Here's what's got me talking this week...
It's that time of the week again where I take a look back at the last 7 days to see what has got me talking the most.
From Louis Walsh to Gino D'Acampo and more, here are my 4 telly talking points of the week...
1
LOUIS WALSH'S
contribution to Sky's Boyzone documentary
Sky's excellent three-part documentary, Boyzone: No Matter What dropped on Sunday and I watched every episode that same day. Of course it's a documentary about the band, but it's their former manager, Louis Walsh, who is the person everyone, not just myself, has been talking about.
Not only did Louis refuse to let all the members of the band actually sing on their records, he actively ignored Mikey Graham, for what he heartbreakingly recalls as seven years without a single word said between them, would never want to join the band on any of their professional engagements, choosing instead to stay in Dublin where Louis said he'd work behind the scenes. Work that the band "had no idea" about.
Under pressure, it seems, to make Boyzone as successful, if not more so, as Take That, Louis Walsh openly confesed to turning to the tabloids, boasting that he had "always had a postiive relationship with all the people in the press" and admitting to "giving them stories".
Coroborating his story, Paul Martin, the Irish Mirror's former Showbiz Editor, spoke about how he was told by his boss to make friends with Louis Walsh, so that they could beat The Sun when it came to stories about Boyzone. And after just one cold call to Louis Walsh, he was promised a story in two days. Describing Louis as "the master puppeteer of the press", Paul said that Louis would "play games" and "knew what the press needed."
As multiple headlines appear on screen, from Ronan being "glad to be a virgin" to Keith Duffy being "caught up in club row", Shane Lynch admits they were in the tabloids twice a week for five years, with Ronan recalling how his mum and dad would ask him if what was they were reading in the papers was true. Of course, it wasn't.
Cut to a casual Louis admitting that he was the one selling the stories to the tabloids. Stories he admits he'd "make up sometimes, but that's fine". Except, it's not fine, is it? He'd made up a story about the band being involved in a plane crash in Australia and when recalling this story for Sky's documentary, he just sat there laughing that he "forgot to tell their families I made it up." which I personally, find sickening.
When asked if he ever felt guilty about it, Louis said he didn't and was simply "doing my job" before saying he "would do it all again" only he'd "do even more now" followed by a big laugh. No, seriously.
And if you were under any illusion that this press intrusion didn't affect the band, it did. We hear from Ronan Keating about how "the invasion of the tabloids was damaging", an invasion let's not forget, that was carefully curated by their manager. Describing the intrusion as "hugely scarring" Ronan makes a point of saying how "the five of us were massively affected by that."
Episode two then dealt with Stephen Gately, who sadly passed away in 2009 of a congenital heart defect at the age of 33. 10 years after The Sun newspaper outed him as gay in an interview Rav Singh, The Sun's former Showbiz Editor, recalled Stephen only did to stop the paper exposing him.
Now, whilst Louis says he covered up Stephen's sexuality with stories and photos of him with "pretty girls" such as that infamous story of him dating Emma Bunton, I took great discomfort from watching him grin as he proudly recalled getting the front page with Stephen's coming out interview.
When asked who had sold him the story that Stephen was gay, Rav simply said "I can’t tell you. I really can’t." We then cut immediately to Louis Walsh who is asked if he knows, and he swears he doesn’t. Rav says he was pushed to come out "by somebody he knew, not us."
We then hear some audio of Stephen talking about “sleepless nights, worrying, panicking” and describing it as a “hard time”.
As the paper with that now infamous front page is handed to Ronan Keating and Stephen’s sister Marie, they both react by breaking down in tears whilst Louis’ reaction is to grin, point out that it's a "great picture" and express his amazement at it being a "world exclusive". Again, an odd reaction. He was proud. “I love it” he says “he got the front page”.
At one point he even turns to the producer, all caught on camera and says “We’re doing OK so far. I’m trying to be honest with you.” Before admitting his closeness with Rav singh,
After a bit more gloating about Keating not having any hits since he parted ways with him, Walsh is asked if he’d change anything about his relationship with Boyzone. “I wouldn’t have changed anything,” he says, seeming surprised by the question. “It wasn’t perfect, but it was perfect for me.” His remark makes sense in a world where he is the only one that matters. No matter what.
The fact that Louis Walsh agreed to take part in this documentary to openly admit that he lied to the tabloids, to laugh at the thought of the band members' families believing they had been in a plane crash and to say that he would do it all again and then some, really shows you the measure of the man.
Boyzone: No Matter What is available now on Sky Documentaries
2
AMELIA FLANAGAN'S
remarkable performance in Emmerdale's standalone episode
On Tuesday night, Emmerdale aired a special standalone episode, recounting the heartbreaking story of April, played by the remarkable Amelia Flanagan, who at just 16 delivered one of the strongest soap performances I've ever seen on the soap. Aided of course by an incredible script from Tony Higgins and Paul Copeland's excellent direction.
Over the past few weeks, Marlon, played by Mark Charnock and Rhona, played by Zoe Henry, have been living the emotional turmoil a family faces when a young person goes missing and on Monday we saw then get told that April had been found.
Tuesday's flashback episode depicted April’s harrowing journey from having no luck finding somewhere to stay, to her life on the streets and the terrifying and heartbreaking situations the young teenager found herself in.
At the start of the episode we saw 15-year-old April get into a car as she waited on the side of a road and we realise it’s Christmas Day and we’re watching what unfolded for April over Christmas. As she tries to find a place to sleep, April is harassed by two young drunk lads and accosted by an older man.
As she finds herself in danger, a young boy called Dylan, played brilliantly by Fred Kettle, Dylan offers her somewhere to stay for the night. A run-down building, where they met up with his friend Becca, played by Becca Ashton.
Despite April saying she wouldn’t be there much longer and will be staying with her mates in a few days, we fast-forward to New Year’s Eve and as everyone sees in 2025, she's still there. And when Becca points out how she's been throwing up every morning and running to the toilet every night, we discover that April is pregnant.
Later on in the episode, April has her purse nicked and Becca runs after the mugger and is fatally stabbed. Despite living in fear and danger, April refuses to return home and even when the place she's called home for he last few weeks is raided by police, she escapes and is seen struggling outside pleading for help.
The episode ends with a devastating scene inside a public toilet where April gives birth to her stillborn baby and n a week where Emmerdale (and Coronation Street) has announced that there'll be fewer episodes a week from January 2026, there hasn't been a better time to prove why soaps are such a necessary genre on television.
The care and time soaps take in tackling issues such as missing young people, is something that other genres often don't have the luxury of. This standalone episode, allowed a 16-year-old, who started on the show when she was just six years old, to deliver a performance to rival those much older than her.
Where else, other than soap, could an actor join a show at six, remain there until 16 (and hopefully beyond) and be given the space and trust that was afforded to Amelia Flanagan to deliver what she did?
Whilst many like to undermine them, soaps offer some of the best storytelling on television, with Tuesday's episode proving how committed the genre is to constantly find new ways of telling stories.
In short, the episode was a total triumph. Amelia Flanagan is a remarkable actor. bringing real nuance and truth to a role that many much older than her might struggle with. I know we're not far into 2025, but with the impact this storyline is deservedly having, I'd be very surprised if at the end of the year this episode and Amelia's performance in it, isn't still firmly fixed in our minds.
Emmerdale continues Mondays to Fridays at 7.30pm on ITV1 with first look episodes available from 7am on ITVX
3
STEVE MCFADDEN'S
heartbreaking performance in EastEnders
With the soap’s 40th anniversary just around the corner, EastEnders is on great form and whilst a lot of the focus is on the identity of Cindy’s Christmas night attacker and who Denise will choose, as we get the chance to vote for either Jack or Ravi, it’s Phil Mitchell struggling with his mental health that proves why soaps are so brilliant. And in a week where ITV have announced cuts to their soap output from 2026, never has that been more important.
Phil Mitchell is a character who has been on our screens for 35 years, and probably the character least lucky to suffer with their mental health. Whatever that even means, because we all have mental health, some of us good, some of us bad, just like physical health. But there’s a societal perception of the type of person to get depressed and Phil Mitchell isn’t it.
Over the years Steve McFadden has understandably had a number of incredible storylines to tackle, such as the infamous love triangle between him, his brother and Sharon, his battle with alcoholism and later drugs, both of which he overcame and who could forget that "Who shot Phil?" storyline that had everyone guessing.
In recent months, we've seen Phil withdraw from his family and friends, following Sharon’s newfound relationship with his cousin Teddy, the breakdown of his marriage to Kat and Ben’s incarceration in America.
After hiding his depression from those around him, Monday's episode of EastEnders, beautifully acted by Steve McFadden, saw Phil attempt to take his own life as he reaches crisis point, believing his life is no longer worth living.
Monday's episode saw Phil reluctantly join Nigel on his date with Norma, played by Angela Curran, and her friend Livi, played by Lisa Allen.
When he and Livi are left alone at the table in The Vic, after witnessing a silent Phil, remembers her father, who used to own a garage and tells Phil "You don’t fool me. You’re not a miserable sod. You’re a sad sod. I can see it in your eyes. So was I when my dad died, for a long time."
She goes on to say "I know I said I went to that garage to help my brother out. Truth be told, it helped me. The grease, the mess, paperwork... Decades-old invoices stuffed in drawers. The rev of the engine. It reminded me of my dad."
Then came the most beautiful line of dialogue "Keeping that place alive, it helped keep me alive. I found joy in it. That's what life's all about in the end, right?" written by Jonny O’Neill.
Visibly moved by Livi's words, Phil smashes the glass in his hand and storms out of the pub and heads to the garage and sends Harry hope. Feeling utterly hopeless, Phil gets inside a customer's car in The Arches, turns on the ignition and waits for the car to fill with smoke and fumes.
However, after inhaling so much smoke, a disorientated Phil starts to cough and as he gets out of the car, falls face down into the pit below.
The following morning, Phil's body is found and when an ambulance is called he's rushed to hospital. Later scenes saw Phil turn on Nigel, ordering him to leave, arguing with an imaginary person in his living room and hire the services of sex worker Amelia.
For 35 years, we've seen Phil go through more-or-less everything, which makes his withdrawl from the community he has always been such a big part of, all the more heartbreaking to watch.
Steve's ability to portray Phil's fragility, his pain and suffering, his inner turmoil, with just so few words, is remarkable. The mark of a truly great actor, often overlooked when it comes to awards and plaudits.
Next week, Jaime Winstone will reprise the role of Peggy Mitchell as Phil experiences symptoms of psychosis in the form of hallucinations, depicting scenes from the Mitchell family home in 1985 including a pivotal moment from his adolescence. Phil will also play a key role in EastEnders' anniversary week. I'll have a lot more information of what's in store, on Tuesday.
EastEnders is working closely with The Samaritans, Rethink Mental Illness, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), and Mind to ensure Phil’s depression story is portrayed as accurately and as sensitively as possible.
EastEnders continues Mondays to Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One with first look episodes available from 6am on BBC iPlayer
4
GINO D'ACAMPO'S
alleged inappropriate behaviour
In November 2024, Gregg Wallace stepped away from presenting MasterChef following a BBC News investigation which heard allegations of inappropriate sexual comments by 13 people who worked with him.
And only last week, the BBC apologised after a review into the conduct of Russell Brand during his time with the broadcaster found a number of people “felt unable to raise” concerns about the presenter.
This week, on Thursday evening, ITV News revealed the results of its own investigation into celebrity chef Gino D’Acampo, which uncovered numerous allegations of inappropriate and intimidating behaviour which Gino told ITV News he "firmly denied" adding they were "deeply upsetting".
Dozens of people had detailed their experiences of working with Gino over a period spanning more than 12 years, describing it as "unacceptable," "distressing" and "horrendous". With ITV News saying they have seen evidence which shows at least one production company was aware of multiple complaints made by members of their crew, but continued to work with Gino on further programmes.
Those who have shared their experiences with ITV News said they were fearful of the consequences of speaking out against a high-profile figure, so aspects of their identities have been protected, with one woman, 'Hannah' telling ITV News Correspondent Sejal Karia of a highly sexualised comment she said was made by Gino, and directed at her when they were working together on a magazine shoot in 2011.
In front of the entire crew, she says he told her he would "like to turn me over and f*** me up the a*** against the kitchen counter." She says she remembers "a ripple of laughs" while the people stood beside her "looked nervously into their cups of tea".
Another woman, 'Natalie', detailed an encounter on a TV production several years later that she says she found "aggressive" while briefing Gino on a location shoot. "He opened the door in his boxer shorts, nothing else. And jumped on the bed and was sort of - leg up.
"We had to sort of sit there facing him and he made, you know, reference to his d***, basically saying, ‘Oh, don't worry, it's only small’, and sort of flicking it." which left her feeling "Disgusted. I think he feels he's in a position of power and he can say and do what he wants. I see it all as quite aggressive, really." and said she considered leaving her job.
In response to these claims, Gino D'Acampo's legal team said "Mr D’Acampo categorically denies these allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour. To his knowledge no such allegations have been made against him in relation to his time on 'Gino’s Italian Express' and this is the first time, six years later, he has been informed of these alleged incidents, and he does not accept them, not least because some of this is considered by Mr D’Acampo to be a fabricated work of fiction."
Whilst ITV said they are "completely committed to creating an environment where everyone is treated with respect and feels able to give of their best."
Read the rest of ITV's statement here:
"Our promise to those we work with is that where a complaint is made, or serious concern raised, we will always investigate and if we find that something inappropriate has happened, we will take action. The same standards are expected of all production companies who make programmes on ITV’s behalf."
"It is production companies who have the primary responsibility for the duty of care of everyone they work with, both on and off screen, when making shows. We make clear our expectations of producers and have robust and comprehensive policies which we implement contractually."
"We have strengthened these policies in the last 5 years and have set up a dedicated Complaints Handling Unit in 2024 to manage any complaints we receive about on screen presenters and ensure ITV has a centralised view across different productions."
"The standards of behaviour that ITV expects are very clear. Everyone working with ITV is subject to ITV’s Code of Ethics and Conduct. At ITV we treat everyone with courtesy, fairness, dignity and respect and do not tolerate abusive behaviour of any form in the workplace."
"We have also reiterated our expectations of our on screen presenters’ behaviour through our Conduct and Standards Guidelines for On Screen Personalities issued in 2024."
"All of the concerns and complaints raised by those who have spoken to ITN describe behaviour which is inappropriate and unacceptable. Most of them were not reported to ITV at the time. Where issues have been raised with ITV action has been taken."
"We can only act where we know that concerns have been raised, and will now be following up on those that had not previously been reported to us. If anyone has experienced or witnessed inappropriate behaviour while working on an ITV show, we encourage them to raise their concerns with us either directly or through our confidential speaking up hotline Safecall."
To which Objective Media Group, which co-produced Gordon, Gino and Fred's Road Trip in 2018 said "Objective Media Group takes the welfare and wellbeing of all its production staff and teams incredibly seriously. We have robust protocols and procedures in place for all cast and crew, including on-screen talent, that we review regularly whilst also ensuring that we take into account developments regarding industry wide ‘Duty of Care’ guidelines."
Read the rest of Objective Media Group's statement here:
"At the start of all productions our protocols and procedures regarding behaviour, as well as the internal Escalation Procedure for any complaints and issues, are made clear to cast and crew."
"Across all productions we encourage people to raise any concerns at the earliest opportunity either via our welfare executive, through the internal anonymous hotline, or the broadcaster welfare line – all of which are clearly communicated before, and during, production. If there are incidents or complaints reported, we implement our Escalation Procedure and ensure that a full and thorough process is followed in close collaboration with the broadcaster."
"We include behavioural clauses in talent contracts and to further bolster our procedures we have provided behavioural training for on-screen talent to ensure that both OMG and broadcaster protocols, including ITV’s Conduct and Standards Guidelines for on screen personalities policies, are adhered to."
Studio Ramsay, which produced Gino's Italian Family Adventure and co-produced Gordon, Gino and Fred's Road Trip in 2018 said they had "not worked on a series with Gino D’Acampo since 2022."
Read the rest of Studio Ramsey's statement here:
"Whilst we do not disclose or discuss personnel matters publicly, Studio Ramsay is committed, in conjunction with our broadcast partners, to a safe and professional work environment. We take all allegations of inappropriate behaviour and workplace misconduct seriously, promptly investigate, and take appropriate remedial action when warranted."
And finally, MultiStory Media, which produced Gino's Italian Express responded to the claims by saying they had "a duty of care to everyone who works with us and when a complaint is made, or serious concerns raised, we will always investigate and take appropriate action."
"It would be inappropriate to go into the detail of individual concerns but we give our assurance that we are reviewing the concerns which have been raised, what was known at the time and what action was taken. We will also look at any new concerns that have come to light."
"Since the series ended six years ago, Multistory Media has not worked with Gino D'Acampo. We encourage any former members of production to raise any concerns via the senior management at MultiStory Media, HR or Safecall, which is a 24/7 anonymous, independent and confidential hotline."
Since these allegations came to light on Thursday evening, one of the women who complained about Gino's behaviour in the investigation said she is "shocked" by his denials, ITV News revealed it had spoken to "over 40 people" during its investigation, and whilst his programmes are currently still available to watch on ITVX, the broadcaster made it clear that they will not work with Gino D'Acampo ever again in the future.
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