GLASGOW’S MADRAS CAFE HAS MORE AWARDS THAN TABLES

GLASGOW’S Madras cafe has snapped up another gong as 2023 South Indian Restaurant of the Year at the Scottish Asian food awards - and they now have more awards than tables. 
The eateries latest trophy makes it the most awarded Indian restaurant in Glasgow as it adds to its collection of glass and silverware - including Trip Advisor Best Indian restaurant in Glasgow.
In fact, the restaurant in the city’s Howard Street now boasts so many awards it has more trophies than its 16 tables that seat 50 diners.  
Owners Altaf Hossain, chef Shabu Natarajan and JD Tewari have worked tirelessly for the last three years to build a solid foundation and they can’t wait to give back more to the community this year. 
Altaf said: “I think we’ve become the most awarded Indian restaurant in Glasgow. We have won twenty awards in total with eleven being presented to us in just the last year. 
“Winning the prestigious award that honours our south Indian dishes is truly a moment of triumph for all of us at Madras Cafe and I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to each member of our extraordinary team. 
Dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment to delivering the best culinary experience have undoubtedly played a pivotal role in achieving this accolade.
To our chefs, who craft each dish with precision and love, thank you for elevating our culinary offerings to new heights. Our head chef Shabu’s creativity and skill shine through in every bite. 
Our front-of-house staff ensure that every guest feels welcomed and cherished.
I think this recognition will inspire us to continue striving for excellence, innovation, and the highest standards of hospitality. To our guests, Thank you for being the driving force behind our success, and here's to many more accolades in the future.”
Dishes like the golden crisp Masala Dosa and Chicken Chettinad with its coconut herbs and spices are two South Indian dishes which have proved popular with regular and new diners including celebrities like Liverpool and Scotland player Andy Robertson and top Masterchef contender Sagar Massey.
Altaf and his team now want to give back to Glasgow and say: “We hope to do even better in 2024 in our service and offering new dishes to our guests. We would also like to do more charitable work, and more engagements in the community.”
To celebrate their win, Madras Cafe is offering 20 per cent off its food menu throughout January. 

SUSAN BOYLE NEW YEAR SURPRISE IN DUNFERMLINE

SUSAN Boyle surprised revellers celebrating the turn of the year when she turned up for an unplanned duet with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers.
The Celtic rockers were playing their regular end of year show at the Alhambra when 
Susan arrived to watch her friend and vocal coach Chris Judge perform.  
The 62 year old who recently told that she had suffered a minor stroke last April was just there to watch the show but after speaking with Chris and the band backstage, she was asked if she might like to join them. 
Chris was about to sing his last song of the first half of the show with the pipers but paused to tell the large crowd they had a star in their midst. 
Chris teased: “The singer that we wanted was not available because our favourite singer comes from Blackburn in West Lothian. 
But tonight she’s not in Blackburn West Lothian. Dunfermline please welcome to the stage our friend Susan Boyle.”
Susan then duetted on the Leonard Cohen song Hallelujah as the audience went wild. 
And after hitting the high notes with Chris she told the crowd to have a happy new year. 
Chris said of the magical moment: “Susan and I had never properly duetted on stage before and it was such a buzz, the smiles say it all. 
She surprised the audience and earned a worthy standing ovation and it was a moment I will cherish forever.”

The rest of the band added on their social media: “What an honour!!! Last night wasn’t only an incredible night with it being the last show of another amazing year for the band, it was also capped off by an extra special moment when the world famous and Scottish national treasure, Susan Boyle joined us on stage to sing a song with her good friend and our singer, Chris Judge. 
“Susan had came along to the gig, and we couldn’t believe that she was willing to give us the honour and privilege of allowing us to share the stage with her. It’s safe to say that the crowd gave her the reception she deserves, and what a memory it was for every single person in the auditorium last night.”
Happy New Year to all of you out there, much love from all of us wherever you are in the word.”
Susan’s impromptu appearance came after she was filmed stealing the show as she appeared on-stage for a singalong with Donny Osmond in Glasgow at the start of December.
The world talent who shot to fame with her rendition of the Les Mis smash hit I Dreamed A Dream on Britain's Got Talent in 2009, appeared alongside the American singer to preform 'This is the moment.' 

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. 

MARTI PELLOW WILL PLAY TO JUST 200 PEOPLE IN GLASGOW HOTEL

MARTI Pellow will play to just 200 people for a special Greatest Hits Radio set at Radisson’s RED Glasgow this December. 

 

RED Sky Bar welcomes the former Wet Wet Wet frontman ahead of his OVO Hydro gig in March next year – and he’ll be showcasing classic songs and entertaining an audience of just 200 lucky Greatest Hits Radio listeners that have won their way into the gig.

  

Marti said: ‘I cannot wait to perform to this very special audience - talk about starting the festive season in style! Looking forward to seeing everyone there very soon. Love to love Marti x’

 

Jackie Brambles added: ‘What an incredible evening this is going to be and it’s brilliant that all our Greatest Hits Radio listeners will be able to hear Marti when we premiere his performance on my show later in December. It’ll be an unmissable event!’

 

Ewen & Cat said: ‘We cannot wait to spend the evening with our great pal Marti Pellow and what an amazing evening for our listeners it’s going to be. Imagine hearing all of those iconic numbers up close and personal. Make sure you’re listening to our show from this Monday to win your way in!’

 

Graham Chalmers, Radisson RED Glasgow’s Curator said: ‘We’re thrilled to welcome one of Scotland’s greatest ever voices to the RED Sky Bar.

 

With our pals at Greatest Hits Radio and their sister stations we have staged some immense events as well as the packed programme of our own standalone shows which have seen us named Best Late Night Venue in Scotland two years in a row.

 

This is a really cool addition to our packed festive programme and again shows we always work hard to lead the way in entertaining the people of Scotland.

 

Thanks to Marti and the team at Greatest Hits Radio for another year of great tunes and shows – and look out for more coming your way.’

 

 For more information on Greatest Hits Radio presents Marti Pellow: Live in Glasgow and how to win tickets, listen to Ewen & Cat At Breakfast on Greatest Hits Radio across Scotland on DAB, online, via the Greatest Hit Radio App and on your smart speaker.

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The gig will be broadcast as part of Jackie Brambles Greatest Hits Radio show on Thursday 14th December at 7pm

About Greatest Hits Radio  

At Greatest Hits Radio it’s all about the music and the unique feeling that hearing a great song gives you, with listeners able discover an upbeat, authentic, fun and entertaining format where the ‘Good Times Sound Like This’. Targeting an audience of 40+, the station plays the biggest songs of the 70s, 80s and 90s including music from iconic artists such as Blondie, Queen, George Michael, Madonna, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, Elton John and Whitney Houston.  

 

Featuring a presenter line-up of legendary broadcasters including; Simon Mayo, Mark Goodier, Pat Sharp, Paul Gambaccini, Jenny Powell and many more, Greatest Hits Radio is part of the Hits Radio Brand Network. Find the station on your radio, mobile or ask your smart speaker to play ‘Greatest Hits Radio.’ 

 

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.

IRN-BRU WANTS YOU IF YOU’VE EVER BEEN GHOSTED

HAVE you ever been ghosted because if you have, IRN-BRU wants to hear from you in time for Halloween…

Scotland’s dating scene is being haunted by the spread of ghosting with two thirds of Scots having experienced the phenomenon, according to new research by Scotland’s other national drink and  there's no better time than October to vanquish this horror.

 

To rid the nation's ghosts, theshowbizlion.com’s favourite fizz has summoned Dan Harry, star of BBC Three’s landmark gay dating show 'I KISSED A BOY', as their very own 'Ghost Bru-ster' to host the ultimate Bru-themed dating night - and for the first time ever, only those who have been on the receiving end of someone cutting off all contact with no explanation are invited.

 

The term 'ghosting' is relatively new in the dating world - and refers to a potential relationship ending when someone stops replying to messages without giving the other person any warning for doing so and disappears. 

 

Dan Harry said: "Heartache shouldn't haunt anyone's Halloween so I'm reaching out to spirited singles who have been ghosted to guide them to resurrect their love lives. Together with IRN-BRU we want to hear your ghost(ed) stories to get the chance to exorcise those dating demons and maybe even find a kindred spirit.

 

“I’ll be on hand to pair up potential matches, helping to banish any would-be ghosts this Halloween.”

 

A spooky study by IRN-BRU shows two thirds of the nation's Gen Zs reporting the supernatural experience while looking for love, with 16-percent being ghosted more than three times in the last year. Something which might also cause a fright is 58% owning up to ghosting someone, for reasons as ridiculous as getting the ick from long nails, noisy eating or overusing emojis.

 

The research found that while 59% of Gen Z are frequent users of dating apps, a whopping 94% voiced they’re eager to swap swiping for real life link-ups but 48% are spooked at the thought of asking someone on a date IRL, so IRN-BRU’s Ghost BRU-ster is here to take away the awkwardness and help give offline encounters a go. 

 

Bringing a BRU-nique twist to Halloween, IRN-BRU is teaming up with Glasgow’s El Perro Negro to host the ultimate halloween party for ghosted daters. The restaurant will be transformed into an enchanting dating night like no other, with tricks and treats, including an IRN-BRU inspired menu and cocktail selection.  IRN-BRU pulled pork sliders will be served up alongside veggie deep fried haggis with BRU sauce and Ghost BRU-ster Dan will also be on hand to play cupid in an enchanting venue which will be fizzing with eerie surprises.

 

Dan wants to hear the nation's spookiest 'ghosting' stories. Anyone who shares a tale of how their potential new boo suddenly left them on read could be lucky enough to receive an invitation for them and their pal to attend IRN-BRU's Ghost BRU-sters event on Halloween night.

Kenny Nicholson, Head of Brand at IRN-BRU said: “We know ghosting is a big red flag for young people and that finding that spellbinding match can feel a little like the graveyard shift. So this Halloween, our Ghost BRU-ster event is on hand to turn the hunt for that special someone from a chiller into a thriller.”

 

To share ghost(ed) stories, singletons should visit IRN-BRU’s Instagram or TikTok channels.

HEADLESS HORSEMAN SEEN AT INGLISTON ESTATE AND COUNTRY CLUB

A group of holidaymakers at a Scots country club couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw a ‘headless horseman’ during an evening walk.
Tommy Gillan and his friends were staying in the on-site RV Park at the luxury Ingliston estate and country club in Bishopton when they decided to go for an after dinner stroll.
They were in the middle of filming some of the surrounding countryside to show their family before they were stopped in their tracks by a figure on horseback.
And they had to do a double take when the mysterious figure began cantering then galloping towards them on a dark horse.
Tommy from Glasgow, who was still visibly shocked after the incident, said: “My pals and I decided to take an early weekend break in Ingliston and were just enjoying the outdoor scenery.
We couldn’t actually believe it when we heard hooves then saw what looked to be a headless figure on a horse. It kind of came out of nowhere.
We didn’t know if we’d had too much to drink. One of my pals, Sharon, was freaking out when she saw it and shouted out ‘it’s got nae heid’. I was just running in the other direction by that point.”
He added: “I’m really not sure what we saw - the body on the horse was dressed in a black outfit, with a cape and the horse seemed bigger than normal. We tried to film it but to be honest we were all a bit shaken.”
The group managed to get a video of the ‘headless horseman’ as it came towards them.
Staff at the venue, which hosts a Christmas party with telly star Mark Wright on December 2 refused to comment though one insider said: “Ingliston House was built in 1846 on the old Greenock Road and the area has a history of some spooky going ons. With October and Halloween celebrations coming including their Masquerade Ball on October 28 theres definitely something in the air.”