TV & Showbiz

Michael Owen’s daughter Gemma is heading into the Love Island villa

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 30th May 2022

Michael Owen’s daughter Gemma will be among the contestants on this year’s Love Island.

ITV has announced this morning that Gemma Owen, 19, will be heading into the villa on the search for love – and possibly a few business deals.

The young beauty is an international dressage rider and also owns her own swimwear line, OG Beachwear, which we’ll no doubt see a lot of over the coming weeks.

Gemma is the oldest of four children from footballing legend Michael Owen, who has previously played for Manchester United.

Revealing Gemma on the line-up for the hit reality dating show, ITV said that they ‘cannot wait to watch her smoulder in the villa!’.

Gemma Owen with famous dad Michael. Credit: Instagram, @themichaelowen

They wrote: “Gemma is used to the spotlight, having ‘travelled all across Europe, competing in big arenas in big competitions’. Plus her dad was a professional football player… That sporting spirit must run in the family!”

Gemma said: “I would say I’m very competitive. [When it comes to relationships] I will always go for what I want.”

Read more: Manchester restaurant shares emotional ‘thank you’ after yet another burglary

The Chester-born contestant also detailed a previous date, where she was whisked away to Paris.

According to ITV, her family and friends describe her as ‘very honest and a bit stubborn, straight up and a bit fiery’.

Other contestants announced so far include ‘Italian stallion’ Davide, who lives in Manchester; Irish microbiologist Dami; and model and dancer Tasha, from Thirsk in Yorkshire.

Love Island returns to screens on Monday 6 June.

Featured image: ITV

TV & Showbiz

Stockport turns into Gotham as The Plaza stars in filming for a new Batman project

Danny Jones Danny Jones

Greater Manchester is being used for big-budget filming once again, as none other than the stunning Stockport Plaza is starring in a new Batman project.

Cool. Just SO cool.

In case you haven’t seen the footage and roadside snaps circulating on social media, The Plaza Super Cinema and Variety Theatre (to use its rarely used full name),

Shared by local page community page, Stockport Online, this past Tuesday, you can see big, old-fashioned Hollywood spotlights hitting the front of The Plaza, a Gotham taxi cab, and plenty more happening just next to the Stockport Interchange.

As explained in the post, the filming outside The Plaza is said to be for the upcoming Clayface movie set within the Batman universe.

Real name Basil Karlo (though there have been many alternatives over the decades), the DC villain has been a sparsely used one in live-action adaptations of the classic comic book characters, but has appeared in plenty of animated Batman material.

Nevertheless, the new Warner Bros project has recently begun production here in the UK, with the likes of the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool also doubling for the ‘Vesuvius’ nightclub in this particular version of Gotham City.

Liverpool was famously used for several location shoots for 2022’s The Batman by director Matt Reeves, which saw Robert Pattinson don the cowl for the first time and ultimately helped revitalise the DCU, with the new Superman film releasing earlier this year.

Filming in the North West has been happening all month, but it was only this week that we saw the Clayface set shift to Stockport for these most recent scenes. There has also been some confusion over whether it is for a TV series or a film, but as far as we know, no such show is currently in the works at WB.

You can see more images of how the area surrounding the building was transformed below:

clayface tv series filming
plaza theatre filming stockport
clayface batman film 2026 filming in stockport
new clayface batman movie
We never thought we’d see the Batman universe filming in Stockport, but here we are. (Credit: Eve Cox/Stop in Stockport via FB)

With its stunning Art Deco design, this is by no means the first time The Plaza has been used for high-profile filming, as it was only a few years ago that we saw the period-appropriate structure as a backdrop for Peaky Blinders.

So far, what we do know about the upcoming Clayface film is that the scenes filmed in SK were actually a fictional movie premiere set as part of the story, which is said to be a rare take on body horror by James Watkins, who also directed Speak No Evil, The Woman in Black and an episode of Black Mirror.

There is plenty of horror/thriller pedigree elsewhere in the crew, too; the screenplay comes from acclaimed writers Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, with Welsh actor Tom Rhys Harries starring in the lead role. His particular iteration of the amorphous Batman villain made of, yep, clay is called Matt Hagen.

Other names attached to the project include Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan. Set to release this time next year, just a few months after the new Supergirl movie, which is due to drop on June 26, 2026, it looks like Stockport could have played its part in a very big movie masterplan.

Read more:

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Featured Images — Eve Cox (via FB)/Stop in Stockport (via X)

TV & Showbiz

Ruth Jones and James Corden are making a new Gavin and Stacey follow-up project

Danny Jones Danny Jones New Gavin and Stacey follow-up series

TV writing, directing and acting double act, Ruth Jones and James Corden, are teaming up once again for a follow-up show to UK comedy favourite, Gavin and Stacey.

After the success of last year’s one-off reunion, de facto third Christmas special and series finale – which was one of the biggest British telly events in some time – the two are getting back together to deliver their next project.

The aforementioned 2024 conclusion broke multiple records when it aired on BBC One, so it’s little surprise that there was plenty of interest in commissioning the next chapter, though it’s still unclear as to how connected to the Gavin and Stacey universe it will be.

Either way, you know there’ll be plenty of people grabbing a subscription to watch this one.

ruth jones james corden new show
Ruth Jones and James Corden in 2008, at the height of Gavin & Stacey‘s popularity. (Credit: Ben Salter via Flickr)

Amid Netflix, Amazon Prime and their long-time collaborators at the BBC all courting the new series, it is Apple TV that has picked up the latest script from Jones and Corden, as per the Radio Times.

Set right here at home, the duo will be keeping things domestic, as they are set to star alongside an all-British cast over the course of 10 episodes.

Having picked up the inaugural season for a reported £8 million, Apple’s streaming platform will no doubt be banking on a big hit.

It’s said that Corden’s existing relationship with the network was a key factor in sealing the deal, as they acquired the rights to the standalone Carpool Karaoke series format back in 2016.

Once again, details remain tight-lipped at the moment, and it’s unclear if any familiar faces (be they actors and/or their actual on-screen characters) will be returning besides Jones and Corden, but an insider told RT that fans can expect it to be “uplifting, gentle and very funny.”

The source goes on to add that, besides just appealing to folks on our side of the pond, by introducing a “new format and new characters, they wanted to let an international audience enjoy their work”, and hopefully, have moments like this:

It goes without saying that America is obviously a big target market, given the former Late Late Show host’s eight years spent in the States, but Apple TV’s global reach is a big plus for the pair.

Nevertheless, they are hoping to achieve a similar heartwarming feel and those ‘water cooler’ moments with the Gavin and Stacey follow-up, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with.

Already said to be hard at work writing the show, we don’t care if it’s a sequel or spin-off show per se, we just pray it’s as touching and funny as their magnum opus.

That ending was pretty perfect, wasn’t it? Well, by one little niggle we had…

Viewers find just ONE flaw with ‘perfect’ Gavin and Stacey finale

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Featured Images — BBC (screenshot)

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