THE TRAITORS US STAR ALAN CUMMING HAD TO MEDICATE AFTER TICK BITES

TRAITORS star Alan Cumming has revealed he had to take antibiotics to avoid the spread of Lyme disease after being bitten by two ticks on a photoshoot. 

Alan, who says he is a country boy at heart, currently lives in The Catskills in  New York and was doing a story about his life there for a magazine. 
However, as part of the shoot, Alan was seen climbing up ladders to trim hedging, and posing by a caravan in the woodlands surrounding his home. 
He has now told his followers he had to take antibiotics for four weeks after he noticed bites on himself following the photos. 
Alan, who posed for Upstate Diary magazine with his dog Lala, explained: “Lala and I are in the new issue of @upstate_diary.

Alan Cumming from Instagram

 Fun fact: I got two ticks during the shoot, one of which I didn't discover till a day or two later, and had to take a month of antibiotics to avoid getting Lyme's disease! Fashion and showbiz are perilous, people! 
Talking of which, all my clothes are by @paisleyandgray.”
Alan is currently in the highlands of Scotland where he is believed to be filming the latest series of Traitors. 

TWO DOORS DOWN GETS A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS OUTING

WE can hear the jungle drums and the jingle bells as BBC Two comedy Two Doors Down is coming calling this Christmas.

 

 It was announced in the spring that the award-winning Scottish comedy will be returning to UK screens for a fifth series on BBC Two next year.

But in a surprise move, theshowbizlion.com can now reveal that the BBC has now also signed up for a Christmas special of the comedy to go out this December on BBC Two and BBC Scotland. 

The Christmas special will be filmed in line with Covid-19 industry guidelines but will be taking a side-step from the current pandemic to focus on laughs.

 

Steven Canny, Executive Producer at BBC Studios Comedy which makes the series in Scotland said: “I’m delighted that Two Doors Down is going to give people the neighbourly get-together they have been missing out on in recent times. Eric, Beth, Colin, Cathy, Ian, Gordon and, of course, Christine get together to celebrate in the way that only they can. This special episode is the complete package of uncomfortable comments, barbed compliments and, of course, a ton of laughs.”

 

Further details of the Christmas special will be released at a later date but it will feature Arabella Weir as Beth and Alex Norton as Eric - the long-suffering Bairds  - and Elaine C Smith as Christine, Doon Mackichan as Cathy and Jonathan Watson as her husband Colin Whyte, Jamie Quinn as the Bairds’ son Ian and Kieran Hodgson as his boyfriend Gordon.

 

Graeme ‘Grado’ Stevely and Joy McAvoy, who play young couple Alan and Michelle, will not feature in the Christmas special but will be back for the fifth series, which is due to be recorded and shown next year.

 

Two Doors Down was launched with a Hogmanay special at the end of 2013 before going onto become the much loved series. It last had a Christmas special in 2018, with its fourth series going on to air in 2019. It has received multiple awards including the Best Comedy award at the 2017 Royal Television Society Scotland Awards and Elaine C. Smith won Best Actress at the BAFTA Scotland Awards in 2018. It is one of BBC Two and BBC Scotland’s top performing comedies. Over the course of 2020, Two Doors Down has been shown on the BBC Scotland channel, with all four series available to watch on BBC iPlayer where it has been gathering an army of new fans. In total the four series have amassed more than 30m requests on BBC iPlayer. It is a BBC Studios Comedy production, written by Simon Carlyle and Gregor Sharp. 

 

The fifth series had been re-commissioned by Shane Allen, Controller of BBC Comedy, and Patrick Holland, Controller of BBC Two, who also gave the go-ahead for the Christmas 2020 special.

 

FORD KIERNAN TALKS ABOUT THE AGONY HE ENDURED AFTER STILL GAME LIVE SHOW

Exclusive
Beverley Lyons
STILL Game’s Ford Kiernan has spoken for the first time about the agony and pain he endured before having to go under the surgeons knife following his last run of shows at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro.
The comedian and actor who will star as Jack alongside Greg Hemphill’s Victor as well as actors including Jane McCarry, Paul Riley, and Sanjeev Kohli in Still Game Live: The Final Farewell stage show from September 27 until October 13, endured a complex back operation following his run of shows in 2017.
Asked about any luxuries he’d indulged in since having success with his comedy, Ford said: “The starriest thing that I’ve done is that I had two of my vertebrae removed and never waited on the National Health to give me a date for it. I went round the corner to the Nuffield and I got them to whip it out and that’s something I couldn’t have done if I hadn’t been working on the telly. It was my lower back, vertebrae five and six.”
Ford said the operation took place following his last sell out run of Still Game: Bon Voyage shows at the SSE Hydro in February 2017. And he revealed he couldn’t go on stage without receiving medical treatment before each performance.
He added: “And it was just after I finished the Hydro in 2017. I was getting a cortisone injection into my spine in 2017 before every single show.”
Showing off the scar at the base of his back he added: ”Put it this way, before I got into Chewing the Fat they’d say ‘You know who would be ideal for this?’ - Stretch Kiernan. I did the damage lifting barrels off the back of a van when I was twenty one.”
Greg laughed: “The truth of the matter is there was nothing wrong with Ford back then. It was just a Daniel Day Lewis thing. I was slouching and he was committed to be the wee one and took two vertebrae out and that is commitment.”
Ford and Greg will be saying farewell to their beloved TV and stage characters following their final bout of stage shows in Glasgow.
Greg said: ”It’s one of my favourite things going to the Hydro to do the show and it’s great fun and it feels like the end of the road. It took us six or seven months to write it, to make sure it was a fitting show, picking up where the tv show left off. It’s like getting to be a rockstar for fifteen nights and it’s pretty cool. We’re not doing the Eagles. It’s the end.”
Ford said: “People say ‘Is it the same show as before?’ but we’ve written a brand new show because it’s the finale with the big splash at the end. In the last TV episode Jack and Victor walked into the mist and they were gone. It’s all down to interpretation. If you think they are dead you might get a surprise either way. If we were designing a funeral for Jack and Victor it would be a pire.”
Greg said: “Don’t say we killed them. Maybe we differ on this. My feeling is they live their life full. I don’t think anyone would invite 150 thousand people into an arena to make them cry. I think you can’t kill them off. It would be too sad. Jack and Victor have always been about life and living it to the full.”
Following the run, both men say they want to spend more time with their families.
Greg said: ”I’m celebrating my twentieth wedding anniversary in a week and I remember buying my mum and dad a gift for theirs. It’s really freaking me out. Twenty five is silver, fifty is gold and forty is ruby. There’s other things we want to do together down the line, together and separately.”
Ford added: “We’ve got a body of actors here who are dynamite and phenomenal not just for comedy bit for everything which we are extremely lucky to have. I’d be surprised if we don’t bump into them in some professional capacity in the future.” 

FORMER GLASGOW GLOW REALITY STARS MAKE SEX SHOW

Beverley Lyons 

GLOW’S Brian Matthews and Victoria Obahor have made a new TV programme which will show them having raunchy sex. 
The Scottish reality couple who were last seen on Couples Come Dine With Me after giving one another ‘terrible tattoos’ on Just Tattoo Of Us have been trying to keep hush about the sexy new show for Channel 4.
We can now reveal that the show called Sex Tape will see the often fighting couple cosying up in the bedroom in adult scenes while their love life is filmed for the viewing public. 
The show starts Friday 26th April at 10pm on Channel 4 and the couple told friends that they will see a different side to them. 

A close friend of the couple said: “Brian and Victoria have been boasting about their antics. From the sounds of it there are no holds barred for their sex tape.”

Brian admitted he and Victoria’s love life has gone from wild to woeful. He said: “At first we went through the Kama Sutra, but now there’s no spontaneity when it comes to our relationship anymore, especially when it comes to the sex. We need help because we used to have an amazing sex life and it’s flipped the opposite way now.”

According to a spokesperson for the show arguing couples will have their home rigged with cameras to capture everything from the heated rows and the reconciliation – to the sex.In each episode, the couples hoping to fix their relationships meet each other, along with a sex therapist, for a “new therapy”. Executive producer Gary Chippington said the show was a “ground-breaking series”. “Sex Tape promises to be a perceptive, revealing and surprising social experiment offering a fascinating insight into intimacy.”

JUDGE RINDER ON NEW STRICTLY HOPES DURING EDINBURGH VISIT

FORMER Strictly contestant and qualified barrister Judge Rinder says he hopes Debbie McGee wins this year's competition. He said: "I had a ball on Strictly and we all got on so well. I like Debbie and she's a person who is over fifty who has a really good chance of winning and I think that's great. Of course I won't be watching because I'll be too depressed."
The ITV Judge who rules in real life cases has a real admiration for articulate and authentic women.
The judge who is used to ruling the courtroom in his own hit series has recently recorded Crime Stories which takes a closer look at a variety of major offences.
He was recently at the Edinburgh TV Festival at the EICC to chat about his projects and also told theshowbizlion.com he is working on a chat show concept which will allow people to see his hate of intellectual snobbery and love of the quirky.

RUSSELL BRAND, RUTH DAVIDSON, JON SNOW AND MORE SET FOR EDINBURGH TV FEST.

Russell Brand, Judge Rinder, Jon Snow, Ruth Davidson, Nicola Sturgeon, and other well known faces from the telly and internet world are coming to the Edinburgh TV Festival this month.
 Scottish Conservative MSP for Edinburgh Central and Leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Ruth Davidson will interview Jon Snow as part of the Edinburgh International TV Festival.

In the Post MacTaggart Interview, Ruth will pose questions and debate the central themes raised in Jon’s James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture.
Russell Brand will also offer his views in the alternative MacTaggart Memorial Lecture at the fest and you can now buy public tickets.
Interviewed by XFM co-host and comedy writer behind Channel 4’s The Mimic and Very Important People, Matt Morgan, delegates will get a unique insight into the career of Brand about his lifelong devotion to comedy; his extensive portfolio of work on and off the screen; and how his call for revolution has been realised in a personal way, in love and fatherhood.
 Davidson was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2011, where she represented Glasgow. Before entering politics, Ruth worked in journalism for ten years, first in newspapers, before moving to radio and television.
 Like Jon, Ruth was an early adopter of Twitter and, in tandem with her eye for a good photo opportunity, has built up a large following on the site. She has also used the platform to draw attention to homophobic abuse she receives.
 Festival Director Lisa Campbell said: "We are thrilled that Ruth is going to be leading the questions, delving deeper behind the themes that Jon will raise in the MacTaggart. Her tenacity, knowledge, breadth of experience within television, wider politics and social media makes her the perfect person to interview Jon.”
She added: “Thought-provoking, entertaining and with a delicious way with words, Russell is one of the most exciting creative mavericks around. Having Matt on board as someone who knows the complexities and inner workings of this titan of comedy, and who can give genuine insight into his creative brain, will make this one unmissable hour."
The fest will also see Edith Bowman, Rio Ferdinand and Sue Perkins in attendance from August 23-25.
To see Russell Brand get tickets here bit.ly/RBEITF17

PHILLIP SCHOFIELD HAS MORE THAN A DRAM AT SCOTS BREWERY

PHILLIP Schofield got his hands dirty on a trip to Islay after cutting the peat made to make the famous Laphroaig Whisky.
The telly presenter was in the isle of Islay as he continues his tour of Scotland during some time off from This Morning.
He said he was delighted with his trip on the ferry after comparing it to a cruise ship and was extra thrilled when some fans scrawled a welcome note on the dirty rear end of a lorry as he left the boat.


Phil, who posed with some thrilled fans along the way was keen to try out the famous peat smoked malt as he arrived at the distillery, and after a quick tour inside where he met the staff he ventured outside to do some dirty work.
He was rewarded with a sample of the hard stuff before heading on his way to Oban.


And he admitted he had so much to drink he had to be driven rather than take the wheel on his road trip.
The presenter was spotted earlier this week in Balloch park by local people and tourists as he and his wife, Steph, enjoyed a visit up north. Schofield, who was also spotted in the Lake District earlier this week, is on a break from the ITV show as Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford provide cover.

















- Posted with love from Scotland by theShowbizLion.com

RIVER CITY'S GARY LAMONT IS LEAVING

RIVER City actor Gary Lamont has announced he's leaving the series - and claims he wanted to go out on a high..
Producers claim the door will be left open but in an emotional announcement online Gary who plays much loved hairdresser Robbie Fraser said: "I am leaving Shieldinch. It's been hush hush and a secret. The first series I was booked for was eight weeks and I've managed to wring eight years out of them so I don't think I'm doing too badly. It's a good thing. It's a positive thing."
Admitting it made him a bit teary eyed he added: "It's weird getting upset about it because I've never actually said it. I think I'm just pretending that it's not happening. It's been marvellous and the best job I could ever wish to have. I always wanted to go when I was at the top and I feels as if I'm at the top. I couldn't ask for anything more. I'd rather go while it's good."
Gary who performed his own show at the Edinburgh festival recently appeared on 69 Shades of Gay at Oran Mor and has some more live theatre dates in the works.
Executive Producer Kieran said:
"Gary brings magic to every scene which has made him an audience favourite for the last eight years. We are so sorry to lose Gary but know that we have kept him to ourselves for long enough and now he needs to go and do other things.
Robbie has been at the heart of River City with gripping storylines including soap’s first ever domestic abuse storyline between a gay couple. We’re planning to make the most of Gary while we have him and will put Robbie through the wringer one last time with a fittingly dramatic and heroic finale.
Everyone at River City will miss Gary for who he is behind the scenes as well as the wonderful things he has done on screen. We wish him all the success in the world, but if Robbie ever wants to come back, the door is open."


- Posted with love from Scotland by theShowbizLion.com

IS JAMES COSMO THE 'BIGGEST' STAR IN CBB

JAMES Cosmo was almost named the most well endowed star in the Celebrity Big Brother house after the girls started debating who had the biggest willy.
After Chloe asked which guy in the house might be carrying the biggest weapon, as the girls gossiped in the bedroom, Stacy said: "You know who I think might be stacking and he might be a little on the downlow about it? He might be married but for some reason I think James has got a little something going on."
As the camera focused on James Cosmo who was oblivious to the chat and doing the washing up, a surprised Chloe replied: "A big one? James who looks like Santa?"
Stacy replied in hysterics: "No, not that James, the other James."
The girls breathed a collective sigh of relief as they giggled away.
The talented Scotsman who was Lord Commander Mormont in Game Of Thrones was in a playful mood as he clambered over Coleen Nolan in the bed and jokingly suggested the first Big Brother threesome with James Jordan who also lay there.
As James Jordan was later evicted Cosmo also joked: "I can swerve better than Ronaldo."

- Posted with love from Scotland by theShowbizLion.com

GAME OF THRONES JAMES COSMO HAS ANOTHER TRUSTY STEED ON BIG BROTHER

HERE'S James Cosmo taking the mickey out of his Game of Thrones character by leading a pink pony through the Celebrity Big Brother house.
Referencing his character Jeor Mormont, the Scots actor said: "I am the Lord commander and this is my steed" as he walked shetlander Tony Pony through the house without Bianca Gascoigne noticing him in a challenge.
While Jasmin Waltz teaches Bianca meditation techniques a thrilled James takes a leisurely stroll with Tony through the house and into the gardens.
We can't wait to see more action from the sweetie that is James C over coming weeks.

- Posted with love from Scotland by theShowbizLion.com

SCOTS VOICE COACH YVIE BURNETT TALKS GARY BARLOW

Beverley Lyons
SCOTS Voice coach Yvie Burnett reckons Gary Barlow is a perfectionist after working on his new show Let It Shine.
Aberdeen born Mezzo Soprano Yvie who has been vocal coaching contestants behind the scenes on the BBC series which starts tonight said: "I think with Gary it's very much about the emotion and words and everything and although technically he works hard he is one of these perfectionists in life, isn't he? You can tell by the way he looks. He looks great and he looks at his exercise and what he eats and his dancing and which maybe wasn't always his thing, and his singing, so I think with Gary he's looking for people who will work really hard and do their best for him.


She added: "It's been great fun working on the show. I'm really excited about it because there's something unusual with little added extras that are quite exciting and I think people will like it. It's just a really warm feel good show.
Yvie added: "There's great talent from Scotland and of course I don't give them any extra time ha ha. I've been working closely with Gary because Gary knows what he wants and he knows that I'll do whatever he needs for it cause we know each other anyway and he's just great to work with. He's proper and knows his stuff.


- Posted with love from Scotland by theShowbizLion.com

BLACKADDER STAR TONY ROBINSON HAS HIS PIE AND EATS IT IN SCOTLAND

BLACKADDER and Time Team star Sir Tony Robinson couldn't believe it when fans showered him with macaroni cheese on his trip to Scotland.
The actor and presenter who is best known as Baldrick and his famous phrases like 'I have a cunning plan' was appearing in Glasgow and Edinburgh for his No Cunning Plan book signing.
He told his online followers he was
'Looking forward to lashings of Macaroni cheese pie' but never expected them to take him up on his suggestion.



Tony who was in Scotland with his wife said: "I said I fancied macaroni cheese. The next thing I knew they were suggesting all sorts of macaroni cheese to me including deep fried pies. Someone even brought one to the book signing."
Phil from Falkirk was amongst those who made the extra effort,
He said: "I took diplomatic responsibility to welcome Tony Robinson to Glasgow with a formal presentation."


Tony was also collecting donations for Movember as he sports a moustache for the first time in ages but he admitted he couldn't wait to get rid of it.


- Posted with love from Scotland by theShowbizLion.com

CAITLYN VAN BECK SINGS FOR SCOTTISH DREAMMAKER CHARITY

X Factor singer Caitlyn Van Beck might have been knocked out of the telly show on Saturday but she didn't stay at home weeping over the decision - and managed to wow as a surprise guest at a charity bash for sick kids.







Guests couldn't believe their luck when 18 year old Tranent gal Caitlyn turned up at the Les Hoey MBE Dreammaker Foundation bash in Glasgow's Crowne Plaza.







And at exactly the same time as X Factor fans watched the judges houses stage of the show where Simon made his shock move she performed a moving rendition of Piece By Piece by Kelly Clarkston on stage at the party.







Revellers included GLOW reality stars Brian Matthews and James English, Still Game's Jane McGarry and Mark Cox who play Isa and Tam and radio host Suzie McGuire.

Caitlyn said: "It's great to be here to support the Les Hoey MBE Dreammaker Foundation and to see all the smiles on the children's faces."

Meantime fans of the Scots singer have kicked off after house after her pianist appeared to hit a bum note during her Judges House audition.
Caitlyn sang Praying For Time by George Michael during the audition in Malibu in front of Simon Cowell and his friends.
Caitlyn appeared to forget her words as she sang the famous song and Simon encouraged her to keep singing.
Now however, followers online have pointed out that the pianist seemed to hit a wrong note which put the Scots talent off.



At fifty five seconds into the audition just as she is about to sing the word wounded which she begins to pronounce, she stops dead and gives a puzzled look.
Simon urges her to continue after the two exchange a look and Caitlyn then performs the rest of the song beautifully.
Fans are now furious that Caitlyn, who was put head to head with fellow Scot Emily Middlemas at judges houses, was put out of the competition by a regretful Simon.
And some are raising questions about her musical accompaniment online.
Paul Lang commented: "The guy playing piano went wrong there, didn't he? She was thrown.#xfactor"
Another Sasha Lang added: "Anyone else notice the Pianist messed up just as Caitlyn was smashing her song at judges, struggle to believe that wasn't set up..furious."
Another wrote on a forum: "I just watched again on YouTube and it almost seemed like the keyboard player played the wrong notes to the line 'when there is no hope to speak of'. Very strange"



Excerpts of this article from The showbizlion.com appeared in The Sun online.



- Posted with love from Scotland by theShowbizLion.comSun online

WATCH STILL GAME BEFORE ANYONE ELSE IN SCOTLAND

FANCY watching the new episodes of Still Game before anyone else?
Jack, Victor and the rest of the Craiglang gang return to our screens for for some brand new Still Game frolics later this year.
The sitcom by ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill which sold out its live shows at the SSE Hydro is schedule for BBC One later in the year.
Now you can watch the episodes from the brand new series in advance as the show records audience laughter tracks. This is your chance to attend the screening and be part of this exclusive audience.
Tickets will be allocated by random draw after you click to apply here
You can register at any time until 5pm on Friday 2 September.
You can apply for a maximum of two tickets per screening and, should you be successful in the random draw you will only receive tickets for one screening.
Good luck!
All information is correct at time of publication.


- Posted with love from Scotland by theShowbizLion.com

EDINBURGH TV FEST IS OPEN TO YOU

THE Edinburgh International TV festival rolls into town this week and you're invited.
The fest, brought by YouTube and BT, is normally only open to Telly Big Wigs and a beautiful media crowd, but this year they are throwing open the doors of exclusive showings to punters.
The Filmhouse Cinema has a number of events happening on Wednesday and Thursday from a Sci fi masterclass with Ronald D Moore of Star Trek and Outlander fame to screenings and Q & As with writers like Doug Naylor from Red Dwarf and writer and actor Shane Allen and Kevin Bishop from Porridge. There are also screenings of People Just Do Nothing, Fortitude, The Fall and Poldark and for the first time in TV Festival history, access to see CEO of VICE Shane Smith speak at the MacTaggart, and Sharon Horgan be interviewed by Frankie Boyle in the Alternative MacTaggart.
The TV festival is one of the highlights of theshowbizlion.com Edinburgh festival diary and we love bumping into the colourful characters who attend.
This year stars appearing at the main event include Lee Mack, Russell T Davies, Mel B and Professor Green.

Fancy going? Here's the link for you to get tickets:
http://www.filmhousecinema.com/seasons/edinburgh-international-television-festival-2016/


To book tickets to see CEO VICE Media Shane Smith deliver this year’s James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture, visit the Playhouse Theatre website: http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-james-mactaggart-memorial-lecture/edinburgh-playhouse/

To see Sharon Horgan in conversation with Frankie Boyle in this year’s Alternative MacTaggart Lecture, visit the EventBrite website to book your tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/frankie-boyle-in-conversation-with-sharon-horgan-tickets-26409302936

From Scotland with Love - theshowbizlion.com

CHRISTOPHER BIGGINS FLIES TO SCOTLAND AFTER BIG BROTHER CONTROVERSY

CHRISTOPHER Biggins fled the heat of London and the aftermath of Celebrity Big Brother by escaping to Scotland on a secret short break with his friends.
The larger than life TV personality apologised publicly after being at the centre of a racism and biphobia row following his time in the Big Brother house.
And straight after exiting the house he packed his case to take a holiday in Glasgow and get away from it all.
Biggins, who was removed from the house last week, was keen to get back to normality as he checked into the plush Hotel Du Vin in the stylish West end on Tuesday.
The hotel has been frequented by everyone from Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake to George Clooney and Simon Cowell.


He visited the neighbouring Hyndland restaurant Epicures for some late lunch before popping into a newsagent across the road to buy some comfort snacks.
Looking bright and breezy in his pink hued jacket he went out drinking for five hours with his his friends.
Returning from his evening out shortly before ten pm he was in a jovial mood as he emerged from the taxi.
His friends laughed: "It's Santa Claus without the beard."
Asked how he felt after exiting the Big Brother house he added: "I've been made a scapegoat. I've been stitched up like a kipper."
Questioned if he was getting abuse on the street he added: "People on the whole have been nice to me thankfully and I love Scotland. I'm very much having a lovely time here with my friends."


It's thought that Biggins then visited Edinburgh to catch up with Lady Colin Campbell who had jumped to is defende following the CBB controversy.
One Fringe enthusiast tweeted: "Super to see lovely @onebiggins, who kindly let me Q-jump at airport yesterday, on way back to @Gildedballoon to @LadyColinCampb show".


- With love from Scotland and Theshowbizlion