It hasn’t been the best week for the likes of celebs Catherine ‘cake gate’ Tyldesley and Lizzo.
Here’s our rundown of who’ll be thanking the celebrity Gods it’s Friday and looking forward to a weekend out of the headlines. Possibly.
Catherine Tyldesley
Dragged into the viral row over a PR firm’s request to a small bakery for 100 cupcakes and a couple of cakes in exchange for a social media namecheck rather than actual payment after it was revealed it was her birthday party, ex Corrie star Catherine Tyldesley raised eyebrows with her Instagram-based reaction to the furore.
Read more: Cake gate! Catherine Tyldesley’s viral ‘freebie’ birthday drama – bite by bite
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Addressing her fans, Cath yelped incredulously before denying working with OK! at the moment, and expressed support for the PR company under scrutiny. Cath will understandably have gained sympathy after having certain tabloid website journalists at her door over the matter. From what she shared, it sounded out of whack.
But Twitter users were not impressed with her ever-so-slightly sarcastic tone when she added: “I hope the cake lady got the exposure she was craving.” Understandably so, too.
That’s one way to keep a very unfortunate story alive. Who advised her doing that would be a good communications strategy?
Helen Flanagan
Another former Weatherfield star who might reflect their last few days in the press have been a load of cobble(r)s.
According to reports last weekend, Helen was recently turned away from a coffee shop in Barbados. Apparently, that’s because she was still kitted out in a bikini, having been to a beach.
A helpful eyewitness explained to The Sun: “People were staring. She looked horrified because all she had on was a bikini. My sister had a Skims black dress and lent it to her so she could go in.”
How mortifying! Happens to us all the time down Costa.
At least Helen can console herself that no news outlets picked up on this very private moment. Or then packed out a story as insubstantial as her beachwear with lots and lots of bikini images that just happened to be taken by a celebrity news and photography agency also apparently in Barbados at the time. That could be ‘horrifying’ for her, too. Praying she won’t have to endure anything similar again.
Lizzo
Singer Lizzo has responded to sexual harassment, weight-shaming, racial and religious discrimination allegations. She told Instagram followers: “These last few days have been gut-wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing.”
For more on this story, click here.
Richie Anderson
Hopes were high for popular radio star Richie when he was paired up with Giovanni Pernice in Strictly’s first male same-sex partnership last year.
As it turned out, they were accused of lacking chemistry and tumbled out of the series in week 3, Gio’s poorest-ever showing.
Richie recently returned to a reality have-a-go show with Celebrity Masterchef. And on Wednesday (August 2) night, he became the first culinary hopeful shown the kitchen door in the 2023 run. That’s because his undercooked jerk chicken dish was raw and pink in the middle.
“If they judge before the salmonella kicks in, I’ll be fine!” Richie joked.
May be best to turn down Celebrity Come Dine with Me, if they ever they come asking, Richie.
Gregg Wallace
Sticking with Masterchef, judge Gregg‘s first acting exploits in Channel 4’s The British Miracle Meat is still coming in for negative news coverage. It turns out his food sustainability mockumentary has received hundreds of Ofcom complaints.
Those objections may have been lodged by viewers who weren’t entirely sure what they were watching about lab-grown human meat wasn’t actually real.
Imagine if they had realised. They might have complained about Gregg’s acting instead (and they’d have been wrong about that, n’all).
Tyrique is NOT happy could he not hide it small??? 😭 #LoveIsland #weonsmoke pic.twitter.com/Gj3zdr15N8
— Dani (@daanitbtlia) July 31, 2023
Love Island’s Tyrique
Heading into the Love Island finale on Monday (July 31) night, the pairing of Whitney and Lochan were tipped to be favourites to win the series.
However, a couple called Sammy and Jack were triumphant instead (maybe winning… back their clothes? Or a Love Island cheque book and pen? Who knows?). And this was a surprise to some people who watched it.
Furthermore, it seems another contestant – called Tyrique – was not all that happy about it not being him and his show partner, Ella, who were crowned winners, following in the footsteps of Thingummy and Whatstheirchops in the pantheon of Love Island greats. His unimpressed facial reactions caused enough of a kerfuffle for Tyrique to trend on Twitter.
Remember the name! Maybe for a future, very niche, pub quiz question about mardy ITV2 reality contestants.
THIS MAN IS VEXED #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/ULqHPDZpiY
— m (@m2647947) July 31, 2023
Radio 1’s Arielle Free
Presenter Arielle was told to “have some respect” by fellow Radio 1 DJ Charlie Hedges after a brief appearance on the Dance Anthems Ibiza show last Saturday (July 29).
Arielle was cut off after criticising a particular choon Charlie was playing.
Not Arielle Free being taken off air because of this pic.twitter.com/Z4WOgZaMUT
— Lewis Green (@lewistgreen) August 1, 2023
“Can I be honest with you?… I don’t like this song… I hate it,” Arielle said.
“Sorry, I’m taking your mic down,” Charlie responded. “It’s my show, Arielle, have some respect, please.”
Honesty – not always the best policy when it comes to dance music, apparently.
Donald Trump
It has been revealed over the last few days that The Apprentice‘s Lord Sugar has split from another winning entrepreneur from his show.
Meanwhile, in the US, the other Apprentice fella isn’t having it easy, either. In his latest indictments, he faces four counts of conspiracy to defraud the US, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights. This reality series is wild. But will it get a second series?
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