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Beloved children’s TV series Pingu is set to be revived in a new adaptation from Barbie company Mattel and Wallace & Gromit creators Aardman.

The original Pingu launched on BBC One in 1990. A Swiss-German production, the TV series was designed by Otmar Gutmann, and followed the adventures of an impish penguin in the South Pole. The character was known for his catchphrase, “Noot noot”.

Pingu originally ran until 2000, and was briefly revived on British TV between 2003 and 2006.

The new series will be stop-motion animation, in the same vein as the original.

Mattel Television Studios, the TV arm of toy conglomerate Mattel, acquired the rights to Pingu in 2011 when it purchased HIT Entertainment.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Mattel chief franchise officer Josh Silverman said: “You couldn’t ask for a more perfect marriage [than between Mattel and Aardman]. I was just with their team. We are overjoyed about the project.

“It’s going to be really, really special. Pingu just continues to, organically, have a tremendous amount of affection and attention. And a tremendous amount of relevance.”

Aardman are also currently working on a new Wallace & Gromit sequel, titled Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.

The feature-length film, which will debut in the UK on BBC One around Christmas, will see the return of the villainous Feathers McGraw, the malevolent penguin first seen in the 1993 Wallace & Gromit short The Wrong Trousers.

The creators of the new film teased earlier this month that Vengeance Most Fowl would be an “emotional” return for the popular man-and-dog duo.

Speaking at Deadline’s Contenders London event on Saturday 12 October, executive producer Carla Shelley said: “I think we’re going to make everybody cry. We’re going to surprise everybody and make you laugh as well. It’s really emotional. That’s what’s at the heart of it.

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Vengeance Most Fowl represents the first feature-length Wallace & Gromit outing since The Curse of the Were-Rabbit in 2005.

Last year, Aardman also released a sequel to the hit 2000 poultry-themed animation Chicken Run.

In a three-star review of the film, The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey wrote: “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget may not quite rise to its predecessor’s level, but if this is the closest Aardman ever comes to selling out then, well, there’s still hope for animation’s future.”

LOVE Island’s Ayo Odukoya and Jess Spencer have sparked split fears – three months after the show.

The pair, who met and fell for each other in the villa over the summer, appear to have quietly called time on their romance.

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In a bold move and a sign that things are over, Ayo has removed all traces of Jess from this social media.

As well as taking down any images of her, he has edited a caption the wrote after Love Island, to not include any reference to Jess.

Jess still has pictures with Ayo on her Instagram grid.

Ayo and Jess came in in fourth place but their time in the villa was shrouded in controversy after Ayo ditched Mimii in a shock Casa Amor move for Jess.

Despite picking to stay with Jess, viewers and a number of the islanders were convinced that Ayo still had feelings for Mimii.

In fact, Ayo’s ‘relationship’ with Mimii was at the centre of a number of rows, even when Mimii had moved on with Josh, who she ended up winning the show with.

Ayo’s brother even said he wasn’t sure about Jess when he entered the villa on family day.

During the final episode, Ayo declared his love for Jess, saying: “I am obsessed with you.. I know we say ‘Love you’ in passing, but the reality of it is that I do love you.”

The pair were not officially boyfriend and girlfriend when they left the villa but did seem to be going from strength to strength.

Since Love Island came to an end ALL of the couples have now split, apart from Nicole and Ciaran.

The Sun has contacted their reps for comment.

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Love Island Series 11 – who’s still together?

The 11th series of popular ITV2 dating show Love Island created plenty of new couples – but not all of them have managed to go the distance.

• Mimii and Josh – Split: After two months together, the show’s winners revealed it was over after mounting speculation. Mimii said: “Unfortunately things aren’t going to work out between us right now”
• Nicole and Ciaran – Still together
• Matilda and Sean – Split: The couple, who reached the final, opted to go their separate ways just a month after series 11 wrapped. They each announced news of the separation through statements posted on Instagram.
• Jess and Ayo – Split?
• Jessy and Joey – Split: Seven weeks after the villa, the pair confirmed their split. Joey told us: “Unfortunately, we have decided to call an end to the relationship but I hope we can continue to be friends.”
• Grace and Reuben – Split: Grace and Reuben were eliminated just before the final. They mutually decided to call time on their relationship after struggling to make it work in the real world thanks to their conflicting, busy schedules.
• Jess W and Hugo – Split: The couple – who got together during the Casa Amor stage – split just days after leaving the villa. Meanwhile, Hugo was seen snogging  former Love Island contestant Charlotte Sumner.
• Harriett and Ronnie – Split

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The boss of the studio behind the new Harry Potter TV adaptation has explained the “whole reason” for its existence.

Last year, it was announced that JK Rowling’s bestselling wizard-themed books were being made into a new series, having previously been adapted into a hit film franchise between 2001 and 2011.

The move has been criticised by some fans of the books, with many deeming another adaptation “unneccessary”.

Speaking to Variety this week, Channing Dungey, the head of Warner Bros Television Group, explained the reasoning behind adapting the novels for television.

“There’s not a lot to talk about at this moment,” she said. “We’ve got our fantastic writing staff in place and they are doing what they need to do. And casting calls have opened up in the UK and Ireland, so the process is moving along. It’s going quite well.

“It’s an unbelievable dream, honestly, and as somebody who is a huge fan of books, the opportunity to get to explore them in maybe a little bit more in-depth than you can in just a two-hour film, that’s the whole reason we’re on this journey.”

In recent years, discussion around Harry Potter has been dominated by the outspoken anti-transgender views of writer JK Rowling. Many of the castmembers from the original film saga have criticised or distanced themselves from Rowling, including Daniel Radcliffe, who played the eponymous boy wizard.

Last month, a casting call was issued for the new TV series, seeking child actors between the ages of nine and 11 to appear in the show. The notice stipulated that Warner Bros and HBO will be pursuing “inclusive, diverse casting”.

Earlier this year, Radcliffe was asked about the new TV adaptation, and said that the producers were likely attempting a “clean break” from existing adaptations.

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“Like the rest of the world, I’m very excited to watch as an audience member,” Radcliffe told E! News.

Asked about potentially appearing in the series, Radcliffe responded: “I don’t think so. I think they very wisely want a clean break. And I don’t know if it would work to have us do anything in it. I’m very happy to just watch along with everyone else.”

Creators are reportedly looking to release the series across 10 years, with each of Rowling’s seven children’s novels adapted into its own season.

Filming will begin next year, with a release date currently yet to be announced.

STRICTLY Come Dancing fans have angrily complained about a technical blunder during Sunday’s results show.

Viewers claimed they were forced to turn the channel shortly after Sophie Ellis-Bextor began her performance.

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The Murder on the Dancefloor singer was “drowned out” by cheering, clapping and even screaming audience members.

“I had to switch it off it was hurting my ears,” complained one fan.

“Why is it that women today feel the need to scream at every opportunity its not just Strictly it’s a lot of these reallity shows as well.”

Another added: “I noticed that woman’s stupid scream, but wondered if someone told her to stop being annoying as she quickly calmed down.”

Someone else said: “It was dreadful. I honestly thought someone had forgotten to turn Sophie’s mic on!”

A viewer commented: “The sound level was atrocious for Sophie Ellis-Bextor, since her singing was easily drowned out by the audience.”

“The hand-clapping really irritates me ! Not sure how you’d stop it at this point, though.”

Paul Merson became the fourth celebrity to be eliminated from the 20th series of the competition.

The former footballer failed to impress the judges in the dance-off against JLS star JB Gill and his dance partner Amy Dowden.

Speaking to hosts Tess Daley and Claudia Winkleman after his and Karen Hauer’s axe, Paul said: “It’s been really good. For anybody I talk to, I would say you’ve got to go on this show. It’s amazing – everybody.

“It’s been amazing, honestly, amazing. I loved every minute of it, I’ve had a great teacher. Karen’s been amazing, absolutely amazing and I couldn’t wish for a better coach.

“I’ve loved every minute of it. I can dance now – I’ve won because I can dance, I couldn’t dance before and I can half dance now. It’s a bonus, absolute bonus.”

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Strictly Come Dancing professional Nadiya Bychkova has been blunt about her relationship with ex-boyfriend Kai Widdrington.

The former Strictly couple began dating in 2022, but split earlier this year.

Asked whether they remain friendly, Bychkova said: “We work together but we are not friends and that’s OK.”

The Ukrainian dancer continued: “One thing I can tell you is that when you see me dancing with him, it will be amazing because I’m a professional.”

She declined to comment any further on their break-up or former relationship.

Professional dancers Bychkova, 35, and Widdrington, 29, met on the BBC dancing competition back in 2021.

This year’s season of Strictly saw Bychkova partnered with 24-year-old Olympian Tom Dean. The pair, however, were the first couple to be eliminated after losing a dance-off to Toyah Willcox and her partner Neil Jones.

Speaking at The Mirror’s Pride of Britain awards, Bychkova said of her early exit: “It’s never nice to leave early.”

She continued: “Tom and I have had so much support from people and I get the feeling that the viewers wanted to see what he was capable of and so did I. Someone had to go and it’s just a shame it was Tom.”

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She said that they are “going to keep dancing” despite the elimination.

“I am going to teach him a salsa with some big lifts. Not for TV, just so he can see he can be brilliant,” Bychkova said.

Asked who should take home the coveted Glitterball trophy this year, she said: “There is so much talent this year and the standard is so high it’s incredible. I love the show so much and it’s great to have a front row seat every weekend. I have no idea who is going to win but I know we are in a brilliant few months of dancing.”

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Widdrington, a fan-favourite on the show since joining in 2021, is notably absent from this year’s line-up.

The male-heavy roster of celebrities, all of which you can find here, meant that less male professional partners were required.

A source told The Sun at the time: “Kai has become the first casualty of this year’s male-heavy line-up.

“With so few female celebrities it was inevitable that some of the professionals would miss out on a pairing, but it’s a real blow that Kai is one of them.”

This year’s season of Strictly has been rocked by scandal after former contestant Amanda Abbington pulled out last year and later filed complaints of verbal bullying and harassment against pro dancer Giovanni Pernice.

Pernice has denied any wrongdoing, while the BBC’s months-long investigation into his conduct acknowledged Abbington’s complaints of verbal bullying and harassment but concluded that the Italian dancer was not physically aggressive to his celebrity partner.

GIOVANNI Pernice returned to British television today for the first time since the conclusion of a Strictly Come Dancing investigation into his conduct.

Appearing on Lorraine, hosted by Christine Lampard, a suited Giovanni, 34, vowed to set the record straight on his feud with Amanda Abbington and repeatedly said he was relieved and happy with the findings, which upheld six of 17 complaints made against him.

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He said: “When you have somebody in your hands, like Amanda, she was brilliant and unbelievable at dancing.

“I’m upset because we could have made it all the way to the final. My job is to take everything out of my partner. It’s in the public domain, the fact I’m a strict teacher. If you want to achieve greatness, I think this is the right way to do.”

He denied ever clashing with the actress in the rehearsal room, despite her claims he made offensive comments towards her.

“The investigation didn’t find me a bully,” he said. “Bully is a big word, there’s a big difference between bullying and caring about what you do.

“All I had was ‘Giovanni you’re an amazing teacher, Giovanni you’re great’.”

He continued : “At that time everything was perfect, me and Amanda Abbington never had an argument.”

The dancer said he would like to have a cup of tea with Amanda and discuss what happened between them in a civil way.

He reflected on his career successes, including lifting the Glitterball with Rose Ayling-Ellis and his current leaderboard topping run on the Italian version of the show, saying: “Teaching the way I teach is the successful way to approach this.”

He added: “If you come to the room with me and go ‘you really want to win this’, I will do everything in my power to win this.

“If you suddenly change this and don’t tell me that, there’s nothing I can do. I don’t read minds.

“I’m very, very competitive. I will make sure I will do everything to get out the best of you.”

He refused to answer if he had a future on Strictly, instead responding that he was busy with his work in Italy and his upcoming theatre tour.

Yesterday, the Italian star admitted he “wanted to punch the TV” when watching former dance partner Amanda Abbington discussing claims made against him.

In a new interview, Giovanni said he “sobbed” when he heard the actress was to appear on Channel 4 to claim her bullying allegations were ‘of a sexual nature’.

Amanda’s interview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy, who had competed alongside her in the 2023 series of Strictly, aired in July.

Giovanni has now broken his silence after the BBC finally cleared him of 10 of the 16 allegations the Sherlock actress had made against him.

The ex Strictly pro told Mail+: “I wanted to punch the television. I didn’t watch it, I couldn’t watch the interview because I was thinking, ‘Why would you talk on live TV when we’ve both been asked not to talk about it?’

“My Sicilian blood would rise up and I’d think, ‘This isn’t the truth’ – but I had to remain silent.”

Amanda’s interview with Krishnan aired three months in to the BBC’s £250,000 investigation, which wrapped up in September.

Giovanni said the televised chat on Channel 4 in July was the first time there had been a mention of anything “sexual”.

“Of course, I was worried it could destroy my career – the people that come to my shows are kids and women,” he added to the publication.

Giovanni was partnered with Amanda on the 2023 series of Strictly Come Dancing.

But she departed in week six, citing medical reasons. Amanda later accused Giovanni of bullying – which he vehemently denies.

Giovanni decided to quit Strictly in May after nine years on the BBC dancing show.

It came as he faced allegations over his training methods with his former celebrity partners, including Amanda.

Last month, the BBC published the findings of its five-month investigation into the alleged scandal.

Giovanni was cleared of 10 of the 16 allegations made against him.

It did, however, find instances of the professional dancer using “belittling” language towards her, and the Beeb apologised to Amanda.

Giovanni will be appearing on ITV’s Lorraine to discuss the bullying probe and its outcome on Tuesday morning (October 22).

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A TV source told The Sun: “Amanda has conducted a number of interviews throughout the investigation on high-profile platforms like Channel 4 News but Giovanni was not able to do so as a BBC employee.

“Now it is complete, Giovanni is able to discuss certain things but most importantly, move forward with his career.

“He will chat to Lorraine about his upcoming solo tour The Last Dance and run of new dates for his gigs with Anton Du Beke.”

Giovanni is currently taking part in Italy‘s version of Strictly Come Dancing.

He relocated to Italy as Amanda spoke out about her ordeal on Newsnight following the BBC investigation.

She claimed her nightmare rehearsals with Gio got so bad she was actually relieved when a cancer scare meant she could quit the show.

The BBC apologised to the actress as she revealed her experience with him was “morbid and toxic”.

Meanwhile, Giovanni is due to make a brief return to Strictly in a one-off special celebrating the show’s 20 years on screen.

In December’s anniversary special, he will appear in footage from 2021 dancing with EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis, who was the first deaf winner of Strictly Come Dancing.

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