of social media campaigning to her address at this year’s Festival. She will then be interviewed in more detail to discuss the themes of her speech.   

On giving the Alternative MacTaggart, Vorderman said:  

”I feel honoured to have been asked to be this year’s Alternative MacTaggart speaker.  As our industry transitions, there is much to discuss. 42 years on the box, hosting shows for all channels, it’s been an interesting life! I choose to live a life outside of the media thrall of London and I live without apology. Beware the post-menopausal woman who doesn’t give a damn! I’ll see you in Edinburgh.” 

The TV Festival Creative Director, Rowan Woods and Advisory Chair, Harj Chhokar, commented:  

“This year’s Alternative MacTaggart will be delivered by a true TV legend. Since making her debut on Countdown, the first ever programme on Channel 4, Carol Vorderman MBE has been part of the DNA of the UK television industry and a mainstay of our screens. She is also a funny, fearless and ferocious commentator on everything from politics to social mobility, sexism and education. We know her Alternative MacTaggart is going to be one of the must-see events of this year’s festival.” 

Other speakers already confirmed for the Festival include multi-platinum music artist and tech entrepreneur will.i.am, multi-award-winning producer, Warren Littlefield,BAFTA winning writer Sarah Phelps, celebrated actors Julie Hesmondhalghand Rakhee Thakrar and The Grand Tourand Clarkson’s Farm executive producer, Andy Wilman, as well as renowned playwright and dramatist James Grahamwho will be giving the prestigious MacTaggart lecture. 

The hugely popular Spotlight On… sessions return with the decision makers from across the mainstream, digital and streamer broadcasters revealing what’s hot and what’s not on their content strategy for the year ahead. 

Further sessions will be announced soon.Passes on sale now. 

DION DUBLIN TALKS CELTIC AT EDINBURGH TV FESTIVAL

Beverley Lyons 
DION Dublin revealed Celtic bosses made him get rid of his blue Volkswagen Golf and bought him a new car that was more of a neutral colour when he started playing for the Hoops. 
The Homes Under The Hammer presenter was at Edinburgh’s International TV Festival when he spoke of how he played for Celtic as a striker in 2006 after being released by his hometown club Leicester City. 
And he revealed the historic old team rivalry ended up meaning he had to change the colour of his car. 
He exclusively told theshowbizlion.com: “I remember signing for Celtic and I remember having a blue Volkswagen Golf turn up at the ground and the hierarchy said ‘You can’t have That!’ So they bought me a silver one. That’s a fact.”
Ex England international Dion who  even better a goal in the 3-0 CIS League Cup final victory over Dunfermline refers to his days living in Glasgow as ‘The super hoops days’.  
Now as a presenter of the property show which looks at buildings across the UK he reveals: “I lived in the Merchant City for about eight months - absolutely love it - it’s a great place. The Scottish are always great to me regardless of the team and I love coming back so thanks for having me. I’ve had lots of good memories.”
Dion who visited Scotland for the Edinburgh TV festival last month also spoke fondly of Sir Alex Ferguson who signed him to Manchester United in 1992 but admitted there were lots of rules he had to abide by under his leadership. 
Dion said: “Alex Ferguson taught me lots of stuff.  One of the main things was never have your hands in your pockets when he’s taking a meeting cause he hates that. Don’t be late, never answer him back.”
He added: “He’ll have a conversation with you, he will listen to you, he’ll take on board all the information and then you’ll do exactly what he wants you to do.”
Dion reckons it helped him with the rest of his life on and off screen. 
He said: “Listen if you do as your told and you do the job that you’ve been asked to do to the best of your ability you’ll go far and then you can start to put your own little stamp on that job as you get better at it. I’m sure the manager or the boss will allow you to do that.”
The footballer who has also spoken at length about the racism he has faced in the past also has new ambitions he’d like to realise. 
He revealed: “I would like to do something in music. I’ll leave that open. Take out the singing. There will be no singing from me. I’ve got a terrible voice. Playing, I play percussion that’s my thing. I love playing percussion. I’d love to present some kind of music show as well so sit tight you never know.”

From Scotland with Love theshowbizlion.com

This article has since appeared in The Daily Record

SUE PERKINS SAYS SHE WONT TRAVEL TO SOME COUNTRIES FOR SAFETY

Beverley Lyons 

FORMER Bake off presenter Sue Perkins claims she has been asked to go to Iran, Iraq and Saudi for telly work - but won’t go because she’s a gay woman. 

Sue was speaking at Edinburgh Book Festival when she revealed she refused to travel to the countries which would put her in personal danger. 

She said: “I’ve been offered of late some dangerous places to go to for tv.
“I don’t think there is anywhere that ethically I’d find difficult because I would challenge it.
“I’d have no problem in going into difficult regimes or places and posing questions.
But increasingly, and it’s an age thing, I’ve bewilderingly at this stage in life become quite fond of personal safety and I’ve always been very very reckless, very very cavalier.
I’ve been offered to go to Iran, Iraq, and Saudi, and I’ve said no because as a gay woman it would be, for me, too dangerous. I’d love to go because there are so many questions I have and people I’d like to meet.”

Sue who has written a book about her experiences in Cambodia called East of Croydon, also revealed her next telly travel show will see her travelling to Mexico. 

She added: “We’re going to Mexico - we’re not touching hugely on cartel land but there are some cartel issues and I belt and braces check I’m going to be safe, because what’s the point of me not being safe? What you as a viewer are looking at is a presenter who is stressed, not some interesting Mexican people.

My job is to show you interesting Mexican people.  

The presenter also revealed she considered adopting a Kolkatan child with her partner Naked attraction star Anna Richardson in 2017. 

The presenter, who has since sponsored Rakhi, who she met while making a show about street kids - and got Rakhi into boarding school so she is looked after for the rest of her life said: “It’s too dark for me to discuss here but it was one of the most profoundly painful things I’ve been through  in life. Had she been orphaned I used to have dreams of adopting her. Every night she would have been most welcome in my spare room.”

MEL B GOES SEXY SPICE WITH PROFESSOR GREEN IN EDINBURGH

SPICE Girl Mel B showed off her tighter than tight outfit at Edinburgh TV festival as she teased Professor Green about his newly single life.
The star was in cheeky mode as she presented a special edition of lip sync battle for top telly Chiefs at the EICC.
She asked co presenter Prof Green: "How are you these days Prof?"
He replied: "Single" referring to his recent split with Made in Chelsea's Millie Mackintosh.
She then gave him some banter adding: "Yeah right look at you. C'mon how is it really going?"
The Prof replied: "It is going alright really."


Mel who told the showbizlion.com she was wearing "PVC" enjoyed hosting the show admitting that telly execs were crazier than the rest of the population.
She didn't comment on the forthcoming Spice Girl Reunion plans which will see her team up with Emma and Geri for twentieth anniversary celebrations.




- Posted with love from Scotland by theShowbizLion.com

Location:Shuttle Street,Glasgow,United Kingdom

OUTLANDER'S SAM HEUGHAN GETS THUMBS UP DURING RONALD D. MOORE EDINBURGH VISIT

OUTLANDER producer Ronald D Moore has heaped praise on Scots star Sam Heughan.
Speaking at the Edinburgh TV festival he said: "Sam's great. He takes it all in his stride. I don't think he takes himself too seriously. It's great people have such a response to him."
Ron revealed Sam and the cast will be leaving Scotland to go to the Caribbean.
He explained: "We are working on both third and fourth and seasons and third and fourth books. The third book starts in Scotland and we have a big extended story between Claire and Jamie seperately. And they will take a sea voyage across the Atlantic ending up in Jamaica and the Caribbean and eventually the New World. It'll be a whole new look for the show and a big epic adventure for season three. It'll be fun and there's always something new in the show. I like the fact that each season is different from what went before. It's a big challenge for the production but always something exciting."
Ron who says he not on set enough to have some funny stories about the production also claimed he'd love to drop some Klingons into the historical time travel series.
Asked if he'd add in anything if he were allowed free reign on the show he said: "You know it would be nice if the Klingons turned up every now and again, for sure."
Ron who wrote countless episodes of Star Trek as well as Battlestar Galactica also believes Sci fi allows writers to address contemporary issues in society without scaring viewers.
He said: "If you put these things in a science fiction context, you get a free pass, not just from networks, but from audiences as well, because you are allowing them to think about things in a way that doesn't threaten anybody. If you call them Klingons, it's different than if you call them the Soviets. In Battlestar Galactica, if they are the Cylons it's different than if you are saying it's al-Qaida."
Ronald also revealed that he is working on a Philip K Dick anthology series Electric Dreams. He said: "We are going to write some of the short stories that Dick wrote and there are over a hundred of those. Many of the short stories have not been read and some of them have never been turned into television shows. The idea is each writer will be inspired by a particular film or short story so each writer will realise a different show week after week so it will be like mini movies we are putting on every day."
Ends


Extracts of this interview were sold to the Scottish Sun.
http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/7228235/Ronald-D-Moore-Id-love-to-drop-some-Klingons-into-Outlander.html


- Posted with love from Scotland by theShowbizLion.com