SHE had us in tears with her debut documentary on being adopted, now I can reveal that Paralympian Ellie Simmonds is taking us on another emotional journey.
The gold medal-winning swimmer and 2022 Strictly Come Dancing star scooped a Bafta for her show Finding My Secret Family, which followed her bid to discover more about her biological relatives.
Now Ellie Simmonds: Should I Have Children?, on ITV1 and ITVX, will see her examine the idea of having kids when they may be born with disabilities.
She said: “Now having the understanding of what my birth mother and so many others experienced 30 years ago when it came to disability and pregnancy, I want to see how things have changed for parents today.
“I also want to challenge some of the perceptions that exist today about children born with disabilities.
“It’s a deeply personal subject to me, and I’m just so grateful to all those who have let me embark on what are deeply personal and emotional journeys of their own.”
Given the potential for Ellie’s children to share her dwarfism, she asks the question: Should I have children — and what would they look like?
Emotional weight
Although she is not planning on starting a family at the moment, she still confronts the difficult and emotionally fraught decisions she would face.
And she hopes the documentary will help other would-be parents navigating such hard decisions.
She explores the choices around prenatal testing and their implications for parents as well as society’s evolving perceptions over the past few decades.
The film, expected to air later this year, will show the impact of these decisions through Ellie’s eyes as she meets mums and dads faced with the life-changing choices.
In conjunction with one of the UK’s leading foetal medicine units, she gains unprecedented access to families who are dealing with the processes and issues that come with a prenatal diagnosis of disability.
She also meets with doctors, geneticists, midwives, cardiologists and counsellors who guide these families, exploring the emotional weight of the decision and the complexities involved.
They are decisions that she herself will have to consider in the future if she wants children.
Choices every one of us might one day face ourselves.
The masked winners return
THREE Masked Singer favourites will return to perform a string of showstopping duets at this year’s finale.
This series has been one of the ITV show’s most popular runs yet, as household names including Kate Garraway and Mel Giedroyc have been unmasked.
Claire Richards from Steps, who was Knitting in the 2023 series[/caption]
Now I can reveal that Claire Richards from Steps, who was Knitting in the 2023 series, and US singer Keala Settle, from The Greatest Showman, who was Air Fryer in the same run, will be back for the finale on Saturday, February 15.
They will be joined by last year’s champion, Danny Jones, as Piranha. They will all duet with this series’ final three.
Costumes including Bush, Bear and Snail remain in the running, with celebrity guesses so far ranging from Morgana Robinson and Jamie Lynn Spears to Nile Rodgers and Simon Le Bon.
It comes after US singer Macy Gray stormed off stage and refused to be unmasked earlier in the series. She was gutted to be voted off third as Toad in the Hole.
I’m sure these returning champs can be relied on to deliver the goods, though.
Ed start for Kiwi hospital drama
NEW Zealand soap Shortland Street is hoping to find a whole new audience in the UK.
The long-running medical drama – which previously aired here from 1993 to 2003 – is making a comeback.
And it has a headstart as Ed Sheeran has already featured in a cameo role.
It will be shown on free streaming service STV Player, which plays on Sky, Now, Virgin Media and Amazon Fire TV, with three new episodes landing every Monday from February 17.
The series first aired in NZ in 1992 and is focused on staff working at Shortland Street Hospital in Auckland. Michael Galvin has played Dr Chris Warner from the start and said: “Kia ora, UK! I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that Shortland Street is coming to your shores.
“To know it’s now going to be part of the British soap landscape alongside shows like Coronation Street and Emmerdale is a real honour.”
Claudia left win tears
THE new series of One Question is an emotional rollercoaster for Claudia Winkleman – so much so she has a rare moment of on-screen tears.
The Channel 4 show – on which teams must answer just one question correctly to win £100,000 – will see a big win in season two, which starts on February 14 at 8pm.
New series of One Question is an emotional rollercoaster for Claudia Winkleman[/caption]
Host Claudia said: “I don’t really cry because I’m over 50, wearing too much fake tan and too much eyeliner.
“But it was a proper moment, there was a big win and I can’t give away the details but, I did cry.”
Despite getting emotionally invested in the competitors, she has to be careful not to give the game away.
She continued: “When we did one of the run-throughs and I knew the answer, the bosses were like, ‘Stop winking and making strange noises’.”
C4 show ad ban
CHANNEL 4’s Go Back to Where You Came From is already causing controversy – before it has even aired.
The show, which starts at 9pm tonight, sees six Brits with differing views follow the perilous journey of immigrants to the UK.
To reflect the show, C4’s first attempt at a poster for the series had opposing quotes, including “6 Brits learn what empathy Is” and “Woke nonsense”.
It was due to go on billboards and bus shelters, but owners JCDecaux and Network Rail said no. They even barred one carrying a QR code taking people to a show trailer.
In the end, C4 went for a third option, saying: “Presumably displaying real comments about our new show was too divisive for this poster. Sorry”.
And they say sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.
WHEN Ekin-Su Culculoglu returned to Love Island for All Stars, many wondered what she was up to, having dissed the show while on last year’s Celebrity Big Brother.
Now I can reveal that the Turkish delight has recreated the moment in 2022 when she crawled on all fours to Jay Younger.
A source said: “The sky seemed to be the limit for Ekin when she cracked America after appearing on The Traitors US.
“But CBB undid all that. Now she’s hoping to win over Britain again – and where better to start than by recreating that sexy move? She’s a reality TV producers’ dream.”
Let’s hope this doesn’t become another nightmare for Ekin.
Ekin-Su Culculoglu recreating sexy move from her last appearance on show[/caption]
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