Home//TV Times/25-May-24/In This Issue
TV Times|25-May-24Good as GOLDBRITAIN’S GOT TALENT SAT-FRI, TIMES VARY, ITV1 ENTERTAINMENT Sydnie Christmas certainly has cause for celebration. Clinching judge Amanda Holden’s first Golden Buzzer in this year’s Britain’s Got Talent for her powerhouse rendition of Tomorrow from the musical Annie, the Kent singer sailed through to the ITV1 entertainment extravaganza’s live semi-finals, which kick off this week. ‘It doesn’t seem real because it all happened so quickly!’ smiles Sydnie, 28, as she joins TV Timesfor an exclusive chat. ‘I’m still expecting someone to wake me up. I feel very lucky.’ Following the last two audition rounds on Saturday and Sunday, the stage will be set for five live showdowns, running across consecutive evenings over the week from Holiday Monday. Hosted by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, the semi-finals will see the best…4 min
TV Times|25-May-24NEW CASTCHELSEA EDGE Death in Paradise star Chelsea plays SARAH, Gabby’s new girlfriend. ‘Finding new talent is one of the real pleasures of the show,’ shares Stephen. ‘Gabby is facing a health issue that means she needs to have a baby urgently if she wants to have one. So they face the pressure of that…’ HARRY TREVALDWYN Harry, whose previous credits include Prime Video comedy Ten Percent, is STAN, a new trainee being mentored by Diane. ‘Harry’s fantastic! He’s so endearing and enthusiastic,’ says Stephen. ‘And it’s lovely for Diane to have a disciple who adores her and who she can slightly mistreat!’ PATRICK ROBINSON Acclaimed actor Patrick, recently seen in Granite Harbour, takes on the role of lecturer and psychologist SEAN, Myrna’s old flame. ‘Patrick is wonderful and so lovely,’…1 min
TV Times|25-May-24THE GREAT SUPREMOHow would you describe your character? The Great Supremo is a flawed rapscallion, but also charismatic and a genuinely good man. He comes into the kids’ lives because of the Eye of the Sunrise, which he’s used to create his entire magic show. His whole family’s livelihood is based on this diamond! What was it like playing a circus performer? Great! The script is solid and they’ve allowed me to ‘Flemynise’ it! A secret I’m telling only you is that most characters I play are just me in different costumes. If it’s a period piece, I just sit up a bit straighter, and if it’s gangster, I just snarl a bit more! How did you balance the light and dark moments within this episode? Originally, Enid Blyton’s Famous Five stories…1 min
TV Times|25-May-247 wonders of theWORLDRACE ACROSS THE WORLD FINAL WEDNESDAY, 9PM, BBC1 REALITY With adrenaline-fuelled adventures, dazzling destinations and generous gestures of kindness from strangers, reality competition Race Across the World has hiked its way to become a word-of-mouth hit since its launch in 2019. Making the move from BBC2 to BBC1 and picking up a BAFTA along the way, previous series have seen intrepid travellers traverse from London to Singapore, navigate from Mexico to Argentina and explore the breadth of Canada, with a celebrity spin-off airing last year. Over the past seven weeks, millions of us have been glued to the show’s fourth run, which has seen five new pairs of competitors challenged to journey 15,000km across Eastern Asia, from bustling Sapporo, the capital city of Japanese island Hokkaido, to the Indonesian island…4 min
TV Times|25-May-24Confess… orDIEAs Lauren’s killer remains at large, innocent Roy continues to languish in prison. He’s finally got a friend in Roscoe, an old pal of Stu’s, but kindly Roscoe can’t protect him from their new inmate, Griff Reynolds. Griff, you’ll recall, was the leader of the far-right gang that groomed young Max. The convicted terrorist has been transferred to Weatherfield nick from another prison, and couldn’t be happier. Lauren was the daughter of his close mate Reece, so practically family. To be under the same roof as the man believed to have cut short her life is an opportunity he intends grabbing with both hands. Roy tries to keep his head down, but things aren’t looking good when he finds the book that Roscoe gave him has been deliberately damaged and…1 min
TV Times|25-May-24WEATHERFIELD EXTRAJacob Roberts, who has joined the soap as Bernie Winter’s long-lost son Kit, says he’s always been a fan of Corrie, despite having spent six years in Hollyoaks as Damon Kinsella. ‘It was a show that was always onin my house, especially growing up in Salford,’ he tells us. ‘When I was in Hollyoaks, I always kept an eye on it, and all the other soaps, but Corrie was the main one interms of entertainment.’ The 33-year-old adds that he bought a bottle of champers when he discovered that he’d won the role and headed straight roundto his mum’s place. ‘She asked me what it was for,’ adds Jacob, ‘so I said, “You’ll be watching me on Corrie in a couple of months.” She absolutely loves Coronation Street, so she…1 min
TV Times|25-May-24JUST GOOD FRIENDS?Realising Harvey is lonely, Jean encourages her ex to make some new friends. By pure chance, he later ends up bonding with a punter in his cab over their shared love of Tottenham Hotspur. Her name is Maya (Bharti Patel, who also plays Ruhma in Doctors) Harvey runs into Maya again in The Vic and is thrilled to see her, especially as she’s brought him a vintage match programme. The cabby introduces her to Jean, who decides to leave the duo to talk football and sit with Kat instead. Kat can’t help being suspicious of the blossoming friendship – is she right to be concerned?…1 min
TV Times|25-May-24EthanDEAD?Once bustling, the Anderson household has become rather less busy in the past year, thanks to the sudden exit of Charles’ bolshie daughter Naomi and then the death of his dodgy dad Victor. Not that we’re complaining. And this week, it looks like the four remaining residents – Charles, Manpreet, Claudette and Ethan – will become three when Ethan collapses. Tragedy strikes ahead of Ethan’s plea hearing. The solicitor, you’ll remember, caused the car crash that left pal Nicky at death’s door, and has since been charged with dangerous driving and leaving the scene of an accident. Although initially furious that Charles dobbed him into the cops, Ethan has now reconciled with his father and decided to take responsibility by pleading guilty. ‘It was very rocky as to whether they’d…2 min
TV Times|25-May-24DALES EXTRABeth Cordingly has revealed that her family were worried when they first saw her on screen as Ruby Miligan, fearing she’d get a nasty reception from fans for playing such an outlandishand, at times, cruel character. ‘My dad got very worried, saying, “She’s so awful! You’re going to get trolled!”’ reveals Beth. ‘Then it spread and a friend of a family member rang and said, “We hearyou’re being trolled!” It was all because of my dad worrying about it. ‘They like seeing the explosive drama, but they do worry about Ruby’s behaviour.’…1 min
TV Times|25-May-24SATURDAY HighlightsThe Famous Five NEW DRAMA BBC iPLAYER (BOX SET) The Five are back for a third exciting adventure and we join George (Diaana Babnicova), Julian (Elliott Rose), Dick (Kit Rakusen), Anne (Flora Jacoby Richardson) and Timmy the dog (Kip) just as Julian, Anne and Dick are about to return home. Then, George encounters a man who says he’s a magician called the Great Supremo (Jason Flemyng) and is fleeing dangerous people who want a precious treasure he holds. The children are soon visited by a doctor who claims he is a delusional escaped psychiatric patient. Art Malik also stars. ★★★ NH See feature, page 13 Doctor Who DRAMA 6.50PM, BBC1 The TARDIS transports the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby (Millie Gibson) to a village on the west coast of Wales…4 min
TV Times|25-May-24TUESDAY HighlightsThe Yorkshire Vet REAL LIFE 8PM, CHANNEL 5 Animal sanctuary owner Jake brings in an emaciated sheep to the Huddersfield hospital in ‘the worst condition I’ve seen an animal’ – can Matt Smith help revive the ewe, which, it turns out is (not) eating for two? Elsewhere, Julian Norton performs a hip op on a puppy and Peter Wright aids a donkey in distress. This week’s jolly, providing light relief from the stressful surgeries, is to the Emley Show, where Rohin Aojula judges a waggy-dog-tail competition and finds himself part of the motorbike stunt display! And it’s time for another visit to fan favourites the Greens, and Jean – described by Peter Wright as ‘never one to let an animal down’ – is literally sheltering a poorly kitten. ★★★ NT…4 min
TV Times|25-May-24FRIDAY HighlightsHidden Treasures of the National Trust FACTUAL 9.30PM, BBC2, iPLAYER (BOX SET) This week, we delve into some of the incredible collections housed in National Trust properties, including the 20,000 fashion garments and accessories held at Killerton House in Devon. There, a fancy dress outfit from 1870 requires some urgent TLC before it can be included in an exhibition. We also visit Mr Straw’s House in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, which is a perfectly preserved middle-class house from the 1920s, still decorated with more than 30,000 household objects from the time. Finally, we head to Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire, where a priceless pagoda clock needs bringing back to life. ★★★★ NH The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live NEW DRAMA 9PM, SKY MAX, SKY SHOWCASE, NOW (BOX SET) While pitching a ‘zombie…4 min
TV Times|25-May-24WHAT YOU’RE WATCHINGGROUNDBREAKING TV Hosted by Dannii Minogue, BBC3’s groundbreaking gay dating show I Kissed a Girl is full of fun and excitement. Every single one of the girls has a brilliant personality and I particularly like Meg, who is a fire-eater! Stephen McCarthy, Glasgow POWERFUL STORY The Tattooist of Auschwitz on Sky Atlantic portrays the horrors of World War Two authentically as it tells the love story of concentration-camp prisoners Lali [Jonah Hauer-King] and Gita [Anna Próchniak]. Brutal and thought-provoking, with wonderful acting. Geoff Cook, Vale of Glamorgan MARVELLOUS MEDICS Surgeons: At the Edge of Life on BBC2 was a brilliant series that showed the incredible work of medics at the University Hospital Southampton, from lifesaving surgery on cancer patients to operations after horrific injuries. Noreen Coldwell, South Yorkshire GREAT RESPONSE…2 min
TV Times|25-May-24MORE GOLDEN WONDERS…ALESHA’S CHOICE RAVI’S DREAM TEAM, CHOIR Alesha was moved to tears when eight-year-old Ravi, who is living with a brain tumour, sang A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman with those who have supported him since his diagnosis. AMANDA’S CHOICE NABE, IMPRESSIONIST The Japanese comedy impersonator, who uses hair and shaving foam in his creations, made Amanda hit the Golden Buzzer for a second time. BRUNO’S CHOICES TARYN CHARLES, SINGER Bruno was mesmerised when the music teacher channelled her inner diva for a rendition of Aretha Franklin’s (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman. PHOENIX BOYS, DANCE TROUPE With a strong routine highlighting the power of dance on young men’s mental health, the all-male troupe got Bruno reaching for the Golden Buzzer again. SIMON’S CHOICE CYBERAGENT LEGIT, DANCE TROUPE…1 min
TV Times|25-May-24WHODUNNIT?CORONATION STREET HOLIDAY MONDAY-FRIDAY, 7.30PM, ITV1 SOAP The fate of missing teenager Lauren Bolton in ITV1’s Coronation Street has eluded Weatherfield Police since she vanished into thin air back in February. There have been theories, speculation and red herrings galore, but now the truth is set to be revealed in a special week of episodes, running nightly from Holiday Monday to Friday. So how did a slow-burn story of a vulnerable young girl develop into soap’s biggest murder mystery of 2024? A TRAGIC STORY Viewers first met Lauren (played by Cait Fitton) in November 2022. The wayward daughter of Reece Bolton (Scott Anson), who was a member of the far-right extremist group grooming Max Turner (Paddy Bever), Lauren was left to fend for herself after her dad was sent to…3 min
TV Times|25-May-24LEAN ON ME…We’ve been promised to learn a lot more about DS Swain, who’s now a regular fixture on the cobbles. As the dogged detective pushes on with her enquiries this week, she asks Carla about the reason for her fallout with Roy. Carla shuts her down, not wanting to implicate Bobby over his false statement, but when she lateroverhears the blonde on the phone, rowing with her teenage daughter, she offers a friendly ear. Putting her official duties to one side, Swain confides in the businesswoman that her long-term partner has died, and their daughter is struggling with her grief. Is Carla about to find herself an unlikely new friend? Or more, perhaps? * This week, Coronation Street is on Holiday Monday-Friday…1 min
TV Times|25-May-24I’mDYING!If there’s one thing you can confidently say about Nish Panesar, it’s that he’s not to be trusted. This is, after all, a man who will do anything to get what he wants, from money laundering to murder. So when the businessman returns to the Square this week and tells the faaarmily who disowned him that he’s dying, they naturally assume it’s a sick lie he’s conjured up to try to worm his way back in. Nasty Nish, in case you’ve forgotten, was sent packing in March after he was caught trying to strangle Suki. Smug Suki then revealed she’d persuaded their landlord Masood to put the lease for No.41 in her name, while Vinny delivered the sucker punch that he’d given his mum his 50% share of their rental…2 min
TV Times|25-May-24WALFORD EXTRALorraine Stanley, who recently left the soap as Karen Taylor, has announced a new role in panto (oh, yes, she has!). The 47-year-old actor is to play Queen Rat in a production of Dick Whittington at theKings Theatre, Portsmouth, from 29 November to 31 December. Lorraine has also filmed a new feature film, Departures, which she describes as, ‘An LGBTQ project about grief and letting go of atoxic relationship.’ Her co-stars include David Tag, who was Sylver McQueen in Hollyoaks, and Liam Boyle, best known as Dawn’s dodgy ex Alex in Emmerdale.…1 min
TV Times|25-May-24Control FREAKTom King’s behaviour has become more and more warped. Not content with isolating Belle from her friends and family and controlling every inch of her life, he has recently turned physically abusive. But this week, the violent vet is shaken to think Belle may blow the whistle to the Dingles. Resorting to desperate measures to keep her silenced, will he stay one step ahead or will he finally be exposed? Backed into a corner by Belle’s demand that he seek help, Tom has visited GP Liam, only to lie that Belle is controlling him. Her subsequent outburst, when she pushed him over in public, has helped Tom to sell his twisted narrative, as has his devious decision to tamper with her schizophrenia medication. To the outside world, it looks like…1 min
TV Times|25-May-24SUNDAY HighlightsRed Eye LAST ONE DRAMA 9PM, ITV1, ITVX (BOX SET) After persuading the pilot of Flight 357 to turn the plane around, Dr Matthew Nolan (Richard Armitage) and DC Hana Li are heading back to Britain as this marvellously mad thriller comes to a breathless end tonight. However, after touching down in London with a SIM card containing some explosive intelligence – which was somehow planted inside Dr Nolan – they certainly aren’t out of danger. MI5 Director General Madeline Delaney (Lesley Sharp) isn’t sure if she can trust her organisation, but her rogue decision to intercept the pair backfires spectacularly, in a finale stuffed with thought-provoking questions and improbable plotting. ★★★★ SMA The Piano REALITY 9PM, C4 There’s one more spot to be filled at the final concert, and…4 min
TV Times|25-May-24WEDNESDAY HighlightsThe Misadventures of Romesh NEW TRAVELOGUE 9PM, BBC2, iPLAYER (BOX SET) …Ranganathan. Romesh has been to all kinds of far-flung places in his popular BAFTA-winning travelogue series. Now, the comic is heading to Africa for his fourth and final jaunt. Romesh’s African adventure begins in Uganda, where he goes white-water rafting on the River Nile and wildlife-spotting in Queen Elizabeth National Park. He also enjoys a banana-gin tasting session… a little too much! He struggles, though, to reconcile Uganda’s ‘perfect’ wildlife idyll with the country’s harsh new anti-hom*osexuality laws, laid bare during a conversation with a local LGBTQ+ activist. Powerful stuff! ★★★★ VW The Repair Shop FACTUAL 8PM, BBC1 More heirlooms that hold treasured memories of lost friends and family are returned to their former glory tonight, including a battered…3 min
TV Times|25-May-24Teddy’sSTORYCASUALTY SATURDAY, 8.35PM, BBC1 DRAMA Milo Clarke smiles as he reflects on how landing the part of paramedic Theodore ‘Teddy’ Gowan in BBC1’s Casualty has changed his life. ‘I went from delivering pizza in lockdown to being able to go to the BAFTA TV Awards in my first year on the show!’ says the actor, who made his TV debut in the drama on 14 August 2021. ‘I remember when I told my mum that I’d got the role – she was in Bury Market, in Greater Manchester, where I’m from, and she screamed down the phone! Then I had just two weeks to move to Cardiff, where Casualty is filmed.’ Now an established team member both on and off screen, Milo feels a ‘huge responsibility’ as he finds himself…6 min
TV Times|25-May-24SIR LINCOLN AUBREYSo, who is Sir Lincoln Aubrey? He’s this rich businessman who has created an institute for soldiers as a safe haven to deal with their mental illness following World War One. The story surrounds one of the patients escaping. But, as far as the Famous Five are concerned, there is a question mark about whether the patient should be in this institute or not. Their instincts are right, that’s all I’m going to say! Has Sir Lincoln met his match with the Five? If you’re trying to do something that is a little bit wrong and the Famous Five are around the corner, it’s never going to work. They’re justbrilliant – and they’ve got a dog. There’s nothing you can do against four children and a dog, is there?! Indeed!…1 min
TV Times|25-May-24IN THE FRAMEDAISY MIDGELEY (CHARLOTTE JORDAN) We can’t assume that a man killed Lauren, and of the female residents in Weatherfield, Daisy was the one who had the biggest beef with the teen. Lauren found out the barmaid had cheated on Daniel with Ryan Connor, and blackmailed the pair for money, getting £1,000 out of Daisy. While the affair became public knowledge before Lauren vanished, who’s to say the women didn’t have another secret clash, and Daisy lost her rag? MAX TURNER (PADDY BEVER) Murders are usually committed by someone known to the victim. Max was close to Lauren, even when dating Sabrina Adetiba (Luana Santos), and one of Roy’s recent unsettling memories was of Lauren having a hush-hush convo with Max in the cafe. Many fans believe he’s the culprit, suggesting…2 min
TV Times|25-May-24PullingSTRINGSERIC NEW FROM THURSDAY 30 MAY, NETFLIX THRILLER Benedict Cumberbatch has worked alongside some big stars in his time, but perhaps none quite so huge – or as fluffy! – as the towering monster puppet in new Netflix thriller Eric. Written by Abi Morgan (The Hour, The Split), the six-part story is set in mid-1980s New York, and sees Sherlock star Benedict play Vincent Anderson, a revered puppeteer and host of a hugely popular kids’ TV show, Good Day Sunshine. But Vincent’s superficially perfect life is shattered when his nine-year-old son, Edgar (newcomer Ivan Howe), goes missing on the way to school. Consumed with guilt, the desperate dad grows increasingly volatile and alienates those around him, including his distraught wife, Cassie (Girls star Gaby Hoffmann), and the cop investigating Edgar’s…5 min
TV Times|25-May-24Lauren’s killer REVEALED!From the moment Bethany saw her abuser Nathan Curtis for the first time since he was banged up almost seven years ago, Ms Platt has been convinced he is behind Lauren Bolton’s mysterious disappearance. Sarah has felt powerless to help her distraught daughter, who is reliving the nightmare of being groomed and sexually exploited as a teenager. This week, she risks everything to help Bethany nail Nathan, as viewers finally find out what really happened to Lauren… After paying Nathan £10,000 to leave Weatherfield, Sarah is stunned to see the master manipulator still swanning around. When she demands he do his own vanishing act, nasty Nathan laughs in her face. Seething at his smugness, Sarah remembers Lauren left a hair bobble at the Platts before she went missing, and an…2 min
TV Times|25-May-24KissCONFESSIONAlthough George is grateful to have bed and board at Phil’s place – service without a smile – he’s longing to get back to The Vic and mend things with Elaine. This week, there’s hope for the estranged couple when Elaine is given a talking-to by Gina and Anna. But once again, a certain lady called Cindy gets in the way. Elaine gets the reality check on a girls’ night out that she has arranged in a bid to reassure the siblings that, although she and their father have split, things between the three of them remain the same. The newly single pint-puller calls George and asks him to come to the pub. George hopes she’s willing to talk but is gutted to discover she just wants him to man…1 min
TV Times|25-May-24MORE SOAPSDOCTORS As Sid tries to put some distance between himself and Paige, his eager girlfriend announces the ‘exciting’ news that she’s arranged for him to meet her parents. The GP cringes as he’s grilled by her mum Cathy and dad Tony, and dashes off early, claiming he has a rapid-response shift. With Paige expecting wedding bells, can Sid find the courage to put her straight? Plus, Zara and Michelle take a minibreak, and Rob and Jimmi hear some surprising news. Guest stars include ex-Hollyoaks actor Danny Mac as the son of a wealthy lord who asks ‘doctective’ Al to investigate his uncle’s mysterious disappearance. HOLLYOAKS Following the joy of their wedding day, married life gets off to a devastating start for Leela and Joel. Pregnant Leela is concerned when she…1 min
TV Times|25-May-24ELLA’S PAST UNRAVELS…It’s now blatantly obvious that there’s a lot more to Ella Forster than meets the eye. As Ella continues to keep secrets, Leyla discovers she has no online presence. For a 30-something to not be on social media is, in her eyes, plain weird, and she decides to do some digging. Meanwhile, Manpreet, who’s made some discoveries of her own about Ella, decides to put Liam in the picture. The doc is jolted into action, determined to know the truth about the woman he’s dating. Is he about to get a very big shock?…1 min
TV Times|25-May-24MONDAY HighlightsClive Myrie’s Caribbean Adventure NEW TRAVELOGUE 6.30PM, BBC2, iPLAYER (BOX SET) Newsreader Clive is returning to his roots in the Caribbean for his latest travelogue, where lush landscapes and azure blue skies are the backdrop. Over the course of 15 episodes, he’s exploring four islands; Jamaica, Cuba, Barbados and the Dominican Republic, immersing himself in the culture and learning about the history. His first destination is Jamaica, where his parents lived before moving to the UK as part of the Windrush generation and where Clive is delighted to be reunited with his older sister, Judith. Continues weeknights (not Thursday). ★★★★ TL See feature, page 18 Britain’s Got Talent LIVE ENTERTAINMENT 8PM, ITV1 After weeks of entertaining, thrilling and heart-warming auditions, the contest heats up as BGT goes live tonight! Over…4 min
TV Times|25-May-24THURSDAY HighlightsThe Hotel Inspector REAL LIFE 9PM, CHANNEL 5 This week, Alex Polizzi makes a return trip to a hotel which, before her first visit, had some of the worst online reviews she’d ever seen. Back in 2018, Westward Ho! Hotel in Folkestone was owned by Jon, but run on site by young couple Lloyd and Danielle, who had little experience and even less training. Alex described it as ‘a hotel in chaos’ and things got even worse when she ended up having to mediate after a bust-up between Jon and Lloyd. Several years down the line, she’s back to see if new manager Kimberley and a refurb have made a difference. The online reviews are still mixed, but has the seaside hotel turned the tide? ★★★★ JP Coronation Street SOAP…4 min
TV Times|25-May-24YOUR STARSPHONE NOW FOR WEEKLY, MONTHLY, COMPATIBILITY AND TAROT READINGS ARIES (21 March-19 April) If you can’t decide on what to do regarding a challenging situation, hand it to the universe and let go. Call… 09058 170 399* TAURUS (20 April-20 May) Consider how you feel before you speak, and find ways to express yourself more creatively. Call… 09058 170 400* GEMINI (21 May-20 June) The Sun and Venus in your sign give you the opportunity to focus on self-worth. Believe you deserve the best. Call… 09058 170 401* CANCER (21 June-22 July) Reach out to your support network for emotional help. You give a lot, and someone will be happy to guide you. Call… 09058 170 402* LEO (23 July-22 August) Sometimes it’s difficult to forget when you’ve been hurt.…1 min
TV Times|25-May-24ON THE COVER IN… 2018Serial killer Richard Hillman had been Coronation Street’s most notorious villain until Pat Phelan, played by Connor McIntyre, arrived in Weatherfield in 2013. The dodgy builder’s catalogue of evil crimes in the ITV soap included raping Anna Windass and murdering Andy Carver and Luke Britton. When Phelan fell into the sea, he was presumed dead, but this week he was back on the cobbles and desperate to see his new grandson. ‘This is Phelan at his most terrifying,’ said Connor. ‘He’s walking down the middle of the street with a gun in his hand, and woe betide anyone who gets in his way.’ But this time it really was the end for Phelan, who was killed by Anna during a siege at the Bistro. ALSO THAT WEEK … * BBC3…1 min
