Zoe Ball and Fatboy Slim are ‘spending more time together than ever’

Zoe Ball and Fatboy Slim are 'spending more time together than ever'

As a woman who has spent decades navigating the entertainment industry, I find it heartening to hear about Priyanka Chopra Jonas receiving equal pay for her work on Citadel. Her success serves as a beacon of hope and change in an industry that often favors men. It’s inspiring to see a female character at the helm of a series, particularly when one would expect Tom Cruise or Bruce Willis in the leading roles. This is a testament to the power of women supporting each other and the impact it can have on the landscape of entertainment.

In 2016, Zoe Ball and her husband Fatboy Slim (whose real name is Norman Cook) made headlines when they announced their separation. They poetically expressed that they had reached the conclusion of their own unique rainbow.

Despite the lack of a rainbow symbol, it’s worth noting that in the subsequent years, they’ve successfully forged a robust bond of friendship between them.

Currently, it is being reported that the former power couple appears to be spending more quality time together following the recent passing of Zoe Ball’s mother, Julia.

A friend from Hove, East Sussex, commented: ‘They often appear as a duo.’ Another added that the two have recently been attending their son Woody’s DJ performances together – an activity they hadn’t shared when Zoe was dating Michael Reed.

During the summer season, Zoe switched residences, leaving her £2 million countryside villa in Newick behind and moving into a townhouse in Brighton. This change of location is expected to facilitate easier co-parenting for Zoe and Cook, as well as providing them with more opportunities to spend time together.

Zoe Ball and Fatboy Slim are 'spending more time together than ever'

On weekends, I gather with my loved ones for family events, but we also have a tradition of sharing Sunday meals with Woody, who’s 23, and our daughter Nelly, 14. Over the summer, we could often be found at a cafe, laughing and enjoying quality time with friends, their children included.

During August and September, Zoe temporarily stepped away from her morning program due to dealing with ‘mourning, worry, and sadness,’ as stated by a source. Sadly, her mother Julia passed away in April, only 12 weeks after receiving a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

In the year 1997, Ball and Norman encountered each other on the party island of Ibiza. At that time, she was there for work with Radio 1, while he was performing. They exchanged vows in 1999 and welcomed their first child, Woody, the following year. However, in 2003 they took a brief break after Norman found out that Ball had been unfaithful with DJ Dan Peppe. Despite this, Cook expressed to reporters, “I still love her. If you love someone, you’ll forgive them.” They reconciled and in the year 2010, they were blessed with their second child, Nelly. During their marriage, both struggled with alcohol addiction; however, they are now sober after undergoing rehab.

During an interview, Norman acknowledged that his ex-wife, Zoe, played a significant role in grounding him amidst his peak stardom. She was instrumental in this, as she understood the intricacies of fame; and together they kept each other balanced.

In the year 2017, Zoe rekindled her feelings with an old acquaintance, cameraman Billy Yates. However, their bond was tragically ended when Billy chose to end his life. Subsequently, she was in a relationship with Michael Reed, the head of a construction company, for a span of five years.

In 2018, Norman began a romantic relationship with Nicola Lokko, who was once close friends with Zoe. This development reportedly left Zoe feeling alarmed or unsettled. Friends mention that his previous relationship had ended some time ago and he has been dating since then; however, it is not believed he currently has a serious partner.

Killer new role for Hannah, the darling of Hollywood

Hannah Waddingham’s unstoppable career ascent persists. Known for her breakout role in Ted Lasso, she will soon portray a murderer alongside Academy Award-winning actress, Octavia Spencer.

Titled yet unclear, this upcoming television show can be likened to a blend of The Odd Couple and Thelma & Louise. It features two inseparable friends, one being a professional assassin, who find themselves on the run following a botched job.

Spencer explains that she is currently preparing for the action scenes, stating, “I’ll be doing some physical work; I am indeed training. Getting out of bed these days feels like a workout! I have some impressive moves up my sleeve. Some truly serious ones.” Regarding the upcoming series on Prime Video, still in pre-production, she says, “The two main characters are women who are both of a certain age and have been friends for 20 years. However, it turns out that my best friend is an assassin. We all had the same thought: Who would we want to play this beautiful, fun, daring assassin? And the answer was unanimous: Hannah. After going through the process of proposing the role to her, she responded with a resounding ‘Yes, I’m in!’

‘I can tell you this — I have never been more excited about anything.’

Proof that diamonds are a girl’s best friend

Famed jewel thief Joan Hannington, who is portrayed by Sophie Turner in ITV’s popular drama series “Joan,” has been making headlines lately due to the show. Recently, she attended a high-profile event where diamonds worth £250,000 were displayed, provided by The Diamond Store jewellers. Despite having penned a book detailing her life of crime, Hannington remains unfazed about the possibility of renewed police attention.

She jokingly commented that the police were more questionable than they were forty years ago. Reflecting on her life, she emphasized that it has taken an entirely new direction now.

It appears that more talent is leaving the entertainment agency YMU. I’ve heard rumors that Take That could be one of the latest acts to part ways with their manager Chris Dempsey. As previously reported in June, Claudia Winkleman had already departed, while Amanda Holden and Emily Atack left last year. Other notable clients who are no longer with YMU include Leigh Francis, Angela Scanlon, Rob Rinder, and Gabby Logan. However, the agency still represents Rylan, Simon Cowell, Ant & Dec, Vernon Kay, among others.

This week, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the wealthy actress and writer who has a $20 million annual contract with Prime Video, was noticeably absent from their high-profile ‘Trailblazers’ event in London. The event, which was attended by all the top female executives, producers like Amy Pascal, and actresses including Bryce Dallas Howard, took place without her presence.

Since penning her initial complete script back in 2019, following the deal for a live-action Lara Croft, it’s puzzling that neither she nor her project have received any recognition or mention.

Sir Ridley Scott steps in to help with the struggling Bee Gees musical biopic, transitioning from Maximus’ realm to Massachusetts.

Scott has shifted focus towards the upcoming movie based on the Brothers Gibb, with principal photography set to begin in London and Miami next year, following his completion of Gladiator II.

For some time now, the project has been in development. In 2019, following the release of the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody the previous year, Paramount obtained the privilege to narrate the tale of Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb (who collectively sold 220 million albums globally) and, most importantly, utilize their music.

Initially, Kenneth Branagh was set to direct, while Ben Elton took on the screenwriting role, and once more, Graham King, known for producing Bohemian Rhapsody, joined as the producer.

By the year 2022, a fresh face had taken on the role of director, that being John Carney. Additionally, John Logan, known for his work on Gladiator and Skyfall, was now the screenwriter.

After Carney departed, Lorene Scafaria was set to direct. However, Logan’s script has now drawn in Scott. One of the major questions revolves around who will portray Gibbs, with rumors suggesting that Scott might invite his Maximus to don some snug pants for the role.

Apart from his acting skills, it’s worth noting that Paul Mescal possesses singing and dancing talents as well, fueling more conversation. However, a representative for Scott declined to comment on this matter when contacted.

Remarkably, Scott previously had links with the Bee Gees. About half a century back, their renowned manager, Robert Stigwood, requested him to direct a movie titled “Castle Accident,” featuring the group.

But the picture, set in the Middle Ages, never came together. Perhaps mercifully.

Priyanka: I finally got equal pay!

In a notable development, Priyanka Chopra Jonas discloses that she’s finally been offered equal pay for her role in “Citadel,” a high-profile espionage series airing on Amazon Prime Video – marking a significant milestone in her career.

During a gathering held in London this past week, she along with Amazon Studios head Jen Salke celebrated the $300 million production and her salary, citing these as signs of a shift in company mentality.

Chopra Jonas, the actress portraying Nadia Sinh (previously linked to Mason Kane, another spy played by Richard Madden), stated that the entertainment industry should have more women in influential roles. This would enable a female character to lead a series, a role traditionally filled by actors like Tom Cruise or Bruce Willis, or characters who repeatedly save the world.

She added: ‘We need women behind the camera. We need women in roles of power. We need women who make decisions and, you know, I have to say that it was the first time in my career that I received pay parity. It was not something I even thought was possible.

Could the event have been influenced by the fact that the studio head was a woman? It’s possible, but remember, it’s these types of actions that contribute to shaping the environment as women uplift each other.

Meanwhile, Salke mentioned that their partnership originated during an extensive conversation over cocktails at the Peninsula hotel in Beverly Hills. ‘We discussed all our aspirations concerning women and powerful characters,’ she reminisced.

The early days of Citadel were marked by challenges. During its first six-part production, there were disputes over editing, preliminary screenings, and high-ranking personnel leaving due to disagreements about the creative direction.

The second series has just started filming in London.

Simultaneously, we’ll soon see adaptations of the same series, titled “Citadel: Diana” in Italy and “Citadel: Honey Bunny” in India.

Unique? Oh no it’s not

In this image, Priscilla Presley, depicted as Snow White, has frequently appeared in British pantomime productions. It seems she is well-liked and considered the most delightful of her fellow performers.

Alan Carr said on his podcast this week: ‘Someone I know did panto with Priscilla, and she took everyone out on the last day, and she said: ‘I’ve found this really cute French bistro, you’re going to love it — it’s so unique!’ And it was Cafe Rouge.’

Meet Mo Truskolaski, also recognized as Dame Maureen Lipman. This renowned actress, aged 78, who recently got engaged to entrepreneur David Turner (depicted in the image), is contemplating a possible name change upon marriage.

She mentioned: “Truskolaski was his birth name, and I believe ‘Mo Truskolaski’ illuminated for The Importantness of Being Earnest… I think that would be splendid.

In 2004, Lipman’s spouse, Jack Rosenthal, passed away, and earlier this year, her past companion succumbed to Covid-19.

2024-10-04 00:54