Ruth Jones has slammed 'really mean' leaks about the upcoming Gavin and Stacey special.
Earlier this year, it was reported by Deadline that the 57-year-old comedian and her co-writer James Corden, 45, were planning to bring back the beloved BBC sitcom for another festive episode this year, and Ruth has admitted she was upset because she wanted to 'give everybody a nice surprise'.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4, she said: "It was unfortunate because James and I wanted to give everybody a nice surprise and I think it was really mean that they leaked it.
"Because also it meant that I had to lie to people, to friends and family, because they were all saying 'is it happening?', and the reality is that until you have your cast booked, budget worked out, all of those things, you cannot say categorically that it is going to happen."
Soon after the news broke, it was then reported the BBC and Netflix were locked in a bidding war over the episode.
An industry insider told The Sun newspaper: "The provisional Netflix offer, coming as it does from a global conglomerate, dwarfs anything that the Beeb could offer - but Ruth and James aren't about the money.
"They simply want to offer fans the best viewing experience possible, and, essentially, get as many bums on seats to watch their baby.
"It would be a huge coup for Netflix to steal this flagship British comedy from the nose of the BBC and, indeed, there may be a world in which this happens."
Ruth Jones and James Corden are working on another episode (Image: BBC/GS TV Productions Ltd/Tom Jackson)
When it was reported the American streaming giant was interested in the Christmas special, the TV star dismissed the story as nothing but hearsay.
During an appearance on RTE Radio 1, she said: "All I can say is, if there was something to say on that front, James and I would happily announce it, we would. Apparently there's a bidding war going on between the BBC and Netflix and I love it because it says, 'a source says', who is this source?"
After months of rumours, James and Ruth confirmed the programme would be returning for the last time this Christmas.
Taking to Instagram, the former 'Late Late Show' host posted a picture of himself posing with his co-writer holding up the script for 'Gavin and Stacey: The Finale', and added the caption: "It's official! We have finished writing the last ever episode of 'Gavin and Stacey'. See you on Christmas Day, BBC One. Love Ruth and James (sic)."
A horse trainer who sexually abused a vulnerable teenage boy has walked free after an 'extraordinary' six-year delay in the case coming to court. Crystal Vella - who was 25 at the time - met the boy while working on a farm and they were in contact for seven months, during which they had sex and she sent him a masturbation video and photos in her underwear.
The 34-year-old paedophile of Almeric Road, Wandsworth, lifted her loose grey sweater to expose her six-month pregnancy bump to the sentencing judge at Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday morning (May 28). The horse-loving sex abuser sobbed and wiped her tears as prosecutor Charles Evans outlined details of her illegal liaison with a child.
Vella's social media profile shows photos of her working in horse stables, and competing in dressage and showjumping competitions. On Facebook, she lists Vauxhall City Farm in South London, Mudchute Farm on the Isle of Dogs, and the London Equestrian Centre, a horse-riding school in Barnet, North London, as previous places of work. MyLondon has chosen not to name the farm where she met the boy to protect his identity.
The judge said the effects of the sexual abuse on the boy were likely to be 'lifelong' (Image: Callum Cuddeford/MyLondon)
The victim - who cannot be named for legal reasons - was described as 'very vulnerable'. Their contact was uncovered by his mum in August 2017 when she discovered 'alarming' messages on his iPhone, prompting her to take screenshots and hand them over to the Metropolitan Police.
Mr Evans told the court: "In the messages they talk of 'the relationship' and physicality involved. It's clear the defendant appreciated he was only [a teenager]. It's also apparent the defendant had second thoughts about the relationship... The victim appears to have developed an obsession."
After finding the messages, which included photos of tattooed Vella in her underwear and a video of her masturbating, the victim's mum spoke to her son and he admitted they were in contact. When pressed about their sexual encounters, he said they had slept together three times. But on Tuesday, Mr Evans said Vella's basis of plea, in which she claimed they only had sex once at her home, was accepted by the CPS.
The victim was, according to Mr Evans, reluctant to make a statement to police, but in 2018 agreed to give a video-recorded interview. He outlined the history of the sexual abuse and revealed he had shown Vella's explicit video to someone close to him.
When Vella was first arrested, she told police 'We were just friends' and 'I did not mean it to go that far'. Later though she said 'I'm really glad you came, because it's just getting too much', and confessed to sending the sexual photos and 'being more than just friends' with the victim, Mr Evans told the court.
Two videos of a masturbating woman were also found in the texts, but her face was absent and could not be identified. Other sexual photos of Vella were identified after police matched the tattoos on the woman in the photos to those on her body.
"She admitted she should not have sent the 'dumb' photos to the victim, but she said she 'cried a lot' and he made her 'feel better'," said Mr Evans, quoting Vella's own words to police.
In her basis of plea, Vella claimed the victim had only been to her home once, she was not in a position of trust, and she was never alone with the victim on the farm. This was all accepted by the prosecution.
A colleague at Vauxhall City Farm said Vella had been suspended from her job after bosses learned about the abuse. The colleague also said Vella had called the allegations 'rubbish', but said they believed the abuse had started 'out of loneliness rather than predatory behaviour', Mr Evans told the court.
'Someone who would latch on to affection'
Crystal Vella was spared jail with a two year sentence suspended for two years (Image: Callum Cuddeford/MyLondon)
Vella, who has a 12-year-old son and one previous conviction for vehicle interference, waited over six years to appear in court after the victim's video interview was recorded in 2018. Grovelling to the judge, the prosecution cited Covid, and a detective from the Met cited restructuring in the rape and serious sexual offences departments, as some of the reasons for the long delay.
Vella pleaded guilty to three child sex offences at a pre-trial hearing in January this year, admitting causing the boy to engage in penetrative sexual activity, causing a child to watch sexual activity, and sexual communication with a child.
At Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday, Mr Evans argued there was a 'significant disparity in age', but fell short of saying the abuse involved grooming or planning. The court did, however, hear evidence of the probation worker's conclusion that Vella continues to pose 'a high risk to young teenage boys'.
Pleading for a suspended sentence, defence counsel Chloe Carvell argued there was a disparity in age, but it was not 'significant'. In mitigation, she also highlighted her client's role as a mum, the impending birth of her second child, the delay with bringing the case to court, and her stable job as a barmaid.
"Probation assessed Ms Vella as being somewhat vulnerable herself, through low self-esteem and self-worth," added Ms Carvell, though she conceded this was 'no justification' for the sexual abuse.
Ms Carvell said Vella was 'remorseful' had her victim 'at the forefront of her mind'. She also claimed the 'relationship' had arisen at a time when her partner was allegedly 'not treating her particularly well' and she found 'her and the victim had similar interests'.
Ms Carvell also drew on the testimony of Vella's colleague, who described her as a 'vulnerable and troubled individual' and 'someone who would latch on to affection'. "The fact she tried to stop the relationship was, to some extent, showing she did the right thing," Ms Carvell recalled the colleague saying in her statement.
"It's quite apparent the defendant had second thoughts about the relationship," argued Ms Carvell, "The victim is quite persistent in asking for those... It appears the victim appeared to develop an obsession for the defendant... [though] it was her responsibility to ignore the messages."
Ms Carvell also pointed to character statements provided by Vella, though it emerged at the hearing she had not told her friends or family about the prosecution against her.
'The impact is likely to be lifelong'
Crystal Vella lifted her sweater and rubbed her baby-bump in front of the sentencing judge (Image: Callum Cuddeford/MyLondon)
Judge Mark Milliken-Smith KC said it was accepted there had been one occasion of sexual intercourse, but that it had been to ejaculation, which is an aggravating feature. He also highlighted Vella's failure to admit her full conduct during her first police interview, and her initial dismissal of the sexual abuse as 'stupid'.
Considering the delays to the case, the judge added: "[The victim] was no doubt confused, and reflecting on what he perceived as a strong relationship between you... For reasons that are wholly unsatisfactory, the matter did not proceed to court for six years."
Judge Milliken-Smith sided with the prosecution, concluding 'there was' a significant age gap, but also said there was no evidence of planning or grooming. While he accepted Vella's vulnerability, he took greater regard to the vulnerability of the victim, whose additional needs were 'well known' by Vella.
Under normal circumstances, the judge would have sent Vella straight to jail. But in light of the 'extraordinary' six-year delay to bring the case to court, it was enough mitigation, along with her obligations as a pregnant mum, to reduce the sentence from a starting point of four years to two years, a prison term which can be suspended.
For sexually abusing the 'confused' teen boy, the impact of which the judge said would 'last a lifetime', Vella was spared jail with a two-year sentence suspended for two years. Due to her pregnancy, she was also deemed unfit for unpaid work, but will still have to complete 35 days of rehabilitation activity requirement where she will address the causes of her offending.
She was given concurrent sentences of nine months for inciting a child to watch sexual activity and six months for sexual communication with a child. The judge also imposed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, restriction her access to children, and she is signed onto the sex offenders register for 10 years.
After warning her of immediate imprisonment if she breaks any terms of her sentence, Judge Milliken-Smith added: "You can consider yourself fortunate today. These were very serious offences and I have already impressed the impact on the young person concerned is likely to be lifelong. If you do not utilise the opportunities you have been given, for the reasons I have explained, child or no child. Unborn child or no unborn child. Do you understand?"
Wheelchair users have said navigating the pavements in London is more than difficult than ever, with missing dropped kerbs, uneven surfaces, and obstructions caused by dockless bikes, rubbish bags and parked cars.
Music publicist Isobel Williams, 35, from Stroud Green, said: “I would describe navigating the streets of London like a computer game. It’s like you turn another corner, ‘oh there’s another obstacle!’, then if you can’t beat the obstacle, you’ve got to go all the way back to the beginning of the level and start again.
“The state of the pavements is, I would say, very bumpy, lots of loose paving stones. I have to be very focused on dodging bumps and potholes. If I’m on a street I’m not familiar with, it’s tricky, especially if it’s not well-lit late at night. It’s quite scary to be honest. I’d hate to flip out of my wheelchair. That would be not fun for everybody involved.
Isobel Williams says loose pavement stones are one of the many challenges faced by wheelchair users (Image: Isobel Williams)
“Then, there’s smaller things that could easily be resolved if people were a little bit more aware. Quite often, bin bags might be blocking the pavement, especially in central London where the pavements might be narrower and there are a lot of restaurants like Brick Lane and Soho. I’ve had many cases where my friends have had to kick rubbish bags out the way.”
Ms Williams added that even in situations where wheelchair users have been accounted for, these provisions can quickly be rendered useless. She said: “If there are road works, maybe that means that the dropped kerb is out of action so perhaps they’ve put a temporary ramp to help disabled people get down the kerb, but then maybe somebody’s removed that because it was in the way.
“It’s definitely challenging and it’s really hard to know how much time to allow for when I’m trying to get somewhere because you can’t factor in these ridiculous challenges.”
'I never venture here alone as I always end up needing help'
Disability activist Katie Pennick, 28, echoed this, saying: “Typically, quieter residential streets can have pavements with extremely uneven surfaces, missing dropped kerbs, and tree roots obstructing the way.” She reiterated that narrow, uneven pavements, missing dropped kerbs, and abandoned dockless bikes are all ongoing issues, especially in Shoreditch, saying, “I never venture here alone as I always end up needing help.”
Iain Marshall, 32, an analyst for Dementia UK who also runs the Twitter page Accessible Streets London, has been campaigning for better wheelchair accessibility for over five years. He identifies on-street accessibility issues in London wards, before sending off a report to the relevant councillors and following up to see what, if any, progress they make. To date, he has covered 30 wards across eight different London boroughs and identified a total of 416 accessibility issues.
Iain Marshall fears the rise in use of electric cars will lead to even more issues, with charging points (seen here on East Arbour Street) adding an extra obstacle to wheelchair users (Image: Iain Marshall)
He said: “Once you start looking into this, it’s unbelievable how bad our streets really are and even the bare basics such as dropped kerbs are missing. I started the page as I wanted to highlight these issues and hold local authorities to account. Campaigning on accessibility issues shouldn’t be left to those it impacts the most.”
He added that the increasing popularity of electric cars is likely to pose further difficulties for wheelchair users as “unfortunately many local authorities are placing the infrastructure for charging stations on the pavement, narrowing what little space we provide for pedestrians further”.
Currently, Mr Marshall has identified several problematic areas, particularly across Tower Hamlets. These include missing dropped kerbs on Barnet Grove/Columbia Road, Wade’s Place/Shirbutt Road and at the entrance to Bethnal Green Gardens from Malcolm Place, and an electric charging station on the pavement on East Arbour Street.
The missing dropped kerb at the entrance to Bethnal Green Gardens from Malcolm Place, makes it incredibly difficult for a wheelchair user (Image: Iain Marshall)
He acknowledged that squeezed finances are making life difficult for local councils, but urged them to prioritise disabled accessibility, saying: “When I’ve contacted some councils concerning issues like the lack of dropped kerbs, I have been informed that they have no budget to resolve the issues which to me implies that they don’t view accessibility of our streets as an important issue.”
'Where businesses fail to take duty of care or cause obstructions on the street, enforcement action will be taken'
In response to complaints about Soho’s pavements, a Westminster City Council spokesperson said: "The safety of residents and visitors to the city is the council’s top priority. The council’s City Inspectors deliver a 24/7 service across Westminster to identify safety risks and ensure our streets are kept clean, safe, and accessible.
“The law requires all businesses to exercise a duty of care over their waste, to ensure it is kept safely and removed in a responsible way. Where businesses fail to exercise their duty of care or cause obstructions on the street, the council will take enforcement action.
“In addition to our 24/7 service we also have a dedicated officer for Soho who educates businesses and enforces against waste offences in the area. We receive regular complaints about dockless e-bikes blocking pavements, particular in areas with narrow streets like Soho.
"The council is working to tackle this issue with dedicated parking bays and monitoring of hotspot locations, but dockless bikes companies must also play their part in enforcing against bad parking."
Tower Hamlets Council did not respond to an approach for comment.
A new dinosaur-themed flume ride has opened at a theme park recently named the UK's best for value. Splash Lagoon has become the sixth ride in the existing Lost Kingdom land at Paultons Park and is aimed at younger children looking for their first thrill rides.
With a modest drop, you're not going to get the sort of drenching you would from the likes of Tidal Wave at Thorpe Park so you won't need to pack a change of clothes. Splash Lagoon is billed as a family-friendly water boat ride that takes young explorers on a Jurassic adventure.
It has meandering rapids before the drop into a 'prehistoric lagoon' below, and along the way you'll see some model dinosaurs, one of which appears to be bursting out of a metal framed tower. The ride officially opened at a press event on May 17.
Splash Lagoon in the dinosaur-themed land Lost Kingdom (Image: Paultons Park)
Paultons Park, in the New Forest National Park in Hampshire around an 80-minute drive from parts of West London such as Hounslow, is also home to Peppa Pig World, which is one of the themed lands at the park, catering for younger children while other areas have more intense rides for older kids and adults.
Lost Kingdom is already home to the Flight of the Pterosaur and Velociraptor rides. Sound, planting, live shows, curated spaces, and colour help "create a captivating prehistoric landscape" according to the park.
James Mancey, deputy managing director at Paultons Park, said: "Splash Lagoon is already proving to be a big hit. The addition of a family flume complements the Lost Kingdom experience perfectly and means there are now six rides for guests to enjoy in our dinosaur themed land. Splash Lagoon is ideal for younger thrill-seekers, while offering older children and parents an exhilarating ride."
Paultons Park says it prides itself on being a "destination for all the family" and boasts almost 80 rides and attractions across its five themed worlds. The attraction maintains an average 4.7 star ranking on Google Reviews, and with over 13,000 five-star reviews, beats all other UK theme parks. Thorpe Park holds a rating of 4.3 while Chessington has 4.1 and Legoland has 4.0.
James added: "The detailing and theming of Splash Lagoon has created a highly immersive family adventure. Everything we do at Paultons Park is centred around offering exceptional quality and value for money for families. We can't wait to welcome more guests to experience Splash Lagoon this summer."
In 2023, Paultons Park was named the UK's best value theme park by Touch Casino. The accolade was based on independent research which considered entry ticket price, queue times, parking fees, and number of attractions. Paultons Park gives free entry for children under 1 metre, and the research found it had some of the lowest ride queue times in the UK.
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It looked like space junk burning up in the atmosphere, a wave of missiles heading towards London, or a 'f***ing plane or something on fire' - but the bizarre sight near Heathrow Airport was none of those. Some Londoners were left in confusion on Friday night (May 24) as a fiery air display over Thorpe Park, seen for miles around, was mistaken for a dusk assault on the capital. Rest assured, the planes weren't actually on fire.
It was just an airshow for the opening of Thorpe Park's new ride Hyperia, which the theme park says is the tallest and fastest in the UK. The ride, which opened on Friday, includes 995m of track, is 72m tall and has the tallest loop in Europe, and does a top speed of 80mph, according to the owners.
But as thousands of theme park fanatics descended on Chertsey, Surrey, to have a go on the new ride, not everyone was aware of the air-display put on to mark the opening night. UB1UB2, a neighbourhood news account for West London, shared a woman's video, and said: "Many Londoners spotted a rocket-like thing flying across the skies yesterday morning, any idea what it could be."
While the post said it was in the morning, it appeared to be at dusk. The clueless woman, driving down a nearby motorway, spotted the 'burning planes' and said: "Oh my f**king God, there's a f**king plane or something on fire... What the f**k. What in f**k's name is that? Holy sh*t f**k. What the f**k is that? What, in f**k's name, is that? Nah. Holy sh*t."
The comments, were, unsurprisingly, full of suggestions about drone defence, burnt up satellites, Russian missiles, and autobots. Fortunately, it was just Thorpe Park putting on a show for the new ride, which was apparent from a number of other videos of the show taken from inside the theme park and posted to social media at the same time.
Sadly for Thorpe Park, the buzz around Hyperia ended abruptly on Saturday as it announced the ride would be closed 'due to unforeseen circumstances' from Sunday until at least Wednesday (May 29).
"We apologise for the disappointment this will cause and we are working hard to reopen Hyperia as soon as possible, and will keep people updated via our website and social media," the theme park's statement added.
With the Bank Holiday coming up there are a number of changes to opening times for loads of supermarkets, shopping stores and public attractions.
The second Bank Holiday in May is a lovely day off for many of us despite the weather not looking too nice at the moment. Many stores have changed their times but it is not a blanket rule for many places, with individual stores having differing times.
Below, MyLondon has made note of many of the opening and closing times over the Bank Holiday for many popular supermarkets and London attractions so that you aren't caught short.
Lidl recommend checking your local store hours but generally they will close early at 8pm on Monday (Image: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Supermarket opening times
Lidl
On Saturday and Sunday, Lidl stores will operate their normal hours. And then on Bank Holiday Monday, generally, Lidl stores will be open between 7am or 8am to 10pm.
Aldi
Aldi have said that their opening times are on Saturday 25 from 8am to 10pm, Sunday 26 from 10am to 4pm and then from 8am to 8pm on Bank Holiday Monday. They do say you should check your local stores' times yourself just because they may differ.
Sainsbury's
Stores tend to be open between 8am and 8pm on Bank Holiday Monday, however, those opening and closing times can differ from store to store though and can depend on size and location. The weekend hours are like normal
Tesco shoppers will have their stores open either at 6am or 7am and closing by 8pm on Bank Holiday Monday (Image: PA)
Tesco
Many of the large stores will operate with reduced hours on Monday, opening either at 6am or 7am and closing by 8pm. Again, the weekend hours are as normal.
Asda
Asda will run normal hours on May 25 and 26. On Bank holiday Monday, stores will be operating at reduced hours and close at 10pm.
Westfield
Both the Stratford and Shepherd's Bush Westfield will be open at normal times over the Bank Holiday weekend. On Saturday they are open 10am to 9pm, on Sunday from 12pm to 6pm and on Bank Holiday Monday from 10am to 9pm.
They do say that individual opening times for shops inside the store may differ.
The London Eye will be running normal hours over the Bank Holiday Weekend (Image: Getty)
London Eye
The London Eye is open from 10am to 8.30pm on both Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 May. On Bank Holiday Monday the Eye is also open from 10am to 8.30pm.
London Dungeons
On Saturday 25, Sunday 26 and Bank Holiday Monday, the London Dungeons are open from 10am to 6pm as usual.
Tate Modern
The Tate Modern will not have any changes from normal opening times over the Bank Holiday. It is open from 10am to 6pm on Saturday 25, Sunday 26 and Bank Holiday Monday.
Natural History Museum
If you want your chance to see all the wonders that the Natural History Museum has then you attend from 10am to 5.50pm over the whole weekend and Bank Holiday Monday. You should not that last entry to the museum is at 5.30pm.
The hugely popular Natural History Museum is open from 10am to 5.50pm. (Image: MyLondon / Darren Pepe)
Science Museum
Just round the corner from the Natural History Museum is the Science Museum which will be open from 10am to 6pm over the whole Bank Holiday. Last entry for this museum is 5.15pm
British Museum
The British Museum opens it doors daily at 10am and closes them at 5pm (apart from on Fridays when it closes at 5.30pm). This is the same for the whole Bank Holiday with last entry being at 4.45.
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A person has been hit by a train between East Croydon and Purley this evening as major disruption is expected for the rest of the night. The news was shared by Southern Rail on X (formerly Twitter).
They said: "We are very sorry to advise that a person has been hit by a train between East Croydon and Purley. All lines are blocked between these stations, and trains are unable to travel on this part of our network. This incident will cause major disruption for the rest of the night."
National Rail shared in an update: "A person has been hit by a train between East Croydon and Purley. Whilst the emergency services carry out their work, all lines between these stations are closed. Trains may be cancelled, delayed or revised."
They also said there was another incident of a person being hit by a train: "A person beng hit by a train between London Kings Cross / Moorgate and Peterborough / Cambridge. Whilst emergency services attend the incident, all lines are blocked. Trains running between these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 minutes or revised."
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