Latest news with #LauraAikman
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Gavin and Stacey star Laura Aikman reveals mystery illness that nearly ended her career - and how she was told to give up acting to save her health
Gavin and Stacey star Laura Aikman has revealed she was struck down by a mystery illness that left her so unwell, she was advised to give up acting altogether. The actress, 39, who played Smithy's girlfriend Sonia in the hit BBC sitcom, suffered from painful and undiagnosed symptoms for years. Laura then finally discovered she was battling ulcerative colitis, a chronic autoimmune condition that causes inflammation and ulcers in the colon. She told The Sun: 'It took me a long time to get diagnosed. Before I got the diagnosis I was very, very unwell and I didn't know why. 'I'd been to the doctors a lot and they kept telling me that it was probably piles, without examining me, and giving me cream because I had blood in my stool. Nothing worked. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. It wasn't until she saw a homeopath that the pieces started to fall into place. She said: 'And then I went to a homeopath and she asked me all of these questions about when I'd been poorly and she was like, "Listen, I've written out a timeline here of when you've not been working, and that is when you've been at your most unwell".' Laura said she was even asked if she could consider doing another job - but insisted acting was her 'whole personality.' She admitted the stress of not working between roles worsened her illness - and led to her feeling like she was letting everyone down when she attended family events and people would ask what she was up to. The star added that she had to actively find other things in her life that gave her self-worth or made her feel important, so she could keep going regardless of whether she was working or not. Despite the health scare, Laura stuck with acting and is now enjoying one of the biggest years of her career. She's currently starring in BBC gangster drama This City is Ours and Disney+'s Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, where she plays whistleblower Lana Vandenberghe. She also returned as Sonia in last year's Gavin and Stacey Christmas special - and starred as Dyan Cannon in ITV's Archie, a role that saw her face beamed across billboards in Times Square. But Laura says her path to success hasn't been easy. Speaking on the Women & Wellbeing podcast, Laura opened up about the pressure she felt early in her career. She said: 'When you're starting out, you're like, I have to be everything they want. I have to change who I am to fit. I need to be perfect. 'I kind of struggled up until I was maybe in my mid-twenties with what people wanted me to be as a girl, a woman, in this industry and how I needed to present myself. 'I can remember going to auditions and needing to do the lines exactly as they wanted in the blandest way possible, to try to fit whatever I thought the mould was. 'I probably wasn't getting the best parts when I was doing that. I never would, when I was younger, even speak to a producer. 'I would just try to stay under the radar, do my job. 'I'm sure I missed out on loads of work because I did absolutely zero networking. But it was that kind of thing — you're lucky to be there, shut up, look pretty, leave. Find everyone very funny, especially the men, and then go home.' Now approaching her 40th birthday, Laura says she's finally found freedom and no longer feels she has to prove herself through how she looks. She explained: 'I feel like where I am now people are almost disinterested in how I look. 'I've been so lucky with the parts that I've played recently where, even though some of them have been very glamorous women, it's not about me looking beautiful. 'It's about how that person presents themselves.' Still, she admits she doesn't take anything for granted, saying: 'I feel like possibly the last few years I've been able to play some bigger roles in slightly higher profile shows. 'You go through those peaks and troughs in your career where you think, "Oh, maybe this is it", then it isn't. So I thought, "Oh, maybe" at the moment, and then I'm sure I'll slide back down again soon.' Laura grew up in a showbiz family. Her father, Stuart Aikman, and her mother, actress Jean Heard, helped pave the way for her early start in the industry. She made her big-screen debut in Surviving Picasso opposite Anthony Hopkins in 1996, and has since appeared in Casualty, Death in Paradise, The Split and more. She married actor Matt Kennard, 43 — who's appeared in Emmerdale and Coronation Street. Away from the cameras, Laura has trained as a counsellor with the mental health text service Shout, offering support to people in crisis. She said: 'It's brilliant. You can do a shift whenever you want. People text in when they're in crisis. 'Obviously that's more helpful to society than me getting a job in a TV commercial.' She also concentrates on exercising for her health, not just for her body image, to help deal with her ulcerative colitis. She added: 'I drink less now. I'm no saint, I absolutely get smashed at least once a year, I just fall completely off the wagon. But I will always leave a night out early these days. 'I'm just a bit more boring than I used to be. But overall, it really makes me feel much better.' When she is not working, Matt, who she married six years ago, encourages her to relax. She said: 'He is so chilled out and very even-keeled, he's a cool guy. 'I think he has also been really instrumental in encouraging me to allow myself, if I've not got anything on, to be like, 'Why don't you go to the cinema?.' 'I'm like, "Just go and spend money on a day when I haven't got a job?". He'll be like, "Yeah, just go and do something nice for yourself".' 'I think you can be so fooled by hearing other people talk about what they do, to think that they're perfect — and they're not. They're probably falling spectacularly off the wagon. 'So I think be kind to yourself when you're not feeling good and just try and do the things that make you feel good.'
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Mystery illness nearly derailed my career – I was told to give up acting, reveals Gavin & Stacey star Laura Aikman
The actress also reveals a surprising career change away from the camera in a bid to 'help society' LAURA'S BATTLE Mystery illness nearly derailed my career – I was told to give up acting, reveals Gavin & Stacey star Laura Aikman Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AS a young actress, Laura Aikman would get so stressed about her career she was advised to walk away to rescue her health. The Gavin & Stacey star, now one of Britain's most in-demand actresses, suffered a mystery pain for years. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 6 Laura Aikman would get so stressed about her career when she was younger that she was advised to walk away to rescue her health Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 6 Laura as bad girl Sonia alongside James Corden in Gavin & Stacey Credit: BBC 6 The star appeared on Disney+ drama Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes Credit: Des Willie She was finally diagnosed with autoimmune disease ulcerative colitis, made worse by the worry she faced between roles. But Laura stuck with the job and is now having her best year to date, appearing in BBC gangster series This City Is Ours and Disney+ drama Suspect: The Shooting Of Jean Charles de Menezes, in which she plays whistleblower Lana Vandenberghe. Laura has also a found a work-life balance to keep her condition, which causes inflammation and ulcers in her colon, under control. The 39-year-old said: 'It took me a long time to get diagnosed. Before I got the diagnosis I was very, very unwell and I didn't know why. 'I'd been to the doctors a lot and they kept telling me that it was probably piles, without examining me, and giving me cream because I had blood in my stool. Nothing worked. 'And then I went to a homeopath and she asked me all of these questions about when I'd been poorly and she was like, 'Listen, I've written out a timeline here of when you've not been working, and that is when you've been at your most unwell'. 'She was like, 'Can you do another job?'. And I said, 'No, it's my whole personality.' 'It was a big wake-up call that it was literally making me unwell, the stress of not working and feeling like I wasn't good enough or didn't have anything going on. 'Blame and shame' 'I placed so much of my self-worth and my confidence and even who I was on being an actor and whether I was working. 'Going to family parties at Christmas, everyone's saying, 'What are you up to?'. Like, absolutely nothing. And it can feel like you're letting everyone down. Watch the moment Gavin and Stacey actress Laura Aikman's family found out she was in the finale after keeping it secret 'I think if all of your self-worth is wrapped up in working and then you're not working, you feel like you don't deserve anything. 'I had to actively find other things in my life that gave me self-worth or made me feel important, so I could keep going regardless of whether I was working.' Laura was back as bad girl Sonia in the BBC's hit Christmas special of Gavin & Stacey last year, while in 2023 her role as Dyan Cannon in Archie, an ITV series about Hollywood icon Carey Grant, saw her on billboards in New York's Times Square. To outsiders, her career has hit the heights, but the North London-born actress says that for years she felt a cycle of 'blame, shame and punishment' because she was not quite 'perfect enough'. She told the Women & Wellbeing podcast: 'When you're starting out, you're like, I have to be everything they want. I have to change who I am to fit. I need to be perfect. 'I kind of struggled up until I was maybe in my mid-twenties with what people wanted me to be as a girl, a woman, in this industry and how I needed to present myself. 'I can remember going to auditions and needing to do the lines exactly as they wanted in the blandest way possible, to try to fit whatever I thought the mould was. 'I probably wasn't getting the best parts when I was doing that. I never would, when I was younger, even speak to a producer. 'I would just try to stay under the radar, do my job. I kind of struggled up until I was maybe in my mid-twenties with what people wanted me to be as a girl, a woman, in this industry and how I needed to present myself 'I'm sure I missed out on loads of work because I did absolutely zero networking. But it was that kind of thing — you're lucky to be there, shut up, look pretty, leave. Find everyone very funny, especially the men, and then go home.' With her 40th birthday coming up later this year, Laura has found a new sense of freedom. She explained: 'I feel like where I am now people are almost disinterested in how I look. 'So lucky' 'I've been so lucky with the parts that I've played recently where, even though some of them have been very glamorous women, it's not about me looking beautiful. 'It's about how that person presents themselves.' But she still never takes anything for granted, saying: 'I feel like possibly the last few years I've been able to play some bigger roles in slightly higher profile shows. 'You go through those peaks and troughs in your career where you think, 'Oh, maybe this is it', then it isn't. So I thought, 'Oh, maybe' at the moment, and then I'm sure I'll slide back down again soon.' 6 Laura in her 2023 role as Dyan Cannon in Archie Credit: Planet Photos 6 The in-demand actress also starred in This City Is Ours Credit: BBC Laura grew up in an acting family. Her dad, Stuart Aikman — known as Stuart St Paul — is a stunt director and her mum Jean Heard is also an actress. She is married to actor Matt Kennard, 43, who has appeared in Emmerdale and Coronation Street. Laura got her big break in 1996 film Surviving Picasso, opposite Anthony Hopkins, before going on to appear in a string of movies as well as TV series including Casualty, Death In Paradise and The Split. Despite her struggles with confidence, she loves playing fiery and dominant women, saying: 'My dream is to play women that are as different as possible. "I feel happiest when I'm the furthest away from myself. These last few jobs have been big swings, especially Rachel in This City Is Ours. She's the ultimate Scouse girl, she's tough. 'I do think when you play someone like that and then you step out of it, there's part of you that's like, maybe I could be a little bit more tough. 'They sort of rub off on you a little bit, just like you learn from your friends.' Away from the camera, Laura has trained to become a counsellor with mental health text service Shout. Be kind to yourself when you're not feeling good and just try and do the things that make you feel good She said: 'It's brilliant. You can do a shift whenever you want. People text in when they're in crisis. 'Obviously that's more helpful to society than me getting a job in a TV commercial.' And she concentrates on exercising for her health — not just for her body image — to help deal with her ulcerative colitis. She added: 'I drink less now. I'm no saint, I absolutely get smashed at least once a year, I just fall completely off the wagon. But I will always leave a night out early these days. 'I'm just a bit more boring than I used to be. But overall, it really makes me feel much better.' When she is not working, Matt, who she married six years ago, encourages her to relax. She said: 'He is so chilled out and very even-keeled, he's a cool guy. 'I think he has also been really instrumental in encouraging me to allow myself, if I've not got anything on, to be like, 'Why don't you go to the cinema?'. 'I'm like, 'Just go and spend money on a day when I haven't got a job?'. He'll be like, 'Yeah, just go and do something nice for yourself'. And she has taken notice. Laura said: 'I think you can be so fooled by hearing other people talk about what they do, to think that they're perfect — and they're not. They're probably falling spectacularly off the wagon. 'So I think be kind to yourself when you're not feeling good and just try and do the things that make you feel good.' 6 Laura in the BBC's hit Christmas special of Gavin & Stacey last year
The Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Mystery illness nearly derailed my career – I was told to give up acting, reveals Gavin & Stacey star Laura Aikman
AS a young actress, Laura Aikman would get so stressed about her career she was advised to walk away to rescue her health. The Gavin & Stacey star, now one of Britain's most in-demand actresses, suffered a mystery pain for years. 6 6 6 She was finally diagnosed with autoimmune disease ulcerative colitis, made worse by the worry she faced between roles. But Laura stuck with the job and is now having her best year to date, appearing in BBC gangster series This City Is Ours and Disney+ drama Suspect: The Shooting Of Jean Charles de Menezes, in which she plays whistleblower Lana Vandenberghe. Laura has also a found a work-life balance to keep her condition, which causes inflammation and ulcers in her colon, under control. The 39-year-old said: 'It took me a long time to get diagnosed. Before I got the diagnosis I was very, very unwell and I didn't know why. 'I'd been to the doctors a lot and they kept telling me that it was probably piles, without examining me, and giving me cream because I had blood in my stool. Nothing worked. 'And then I went to a homeopath and she asked me all of these questions about when I'd been poorly and she was like, 'Listen, I've written out a timeline here of when you've not been working, and that is when you've been at your most unwell'. 'She was like, 'Can you do another job?'. And I said, 'No, it's my whole personality.' 'It was a big wake-up call that it was literally making me unwell, the stress of not working and feeling like I wasn't good enough or didn't have anything going on. 'Blame and shame' 'I placed so much of my self-worth and my confidence and even who I was on being an actor and whether I was working. 'Going to family parties at Christmas, everyone's saying, 'What are you up to?'. Like, absolutely nothing. And it can feel like you're letting everyone down. Watch the moment Gavin and Stacey actress Laura Aikman's family found out she was in the finale after keeping it secret 'I think if all of your self-worth is wrapped up in working and then you're not working, you feel like you don't deserve anything. 'I had to actively find other things in my life that gave me self-worth or made me feel important, so I could keep going regardless of whether I was working.' Laura was back as bad girl Sonia in the BBC's hit Christmas special of Gavin & Stacey last year, while in 2023 her role as Dyan Cannon in Archie, an ITV series about Hollywood icon Carey Grant, saw her on billboards in New York 's Times Square. To outsiders, her career has hit the heights, but the North London -born actress says that for years she felt a cycle of 'blame, shame and punishment' because she was not quite 'perfect enough'. She told the Women & Wellbeing podcast: 'When you're starting out, you're like, I have to be everything they want. I have to change who I am to fit. I need to be perfect. 'I kind of struggled up until I was maybe in my mid-twenties with what people wanted me to be as a girl, a woman, in this industry and how I needed to present myself. 'I can remember going to auditions and needing to do the lines exactly as they wanted in the blandest way possible, to try to fit whatever I thought the mould was. 'I probably wasn't getting the best parts when I was doing that. I never would, when I was younger, even speak to a producer. 'I would just try to stay under the radar, do my job. I kind of struggled up until I was maybe in my mid-twenties with what people wanted me to be as a girl, a woman, in this industry and how I needed to present myself 'I'm sure I missed out on loads of work because I did absolutely zero networking. But it was that kind of thing — you're lucky to be there, shut up, look pretty, leave. Find everyone very funny, especially the men, and then go home.' With her 40th birthday coming up later this year, Laura has found a new sense of freedom. She explained: 'I feel like where I am now people are almost disinterested in how I look. 'So lucky' 'I've been so lucky with the parts that I've played recently where, even though some of them have been very glamorous women, it's not about me looking beautiful. 'It's about how that person presents themselves.' But she still never takes anything for granted, saying: 'I feel like possibly the last few years I've been able to play some bigger roles in slightly higher profile shows. 'You go through those peaks and troughs in your career where you think, 'Oh, maybe this is it', then it isn't. So I thought, 'Oh, maybe' at the moment, and then I'm sure I'll slide back down again soon.' 6 6 Laura grew up in an acting family. Her dad, Stuart Aikman — known as Stuart St Paul — is a stunt director and her mum Jean Heard is also an actress. She is married to actor Matt Kennard, 43, who has appeared in Emmerdale and Coronation Street. Laura got her big break in 1996 film Surviving Picasso, opposite Anthony Hopkins, before going on to appear in a string of movies as well as TV series including Casualty, Death In Paradise and The Split. Despite her struggles with confidence, she loves playing fiery and dominant women, saying: 'My dream is to play women that are as different as possible. "I feel happiest when I'm the furthest away from myself. These last few jobs have been big swings, especially Rachel in This City Is Ours. She's the ultimate Scouse girl, she's tough. 'I do think when you play someone like that and then you step out of it, there's part of you that's like, maybe I could be a little bit more tough. 'They sort of rub off on you a little bit, just like you learn from your friends.' Away from the camera, Laura has trained to become a counsellor with mental health text service Shout. Be kind to yourself when you're not feeling good and just try and do the things that make you feel good She said: 'It's brilliant. You can do a shift whenever you want. People text in when they're in crisis. 'Obviously that's more helpful to society than me getting a job in a TV commercial.' And she concentrates on exercising for her health — not just for her body image — to help deal with her ulcerative colitis. She added: 'I drink less now. I'm no saint, I absolutely get smashed at least once a year, I just fall completely off the wagon. But I will always leave a night out early these days. 'I'm just a bit more boring than I used to be. But overall, it really makes me feel much better.' When she is not working, Matt, who she married six years ago, encourages her to relax. She said: 'He is so chilled out and very even-keeled, he's a cool guy. 'I think he has also been really instrumental in encouraging me to allow myself, if I've not got anything on, to be like, 'Why don't you go to the cinema?'. 'I'm like, 'Just go and spend money on a day when I haven't got a job?'. He'll be like, 'Yeah, just go and do something nice for yourself'. And she has taken notice. Laura said: 'I think you can be so fooled by hearing other people talk about what they do, to think that they're perfect — and they're not. They're probably falling spectacularly off the wagon. 'So I think be kind to yourself when you're not feeling good and just try and do the things that make you feel good.' 6 Gavin and Stacey's Best Moments With the news that the show is set to make an exciting return to screens, let's take a look at some of the comedy programme's biggest and best moments... Smithy and Rudi's American Boy rap - No one will ever forget when James Corden and Sheridan Smith rapped perfectly word for word the Kanye West and Estelle hit American Boy as they walked across the car park on the phone to Gavin. Pam's Vegetarian faux pas - Despite loving a cheesburger, Pam found herself caught up in a web of unexpected lies when she claimed to be Vegetarian. She is forced to keep up the secret throughout the entire show and uses hubby Mick to help her scoff meat. She is later rumbled when Stacey catches her in the act as she scoffs ham in the kitchen. Stacey says to her: 'Is that ham, Pam!?… 'I've seen you, Pam. A scotch egg here, a bit of bacon there, putting those regular sausages into the Linda McCartney box'. THAT fishing trip - It remains one of the biggest mysteries in Gavin and Stacey history as to just exactly what did happen on the ill-fated fishing trip. Bryn appears to be hiding a secret as to an occurance between him and his nephew Jason which has left relations fractures. Ness' on-off boyfriend, Dave, is the only other person to know the whole truth. Bryn did appear to allude to him and Jason lying together naked to keep warm as he said to Dave: 'We're going to have this out, once and for all, man to man, you may know what happened, David, but you don't know why it happened! It was freezing cold, it was! And when you are that cold…' Islands in the Stream - No one can ever forget the classic Karaoke performance of Islands in the Stream. Nessa and Bryn performed the track in front of all their nearest and dearest. It saw the whole pub burst into some line-dancing as they enjoyed a boozy night out. The Xmas special proposal - In 2019, fans were left overjoyed when the show made a comeback but it ended on the ultimate cliffhanger. Nessa asked Smithy if she would marry him as she finally laid bare her feelings for him. Fans were gutted as the show then cut straight to the credits as they never found out just how Smithy answered. Will all be revealed in the brand new episode?
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Mystery illness nearly derailed my career – I was told to give up acting, reveals Gavin & Stacey star Laura Aikman
AS a young actress, Laura Aikman would get so stressed about her career she was advised to walk away to rescue her health. The Gavin & Stacey star, now one of Britain's most in-demand actresses, suffered a mystery pain for years. Advertisement 6 Laura Aikman would get so stressed about her career when she was younger that she was advised to walk away to rescue her health Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 6 Laura as bad girl Sonia alongside James Corden in Gavin & Stacey Credit: BBC 6 The star appeared on Disney+ drama Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes Credit: Des Willie She was finally diagnosed with autoimmune disease But Laura stuck with the job and is now having her best year to date, appearing in BBC gangster series Laura has also a found a work-life balance to keep her condition, which causes inflammation and ulcers in her colon, under control. The 39-year-old said: 'It took me a long time to get diagnosed. Before I got the diagnosis I was very, very unwell and I didn't know why. Advertisement READ MORE ON GAVIN & STACEY 'I'd been to the doctors a lot and they kept telling me that it was probably piles, without examining me, and giving me cream because I had blood in my stool. Nothing worked. 'And then I went to a homeopath and she asked me all of these questions about when I'd been poorly and she was like, 'Listen, I've written out a timeline here of when you've not been working, and that is when you've been at your most unwell'. 'She was like, 'Can you do another job?'. And I said, 'No, it's my whole personality.' 'It was a big wake-up call that it was literally making me unwell, the stress of not working and feeling like I wasn't good enough or didn't have anything going on. Advertisement Most read in News TV 'Blame and shame' 'I placed so much of my self-worth and my confidence and even who I was on being an actor and whether I was working. 'Going to family parties at Christmas, everyone's saying, 'What are you up to?'. Like, absolutely nothing. And it can feel like you're letting everyone down. Watch the moment Gavin and Stacey actress Laura Aikman's family found out she was in the finale after keeping it secret 'I think if all of your self-worth is wrapped up in working and then you're not working, you feel like you don't deserve anything. 'I had to actively find other things in my life that gave me self-worth or made me feel important, so I could keep going regardless of whether I was working.' Advertisement Laura was back as bad girl Sonia in the To outsiders, her career has hit the heights, but the North London-born actress says that for years she felt a cycle of 'blame, shame and punishment' because she was not quite 'perfect enough'. She told the Women & Wellbeing podcast: 'When you're starting out, you're like, I have to be everything they want. I have to change who I am to fit. I need to be perfect. 'I kind of struggled up until I was maybe in my mid-twenties with what people wanted me to be as a girl, a woman, in this industry and how I needed to present myself. Advertisement 'I can remember going to auditions and needing to do the lines exactly as they wanted in the blandest way possible, to try to fit whatever I thought the mould was. 'I probably wasn't getting the best parts when I was doing that. I never would, when I was younger, even speak to a producer. 'I would just try to stay under the radar, do my job. I kind of struggled up until I was maybe in my mid-twenties with what people wanted me to be as a girl, a woman, in this industry and how I needed to present myself 'I'm sure I missed out on loads of work because I did absolutely zero networking. But it was that kind of thing — you're lucky to be there, shut up, look pretty, leave. Find everyone very funny, especially the men, and then go home.' Advertisement With her 40th birthday coming up later this year, Laura has found a new sense of freedom. She explained: 'I feel like where I am now people are almost disinterested in how I look. 'So lucky' 'I've been so lucky with the parts that I've played recently where, even though some of them have been very glamorous women, it's not about me looking beautiful. 'It's about how that person presents themselves.' Advertisement But she still never takes anything for granted, saying: 'I feel like possibly the last few years I've been able to play some bigger roles in slightly higher profile shows. 'You go through those peaks and troughs in your career where you think, 'Oh, maybe this is it', then it isn't. So I thought, 'Oh, maybe' at the moment, and then I'm sure I'll slide back down again soon.' 6 Laura in her 2023 role as Dyan Cannon in Archie Credit: Planet Photos 6 The in-demand actress also starred in This City Is Ours Credit: BBC Advertisement Laura grew up in an acting family. Her dad, Stuart Aikman — known as Stuart St Paul — is a stunt director and her mum Jean Heard is also an actress. She is married to actor Laura got her big break in 1996 film Surviving Picasso, opposite Anthony Hopkins, before going on to appear in a string of movies as well as TV series including Casualty, Death In Paradise and The Split. Despite her struggles with confidence, she loves playing fiery and dominant women, saying: 'My dream is to play women that are as different as possible. Advertisement "I feel happiest when I'm the furthest away from myself. These last few jobs have been big swings, especially Rachel in This City Is Ours. She's the ultimate Scouse girl, she's tough. 'I do think when you play someone like that and then you step out of it, there's part of you that's like, maybe I could be a little bit more tough. 'They sort of rub off on you a little bit, just like you learn from your friends.' Away from the camera, Laura has trained to become a counsellor with mental health text service Shout. Advertisement Be kind to yourself when you're not feeling good and just try and do the things that make you feel good She said: 'It's brilliant. You can do a shift whenever you want. People text in when they're in crisis. 'Obviously that's more helpful to society than me getting a job in a TV commercial.' And she concentrates on exercising for her health — not just for her body image — to help deal with her ulcerative colitis. She added: 'I drink less now. I'm no saint, I absolutely get smashed at least once a year, I just fall completely off the wagon. But I will always leave a night out early these days. Advertisement 'I'm just a bit more boring than I used to be. But overall, it really makes me feel much better.' When she is not working, Matt, who she married six years ago, encourages her to relax. She said: 'He is so chilled out and very even-keeled, he's a cool guy. 'I think he has also been really instrumental in encouraging me to allow myself, if I've not got anything on, to be like, 'Why don't you go to the cinema?'. Advertisement 'I'm like, 'Just go and spend money on a day when I haven't got a job?'. He'll be like, 'Yeah, just go and do something nice for yourself'. And she has taken notice. Laura said: 'I think you can be so fooled by hearing other people talk about what they do, to think that they're perfect — and they're not. They're probably falling spectacularly off the wagon. 'So I think be kind to yourself when you're not feeling good and just try and do the things that make you feel good.' 6 Laura in the BBC's hit Christmas special of Gavin & Stacey last year Advertisement Gavin and Stacey's Best Moments With the news that the show is set to make an exciting return to screens, let's take a look at some of the comedy programme's biggest and best moments... Smithy and Rudi's American Boy rap - No one will ever forget when James Corden and Sheridan Smith rapped perfectly word for word the Kanye West and Estelle hit American Boy as they walked across the car park on the phone to Gavin. Pam's Vegetarian faux pas - Despite loving a cheesburger, Pam found herself caught up in a web of unexpected lies when she claimed to be Vegetarian. She is forced to keep up the secret throughout the entire show and uses hubby Mick to help her scoff meat. She is later rumbled when Stacey catches her in the act as she scoffs ham in the kitchen. Stacey says to her: 'Is that ham, Pam!?… 'I've seen you, Pam. A scotch egg here, a bit of bacon there, putting those regular sausages into the Linda McCartney box'. THAT fishing trip - It remains one of the biggest mysteries in Gavin and Stacey history as to just exactly what did happen on the ill-fated fishing trip. Bryn appears to be hiding a secret as to an occurance between him and his nephew Jason which has left relations fractures. Ness' on-off boyfriend, Dave, is the only other person to know the whole truth. Bryn did appear to allude to him and Jason lying together naked to keep warm as he said to Dave: 'We're going to have this out, once and for all, man to man, you may know what happened, David, but you don't know why it happened! It was freezing cold, it was! And when you are that cold…' Islands in the Stream - No one can ever forget the classic Karaoke performance of Islands in the Stream. Nessa and Bryn performed the track in front of all their nearest and dearest. It saw the whole pub burst into some line-dancing as they enjoyed a boozy night out. The Xmas special proposal - In 2019, fans were left overjoyed when the show made a comeback but it ended on the ultimate cliffhanger. Nessa asked Smithy if she would marry him as she finally laid bare her feelings for him. Fans were gutted as the show then cut straight to the credits as they never found out just how Smithy answered. Will all be revealed in the brand new episode?
Daily Mirror
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Disney+ Suspect release date, cast, trailer, plot: Everything you need to know
Disney+ is gearing up to release Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles De Menezes, which stars the likes of Russell Tovey, Max Beesley and Laura Aikman. Suspect is set to drop on Disney+, a gripping drama that explores the tragic killing of Jean Charles De Menezes. Penned and executive produced by Jeff Pope, known for his work on Philomena and Stan And Ollie, Suspect takes viewers on a journey through the aftermath of the 2005 London bombings and the death of Brazilian Jean Charles De Menezes who was tragically mistaken for a terrorist. The drama, brought to life by an ensemble cast, portrays the errors that led to his death and how memories, "both accurate and distorted" can morph into fact. Disney+ Suspect release date Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles De Menezes is set to be released on Wednesday, 30th April, on Disney+. This limited series is a four-part drama with all episodes being released at once, allowing subscribers to binge-watch the entire series in one go if they so choose. Disney+ Suspect cast Disney+'s Suspect boasts a star-studded cast, each portraying real-life individuals in this graphic reenactment of events. Game Of Thrones actor Conleth Hill plays the role of then Met Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair, with Years and Years and Being Human's Russell Tovey as his deputy assistant commissioner Brian Paddick and The Gentleman star Max Beesley as assistant commissioner Andy Hayman. Des, The Long Shadow and A Thousand Blows star Daniel Mays will be taking on the role of principal forensic investigator Cliff Todd in the upcoming series. Gavin And Stacey's Laura Aikman will portray Lana Vandenberghe, a secretary at the Independent Police Complaints Commission who plays a crucial part in the aftermath of Menezes' death. The Crown's Alex Jennings will play barrister Michael Mansfield KC, representing Menezes' family at his shooting inquest, while Paddington In Peru's Emily Mortimer will depict Cressida Dick, the Gold Commander of the surveillance operation pursuing those believed to be behind the bombings. Newcomer Edison Alcaide will portray Menenzes himself, marking his first-ever onscreen role in this Disney+ drama. What viewers can expect from Suspect on Disney+ The series follows the terrifying London bombings on July 7, 2005, and a subsequent failed set of planned attacks, leading to one of the UK's largest ever manhunts and a covert surveillance operation led by Commander Cressida Dick (played by Emily Mortimer). The synopsis further reveals: "As tension and uncertainty rises across the nation, a series of extraordinary events unfolds, and the actions of the Metropolitan Police leads to a critical misidentification. "Jean Charles de Menezes, an innocent young Brazilian electrician on his way to work, is mistaken for a terrorist and fatally shot at Stockwell station. "In the wake of these tragic events, Independent Police Complaints Commission secretary Lana Vandenberghe (Laura Aikman) makes a life-changing decision, and Deputy Assistant Commissioner Brian Paddick (Russell Tovey), in a police force engulfed by crisis, fights for the truth to prevail. "What follows is a family's fight for justice and answers, and a long-fought struggle to bring clarity to a situation clouded by disinformation."
