Halifax has told customers they are free to close their accounts if they disagree with pronouns being on staff name tags.
After taking to social media earlier this week to share an image of a staff name tag which had Gemma written on it with the pronouns ‘she/her/hers’ underneath, and to state that “pronouns matter”, the bank was met with praise on the move by many customers, as well as by leading LGTBQ+ charity, Stonewall.
Stonewall said it was great to see companies like Halifax offering staff the option of displaying their pronouns, and claimed it was a great way to “make sure LGBTQ+ identities are respected” in the workplace.
A spokesperson for Halifax said the bank wants to “create a safe and accepting environment that opens the conversation around gender identity”, and it hopes the move will support colleagues to be themselves and feel included.
“We care about our customers’ and colleagues’ individual preferences,” the spokesperson added.
But despite all the praise it received, Halifax was also hit with criticism from some other customers who said they didn’t agree with the move.
One critical Twitter user accused the bank of “pathetic virtue signalling” and questioned why it was trying to “alienate” people, to which Halifax responded in a now-viral tweet telling the customer to close their account.
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Halifax said: “We strive for inclusion, equality and quite simply, in doing what’s right. If you disagree with our values, you’re welcome to close your account.”
In another critical tweet, another customer wrote: “If a person is wearing a NAME badge, wouldn’t it more polite to use that NAME, isn’t that the point of a NAME badge, otherwise, why put the NAME on the NAME badge in the first place?”
Halifax then responded to reiterate that it wishes to “create a safe and accepting environment that opens the conversation around gender identity,” for staff and customers alike.
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We strive for inclusion, equality and quite simply, in doing what’s right. If you disagree with our values, you’re welcome to close your account. ^AndyM
Hi Jamie. We want to create a safe and accepting environment that opens the conversation around gender identity. We care about our customers and colleagues individual preferences. For us, it’s a very simple solution to accidental misgendering. ^Lee
Halifax is the latest organisation to offer employees the chance to display their pronouns on name badges, and it comes after retailer M&S made the headlines for adopting the optional move back in November 2021.
The move by M&S came from a suggestion via the retailer’s employee suggestion initiative, and it now means that workers have the choice to use “whichever combinations of pronouns is right for them”.
Announcing the decision to introduce the new pronoun badges, M&S explained: “Recently, we introduced pronoun name badges for our colleagues, encouraging as many of them as possible to wear whichever combination of pronouns is right for them.
“An amazing initiative provided by one of our colleagues as we continue to build an inclusive future, together.”
Featured Image – Halifax
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Fawlty Towers reboot starring John Cleese and his daughter on the way after 40 years
Emily Sergeant
Fawlty Towers is set for a reboot after four decades, and the show’s original lead John Cleese is set to star alongside his daughter.
It’s been a long time coming, but after more than 40 years off air, production company Castle Rock Entertainment has announced this week that it has closed a deal with John Cleese to bring Fawlty Towers back to our screens.
The show originally ran from 1975-1979 on BBC Two, and is widely regard by fans and critics as being one of the greatest sitcoms of all time.
Written by and starring John Cleese and Connie Booth, in case you’re unfamiliar with the show, or haven’t gotten around to giving it a watch, Fawlty Towers is set inside a fictional hotel of the same name in the seaside town of Torquay, and follows the working lives of rude hotel owner Basil Fawlty played by Cleese, his bossy wife Sybil played by Prunella Scales, the sensible chambermaid and peacemaker Polly played by Booth, and the hapless and English-challenged Spanish waiter Manuel played Andrew Sachs.
Storylines usually follow the team’s attempts to run the hotel while a bunch of farcical situations and an ever-changing lineup of demanding guests and tradespeople run a muck.
A Fawlty Towers reboot is on the way after 40 years / Credit: BBC
Cleese told The Independent in 2018 that “there’s not much point” in a Fawlty Towers remake, and had even hinted that reboot probably wouldn’t work nowadays – but it seems he’s now changed his tune on the idea.
The 83-year-old comedian, actor, and screenwriter – who has in recent years been vocal against what he calls “wokeness” and “cancel culture”, and is soon set to present a show on right-wing news channel GB News as he wants to “promote proper argument” – will reprise his role as Basil Fawlty in the reboot.
His real-life daughter, Camilla Cleese, will star alongside him as the hotelier’s long-lost daughter who has recently returned.
According to the show’s directors Matthew George and Derrick Rossi – who are also producing alongside Cleese, and Rob and Michele Reiner – the reboot will explore how the dramatic and cynical Basil navigates the modern world, while running a boutique hotel.
The reboot will see John Cleese reprise his role as hotelier Basil Fawlty / Credit: BBC
Speaking on the upcoming reboot, Cleese said: “When we first met, he [Matthew George] offered an excellent first idea, and then Matt, my daughter Camilla, and I had one of the best creative sessions I can remember. By dessert, we had an overall concept so good that, a few days later, it won the approval of Rob and Michele Reiner.
“Camilla and I look forward enormously to expanding it into a series.”
Executive producer Rob Reiner called Cleese a “comedy legend” and that even just “the idea of working with him makes me laugh”.
Expected filming and air dates of the Fawlty Towers reboot are yet to be revealed.
Featured Image – BBC
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David Schwimmer is on the Celebrity Great British Bake Off lineup – and people can’t cope
Emily Sergeant
The star-studded lineup for the new Stand Up To Cancer celebrity edition of the Great British Bake Off has been announced.
And it’s a wild ride.
Bolton-born comedic actor and presenter Paddy McGuinness, radio and TV presenter AJ Odudu, Radio 1’s Adele Roberts, and actor David Morrissey are some of the North West names joining famous faces like Olympic diver Tom Daley, reality star Gemma Collins, former Little Mix member Jesy Nelson, Loose Women star Colleen Nolan, and Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meaden on the upcoming The Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off.
But while comics, reality stars, TV presenters, and British actors of varying fame levels are all who you’d expect to see a lineup like this, one famous face has really thrown people off – David Schwimmer.
Yes, that’s right. Whether you can believe it or not, the star of the most famous sitcom of all time, and everyone’s favourite wrongly-accused Blackpool corner shop cans thief, David Schwimmer, has laced up his apron and headed into the Bake Off tent.
Say hello to our baking friends. Meet the stars hitting the Bake Off Tent to raise some dough for a very special cause!
What’s even more surprising is that the US actor, who is of course best-known for playing Ross Geller in Friends, was already supposed to have appeared in celebrity special of the hit Channel 4 baking reality TV show a few years back, but he had to pull out right of filming right at the last minute.
It comes after Schwimmer said in an interview that he’s a huge Bake Off fan.
He told Radio Times back in 2020: “It’s competitive, but everyone’s so lovely with each other. It’s so not American!”
Finding out the now 56-year-old actor was a fan was what lead judge Paul Hollywood to naming Schwimmer as the celebrity he’d most like to see take part in the show after he had to back out of competing at the 11th hour.
David Schwimmer is on The Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off 2023 lineup / Credit: Channel 4 & Love Productions
After the lineup was unveiled yesterday, fans have been taking to social media to share their shock at Schwimmer’s unexpected inclusion.
“You managed to get actual David Schwimmer? Ridiculous!!!” one fan wrote on Twitter.
Other people were more literal in their shocked reactions, with another fan simply tweeting: “DAVID SCHWIMMER!!!!!” and a third person commenting: “… and David Schwimmer!! Wait! What???”
Plenty of Friends jokes and references were also made, of course.
The Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off sees celebrity bakers enter Britain’s most famous tent and put their baking skills to the test as they tackle signature, technical, and showstopper challenges in a bid to be named Star Baker, while raising awareness and funds for cancer research and inspiring viewers to do the same.
The new series is set to air on Channel 4 later this year.
Emily Sergeant -
1st July 2022 
