‘We won’t take this any more!’: the reality TV stars battling to unionise

From traumatic experiences to pitiful pay, reality show cast members are sharing their horror stories. As Hollywood continues to strike, is now the time to demand change?When Gemma Rose Barnes, 32, signed up to appear on Married at First Sight (Mafs) – a reality TV show that introduces couples for the first time on their wedding day – she felt apprehensive. She told the show’s producers that she wanted to meet the love of her life, and was worried she’d be married off to someone who hadn’t gone on the show for the same reason. “They told me that audiences now wanted to see genuine matches, so I had nothing to worry about,” says Barnes.But what was sold to her as the chance to find The One quickly descended into a nightmare. Barnes says she made repeated complaints to the producers about her husband. When she asked to leave the show, she says she was coerced into staying – although Channel 4 claims that she was free to leave at any time. She says contestants were plied with alcohol, and that on one occasion producers snuck extra drinks to certain cast members before filming. Channel 4 denies this, claiming that alcohol consumption is at the discretion of individuals, “but it is monitored and limited by the production team”. Other contestants have spoken of being “smashed” during filming after sneaking in bottles of alcohol, as well as dramatic arguments being sparked by participants drinking on an empty stomach. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2023-08-18 12:00:49 UTC ]
News tagged with: #horror stories #wedding day #cast members #production team

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Part 'Star Wars' homage, part unexpected coming-of-age novel: 'Black Star Renegades'

It’s easy to read Michael Moreci’s debut novel “Black Star Renegades” and compare it to “Star Wars.” After all, the story was inspired by that epic saga. But to characterize it as a retelling or a ripoff wouldn’t do justice to this complex, self-aware and fun romp through space. “Black Star... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Defenders is most ambitious TV project ever, says Marvel's head of TV

Netflix show is newest in ever-expanding Marvel universe and brings together Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Daredevil and Iron FistThe recent hold of caped crusaders over cinema has been unavoidable, but now a new Netflix show aims to push the boundaries of the superhero genre on television.The... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-08-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Seeing Stars: A Look Back at Select Starred Reviews in 2014

PW reviewers were impressed with these spirituality and religion books published in 2014. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The TV news where you are is not the TV news where we are...

Thank you, thank you, to commenter DialMforMurdo for pointing to this brilliantly funny deconstruction of what follows, and precedes, that moment when BBC's News At Ten's presenters say: "Now here's the news where you are."Sit back and enjoy this three-minute skit by James Robertson, novelist,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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TV Choice sales hit five-year high as it benefits from closure of TV Pick

Listings magazine, which is the most popular paid-for title in UK, reported an average weekly sale of 1,374,813TV Choice has increased sales to a five-year high of almost 1.4 million, the biggest beneficiary among listings magazines from the demise of Richard Desmond's short-lived TV Pick.H... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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NFL Stars Cam Newton And J.J. Watt Star In Gatorade "Freaks" Digital Comics

Calling J.J. Watt a "freak" to his face is probably not a good idea, but Gatorade decided to chance it.Football and comic books go together like chocolate and, er, pumpkin bread--they're not a bad combination, but we don't see them put together very often. The on-field heroics of stars like... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-11-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Star Wars: How to build your own Death Star

Blueprints for the Death Star battle station that featured in the Star Wars films have been published by maintenance book publishers Haynes.     Continue reading at The Sydney Morning Herald

[ The Sydney Morning Herald | 2013-11-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Spotify Audiobooks Draw Younger Listeners, Get Bump from TV Adaptations

According to data released by Spotify, users aged 18-34 make up 57% of the platform's audiobook listeners, while television adaptations such as 'Shōgun' and 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' have prompted a surge in demand for specific titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-04-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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‘Unfurling tension and menace’: how slow TV like Ripley makes for a truly gripping watch

Elegant, luxurious, catlike … Netflix’s Andrew Scott-starring series is devastatingly unhurried – although not all viewers agree• Don’t get the What’s On TV newsletter delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereThe reviews for Netflix’s elegant new Patricia Highsmith adaptation, Ripley, have been... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-04-09 11:00:06 UTC ]
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Hollywood's bravest and most foolhardy memoir wasn't written by a movie star

'You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again' ranks No. 31 on our list of the best Hollywood books of all time because it's the ultimate Icarus story, unflinchingly detailing its author's descent. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2024-04-08 10:00:36 UTC ]
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Roald Dahl rewritten by stars including Greg James, Adam Kay and Konnie Huq

James has co-written a spin-off of The Twits with Chris Smith, while a short story collection, Charlie and the Christmas Factory, will be published in OctoberThe Twits and Matilda are among the much-loved Roald Dahl characters set to appear in brand new stories inspired by the late British... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-04-05 13:47:01 UTC ]
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A new series of Star Wars shorts premieres on Disney+ next month

Disney just pulled a fast one. Star Wars movies and shows are typically announced years before being released, but the company just revealed a new TV program that premieres next month. Tales of the Empire is an animated show produced by Dave Filoni, the man who cut his teeth on cartoons like... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-04-04 19:00:07 UTC ]
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Folio Society Comes Out Swinging in the Battle of Deluxe Comic Book Reprints

'DC: Batman,' a luxe new slipcased hardcover gathering some of the Dark Knight’s most iconic stories, is among a number of recent reprint editions employing differing printing strategies and techniques to bring classic comics stories to readers old and new. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Super Bowl LVIII was most-watched TV program ever, averaging 123.4m viewers

Chiefs-49ers sets US TV ratings mark with 123.4m viewersNickelodeon’s Super Bowl telecast: ingenious and wildly chaoticThe longest Super Bowl game will also go down as the most-watched program in television history.According to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics, Kansas City’s 25-22 overtime victory... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-02-13 07:37:15 UTC ]
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Giovanna Fletcher: ‘My most embarrassing moment? At the TV Baftas I went arse over tit’

The author and podcaster on young love, chips and curry sauce, and her husband’s selective hearingBorn in Essex, Giovanna Fletcher, 39, studied at drama school. She made her fiction debut in 2013 with Billy and Me, writes young adult fiction with her husband, musician Tom Fletcher, and in 2017... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-02-10 09:30:38 UTC ]
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‘The levels of attack are extraordinary’: Gary Lineker on punditry, podcasts – and why he won’t stop speaking his mind

The football broadcaster and podcast mogul keeps tweeting about the Israel-Gaza war, despite arguing with friends and getting into hot water with the BBC. What drives him?Gary Lineker has asked me to meet him at his house in Barnes at 2.30pm. It’s a miserable wet day in London, so I give myself... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-01-20 07:00:52 UTC ]
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This L.A. flash-fiction star thinks novels are 'saggy.' Her own debut proves her wrong

The debut novel 'Dead in Long Beach, California,' is a sharp, dazzling turn for Compton-raised author Venita Blackburn, who made her name with lightning-fast fiction. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2024-01-11 11:00:44 UTC ]
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