STILL GAME'S lSA STARTS PUMPING FITNESS REGIME IN GLASGOW

STILL Game's Isa Drennan might need to wear extra padding on TV after actress Jane McCarry has shed the pounds with a new fitness regime. 

And fans of the top Scots BBC comedy have admitted they have begun to fancy her.

Craiglang pensioner Isa might be partial to the odd Greg's pastry or sweetie and chocolate treat from Naveeds corner shop, and but Jane, 46, admits she's started working out. 

And while Isa's dutiful exercise regime might consist of hoovering the odd floor, the real life star who plays her is positively glowing with her new look.

Jane who has recently had to care for her 89 year old mum as well as her own family in between heavy filming schedules said: "I've been at the body pump actually. Mark Cox who plays Tam Mullen has been at a different type of body pump in his personal life with his partner. 

Mark who co presented with Jane at the recent charity Les Hoey Dreammaker Ball added: "Jane has been working out as you can see. She's half the women she was. She's been doing it four of five months."

Jane laughed: "There is no diet. I've not actually done a diet. I've just exercised a bit that's all - and laid off the grub a wee bit. It's Bodypump maybe a few times a week. Not a lot. I'm embarrassed. I'm just a bit stronger. Playing it down, she continued: "Well maybe I've lost a wee pounds or two. It's not the LA diet. I'm affronted. I think Isas probably got type 2 diabetes so that's probably how the weight is falling off her."

Jane recently posted new pictures up of herself on social media and friends and fans were quick to notice her new look.

Scot Squad star Jordan Young said: "Isa is proper tidy likes!!!"

Denise from Glasgow added: "That’s what I was thinking! Mad to think it’s really isa!"

Debs added: "Holy s***. Jane! Ooooooft. Ooooooft!"

And Tom added: "Isa is a babe."

Andrew Erroch echoed: "Wow! Isa never looked so good!"

While Alan Brown added: "Has Isa been on the Pete the jakey diet."

Excerpts of this article have since appeared in The Scottish Sun.

From Scotland with Love - theshowbizlion.com 

BAFTA SCOTLAND WELCOMES A HOST OF STARS THIS NOVEMBER IN GLASGOW

A host of stars from TV, film and the gaming world will grace the red carpet at the BAFTA Scotland awards this November. 

The prestigious bash at Glasgow's Radisson Blu presented by Edith Bowman takes place on November 5 - and theshowbizlion.com promises there'll be more than a few sparklers on the night.  

The nominations read like a Who's Who of the celebrity world and we can expect s few buggies from T2 Trainspotting to turn up - especially since they lead the way with a total of five nominations: for Feature Film, Director Fiction and three nominations in the Actor Film category (for Ewen Bremner, Robert Carlyle and Ewan McGregor). Following with three nominations each are In Plain Sight (Actor Television for Martin Compston and Douglas Henshall, and Television Scripted) and The Replacement (Actress Television, Television Scripted and Writer Film/Television).

Edith Bowman, returning host of the ceremony, said: “BAFTA Scotland play such an important role in supporting and nurturing creative talent and the British Academy Scotland Awards is a terrific platform to recognise these practitioners. I’m thrilled to be part of a celebration of the immense talent in Scotland and I can’t wait to see who wins on the night.”

Jude MacLaverty, Director of BAFTA Scotland, added: “The wealth, quality and diversity of this year’s nominees is very exciting and we look forward to welcoming everyone for another fantastic evening on 5 November. We’re thrilled to have Edith back as this year’s host, she is hugely passionate about recognising and celebrating the phenomenal work produced in Scotland.”

T2 Trainspotting dominates the Actor Film category, sponsored by Audi, with Ewen Bremner (T2 Trainspotting), Robert Carlyle (T2 Trainspotting) and Ewan McGregor (T2 Trainspotting) each receiving a nomination for their work on the film. Actress Film, sponsored by M.A.C Cosmetics, sees Kate Dickie (Prevenge), Freya Mavor (Modern Life is Rubbish) and Deirdre Mullins (The Dark Mile) competing for the award.

 Actor Television will be contested by Mark Bonnar (Unforgotten), Martin Compston (In Plain Sight) and Douglas Henshall (In Plain Sight), as Morven Christie (The Replacement), Laura Fraser (The Missing) and Juliet Stevenson (One of Us) vie for the Actress Television title.

In a new category for 2017, Television Scripted, In Plain Sight, The Replacement and Two Doors Down are all nominated.

Darren Hercher (Sighthill), Louise Lockwood (Fair Isle: Living on the Edge) and John MacLaverty (Glasgow 1967: The Lisbon Lions) are shortlisted for Director Factual and Danny Boyle (T2 Trainspotting), Hope Dickson Leach (The Levelling) and Tom Vaughan (Victoria) for Director Fiction, sponsored by Taittinger.

This year’s Feature Film category sees Accidental Anarchist, Donkeyote and T2 Trainspotting all shortlisted for the coveted title, while Joe Ahearne (The Replacement), Simon Carlyle and Gregor Sharp (Two Doors Down) and Hope Dickson Leach (The Levelling) are competing for Writer Film/Television, sponsored by Creative Scotland.

The Features & Factual Series category comprises The Council, Fair Isle: Living on the Edge and Prison: First and Last 24 Hours, while Brut@l, Red’s Kingdom and Stories Untold are all up for Game.

Billy Connolly: Portrait of a Lifetime, Glasgow 1967: The Lisbon Lions and Sighthill will compete in the Single Documentary category.

Francis Bacon: A Brush with Violence, The Marvellous World of Roald Dahl and Scotland and the Klan are all nominated in the Specialist Factual category, sponsored by Deloitte.

This year’s Animation nominees are Home Matters, Life Cycles, by previous BAFTA Scotland Award winner Ross Hogg, and Spindrift. The Short Film category sees 1745, The Inescapable Arrival of Lazlo Petushki and Plastic Man going head-to-head for the title.

All Round to Mrs Brown’s, The Dog Ate My Homework, which was nominated for a British Academy Children’s Award in 2016, and Robot Wars complete this year’s category for Entertainment. 

The Current Affairs category sees Eòrpa Special – Guantanamo Detainees, The Insiders’ Guide to the Menopause and Who Cares all vie for the coveted award.

The awards bash has attracted stars from Doctor Who, Still Game and Outlander in the past but Outlander didn't qualify for nomination this year and Still Game didn't make the cut. 

Nonetheless stars from the shows have been invited to the red carpet ceremony which will be broadcast on Facebook Live. 

MARILLION MAN FISH ALMOST GOT ARRESTED IN BRAZIL

MARILLION singer Fish claims he was taken in for questioning and almost arrested after he pretended to work as an undercover agent for UN Security in Brazil. 

The rocker who is celebrating the twentieth anniversary of his album Sunsets of Empire this year, revealed his 007 act of bravado happened in Brazil shortly after the album's release. 

Following a gig there, he told BBC radio Scotland quiz show Stop The Press that he and the band were having one last bit of chill out time before hopping on the plane to the next destination

He said: "We were all sitting there drinking coffees and were a bit worse for wear. We all got up to move towards the gate and were about thirty metres down the corridor when we realised we'd left the briefcase in the cafe."

"We had the whole tour to go, Argentina, Chile and all the countries after that and all other documents and visas were in the case". 

After realising the place was empty, and the briefcase was gone, Fish whose real name is Derek Dick took matters into his own hands.

He said: "There was no sign of the briefcase and two shady guys were working behind the bar. I just knew that they had taken it so I took advantage of the situation. I had been in Bosnia earlier, about a year before, and I had kept this UN identity card that looks really mean. I don't know what came over me but I just pulled out the card and went 'UN security stick your hands up against the wall'. I jumped over the bar and put the two guys against the wall and it was like I was holding a weapon. I kept saying: 'Where's the briefcase. This Is a UN matter and we want to know about the briefcase right now' and they wouldn't talk to me."

Things got heated after Fish realised he wasn't the only undercover agent there.  

He laughed: "I turned round and there were three Brazilian FBI officers behind me with real guns. 

"When I was in Bosnia I met some guys in the special forces and they kind of told me things to do, little tips, and one of them had said 'Don't say anything'. So this particular FBI guy said what are you doing and who are you working for and I said 'I can't tell you.'I then told him 'These two guys have taken my briefcase' and explained the situation saying 'It's behind there.'

They kept asking who I was and I said 'I can't tell you. ' They walked me all the way round the airport for about fifteen minutes and we went into a room, me and the two guys from behind the bar and another bunch of FBI officers. 

I explained the situation and said: "These two guys have taken this briefcase and its in the back of the cafe in a cupboard so just go to the back and you will find it. They took me away and walked me around for another ten minutes saying who are you and 'I said I'm sorry I can't tell you. You've got my passport and I can't say.'"

Eventually Fish was allowed to board the plane but the officers still had no idea who he was. He said: "They took me up to the plane and I was the last person on that plane, walked up by the Brazilian FBI. They turned round and said to me 'We found the briefcase in the back of the cafe' and they shook my hand and said 'Nice working with you'.

The rocker who is threatening to retire next year following his sixtieth birthday says he is now planning a double album to end in a high note .

He said: "I want to bow out with a big statement."

The showbizlion.com appears on BBC Radio Scotland's Stop The Press this Friday. 

From Scotland with Love - The Showbiz Lion

CONOR MCGREGOR MEETS WITH GLASGOW DREAMMAKER KIDS

Exclusive
CONOR McGregor stayed an extra two days in Glasgow  and met up with Celtic and Scotland team supremo Kieran Tierney and nine brace children from Scottish charity the Les Hoey Dreammaker Foundation after his talk in the Armadillo.

The MMA fighter who is fiercely proud of his Scottish ancestry met with the children after Les and his team splashed out on the treasured tickets to see him talk at the bash.
And the Dublin born champ met up with Glasgow's own boxing lad Lee Welsh who at thirteen already has several boxing titles of his own under his belt.
Lee who has beaten cancer was joined by Euan Fellows, 14 from Arbroath who was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma.
Lee said: "You don't get to meet Conor McGregor every day. Conor is a UFC fighter but as a boxer he did alright for the first five rounds and Mayweather then picked his shots."
Hamish McGuigan, 13 from Stranraer and Mitchell Connell, 14, who both have lymphoma also met their hero.
Hamish said: "I'm a massive Conor McGregor fan. I like what he does."
Mitchell said: "He's a cool guy and I like the way he dresses."
Darren Valentine,16 from Blantyre added: "Les Hoey got tickets for us for this. He's helped us out quite a lot and this is just one of the things he'd done for us. Conor is a famous guy and is one of the most popular people in the world."
Dylan Hawkins added: "It means everything to me to meet Conor as I've always followed him."
Conor who wore a jacket in the McGregor tartan said of his Scots trip: "I'm very proud of my heritage and where I come from you can go way back and I was swinging a pick axe on a horse up in the Scottish Highlands defending this land. That's where I come from so it's an honour to come here."
During the night audience member Steven Anderson gifted a signed glove he bought for £250 to The Dreammaker Foundation.
Another audience member gave the charity a hundred pounds after seeing them at the event.
After the bash Conor stayed on an extra two days at the plush Blythswood hotel in Glasgow where he met up with Kieran Tierney.
Conor who had chanted Celtic songs both during his Armadillo chat and at his Sanctuary nightclub appearance said he couldn't wait to get back home to his son and family.

WORLD'S BIGGEST EMPIRE BISCUIT IS ACCIDENTALLY EATEN BY SMALL HORSE

CRUMBS!  The worlds biggest empire biscuit met with an early demise when wee Bob the Shetland pony demolished it during a live TV show. STV2 presenters Ewen Cameron and Jennifer Reoch couldn't believe it when four legged studio guest Bob, who thinks he's a dog, began chomping away at the giant golden crumbly version of one of Scotland's most popular teatime treats.
It was made specially by Carluke's Clark The Bakers who were intending to display it at the towns popular Jam and Ham festival.
The biscuit measured in at 36 inches in diameter and 18 kilos in weight and took eight bags of flour, three bags of sugar, 16 blocks of butter, ten jars of raspberry jam and 50 eggs before being topped with 2kg of fondant icing.
Live at Five TV hosts Jennifer and Ewan were in the middle of a cookery segment at the other side of the studio when the incident happened.
Just as they were asking Chinese cookery chef Jimmy Lee to describe his dish, Jennifer noticed out the corner of her eye that inquisitive Bob was scoffing the biscuit.
She yelled: "Oh no" as she spotted Bob having his first bite.
Ewen when shouted: "Wait" and made his way over to Bob.
An exasperated Jennifer then laughed: "Ok so we have one of Scotland's smallest ponies eating the world's largest biscuit currently. Oh for goodness sake. There we go. We were going to eat that but it's ok we have food in our kitchen."
Ewen then asks: "Are we just leaving Bob to it?"
After the show, the telly hosts had to explain to the biscuit makers and their PR what had happened.
Ewen told the showbizlion.com: "Seriously, that biscuit was to be transported back to Carluke as it was going to be shown off at the Jam & Ham festival event. Wee Bob was stood in the performance area and wandered over and took a bloody bite out the biscuit.
I was in shock as a wee pony had just taken a bite out of the biggest empire biscuit in the world that had been in the press all day and then comes to us and gets broken by a pony."
"The bakers will have to bake a new one."
Brian Clark, of Clarks the Bakers in Carluke, creator of the world's largest empire biscuit, said:
"I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that somebody who literally has the appetite of a horse couldn't help themselves when they saw our biscuit.
"He might have enjoyed it, but Bob has done us no favours; making another biscuit for the festival on such a tight deadline will be a tall order.
"But we don't want to let anyone down. R&W Scott has already dropped off the jam today and we'll be pulling out all the stops to get another one, just as tasty and maybe even a tiny bit bigger, finished in time.
"And we'll not be letting it anywhere near any ponies."
Excerpts of this article have since appeared in the Daily Record
From Scotland with Love - the showbizlion.com

EDINBURGH'S PRINCIPAL HOTEL WILL PUT GUESTS IN A SPIN

GUESTS at a newly launched Edinburgh hotel will be able to enjoy Tuck Boxes and disco balls during their stay.

The new Principal hotel in Edinburgh's Charlotte Square revealed a host of different sized rooms and party pods for special guests and amongst the treats on offer in each room and individual Tuck Boxes.
They offer Scottish delights like Mackie's crisps, Tunnocks caramel wafers, snowballs and sweeties included in the room rates.
Huge troughs of goodies can also be provided to guests who want to impress.
Giant disco balls and record players also adorn some of the rooms allowing guests to party to their hearts content.
General manager Marcello Ventisei said: "The tuck boxes include a range of locally source and retro type goodies, so for example they regularly include Tunnocks tea cakes, Mackies crisps, Refresher lollipops etc. Little quirks also include knitted bright red tea cosies on the teapot in your bedroom suite and also mini ones on your boiled eggs in the morning.
"We also have within our collection of Suites and Deluxe bedrooms retro record players complete with a selection of original vinyls, Nespresso coffee makers and Ruark Radio with blue tooth built in to play your own music. Not forgetting GHD hairstraighteners either in your room or available at reception.
"The wee house is a Georgian townhouse within the hotel can be hired exclusively and can be used as a wedding venue.. It has its own private front door on Charlotte square and offers a collection of suites and upraded bedrooms alongwith its own Dining Room, relaxing Drawing Room and even a pantry."

STAFF AT SCOTS HOTEL THOUGHT LIBERTINES SINGER PETE WAS DEAD

STAFF at a Scots hotel admitted they thought Pete Doherty and his bandmate Carl Carrat might have died after they failed to check out at their allocated time.
The two Libertines band mates were staying at Ayrshire's Gail's hotel after gig in Kilmarnock this week when they got into hot water over their big lie in.
In an online Periscope, video staff can be seen giving Pete a hard time after he comes down to reception after 1pm, more than three hours later than his official check out time.
Pete says to them: "What do you mean it's ten o clock check out?"
A hotel worker replied: "Penthouse was ten o clock check out, eleven at the latest."
Pete replied: "We were staying here until 1pm."
The worker replied: "None of our staff knew that so we've been waiting. Don't worry now."
Referring to bandmate Carl Barat who has still not surfaced from his room staff staff then reveal they have had to unlock the door from the outside after Carl locked it from inside.
As Pete jokes 'this is more of a murder mystery vibe', a female member of staff admits her concerns saying: "Well he could have been lying there dead for all we know. He's sleeping quietly."
Pete then joked if I'm not back in twenty minutes send up a cappuccino and a mojito. He then awakes an irate Carl saying You're going to miss your flight.'
Singer Pete might be used to some elements of rock n roll but he claims he was more than chuffed when he got to a room with its own sauna during his trip.
He said: "I just came off stage on Kilmarnock. Anyway my hotel room in Kilmarnock Ayrshire is unbelievable. It's quite an innocuous looking gaff, dual carriage way and brown bricks, but it has a sauna. How cool is that? I know if you are in an American band this is probably run of the mill fodder but for a lad from an army barracks you still have to say 'oh my days' is that really a waterproof tv and is that really a sauna in my bathroom. I just pray to god Carl has one in his room otherwise trust me there will be trouble."