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Piglets, the ITV sitcom about trainee cops, has been renewed for a second season despite being critically panned and branded “highly offensive” by a police body.

The series, set in a police training college, stars Sarah Parish and Mark Heap as the two superintendents overseeing the training of a fresh batch of recruits.

Speaking in the Reading Between The Lines podcast, one of the show’s actors Ricky Champ revealed that ITV are sticking with the series despite being critically panned.

“Piglets has been commissioned for series two,” he said. “It’s crazy because we got absolutely slammed.”

“The first series came out and it was met with absolute venom – across the board. Vemon from all these critics. We live in a very critical world at the moment, especially for comedy.”

“Immediately, I thought, ‘That’s that done.’”

However, Champ said the show received good viewing figures despite the negative criticism, “and “ITV obviously noticed that”.

The show was critically panned across the board upon its initial release in July, with The Independent’s TV critic Nick Hilton writing in his two-star review that the comedy was just “not funny”.

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“Piglets looks like a rush job,” wrote Hilton. “The characters are underdeveloped, their relationships undercooked. The comedy is puerile and intermittent; too many of the jokes are missing a proper punchline. From The Thin Blue Line to Black Ops, it’s proved difficult to make an effective television comedy about the police – and Piglets does nothing to change that.”

When the show came out, the show’s title, which references the derogatory term “pig”, was called “highly offensive” by Tiffany Lynch, the acting national chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales.

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She said: “It is a disgusting choice of language to use for the title of a TV programme.

“I find it incredulous that this has passed through checks and balances at an organisation made up of people who at any time have or may need the support and assistance of the police.”

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Lynch called the title “inflammatory against a landscape of rising threats and violence against officers”, adding: “We should not be put at further risk for viewing numbers, our officers deserve respect, not humiliation for the job they are undertaking.

“It is incredibly dangerous to incite more negativity and misinformation against a public sector service that’s already under so much pressure.”

Responding to the criticism, ITV said: “Piglets is a fictional new comedy about a police training academy and the title is not intended to cause any offence, it’s a comedic and endearing play on words to emphasise the innocence and youth of our young trainees.”

FANS of Channel 5’s new police drama Ellis have already been left begging for another series.

The brand new programme has already got fans hooked just two episodes into the series.

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Having been tipped to rival ITV’s acclaimed Vera, it appears that fans think it is doing just that after insisting it is on the way to becoming the same level as the long-running Brenda Blethyn drama.

Played by Sharon D Clarke, DCI Ellis uses her knowledge and expertise to solve a number of mysterious local crimes.

With the show now two episodes in, obsessed fans have already begun issuing their pleas to Channel 5 to renew it for another go-around immediately.

One fan wrote online: “Absolutely hoping for a series two already.”

Someone else penned: “Hope theres another series. I love this.”

As a third echoed: “Me too.”

The glowing reviews continued to pour in as another person wrote on X: “I think she could be up there with #Vera after a few more series.”

Before someone else shared: “I’m really liking #Ellis on @channel5_tv great drama gotta love a powerful woman he puts everyone in their place.”

Speaking about what sets Ellis ahead of similar shows, lead writer Sian Ejiwunmi-Lee Berre said: “A lot of big detective shows are very site-specific.

“Whether it’s Death in Paradise, Midsomer Murders, or even
Inspector Morse, it’s about the place.

“This is about her. And she brings her very specific understanding of how people work to wherever she goes; her mantra is that everything is made different by love, fear, hate, or anger, and she digs into the character of a town.

“So, the changing character in each episode is the town – and obviously the people in it – but the town itself has a particular flaw.”

The full synopsis for Ellis explains: “Ellis and Harper arrive in the town of Callorwell to investigate the disappearance of a local detective.

” Leighton needs Ellis to control the case: the DCI of the station is off with stress, and the force recently arrested the head of a major criminal gang but bungled the case and had to let her go.

Vera’s Cast Over The Last 14 Years

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Since its launch back in 2011 Vera has gripped ITV viewers with its crime stories – and dozens of actors have appeared in the show, including:

“Jenny’s colleagues are indifferent to her disappearance, believing she left of her own free will, but Ellis – and Jenny’s husband – feel something is amiss.

“More so when she learns that when Jenny disappeared, she was days away from submitting a complaint of bullying against her colleagues.

“Rife with a toxic culture, the station blocks Ellis at every turn forcing her to reach out to the enemy.”

Ellis airs at 8pm Thursdays on Channel 5.

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Amy Dowden has said it will be “tough” watching JB Gill perform without her this weekend.

The Strictly Come Dancing professional, 34, was replaced by Lauren Oakley in the BBC dance competition after being rushed to hospital with a shin fracture on 2 November.

Gill’s performance on Saturday, 9 November, will coincide with the one year anniversary of Dowden finishing chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer, which kept her from the Strictly stage for a year.

Speaking on ITV’s Lorraine, Dowden revealed she had planned a special Strictly performance with Gill to celebrate her anniversary and is devastated it can no longer take place.

“Saturday is going to be tough because I really wanted to be dancing on that floor to show myself how far I’ve come in one year,” she said.

The professional dancer explained she had wanted to dance the samba with her celebrity partner because she felt the “joyful carnival happy dance” was perfect to mark the occasion.

In May 2023, Dowden was diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of stage three breast cancer after finding a lump in her breast the day before her Maldives honeymoon with fellow professional dancer Ben Jones.

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She underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy and fertility treatment in those nine months and was eventually told she had “no evidence of disease” in February 2024.

Elsewhere in her chat with Lorraine Kelly, Dowden said:“I am going to do my best not to cry,” as tears filled her eyes. “I am gutted it’s had to end this way,” she added. “I feel I have let JB down.”

Dowden will be replaced by fellow professional dancer Lauren Oakley as Gill’s dance partner for the remainder of the competition. However, she hinted on BBC’s It Takes Two that she hopes to appear back on the Strictly stage before the end of the season.

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“Hopefully I will be back dancing, hopefully in a group number by the end of the series,” she said. “Fingers crossed.”

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The professional dancer added to Kelly on Thursday, 7 November: “I have had a lot of setbacks. I am used to picking myself back up.”

Dowden has explained the shin injury wasn’t a repeat of any previous injuries or previous treatment for breast cancer and she said she would be JB’s “biggest cheerleader” as he continues with “the amazing Lauren”.

Oakley told Dowden earlier this week: “We’re still a team. Love you. You did the groundwork, I’ll carry your partnership forward and hopefully make you proud.”

MARRIED At First Sight fans have worked out the ‘real reason’ Adam doesn’t fancy his wife Polly.

The pair tied the knot just seconds after meeting as part of this year’s series of the E4 show.

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The couple have had a bumpy ride, with Adam initially saying that Polly wasn’t his type.

Despite making it clear he wasn’t sexually attracted to her, the pair had sex on their wedding night and then weren’t intimate with each other for a number of weeks.

Adam told Polly and the experts it’s because he didn’t want to lead her on, however, more recently, the pair have grown close again in that way.

This week the couple have clashed again after Polly has made it clear that her husband hasn’t been doing enough for her, to make her feel special.

May fans think that they know why he’s acting the way he is – and it’s to do with another star of the show.

One wrote on X: “Adam thinks he has a chance with Amy. That’s why he doesn’t want Polly #MAFSUK.”

Another added: “Adam can’t wait for Luke and Amy to break up so he can slide in the DMs #MAFSUK.”

“Adam just wants Amy…it’s actually so obvious! #mafsuk,” a third chimed in.

A fourth added: “Adam is HOPING that Amy is not happy with Luke. No doubt he’d be more than willing to be a shoulder for her to cry on.”

A fifth said: “Adam doesn’t find Polly attractive cos saying he don’t give words of affirmations yet, he was complimenting Amy in the sex shop. Peak #MAFSUK.”

The two raised eyebrows during partner swap week.

Adam and Amy were partnered up together – and they appeared to get on very well.

Polly admitted she was not “jealous”, but said she felt “insecure”, especially of how beautiful Amy is.

When she found out they were partnered together, Polly said to camera: “My stomach has naturally dropped, I’m not a jealous person but Amy is stunning, absolutely gorgeous woman and I don’t want to go back to square one feeling insecure about myself.

“It is very strange having another woman come into my home, it is very intimate.”

She went on: “There could be a touch of jealousy, but I’m going to try and keep a cool head.”

Amy and Adam also shared a bed during their stay together.

They also went to a lingerie shop to buy Polly some underwear.

Some E4 viewers said it was the happiest Adam had looked throughout the whole process.

One wrote: “Adam and his cheesy grin over Amy, happiest and most smiley his been this whole show is hilarious.”

A second posted: “Adam finally happy to be sharing a bed with someone he wants to touch.”

A third commented: “Adam looks like the cat that got the cream.”

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Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang has apologised to Ariana Grande for opening his mouth “too much” during a kissing scene in a recent sketch on the show.

Grande hosted the 12 October episode of the show, which featured musical performances from Stevie Nicks. It was the first time that the Wicked star had hosted SNL since 2016.

Among the sketches on the episode was a skit called “Charades with Mom,” Grande starred alongside Andrew Dismukes as the parents of Michael Longfellow who were meeting their son’s boyfriend, played by Yang, for the first time.

As the title of the sketch suggests, a game of charades soon starts but gets out of control and becomes competitive very quickly. Eventually, a fight breaks out between Grande and Yang’s characters but they soon make up and engage in an overly passionate kiss with each other.

Yang, who also stars in Wicked, has since apologised to the “One Last Time” singer for the kiss during the sketch, which he admitted he opened his mouth too much for.

On his Las Culturistas podcast, Yang told Grande, who was his guest: “Just to switch gears: I really have to apologise to you in person. I opened my mouth up too much when we kissed on SNL.”

The 31-year-old pop star said: “You absolutely did. I was shaking with laughter. No, no, no, not in a bad way! Not in a bad way — just in a disarming way.”

“I kissed you too much,” added Yang, to which Grande replied, “You know what? That’s okay. … We were dropped in, and it felt like what these people needed at that time. It felt like what these characters required, and I’m all for it.”

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Grande also revealed that the kiss wasn’t originally scripted but had the idea to add it after rehearsals. “I didn’t say anything because I was like, ‘Oh, everyone’s gonna think I’m absolutely insane and too comfortable,’’’ she said. “But I was like, ‘Oh, how funny would it be if we kissed at the end?’”

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“And then Bowen texts me a few hours later and was like, ‘It’s totally fine if this is way too crazy, but we were talking and thought it would be so funny if we kissed at the end,’” Grande said. “And I was like, ‘Wow. I was thinking that.’”

“It was absolutely too open,” Grande later joked. “No, I’m kidding! For the characters, I think it was perfectly open.”

A HOLLYWOOD actor has been dubbed as ‘unrecognisable’ by viewers of The One Show, after he appeared on the programme alongside Jon Hamm.

The acting icons were on the show to promote their Paramount+ series Landman, but many BBC viewers couldn’t recognise one of the actors, who wore two hats.

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It was indeed Billy Bob Thornton, 69, who has starred in the likes of Bad Santa, Fargo, Goliath, Sling Blade and many more films.

On social media, someone said: “What on earth is Billy Bob Thornton wearing on his head on The One Show? He looks really odd.”

A second person questioned: “Anyone watching The One Show? What is Billy Bob Thornton wearing?”

Others were quick to add that they thought the actor looked unrecognisable with his tilted trilby hat and dark beard.

Billy Bob Thornton is an actor, writer, director, and musician.

He has been married six times and has four children from three different women.

In 2000, Billy Bob briefly married Angelina Jolie, but their divorce was finalised in 2003.

Billy Bob has appeared in over 50 movies and television shows, making his debut in the late 1980s.

Billy and Jon joined Alex Jones and Clara Amfo for the chat about their new series.

And actor Billy has a leading role in Landman.

Discussing his role, Billy said: “Landman is certainly, I guess you’d call it a lot of ways the foreman, he deals with all the people in the oil fields, and his boss which is Jon. 

“There’s a lot of pressure to make sure all of that comes off in a very dangerous world. He’s got the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“Tommy has a sense of humour, but there’s a lot of pressure all the time, as John said this is about how you get this oil out of the ground, and how it affects the people around you, your family and friends.

“There’s a character, who plays my son who wants to do this and it’s lilke telling our children ‘’don’t be an actor’’ one way or another, it’s a very high pressure job.”

He continued: “A lot of people think billionaires stay billionaires, but in the oil business it’s a gamble, and it’s my job to make sure he doesn’t.”

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