JEAN JOHANSSON REDUCED TO TEARS

A Place In The Sun presenter Jean Johansson says  she has been reduced to tears after being told she was ‘not black enough, not white enough and too fat’ for jobs in previous years.

The telly talents also revealed she was recently knocked back by the UKs biggest talent agent.

Jean, who also hosts Channel 4’s Key To  Fortune, admitted that rejection is something she has had it deal with throughout her life and says it still hurts.

Port Glasgow born Jean, who is married to ex Rangers and Charlton Athletic footballer and coach Jonatan, said: “Rejection is something I've always had to deal with since being a model, and in those days it was like, ‘not tall enough, not white enough, not black enough, too fat, too small, too thick’, and they just told you, and you left the room with your book and went to the next casting. I used to stand outside the room and cry at 15 and 16, but by 17 and 18, it's like, ‘Okay, next’. So I'm very, very thick skinned now. I learned that in a harsh way, but I'm so grateful for it.”

Jean who spoke about her life on podcast H1THR admitted she still gets regular knockbacks and give herself permission to grieve over them.

She said: “There was an agent that I had coveted for years and years and years, and I finally got a meeting with them, the biggest sort of talent agent in London. And I went and met them, and thought the meeting went really well, and thought these are the ones that are really going to take me to that household name, that next level. And they just passed. It's just an email, ‘Not the right time Jean. You know, we'll come back to you, but you're not for us.”

She added: “There's always ones as well where it's like, Oh, what did I do wrong there? But now I'm not the 15 year old crying outside the casting room anymore. I can sort of go ‘they weren't for me.’ Yeah, it hurts. And I think a big message that I want to give today is that allow yourself that space. You know, when you don't get a job, you're allowed to greet over it. Yeah, you're allowed to phone your friends and bitch, you're allowed to lose sleep that night, then get over it. I hate this, like ‘You're in the wrong space. You're not allowed to grieve. You're not allowed to be upset, like you didn't get it for a reason. It didn't happen because it wasn't meant to, bigger things for you.’

“That's all true, but can I have a couple of days, just to mourn and grieve that agent that I wanted to be with for twenty years.”

SHAKIRA’S SCOTS GRAMMY WINNER

The writer and producer son of Scots panto star Allan Stewart is celebrating after his music with singing superstar Shakira won a Grammy.  
David Stewart, 34, produced and co wrote the song Punteria with Cardi B and Shakira, which was named the stand out track of her new award winning Latin Pop album  Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. 
His latest accolade comes after his massive track Dynamite for Korean boyband BTS,  which he co-wrote and produced in his bedroom at his dad’s London home. It also follows up on previous collabs with Shania Twain and the Jonas Brothers.
And David says the project with Shakira, was three years in the making. 
He exclusively told theshowbizlion.com: “Shakira flew me out to Barcelona two or three times to work on the song. It was the lead single off the album. We worked on it for three years on and off in a big studio in her house there, which was amazing. She's sensational. She's a pro. She knows everything about production, writing, the recording process and was very pernickety about every detail, every breath, which is what all the greats do. It was an amazing experience to work with someone of that caliber.” 

David was unable to make the awards , but says he is catching up with ‘Shak’ this week in LA, once the dust settles.” 
He laughed: “I mean, there's no point in texting someone who has 150 text messages coming through.”
David, who now lives between LA and London wrote his first song Bo’de’da aged five.
Glasgow born dad Allan, who also started writing songs at twelve before releasing his first single aged 16 with George Martin, recalled: “David came up with Bo’de’da and started playing drums on the couch. We recorded it and gave it to his gran and grandpa for Christmas. Then I got him a Gibson guitar, as my dad bought me one when I was 16. He then started writing songs at school on piano and learned how to produce there.” 
Having been a session drummer on the Simply Red Tour, David played guitar for Example in his twenties. 

Allan continued: “I thought that he was at the peak then, but little did we know that he was going to get to the levels that he's at now. I’m also incredibly proud of my daughter, a wonderful artist and singer and stunning looking girl. I've got two of the most unbelievably talented children.”
David initially tried to be an artist in his own right. Signed by Ludacris’s manager, he moved to Atlanta for three years and said: “It was amazing but I definitely stuck out like a sore thumb. And I was sleeping on sofas.” 
He said: “I'm still so grateful for it, because I did it for so long with no success and no one caring. I still close the door on my studio house in LA and think, Wow, I can't believe that that's mine.”
He recalled: “Before that I went on the road with Example for about five years, and saw him playing from 30 people to headlining arenas.”
“I put out a mixtape which featured me with Ed Sheeran, Example, Wretch 32 on it. Ed was nobody at the time but we became close friends because he lived on our tour bus for two years.”
Deciding he needed ‘more of a reliable living’ he started writing and producing for other artists. 
“My biggest weakness was that I didn't really kind of have one genre I stuck to. Now my biggest strength as a producer and songwriter is that I can lend my hands to different genres.”
Following a publishing deal with Sony London  and management in America, David got a Billboard hit with The Jonas Brothers song What A Man Gotta Do. Then he wrote BTS mega hit Dynamite during the pandemic. He smiled: “That was the one that really took me to the moon, I guess. That really swung the door open.”
Despite now bagging a Grammy, he insists : “I don't do this for money or accolades. I do it because I love doing it. Things like this are just a bonus. It looks lovely on my CV to say the word Grammy  though and, I'm sure there's a place on mantelpiece for it.”

BIG BROTHER STAR SAVED FROM TRAIN DISASTER

Bev Lyons 
A Scottish Big Brother star has reached out to thank the two passersby who saved his life after he fell onto a railway track just minutes before a train was due to pull in at a Glasgow station. 
Mikey Hughes, who is blind, was a hit on the telly reality show sixteen years ago and has subsequently started a career in stand up comedy as well as becoming an author of books about nazi swastikas. 
He was making his way to Partick on Monday morning to pick up his winnings from the new Big Brother housemates first eviction night but mistakingly took the train to Hyndland station where he ended up stepping off the platform and falling onto the track. 
Mikey, 48, who had been commuting independently by public transport for thirty years and  knows his way around the streets said he became confused after mishearing a tannoy on the train as a result of wearing his ear defenders. 
He explained: “I was on my way to Partick to cash in a bet after the first Big Brother eviction. I’d staked fifty on Ryan to go and was due to pick up £75 so was feeling pretty good. 
“The tannoy said something about approaching the station and I thought we had arrived at Partick and got off. There’s normally a wall beside the track at the station and when I put my cane in the air to touch it I couldn’t find it. I thought the wall had maybe given way and walked across the concourse and fell directly onto the tracks. It was a five foot drop and I couldn’t hear anyone screaming at me to warn me.

I didn’t even realise I was lying on the tracks at Hyndland because I was a bit dazed when I fell. Luckily two passenger's rushed over and helped me to get myself up before the next train came. It was around 7:28am and there  was one due just a few minutes later. It was a miracle I was not killed and pretty horrific thinking about it now.”
Mikey continued: “An ambulance came to check me over and I’ve  got a few cuts and bruises, and a sore leg but they told me my blood pressure was normal. 
It was so strange, but I did not really know what had happened, so did not feel scared at the time. Everything seemed to be in slow motion and it took me a while to understand what had happened. It’s very frightening looking at it now. I would have probably sat on the track longer or even moved about the track and onto trains had the two passenger's not helped me and come to my rescue. It was one male and one female and I did not even get their names, but they deserve a medal. They very probably saved my life.”

Mikey’s ear defenders and famous beret were left on the track but rail staff managed to reunite him with the items yesterday.  
Mikey, who is currently rehearsing for his next comedy gig at the Stand club on November 12, said: “I have been hobbling like a baddie in a James Bond movie but I’m keen to not let it put me off travelling on my own again and I plan to go a lot slower, and let people help me in future. It was so sweet that station staff came out with my ear defenders that fell onto the track and my white beret in a bag. I’ll make sure I keep my cane on the ground next time rather than waving it about like a Harry Potter wand and I won’t always keep my ear defenders on now. It sure was a near death experience.”

SHEENA EASTON FEELS WELCOME IN SCOTLAND

SHEENA Easton had revealed she feels welcome in Scotland despite being booed at a Glasgow festival three decades ago.
The Morning Train (9to 5) singer vowed to never perform in Scotland again after being pelted with bottles, some containing urine when she sang at Glasgow’s Big Day in 1990.
However, Sheena, who was spotted on a chocolate shop in Durness with two female friends just this week now appears to be more comfortable with her homeland. 
She explained: “Well, I haven't performed back in Scotland for a long time, but I was just back in the West End in London doing 42nd Street for the entirety of 2017. That wasn't that long ago. And I had tons of people coming from all over and lots of people from Scotland coming down on the train to London to see the show.
So I felt like I was welcomed back home to work. People were very kind to me and that meant a lot to me.”
The singer, who still remains sprightly at the age of 65, admitted the run of shows in London’s West end was exhausting and that it took her a while to recover. 
She said: “ The first role that I did on Broadway was Man of La Mancha with Ralph Julia. And then I did Greece. And then actually for all of 2017, I was over in London and I was in the West End doing 42nd Street.
She admitted: “I have to say, doing eight shows a week and the rigor of that is probably the hardest thing that I've ever done. And I have a great deal of admiration for people that go out there and do that year after year after year, because I don't know how they have the energy to do it.
A year of that at a time and I was wasted. I was tired. I had to take like a few months off after every time I did that, just because it absorbs your entire life and your entire being.” 
Sheena who has had success with a whole host of songs over the years including 
She Says she is now very much at one with herself and said: “My life is well balanced with having a good home life and then still out there working all the time, seeing the fans, doing the shows. And we get to go all over. I mean, we've been, this year we were in Switzerland doing a show, we were out in the Caribbean doing a show, we were up in Canada, we've been to different states all over.
So yeah, we get to see fans from all across the globe and it's wonderful because, you know, I haven't recorded in a long time, so the fans coming to see the shows, they know they're coming to see those legacy hits and they keep supporting me and they keep giving me a reason to go out and do gigs and I'm forever grateful for that.”
Looking. back Sheena says she owes it all to the documentary she starred in when she was at drama school. 
She said: “ I'll be honest, I didn't have to struggle. I mean, I was lucky that when I was at drama school, I get the chance to do this documentary.I guess nowadays they call it a reality show. But back then, reality shows didn't exist. And reality shows now are kind of scripted and set up.
There's not a lot of real about reality. This was real. This was six different documentaries.
And when I did that and it was shown on British television, my music got attention because I had television exposure and I was lucky that I had hits early on. So I won't claim that I had a long struggle. But I will say that yes, my dreams have come true.
I got to do everything that I wanted to do and again and again. So I have no complaints. I have had a great life and music has brought so much to me and so many wonderful people into my world.So yeah, I really feel blessed.”
These days she’s keen to have other artists cover her songs and laughs: “ Lover on me
You know, I think that would translate as a country song. I think it's something that, you know, some of these young artists out there should check out this old lady's portfolio and gassy them up. Well, gassy them up, give them a new treatment and get them out there
She also says she knew pretty early on that not everyone in her audience would be appreciative of her talents. 
She said: a”I decided that pretty soon I would audition for my first gig and went on from there. I think I didn't let it faze me because I knew that I would get a lot of people telling me, yeah, you've got no talent, you can't sing. You just know it's gonna happen.
Not everyone's gonna like you. I don't like everyone that I hear. I don't care how successful they are.”
Sheena who also has worn a variety of sparkling and revealing stage outfits in her time also admits that not everyone was appreciative of her style. 
Now a self confessed ‘Fao girl’ who is not a dresser upper,l and no binder gets fancy. she recalls the Royal verity performance  “.I felt like I was a sort of dress up doll. And I think that when you step up on stage, you have to be a slightly different character anyway. And so when you dress up in all these crazy outfits and all the crazy hairstyles, it's like a little kid again. So it was fun then. It was fun for the young me, but the old tired me, I'm like, uh-uh.
“I got in trouble, though, doing that. Did you hear about that?
I got in trouble because I was wearing a sassy little outfit with long black leather gloves. And apparently, that was not the thing to wear when you were meeting the royal family. And back then, that kind of thing counted.
So I got told off by some people in the media that I wasn't appropriately dressed. So there you go.
She still has a mountain of stories form her times with Prince. Jenny Rodger’s and bring a bond Girl singing the theme for your eyes only, but says she has no interest in writing a memoir. She added: “Not at all.No, I'm private. You know, that's why I don't do social media and document every thought that I have on a daily basis. No, no, I really, really value my privacy.”

SCOTS BAND THE RONAINS GET SEAL OF APPROVAL FROM LEGENDS

SCOTS band The Ronains have had the seal of approval from a legendary singer after their new single attracted more than 1.8 million views on YouTube. 

Rockers Jim Reid and Debi Ronain and their band first recorded House of The Rising Sun in 2019 and their atmospheric video even features their guitarist and ‘brother’ Shaun Scott who sadly passed away not long after the band released the iconic video by Partickular films which can be seen on YouTube. 

After notching up millions of views across their social media platforms online, and after it was picked up for Netflix by gangster documentary Faces, the band decided to release it officially for download this week.

They’ve now received a message from original lead singer of The Animals Eric Burdon who had a hit with the song in 1964. 

And Eric who is now 82 years old didn’t hold back on how great he thought their version was, with fans now calling it the ‘best version ever’.

After hearing Debi’s vocals Eric wrote in an email: “She's absolutely magnificent, raw and the harsh and acidic qualities you're hearing might just be the result of her unique vocal style and the raw emotion she pours into the song. 

That being said, music is subjective, and what matters most is how it connects with the listener.

 I Ioved it and loved the style of how the track flowed from start to finish.

This song is nearly 60 years old and it really hits my heart strings, makes me so proud to know young bands are still singing it. Great job. Up The Ronains.”

Eric’s manager also commented: “I let Eric hear your version of the song and I have to say he absolutely loved it. There's been a variety of covers over the years but certainly none as unique as this one and the vocals of the singer are incredible.”

Jim Reid said: ”We’ve had a lot of comments from all over the world saying it’s very possibly the best version ever. We teamed up with Simple Mind’s Gordon Goudie and Rolling Stone’s producer Matt Colton on this which was amazing and we changed the song up a bit at the start and end, adding some extra lyrics. To have the seal of approval from Eric Burden takes things to a different level and we are buzzing. 

Debi added: “When I heard the news Eric had listened to the song i was speechless. It’s such an iconic song, thats been covered a million times over so the very fact he heard it and  took the time to even email us left me gobsmacked. 

He described my vocals exactly the way I wanted them to be received. When I sing that song I do so from the pit of my stomach and feel every word, those lyrics are mighty and if even one person can be moved by them, well then my job is done.”

House of the Rising Sun is available for download on all music platforms now.

https://ditto.fm/house-of-the-rising-sun-the-ronains

https://youtu.be/gDhcUFWNSB0?si=TxEjkgSMIrxm3kzv

SCOTS POSTIE PUNCHES ABOVE WEIGHT WITH GYM GEAR

A Scots postman is punching above his weight after starting up his  own designer sportswear business in his bedroom - and now his creations are being worn by the world’s champion boxers. 
Robbie Campbell , 23, who was born in Alexandria but now lives in Edinburgh began his own sports company ActiveLine wear in late 2022.
The year before he’d started reselling Nike and UnderArmour sportswear online and felt there was a gap in the market for a more affordable designer sports and outerwear brand.
Robbie, who is himself a keen footballer, explained: “I didn’t agree with the pricing of some of the items I was selling like jackets that cost £120 and felt that I could sell my own quality brand for less. 
“I got a logo made and went for a brand and then I began looking for manufacturers. I work with a designer so we are always coming up with new ideas and everything we do is reflective so they are visible if you are running in the dark.”

He added: “I was selling a lot of items through Instagram but learned how to do a website myself and how to make the most of social media.”
I’ve now seen it grow from something small to getting more traction and I’ve been approached by online retailers who now want to stock my clothing.  I’m also supplying to a shop in Glasgow’s Re-Up clothing in the St Enoch Centre. 
Robbie’s new collection will mean he has more than thirty items on his website and he’s  also going to be offering women’s summer collections.
At the moment his shorts and T-shirts are his biggest seller alongside his jackets.
He said: “We’ve got bright colours and a mint range just now that everyone seems to be loving as well as black and grey that anyone can wear. We try and get the balance between bright colours and neutral colours so it will appeal to different people and I do think the price point is a major selling point.  Nike and UnderArmour are selling windbreaker jackets for three or four times the price and it’s too much for a lot of young people.”
Robbie was keen his brand would be taken seriously by sportspeople so reached out to some boxers to see if they’d be interested in being ambassadors for his clothing. 
His designs are now proving to be a knockout with two of them fighting on the biggest stage of them all in coming weeks.
Robbie said: “I chanced my luck and it paid off. We've now got Raymond Ford who is based in New Jersey and is going for the WBA  featherweight world title shot on March 2 in New York.  If he wins he will be the world title holder for the featherweight championship 
He seems to love the clothes and posts him wearing them all the time.”

EBU Champion Gavin Gwynne who will defend his lightweight title against Mark Chamberlain in March 8 in Saudi as the undercard of Anthony Joshua's fight with Francis Ngannou is also regularly seen in Robbie’s brand. 
Middleweight Liam Williams also wears ActiveLine and Welterweight champ Chris Kongo is also an ambassador. 
The brand has gained traction and Robbie is selling across the Uk and Republic of Ireland with other customers in Australia, Amsterdam, Netherlands and beyond. 
He said: “More retailers are approaching us daily and we have doubled our order numbers every month.”
Robbie would love to target footballers and other sports people but acknowledges it might be harder to muscle in on that market. 
He added: “We are focusing on real sportspeople and my hope is that I will soon be able to concentrate on this full time.” 
As he prepares to jet out to the States and Saudi Arabia next month, Robbie said “It’s very early days yet but I’m very excited. If I could attain a fraction of the success of Sir Tom Hunter as a Scot in the sportswear market I’d be over the moon.”

NATHAN EVANS IS THE DADDY OF POPSTARS

NATHAN Evans might be celebrating being at number three on the iTunes chart but he says life has become even more hectic since he became a dad. 
The Scots charttopper, whose hit sea shanty Wellerman has now been played around the world and even got him on the US Kelly Clarkson show has been wowing fans with his new song Heather On The Hill and he’s juggling performances in between family life.
Following an appearance on This Morning Nathan, whose wife Holly gave birth to Hunter in July, told theshowbizlion.com : “It’s been hectic hectic and if it wasn't hectic before it's definitely more hectic when you have a baby, but it’s been incredible.”
Following a complicated C section Hunter had to be put on a CPAP machine (which provides air pressure to stop the airways collapsing) and oxygen and was in ICU for two weeks. 
Nathan said he’s now making brilliant progress. 
He explained: “He is so good and is amazing, sleeping well, eating well and checking off all the checklist and milestones he needs to hit.”
He added: “I think he’s got a musical mind already. Every time I crack out the guitar he's instantly interested, he's trying to touch it, he’s trying to  strum the strings, and if I’m just sitting playing songs or whatever, he just sits and watches and listens.
“And he’s dead calm so I don't know if I'm just being optimistic but I think he's got a bit of musical ability in him. I might be optimistic right enough.”

Former Aidrie postman Nathan first went viral in 2021 after he posted a sixty second clip of himself in TikTok singing a sea shanty whaling song. 
Within days the clip had gone viral with Queen guitarist Brian May, composer Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Gary Barlow, Ronan Keating and US chat show king Jimmy Fallon all posting their own versions of his track.
Since then he’s been signed and has released an album with a second in the works, as well as performed to legions of fans across Europe. 
He said: “I've been in Germany quite a lot from playing influencer charity football matches to playing big massive influencer shows to 15,000 people. At New Year's Eve I was the one to bring in the bells for a New Year's Eve at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin which had between 65 to 80,000 people there, which is ridiculous. Luckily the lights were brilliant  and I could only see maybe five rows so that was good. It wasn't until I came back and saw it on the screen and I was like, wow that’s a lot of people. That's probably the biggest show I've ever done and it was absolutely crazy. But it's incredible.”
Nathan’s latest song Heather on The Hill with its Scottish folk undertones has gained him even more fans.
Nathan said: “It's been absolutely mental. So on Wednesday, I had some filming during the day. I first straight from there down to London when I stayed over on Wednesday night, went straight to film on This Morning and then fresh, flew straight home. 

I got home, had a shower for 20 minutes and went straight back out for two shows and now I’m doing more filming . It's been a mad couple of weeks but it's been incredible.
The new song is upbeat, it's happy, it's like it gets everybody off the feet and dancing and it has that kind of vibe.  I wrote it with the boys from Saint Phnx and we just had an idea for a Scottish traditional song. It just makes you feel good so that's kind of why it resonates so much for everybody.” 

KEVIN BRIDGES FANS IN FOR A TREAT WITH OVERDUE DVD

KEVIN Bridges fans are in for a treat with a new DVD of his record breaking show. 

The Glasgow born talent who we have had the privilege of seeing since his early shows - and even dined with at a Glasgow Awards show, had hit success with The Overdue Catch-up.  As a record-breaking theatrical run, the biggest cinema comedy release since the pandemic, Kevin’s show is now available digitally and on DVD from the 4 December 2023.

 Kevin is back and funnier than ever with his hotly anticipated new show, from his sold-out international live tour and featuring brand-new material.

Filmed live from the Cork Opera House, Ireland, his stand up special (Kevin Bridges: The Overdue Catch-up) welcomes audiences into the mind of one of the sharpest comedy talents of a generation.

Kevin, who left comedy for two years to get a break and learn Spanish while he lived in Madrid, is back and better than ever. 

His cheeky chappy persona makes him so relatable and his new DVD is sure to be the perfect Christmas pressie when it’s released on December 4. 

Theshowbizlion.Com is definitely due an overdue catch up with the Scots star. 

EDINBURGH MUM IS A HIT ON NETFLIX SQUID GAME CHALLENGE FOLLOWING SPLIT

Beverley Lyons 
EDINBURGH IT worker Trudy McCabe wanted to experience life again after splitting with her husband so she entered Netflix blockbuster Squid Game: The Challenge. 
Trudy, 47, who is mum to 16 year old singer Danny McCabe from Scots boyband Just The Brave and his 18 year old brother Ben, joined 455 other contestants to battle it out for a prize of $4.56 million (£3.6 million) on the show. 
Trudy, who is number 427 on the series, said: “I couldn’t tell anyone I was doing it and when I eventually told my family they thought I was crazy. My sons were so proud of me and are still excited in case I’ve won. The winner doesn’t get any prize money until around thirty days after it is shown on TV."
Although she can’t say how far she got in the competition yet, Trudy says she  deliberately stayed out of the limelight as part of her tactic on the gruelling programme. 
Unlike some contestants who have complained about the show’s harsh filming conditions,  Trudy says she loved every minute of the experience.  
She explained: “I recently split with my husband after twenty seven years of marriage and was looking for something to challenge me and allow me to experience life again. 
As soon as I heard they were looking for contestants, I filmed a one minute video that night, and started training myself up for it.”
Trudy, who went swimming with sharks and ran a 5k every day to get herself geared up for the show, said taking part was mentally and physically exhausting. 

But she wanted to prove that a 47 year old woman could be just as fit as the younger ones in the show. 
She said: “I might be getting a bit older but physically I could outdo most people in there. 
Age is just a number and it’s mind over matter. Mentally you need to stimulate yourself because life gets a bit monotonous and you’ve got to live it.”
Fans can now watch the first five episodes with games like Red Light Green Light and cookie cutting being played for real. 
Instead of being killed, contestants are squibbed ie shot with black ink cartridges to signify they are out of the game. 
Trudy said: “I made some really good lifelong friends on the show and it was really sad and emotional when someone got shot. We’ve remained in touch and I plan to see some of them in Canada next year.”
Players were given stacked high bunk beds to sleep in and their diet was so meagre that many lost weight or went to bed hungry.  Trudy’s trousers began to fall down during filming. 
She said: “I tried to be strategic about where I slept. I didn’t chose the bottom or top bunk cause I thought one of the guards might come in during the night and take us out the game. I also picked a block near the toilet because we didn’t have time in the mornings to get showered properly once the music woke us up.”
She added: ”Food was horrendous - porridge everyday and it was not cooked properly, more like slime. I’d force others to eat it because it would give them a bit of energy.  We had small tins with rice and dry chicken in them.  I felt sorry for the big guys because I was starving. I lost a lot of weight and I thought my tracksuit bottoms would fall down at one point.”
For Red Light Green Light, the first game in the show, Trudy admitted it was so cold she couldn’t feel her hands or feet. 
She explained: “It was really cold. It was in January and there was a lot of waiting about.  
When they got squibbed or inked they did verification checks and that took time. 
At one point I was standing still and snot was running out of my nose and I couldn’t wait to wipe it.  
“I couldn’t feel my feet and hands and my shoe came off and I didn’t even know. A really big guy fell on top of me as I was running with just seconds to spare, and I thought I can’t go back to Scotland and tell the boys I didn’t pass the first game.”
“It was everything I thought it would be, the most physical and mental thing I did in my life. I was sleep deprived, didn’t know what day it was and living on rations but afterwards I felt I could get through anything.”
It’s the opportunity of a lifetime to win all that money and I would definitely do it again. I loved every second of it.

WORLD FLOWER SHOW COMES TO EDINBURGH

FLEURS de Villes, the world-renowned floral show behind international blockbuster exhibitions in cities including Sydney, New York, Chicago, Miami and Toronto, has announced the fifteen Edinburgh florists who will star in the UK premiere - in Edinburgh - of its major new exhibition; Fleurs de Villes VOYAGE, along with the fifteen countries being celebrated. They are:

Scotland X KDM Event Styling & Floral Design 

Canada X Petals Flowers

United States X Flowers by Kerry

Australia X Sugarbush Flower Studio

Holland X Nikki’s Fleurs

France X Papaver

Madagascar X Flowers by Minty

China X Simpsons Florist

Japan X Quate & Co

Türkiye X Feather Grass Florals

Peru X Charmed Floristree

Argentina X Flowers for All Occasions

South Africa X Ribbons & Rose

Nepal X Petals by the Shore

India X Gillytree Studio

 

In a coup for the city, and for Scotland, the experiential flower show sensation – known as the “floral disrupters” of the floral world – has announced Edinburgh as the host city for the UK premiere of VOYAGE, which opens this month. Theshowbizlion.Com has seen a preview of the show and it’s something else. 

Now, fifteen of Edinburgh’s stars of the flower world, each of whom have been paired with an iconic country, will be bringing the exhibition’s theme of travel to life in an unmissable globe-spanning floral spectacle. 

This major new show will be staged at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh for ten days, opening to the public on Friday the 15th of September and running until Sunday the 24th of September, 2023.

The fifteen Edinburgh florist extraordinaires will take inspiration from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s awe-inspiring botanical collections, with each talented florist creating fresh floral mannequins celebrating the cultures, people and heritage of the country they have been partnered with. 

 

Visitors will be taken on a fresh floral journey of discovery to experience the vibrant bazaars of Türkiye, marvel at a floral Lone Piper from the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, catch a glimpse of a captivating geisha from Kyoto, Japan, and many more displays at this feast of cultural storytelling - bringing the world to Scotland through flowers like never before.

 

Set within the magnificent grounds of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh; one of the finest botanic gardens in the world, and located just a mile from the city centre, Fleurs de Villes VOYAGEwill be staged inside a beautiful marquee at the heart of the Edinburgh Garden. 

Visitors can admire a striking floral Tesla Model Y before entering the marquee to experience Fleurs de Villes’ signature famous floral mannequins, watch floral demonstrations, and enjoy refreshments from the Moët & Chandon Impérial Champagne and Glenmorangie whisky bars. 

 

The exhibition continues in the adjacent historic Inverleith House where visitors can ‘voyage’ through rainforest, safari and Paris-inspired rooms bursting with blooms, and stop by the Edinburgh Gin ‘filled with wonder’ room to sample a floral gin cocktail. Book here: fleursdevilles.com/edinburgh

 

Enhancing the VOYAGE experience further, visitors can participate in botanical-themed workshops (full schedule here) where they can make floral crowns, tablescapes and bouquets with top local florists, create a Van Gogh-inspired masterpiece, enter a thrilling world of flora and fiction with renowned author of The Fair Botanists, Sara Sheridan, enjoy a sensory scent experience with Scotland’s first fragrance house, or indulge in a botanical gin tasting. Workshops can be purchased as an ‘add-on’ experience when booking VOYAGE exhibition tickets at fleursdevilles.com/Edinburgh.

 

Karen Marshall, Co-founder of Fleurs de Villes said:

 

“We are thrilled to be bringing the UK premiere of VOYAGE to Edinburgh. The iconic Royal Botanic Garden is the perfect stage to showcase Edinburgh’s world-class floral talent, and to bring the global cultural storytelling of VOYAGE to life in flowers like never before through these fifteen Edinburgh florists and fifteen countries. We have been so inspired by the stories shared by fans, florists, and partners in every city Fleurs de Villes has visited across the globe these last few years, and cannot wait to welcome visitors to Edinburgh for what will be a truly unmissable experience.”

 

Kari Coghill, Director of Innovation Projects at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, added:

 

“As admirers of Fleurs de Villes, we are excited to be able to work together to host VOYAGE at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. This beautiful showcase of floral artistry and craftsmanship is a natural fit for the Garden, and we can’t wait for visitors to experience these stunning displays at Inverleith House, located at the heart of the Edinburgh Garden and our magnificent Living Collections.”

 

Tickets to Fleurs de Villes VOYAGE are on sale now and can be purchased at fleursdevilles.com/edinburgh

 

Tickets are priced at £22.50 for adults, £18.50 for seniors and RBGE members, and £10.50 for ages 4-17. A family discount (2 adults & 2 kids) is priced at £55. 

 

The Fleurs de Villes VOYAGE global tour will travel through the US, Canada and UK in 2023, stopping in cities including Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Boston and New York.

 

SHIRLEY MANSON LEFT UNABLE TO WALK AFTER GARBAGE HIP

Pic : Shirley Manson Instagram 

SHIRLEY Manson was left unable to walk after her hip gave out following an on tour injury - and now she says she is grateful to be alive following a life changing hip replacement last month. 
The 56 year old Garbage singer and actress  from Edinburgh had been struggling with her movement on and off over the last seven years after she fell off the rotating stage at a gig in LA whilst singing her band’s song Special. 
And after touring with Alanis Morrisette two years ago the Stupid Girl singer realised things were becoming worrying.
Reliving the moment she fell at KROQ Weenie Fest in the US Shirley told Curious Creatures podcast: “I knew what was happening as it was happening.
”I went into slow motion and I was like, I'm gonna f***ing fall off the front of this f***ing stage. 
“I f***ing can't believe it. Oh my god. Here I go yep, tumbling forward and then all of a sudden I've landed on my feet. Thank God. Unbeknownst to me at the time I really jacked my right hip on the barrier. I landed on the barrier. And then for six years, I've had some problems. 
“And then the last I was on tour with Atlantis Morissette two years ago and I couldn't walk on days off. I said: ‘What the hell's going on?’”
Following a medical consultation Shirley's doctor told her she needed a hip replacement which she had in March - and she claims it has been a humbling experience.  
She explained: “My doctor was like, ‘Yeah, you need a hip replacement’. So I had that a month ago and it was so humbling.
Like I've never had any physical problems my whole life, like nothing. I've never broken a leg or a finger or anything. And then all of a sudden, I find myself using a bedpan p***ing in a bedpan, you know, and having some nurse come and clean me up, I was like, This cannot be happening to me. This cannot be happening. It was happening to me.”
Shirley recalled having to use a zimmer to walk around LA and says it was a great ego check. 
She added: “And then I couldn't walk for two whole weeks. 
“And then I was with a walker, like shuffling around Beverly Hills, outside my doctor's office because I do not live in Beverly Hills, I hasten to add, and it was just such a great ego check of like, yeah, you are just you and you are going to die and you better enjoy your life that you've got left.”
Shirley who is working on Garbage’s eighth studio album is currently touring North America with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.  
And, as she joked that she was looking forward to bleeping at every security check, she said: “Now, you know, just really seize the day. It was really both a cool experience and an awful one. But here I am, with my amazing bionic hip, which looks so beautiful on the X ray, and I'm grateful to be alive. So there you go. It's a triumphant story in the end.“

RICHARD MADDEN AND PRIYANKA CHOPRA JONAS TRAVEL TO MUMBAI AHEAD OF CITADEL RELEASE

SCOTS actor Richard Madden travelled to Mumbai with Priyanka Chopra Jonas for the Asia Pacific premiere of Prime Video’s upcoming global spy series, Citadel.

The  ground-breaking spy franchise created by Amazon Studios and Russo Brothers’ AGBO, will premiere exclusively on Prime Video, with two episodes dropping on April 28, and one episode rolling out weekly through May 26 and theshowbizlion.com can’t wait to watch it. 

Priyanka Chopra Jonas who plays Nadia Sinh said, “When Jennifer Salke, who is the head of Amazon Studios, presented Citadel to me, she wanted to create an international, global franchise - an original IP that truly connects the world. Amazon strongly believes in diversity; and true diversity is represented internationally, not just by having different skin tones, but also by hearing the way people speak, actually delving into the culture. And this show has incredible ability to span across every country and continent. So, I didn’t even know the story and I said yep, doing it.” 

Bodyguard star Richard Madden who plays Mason Kane shared:  “Citadel has been incredibly physically demanding. But I think that's what really is dreamy. It's not simply a gun show or a fight sequence. This is how these two characters interact physically, and how they dance together. We learn in each action sequence a little more about the two of them. Just like in the drama scenes, the stakes are so high because of the adrenaline of what's going on. The show just works both in the drama and action sequences.”

Citadel is executive produced by the Russo Brothers’ AGBO and showrunner David Weil. Alongside Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden, the 6-episode series features Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville in pivotal roles.

 The global series will stream across 240 countries and territories in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and other international languages.

SCOTS LOVE ISLAND STAR BIGGS CHRIS REVEALS SECRET PAST WITH CURRENT BOMBSHELL

SCOTS Love Island star Biggs Chris has revealed he once had a hot date with new Love Island bombshell Samie Elishi - and couldn’t lie about it to his girlfriend. 

Biggs, 30, who is now loved up with girlfriend of a year and a half Sumerica Hawkins, 28 admitted he didn’t realise Samie, 22, was going into the show until he watched it. 
And he confessed it proved to be an awkward moment for himself and Sumerica.
Glasgow born Biggs, who was a contender in the 2020 show, and has moved into property developing, said: “Sumerica and I were watching Love Island together when Samie first arrived at the villa. I saw her hair, then her face and thought: ‘Hang on. I know you’. 

Sumerica saw my face drop and asked: ‘Is there something you want to tell me?”
I tried to lie but it didn’t work. She can read me like a book.”
Biggs, who revealed his past fling as he and Sumerica enjoyed a traditional Lebanese charcoal grill at stylish Glasgow High Street restaurant Damasqino, said he met London born Samie when he was newly single following his split from former Love Island partner Rebecca Gormley two years ago. 
He continued: “Samie and I had a fling after a boozy night in London. We were at an after party with loads of people and ended up having a bit of a fun night. She has no fear and goes for what she wants. She’s a really nice girl and I think she’ll spice up the villa.”

He added: “Lucky for me, Sumerica is playful and is very cool about my past flings. In fact she’s now teasing me that maybe one of her own exes will crop up on the show.”
During his lavish meal, Biggs also revealed he is about to embark on a new property podcast with fellow ex-Love Islander and Justin Bieber lookalike Luke Mabbot.