WITHOUT a doubt, the entertainment world has had another turbulent year and here are some of the big stories that hit the headlines over the last 12 months…
The year began in typical fashion – with a media scandal! What seemed to be remarks about women in football made off the air were actually picked up and made public, as Sky Sports presenters Richard Keys and Andy Gray discovered. More damaging off-screen behaviour would come to light over the following days through YouTube and it resulted in Gray being sacked and Keys resigning from his role. In its 22 year history, this was no question, Sky’s biggest ever embarrassment.
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| FIGHTING: Imogen Thomas was dragged into the superinjunctions debate |
Just over a year after they got hitched in Las Vegas, a painful separation was in prospect for Katie Price and Alex Reid. Price would go on to date an unknown Argentine model for several months whilst Reid has found new love in ex-Big Brother Housemate Chantelle Houghton. The pair have recently become engaged, so no surprise who was the winner out of this doomed relationship. Another former BB contestant that sprung into the public eye was Imogen Thomas. Her name was mentioned in a granted superinjunction by a Premier League footballer who wished to remain anonymous. Speculation on Twitter led to a Liberal Democrat MP to use his parliamentary privilege and oust the footballer’s identity. The footballer has remained silent on the issue ever since the revelation back in May. Speaking about Big Brother, after the final series on Channel 4 ended last summer, it looked as if it had vanished away for good. Richard Desmond had other ideas and brought it back to Channel 5. With new host Brian Dowling, and famous faces such as Kerry Katona and Paddy Doherty, who would eventually go on to win, the method was simple, try to keep it as simple as possible. It has become Channel 5’s highest rated show but it will never match the success that it had on C4.
One person who would certainly want to forget 2011 in a hurry is Cheryl Cole and her fall from grace. In May, she accepted the chance of a lifetime to join the new US version of The X-Factor, with aide Simon Cowell, who also quit the UK version. The dream wasn’t to last long though as just two weeks into filming, she was sacked. Initially this looked to be the work of Cowell but it later transpired that Fox wanted her out because her Newcastle accent would make American viewers struggle to understand her. In either case, Cole returned back to the UK, more humiliated than when she left and her role of being “The Nation’s Sweetheart” was finally stripped for good when she had a fling with footballing ex Ashley Cole. Reconciliation seemed on the cards until the tabloids stepped in with more stories of Ashley’s infidelity. On X-Factor USA, Cole’s place on the judging panel was given to Nicole Scherzinger, a more well-favourable decision for many. Fox stood by Scherzinger, despite criticism from experts in the States. However, Nicole’s commitment to her solo career and her new job led to an amicable and publicised split with Formula One star, Lewis Hamilton. The newspaper press has certainly come under scrutiny in 2011, with damming revelations at News International, of phone hacking at the News of the World. Famous showbiz figures like Sienna Miller, Hugh Grant and Max Mosley were given liberal damages before the tarnished paper was closed down in July.
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| AWARDS: Huge success for Colin Firth and The King's Speech |
In the film world, it’s been one dramatic year with several grossing films and rave reviews for several flicks than ever before. The King’s Speech topped the bill with its success at both the BAFTA’s and the Oscars whilst after ten years; the Harry Potter saga finally came to an end with the last film based on the final book of the series. Other top talking films of the year include Cars 2, The Inbetweeners Movie and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. In the land of music, there has been a frequent share of old and new talent at the top of the charts this year. Acts like Jessie J and Ed Sheeran have made phenomenal starts in their careers this year whilst established talent such as Pixie Lott and the Saturdays continue to challenge for supremacy, the latter still somehow have not managed a Number 1 single yet! Of course, there are acts that are just in it for the money – 2011 will go down as the year that Jedward began their course to world domination! A successful appearance at the Eurovision Song Contest, beating the much more challenging entry from Blue for the UK, coupled with third place on Celebrity Big Brother backs up the evidence. In fact, they have recently announced they will try for Eurovision again next year, this year’s contest being won by a delightful entry from Azerbaijan.
It’s been a torrid year for ITV with most of its popular programmes coming under the firing line for falling ratings. The most publicised was Dancing on Ice. A massive competition revamp designed to make it more entertaining and watchable had the opposite effect. It flopped miserably and it has now called its future into question. Daybreak has also suffered and amidst its constant thrashing in the ratings by BBC Breakfast, it is currently undergoing its own revamp over the New Year with its “star” presenters, Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley having already left.
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| STUNNER: Amy Childs has had a year to remember |
If there was an award that the public could choose for, called ‘Sexiest Woman Of The Year’, favourable nominations like Abbey Crouch, Katy Perry and Michelle Keegan would all be distant runners-up in favour of a young Essex redhead, Amy Childs. Having shot to fame on The Only Way Is Essex, it was no question that she would soon go for it alone and she did just that in August when she was another famous guest in the Celebrity Big Brother house. Afterwards, she then went on to sign a lucrative deal with Channel 5 for her own reality series, currently be screened. Love or loathe her, she will be around for much longer to come, just like her use of the phrase, “SHUT UP!”
Someone who would certainly call 2011 as an “annus horribilis” is Simon Cowell. After Britain’s Got Talent suffered a slump in ratings in the Spring, his multi-million pound gameshow Red Or Black? certainly didn’t stay out of the headlines but for all the wrong reasons. Poorly constructed with nothing innovative about the format made it perhaps the biggest ever and most expensive flop in television history.
He then took a backseat when the all new X-Factor arrived in the UK. Cole and Dannii Minogue had gone from the panel, along with Simon. Established judge Louis Walsh was joined by Gary Barlow, Tulisa and Kelly Rowland for the new series. Critical reception was of praise to start with but when it got to the live shows, the new judges didn’t seem up to scratch. That and coupled with the usual off-stage controversy left viewers turning off in their droves. The most damaging of all centred on Frankie Cocozza. He seemed innocent and nice to start off with but when the live shows began, he was exposed as an act that really couldn’t sing and his behaviour off the show became more and more wild until he was eventually kicked out for breaking a ‘golden rule,’ alleged to have been taking cocaine.
However, from the all of the stories of mistrust, X-Factor provided one great story to finish on. One act came out of the shadows and defied the odds. Girl group Little Mix – formed by the judges at bootcamp from four girls turned down first as soloists and then again under different constructed groups – were written off before a note was sung when it came to the live finals. As the weeks progressed, they quickly gathered momentum though and the public began to get behind them. They eventually sealed a fairytale triumph in the final, live in front of 10,000 fans at Wembley Arena, the first group ever to win the UK version of the show after its years of trying. In the eight years of the show, there perhaps has been no other winner more popular than these girls but aside from it, it looks like the start of 2012 will perhaps see Cowell organise crisis meeting after crisis meeting to assess what went wrong with the show and how to restore it back to its former glory.
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| FAREWELL: We said a tragic goodbye to Amy Winehouse |
Every showbiz year of course sees several famous faces sadly leave us. Some of the those who lost their lives in the last twelve months include Hollywood leading lady Elizabeth Taylor, Coronation Street icon Betty Driver and 80s legend Sir Jimmy Saville. However, the most familiar name to pass away this year was singer Amy Winehouse. Despite a fledging and promising career with millions of album sales and several awards on both sides of the Atlantic, her private life was always troubled and usually saw battles with alcohol and drug addictions. Then on one dry Saturday afternoon in July, came news that she had been found dead in her London home at the tender age of 27. Despite the woes of her private life, she will still be remembered for her unique contribution to music and her father Mitch has since gone on to set up a charity in her honour to help support young people who are battling their own addiction problems.
