HIS ballad became part of the soundtrack of the Eighties – now it’s seen crooner Chris De Burgh become part of the cast of bonkbuster drama Rivals.
I can reveal the Irish singer songwriter will be seen belting out Lady In Red at a wedding that features in the next series of .
Chris De Burgh is set for a cameo in series two of RivalsCredit: Redferns
It sees the characters of Caroline Hampshire and Gerald Middleton tie the knot in a lavish bash that is set in 1987.
Using the track couldn’t come at a more pertinent time either because this year marks the 40th anniversary of Chris’s best- known tune reaching No1 and staying there for three weeks.
A show insider said: “The producers wanted a romantic number that would perfectly encapsulate the late Eighties, and what better choice than Lady In Red.
“And when it came time to have someone perform it, why not get the man himself to do the honours as he’s still out there going strong and hitting the road delivering performances.
“Though it’s also fair to say that the emotional sound and lyrics are slightly at odds with some of the more animal elements of Rivals, which doesn’t ease up on the steamy storylines in the next outing.”
Lady In Red is seen as the ultimate love ballad and has also been used in movies including Working Girl in 1988, American Psycho in 2000 and Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024, though Rivals might just be the first TV drama to put it centre stage.
It seems increasingly likely that will take all the new episodes it has filmed and divide them up into two chunks, thus creating series two and series three.
Series one, which debuted in 2023 with a cast including , , , and Oliver Chris was a huge hit for the streamer.
For the past nine months they have been filming the much-anticipated , which were almost instantly commissioned by Disney+ bosses.
Emily Atack and Oliver Chris in RivalsCredit: Robert Viglasky
DRAGONS HEAD FUR BUSINESS
THE DRAGONS’ Den lot seem to have turned soft and fluffy.
, which returns on January 29, sees the business moguls hear a pitch from a hat entrepreneur – and all of them aim to get a-head of the competition.
The new series of Dragon’s Den will see a pitch from a hat entrepreneurCredit: BBC
Touker Suleyman, Steven Bartlett, Peter Jones, Jenna Meek and Deborah Meaden vie to invest in the kooky accessories brand.
It is the first series since popular to focus on her own business – a crafting firm she launched in 2005.
But several guest Dragons have stepped in on the BBC One show’s 23rd outing.
Rapper Tinie Tempah is back, as well as two beauty bosses – Refy chief executive Jenna plus Tropic Skincare’s Susie Ma.
Looks like the panel could do with a fashion guru, though.
CLAIRE’S HAPPY TO ABDICATE
CLAIRE FOY isn’t the first actress to be typecast and she won’t be the last.
But it’s tricky, when your best-known roles were as an English queen – Elizabeth II in Netflix hit and Anne Boleyn in BBC series Wolf Hall.
Claire Foy has played two English queens so farCredit: Getty
told the Radio TImes: “There aren’t that many queens and I did two of them!
“I think any more would be weird. You get offered what people think you’re capable of.
“The goal, as you get older, is for that to be broader, not narrower. But we’ll see.
“I doubt Olivia Newton-John hated being known for Grease – I bet she loved it!”
Luckily for Claire, she plays an academic in her new drama, H Is For Hawk, which hits cinemas this week.
LOVERS ARE PARIS MATCH
BRIDGERTON’S latest lead actors are ready for their moment – and what better place to get in the mood than the city of love.
Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha posed in Paris ahead of ’s launch on January 29.
Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha pose ahead of Bridgerton season 4Credit: Unknown
The pair as Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie BaekCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
They step into the spotlight as Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek in a class-divide romance plot.
Some have likened the characters’ relationship to that of and .
Laughing, Luke told the Radio Times: “Personally that’s not something that I’ve thought about!”
Yerin added: “People will see whatever they want to see. Ultimately, this is just a story about seeing who you are on the inside.
“It’s a real push-and-pull game, because he’s of a noble class and Sophie’s of a lower class.
“What’s beautiful about their relationship is that they see each other for who they are, and they question society’s standards.
“Why should that (social class) matter?”
Luke has big shoes to fill as he also takes on his own Mr Darcy wet-shirt moment – a scene famously copied by his on-screen brother Anthony, played by Jonathan Bailey.
He said: “I just felt really excited to dive into it!”
LOVE Island often gets viewers het up – including, I would venture Ronan Keating.
On its All Stars spin-off, his son Jack is coupled up with Whitney Adebayo, who says she has no idea who his famous dad’s band BoyZone is. Often these Islanders say it best when they say nothing at all.
HARRY HAS POP AT POD
HARRY HILL is the latest big name to shun traditional TV in favour of launching a visualised podcast.
In recent years everyone from to has opted to go online for a chat show format and last week even joined the throng.
Harry Hill is launching a visualised podcastCredit: Rex Features
Now Harry has announced The Harry Hill Show, which kicked off yesterday with comic Stewart Lee as his guest.
Harry will be joined each Monday by his son Gary.
The line-up will include CMAT, Ed Gamble, James Acaster, Laura Smyth and Nish Kumar.
Harry promised “a podcast that cheerfully ignores the rulebook – equal parts comedy, curiosity and controlled chaos.”
Probably for the best it won’t be on mainstream telly.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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