Month: September 2021

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were booed when a clip of their Oprah Winfrey interview was aired at last night’s National Television Awards.

After Sir Trevor McDonald introduced the collection of the year’s most iconic TV moments, a montage aired with scenes from the Royals’ infamous interview.

While the booing did not appear on the ITV live telecast, attendees revealed to MailOnline that the audience ‘loudly’ jeered and booed once the Duke and Duchess appeared on-screen.

A source in the audience told MailOnline: ‘Megan and Harry were shown on screen during a montage of TV moments from the last twelve months.

‘Immediately, there was audible booing throughout the arena. It was as though they were pantomime villains.’

The event at London’s O2 arena is a highlight of the showbiz calendar that is attended by some of Britain’s biggest stars – suggesting that the Sussexes’ reputation has soured even among the celebrity elite.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s explosive Oprah interview was met with boos when a clip was aired at last night’s National Television Awards

A second source, a celebrity who asked not to be named, said: ‘When the clip came up of Meghan there were boos from the audience.

‘Some shouted out and there was laughing. There were a few embarrassed faces but sadly Meghan was obviously not too popular on the night.’

The Sussexes’ bombshell two and a half hour sit-down interview with Oprah in March was watched by over 17million people around the globe.

The couple accused a Royal Family member of racism, suggesting the relative had asked ‘how dark’ their son would be; said they had been driven out of Britain, in part, by discrimination; and accused the Palace machinery of failing to support a ‘suicidal’ Meghan.

Harry revealed an astonishing rift with his father, claiming his family had cut him off financially, while suggesting the Queen had been badly advised and had cancelled a meeting scheduled at Sandringham.

Meghan also accused Kate of making her cry; suggested senior royals plotted to ensure Archie would never have a title or security; and said officials had failed to stand up for the couple against ‘racist’ commentary, while lying to protect others.

The interview immediately generated a backlash after fact checkers revealed a string of inaccuracies, while Oprah also came in for criticism for allowing the couple’s inflammatory and damaging claims to go unchallenged.

There was also anger at their decision to publicly trash their family when Prince Philip was ill.

Piers Morgan was among those who criticised the sit-down, saying he ‘didn’t believe a word’ of what Meghan had claimed.

This sparked a deluge of complaints to Ofcom, who sensationally cleared him of wrongdoing earlier this month and defended his right to free speech.

After Sir Trevor McDonald introduced the collection of the year’s most iconic TV moments, a montage aired with scenes from the Royals’ interviews included at the ceremony which was held at London ‘s 02 Arena

In the Oprah interview, Harry made reference to his relation with William (pictured together in March 2020) amid reports the brothers had fallen out in the wake of Megxit

‘Kate made me cry’ to the Wimbledon pictures that ‘weren’t as they seemed’: Sussexes’ claims about Cambridges during Oprah Winfrey interview

Row that ‘made Meghan cry’ 

Reports circulated ahead of the Sussexes’ nuptials that Meghan left Kate in tears at Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress fitting.

But Meghan told Oprah the ‘reverse happened’. Meghan said she was not sharing the information to be ‘disparaging’, but added it was ‘really important for people to understand the truth’.

‘She’s a good person,’ the duchess added.

Wimbledon photos ‘not as they seemed’

Meghan also gave more details about her strained relationship with Kate.

She was asked about a memorable joint-outing to Wimbledon, where the pair put on a united front and were pictured laughing together.

During the interview she appeared to cast doubt on the authenticity of that seemingly affable appearance, saying: ‘Nothing is what it looks like’.

‘Waity Katie’ jibe ‘not the same as racism’ 

Meghan said her treatment by the press cannot be compared to Kate being called ‘Waity Katie’ because it is ‘not the same as racism’.

The Duchess of Sussex said she believed she had been singled out because she was ‘not just British’. She said: ‘I think the volume of what was coming in and the interest was greater because of social media, because of the fact that I was not just British…

‘If they can compare what the experience that I went through was similar to what has been shared with us, Kate was called Waity Katie, waiting to marry William.

‘While I imagine that was hard, and I do, I can’t picture what that felt like, this is not the same.’

Harry: ‘Trapped’ William and I ‘on different paths’

When asked about if he remains close to William he replied: ‘I love William to bits. He’s my brother. We’ve been through hell together. I mean, we have a shared experience. But we’re on different paths’.

The UK’s broadcasting watchdog called attempts to silence the MailOnline columnist a ‘chilling restriction on freedom of expression’ after the Duchess of Sussex was among a wave of people who complained that his questioning of her account of royal racism and suicidal thoughts was ‘harmful’ and ‘offensive’ to viewers.

After his victory, Mr Morgan tweeted a picture of the Queen at her husband’s Windsor funeral and said: ‘Amid all the debate about Meghan Markle’s mental health, has anyone given a thought for what the Queen’s had to endure this year as the Sussexes have continually trashed her family & the Monarchy while she lost and mourned her beloved husband of 73 years? Just disgraceful’.

The Duke and Duchess’ popularity has hit an all-time low as the couple continue to suffer the fallout from their interview.

Positive opinion of Harry, 36, who now lives in an £11million mansion in Montecito, California, with his wife and two children, has fallen by nine points from 43 per cent in April to 34 per cent now.

Meghan, 40, has seen a steady decline in her popularity this year, with positive opinion at 30 per cent in March, falling to 29 per cent in April, and dropping a further three percentage points to 26 per cent now.

Former royal editor Duncan Larcombe, who has reported on Harry since he was a teenager, said going from being the most popular royal to where he is now – barely on speaking terms with his family – ‘must be really hard for him and probably adds to his anger’.

‘Meghan too was so welcomed in the beginning, but now the UK has lost trust in her. Their popularity has totally nosedived,’ he told Closer magazine.

‘It’s worrying to think what Harry has left if his American life fails for him. I don’t think he’ll be welcomed back as a working royal, but he would as a brother, son and grandson.

‘If Harry’s not on the balcony at Buckingham Palace, waving to the crowds, on the day his father or his brother becomes King, then I think the public will be done with him.’

YouGov blames ‘poor responses to their statements surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and the withdrawal from Afghanistan’, for the recent drop in their popularity.

The couple were criticised for wading into Afghanistan crisis with woke ‘word salad’ statement, in which they said they were ‘speechless’ and feeling ‘the many layers of pain’.

The lengthy statement, released via the couple’s slick Archewell Foundation website, calls on followers to support organisations including the World Central Kitchen, but failed to say how much they would be personally donating or details of how they would help.

We did it! Ant and Dec scooped the Best Presenter gong for an epic 20th time in a row at the National Television Awards on Thursday, with a visibly emotional Ant seen clutching his new wife Anne-Marie as the news was delivered

Winners: Meanwhile, This Morning triumphed once again in the best Daytime category as they led the other big winners on the night including Line Of Duty, Gogglebox and It’s A

Is this what they might have been angry about? Sussexes’ ‘truths’ put to the test

Piers Morgan is far from the only person who has raised serious questions about the Sussexes’ wilder claims, as the Mail reveals…

‘REAL’ WEDDING

In the couple’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan claimed they were married three days before their official wedding in a private ceremony with the Archbishop of Canterbury.

But Archbishop Justin Welby insists: ‘I signed the wedding certificate, which is a legal document, and I would have committed a serious criminal offence if I signed it knowing it was false… The legal wedding was on the Saturday.’

RACE ROW

Harry and Meghan suggested at least one royal expressed concern about ‘how dark’ their unborn son’s skin might be. But the explosive claim is fraught with inconsistencies.

Meghan alleges there were ‘several conversations’ about Archie’s skin colour ‘when I was pregnant’, yet Harry has said there was just one ‘before we even got married’.

As the Palace aptly puts it: ‘Recollections may vary.’

ARCHIE’S TITLE

The couple have suggested Archie was refused a title amid those ‘conversations’ about his skin colour. Meghan told Oprah ‘they’ (apparently Palace officials) ‘didn’t want him to be a prince or princess’.

In fact, royal protocol dictates that the great-grandchild of a monarch doesn’t normally become a prince until their grandparent – in this case Prince Charles – has taken the throne.

TRAPPED MEGHAN

Royal life was so claustrophobic, Meghan has said, that at one point she ‘left the house twice in four months’. She also claims that her passport was confiscated.

But the Court Circular shows that in the 17 months between her wedding and moving to North America, she attended official engagements on 73 days, as well as private outings and at least four holidays abroad.

In short, there doesn’t appear to be any ‘four-month’ housebound period. And she must have used her passport to travel. So what really happened?

‘MEGXIT’ DECISION

Meghan has said she wanted to devote her life to royal service. Yet, simultaneously, Harry denies the Queen was ‘blindsided’ by their decision to step down as working royals.

In the Oprah interview, Meghan said to Harry: ‘I remember when you talked to her [the Queen] several times about this [Megxit] over…’

Harry: ‘Two years.’ That suggests they began planning to withdraw in January 2018, four months before their marriage.

HARRY IN SHOWBIZ

Harry has insisted that ‘Netflix and Spotify was [sic] never part of the plan’ for his new life in California.

Yet it has since been revealed the couple began speaking to at least one video streaming firm as far back as early 2019, about a year before Megxit.

THE ‘CUT-OFF’

HARRY has said he signed deals with broadcasters only after ‘my family literally cut me off financially… In the first half, the first quarter of 2020.’

Yet Clarence House records published in June show Prince Charles gave £4.45million to his sons and their wives in the previous financial year.

YouGov also cited as their Oprah Winfrey interview, in which the couple accused an unnamed member of the royal family of making a racist comment about what skin tone their son Archie may have.

Prince Harry declined to say who made the comment, but stressed it wasn’t the Queen or Prince Philip.

The couple sent shockwaves through the monarchy in January last year when they announced their intention to step down as senior members of the Royal Family and embark on a new life across the Atlantic.

But they’ve attracted criticism after expressing a desire for privacy, then laying bare their split from the Firm in their explosive Oprah sit-down and signing multi-million pound deals with Netflix, Spotify and Apple TV.

Harry also revealed he’s publishing a tell-all memoir with Penguin Random House in 2022 as part of a lucrative four-book deal believed to be worth up to £29million.

Duncan Larcombe acknowledged that the Duke has found a degree of freedom in now being able to say what he wants, but believes the couple have ‘totally isolated themselves’ as a result of their rift with the royals.

He added that there is now tremendous pressure on the Sussexes to deliver and make a success of their shiny new life in the States, suggesting they’re ‘more trapped than ever in this new life they’ve created’.

Mr Larcombe said the fact they’ve caused such an uproar for both the Firm and in the media, they now don’t have the option of failing as it would be ‘the ultimate humiliation’.

‘If Netflix aren’t happy and the production doesn’t get the audiences that they’re expecting, they won’t give them another contract,’ he observed. ‘They’ve entered a commercial world and it’s cut-throat.’

The Sussexes are not not the most unpopular royals; that dubious honour goes to Prince Andrew, who has an overall negative rating of 83 per cent and a positive rating of just six per cent, due to his connection to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The public’s favourite royal – as ever – is the Queen with 80 per cent of the population having a favourable opinion of the monarch.

In July, it was revealed that the Sussexes’ interview had been nominated for an Emmy Award.

‘Oprah with Meghan & Harry: A CBS Primetime Special’ is nominated in the ‘Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series Or Special category’, it was confirmed.

The winners will be announced at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards on September 19, with US-based Harry and Meghan up against Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy and My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman.

Ant and Dec scooped the Best Presenter gong for an epic 20th time in a row at the National Television Awards on Thursday, with a visibly emotional Ant seen clutching his new wife Anne-Marie as the news was delivered.

The great and the good of British television gathered for the star-studded awards show, which also saw Kate Garraway choke back tears as her Finding Derek documentary bagged the inaugural authored documentary award.

Meanwhile, This Morning triumphed once again for Best Daytime as they led the other big winners on the night including Line Of Duty, Gogglebox and It’s A Sin.

NATIONAL TELEVISION AWARDS 2021: THE WINNERS

Challenge Show

Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins

WINNER: The Great British Bake Off

The Great British Sewing Bee

WINNER: Strictly Come Dancing

The Masked Singer

Tasty! Bake Off won the Challenge Show prize

WINNER: Kate Garraway: Finding Derek

Katie Price: Harvey and Me

Marcus Rashford: Feeding Britain’s Children

Rob Burrow: My Year With MND

Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency

Touching: The Authored Documentary winner was Kate Garraway: Finding Derek

Gordon, Gino and Fred: American Road Trip

Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs

Adrian Dunbar, Ted Hastings, Line of Duty

WINNER: David Tennant, Dennis Nilsen, Des

Martin Compston, Steve Arnott, Line of Duty

Olly Alexander, Ritchie Tozer, It’s A Sin

Vicky McClure, Kate Fleming, Line of Duty

The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award

Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway

WINNER: I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

You lose some, you win some! Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway was up for a prize, but the duo’s other show, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! scooped the gong

Serial Drama

Billy Price, Sid Sumner, Hollyoaks

Danny Dyer, Mick Carter, EastEnders

WINNER: Mollie Gallagher, Nina Lucas, Coronation Street

Sally Carman, Abi Franklin, Coronation Street

Quiz Game Show

In For A Penny

WINNER: Jude Riordan, Sam Blakeman, Coronation Street

Olivia D’Lima, Paramedic Fenisha Khatri, Casualty

Rhiannon Clements, Summer Ranger, Hollyoaks

Rose Ayling-Ellis, Frankie Lewis, EastEnders

Winner! Mollie Gallagher, who plays Nina Lucas in Coronation Street, bagged herself a gong

Reese Witherspoon’s first-born child Ava Phillippe turned 22 on Thursday.

And the 45-year-old Oscar-winning actress celebrated her daughter’s birthday with an adorable throwback photo of Ava that she shared on her Instagram page.

‘This person is turning 22 today…@avaphillippe,’ Reese wrote in the caption of her nostalgic post, adding a shocked smiley face emoji.

Happy Birthday! Reese Witherspoon’s first-born child Ava Phillippe turned 22 on Thursday. The actress celebrated her daughter’s birthday with an adorable throwback photo

In the black and white image, Ava was seen as a child as she sat at a table in front of a slice of birthday cake.

She wore a fuzzy sweater buttoned over a white shirt that had a Peter Pan collar. The towheaded child sported a feathered party hat decorated with stars and the wording ‘Party Princess.’

Ava, whose face was dotted with pieces of cake, held a toy fairy in her hand as she beamed at the camera.

Proud mom: The Morning Show star also paid tribute to her daughter on her Instagram Story. Witherspoon posted a slideshow of photos that began with a cute Polaroid snap in which she was seen tenderly embracing a young Ava at a party

The Morning Show star also paid tribute to her daughter on her Instagram Story. Witherspoon posted a slideshow of photos that began with a cute Polaroid snap in which she was seen tenderly embracing a young Ava at a party.

Reese, who gave birth to Ava at the age of 23, appeared to be in her late 20s when the photo was taken. The blonde beauty wore brown sunglasses on her head as she hugged Ava, who was clad in a red shirt with a white headband.

The mother/daughter duo smiled widely as they posed for the snap. The Big Little Lies actress continued her slideshow with a film strip in which Ava was seen as toddler with short blonde hair.

Adorable: The Big Little Lies actress continued her slideshow with a film strip in which Ava was seen as toddler with short blonde hair

In the last photo, Reese’s gorgeous daughter was all grown up. The stunning model looked like a mirror image of her mother as she posed in a green crop top in front of a sparkling gold foil fringe curtain.

Ava wore her long locks down in loose waves and accessorized with gold hoop earrings and several gold necklaces.

The fresh-faced beauty flashed a flawless smile as she stretched out her arms for the fun shot.

Beautiful: In the last photo, Reese’s gorgeous daughter was all grown up and looked like the mirror image of her mother

The Legally Blonde star’s slideshow was set to the song Good Day Sunshine by The Beatles. She included writing on each photo that formed the sentence: ‘Hard to imagine this tiny human…turns 22 today! Happy Birthday Ava!’

She later posted the same photo on her Instagram page with the caption: ‘Happy Birthday to my sweet little girl…excuse me… I mean my adult daughter!!! Words can’t describe how proud I am of you.

‘You have grown into an extraordinary person who cares so much about the world around her. I am so lucky to have you light up my life. I love you, Ava!! @avaphillippe #thisis22.’

Phillippe also shared the image on her own Instagram page with the caption, ‘@jadensanders_ needs to stop hyping me up !!’

Celebrating: She later posted the same photo of adult Ava on her Instagram page with a touching caption

At the end of last month, Reese made an appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast in which she discussed some of the struggles that she faced when she became a first-time mother.

Witherspoon gave birth to Ava in 1999, three months after she married ex-husband Ryan Phillippe.

‘I did not have a lot of support with my first baby and I learned really early, like this is not going to work,’ she told hosts Kristen Bell and Monica Padman.

Motherhood struggles: Reese revealed she ‘didn’t have a lot of support with my first baby’ during an appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast; the actress is seen with Ava in July

Witherspoon explained that she had ‘tried to muscle through her initial five months of motherhood with Ava just not sleeping and I became delirious.’

Sounding grateful and humbled, the Louisiana native went on to share how she was among a very small percentage of mothers with the flexibility to take time off from work during those first few months of motherhood.

‘I was lucky enough to have money saved and I didn’t have to work but it’s just not a one-person job. I would even say it’s not a two-person job,’ she added.

Witherspoon was 23-years-old when she gave birth to Ava and got married to ex-husband Ryan Phillippe; the former couple are seen on the set of Legally Blonde in October 2000

Leading up to her admission of feeling a lack of support with Ava, Witherspoon posed the questions: ‘Why do we not place more value on the raising of children? and, ‘Why is there not a quantifiable amount of money for caregivers, children, and the elderly?’

After venting about her frustrations on the subject, Bell interjected and suggested that there should be laws passed to make a difference when it comes to things like child care.

‘To grow a great human is nearly impossible. And we put no value on that,’ the Walk The Line actress shot back before sharing that she believes there would be real change ‘if women had more leadership positions.’

‘We need more support for people who have to leave their jobs to take care of their children.’

Struggles of parenting: The Walk The Line actress called parenting ‘a two-person job’ on Armchair Expert; the proud mother is pictured two days ago with her  daughter Ava and son Deacon, 17, both of which she shares with her ex-husband

While burst into laughter, Witherspoon joked about how she couldn’t even remember her phone number during the first 12 weeks of motherhood.

‘The reality is it doesn’t stop at just the mom getting her 12 weeks off,’ Bell said while also laughing, adding, ‘There are two people to make a baby for a reason, because babies are difficult; they’re very, very loud.’

Witherspoon and Phillippe were married in June 1999, which was three months before they welcomed Ava to the world. On October 23, 2003, Reese gave birth to their son Deacon.

The two announced their separation in October 2006, and finalized their divorce the following year.

Witherspoon also has an eight-year-old son, Tennessee, with second husband Jim Toth, whom she married in March 2011.

Mommy again: Witherspoon also has an eight-year-old son, Tennessee, with second husband Jim Toth, whom she married in March 2011

Tori, is that you?

Actress Tori Spelling looked unrecognizable while celebrating the wrap of MTV’s “Messyness” with Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, her hairstylist Laura Rugetti and other friends on Thursday night.

The night on the town came after Spelling, 48, posted an image to Instagram of her sitting next to the 33-year-old “Jersey Shore” star that prompted fans to flood the comments with takes on how different she looks from her “Beverly Hills 90210” days.

“Wow Tori doesn’t look like her any more,” one poster on the social media site said.

“Kardashians surgeon?  another person chimed in.

Snooki — who has been known to go under the knife herself — also posted the same image that Spelling put up.

Spelling captioned her version of the post: “My Messy Bestie… actually we are the duo you never knew you needed. @snooki you might be my twin flame ( but shorter ) love the way we empower each other to be our authentic selves. Xo.”

Though some social media users took jabs at Spelling’s look, many had her back.

“Honestly Tori Spelling looks AMAZING! Good for you girl! How you spend your money is your business!” one fan wrote.

Someone agreed, “Tori i swear you get younger looking every year! You look fabulous!”

“Gorg ladiesssss! ” a third person chimed in.

One person who posted on Snooki’s version of the image said: “you both look great! ”

Spelling opened up about what work she had done in 2019, telling People, “I literally had my nose done and my boobs done, and that’s it. I’m constantly reading that I’ve done more.”

“People have been talking about me having plastic surgery since I was 17,” she added. “I remember my dad saying, ‘Don’t worry. It will go away next week.’ But that one thing has stayed with me my entire career!”