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GamingSorting the fact from the fiction (Picture: BBC/Tannadice Pictures/Sally Mais) The second season of The Gold has once again brought the fallout of the Brink’s-Mat heist to the forefront of BBC viewers’ minds. Who was involved? How did they get away with it? And whatever […]
TVThe second season of The Gold has once again brought the fallout of the Brink’s-Mat heist to the forefront of BBC viewers’ minds.
Who was involved? How did they get away with it? And whatever happened to the second half of the millions in gold bullion stolen from a security depot near London’s Heathrow Airport early one morning in 1983?
The second season of the true crime drama moves the action on to the 1990s and expands beyond a London cops and robbers chase, to an investigation into a sprawling international network of criminality that touches the Canaries, the Caribbean and Asia.
The Gold has always been a blend of fact and fiction, but with season two the scales shifted. The fact is the second half of the gold, which Brian Boyce (Hugh Bonneville) and his Brink’s-Mat taskforce are dead set on finding, was never recovered.
So, as the disclaimer at the start of the season suggests, the BBC drama had to add a touch of filmmaking magic to the story. The title card says the season is ‘inspired by some of the theories around what happened to the other half’.
That’s not to say everything here has been conjured up from thin air. Several of the key players are still based on real life figures.
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It’s that blend of fact and invention that has prompted several BBC viewers to seek out the truth of what happened after the robbery. @fordazzling wrote on X: ‘Just finished binge watching series 2 and now cannot sleep as I’m down a Brink’s-Mat rabbit hole of ‘where are they now?’ #TheGold.’
So here’s what we know…
In short, yes-ish. The Brink’s-Mat heist itself is a stone cold fact. Six armed men broke into the Brink’s-Mat security depot, hoping for a sweet £1 million payday, but instead took home a bounty of gold bullion worth £26m.
It was described as ‘the crime of the century’ and essentially rewrote the rules of international money laundering, leading to a boom in development around the London Docklands.
Yet The Gold freely admits it doesn’t know the full truth of what happened after the high-stakes theft itself, so the show is a combination of real events and theories on where the loot might have ended up.
As for the characters, some are real, some are invented and some are a fun mismash of several different real people. John Palmer really did set up a timeshare business in the Canary Islands. But Charlie Miller (Sam Spruell) who made off with the second half of the gold isn’t a real historical figure in the Brink’s-Mat tale.
Instead, he’s a composite character, made up of various south London villains, as is his frenemy money laundering whizz Douglas Baxter (Joshua McGuire).
Spruell described it in an interview as being ‘not based on real, but based on an amalgam of real’, telling the Radio Times: ‘Neil [Forsyth]’s research has been extensive, as with all his projects and he has found his dramatic characters in the research.
‘Partly it draws on real-life events, or real-life people, but in the end, it’s his imagination that shapes the final product.’
After extensive research, the show’s writer Neil Forsyth has said that his biggest challenge in shaping that story was deciding what to keep from the story – with certain elements on the cutting room floor as a result.
He told BBC Radio Scotland: ‘It was such a fun story to research. It was more about piecing it together and it was really quite exciting.
‘There’s some great breakthroughs in the research. You think, “well, I’ll have that”. And it’s exciting to think, “I don’t think anyone knows about this”.’
He continued: ‘The other interesting thing was, we did so much research on this that Brian Boyce, who Hugh Bonneville plays, who’s the real life detective in charge of investigation – I’m at a stage now where sometimes I’ll tell him things about the case that he didn’t know, and that’s always a bit of a thrill.’
Heading up the Brink’s-Mat team was Brian Boyce, played by Hugh Bonneville. The Downton Abbey star managed to get to know the real-life police detective to play him on screen.
He told a Royal Television Society panel that if you cut Boyce in half, it would read ‘police’ and ‘doing the right thing’ all the way through him.
‘He was incorruptible,’ said Bonneville, ‘which is why, at one stage in his career, MI5 suggested him for someone who wanted a certain investigation done because he, unlike certain others in the Metropolitan police and other police forces, had not been got at by money.
‘He was absolutely a man of principle, and integrity.’
Boyce is joined on the taskforce by Nicki Jennings (Charlotte Spencer), who is a fictional copper and Tony Brightwell (Emun Elliott) who is based on a real officer.
Brightwell eventually left the police for the private sector, working for security firms such as Bishop Investigations and ISC Global. He’s now in his 70s.
Most of the gold has never been recovered.
Uniting blue and white-collar criminals, the robbery was so far-reaching, the gang had to bring many others on board to figure out what to do with the loot.
While the network of those involved is incredibly complicated, even more so with the so-called curse that left several of those involved killed, the gang was headed by Brian Robinson and Mickey McAvoy.
Robinson was jailed for 25 years for his role in the robbery, as was McAvoy.
Then in 1995, the High Court ordered McAvoy to make a payment of £27,488,299, making him responsible for the entire sum stolen, however by that point most of his share was apparently long gone.
He was released from prison in 2000.
A version of this article was first published in February 2023.
The Gold continues tonight at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
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Channel 4 series Taskmaster is known for its utterly bonkers scenes, but this moment in season 19 might just have topped them all.
The new season has pitted comedians Fatiha El-Ghorri, Jason Mantzoukas, Mathew Baynton, Rosie Ramsey, and Stevie Martin against one another for 10 weeks of wild, wacky and wonderful tasks.
By the end, one of them will ultimately be crowned champion. Oh, and win a bust of host Greg Davies’ head.
In the latest episode, Glass Half Most, which aired on June 12, Horrible Histories star Matthew Baynton shocked and horrified fans with his execution of one task set by the one and only… little Alex Horne.
All five contestants were told to eat yoghurt in the most or least ‘dignified’ way. They could do this however they wanted but the results had to be ‘extreme’.
An instruction Mathew didn’t take lightly.
Cue the Ghosts actor pouring yoghurt onto Alex’s shoes before crawling towards him in his underwear and licking it off while a group of bystanders filmed him to complete this ritual of utter humiliation.
‘Please forgive me Daddy, I’ve got your shoes all mucky,’ Mathew said as he licked the yoghurt which Alex voiced his approval for.
Greg seemed suitably amused in the studio, although Mathew noted after-the-fact: ‘There aren’t enough points in the world that could have made that worthwhile for the cost it’s going to have.’
Even though he collected the top score of five points, he has scarred viewers at home with his display… perhaps forever.
‘I just watched the newest episode of Taskmaster. What Mat did for the yogurt task was the most unhinged thing I’ve seen on that show,’ Shania wrote on X.
‘Mat’s undignified yogurt task is crazy, absolutely foul,’ villagesillyguy echoed.
‘There was something on this latest episode of taskmaster that i didn’t think you could legally broadcast on public television,’ rorschachisgay posted.
Then added: ‘I cannot describe what the f**k it felt like sitting on the couch and seeing this happen with no warning.’
‘Hope Mat knows this clip will forever haunt him for the rest of his life and career. As a fandom I fear we have to be prepared for this to be mentioned and talked about at every event foreseeable future,’ Taylor Kate reflected.
‘Really hoping interviewers stop asking Mat Baynton about his time on horrible histories and instead spend the next 15 years focusing on that time he licked yogurt off of alex horne’s shoes while calling him daddy on taskmaster,’ italianpatbutcher shared.
‘Mathew Baynton willingly humiliating himself on national television for yet another week in a row,’ Caz said.
‘I watch Taskmaster with my PARENTS, watching this task was mortifying,’ Addy0302 added.
‘It was horrifying, disturbing, just awful all around. 10/10, couldn’t stop laughing, Taskmaster genuinely is the show that keeps on giving,’ hydrioid101 praised.
In an interview with Metro, Mathew admitted that he did ‘something he might regret for the rest of my life’ when discussing what to expect from his stint on the Bafta-winning show.
We may finally have just witnessed exactly what he was referring to.
‘The bizarre thing about that is that no one is telling you what to do, it’s your decision.
‘So I was the maker of my own misfortune in that sense… it’s like you just go into this strange mental space, and all you’re thinking about is the task, and you’re being forced to make decisions quite quickly, and you just do it and throw yourself into it.
‘It’s only when you’re in the car on the way home that you think, “Oh s**t, that’s going on TV, that’s going to last forever”.’
It was the idea of opening himself up to public judgment which gave him a ‘momentary wobble’ when signing up to the show but ultimately he decided to go for it.
Boy are we glad he did as he has been part of a season churning out comedy gold with the latest episode convincing fans this season could be an all timer.
‘Series 19 is proving to be one of the best ever series of Taskmaster – each contestant is bringing something different to the mix. Great to see this show continue to go from strength to strength,’ Matthew Rimmer said.
‘S19 has just been such a joy. every new ep is the greatest episode so far, and the chemistry between the cast is just so excellent. i don’t want this series to end,’ jar jireh binks agreed.
‘This weeks Taskmaster is an all time classic. I wasn’t sure about this line up for a few episodes, but it’s growing into an all timer,’ WIll Sugg added.
Taskmaster airs every Thursday at 9pm on Channel 4.
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Period drama lovers have just days to race through this underrated Apple TV Plus show, The Buccaneers, ahead of the second season.
The eight-episode first season is based on classic novelist Edith Wharton’s unfinished novel and offers a modern take on the lives of a group of New York debutantes sent to London to find husbands.
Set during the Gilded Age, we meet Conchita (Alisha Boe), Lizzy (Aubri Ibrag), Mabel (Josie Totah), Jinny (Imogen Waterhouse) and Nan (Kristine Froseth, lifelong friends about to encounter plenty of heartbreak, love and scandal.
Originally released in 2023, the synopsis reads: ‘A group of fun-loving American girls burst onto the scene in tightly corseted 1870s London kicking off an Anglo-American cultural clash.
‘Sent to secure husbands and status, the buccaneers’ hearts are set on much more than that.’
The show comes across as a fusion of Julian Fellowes’ Gilded Age and Netflix’s Bridgerton – fusing the more serious themes of the period aesthetic with the current trend of forward-looking historic dramas, dubbed by some as ‘anachronistic’.
Although it gets off to a rocky start for some viewers, it has won countless fans over by the end with its refreshing ensemble cast.
The first season landed an impressive 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
‘Very easy and enjoyable to watch, pure escapism, loveable characters, beautiful scenery and costumes, great soundtrack,’ user Kate C wrote.
‘I love everything about this show. Truly magical. A must watch for sure!’ Freya C added.
‘Love this version of Edith Wharton… it works brilliantly on so many levels.. roll on season 2,’ L S shared.
‘It’s intelligent, well-acted, funny, uplifting and addictive!’ Patrick G said.
‘It had absolutely everything and more you would want in a period drama. It also covered a lot of interesting topics such as women having to be silent, abuse, loveless marriages, and unfaithfulness.
Our main group of women prove themselves a powerful ensemble cast with vivacious personalities.
Far from my initial impression of a shallow drama with trite love triangles, predictable affairs and stereotypical aristocracy, this only scratches the surface.
Don’t get me wrong, for people who love those soap operatic style storylines, there is still plenty to sink your teeth into, but the show also goes much deeper than that – as proven by season two.
‘It started with annoying Americans laughing and being silly, but managed to transform into each character having a really important story,’ Jemma CC said on Google Reviews.
Nisha Bhatt echoed: ‘I can’t say enjoyed the premise or the first episode too much but the character development is truly the best part of this show. Unlike several other shows, the side characters have some the best storytelling and leave you wanting to watch the show again.’
‘Everyone needs to watch The Buccaneers is so cute and addictive,’ @anyasunrise wrote over on X.
The show may not be to everyone’s taste, however, so proceed with caution. Some have called it out for ‘poor writing’, the lack of ‘historical accuracy’ and ‘ridiculous storylines’, with some unhappy with how the main character, Nan, is characterised.
The second season will introduce Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester and pick up right from where the show left off after that dramatic season one cliffhanger.
The Buccaneers season one is available to stream on Apple TV Plus. Season two starts airing weekly on Wednesday, June 18.
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Blankety Blank fans have expressed their sadness after discovering that a contestant who won the show died shortly before his episode was broadcast.
First airing in 1979, the comedy game show sees contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panellists to fill-in-the-blank questions.
It was revived in 2021, with the current version being hosted by Bradley Walsh.
On the latest episode of the show, the famous panellists were Jack Dee, Rob Beckett, Lucy Beaumont, Steph McGovern, Kelly Holmes and Omid Djalili.
One of the contestants was Nathanael Hill from Kirkby, who eventually took out the win.
However, at the conclusion, viewers were shocked to learn he had since died.
In the credits, a tribute popped up that revealed he’d died a few months ago.
Showing a photo of him riding a horse, the caption read: ‘Nathanael Hill 1985 – 2025.’
Soon after those tuning in shared their own tributes online.
‘Who knew you could get sad at the end of an episode of Blankety Blank? RIP Nathanael,’ Andie shared on X.
‘Well, I wasn’t expecting that. Poor Nathanael. RIP,’ Paul shared.
‘RIP Nathanael 😢 Fly high,’ Di added.
A report from the Liverpool Echo explained that Hill died aged 39 in April this year.
A former officer in the air force, Hill had completed six tours of Iraq, four tours of Afghanistan and worked on Operation Red Flag.
However, while in south-central Asia, he was injured by shrapnel from a roadside bomb and was then medically discharged.
Four years later he was diagnosed with late-onset type 1 diabetes.
During the pandemic doctors discovered a blood clot in his leg, with Hill then battling three bouts of sepsis before having an above-knee amputation in October 2022.
After that Hill, a doting dad, began coaching and got back into triathlons and had aspirations to represent Team GB at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
‘If I get to represent Team GB it would just be a full circle. It would be a swan song for me,’ he told the publication.
‘My last engagement for the Air Force was opening the London 2012 Olympics games and the 2023 Olympics is going to be in LA, America, where I was recognised for saving two American officers’ lives.
‘Now, I can be seen as overcoming this next challenge and to be competing in their country.’
His cause of death has not been revealed.
Blankety Blank is streaming on BBC iPlayer.
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The late Betsy Gay was a child star during the Golden Age of Hollywood The former child star Betsy Gay, who rose to prominence in the 1930s, has died aged 96. The late screenstar and renowned yodeller died on June 13, as confirmed by her […]
FilmThe former child star Betsy Gay, who rose to prominence in the 1930s, has died aged 96.
The late screenstar and renowned yodeller died on June 13, as confirmed by her friend Bob Satterfield.
As a child star during the Golden Age of Hollywood, her movie career kicked off after appearing in a series of comedy films called Our Gang comedies e.g. Our Gangs Follies of 1938, which later became well known as Little Rascals.
After starring in the role of Alfalfa’s girlfriend Effie for multiple years, she moved on at the end of the decade.
Other high-profile projects she was involved in included Arbor Day, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Pinch Singer, with her featuring in over 40 movies (credited or uncredited) over the course of her career.
In 1941, she had a yodelling scene in an Andy Clyde short, and after performing the skill in a handful of other movies, she started singing with country music stars of the time such as Stuart Hamblen and his Lucky Stars and Tex Williams.
She was also California State Yodelling Champion two years in a row in the mid-1940s. Per reports, Betsy was also the youngest entertainer to sing and yodel for the Hollywood Victory Committee Shows during World War Two.
As well as appearing on stage in productions like Quality Street, A Kiss For Cinderella, and Heros Unlimited.
Alongside her brewing music career, which involved touring and radio appearances on shows like The Jimmy Wakeley Show and The Don Amache Show, she continued pursuing acting opportunities.
At one point, she was a regular cast member of the ABC show Squeakin’ Deacon’s Country Store and in the 1960s was a regular on the Mike Douglas show, International Party Time which ran for 13 weeks.
In 1954, she married Thomas Cashen and they shared five children – twins Mimi and Gigi, Tommy, Suzy and Cathy.
Although she has not been in the limelight for several decades, in 2019 she uploaded a brief YouTube clip celebrating World Yodel Day.
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Follow Agent Cooper’s journey from start to finish right now from the comfort of your own home (Picture: Suzanne Tenner/SHOWTIME) Cancel all of your weekend plans – one of the most iconic television series of all time is available to binge-watch in full right now. […]
TVCancel all of your weekend plans – one of the most iconic television series of all time is available to binge-watch in full right now.
Back in 1990, audiences across the world were asking themselves the question ‘Who killed Laura Palmer?’ when David Lynch’s surreal murder-mystery Twin Peaks began.
Starring Kyle MacLachlan, Sherilyn Fenn, Lara Flynn Boyle, Sheryl Lee, and many more, Twin Peaks follows the investigation into the murder of local teen Laura Palmer (Lee) and the mystery that surrounds its unusual circumstances and other phenomena in the town.
The investigation is led by FBI special agent Dale Cooper (MacLachlan) who is pulled deeper and deeper into the town’s secrets, uncovering far more than he bargained for when he checked into The Great Northern Hotel.
Like much of Lynch’s work, Twin Peaks, created alongside Mark Frost, contains an eccentric cast of characters, supernatural themes, melodramatic storylines, and a surreal, uncanny atmosphere.
Its uniqueness is what led Twin Peaks to be such a smash hit at the time of its release and revered by fans 35 years later, and now, both seasons of the show as well as Twin Peaks: The Return can be streamed now on Mubi.
Seasons one and two, containing 30 episodes, ran from 1990 to 1991 and were followed by the prequel film Fire Walk with Me in 1992.
Sixteen years after its original run, Lynch and many of the original cast hit our screens again in Twin Peaks: The Return set 25 years after season two’s devastating finale.
Twin Peaks quickly gained a devoted following and is often listed among the greatest television series of all time, as well as one of the most terrifying, thanks to the themes it tackles.
Season one holds a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics’ consensus reading: ‘Twin Peaks plays with TV conventions to deliver a beguiling — and unsettling — blend of seemingly disparate genres, adding up to an offbeat drama with a distinctly unique appeal.’
The second season sits at 65%, while The Return has a huge 94% score.
Deputy TV editor Tom Percival says: There have been plenty of great television shows over the years: The Sopranos, The Simpsons, Breaking Bad, and Geordie Shore (okay, maybe not that last one).
Still, when journalists are curating lists of the best TV shows of all time there’s one peculiar horror series that may seem a little out of place: Twin Peaks.
After all, the horror genre doesn’t get a lot of love from more esteemed critical circles. Yet this strange series – which premiered 35 years ago in 1990 – is unquestionably one of the best TV shows of all time and a technical marvel that pushed the boundaries of what people thought the small screen was capable of.
Nominally the show was a mystery drama of sorts but honestly, that description doesn’t do Twin Peaks justice. By design, it defied categorisation, blending supernatural and surreal elements with the theatrical tropes and cliches that defined so many beloved soaps.
In their review of the show, the Sydney Morning Herald said: ‘Twin Peaks has many of the elements of a soap opera: it is slow (although not vapid), has a complex plot, melodrama and a plethora of disasters. It’s the weirdness, the David Lynch trademark,k which is the lure.’
Buffalo News added: ‘Twin Peaks is refreshing, unsettling, funny and mystifying. If you are the very unusual TV viewer looking for something different, the first three hours should put you in the mood for more.’
Of The Return, Vox said: ‘It stopped feeling like a TV show to me, at some point, and started feeling like a gift.’
Rolling Stone added: ‘What we just witnessed was unmatched in the medium’s history,’ meanwhile, The Atlantic wrote: ‘Twin Peaks remains the nightmare fuel it always has been.’
The Guardian added to the glowing praise, saying: ‘The Twin Peaks revival is perfect. I’m in deep with it. It’s easily the best series of the year so far. And, although this might seem like heresy to long-time fans, I think it might actually be better than the original.’
Twin Peaks’ addition to Mubi comes at a poignant time following the death of its visionary creator, Lynch, earlier this year, aged 78.
The celebrated filmmaker, who was behind the likes of Mulholland Drive, The Elephant Man, died on January 15.
His cause of death was confirmed as cardiac arrest due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The filmmaker visionary died after becoming housebound with emphysema following years of chain-smoking, and a death certificate released by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed COPD was an underlying condition suffered by the auteur.
Twin Peaks seasons one and two and Twin Peaks: The Return are available to stream now on Mubi
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Mario Kart World – is it a let-down? (Nintendo) A reader is unimpressed by Mario Kart World on the Nintendo Switch 2 and argues that the controversial free roam mode is not its only issue. As a day one Nintendo Switch 2 owner I have […]
GamingA reader is unimpressed by Mario Kart World on the Nintendo Switch 2 and argues that the controversial free roam mode is not its only issue.
As a day one Nintendo Switch 2 owner I have to admit I’m a little disappointed. Not with the console itself, which I think is pretty much prefect for the price and what it has to do, but with the only game worth getting at launch: Mario Kart World.
Now, I don’t think it’s terrible, but I do think that not only is it not as good at Mario Kart 8 but that it’s kind of a flawed experiment and one of the weakest entries in the whole series. But I’ll talk about the positives first, just to show it’s not all bad.
Knockout Tour is great, I think everyone would agree. A bit boring in single-player, but fantastic online and the game’s best feature. I also like all the weird extra characters, although how you unlock them and the costumes is very random and unsatisfying. The open world is also very nicely designed in its own right, and very large, but… that’s kind of all I’ve got in terms of praise.
First, I’ll get the obvious thing out of the way: the open world is completely wasted. None of the challenges in it are interesting, if you can even find them, and a lot of them are overly hard and frustrating. There’s no story or dialogue or anything. You just drive around at random in free roam and hope you come across something interesting, which you almost certainly won’t.
If any game was born to have fetch quests in it, it was this and yet there’s nothing like that. It all feels like it’s waiting for the actual game to be dropped onto the world but there’s nothing there. Maybe it will come in DLC, but even if it’s free why wasn’t it there from the start? Why wouldn’t you go all out for basically your only launch game? It’s baffling.
But for me that’s not the real problem because, rightly or wrongly, free roam is really just a side show. My problem is that the actual racing in the two main modes is very dull. It may not seem that way when you’ve got a dozen people firing shells at you at once, but that gets old very quickly, and it doesn’t actually happen that much, especially in single-player.
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Most of the time you’re just driving along (even 150cc isn’t that fast) and taking slow bend after slow bend in what aren’t even really courses at all. Knockout Tour is worst for this, because you’re essentially driving point-to-point and it really does feel like you’re just road racing, with nothing in terms of exciting or unexpected track design.
Grand Prix is barely any better either, with very few lapped races and too many wide roads that are too easy to take. I went back to play Mario Kart 8 and it’s filled with tightly designed courses and weird and physically impossible track designs. It seems a weird to say but Mario Kart World is basically too realistic, or rather too mundane in its design. Everything about it feels flabby and under-designed.
Sure, occasionally you fly vertically up into the air or down the side of a volcano, but when you get down to the actual racing it’s so plain and boring. The tracks aren’t designed for time trials and racing skill, they’re designed for power-ups and 24 player online races, and that has ruined everything.
I’m sure other people will enjoy the game but as someone that has enjoyed every previous Mario Kart it’s not for me. Which means I’m now left with a neat new console with nothing to play on it, except for old Switch 1 games. And that will definitely include Mario Kart 8.
By reader Lambent
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Xbox 360 is coming up to its 20th anniversary (Microsoft) A reader looks back on the Xbox 360 era and is frustrated at how things have evolved since then, with ROG Xbox Ally and the move towards multiformat releases. I though the Xbox Games Showcase […]
GamingA reader looks back on the Xbox 360 era and is frustrated at how things have evolved since then, with ROG Xbox Ally and the move towards multiformat releases.
I though the Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday was pretty good. Like Sony’s State of Play, it was mostly third party games but there was some interesting stuff there and I think overall the vibe was better than from Sony. I liked the look of High On Life 2, There Are No Ghosts At The Grand, and Cronos: The New Dawn the best but there was a lot of potentially cool games – I’d include Keeper, because it looked interestingly weird, but I don’t feel Double Fine are ever very good at gameplay.
The biggest news out of the event was the new portable with the terrible name: Asus ROG Xbox Ally. I bet you can just imagine some parent asking that for that at shop at Christmas, to buy their kid? Not that that would ever happen because the thing’s going to be stupidly expensive.
It seemed like a distraction, a small experiment at best, and I didn’t really pay much attention to it, especially as I already have a Steam Deck. But then today I read that Microsoft has cancelled its plans for their next gen portable and that actually this ridiculously named non-Xbox device may end up being the future of gaming for Microsoft.
I’ve always preferred Xbox as my console as choice, probably because I was always a PC gamer before that. Although now I look back at things I have to admit that I only got the Xbox One out of brand loyalty and I wouldn’t have if I’d been thinking about it more clearly.
By that point I was in too deep and so I bought the Xbox Series X/S out of muscle memory more than anything, wasn’t I proven to be a chump?
What frustrates me most about Xbox at the moment is how indecisive it seems. I almost didn’t watch the Xbox Games Showcase because I knew I’d have to see Phil Spencer, or one of his goons, grinning into the camera, as if nothing is wrong. And, of course, that’s exactly what he did, ‘hinting’ about the return of Halo, as if everyone was going to be pumping the air to hear about that.
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News flash, Phil: no one cares. You’ve run that series into the ground, like all the other Xbox exclusives, to the point where they just feel old fashioned and tired. Old school fans don’t care and newer ones definitely don’t. It may sell okay at first on PlayStation 5, but only out of curiosity and as a kind of celebration that Sony has finally defeated Microsoft.
To all extents and purposes, Xbox is now third party. The only thing that makes them not is that they still make their own console hardware but how long is that going to last? The ROG Ally is made by Asus and if Microsoft don’t make a handheld are they really going to put out a home console instead? That’s going to cost a lot of money in R&D and marketing and everything else, and I don’t know who could argue that it’s got a chance of selling more than the Xbox Series X/S.
Phil Spencer has been talking about making a handheld for years and yet suddenly it’s not going to happen? Is there anything that is set in stone? I even heard people talking about them going back to having exclusives with the next generation, if it seemed like things were working out.
I loved my Xbox 360, it’s still my favourite console of all time – the perfect balance between modern and retro games – but its golden era is a long time ago now, well over a decade. Xbox at the time was the new kid on the block, full of new ideas and daring to what Sony wouldn’t or couldn’t. When was the last time Xbox did anything like that? Game Pass probably, and that hasn’t worked out at all well.
Nothing has, ever since that disastrous Xbox One reveal, and I just don’t understand how a company with basically infinite resources, and which already owns half the games industry, can be such a hopeless mess. I’m just sticking with PC from now and in the future, I’m going to pretend the Xbox 360 was my one and only console.
By reader Cramersauce
The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email.
M3GAN became a viral sensation in 2022 (Picture: Geoffrey Short/Universal Pictures/REX/Shutterstock) It can be quite a challenging task trying to remember viral dance routines from TikTok. With every passing week, it feels like there’s a new song and matching movement to learn. So, if you’re […]
TVIt can be quite a challenging task trying to remember viral dance routines from TikTok.
With every passing week, it feels like there’s a new song and matching movement to learn.
So, if you’re struggling to remember why Universal Pictures’ M3GAN sent the internet into a frenzy in 2022, then fear not—Channel 4 has you covered.
Airing on Saturday night for the enjoyment of horror fans, this twisted film about a seemingly sweet AI doll became an instant success three years ago after it capitalised on viral attention.
The meme in question was created after fans tried to recreate the doll’s eerie dance routine.
Writing on X tonight as the sci-fi flick launched on the small screen at 10pm, @WestBromEL said: ‘I’m watching M3GAN on @Channel4, it’s seriously creepy.’
@Mixer4everx added: ‘Watching m3gan on channel 4. I love this movie.’
Written by Akela Cooper, the film follows an artificially intelligent doll who develops self-awareness and becomes hostile toward anyone who comes between her and her human companion.
Designed by Gemma, who is played by Get Out’s Allison Williams, M3GAN goes from simply being able to listen, watch, and learn to being a full-blown killing machine.
In the first week it was released, the somewhat comedic horror grossed nearly £24.9million, well above its predictions of £14million.
Since, M3GAN has acquired an impressive 93% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer, with thousands flooding the site with glowing reviews.
And for those keen for more, fear not, as last month, it was revealed that a sequel, M3GAN 2.0, is going to be released soon.
The plot will follow M3GAN as she is being rebuilt to combat a humanoid military robot created using M3GAN’s technology that is attempting an AI takeover.
Its cast will star Williams once more, as well as Jenna Davis, Ivanna Sakhno, and Violet McGraw, hitting cinemas on June 27.
Additionally, it has also previously been announced that M3GAN will be getting a further spin-off, but with a more sensual twist.
Blumhouse and Atomic Monster are joining forces for the third M3GAN instalment, a film that ‘expands the universe’ and is described as an ‘erotic thriller’.
A synopsis for the upcoming film reads: ‘A man acquires an Artificially Intelligent android to cope with the loss of his recently deceased wife. In an attempt to create a truly sentient partner, he inadvertently turns a harmless lovebot into a deadly soulmate.
‘The film is in the tradition of the 90s domestic thrillers but with a modern, technological twist.’
Set to be released on January 2, 2026, it will be directed by Kate Dolan, famed for the chilling Irish folk tale You Are Not My Mother.
This comes after M3GAN star Williams spoke to the Metro about the film and her fear of scary movies, despite garnering status as a Scream Queen herself.
She said: ‘The truth is I have a really low tolerance for horror, meaning when I watch a scary movie, it affects my sleep for a while.
‘For real. So some of my favourites are my favourites, but they’re stuck in time because I’ve been too scared to watch them again.’
M3GAN is available to watch on Channel 4.
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Gino D’Acampo has teased his TV return (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock) Gino D’Acampo has confirmed plans to return to TV after months of controversy following ‘inappropriate behaviour’ allegations. Late last year, the Italian celebrity chef, 48, faced accusations of misconduct involving his former colleagues. His alleged […]
TVGino D’Acampo has confirmed plans to return to TV after months of controversy following ‘inappropriate behaviour’ allegations.
Late last year, the Italian celebrity chef, 48, faced accusations of misconduct involving his former colleagues.
His alleged behaviour was described as ‘unacceptable’ and ‘distressing’, and is said to have included sexualised comments and aggressive language on sets.
D’Acampo has always ‘firmly denied’ the allegations and said they are ‘deeply upsetting’.
The reports led to him retreating from the limelight, and he was removed from ITV’s programming in February.
But now, D’Acampo is keen to make a comeback and is set to film a new travelogue later this year.
He told The Mirror: ‘We have a TV project on for later this year in September, I want to go all around Malta, it’s a show called An Italian In Malta.
‘The idea is to show everyone all over the world a bit about the country—I want to find the perfect restaurant, the perfect recipe, the perfect spot.
‘I will speak to the local people [about] what they cook and how they cooked 200 years ago.’
But that’s not all, as D’Acampo is embarking on a career change with a mystery series that will see him act for the first time.
He revealed: ‘I am playing a part in a series; my part is this Italian-American mechanic that is always in trouble with the police or always in trouble with the law, and then he became a mechanic, and he’s helping the main character in the show.
‘This is acting now; I’m not becoming a real mechanic. I’m useless at stuff like that.’
The TV personality actually shared a first glimpse of his role in March via images posted on social media.
Snaps showed D’Acampo dressed in a navy boiler suit in what appeared to be a car garage.
The TV chef had dark oil patches and dirt across his face and was seen taking a drag on a cigarette while looking at a car engine.
Some pics also captured him looking at the camera and discussing scripts.
‘What a fantastic experience in Ireland working on a new series… I can’t wait for you guys to see it… 😎 p.s Happy St Patrick’s Day,’ read the caption of the post on Instagram.
The upload was supported by some of D’Acampo’s former colleagues, including Josie Gibson, who worked with him on This Morning.
Celebrity Juice star Leigh Francis, aka Keith Lemon, liked the post too, as did John Barrowman, who has been vocal about his support for the star.
In December 2024, D’Acampo was first accused of inappropriate behaviour towards a This Morning colleague.
The unnamed woman lodged a complaint to ITV over D’Acampo’s alleged behaviour towards her while she worked with him on the set of the daytime programme from 2006 to 2011, according to The Sun.
It was then claimed that he ‘thrust his crotch’ at a female staffer while filming on a show with Gordon Ramsay and Fred Sirieix, which D’Acampo denied emphatically.
D’Acampo told MailOnline at the time: ‘I have been completely shocked by, and deny utterly, these awful accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct against me, which are alleged to have taken place years ago during the shooting of Gordon, Gino & Fred.
‘Let me be clear: This did not happen. I take such matters extremely seriously and in particular the suggestion that I have deliberately acted in this improper way against any female employees is deeply upsetting.’
In February, D’Acampo’s former I’m A Celebrity co-star, Kim Woodburn, called him a ‘full-of-himself little pig’ who made comments about his penis while they appeared on TV together.
The cookbook author has been supported by celebrities including Jeremy Clarkson and Gordon Ramsay, who revealed he had reached out to his former co-star.
As for his upcoming projects, premiere dates are yet to be revealed.
However, Ireland-set series isn’t the first time D’Acampo has worked with cars on screen, as he previously appeared on Emission Impossible.
The series was a car-related show starring D’Acampo and Sirieix on an eco-friendly adventure across Austria and Croatia to learn the cost of going green.
It was axed after two episodes were released in 2024.
This article was first published on March 20, 2025.
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