TV & Showbiz

A petition for Ant and Dec to quit I’m A Celebrity over animal abuse claims has been signed by thousands

PETA is not happy with ITV.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 8th November 2022

A petition calling for Ant and Dec to distance themselves from I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! over claims the show abuses animals has reported been backed by thousands.

PETA has labelled the bushtucker trials that famous contestants have to take on as ‘tired, tacky and cruel’.

The animal rights charity says that 50,000 people have now signed its petition to stop animals being involved in the trials, The Hoot reports.

Celebs including Boy George, Sue Cleaver and Matt Hancock have all entered the Australian bush this week, battling it out to be crowned King or Queen of the Jungle.

The bushtucker trials they typically face involve being locked in confined spaces with thousands of bugs, crawling through rat and snake-infested tunnels, and even eating animal parts, like kangaroo testicles.

Ant and Dec. Credit: ITV

PETA has now hit out at Ant and Dec for endorsing ‘animal abuse’ in an open letter to the Geordie presenter duo.

They wrote: “And and Dec. The longer you associate yourselves with I’m A Celebrity, the more you send the message to viewers that you think animal abuse is not only acceptable but also entertaining…

“So please, hang up your hats and get yourselves out of there – for animals’ sake.”

On the petition page, they added: “During these challenges, celebrity participants perform ghastly acts such as sticking their hands or heads into tanks filled with insects, spiders, mice, rats, or fish; crawling into small spaces on top of masses of rats or insects; and even eating animals and their body parts.

“Killing animals off camera before contestants are pressured into eating them – or using them in tired, tacky, cruel stunts – must end.”

PETA continued that animals are ‘not there by choice’ and ‘deserve better than to be used in irresponsible and inhumane stunts’.

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A spokesperson for I’m A Celebrity said: “We are always fully transparent about our protocols and we have a very strict environmental plan in place on the show. As a production, we comply with all regional and national laws concerning the use of insects, animals and reptiles.

“Welfare and safety is always the primary priority on any of our programmes, and at any Bushtucker trial that features animals, we have qualified and experienced animal handlers on site at all times. We inform the RSPCA NSW of all of our activities on the show and they have an open invitation to attend the site at any time.

“We cannot stress enough that we have rigorous protocols in place to ensure that animals are handled safely at all times, before, during and after any filming has taken place, in compliance with all regional and national laws.”

Featured image: ITV

TV & Showbiz

Diana Ross at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

It’s true, the Queen of Motown Records, Diana Ross, is coming to Manchester, and she’s bringing The Hallé Orchestra with her too.

Diana Ross and her band are making their way to Manchester for a night of glitz and glam, but they’re also making room for the much-loved Manc-based music collective

Much like collaborator and friend, Lionel Richie, who also paid a visit to Co-op Live earlier this month, Ross likes a bit of ‘Dancing On the Ceiling’ with her flipped-dance hit ‘Upside Down’.

You can expect this Pop and disco diva to perform lots of other timeless classics such as ‘I’m Coming Out’, ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’, ‘Chain Reaction’, she really is ‘The Boss’.

Diana Ross gig guide – everything you need to know

Diana Ross, her band and The Hallé Orchestra are coming to Co-op Live Manchester on 26 June.
Diana Ross, her band and The Hallé Orchestra are coming to Co-op Live Manchester on 26 June.
Credit: Crisco 1492 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Diana Ross UK tour dates

  • Sun 22 June – Birmingham, UK – bp pulse Live
  • Mon 23 June – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
  • Wed 25 June – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
  • Thu 26 June – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
  • Sat 28 June – Leeds, UK – first direct arena
  • Mon 30 June – Liverpool, UK – M&S Bank Arena
  • Wed 2 July – London, UK – The O2

Diana Ross tickets for Co-op Live gig

This living legend is a bucket list gig for many, but we’re sure if you’re fast enough, you’ll be able to secure a ticket for yourself and your ‘Baby Love’.

Any available tickets can be found HERE.

Diana Ross has racked up 58 Top 10 hits and we're sure she'll play a hefty amount of these at Co-op Live.
Diana Ross has racked up 58 top 10 hits and we’re sure she’ll play a hefty amount of these at Co-op Live.
Credit: DVROSS (via Flickr)

Diana Ross setlist

  • I’m Coming Out
  • More Today Than Yesterday
  • Baby Love
  • You Can’t Hurry Love
  • Come See About Me
  • Stop! In the Name of Love
  • Touch Me in the Morning
  • I’m Still Waiting
  • Chain Reaction
  • He Lives in You
  • Good Morning Heartache
  • Love Hangover
  • Ease on Down the Road
  • Home
  • The Boss
  • Endless Love
  • Reach Out and Touch
  • Upside Down
  • Tomorrow
  • Count on Me
  • Just in Case
  • If the World Just Danced
  • Why Do Fools Fall in Love
  • Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)
  • Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
  • Amazing Grace
  • I Will Survive
  • Thank You

What are the stage times for Diana Ross in Manchester?

The supreme space that is Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, so you’ll be able to dance your socks off without having to ‘Stop! In the Name of Love’, while still making it back to bed before the early hours.

Anyone attending can expect the doors to open at 6:30pm with a kick-off time of 7:30pm and no official announcement regarding a support act.

How to get to Co-op Live

Tram

For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.

Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.

Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre, and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Bus

You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.

Getting there by car and parking

If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.

The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.

Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day, though estimates will obviously vary:

  • Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
  • Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
  • Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.

There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:

  • Ashton Moss (Ashton line) – 183 spaces and 12 disabled spaces
  • Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
  • Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces

Walk/cycle

Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.

Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.

For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.

This will be Diana's first time performing at Co-op Live in Manchester.
This will be Diana’s first time performing at Co-op Live in Manchester.
Credit: Crisco 1492 (via WikiCommons)

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Publicity Picture (supplied)/Wikimedia Commons/Flickr

TV & Showbiz

Channel 4 to air exclusive new documentary about the disappearance and death of Lancashire teen Jay Slater

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Jay Slater's mum has issued an update through a GoFundMe. Credit: GoFundMe

An exclusive new documentary taking an inside look at the the disappearance of Jay Slater is coming to Channel 4.

On the morning of 17 June 2024, 19-year-old Jay Slater – an apprentice bricklayer from the Lancashire town of Oswaldtwistle – disappeared on the island of Tenerife in Spain, after attempting to walk 14 hours back to his accommodation when there was no local taxi service available and no bus due for 90 minutes.

From then commenced one of the biggest missing persons cases in recent British history.

As the world’s media were following the story minute by minute last summer, producers at Channel 4 were in the incredibly-unique position where they had access to the Coronial process in Lancashire, and this has led to the exclusive documentary title The Disappearance of Jay Slater.

From Jay’s post-mortem to Jay’s inquest, the team have been with the family every step of the way over the last year, as they try and understand exactly what happened to Jay outside of the public gaze

Jay was ultimately pronounced dead on 15 July 2024 after Spanish police reported the discovery of a body in the vicinity of the area of interest, but before this discovery and eventual announcement, the internet became awash with public discourse, conspiracy theories, and more.

The Disappearance of Jay Slater is described as being ‘the family’s story’.

Spanish Civil Guard ask for volunteers to help with Jay Slater search
Channel 4 will air an exclusive new documentary about the disappearance and death of Lancashire teen Jay Slater / Credit: GoFundMe

The documentary is set to follow them as they search for answers about what happened to Jay, witnessing the conspiracy theories raging online and the subsequent horrific abuse they received as a family – which is an hourly onslaught that continues to this day. 

These cameras were the only media in the world granted full access to film both Jay’s post-mortem and inside the church at his funeral.

But the broadcaster claims this documentary is not only the story of Jay’s tragedy, it’s also the story of ‘the new world we live in’ where so-called true crime armchair detectives run wild.

“The story of Jay Slater captured the nation last summer with a fervour and intensity fuelled by armchair detectives and internet culture,” commented Channel 4’s Commissioning Editor, Rita Daniels, ahead of the documentary airing.

“We are so glad to be working on a sensitively handled exploration of the family’s experience, and understanding the impact of being in the middle of a social media storm, amplified by grief.

“The film holds a light up to our current society and is exactly the story that is a necessity for Channel 4 to tell.”

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Executive Producer Anna Hall added: “It is appalling what has happened to Jay’s family, and we hope this film will help to bring awareness of the real life consequences of online speculation. It is an unmonitored world where fake news runs rife, and this film shows the devastating impact this has had on one grieving family.”

The Disappearance of Jay Slater is expected to air on Channel 4 later this year, but no official dates have been confirmed as of yet, so keep your eyes peeled.

Featured Image – GoFundMe

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