thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-07--Don’t Go Sunbathing This Weekend No.10 Warns, As PM Vows ‘Maximum Caution’ On Lockdown Exit

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The public should not go sunbathing this bank holiday weekend despite reports that the coronavirus lockdown rules may be relaxed outdoors from Monday, Downing Street has urged.
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No.10 insisted that people should stick to the current guidelines, but gave a strong hint that Boris Johnson would signal that more open-air activity was likely to be allowed in coming weeks.
Nearly seven weeks after the lockdown was imposed, government insiders have suggested that picnics, sunbathing, unlimited exercise and visits to outdoor cafes could all be included in the prime minister’s address to the nation at 7pm on Sunday night.
As Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon warned it would be a “potentially catastrophic mistake” to lift restrictions too early, Johnson told his cabinet that he would act with “maximum caution” in easing the rules and would “not hesitate” to tighten restrictions if needed again.
And in what appeared to be an attempt to reduce expectations following newspaper headlines, his spokesperson insisted no rules had been changed yet.
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“In the light of some of the things I woke up to this morning, you will need to be very clear: any easement to the guidelines next week will be very limited.
“We are at a critical moment in the fight against the virus, and we will not do anything which was throwing away the efforts and sacrifices of the British public.”
With temperatures set to soar over the long weekend, and a Friday bank holiday to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, Downing Street scrambled to play down tabloid reports that some elements of life could return to normal as early as next week.
Asked directly if the public could sunbathe this weekend, the spokesperson said that as of today “there is no change to the advice, we are asking people to stay at home in order to stop the spread of the virus”.
Pressed again if people should “keep their clothes on” this weekend, they replied: “Yes absolutely. The social distancing measures we put in place are there for a reason and we would encourage everybody to continue doing what they have so far, to stick by the rules and help us protect the NHS.
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“Those sacrifices have made a real difference in driving down the rate of transmission and we ask them to stick with them.”
However, No.10 also stressed that any changes would be based on the latest scientific advice and gave a strong hint of the areas for reform.
“What is the case because people like Professor Whitty have said at the daily press conferences is that there is evidence of a much reduced transmission outdoors compared to confined indoor spaces,” the spokesperson said.
Cabinet minister Brandon Lewis also tried to play down talk of “magic Monday” amid fears that abandoning the “stay home” slogan could lead the public to start thinking life could return to normal quicker than expected.
Johnson told the cabinet: “We are not going to do anything that risks a second peak. We will advance with maximum caution in order to protect the NHS and to save lives.
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“We will be guided at every step by the science and the data. And we will closely track the impact of any easing of the social distancing measures and we will not hesitate to tighten the rules if required.”
His words follow reports that the government will jettison its “stay home, protect the NHS, save lives” slogan in favour of broader encouragement to “stay safe”.
As well as amending rules that restrict outdoor exercise to one hour, people may be able to visit outdoor cafes and markets, play golf and tennis and other non-contact sports, some newspapers have suggested.
But at her morning briefing, Sturgeon extended her lockdown for another three weeks.
“The other possible changes reported in the media today - such as encouraging more people back to work now or opening beer gardens or encouraging more use of public transport - would not, in my judgement, be safe for us to make yet.
“And I believe that for us to drop the clear, well understood ‘Stay at Home’ message right now could be a potentially catastrophic mistake.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-07--Kevin Spacey Compares Coronavirus Impact To His Own Unemployment

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A clueless comment about the coronavirus pandemic has arrived from a usual suspect.
Disgraced actor Kevin Spacey recently compared the hardship for millions who have lost work during the outbreak with his own unemployment, which resulted from accusations of sexual misconduct by more than a dozen men. (See the video above.)
In 2017, Rent actor Anthony Rapp said Spacey made advances on him when he was 14. Other accusers emerged afterward, costing Spacey his gig on the Netflix series House of Cards.
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“My world completely changed in the fall of 2017. My job, many of my relationships, my standing in my own industry were all gone in just a matter of hours,” Spacey said in a YouTube video for a German business conference posted last month.
“In this instance, I feel as though I can relate to what it feels like to have your world suddenly stop,” Spacey continued. “And so while we may have found ourselves in similar situations albeit for very different reasons and circumstances, I still feel that some of the emotional struggles are very much the same.”
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He continued: “And so I do have empathy for what it feels like to suddenly be told that you can’t go back to work, or that you might lose your job, and that it’s a situation you have absolutely no control over,” he said.
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Spacey, who won Oscars for his roles in American Beauty and The Usual Suspects, went on to thank health care workers, then oddly segued into a lighthearted but creepy comment about Oktoberfest revelers:


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-07--Banksy Donates Coronavirus Artwork To Hospital In Honour Of 'Superhero' NHS Workers

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Banksy is honouring health care workers with his latest work of art.
The anonymous Bristol street artist’s newest piece, titled “Game Changer”, was unveiled Wednesday at Southampton General Hospital.
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“Thanks for all you’re doing. I hope this brightens the place up a bit, even if its only black and white,” Banksy reportedly wrote in a note to hospital staff who are on the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus.
The artwork will be auctioned in support of health care charities in the autumn, the BBC reports.
Andrew Matthews - PA Images via Getty Images
Paula Head, the chief executive of University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, said it was “a huge honour” that Banksy had “chosen us to recognise the outstanding contribution” of all the workers in the NHS during the pandemic.
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It’s unclear why Banksy chose Southampton to receive the piece – or how it was delivered. Banksy’s publicist did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for further information.
The artist last month joked on Instagram about redecorating his bathroom during lockdown.
“My wife hates it when I work from home,” he captioned this post:
Also in April, a face mask was added to his 2014 interpretation of Johannes Vermeer’s painting “Girl With A Pearl Earring” in his home city of Bristol, although it’s unknown whether Banksy was behind the stunt.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-07--539 More Coronavirus Deaths Across UK In 24 Hours, Bringing Total To 30,615

A member of clinical staff in the intensive care unit at the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge this week ASSOCIATED PRESS
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The number of people who have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus has risen to 30,615 – an increase of 539 over 24 hours.
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This is the second week the government’s daily announcement has included people in care homes and the community, rather than just in hospital, who have died.
But only those who had tested positive for Covid-19 are included, meaning anyone who died with a suspected case won’t be recorded.
The figures cover the period up to 5pm on Thursday.
It comes after the number of people who have died in hospitals after contracting the virus rose by 464 in 24 hours.
That increase consisted of 383 in England, 59 in Scotland, 18 in Wales and four in Northern Ireland.
Of those who died in England, 58 deaths actually took place yesterday, with the remainder dating back as far as March 19. The day with the most newly recorded deaths was Tuesday, with 120.
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Patients in England were aged 28 to 100, with 41 having no known underlying health conditions – including a 28-year-old.
Two of Northern Ireland’s four deaths took place yesterday. The other two devolved authorities, Wales and Scotland, do not supply data broken down in this way.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-07--Notting Hill Carnival Cancelled Amid Coronavirus Concerns

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Notting Hill Carnival has been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, organisers have confirmed.
A statement published on Thursday read: “Like all events around the world, the Covid-19 pandemic has meant that Notting Hill Carnival has faced many challenges this year.
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“After lengthy consultation with our strategic partners and ur Advisory Council, the board has taken the decision that this year’s carnival will not take place on the streets of Notting Hill as it has done for over 50 years.”
NHC PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
We have an update for you regarding NHC 2020.
Please see our official statement from the NHC Board of Directors. pic.twitter.com/owjdchFcz1 — Notting Hill Carnival Ltd. (@NHCarnivalLDN) May 7, 2020
Kensington and Chelsea Council’s leisure chief Councillor Emma Will welcomed the decision to cancel the carnival this year.
“It is a huge shame – so many people have put in so much effort to get carnival ready for 2020, including our own officers here at the council. But it is absolutely the right decision given what the UK and London is currently facing,” she told HuffPost UK.
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“It has been very difficult for all those involved, but carnival organisers need to be given real credit for making an early decision on this and following the guidance from health professionals.
“They have put the health of the local community and participants first.”
Carnival’s cancellation presents an opportunity for people to “explore how we can still celebrate carnival in different ways this summer”, Will added.
“Kensington and Chelsea Council is committed in giving logistical and financial support to turn alternative plans for carnival this year into reality. There is no reason why we cannot all bring the true spirit of carnival into our own front rooms,” she added.
The move follows mounting speculation around whether or not the carnival would go ahead as the UK remains on lockdown.
The annual west London event, which saw at least a million revellers in 2019, was scheduled to take place over the August bank holiday.
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Last month rumours began to circulate that the event had been postponed as some people misinterpreted a statement from the mas band MaKING Carnival – who said they would not continue planning for carnival in light of the pandemic – as an official statement from the event itself.
This prompted Notting Hill Carnival organisers to issue a statement of clarification later that day.
“Lots of misinformation circulating,” read the statement posted on the @NHCarnivalLDN Twitter account. “NHC 2020 is not cancelled. Please be assured we would be the first to tell you if it were.”
But there had been widespread calls for the carnival to be called off in the interest of public health and safety.
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One person tweeted: “As someone who has lived in Kensington and Chelsea all his life, I’m reading that the Notting Hill carnival still has not been cancelled. As you know this event has up to 900,000 people on the streets and it will only take one person to infect us.”
@SadiqKhan As someone who has Lived in Kensington and Chelsea all his life,I’m reading that the Notting Hill carnival still has not been cancelled. As you know this event has up to 900,000 people on the streets and it will only take one person to infect us — michael Whelan (@mwhelan1968) April 22, 2020
“Every other festival been cancelled apart from Notting Hill Carnival. Just throw in the towel man,” another wrote.
Every other festival been cancelled apart from Nottinghill Carnival. Just throw in the towel man. — Copyright Legend (@iMaIlyUK) April 21, 2020
Another person posted: “Large crowds in this climate is just not healthy & its kind of really scary.”
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“No, I don’t think it should be cancelled permanently. Yes, I do think it should be cancelled this year due to #Covid19 pandemic. That’s me. Bye now. #CoronavirusUK,” one user said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-07--Lockdown Has Uprooted Our Whole Lives – So Why Are Women Still Doing More At Home?

I am one of the many self-employed women thrust into full-time childcare. Getty Creative
Lockdown has exposed some hard truths about the way we’ve been living. Tube, work, gym – rinse and repeat – feels like a past life, and, for many of us, that’s a welcome change. But as radical as this period of necessary and important adaptation has been, I’m still patiently waiting for an overhaul of our gender roles at home.
Despite the majority of the workforce now clocking on from home, too many women are still being forced to shoulder the lion’s share of the housework. Tales of juggling Zoom meetings and client emails, while simultaneously getting a load of washing on, child on hip, are landing in my inbox daily. Others tell me they are spending hours cleaning, while husbands shut themselves away in studies. Worse, some women are being forced to take the difficult decision to quit work all together while they pick up the extra responsibility of homeschooling and caring for the kids.
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Of course, it would be unfair to say that All Men are guilty of not pulling their weight in the home. But even in normal times, women shoulder, on average, 60% more unpaid work than men – so it’s hardly surprising this has been exacerbated by lockdown. But it is perplexing – and frustrating.
Why aren’t we sharing these tasks? What barriers are there to dividing the labour equally now that we’re all in the same choppy waters?
Naively, I had imagined that this pandemic could have been the great leveller between the sexes. But lockdown has compounded what many of us already knew – women are still too often relegated to a supporting role.
It doesn’t matter that we’re all now at home all day, or spending the same amount of time with the kids – care work is still seen as women’s work.
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Of course, this isn’t a new problem. It’s just more visible. These are roles that are normally outsourced to other women – poorer, working class, often BAME women, who clean our houses and look after our children.
But lockdown has succeeded in exposing the lies we tell ourselves about gender equality. Yes, the pay gap does need fixing. Yes, more women need to get into STEM. Yes, men need to “do better” at being allies. But ultimately, as maddening as this sounds, homemaking is still seen as a woman’s default position, whether we’re conscious of it or not. And while care work – both paid and unpaid – remains chronically undervalued, we will still be shackled to the outdated notion that a man’s job comes first.
This pandemic will have far-reaching consequences on the way we live our lives moving forward – that much is now abundantly clear. Let’s hope that it won’t signal a decline in women’s worth.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-08--Sajid Javid Says 'Run The Economy Hot' Instead Of Gradual Easing Of Coronavirus Lockdown

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The government should open up the economy “as far and as quick” as possible to recover from the economic impact of coronavirus, former Chancellor Sajid Javid has said.
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It follows warnings from the Bank of England that Covid-19 could lead to the economy plunging 14% this year in the worst annual fall since records began.
Javid, who left his post in Boris Johnson’s government in February, said scientific advice needed to be acted upon, but the best course of action was “running the economy hot”.
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Speaking to Sky News, Javid said the government was right to put the public health first but this had led to economic issues and a balance needed to be struck.
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“We’re going to have to co-exist with this virus for many months, if not potentially years. But we’ve got to find a way forward and that does mean you’re relaxing, as much as you can,” he said.
“Running the economy hot you could say, in a way that you are trying to take into account, not just the sort of necessity to control the virus, but also the wider impact on society.”
Amid ongoing pressure for the government to ease lockdown measures, Johnson is due to address the nation on Sunday with a road map out of restrictions.
But speaking at the No 10 daily press briefing on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said any short-term changes in the restrictions announced by the Prime Minister would be limited in their nature and depend on the reproduction number – the R – of the virus.
British Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid talks to German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz during an European Finance Ministers meeting at the Europa building in Brussels, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) ASSOCIATED PRESS
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And Javid suggested different groups may have to abide by different regulations until a vaccine was found.
“It might be the case that in the future we can find a way that we focus our protection on those that are most vulnerable, those that have underlying illnesses but give more freedom to, let’s say, younger people, so they can get on with their lives and at the same time help the rest of us by rebuilding our economy which benefits everyone,” he said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-08--Boris Johnson Is Using Scientists As Human Shields

Boris Johnson outside 10 Downing Street Associated Press
This article was originally published on 8 May 2020
The Neil Ferguson story had everything. There was sex, hypocrisy and a “married lover”. At a time when pubs are closed and the football is cancelled, the solid British tradition of a good old public shaming remains comfortingly accessible. But the most interesting element was not the revelation that scientists are in fact fallible human beings like the rest of us. It was the reaction of the media, which used the story to distract us from the real news: that the UK now had the worst death toll in Europe. This story wasn’t about a scientist’s hypocrisy: it was about deflecting from the government’s failure.
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From the start, the government has used the media as both a mouthpiece and target. While friendly newspapers have plastered their pages with coverage about Boris Johnson’s new child, Britain’s lead on a vaccine, and the increase in tests, unfriendly outlets have been frozen out. The BBC’s Newsnight has been the subject, like the Today programme was before it, of an effective government boycott. If a foreign government boycotted their country’s flagship news programmes we would write solemn op-eds about the growth of authoritarianism and the threats to democratic culture. When it happens under our noses we barely remark on it.
After Wednesday’s prurient headlines about Ferguson, the tabloids turned their attention to the end of lockdown. Johnson had discussed the relaxation of restrictions at Prime Minister’s Questions and the newspapers were full of details about what was to come. This, too, was a deliberate government tactic. Because Johnson is desperate to steer the conversation away from the death toll, we have to talk about something else.
Discussing the lockdown, of course, offers a golden opportunity to blame someone else: the public. Ordinary people were shamed as the restrictions began and will be again as they end. At the start of the crisis, the government simply advised people to wash their hands and openly discussed the notion of “herd immunity”. Because the message almost seemed to be that young and healthy people should aim to get the virus, those people went to the parks and pubs. As the messaging changed on a daily basis, it was never adequately explained why they suddenly had to stay home. In the early days of lockdown, ministers and the right-wing media duly launched a full-scale attack on the sunbathers and fell-walkers. They never accepted those people might have been confused because the government had explicitly confused them.
It was perhaps no coincidence that Ferguson himself was considered the architect of the lockdown. It was his team’s modelling at Imperial College which established the worst-case scenario of 500,000 deaths, which reportedly shocked the government into tougher action. That made him a powerful enemy in the media. Predictably, various publications have now attempted to discredit that modelling, as though a man guilty of a personal failing must necessarily have also failed in his job.
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The health secretary Matt Hancock also joined the fray, and appeared to endorse legal proceedings against Ferguson – even though, as senior lawyers pointed out, he had remained at home and not actually broken any law. This was not just a traditional attempt to ascribe criminality to a moral misdemeanour. It was another way in which the government has used scientists as a human shield.
“This crisis needs scientists, and those scientists will on occasion fail. But the real failure remains the government which hides behind them.”
For over two months the government has been telling us, each day, that it is “following the science”. That is not just empty, but false. Science is not monolithic, and scientists disagree with one another. It also fails to explain the differences with other countries. It is arguable that Korea “followed the science” by tracing and quarantining contacts of victims, Czechia followed it in mid-March by mandating face masks on public transport and in supermarkets, and New Zealand followed it by requiring anyone entering the country to self-isolate and locking down before anyone had died. If the UK government was simply “following the science” then we must surely ask why our science was so different and, it turned out, so wrong.
The fact is that this is not about science but politics. Politicians have hidden behind the science, and when they abandoned the initial policy simply declared the ‘science had changed’. Even if that were true, it would make no difference. Scientists are indispensable but they are not in charge. The government alone is elected and it alone will be accountable.
But of course it is not just about science, it is also about war. The government has used VE Day, in particular, to draw parallels between the two events. To be sure, many people do feel a sense of shared purpose and coming together, and a profound uncertainty and fear that also marks wartime. But the government is using war in a different way.
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First is the propaganda purpose of rallying the country. In March, Johnson finally had his Churchill moment when he vowed to “defeat the enemy”, and at the daily media briefings his ministers herald their success in the ‘fight’.
Second is the sense that this could not be foreseen. Johnson has described coronavirus as an “unexpected and invisible mugger”. Of course the government wants us to view it in this way. If we see the virus as an assailant and the government as totally powerless, we cannot blame our leaders for succumbing to it. Indeed, that would be victim-blaming, and, as such, the height of unfairness. Of course, the government could not have stopped a pandemic from reaching this country altogether. But the point is that on the issues it did control, it failed time and again. It failed to stop public gatherings, failed to introduce social distancing soon enough, and failed to introduce a lockdown at the moment it was most necessary. Ministers assured us we were prepared for the pandemic and didn’t need to go down the same path as Italy. Instead of learning the lesson of that country, we simply considered ourselves special or superior to it. Two months on, our crisis is worse than theirs.
A government which constantly fails will do anything it can to deflect. Ministers will change the subject, blame other people and deny the failures have even taken place. They will claim at all times that they are following the science. This crisis needs scientists, and those scientists will on occasion fail. But the real failure remains the government which hides behind them.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-08--Lily Allen Fuels Rumours She And David Harbour Are Engaged With Cryptic Instagram Comment

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Lily Allen has sparked speculation that she and Stranger Things star David Harbour are engaged after a cryptic Instagram post about a ring she’s been seen wearing.
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During lockdown, Lily is self-isolating with David and her two daughters, Ethel and Marnie, from her previous marriage to ex-husband Sam Cooper.
On Thursday, the chart-topping star shared a photo of herself in gym wear on Instagram, joking: “Daily Mail readers gon say it’s photoshop. I AM RIPPED don’t @ me.”
However, it wasn’t her physique that had fans talking, but a rather eye-catching piece of jewellery she was seen wearing on her left hand.
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One of her followers picked up on the ring in question, writing: “Um.... engagement ring??????????????”
The comment actually sparked a response from Lily Allen, who referenced the 1999 film Fight Club with her reply: “First rule of engagement club.”
For those not in the know, this refers to one of the film’s most quoted lines: “The first rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club.”
Lily Allen and David Harbour at a pre-Bafta party in February David M. Benett via Getty Images
A spokesperson for Lily Allen had no comment when contacted by HuffPost UK.
Lily and David were first rumoured to be an item in October last year, after they were photographed kissing in New York.
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Days later, she confirmed the relationship on her Instagram Story, sharing a photo of the actor’s bicep with the caption: “Mine.”
Lily has actually been wearing the ring in question for some time now, including in a photo she posted last week to commemorate nine months of sobriety.
It was also present when the singer made an appearance at the Cheltenham Festival back in March.
The ring was present when Lily attended the Cheltenham festival earlier this year Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty Images
David was previously dating Fantastic Beasts star Alison Sudol, but the couple split in 2019 following a long-term romance.
Prior to that, he dated Julia Stiles for four years between 2011 and 2015, and was engaged to Forgetting Sarah Marshall actress Maria Thayer.
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Lily separated from husband Sam Cooper in 2015 after almost four years of marriage, eventually divorcing in 2018.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-08--Here's How The UK Is Marking 75 Years Since VE Day During The Coronavirus Lockdown

The statue of Britain's wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill stands in an almost empty Parliament Square in London on VE Day 2020 ASSOCIATED PRESS
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The UK has fallen silent to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day as the country was urged to draw on the “same spirit of national endeavour” during the coronavirus crisis.
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Millions across the country paused at 11am on Friday to remember those who served in the Second World War, and the price so many paid for freedom.
The poignant moment was led by the Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who each laid a wreath at a memorial near Balmoral.
Veterans and members of the public, unable to gather by their local war memorials as normal, quietly reflected in their own homes.
Friday marks 75 years since the formal acceptance by the Allies of Nazi Germany’s surrender.
The Covid-19 lockdown had made huge gatherings like those of 1945 impossible. However, commemorations are taking place at home and online across the UK.
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The RAF staged flypasts across the country, with the Red Arrows soaring through the sky above Buckingham Palace and the London Eye and Typhoon fighter jets flying over Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
The Royal Air Force Red Arrows pass over The London Eye and St James's Park in central London during a flypast to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day. PA
The anniversary will also be marked with wreath laying, virtual street parties and a national sing-a-long led by Dame Vera Lynn.
In a letter to veterans, prime minister Boris Johnson assured them that despite the ongoing lockdown, their efforts to defeat a “ruthless enemy” would not be forgotten.
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Johnson said: “On this anniversary, we are engaged in a new struggle against the coronavirus which demands the same spirit of national endeavour that you exemplified 75 years ago.
“We cannot pay our tribute with the parades and street celebrations we enjoyed in the past; your loved ones may be unable to visit in person,” he said in the letter.
“But please allow us, your proud compatriots, to be the first to offer our gratitude, our heartfelt thanks and our solemn pledge: you will always be remembered.”
Sergeant David Beveridge prepares to fire a Gun Salute from the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle, to mark the start of the two-minute silence on the 75th anniversary of VE Day. PA
General Sir Nick Carter, chief of the defence staff, told how long-planned ways to celebrate the anniversary had to be adapted due to coronavirus.
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He told BBC Breakfast: “We will do what we can to commemorate it visibly.
“But of course it will be different and I think that’s tough for the veterans and all of those who have lived through the war because they would like to see a parade and they would like to be involved in that.
“So I think we should spare a thought for them having to commemorate and celebrate at home.”
Later on Friday a Spitfire flypast is planned for a number of locations in the South East, including a veterans’ care home in Worthing, West Sussex and Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-08--Amanda Holden Defends Her Controversial Britain's Got Talent Golden Buzzer Act

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Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden has defended her choice of Golden Buzzer act after facing a backlash over the decision.
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Teenager Honey told the panel she’d had a difficult few years after her mum received treatment for cancer, with Sammy assuring them she’s now “absolutely fine”.
But their performance may have earned them the Golden Buzzer from Mandy, many viewers on social media voiced the opinion that other acts were more deserving, particularly after Simon Cowell was initially unimpressed with their first performance.
Amanda Holden during last week's Britain's Got Talent ITV
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Despite the backlash, Amanda has now insisted that she’s standing by her heartfelt choice.
“For me, I think it was their relationship,” she explained during an interview on The One Show on Thursday night. “The minute that Honey stepped on stage, she reminded so much of my elder daughter, Lexi.
“I think their harmonies were amazing, and the fact that they were real troopers! The fact that they came back. The audition went completely wrong, to start with.
“I think, the normal Golden Buzzer, where you know the audience are getting on their feet and you can sense it coming. It felt a lot more emotional to me [to give it to Sammy and Honey]. It was all about those two girls.”
Amanda added: “It’s the relationship, and the chemistry, and the way they kinda fought back… and I kinda wanted to give them the chance.”
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As we approach the end of this year’s BGT auditions, the show will be back later in the year for the 2020 live shows, which have been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In an interview with HuffPost UK this week, Amanda insisted that they would not want to do live shows without an audience, explaining: “We would never do it without an audience because we’ve always said the British public is the fifth judge. So we can’t do it without them – it would be no fun without them! We’ll see what happens, but we are planning to do it this year.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-08--What To Do If You're Worried Your Child Has Coronavirus

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It began a week ago with a throwaway comment from my eight-year-old. “I can’t smell anything,” she said. It stopped me in my tracks.
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Loss of smell, or anosmia, is yet to be listed as a key symptom of coronavirus by the NHS – but around the word, countries have noted it as an early warning sign. And professor Carl Philpott, a smell expert at UEA’s Norwich Medical School, previously told HuffPost UK it makes sense that a Covid-19 infection might cause this symptom.
“With viral shedding [the release of the virus] highest in the nose, it’s not surprising that the ‘unprotected’ smell receptor tissue at the top of the nose is vulnerable to infection,” he said.
The next day, my daughter had muscle aches, a slight temperature, fatigue and a terrible headache – the kind that made her wince when she looked at the light. I spent an hour on the phone to the NHS helpline 111, with the agreement that if she got any worse, I’d take her to A&E. At home, we built her a ‘nest’ with a bed in the living room, her iPad and plenty of fluids.
Thankfully, a week later, she’s on the mend. We’ll never know for sure whether or not she had the virus, but we’re self-isolating for 14 days now, just in case.
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It’s understandable I was worried. Covid-19 is a new disease and one we’re learning about all the time, including reports of a rare coronavirus-related condition similar to toxic shock syndrome (TSS) and Kawasaki disease, apparently affecting children.
But Professor Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said parents should take reassurance from the bulk of evidence suggesting it’s generally a mild disease in children, with a low morbidity and mortality rate.
“In most cases, this will mean that children who do become ill with the virus will make a full recovery and can be cared for at home,” he told HuffPost UK.
“Nevertheless, throughout the Covid-19 pandemic we have been urging the public to continue seeking medical help for themselves and their children if they are seriously ill or concerned about their health. They can do this by contacting NHS 111 or their GP practice – or in emergencies dialling 999.”
If you’re worried your child might have the virus, follow these five steps to look after them at home, advised by Prof. Marshall.
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1. Isolate
Anyone with symptoms of coronavirus – a new, continuous cough or high temperature – should stay in isolation for seven days, and those who live with them should isolate for 14 days from the day their symptoms first appeared.
2. Rest
Parents should ensure the child gets lots of rest, nutritious food and regular fluids, said Marshall.
3. Medicate
Age-appropriate paracetamol or ibuprofen can help with fevers and headaches, but if symptoms worsen, or don’t improve within seven days, parents should get back in contact with the health service. Call 111 for advice or 999 in an emergency.
4. Clean
Clean the house regularly, including all surfaces and door handles the child may have touched, and regularly wash clothes and bedding.
5. Wash
Make sure everyone in the family is washing their hands regularly for 20 seconds.
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If your entire family is self-isolating, it might be worth calling on friends, relatives or neighbours to shop for essentials and leave them on your doorstep.
It’s also important to reassure your child that while they feel poorly now, they will likely feel better soon. And ease any worries about the impact of the virus. Mark Reinecke, psychologist at the Child Mind Institute, told HuffPost: “If you remain calm, your child will be more likely to grasp what’s important: that events can upset our lives, but we can learn from bad experiences and work together to grow stronger.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-08--Nine Chelsea Pensioners Have Died After Contracting Coronavirus

Chelsea Pensioners during a photo call in central London in 2019 Toby Melville / Reuters
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Nine Chelsea Pensioners have died after contracting coronavirus, the Royal Hospital Chelsea has confirmed.
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The retirement home for British veterans, which has a population of 290, made the announcement on Thursday, ahead of the 75th anniversary of VE day on Friday.
It revealed five of the deaths occurred in the hospital, while four died while receiving hospital treatment.
A total of 58 of its residents at the hospital – which is famous for its red tunic uniform – have recovered after either testing positive or showing symptoms of the disease.
Among the residents who died was 75-year-old Fred Boomer-Hawkins, who passed away on April 1.
Hawkins spent 20 years with the Royal Green Jackets infantry regiment, and became a Chelsea Pensioner in 2017.
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In a tribute on Facebook, his son Terry Hawkins wrote: “Today I leave a post for all of you who knew my dad, a Chelsea Pensioner and a much loved father and grandfather and friend to many.
“Sadly at 21:34hrs on 1st April 2020 my dad left us after becoming another victim to this deadly virus.”
Describing his father’s last moments, he wrote: “If the government showed footage of someone at the end with this virus it would scare people and they would heed the advice I am sure.
“Please all stay home, keep your distance, wear a mask and wash your hands. If not you might put someone you love through this.
“My dad was a great man, he was much loved by many and will be sorely missed.”
Chelsea Pensioners are pictured during the Founder's Day Parade at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London, June 2019 Toby Melville / Reuters
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General Sir Adrian Bradshaw, who is governor of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, said that most of the Chelsea Pensioners had risked their lives serving the nation through war and conflict, “just as our NHS staff and care workers are providing vital and sometimes dangerous service to the nation here at home during this Covid crisis”.
“We salute all those working in the health and care sectors at this time and we understand only too well the difficulties that they face.”
General Bradshaw said the hospital now has the capacity to test all those who show symptoms of the disease as well as all those living and working in the same accommodation areas.
He said the hospital was marking VE Day “in a manner appropriate to the current situation”.
“We will reflect on the debt that we owe to those who served the nation in every capacity during the Second World War in Europe,” General Bradshaw said.
“Especially, as we are a home for veterans, we will remember those who were in our armed forces, several of whom are living here in the Royal Hospital.”
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He said the veterans will enjoy some “internal, socially-distant events” but these will be “against the backdrop of the recent losses we have suffered”.
All of us at Chelsea Football Club send our deepest condolences to the family, friends and all those who are associated with the Chelsea Pensioners, following today’s sad news. 💙 — Chelsea FC - #StayHomeSaveLives (@ChelseaFC) May 7, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-08--David Tennant Takes Swipe At Eamonn Holmes While Guest Hosting Have I Got News For You

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On Thursday night, the former Doctor Who star presented the latest special edition of the topical panel show, which sees comedians commenting on the week’s news from home, due to lockdown restrictions.
During a discussion about coronavirus contact tracing apps, and some people’s fears that they could be misused, David quipped: “There are some fears that the contract tracing app could help the government to harvest our personal data. ‘Doesn’t bother me,’ said Eamonn Holmes from the safety of his recently-constructed tin foil bungalow.”
The guest presenter was, of course, referring to the backlash Eamonn faced last month, when he appeared to defend a debunked conspiracy theory linking the coronavirus outbreak with 5G.
David Tennant guest hosting Have I Got News For You BBC
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“What I don’t accept is mainstream media immediately slapping that down as not true, when they don’t know it’s not true,” Eamonn said live on This Morning.
“No one should attack or damage [5G masts] or do anything like that, but it’s very easy to say it is not true because it suits the state narrative. That’s all I would say as someone with an inquiring mind.”
The day after his divisive comments, Eamonn read out a statement live on This Morning, claiming his comments “may have” been “misinterpreted”.
Eamonn and wife Ruth Langsford appearing on This Morning during a "fake news" discussion ITV
“I want to clarify some comments that some of you may have misinterpreted from me yesterday, around conspiracy theories and coronavirus and this involved the roll out of 5G,” he began.
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“Both Alice Beer and myself agreed in a discussion on this very programme on fake news that it is not true that there is a connection between the present national health emergency and 5G and to suggest otherwise would be wrong and indeed it could be possibly dangerous. Every theory relating to such a connection has been proven to be false and we would like to emphasise that.”
He continued: “However, many people are rightly concerned and are looking for answers, and that’s simply what I was trying to impart yesterday but for the avoidance of any doubt I want to make it clear there’s no scientific evidence to substantiate any of those 5G theories.”
This isn’t the first time the incident was referenced on Have I Got News For You, with panellist Ian Hislop previously saying: “One of the giveaways [that the conspiracy theory isn’t true] is that Eamonn Holmes said it might be.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-08--Coronavirus: Public Urged To Follow Lockdown Rules Over Sunny Bank Holiday – And Four More Big Stori

Coronavirus: Public Urged To Follow Lockdown Rules Over Sunny Bank Holiday – And Four More Big Stories

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The public has been urged to continue to follow lockdown rules over the sunny bank holiday weekend.
It comes as speculations grow about how Boris Johnson may choose to ease lockdown restrictions when he addresses the nation on Sunday night.
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To date, 30,615 people have died after contracting Covid-19 in the UK, while more than 200,000 have tested positive for the virus.
Public urged to follow lockdown rules over the bank holiday
A man sunbathes on Primrose Hill in London during lockdown JUSTIN TALLIS via Getty Images
The government has urged the public to continue to follow lockdown rules over the bank holiday weekend, despite the sunshine and warm temperatures that has been forecast.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab insisted on Thursday there would be no change to social distancing rules until Boris Johnson makes an address to the nation on Sunday evening.
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“Any changes in the short term will be modest, small, incremental and very carefully monitored,” Raab said during the coronavirus press conference.
He added: “For the moment it is really important, particularly as people look towards a warm bank holiday weekend, that we continue to follow the guidance in place at this time.”
He denied Boris Johnson had been “unhelpful” in hinting at a change to the lockdown just before the bank holiday, but without offering any detail as to what it might entail.
Much of the UK will be bathed in glorious sunshine, with temperatures expected to soar up to 26C (78.8F) on the VE Day bank holiday on Friday – before falling again over the weekend.
The PM’s official spokesman said previously: “There is no change to the advice.
“We are asking people to stay at home in order to stop the spread of the virus and, by doing so, protect the NHS and save lives.”
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Asked if that meant “don’t sunbathe this weekend”, the spokesman said: “If you want to put it like that.”
Here’s how WWII veterans are marking VE day in care homes
Care homes have described how they plan to celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE day for WWII veterans after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of commemoration events across the UK.
To commemorate the anniversary, the early May bank holiday traditionally held on the first Monday of the month has been pushed back four days.
But the Covid-19 pandemic means care homes – where many of those who lived through VE Day reside – have had to come up with creative ways to celebrate the momentous day and pay tribute to the Second World War generation.
Kelly, 31, is activities co-ordinator at Ashcroft Care Home in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, run by Four Seasons Health Care.
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Ashcroft Care Home will be celebrating VE Day 2020 with a BBQ and garden party, and will also put on a karaoke for residents with songs from the 1940s and 1950s. It will be recorded and put on Facebook so families can see their loved ones taking part in the fun.
She told HuffPost UK: “We are proud of any veterans we get in. Without them, we would not be where we are today, and we owe them the world.
“VE Day is a huge deal for this country and the people who went through it spent a long time in a hard place and this day represents them finally getting their freedom back.
“We should never forget the sacrifices they made, lockdown or not. We should be proud and celebrate not only those who went to war, but those who lived through it at home as well.”
Covid-19 could be a fixture of life in Africa ‘for the next several years’, WHO warns
A health worker sprays his headset during a community testing exercise in Abuja, Nigeria. (REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde) REUTERS
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Covid-19 could become a fixture of life in Africa “for the next several years” unless governments are pro-active in tackling the virus, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned.
In a new study, the health agency said that coronavirus had the capacity to kill between 83,000 and 190,000 people in Africa in the first year if it was not contained.
Meanwhile, it could infect as many as 44 million in 12 months, projections suggested.
However, the WHO figures were based on the assumption that no measures were put in place to contain the virus, Reuters reported.
Most countries on the continent have imposed restrictions on public gatherings, international travel and curfews among other measures meant to curb the spread of the virus.
The virus hit Africa later than other continents and transmission rates are lower than elsewhere. But this could translate into a prolonged, years-long outbreak, WHO said.
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“COVID-19 could become a fixture in our lives for the next several years unless a proactive approach is taken by many governments in the region. We need to test, trace, isolate and treat,” WHO Africa head Matshidiso Moetti said in a separate statement.
The organisation warned that small countries, as well as Algeria, South Africa and Cameroon, could be severely affected.
Notably, the WHO Africa study covered only the 47 countries that belong to the WHO Africa region and not the entire continent. It means the study did not take account of Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco.
As of Thursday, the 47 countries included in the study recorded more than 35,000 cases of coronavirus and upwards of 1,200 deaths, Reuters reported.
UK rapper Ty Chijioke dies after contracting coronavirus
Ty attending the 2004 Mercury Music Prize awards ©Susan/allactiondigital.com EMPICS Entertainment
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Acclaimed rapper Ty Chijioke has died after being hospitalised with Covid-19 complications, HuffPost UK understands.
The Brixton-based artist, 47, was an influential figure on the UK music scene, releasing four successful albums, and gaining a Mercury Music Prize nomination in 2004.
His death comes after the hip-hop MC, born Ben Chijioke, was admitted into hospital with medical complications related to Covid-19 and placed into a medically-induced coma.
According to an update on April 19, Ty was moved out of the intensive care unit and onto a ward while continuing to recover.
Speaking to HuffPost UK, broadcaster and friend Jasmine Dotiwala paid tribute to the late rapper.
“Ty is a UK hip-hop legend that has championed the culture in all its many forms across many decades. He’s one of the torch bearers and flagstone icons of the culture who created his own music but also championed so many others,” she said.
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She added: “And when all of this is over, when we are able to go out and be free again, we will celebrate him with the biggest celebration and make sure that people don’t forget him, we will play his music loudly and walk through the streets rapping along with him. I hope he’s resting in peace.”
Police hunt gang who stole PPE destined for NHS
Detectives are hunting a burglary gang who stole 80,000 face masks destined for the NHS and frontline workers.
The £166,000 worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) was taken from the warehouse of a medical supplies firm at the Trafalgar Business Park in Salford, Greater Manchester, on Wednesday night.
The high-quality n95 respirator masks were to be supplied to the NHS along with councils and care homes in West Yorkshire.
The gang of three suspects spent around two hours at the premises, first cutting a hole in the warehouse steel shutters so as not to trigger burglar alarms by lifting up the door.
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They then removed 320 boxes, or 10 pallets’ worth of the masks.
Other medical equipment, including cheaper quality masks – also housed at the site, were left untouched.
Police are trawling CCTV and want to trace three offenders, two men and a third person, possibly a woman, all wearing dark clothing, who made off with the haul in three vehicles; a white Mercedes Sprinter van, a grey Volkswagen Caddy van and a grey silver estate vehicle.
Detectives believe they were at the site between 9.30pm on Wednesday and 12.20am Thursday, when the alarm was raised by a security guard.
Detective Inspector Christopher Mannion, from Greater Manchester Police, said: “This is a particularly sickening crime when you consider that the PPE was intended for the NHS and for care home workers and at a time when we are trying to protect the NHS and one another against one common enemy in Covid-19.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives on 0161 856 5345 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-08--Sarah Michelle Gellar Wears Iconic Buffy Dress 23 Years Later And It's A Slay

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No need to beep her ― the apocalypse is already here and Sarah Michelle Gellar is slaying in some Buffy fashions of yesteryear.
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Sarah Michelle took a stroll down memory lane and into her closet on Thursday, to pull out one of her alter-ego’s most iconic looks.
The actor shared a photo of herself on Instagram in the stunning white gown that the vampire slayer wore during the first season’s final episode, Prophecy Girl, all the way back in 1997.
“All dressed up and no where to go. ‘I say we party,’” she wrote alongside the photo, adding the hashtags #safeathome and #prophecygirl.
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Fans will, of course, remember the dress as the one Buffy wore when she met her maker (for the first time, anyway) after confronting the season’s big bad, The Master.
If you still don’t remember, perhaps the peak Buffy retort, “I may be dead but I’m still pretty,” might jog your memory.
The newly pink-haired star confirmed that the gown was indeed the same one she wore two decades ago in the hit series, responding “you know it” when one follower asked, “Omg is that THE dress?!?”
But she hinted that it was likely the only outfit she has left from the series, telling a different fan requesting a weekly fashion show that the look “might be all I have”.
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No word, however, if the leather jacket was pulled from Buffy’s closet or her own.
The coronavirus lockdown appears to have Sarah Michelle feeling nostalgic, as she’s kept the Buffy the Vampire Slayer content coming on social media as of late, posting a photo of herself holding a giant wooden stake in March.
But don’t expect Sarah Michelle to reprise her role anywhere else besides her Instagram page.
She told HuffPost last year that seven seasons playing Buffy were enough for her, even as a reboot of the series was in development.
“My story with Buffy about representing horrors of adolescence has been told,” she said. “If there’s another story to tell, I think that’s awesome and will only eventually trace back to the original and people will probably realise that [whispers] it’s not as good.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-08--Ariana Grande Insists She 'Did Not Allow' Carole Baskin Clip To Appear In Music Video For New Justin

Ariana Grande Insists She 'Did Not Allow' Carole Baskin Clip To Appear In Music Video For New Justin Bieber Duet

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Ariana Grande has claimed she did not allow a clip of Tiger King star Carole Baskin to be featured in the music video for her new duet with Justin Bieber.
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On Friday, Ariana and Justin unveiled their new lockdown love song Stuck With U, a charity single aiming to raise money for the First Responders Children’s Foundation.
Along with the song itself, the pair also debuted its video, made up of clips of themselves performing the song at home, as well as a host of celebrities.
Ariana Grande David Crotty via Getty Images
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Hours before the Stuck With U video debuted, Justin posted a clip of Carole Baskin and her current husband, Howard, swaying to the song, to tease the release
However, Ariana was quick to point out that she had not allowed the controversial animal rights activist to appear in the final video.
“For the record, I did not allow or approve this clip to be in the actual video,” she wrote. “But. Nonetheless. It exists and that’s ..... unique.”
for the record, i did not allow or approve this clip to be in the actual video. but. nonetheless. it exists and that’s ..... unique.
anyway, 7.5 hours ! — Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) May 7, 2020
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Since the release of Tiger King back in March, Carole Baskin has been at the centre of speculation about her late ex-husband, vehemently denying all claims related to the subject.
The Stuck With U video heavily features Justin at home with his wife, Hailey Bieber, while Ariana is seen snuggling with her dog, Toulouse.
Towards the end of the video, though, she appears to confirm a new relationship, when she’s seen looking cosy with a mysterious man, believed to be Los Angeles real estate agent Dalton Gomez.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-08--There's Untold Amounts Of Joy To Be Had Revisiting TV Classics Like The Vicar Of Dibley

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With production on most new TV shows on hold for the foreseeable future due to the coronavirus pandemic, we’re all going to have to get used to seeing a lot more repeats on our screens over the coming months.
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But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing – in fact, there’s a lot of joy to be had rediscovering old classics, as I’ve learned for myself over the last week.
The complete boxset of legendary BBC sitcom The Vicar Of Dibley returned to Netflix earlier this month, which coincided with a time where I’d hit a real wall with the lockdown, and the nostalgia it evoked could not have been more of a relief.
BBC/HuffPost
Yes, watching old BBC comedy boxsets on iPlayer or Netflix is nothing new – I’ve rewatched Gavin & Stacey and Absolutely Fabulous so many times that had they been on VHS, the tapes would be worn out – but until recently, The Vicar Of Dibley had been one of those shows fans would had to actually go out and buy a physical copy of to enjoy again.
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For that reason, it’s been years since I’ve roared with laughter at the sight of Geraldine Grainger unwittingly jumping into a very deep puddle, or badly mimicking ballerina Darcey Bussell in the village variety show. Heck, I even guffaw at Alice Tinker’s terrible jokes in every single post-credits scene.
Seeing those moments we all remember so fondly from the 90s heyday of British comedy has been sliding on a pair of comfy old slippers. Yes it’s a cliché to say, but sometimes clichés exist for a reason, and this is genuinely one of them.
I’ve also reached such a point of lockdown delirium that I’m genuinely a bit gutted that I can’t go and self-isolate with Dawn French’s character in the vicarage. As HuffPost’s recent investigation into the most suitable TV homes for the quarantine period concluded: “[Geraldine] would be brilliant company, the place itself is cosy and you know if nothing else there’d be a decent supply of chocolate if you felt like an impromptu treat. And then there’s the surroundings – who wouldn’t love doing their one hour government-approved walk in all of that beautiful nature?”
BBC
I’ve also found hilarity in theorising what situations iconic characters like Alice and Owen (played by the late Emma Chambers and Roger Lloyd–Pack) would have gotten themselves into during the lockdown – much like one Gavin & Stacey fan did in this seriously inspired Twitter thread. Just think of all the new hobbies Alice would have found, or what Owen could have been up to on the farm. Actually, maybe it’s best not to dwell on that last one.
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So if you’re in need of a pick me up this Bank Holiday weekend, there’s 20 episodes of sheer joy just waiting for you to delve back into. And when you’re finished devouring Dibley, there’s a complete serving of Dinnerladies on Netflix to get your teeth stuck into next.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-08--A Secret Love & The Great British Sewing Bee | Good Vibes Only: Lockdown

A Secret Love & The Great British Sewing Bee | Good Vibes Only: Lockdown
This week in entertainment, A Secret Love captures hearts, The Great British Sewing Bee makes for addictive viewing and classic episodes of The Vicar of Dibley are definitely worth a revisit right now.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-08--This Is What Your Weekend Might Look Like In Post-Lockdown Britain

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Everyday life in the UK is still a million miles from what it was just two months ago, but on Wednesday Brits got their first taste of the easing of the coronavirus lockdown.
Unlimited exercise, a limited return to work and permission to meet up with one person from outside your own household outdoors were some of the baby steps to normalcy announced by Boris Johnson.
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But let’s be honest, what we really want to know is how the lifting of the coronavirus lockdown – when it eventually happens – is going to affect the things we actually want to do.
In normal times we’d have hundreds of different options for how to spend the weekend but these, as you well know, are not normal times.
Earlier this month, Michael Gove warned that people would have to live with “some degree of constraint” until they could be immunised against coronavirus, adding Brits would have to accept a “new normal” until then.
HuffPost UK asked six people in various industries what this new normal might look like.
kruwt via Getty Images
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The club night
It’s Saturday morning, breakfast has been served (at home) and it’s a gorgeous sunny day outside.
You’re actually a little bit hungover because last night you had a few drinks and danced like a loon to a live DJ – in your living room.
Even if the government allows nightclubs to operate at a reduced capacity, it’s unlikely this will be viable for many.
Sacha Lord, who co-founded The Warehouse Project and Parklife festival, told HuffPost UK he doesn’t think big night clubs will be open again until at least the end of September: “I think it has to be all or nothing for the clubs,” he said.
“There’s nothing worse than walking into a venue that’s one quarter full – it kills the atmosphere, it just doesn’t work.”
Fans of Enter Shikari at Victoria Warehouse in 2016 in Manchester. Shirlaine Forrest via Getty Images
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But there is an alternative, of sorts. Since lockdown measures were imposed, Lord, who is also the night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, has been overseeing United We Stream, a free-to-view live music service that as well as providing people with a music fix has been raising money to support workers in the entertainment industry.
I can now confirm that the first 4 weekends of https://t.co/0YgDfFNWNf have raised over £260,000. Thanks to everyone who has donated, the artists and everyone behind the cameras. This will help so many people across Greater Manchester @StreamGm @AndyBurnhamGM #UnitedWeStreamGM — Sacha Lord (@Sacha_Lord) May 4, 2020
And it’s been a success – a 12-hour party on the platform saw 1.5m people tune in.
“It’s going to take us time to get our heads around coming back into hospitality and the night time economy. But we will quickly adapt,” says Lord.
So that’s your fun for the weekend sorted. But what about the kids?
The soft play area
Jason Jenkins runs Little Dinosaurs – a soft play area in Alexandra Park, London, he set it up in 2009 because he was “fed up of going to places that stank of wee and were all indoors”.
Reopening a facility that primarily hosts children while maintaining social distancing raises its own unique challenge. “How can you manage 30 coughing, sneezing and sweating children who just want to bundle on top of each other and have fun?” says Jenkins.
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Until for government guidance on soft play areas is issued, Jenkins can only speculate how it might reopen after lockdown.
“We would have to revert from a free for all to a set number session. We can hold about 100 people indoors, 200 with garden as well. I imagine we’d be looking at 20-40 children and 30-40 adults at a maximum.
“Although you can’t control the children, but there’ll be much stringer hygiene measures. It’ll be stuff like masks, spray guns and washing all the equipment down and extra stuff like that.
“That’s all we can think of until we know more.”
So with the kids in tow, you decide to visit that bastion of British commerce...
The garden centre
Unlike DIY stores such as B&Q, garden centres weren’t classed as essential shops by the government and so closed in March, right at the beginning of their peak season.
But Wednesday marked their return after the government announced they could reopen – and it couldn’t have come soon enough for their owners.
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Denise Matthew runs The Boma, a gardening centre in north London. Before the announcement, she told HuffPost UK: “If you don’t make enough in April and May then you will struggle for the rest of the year.
“The fact we are closed for these two months is a real challenge for the whole horticultural industry.”
The Boma in Kentish Town. The Boma
For those visiting this week and the weeks after, the experience will be different – queues to enter are almost certain and most notably, it could be the end of leisurely browsing and the introduction of a much more streamlined shopping experience.
“We’re going to put trained horticultural staff at the gate to try and help people with answering questions at the gate while they’re waiting,” says Matthew.
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“They can give advice right there while they’re queuing.”
So armed with a few perennials and some newly-acquired expert knowledge, it’s time for lunch. And maybe a pint.
The pub
The great British pub faces one of the most difficult logistical challenges when it comes to enforcing social distancing, particularly smaller venues.
Sam McMeekin, co-founder of The Gipsy Hill Brewing Company, told HuffPost UK: “They survive by packing people in, and people are happy to be packed in because there’s a great atmosphere and great quality food and drink being served.”
The government has already confirmed that pubs and restaurants will be the last to reopen so it’s highly unlikely you’ll be popping down the local next week.
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Whether or not pubs survive closure and the subsequent social distancing may well rely on what they do as a business in the meantime.
McMeekin has seen a huge surge in online sales and while it “doesn’t make up for lost sales”, he’s hoping if they continue after lockdown they could he make up for the near-inevitable limit in customer numbers.
But it will still be a struggle and special events might still be nothing more than a fond memory for some time to come.
“We really make hay when we’re showing England rugby games during the Six Nations, any kind of big party or a beer launch,” he says.
“Those days make everything else work.”
That’s not to say the party planning has stopped entirely – McMeekin is currently running a “buy the NHS a pint” campaign. “The idea is when we can reopen, we’ll have a series of parties to make sure all the money gets into the hands of NHS workers.”
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So if you’re not prepared to queue for the pub or perhaps you’re worried the atmosphere just won’t be the same, how about some food?
The restaurant
Restaurants are essentially in the same boat as pubs.
Simon Wood, 2015 Masterchef winner and owner of three fine dining restaurants in the north of England, told HuffPost UK: “We have absolutely zero idea when the restaurants might open again.
“They were the first to close so it sort of ridicules the government’s approach if they’re not the last thing to open.”
Like pubs, it’s more than likely social distancing measures will mean a limit to how many people can eat at any one time. Wood is already planning how he can comply with regulations and stay viable as a business.
“We formulated a plan and we’re now doing fine dining takeaway,” he says.
“The concept is 90% of the dish is made and prepped, the only thing you have to do is warm the sauce or cook your steak or cod.
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“From a financial perspective, it covers my fixed costs within the restaurant which I have to pay whether we’re open or not. It gives people that high end dining experience but they also get a bit of a distraction and it fills a couple of hours of their day so it’s nice.”
Wood has essentially set up a new business in three weeks and hopes it could continue once his restaurants open and plug the gap produced by limiting dine-in capacity.
“You can’t charge people more, I just don’t think it’s fair,” he says.
“We have to adapt. If we have to open at 60% capacity, I’ll see if I can do 40% home delivery.”
OK, so you’ve ordered some drinks online and you have all the pre-prepped ingredients you need to make a fine-dining meal for the family at home. What about entertainment?
You’ve spent weeks watching everything on Netflix, so maybe it’s time for a bit of culture.
The theatre
Graeme Thompson, creative producer at Live Theatre in Newcastle, told HuffPost UK the traditional theatre experience isn’t likely to resume while social distancing remains in place.
And it’s not just the play itself that will be affected. “Live is quite a small theatre and one of the reasons our audiences enjoy coming so much is because you can go there and have a drink in the bar after and see the actors or approach them and ask them question,” he says.
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“If you have to go through quite a rigorous process to even enter the space and then again to exit, it kind of removes you from that communal atmosphere that makes theatre what it is.”
Just like nightclubs and restaurant cooking, for the next few months at least, the theatre experience will be an at-home one.
“Best case scenario at the moment is we’re open by Christmas time and until then, the theatre experience is going to have to exist in a digital format,” Thompson says.
But there could be a positive effect of having the theatre experience move solely online.
“You can have huge numbers of people watching online and that is a way of getting the experience of the theatre out there and maybe in the longer term, this will have a beneficial effect.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-08--Back On The Front Line: The War Heroes Marking VE Day In Care Homes

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“VE Day should never be forgotten – lockdown or not. There are so many ways to celebrate, so we will make sure we still make it special for those who lived through it.”
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Care home worker Kelly Bannister is filled with pride when she meets veterans. “Without them,” she says, “we would not be where we are today – we owe them the world.”
Victory in Europe Day, more commonly known as VE Day, was the public holiday celebrated on May 8, 1945, to mark Nazi Germany’s surrender.
More than a million people celebrated in the streets as the Second World War, which had lasted nearly six years, came to an end.
Ecstatic crowds celebrating VE Day in London's Piccadilly at the end of the Second World War Getty Creative
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Friday marks 75 years since VE Day. To commemorate the anniversary, the early May bank holiday traditionally held on the first Monday of the month has been pushed back four days.
Yet poignantly, the coronavirus outbreak means there will be no street parties, parades or public festivities this year.
The majority of surviving Second World War veterans are now well into their 90s, if not older – meaning they are among those most vulnerable to Covid-19.
Those who faced isolation from their loved ones during wartime now face separation from their families all over again as the country gets to grips with its biggest national crisis in the years since.
But despite the lockdown, care homes across the UK – where many of those who lived through VE Day reside – have come up with creative ways to celebrate the momentous day and pay tribute to the Second World War generation.
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“We should never forget the sacrifices they made, lockdown or not.” - Kelly Bannister, Ashcroft Care Home
Kelly, 31, is activities co-ordinator at Ashcroft Care Home in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, run by Four Seasons Health Care.
She told HuffPost UK: “We are proud of any veterans we get in. Without them, we would not be where we are today, and we owe them the world.
“VE Day is a huge deal for this country and the people who went through it spent a long time in a hard place and this day represents them finally getting their freedom back.
“We should never forget the sacrifices they made, lockdown or not. We should be proud and celebrate not only those who went to war, but those who lived through it at home as well.”
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One resident at Ashcroft Care Home who has emotional memories of the war and all that VE Day represents is 97-year-old Graham Willis.
Graham, from the village of Cressbrook in Derbyshire, is an RAF veteran who worked in signalling, calling planes in using Morse code.
His abiding memory is having his life saved during the D-Day landings on Juno Beach in France.
Graham Willis Kelly Bannister
His son Ron Willis, 68, told HuffPost UK: “My dad has vivid memories of scrambling along the beach while being shot at by Germans when this Canadian soldier suddenly grabbed him, dragged him out of the way and saved his life.
“He knows that he would definitely be dead if it hadn’t been for the actions of this Canadian man and he gets very emotional talking about it. He never saw the man who saved his life again.”
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After the war ended, Graham got married and had two children. But his marriage broke down and he moved back in with his own parents, taking Ron with him. He worked at a mill and then ran a pub before going on to work for a cement making company.
The father-of-two now has three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. Sadly, his second wife Eileen died four years ago.
Ron said: “After his wife died, my dad was still managing to live at home and I would go and see him regularly and take him out.
“Then he started having problems walking and had to go into hospital a few times. He had home care and was still living at home. But then he deteriorated and went into Ashcroft Care Home earlier this year.”
Ron told HuffPost UK he went to see his father every Thursday at the care home and would take him out. “He knew I would be coming and would get ready and we would go for a couple of pints in the pub down the road.
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“But I have not seen him since lockdown and it is impossible to talk to him over the telephone as all you can hear is a mumble.
“There is absolutely nothing I can do during this coronavirus outbreak except wait until it is safe to go to the care home.”
Ron says VE Day is a very personal time for his dad as he would be thinking about the people and friends who died around him and remembering his near-death experience.
“There’s not many of them left now who fought in the Second World War,” he said. “It must have been a very frightening time for them.
“VE Day should not be forgotten and we should remember the sacrifices people made. But as well as celebrating, it should act as a warning.
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“The coronavirus pandemic is another crisis and it should not be driving people apart. Even though people can’t see each other, it should be bringing them closer together.”
Graham Willis with Kelly Bannister at Ashcroft Care Home Ashcroft Care Home
Kelly, who describes Graham as “a cheeky chappie”, told HuffPost UK he gets very tearful when recalling the moment he was shot at and had his life saved.
Care home staff recognise that, while VE Day is a time of celebration for residents, it can also unleash unpleasant memories.
“We try to make VE Day all about the residents and it is a time to celebrate,” said Kelly. “But we did not have to live through what they did and we have to be careful and are sympathetic enough to know that not all the memories are good.”
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Ashcroft Care Home will be celebrating VE Day 2020 with a BBQ and garden party, and will also put on a karaoke for residents with songs from the 1940s and 1950s. It will be recorded and put on Facebook so families can see their loved ones taking part in the fun.
Across other Four Seasons Health Care care homes, VE Day celebrations include serving special wartime dishes on Union Jack plates, dressing up in vintage clothing, holding street parties at the home, and having a wartime singalong.
Over in Scotland, the charity Erskine runs four homes for veterans and their spouses.
One of their residents at the Erskine Home in Bishopton is 100-year-old Isobel Kirkwood, who has vivid memories of VE Day.
At the time, she was newly married, expecting a baby and teaching at a primary school in west London. She remembers her headteacher saying the war was coming to an end and there was to be a public holiday.
Isobel decided the only place to be on such a day was outside Buckingham Palace and travelled there on the Underground with a friend. She recalls standing outside the palace along with the crowds yelling: “We want the King.”
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“The atmosphere was jolly, it was a happy crowd and people were waving flags,” she said. “I remember the King and the royal family of four did come out onto the balcony and they waved to the crowds below.
“I shall never forget the roar as Winston Churchill joined them and you could feel the emotion, the gratitude of a nation for the way he kept morale high during the war.”
“It meant hope and a certain excitement. It meant my good-looking Spitfire pilot husband would return safe and sound.” - Isobel Kirkwood
One of Isobel’s most treasured possessions is a newspaper from 2005 that shows an image of the royal family on the balcony on VE Day, on which she has penned the words: “I was in front of the palace and witnessed this scene on May 8th 1945 – Isobel Kirkwood.”
Isobel Kirkwood's newspaper cutting Isobel Kirkwood
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For Isobel, VE Day represented joy and hope. “It meant hope and a certain excitement,” she said. “It meant my good-looking Spitfire pilot husband would return safe and sound.
“We would start family life together in Scotland and, until he was demobbed, I would teach in a normal classroom with no fear of air raids.
“I realised that my first five years of teaching in 1940 to 1945 had been in shelters due to the Battle of Britain and the Blitz.”
Isobel Kirkwood with husband Robert Isobel Kirkwood
Isobel and husband Robert went on to have a son, Roger, who lives in Manchester and has two sons of his own.
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Robert was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and in 1982 Isobel retired so she could drive him around for his job as a salesman.
But his condition deteriorated and their GP suggested going to Erskine for respite care. Eventually, he moved into Erskine permanently in 1995.
Isobel volunteered for more than 25 years for Erskine as she felt the charity cared deeply about her husband, who died in 2003. She was awarded a British Empire Medal in 2016 for her services to charity.
Having turned 100 in December last year, Isobel now lives in the care home she has given so much to over the years.
Isobel Kirkwood on her 100th birthday Isobel Kirkwood
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Also among the 180 resident of The Erskine Home is army veteran Jim Gorrie, now 91.
He was 11 when war broke out on September 3, 1939, and having lived through the bombing and trips to the air raid shelters he knew VE Day was a time for celebration six years later.
He recalls how, at the age of 17, he and his family in Glasgow prepared for the announcement along with the rest of the street.
“All my family lived very close together,” he said. “My Gran and Grampa lived across the road and my Uncle Jack, who lost his arm in the Somme, and Aunt Patsy lived a couple of doors down.
“We had lived through the war together and we celebrated together.”
Jim Gorrie when he was younger Jim Gorrie
Jim Gorrie when he was younger Jim Gorrie
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Jim, who was working as a signal boy for the London and Midland and Scottish Railways, remembers still having to go to work as no one got the day off.
But he recalls the streets being decorated with flags and trestle tables and food being brought out for the street party.
“We obviously still had food rationing so the food was a bit different to what it would have been today, but I will never forget the cake made with banana essence.”
Jim and several of his friends were aware that, on turning 18, they would be conscripted: although the war was over in Europe, it wasn’t in the Far East.
Sure enough, he was conscripted to the Seaforth Highlanders and sent to Malaya, one of the very places Japan had invaded.
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Jim told HuffPost UK there were similarities with the war when it came to celebrating VE Day at a time when the country is back in national crisis.
But during wartime, he said, people had their families to support them.
Jim Gorrie Erskine
“Now we are dependent on all the staff for our everyday needs as we can’t see our family,” he told HuffPost UK.
“It’s absolutely terrible and although I can talk to them on the phone and Skype, it’s not the same as seeing them face-to-face.
“I miss my family terribly but what can we do? It’s how it is with this coronavirus. The staff have been very good and understanding.”
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For VE Day, each house within The Erskine Home will have a tea party. Chefs will provide a buffet style lunch for all residents and the party will continue into the afternoon with music and singing.
ABF The Soldiers’ Charity has provided £1,000 of VE Day partyware for the home and have sent ABF 75th anniversary merchandise for all residents and staff.
Lesley Wylie, acting home manager at The Erskine Home, told HuffPost UK: “We celebrate VE Day every year within our four care homes. It is very important that such a momentous occasion is never forgotten as all our residents are veterans or spouses of veterans.
“Marking the ending of war in Europe has poignant significance.
“As residents from different houses cannot mix at present, VE Day will be different this year, but it is even more important both for residents and staff to enjoy a special afternoon of VE Day themed entertainment and food while respecting social distancing during in-house celebrations.”
Nadra Ahmed, chair of the National Care Association, told HuffPost UK it was imperative to mark the courage of veterans and those who lived through the wars on VE Day.
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“This generation now faces a germ warfare which is unprecedented. It is an indictment of our society that this government has failed to implement sufficient measures to protect them as they should be.” - Nadra Ahmed, National Care Association
“The bravery of the veterans in our services and those who lived through the wars shows through even today, with exceptional and notable feats being achieved by individuals of that era,” she said.
“VE Day will celebrate the efforts of those who are with us and those we lost during the period. Our generations and those to come owe an enormous debt of gratitude to them as they made it possible for us to live in a free world.”
But, she added, the government has failed to provide sufficient measures to protect the vulnerable in care homes against coronavirus.
She said: “This generation now faces a germ warfare which is unprecedented.
“It is an indictment of our society that this government has failed to implement sufficient measures to protect them as they should be.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-08--27 Funny And Heartwarming Quotes From Kids In Coronavirus Lockdown

In normal times, kids say hilarious, heartwarming and truly original things. In Covid-19 pandemic times, well, the same is true.
Lacey Ellis created the LittleHoots app in 2014 to give parents an easy way to document and archive the funny things their children say. She has shared highlights from the app on social media and in a weekly newsletter.
As families practise social distancing and face a new reality together, kids are still lightening the mood with funny one-liners and sweet observations. And Ellis continues to share their quotes.
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Here’s a selection of funny, sweet, strange and wise things kids have said during this time of social distancing. Visit the LittleHoots website for more funny kid quotes.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-08--Hollywood On Netflix: What's Fact And What's Fiction In Ryan Murphy's New Drama?

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This article contains major spoilers for the Netflix series Hollywood.
Ryan Murphy’s latest collaboration with Netflix, the glamorous and over-the-top Hollywood, debuted on the streaming platform last week, and has already been met with a mixed reception.
While many critics – including us! – loved the much-needed escapism the series provided, many felt its attempts to rewrite history were a little slapdash and overly cheesy.
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“I wanted to do a show about buried history,” Ryan Murphy previously told the New York Post, when asked about his decision to present an alternative version of Hollywood’s “golden era”. “And I wanted to ask a big, revisionist history question, which was: ‘If these people who were allowed to be who they were in the late 40s and get that image up on the screen, would it change the trajectory of Hollywood and would it trickle down and change my life as a gay kid growing up in the 70s who felt that I had no role models?’”
With many questioning which of the events depicted in Hollywood really did happen, and which were merely creations of the writers’ imaginations, here’s what we were able to dig up...
The main characters
Netflix
Hollywood begins by introducing us to Jack Castello (David Corenswet), as he sets off on his journey to stardom, encountering director Raymond Ainsley (Darren Criss), aspiring screenwriter Archie Coleman (Jeremy Pope) and future co-stars Claire Wood (Samara Weaving) and Camille Washington (Laura Harrier).
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Then there’s studio executives like Avis Amberg and Ellen Kincaid (name a more iconic duo than Patti LuPone and Holland Taylor) and Dick Samuels (Joe Mantello).
Although Ryan Murphy and the actors have said that many of the characters are influenced by real figures from Hollywood, they’re all completely fictional. In fact, of the main cast, only Rock Hudson (Jake Picking) and Henry Willson (Jim Parsons) are real people. More on them later, though...
Extras gathered outside the Ace Studios gate
Netflix
One of the first times we meet Jack, he’s part of a swathe of people outside of the Ace Studios gate, hoping he’ll be hand-picked to be an extra, setting him on his path to the silver screen.
While Ace Studios is completely fictional, this is an actual practise that used to happen outside the Paramount Studios in the era Hollywood is set, with hopefuls trying to get themselves spotted by studio execs.
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And to be fair, it often worked, with this being how many extras were cast in the studio’s films at that time.
The Golden Tip gas station
Netflix
Before long landing a film role, Jack finds himself working at the Golden Tip gas station to try and earn himself a bit of extra cash, a car garage where the wealthy people of Hollywood come to him for an extra *ahem* service.
Behind the whole operation is Ernie (frequent Ryan Murphy collaborator Dylan McDermott), who proudly runs the business. Customers can request to be taken to “Dreamland” as a codeword for sex, as Rock Hudson does in his first meeting with Archie.
Although the Golden Tip gas station and Ernie are both fictitious, they’re based on the real-life experiences of Scotty Bowers, a former Marine who ran a similar establishment out of a petrol station in Hollywood.
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Cole Porter
Netflix
Scotty Bowers wrote about his experiences running his petrol station/Hollywood brothel in a 2012 memoir, which was later turned into a documentary.
In the book, Scotty names a number of high-profile clients, including music legend Cole Porter, who was also depicted in one scene paying a visit to the Golden Tip gas station.
Rock Hudson
Netflix
Another of the celebrities named in Scotty’s book was Rock Hudson, so it’s fitting that the first time we meet the actor in the show – when he’s still known as Roy Fitzgerald – it’s when he’s asking Archie for a trip to “Dreamland”.
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Much of Rock Hudson’s back story is actually the same as it is depicted in Hollywood – he was given his stage name after signing with infamous talent manager Henry Willson, who later pushed him into working on his physique and having his teeth done.
Even things from the show you mightn’t expect to be real are true, including the fact one of his first on-screen roles required 27 takes for him to get his one line right (apparently he kept saying “backboard” instead of “blackboard”).
The real Rock Hudson, pictured in the 1950s Archive Photos via Getty Images
The one big difference between the real and fictitious Rock Hudson is that the never actually came out as gay in his lifetime, his sexuality only revealed following his death from AIDS-related complications in 1985.
In fact, during his lifetime he was briefly married to one of Henry Willson’s secretaries, with the manager repeatedly fending off details of the truth about his client’s sexuality winding up in the papers.
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“Imagine if he was allowed to be gay and he was the first [gay movie star]. Not only would he have been happier, but imagine all of the people who would have had a role model,” Ryan Murphy told the NY Post, of his decision to have Rock Hudson come out in the final episode.
Anna May Wong
Netflix
Like Rock Hudson, some of Anna May Wong’s story played out exactly in real life as it did in the TV show Hollywood – most notably, her being invited to audition for the lead role in The Good Earth, for a Chinese role that ultimately went to white actress Luise Rayner, who later won an Oscar for it.
Sadly, though, things in the real Anna May’s film career ended up being very different.
Like her Hollywood counterpart, Anna May grew disillusioned with the limitations that being an actress of colour had on her film career as a result of producers’ prejudices, and put her big-screen career on hold.
“I was so tired of the parts I had to play,” she told Film Daily, way back in 1933. “Why is it that the screen Chinese is nearly always the villain of the piece, and so cruel a villain—murderous, treacherous, a snake in the grass? We are not like that... I got so weary of it all—of the scenarist’s concept of Chinese characters.”
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The real Anna May Wong Donaldson Collection via Getty Images
Ryan Murphy has said Hollywood is his way of “giving some people who were dealt a terrible hand by Hollywood a happy ending”, and there’s no question Anna May is one such figure.
In the finale, the character becomes the first woman of Chinese descent to win an Oscar for acting, though in reality, this is a milestone that is shockingly still to be achieved.
Peg Entwistle
Netflix
Peg Entwistle wasn’t actually a character in Hollywood, but her true story did become a centrepoint for the show.
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Originally from Wales, Peg moved to California to pursue a film career, but grew disillusioned with Hollywood early on.
As depicted in the show, Peg took her own life after most of her scenes were cut out of the film Thirteen Women, with her suicide note being featured in the show exactly as written.
In the same way Ryan Murphy tried to give an alternative ending to the likes of Anna May Wong and Rock Hudson, Hollywood sees Archie reimagining Peg’s story, by her ultimately not killing herself, deciding this will be more empowering to young women watching.
Henry Willson’s behaviour
Netflix
Viewers got to see a very different side to The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons when they were introduced to his Hollywood character, Henry Willson.
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Willson really was Rock Hudson’s manager, and by all accounts, his dealings were just as shady as depicted in Hollywood.
The biography The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys And Dirty Deals Of Henry Willson outlines a lot of the behaviour portrayed in the Netflix series, most notably him taking advantage of many young men who had been hoping to get ahead in Hollywood.
Variety has also described Willson as having had a reputation at the height of his success for being “predatory”, and “luring” young men into working with him, by promising to make them a star as long as they “did what he said”.
Henry Willson Bettmann via Getty Images
“Henry Willson was one of the great monsters in Hollywood history,” Ryan Murphy has said. “He would go after the same type of guy and promise them stardom by forcing them to sleep with him. Or watch them sleep with other people.”
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Other details from Willson’s life were kept in the show, too, including his real relationship and his rumoured link with the Mafia.
However, the real Henry Willson had a far less happy ending than his TV counterpart. In the show, Willson seeks help for his addictions and predatory behaviour, entering a healthy relationship and producing the first mainstream gay film.
In reality, though, Willson struggled with substance abuse until the end of his life, having been denounced by many of his own clients after his sexuality was revealed.
Parties at George Cukor’s house
Netflix
Much of the action in the third episode of Hollywood centres around a dinner party at film director George Cukor’s house, where things take a rather different turn once everyone is done eating.
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George – who helmed A Star Is Born, The Philadelphia Story and won an Oscar for directing My Fair Lady – was renowned for his vibrant parties (“Mr. Cukor has all these wonderful parties for ladies in the afternoon. Then in the evening naughty men come around to eat the crumbs!”).
One crucial difference between the real and fictional parties though, is the alcohol consumption. In actuality, George wasn’t thought to be much of a drinker, and alcohol was supposedly quite hard to come by at his pool parties.
Vivien Leigh
Netflix
George Cukor’s dinner party is the first place we’re introduced to Hollywood legend Vivien Leigh, best known for her role in Gone With The Wind.
In real life, Vivien was a friend of George’s, having remained close even after he was replaced as the director of the now-classic film, including meeting with him for tips on how she should perform as Scarlett O’Hara.
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Vivien Leigh after winning the Oscar for Gone With The Wind Bettmann via Getty Images
During the episode, she’s seen contemplating taking on a new part in the film version of A Streetcar Named Desire, which would go on to win the real Vivien Leigh her second Oscar.
She’s also depicted as fairly troubled, while in reality, the actress struggled with her mental health throughout her life, eventually being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Disney’s Song Of The South
When acting studio head Avis is contemplating whether to cast a Black actress in the lead role of her new project, Dick and Ellen bring up Song Of The South – a then-recent offering from the Walt Disney Company, described as being about “slaves [who are] so happy, they didn’t even want to leave the plantation”.
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Song Of The South is unquestionably Disney’s most controversial film, and it has notably never been released on video – or, indeed, on Disney’s new streaming service – although a ride based on its animated characters, Splash Mountain, exists at three of the company’s theme parks.
While it’s often falsely claimed that the film has only been criticised or considered offensive by modern critics, it was actually slammed at the time over its depiction of Black characters, which many found played up to racist stereotypes. Many also took issue with choice to set the film on a plantation.
Hattie McDaniel
Netflix
Queen Latifah portrays Gone With The Wind star Hattie McDaniel, the first Black woman to ever win an Oscar, in Hollywood, telling the shocking story of her night at the Academy Awards.
The actual night played out exactly as the character says in the show, the key difference being that Hattie was allowed in the room for the ceremony, although she was not allowed to sit with her co-stars.
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Disappointingly, after Hattie’s win, the rest of the cast then spent the night at a party that, as a Black woman, she was not allowed to attend.
Hattie McDaniel with her Oscar Bettmann via Getty Images
The show also depicts Hattie – who was married to four men in her lifetime – as the lover of fellow star Tallulah Bankhead, shown as a regular at George Cukor’s party.
“Tallulah Bankhead is on the record a couple of times talking about it,” Ryan Murphy said recently.
“We don’t make a big deal out of the fact that Hattie or Tallulah were bisexual, but they were. It was just, that part of Hollywood was filled with shame. They just want you to be one thing. Out in public, they had to pretend to be just that person, but behind closed doors they were many things. I wanted to be true to that.”
The Wizard Of Oz
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Towards the end of the show, an editor reveals he’s saved the fate of Peg by copying the film, to stop heavy-handed producers from making too many cuts.
He claims he did the same thing while working on The Wizard Of Oz, suggesting that MGM wanted to cut the signature song, Over The Rainbow, from the film.
This is, in fact, true, with studio bosses feeling the opening number slowed down the pacing of the film. Over The Rainbow would go on to win The Wizard Of Oz one of its two Oscars, not including an honorary win for Judy Garland.
The 20th Academy Awards
Netflix
Hollywood concludes with a reimagined verison of the 20th Academy Awards, which took place in 1948.
While Peg pretty much swept the board in the TV show, that year’s Oscars were actually a mixed bag, with no film proving especially more popular with the Academy than any other. All of the films mentioned on screen were actually nominated that year, and Edmund Gwenn really did win for his portrayal of Santa in Miracle On 34th Street.
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In the show, several fictional Oscars historical moments are made, including Archie becoming the first Black winner in the Best Original Screenplay. In fact, no Black writer would win this award until 2018, when Jordan Peele picked it up for Get Out.
Similarly, while Camille Washington picks up Best Actress for her performance in Peg, there were no Black winners in this category until more than 50 years after Hollywood is set.
Halle Berry became the first – and, regrettably, only – woman of colour to be named Best Actress in 2002, for her role in Monster’s Ball.
Halle Berry at the Oscars in 2002 ASSOCIATED PRESS
She famously addressed this in her acceptance speech at the time, dedicating her victory to “every nameless, faceless woman of colour that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened”.
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