Cheryl: Ex-Girls Aloud singer set for West End debut in supernatural thriller 2:22 A Ghost Story
Former Girls Aloud star Cheryl is set to make her West End debut when she joins the new cast for supernatural thriller 2:22 A Ghost Story.
The singer called the career move “a totally new and exciting experience” ahead of the production which begins a 14-week run in January.
Cheryl, 39, will be playing the character Jenny – who has previously been performed by Lily Allen and author Giovanna Fletcher – and she will star alongside Hugo Chegwin, Scott Karim and Louise Ford.
Allen was a member of the original cast in the summer of 2021 and her performances received wide acclaim, earning her an Olivier award nomination.
The current cast includes TV presenter Laura Whitmore as Jenny while Busted star Matt Willis is playing the role of Ben, the partner of Jenny’s friend Lauren.
The spooky thriller is currently at the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly – but will be moving for its fifth season to London’s Lyric Theatre.
Cheryl is following in the footsteps of her former bandmate, Kimberley Walsh, who made her West End debut as Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical in 2011.
In an Instagram post, Cheryl said she was “so excited” and confirmed she would “love” playing the role of Jenny from 21 January to 23 April.
“It is a totally new and exciting experience for me so if you’re looking for a fun night out & some entertainment in your new year tickets are available now,” she wrote.
The current cast includes Laura Whitmore as Jenny and Matt Willis as Ben
Directed by Matthew Dunster and written by Danny Robins, the play opened in 2021 and has proven a big hit with audiences.
It follows Jenny, who believes her new home is haunted – but her husband Sam “isn’t having any of it” before the couple invite Lauren and Ben to help them find out what is happening.
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Cheryl, who has dropped her previous surnames of Tweedy, Cole and Fernandez-Versini, added in a statement: “It is a brilliant role and subject matter with a very interesting plot!
“Danny Robins is such an intriguing character which is evident throughout this play and his style of writing has an odd sense of familiarity to me, being a fellow Geordie!
“I look forward to working with Matthew and the other cast members and can’t wait to get going.”
Entertainment
Gavin & Stacey to return for ‘last ever episode’ on Christmas Day, James Corden announces
Hit sitcom Gavin & Stacey will return for its “last ever episode” on Christmas Day, James Corden has announced.
Corden posted a picture on his Instagram of himself and co-creator Ruth Jones holding a script.
The text on its cover reads: “Gavin & Stacey: the finale. Written by James Corden and Ruth Jones 2024.”
In the caption, Corden added: “Some news…It’s official!”
“We have finished writing the last ever episode of Gavin & Stacey. See you on Christmas Day, BBC One. Love Ruth and James.”
The series, which is primarily filmed in South Wales, first aired in 2007 and lasted for three series, before returning for a special in 2019.
James Corden and Ruth Jones. Pic: James Corden
The comedy follows the blossoming romance of Gavin Shipman (Matthew Horne) and Stacey West (Joanna Page). Shipman is from Essex and West is from Barry in Wales.
Corden and Jones appear as their respective best friends Smithy and Nessa.
Nessa’s catchphrase – “what’s occurring?” – is one of many widely quoted lines from the programme.
Other well-known actors in the cast include Rob Brydon, Melanie Walters, Alison Steadman and Larry Lamb.
A Christmas Day return for the series had been rumoured earlier this year after reports in US media.
Jones had previously denied the claims, but now the show’s comeback has been officially confirmed.
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The last special ended on a cliffhanger as audiences eagerly awaited Smithy’s response to Nessa’s marriage proposal.
The 2019 special was watched by around 18 million viewers.
Entertainment
Dane Baptiste apologises to Jewish community for ‘disturbing’ language – and is dropped by agency
Comedian Dane Baptiste has apologised to the “Jewish community, my colleagues and my fans” following criticism over a now-deleted social media post.
The stand-up star, who has appeared on TV shows including 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Live At The Apollo, and Mock The Week, has been dropped by his talent agency Insanity.
The company said the contents of a deleted post were “completely at odds with our values and what we stand for”.
The Metropolitan Police has also been made aware of the post.
Baptiste said he had made “a massive error of judgment” after receiving “a number of threatening and abusive messages from accounts accusing me of antisemitism for having pro-Palestinian views”.
The comedian said his partner had made him aware that “some of these same people” were monitoring her Instagram account.
In an apology posted on social media, Baptiste said: “In a massive error of judgment, I posted an excessive and impulsive response, hoping to dissuade anybody monitoring my family.
“I made a point to say Zionist and not Jewish, but I appreciate how disturbing, threatening and incendiary that language is, I would categorically state I have no ill intention towards the Jewish community and never have.
“I have a loving family of which I am massively protective of; I reacted poorly and emotionally to a perceived threat with no considered thought to the consequences, and I apologise profusely for my actions to the Jewish community, my colleagues and my fans.”
Baptiste was the first black comedian to be nominated for the award for best newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards in 2014, and also fronted the BBC Three sketch programme Bamous.
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In a statement, a spokesperson for Insanity said: “Insanity became aware of a social media post published by Dane on Instagram yesterday.
“The contents of his post are completely at odds with our values and what we stand for. We promptly made this clear to him, and are no longer working with him.
“As an organisation we do not tolerate hate speech of any kind and are committed to the values of respect and tolerance for all.”
Sky News has contacted Baptiste for comment.
Universal Music and TikTok have ended a dispute over royalties after the label pulled millions of songs from the social media platform.
The new licensing agreement means songs by some of the biggest artists in the world, including Drake, Adele and Billie Eilish will return to the site for use within the next two weeks.
TikTok, a short video app, is a valuable marketing and promotional tool for music stars. But in January, Universal claimed it paid artists and songwriters “a fraction” of the rate offered by similar social media platforms, and announced it was pulling its catalogue.
Billie Eilish is also among Universal’s artists. Pic: Reuters
Universal is the biggest music label in the world and also looks after Taylor Swift – who allowed a selection of her songs to return to TikTok as she promoted her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, in April. Swift owns the copyrights to her recordings through her 2018 deal with Universal and can control where her songs are available, according to the Financial Times.
The companies now say they have come to “a new multi-dimensional” licensing agreement that will deliver “significant industry-leading benefits” for Universal’s artists and labels.
In a joint statement, TikTok said it would continue to invest resources into “building artist-centric tools” and work on strengthening online safety protections for artists and their fans.
The AI issue
Drake, another Universal artist, has previously had his voice cloned for AI tracks. Pic: AP
The agreement means all videos that had been muted will be unmuted. It comes just over three months since Universal posted an open letter criticising TikTok, calling for higher payments for artists and songwriters, protection from the “harmful effects” of AI, and online safety.
In their joint statement, the companies now say they will work together to ensure AI development across the industry “will protect human artistry and the economics that flow to those artists and songwriters”.
They will also work to remove unauthorised AI-generated music from the platform, as well as on tools to improve artist and songwriter attribution, the statement says.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Universal chairman and chief executive Sir Lucian Grainge said the “new chapter” focuses “on the value of music, the primacy of human artistry and the welfare of the creative community”, while TikTok chief executive Shou Chew added: “Music is an integral part of the TikTok ecosystem, and we are pleased to have found a path forward with Universal Music Group.”
Concerns about AI have grown in the creative community. In April last year, a song featuring the cloned voices of Drake and The Weeknd was removed from streaming sites after going viral.
On Tuesday, British singer-songwriter and producer FKA Twigs told a US Senate hearing how she had created her own digital clone – but condemned unauthorised use of her voice and image.
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On Wednesday, a poll by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Music found that 83% of UK adults agree that a music artist’s creative “personality” should be protected in law against AI copies and 77% believe it amounts to theft when generated music fails to acknowledge the creator of the original.
In April, more than 200 artists signed an open letter objecting to the “predatory” use of AI to “steal professional artists’ voices and likenesses”.
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