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Daily Record
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Emmerdale actor leaves fans in 'bits' as he breaks down at Soap Awards
Fans watching the British Soap Awards on TV spotted the emotional moment. Emmerdale fans were left emotional whilst watching the British Soap Awards as long-time cast member Jeff Hordley, who plays Cain Dingle, broke down in tears during a powerful tribute. The glittering took place at London's Hackney Empire on Saturday (May 31) but aired on TV on Thursday night. On the evening a Memorial section was included in the ceremony to honour late soap icons who are sadly no longer with us. Among the stars who were remembered were Meg Johnson, Kenneth Cope, Anita Carey, and finally Emmerdale legend Steve Halliwell, who played Zak Dingle, writes The Mirror. Steve, who passed away in December 2023 at the age of 77, played the much-loved patriarch of the Dingle family for almost thirty years. The star first appeared in the ITV soap in 1994, and then went on to be featured in more than 2,400 episodes of Emmerdale. His tribute featured a moving montage of his work, which was accompanied by a live piano instrumental. As Halliwell's final clip played, cameras panned to Jeff Hordley, who plays Zak's son in the soap. The actor was visibly emotional and looked as if he was wiping away tears from his eyes, which prompted a heartfelt reaction from fans on social media. One viewer wrote: "Aww, you could see at the end there seeing Steve affected Jeff." Another affected fan added: "Broke me that Steve Halliwell with Jeff Hordley." Steve Halliwell passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones, according to a statement released by his family in 2023. They said: "He went to sleep, peacefully with his loved ones around him. He was making us laugh to the end, the most amazing father and grandfather you could ever wish for." ITV also released a touching tribute at the time, saying: "Steve will forever be synonymous with Emmerdale. The proud defender and head of the Dingle family. Heart and humour in all he did, it has been and always will be impossible not to smile when you think of him." Aside from Emmerdale, Halliwell also appeared in popular shows including Coronation Street, Heartbeat, All Creatures Great and Small, and Cracker. However, it was his portrayal of farmer Zak Dingle that he is primarily remembered for. He previously opened up about his family's financial hardships during his childhood, admitting that his mum couldn't even afford to buy him a bacon sandwich. Steve shared: "When I first went on this walk there was a small café in the woods known as Nab's Wife (a corruption of the area originally known as Nab's Wharfe), where you could get a refreshing cup of tea and a Mars bar. You could also get a bacon butty, but we never had enough money for such 'luxuries'. On one occasion I persuaded mum to give Clive and me enough money for a bacon butty each, but when we got to the café it was all boarded up and, sadly, never reopened." He was homeless and even imprisoned for "wandering" under the Vagrancy Act early on in his adult life before he went on to find solace in acting and made a name for himself as the formidable head of the Dingle family. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Daily Mirror
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Emmerdale's Jeff Hordley leaves fans in 'bits' with emotional Soap Awards reaction
The actor could be seen struggling not to cry during the In Memoriam segment where ITV paid tribute to the late Steve Halliwell Emmerdale fans were left deeply moved on Thursday night (June 5) as long-time cast member Jeff Hordley struggled to hold back tears during a powerful tribute at the British Soap Awards. The star-studded ceremony took place at London's Hackney Empire on Saturday (May 31), and aired five days later, with fans eagerly tuning in to witness the highs and lows of the evening. One of the night's most poignant moments came during the In Memoriam segment, as the ceremony honoured soap icons who have sadly passed away. Among the stars who were remembered were Meg Johnson, Kenneth Cope, Anita Carey, and finally Emmerdale legend Steve Halliwell, who played Zak Dingle. Steve, who died in December 2023 at the age of 77, starred as the much-loved patriarch of the Dingle family for nearly three decades. After first appearing in the ITV soap in 1994, he went on to be featured in more than 2,400 episodes of Emmerdale. His tribute featured a moving montage of his work, which was accompanied by a live piano instrumental. As Halliwell's final clip played, cameras panned to Jeff Hordley, who plays Zak's son Cain Dingle. The Oldham-born actor was visibly emotional and looked as if he was struggling not to cry, which prompted a heartfelt reaction from fans on social media. One viewer wrote: "Aww, you could see at the end there seeing Steve affected Jeff." Another affected fan added: "Broke me that Steve Halliwell with Jeff Hordley." Steve Halliwell died peacefully with people who loved him by his side, according to a statement released by his family in 2023. They said: "He went to sleep, peacefully with his loved ones around him. He was making us laugh to the end, the most amazing father and grandfather you could ever wish for." ITV also released a touching tribute at the time, saying: "Steve will forever be synonymous with Emmerdale. The proud defender and head of the Dingle family. Heart and humour in all he did, it has been and always will be impossible not to smile when you think of him." Outside of Emmerdale, Halliwell had acting credits in Coronation Street, Heartbeat, All Creatures Great and Small, and Cracker. However, it was Zak Dingle that he is primarily remembered for. He previously opened up about his family's financial hardships during his childhood, admitting that his mum couldn't even afford to buy him a bacon sandwich. Steve shared: "When I first went on this walk there was a small café in the woods known as Nab's Wife (a corruption of the area originally known as Nab's Wharfe), where you could get a refreshing cup of tea and a Mars bar. You could also get a bacon butty, but we never had enough money for such 'luxuries'. On one occasion I persuaded mum to give Clive and me enough money for a bacon butty each, but when we got to the café it was all boarded up and, sadly, never reopened." He was homeless and even imprisoned for "wandering" under the Vagrancy Act early on in his adult life before he went on to find solace in acting and made a name for himself as the formidable head of the Dingle family.
Edinburgh Live
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Netflix unveils trailer for new Edinburgh crime thriller based on popular novel series
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Netflix has unveiled the first trailer for an Edinburgh-set police drama, Dept Q. The series which is set to premiere on May 29, saw streets across the capital be taken over by crews as filming got underway Starring Line of Duty's Kelly Macdonald and Downton Abbey's Matthew Goode, the series follows a detective leading a cold case unit in Edinburgh. Based on the novels by Jussi Adler-Olsen, the show also stars Chloe Pirrie, Jamie Sives, Leah Byrne, Mark Bonnar, Kate Dickie, Alexej Manvelov, Shirley Henderson and Tom Bulpett. The two-minute teaser introduces Goode's DCI Carl Morck as he speaks to Macdonald's therapist Dr Rachel Irving about the incident. The investigation trail leads them to look into the officers themselves. (Image: Netflix) Over the course of 2024, residential and city centre areas were taken over for the crime drama series. Calder Crescent was closed for locals from 8am to 5pm on February 6 2024 while scenes were shot. Then in march 2024, Melville Street was partially closed as film crews got to work. (Image: Edinburgh Live) Locals were previously informed: "We are writing to you on behalf of LBM Dept Q Ltd to inform you of our plans to film scenes for a chilling new detective series being made for one of the large streaming channels in and around Edinburgh." The Netflix description reads: "A brash but brilliant cop becomes head of a new police department, where he leads an unlikely team of misfits in solving Edinburgh's cold cases." Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox Director Scott Frank previously said: "The fact that I have been a fan of Jussi's novels for a dozen years now combined with my long-standing obsession with old school British procedurals like Cracker and Prime Suspect, made this one irresistible. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. "There are ten novels in all, each one is a terrific mystery with great potential for a great season of television. And Carl Mørck is one of those classic detective antiheroes, funny and dark at the same time, that I can never get enough of. I think audiences will feel the same way.' You can watch the full trailer here.
Wales Online
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
BBC adds 'stonking masterclass' of '90s drama with amazing cast and raunchy scenes to iPlayer
BBC adds 'stonking masterclass' of '90s drama with amazing cast and raunchy scenes to iPlayer 1997 BBC drama The Lakes starring John Simm was considered as a coming-of-age series for many 1990s TV viewers Kaye Wragg, John Simm and Emma Cunniffe in The Lakes (Image: BBC ) If you watched TV in the late 1990s - and were over 15 - you'll have definitely tuned into Jimmy McGovern's The Lakes. The pedigree of McGovern's screenwriting, from the likes of Cracker to Hillsborough, still makes his shows a must-watch to this day and he continues turning out class act series like Time, Accused and Broken. The Lakes saw new star of the moment, John Simm, as Danny Kavanagh, a Scouser with a gambling problem who runs away to the Lake District, gets a local girl pregnant - lets her down by gambling and ends up on the sharp end of the local community's anger after three girls die after sneaking out on a boat at the rental company he's got a job at. Despite wasting no time trying to save the schoolgirls, his reticence in revealing that he was on the phone to a bookie at the time they took the boat sees him become an easy scapegoat and the four-part drama follows the web of blame and bad behaviour that ultimately leads to the girls' death. Now the show is back on the BBC thanks to iPlayer, almost 30 years after it first aired and with few repeat viewings it's a real treat for TV fans. It's a gripping and bleak affair but with stupendous performances from Simm and a supporting cast of familiar faces. Emma Cunniffe stars as Emma, Danny's wife, you'll recognise her from long-running shows like Silent Witness, Unforgotten and she was recently in Call the Midwife. Article continues below Welsh duo, Charles Dale and Robert Pugh play sex addict Chef and Father Matthew, respectively. Tenby-born Dale, who's nothing like on-screen bully Chef, is one of those faces you'll know from Corrie, The Pembrokeshire Murders, Unforgotten and he was Casualty's Big Mac for more than a decade. Pugh, also recently seen in Casualty, was Craster in Game of Thrones and has starred in Hollywood films like Master & Commander and Robin Hood. John Simm shared the news on his Instagram and said the show was a 'masterclass in screenwriting' as he effused the show was a lifechanging experience - he went on to star in Human Traffic, Life on Mars and ITV's Grace, which is currently airing its fifth series. He writes: "It was special for Jimmy because it was autobiographical and it was special for me because it was the game changer in my career. I was 26 years old and having the time of my life in the Lake District playing the wonderful role of Danny Kavanagh with an amazing cast & crew, the best director (David Blair) and of course the greatest writer of them all. I'll be forever grateful for this opportunity." Content cannot be displayed without consent Fans of John and the series itself didn't hold back in praise of the show. One wrote: "Not seen since first airing - when I think I watched it with my parents . What a stonking show." Another commented: "Amazing ! Can't wait to watch this again absolutely brilliant ! & Jimmy McGovern was my English teacher inspirational." Simm's famous followers also revealed themselves to be fans of the show. Doctor Who boss, Russell T Davies said: "Oh amazing, what a brilliant show." Daniel Mays, famed for his roles in Line of Duty, A Thousand Blows and Mrs Biggs added: "Amazing show." Article continues below As well as reairing the first series, series two isn't streaming yet, BBC iPlayer also have a mini-documentary with Jimmy McGovern who revisits the show. Both The Lakes and Jimmy McGovern Remembers are on BBC iPlayer, now. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter .
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The murky yet fascinating world of the toilet
Contrary to public opinion, Thomas Crapper did not invent the toilet. He did however open the world's first bath, toilet and sink showroom in 1850. So why start a column with such a titbit of trivia? Well, I recently wrote a column about awards and was struck, not literally, by the loo of the year award (note: there is a rival 'toilet of the year award'). Nominations for toilets outside the homestead can be made and OFSTED style unannounced visits are undertaken to judge your latrine on cleanliness, décor, signage, and customer care. The centre, Livingston, flew the flag this year and, looking back at all of the winners since the inaugural award in 1987, I was surprised to see I had visited a few of the winners, with one used when I dropped the kids off at the pool, literally, on a visit to Peppa Pigs Paulton's Park (2021 winners). Other winners, inextricably include the Wetherspoons pub chain. Having undertaken the hike numerous times (why are they all a 6km round trip from the bar?), I found nothing award worthy, in spite of the hourly 'this toilet had been cleaned by' Dave at 11.15am poster on the back of the door which I'm sure are pre-populated days in advance. On a micro scale, there are localised awards. The Lewisham community toilet scheme, recently rebranded themselves as 'Loowisham' and awarded the Corbett community library first place with a golden bog brush trophy which looks suspiciously like the original Jules Rimet. Despite this being a jocular theme from the column outset, the further I reach into the pan, the more I become enamoured by our porcelain friends. There seems to be a psychology with toilets. I remember watching 'Cracker' and Robbie Coltrane ascertained that a man, bludgeoned to death by a hammer whilst at the urinal, must have had someone else in the toilet at the same time as he didn't use the end trough (its an animalistic thing to feel protected from one side apparently). It is true though, when visiting, us gentlemen always go for the corner. Studies have shown the first toilet is the least used, and hence the most hygienic and therefore you are less likely to get ill should you use that one. Grossly, only five per cent of people wash their hands for the recommended 15 seconds and the average adult spends a total of three years of their life sitting on the pan. The average human apparently visits the bog 2,500 times annually and the amount of time spend on the throne is directly related to the number of apps we have on our smartphones. I often get angry when visiting and see the previous incumbent hasn't flushed, but I now understand having read that the average toilet flush handle has 40,000 germs per square inch. Factoids aside, it is a serious business. The British Toilet Association campaigns for better toilets through their consultancy services and are sponsored by the unfortunately named 'Reckitt' solutions. It does become sinister however when ramping up the anti and reading the world toilet association blurb where they state more than a quarter of the world's population lack basic sanitation which is a public health emergency in any language. With one of their advisors aptly named 'Royce Wee,' their movement is, nobly, to ensure the one billion people who practice 'open defecation' don't have to, and with a child dying every two minutes from diarrhoea, to ensure access to sanitation is a human right, not a want. And so, with the monotony of middle aged firmly ingrained in my chi, I may delve further into this murky yet fascinating world and make it a mission to visit the ten most recent 'toilets of the year' and feed back my findings, not that you're interested. Still, it will give me opportunity to flush away the hours as I continue to overcome the trauma of using the medicated Izal toilet paper which was favoured by my grandparent's generation, and which left your under carriage looking as crimson as a low rent slaughterhouse… Brett Ellis is a teacher
