Sorted Magazine

Category: Celebrity News

  • Interview: Social media sensation and best selling author FitWaffle

    Interview: Social media sensation and best selling author FitWaffle

    It was lovely to interview the TikTok sensation, best-selling author and social media star Eloise Head who is also known as FitWaffle.

    Interview

    Steve Legg (SL): Eloise, how lovely to see you. I can’t believe how thin you are, as you make such amazing cakes.

    Eloise Head (EH): It’s all about balance and moderation. That’s my motto.

    SL: I love that. So is it Eloise? Is it FitWaffle, is it Fit is it Waffs? What do I call you?

    EH: I’ve never been called Waffs but I quite like it. My real name is Eloise, but many people call me FitWaffle. I created it about seven years ago when I first started my brand, and it has a few meanings. When I began, I was working as a personal trainer. So that’s one meaning of the ‘Fit’ part. But it also means fitting all foods into your diet. And then the ‘Waffle’ part also means waffling on because if you know me well, you know I tend to talk quite a lot. So it’s a combination of fitness and food and then fitting all sorts of foods into your diet and waffling on.

    SL: Oh, I like it. I didn’t get that at all. I thought you were really into waffles. What are your favourite waffles?

    EH: I do like waffles. I like a waffle with a bit of peanut butter on, some fruit or even just the straight-up maple syrup.

    SL: So there you go. You heard it here first. Eloise, did you start cooking at school? We used to call it Home Economics back in my day. Is that where you first got into baking?

    EH: Sorry, that’s what my mum used to call it too! I did do cooking at school. But it wasn’t very much. We did a little bit of what we called, Food Tech.

    SL: Do you prefer more savoury or sweet? Because obviously, your cakes are very sweet.

    EH: I prefer sweet; I have a real sweet tooth. I prefer making sweet food as well. I find it more fun, and the outcome’s always pretty and tasty.

    SL: How do you keep fit?

    EH: I go to the gym four to five times a week; I always have done really. I’ve always been active. I’m on my feet for most of the day. And I walk regularly as well. So I’m generally very busy, but I also have a balanced diet. So I don’t eat everything on my social media, you know, I don’t devour a whole tray of brownies or an entire cheesecake every day. But you know, I will have a slice of a brownie or cake almost daily alongside what I usually eat. So you know, fruits and vegetables and all the things that get my nutrients in simultaneously. It’s just balancing my energy input with my energy output.

    SL: You describe yourself as a self-taught baker but isn’t baking very scientific and precise, right?

    EH: Yeah, there’s a lot of trial and error with baking. You have to learn the basics when it comes to baking. And you have to do a bit of research along the way. With cooking, you can experiment and it will probably turn out okay. But with baking, you do have to learn, so you have to start by following other recipes, find out why it works, you know, and do a bit of research if it goes wrong as to why it didn’t work. And then from there, you can progress, and with that knowledge, you can start creating your own creations.

    SL: Your social media stats are pretty breathtaking. Four billion views across social media in 2022. The most followed foodie female on social media with an impressive 10.3 million followers across social platforms. The only UK Food creator with 100 million views on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Everyone’s heard of you, the sixth most viewed UK video on Tiktok in 2022 and the top viewed food TikTok account in the UK. How does that happen? That doesn’t happen by mistake, does it?

    EH: I know it sounds crazy when you read it back .Yeah, that’s all correct. You know what? I don’t even know. I love creating content. And obviously, I must be quite good at it because people like watching my videos. And the more I do it, the better it gets. You know, I wasn’t always good at it. When I’ve looked back at my original pictures, they’re hilarious. And even my videos, when I started making recipe videos at the beginning of the lockdown. I cringe when I hear them back because my voiceovers are so slow, and everything’s so poorly put together. So I’ve improved over the past three years I’ve been creating videos. And it’s something I’ve been doing almost every day, editing and all of that sort of stuff, literally for the past two and a half years. So it’s knowing your audience, and it’s getting better and better every time.

    Footnote: You can listen to the rest of this conversation with Eloise on my weekly radio show The Big Lunch on Konnect Radio : Catch Up

    Main Photo Credit: Courtesy of Eloise Head on Twitter

  • Faith: David Suchet narrates audio bibles to comfort those with sight loss

    Faith: David Suchet narrates audio bibles to comfort those with sight loss

    At the end of 2021, Torch took a leap of faith and ordered 1,000 Pathway audio Bible players containing the New Testament and Psalms read by the well known British actor, David Suchet. Knowing the power of Scripture to change lives, they planned to give these Bibles for free to anyone in the UK losing their sight. 16 months later, all of these Bible players have been sent out and the stories coming back are so amazing that Torch has ordered 1,000 more.

    Gayle-Ann said: “It is my friend … with me wherever, it is just so convenient and I have read the New Testament many times but the way this is read brings across the characters it is just easily understood”. Kenneth came across Torch by chance at a Sight Village open day, he wasn’t sure when he first heard about the Pathway as he wouldn’t have called himself a Christian and hasn’t enjoyed audio books in the past but he told us “I like listening to the Pathway … I’m really listening to the New Testament now … not just odd verses … I’m realising what it all means.”

    For many people, losing their sight is confusing and life altering with one of the biggest losses being the ability to read. For those who have regularly read the Bible, this can feel like being cut off from their greatest source of encouragement, strength and comfort. Imagine the joy of so many in receiving a simple to use Pathway audio Bible when they can once again connect with Scripture?

    Losing sight can be a time of real questioning and searching, so what better gift can they receive than the Word of God? Torch is encouraging anyone who knows someone who is living with sight loss, to get them to contact Torch and receive a free audio Bible at www.torchtrust.org/pathway or by calling 01858 438260.

    Most of the first 1,000 players were sponsored by individuals, churches or trusts. Torch is also seeking people to donate £20 to cover the cost of sending out one of the new audio Bibles.

    Main Photo Credit: Courtesy of David Suchet on Twitter

  • Interview: Nick and Eva Speakman

    Interview: Nick and Eva Speakman

    Steve Legg interviews the British writers, life coaches, therapists and TV presenters Nick and Eva Speakman.

    Steve Legg (SL): I’ve watched them on the telly. I’ve loved them for years. They are a fantastic couple. I’m going to call them the dynamic duo. They’re the world’s leading life-change therapists. It’s Nick and Eva Speakman.

    Nick Speakman (SL): Thanks, Steve. That’s a great introduction. You know what? I’m a Batman fan, you know? Funnily enough, I was scrolling through Tik Tok the other day. And I saw a clip where Batman and Robin are on the Batcopter and Batman’s hanging from a ladder. And there’s a plastic shark, and it looks so bad. He’s like, ‘Robin, pass me the shark repellent,’ He just happened to have a can of shark repellent in the helicopter. But honestly, amazing. It was so tacky, but I thought it was all real. And it was terrific. So yeah, looking back, it just shows how easily you can con children.

    SL: So we’ve seen you on our TV screens on This Morning and all sorts of shows like that. But of course, the whole nation is now loving you on Celebrity Hunted.

    Eva Speakman (ES): It is probably one of our lives most unbelievable, exciting, scary adrenaline rushes. Genuinely, we expected it to be easier than it was. It feels so real. So you have to remind yourself that you’re doing this for charity. This is part of a TV show. But you totally forget; it immerses you, and you genuinely feel like you’re a fugitive on the run.

    SL: Was it really scary at times?

    NK: Oh, Steve, honestly, it was. Part of that fear is born out of the fact that we are both competitive. And you know, we wanted to evade capture as long as possible. You know, I mean, everything. We create everything, you know, our thoughts, everything that we’re doing, the world we live in, is the world that we see. But we felt so under pressure because we just literally didn’t want to get caught up.

    ES: The biggest pressure is you don’t know what anybody else is doing. And you want to avoid being caught first. And we are the more mature duo on the run. There was a principle behind that because I was like, Okay, I won’t be the first to go. And I couldn’t bear that thought. So that kept us going. And as I say, you have yet to learn how the other fugitives are doing. So you need to find out whether they are still all out there. In this case, you know that the Hunters are slightly thinner on the ground. Honestly, it was you bed down for the night wherever that might be. We slept in places that I never thought. In stranger’s gardens, at the side of roads. Like literally just wherever we landed and you get that moment of reprieve where you think I should be okay here for the night. And then the second your eyes open. You go. You need to get packed up. And it’s ‘let’s get out’. You have no clue where the hunters are.

    SL: Did you use some of your tricks of the trade? You had us on tenterhooks at the end of the first episode. I thought, oh no, they’ve caught them.

    NS: Absolutely. We did. Yeah. We tried to use a few tricks and we tried to think about what they were going to do next. And it served us quite well. Yeah, we just put ourselves into the Hunter’s shoes. That doesn’t mean that we didn’t have a few scrapes as well along the way, but we played the game. We didn’t want to just try and get to the end without being caught.

    Footnote: You can read the rest of my interview with the Speakmans in the next edition of Sorted Magazine or tune in to my weekly radio show at Konnect Radio to hear the whole conversation.

    Main photo credit: The Speakmans with American actor, Jeff Goldblum, courtesy of Nick and Eva Speakman.

  • Neighbours star Alan Fletcher: “It was very, very energetic and lovable!”

    Neighbours star Alan Fletcher: “It was very, very energetic and lovable!”

    I really could not believe it when I had the opportunity to interview someone I felt I had known all my life, the one and only Mr Alan Fletcher, who starred in the much loved television soap opera Neighbours for 28 years!

    Interview with Steve Legg and Alan Fletcher

    Steve Legg (SL): Now Alan, you’re a super-talented man. Do you know what? I listened to your album today. And it’s brilliant. I’d love to talk to you a bit about that later on. Was your first love music or acting?

    Alan Fletcher (AF): Well, I’ve always said I’m an entertainer at heart. And so for me, both equally. Of late though, I’m very much enjoying the music because Americana music is storytelling. And I love the fact that I can tell stories that I’ve written. And these stories are contained within three minutes. And each story can have a different effect on the listener.

    It’s the economy of music I love I suppose. And also just the joy of performing live just can’t be beaten, whether it’s as an actor or a musician.

    SL: It’s that immediate response and rapport with the audience, isn’t it? There’s nothing like it.

    AF: Yes, you’re absolutely right. Yeah, I mean, the biggest privilege you can ever be given is as a singer or musician is when people start singing your songs back to you. I’m getting that kind of vibe happening for one of my songs How good is bed? It’s just really a fun song about staying in bed.

    SL: And I love the fact that came after my favourites. I loved Hey you. I thought that was a beautiful song.

    AF: Oh, thank you. That’s a tribute to my mom. My mom was my spiritual guide in life and she said to me that she would still be continuing to guide me after she left and I feel her presence every day. And Hey you is a heartfelt message to her and to everyone who’s lost, asking, are you still there?

    SL: I can imagine it being used for people’s funerals but I had a horrendous vision of the sound guy at the crematorium as the curtains closed, pressing the number incorrectly because How good is bed comes immediately after Hey you. And that will be embarrassing for everyone.

    AF: (laughs) Well, I suppose eternal sleep is the same thing in a way. Maybe it was intentional.

    SL: Alan, you worked with Arthur Lowe back in the day, who we know as the very pompous Captain Mainwaring from Dad’s Army.

    AF: Yes. I’m pleased that you know that. Arthur was a dream. I did a play with him which toured around the UK, New Zealand and Australia. So I had the privilege of working with him. He’s one of the greatest comedians to come out of the UK because his timing was immaculate; he could make an audience dissolve into laughter with just one look. And we loved him in Dad’s Army. We loved him in so much stuff, you know, and to work with him on stage was a joy and a great education also.

    SL: So what did he teach you most?

    AF: It was mostly about comic timing and stillness. Arthur had a way of being completely still on stage. And suddenly, he would speak his lines at exactly the right moment, after the right pause. And when you’re a young performer as I was then, you tend to be very eager and over anxious to get the line out. And you lose the stillness and timing that he as an older person had.

    I think about him all the time. Particularly when I’m doing Neighbours, because when I’m working with Jackie Woodburne (Neighbours screen wife, Susan Kennedy), we do a lot of comedy together. And she’s a master at that, too. It’s the slow-burning look that dissolves the audience into hysterics.

    SL: You’ve brought us nicely onto Neighbours and 1994 is a year you probably won’t forget. That’s when the Kennedy’s moved into Ramsay Street. I remember that hideous portrait in your house, above the fireplace of your kids, Malcolm Libby and Billy.

    AF: Yes, my memory is that Helen Daniels painted it. You’re absolutely right. And interestingly, on the very last day of filming of Neighbours, we shot the last scene in the Kennedy house. And during the speeches, I glanced around to look at the portrait, which was gone. It had been spirited away. And it was because there was a worry that someone might take it.

    SL: What do you remember about your first day on the Neighbours set?

    AF: It was just myself and Jesse Spencer who played Billy Kennedy. We were on Ramsey Street purchasing number 28, and Karl was buying the house without his wife’s say so. So you know, the parameters of Karl Kennedy was set very early as a man who did things his way. It was fabulous working with Jesse, who was 14 years old. He was confident; he was a brilliant musician who played the violin and was a very fine actor. And a week later, we turned up again with a whole family in a removal truck.

    Honestly, I couldn’t have dreamt of having a better family to work with. There was loads of ad-libbing and had an incredible vibe. It was very, very energetic and lovable.

    Footnote: What a legend, it was such a privilege to chat with Alan! You can read the rest of my interview with Alan Fletcher in the July/August print edition of Sorted Magazine. To listen to this interview, and others, just tune in to my weekly radio show on Konnect Radio every Saturday from 12pm until 1pm.

    Alan Fletcher and his fellow cast members will be in the UK for the Neighbours Farewell Tour, to find out more about the tour please click here.

    Alan is not only an accomplished actor, but he’s also a gifted musician, to find out more about his new album and tour dates please click here.

    Main photo credit: Alan Fletcher

  • TV: The last ever Endeavour

    TV: The last ever Endeavour

    The writers of Endeavour had earned my trust, but dare I trust them one last time? As the ninth and final season of the hit ITV crime drama broadcast the final episode I had one burning question: Could I be certain that the writers would tidy up all the loose ends to my complete and total satisfaction?

    I enjoy a nice solid ending, thank you very much. No cliff hangers, fatal accidents (Unforgotten writers; I’m looking at you), unresolved issues, sudden cut-offs, bizarre plot twists or waking from a dream two minutes before the closing credits roll. No, those options simply wouldn’t do. After all, I had let their characters into my living room, I’d invested emotionally into every single one of them, but would they stitch me up for the last episode?

    Would the charming and witty Dr DeBryn ever find love? Could Chief Superintendent Bright carry on? Would the fabulous Miss Frazil finally meet someone? What would become of young Joan, our lovely Joan? And Detective Sergeant Endeavour Morse (Shaun Evans) himself, what of the lad upon whom the main plot line rests? And oh yeah … I suppose all those pesky crimes still needed solving too. But my very worst worry was – would they kill off my beloved Fred? How could they convincingly write Detective Inspector Fred Thursday (Roger Allam), the man who had mentored Morse, out of Morse’s future?

    For dysfunctional reasons of my own I confess there’s a part of me which needs to believe in the Freds of this world. For a couple of hours Endeavour provides me with a brief respite in which to do exactly that. I desperately want to believe that the important big things are being run properly, by proper grown-ups who properly know what they’re doing. They’ve lived a life. They know people. They may be deeply flawed and human, but they are also fearless, fair and fatherly.

    Fred Thursday has seen, and been, both the very worst and the very best of people. And while he’s no stranger to rough justice, on the whole, he aims to play by the book and uphold the law. He navigates his way around the edges of turmoil, inner conflict and human suffering with equal measures of tenderness and toughness. Roger Allam commands an incredibly powerful screen presence. Without uttering a single swear word his steely glare oozes don’t-mess-with-me old school justice. He plays Thursday with such gripping force, I can barely stand to watch him play another part, and face up to the reality that he’s actually an actor.

    Another part of me needs familiar things not to end. Not to change. Not ever. Because there can be a dreadful sadness in endings. There’s a part of me which longs for familiar things, and people, to go on forever. It seems I am not alone in this longing. In the final episode of the final series the writers of Endeavour grab this issue by the horns. They face up to it, well, like grown-ups. They somehow shine a light on these longings, which are an essential part of our shared humanity, thus allowing the viewer to feel less alone. And isn’t that one of the things which good writers of fiction do? They somehow help the reader, or the viewer, to feel less alone. As the final credits rolled and the familiar Morse theme played, I knew I had been right to trust them. They did ok.

    Episodes of Endeavour are available to stream on ITVX.

    Main photo credit: Fair Usage

  • Review: Son of Suffering, Matt Redman

    Review: Son of Suffering, Matt Redman

    Songwriters write the songs, but they belong to the listener! This is so true when it comes to Grammy-award winning worship leader and songwriter Matt Redman, who has been writing contemporary worship songs for the global church to sing for almost thirty years!

    As he unveiled his new single Son Of Suffering Redman said: “I’m only making albums because it’s about the songs. And it’s about trying to see if I can help people talk to God and see God through song.”

    Recorded live at the historic ruins of the Catholic Mission San Juan Capistrano in Orange County, California, Redman has once again demonstrated his distinctive ability to integrate the old with the new. And perhaps this is what sets him apart as a writer; his industrious attention to foundational Christian belief and his undoubtable talent for expressing God-truths into singable and likeable melodies.

    Son Of Suffering co-written with Aaron Moses, David Funk and Nate Moore, is a reminder that Jesus came down to earth to walk with us and meet us in our trials, in our weeping and in our earthly terrain. This same Jesus who divinely embraced his own suffering also embraces ours. This is not a distant God but one who reaches out with love, hope and understanding.

    Interestingly the Season Three finale of The Chosen, a television series that gives a picture of Jesus’ life and ministry, seen through the eyes of the people who knew him, will feature a brand new video of Son Of Suffering. Filmed in collaboration with the show, this affords an incredible opportunity for thousands to not only see the story of Jesus but also hear his heart.

    Son Of Suffering is the first release from Redman’s latest album Lamb Of God. Already receiving high praise from listeners worldwide, his response is, as usual, full of humility, he said: “How can these little words and a few chords mean so much? It’s just God’s blessing of music, I guess.”

    Lamb Of God will be reviewed by Sue Rinaldi in the next edition of Sorted Magazine.

    Listen to Sue Rinaldi’s recent release Ethos V1 on all digital platforms. Spotify – Ethos V1

    Main photo credit: Courtesy of Integrity Music

  • Sir Tom Jones OBE: “Losing someone you love is devastating.”

    Sir Tom Jones OBE: “Losing someone you love is devastating.”

    Marie Curie and supporters including Tom Jones, actress Alison Steadman and Downton Abbey’s Jim Carter are urging the nation to unite for a National Day of Reflection. The aim is to provide a moment to remember loved ones who have died, support those who are grieving, and connect with each other.

    The third National Day of Reflection will take place on Thursday 23rd March 2023, and is organised by end-of-life charity Marie Curie. It will see hundreds of public Walls of Reflection go up across the UK where people can gather to reflect on their grief and support those who have been bereaved. A national minute’s silence will be held at midday.

    The National Day of Reflection is a one of a kind opportunity to reflect on any death of a loved one, from any cause and at any time. For many it may be the only acknowledgement of their grief and gives everyone permission to take time to reflect and support one another. This year’s day is significant with the deaths of a number of public figures recently, including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, showing the benefit of uniting in grief as a nation.

    Marie Curie is urging schools, workplaces and communities to put up a wall as a place to celebrate the lives of loved ones by sharing memories, photos, poems, music, objects and anything else that connects them to those people. An online toolkit can be downloaded at www.mariecurie.org.uk/dayofreflection with everything needed to prepare for 23rdMarch.

    Marie Curie launched the National Day of Reflection in 2021 as a day to remember those who died during the pandemic, and support those whose grief was affected by lockdown. Over 850 organisations took part in 2022, with a number of public figures supporting including His Majesty King Charles III. Now in its third year, a series of new free online events will be held on Saturday 18th March and throughout the day on 23rd March giving people more ways to connect with others.

    Events include panel discussions with faith leaders, researchers, and philosophers to discuss themes such as the role faith plays in our relationship with death and the opportunity to view best-selling psychotherapist, Julia Samuel, in conversation with special guests talking about their experience of grief.

    Sir Tom Jones OBE shared: “Losing someone you love is devastating – and it’s also something almost all of us have in common. Grief can so often feel very heavy, which is why Marie Curie’s National Day of Reflection is so important. It gives us all a moment in time to come together with our friends and families, to remember and celebrate the people who aren’t with us anymore.”

    Marie Curie Ambassador Alison Steadman OBE explained: “I’m supporting Marie Curie’s National Day of Reflection because like most people, I have experienced grief and loss, and I know what it’s like to be alone. It’s absolutely awful, and it’s sad, and we need people to talk to. That’s why this National Day of Reflection is going to be so important for everyone to share their grief, and to be able to talk.”

    Marie Curie Ambassador Jim Carter OBE enthused: “I’m so pleased that once again Marie Curie is leading the National Day of Reflection. It’s wonderful seeing people across the UK, from Cornwall to the Highlands of Scotland and everywhere in-between, supporting those who are grieving and remembering those who have died. I firmly believe this Day should become a permanent fixture in our annual calendar, a chance for every one of us to pause, reflect and remember.”

    To find out more visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/dayofreflection.

    Main Photo Credit: Fair Usage

  • Faith: How the former wife of Stephen Hawking emerged from the shadows of her past.

    Faith: How the former wife of Stephen Hawking emerged from the shadows of her past.

    Dr Jane Helyer Jones is an accomplished writer and novelist, she is also Jane Hawking, the former wife of Stephen Hawking. She’s the author of the best selling book Travelling to Infinity, which is the true story behind the famous motion picture film The Theory of Everything.

    The film tells the story of Jane’s early life with her husband, Professor Stephen Hawking, who is possibly the world’s best known scientist and the world’s best known sufferer of motor neurone disease. Stephen is played by Eddie Redmayne and Jane is played by Felicity Jones. Jane told the BBC, “Felicity’s performance was phenomenal. When I saw her on the screen I was flabbergasted because she captured my mannerisms, my movements, my patterns of speech even.” It is a stunning performance and Felicity Jones somehow portrays the complex bitter sweet nature of Jane’s life.

    Just as in real life it’s a beautiful love story and Jane is clearly devoted to Stephen. But as Stephen’s disability worsens she becomes his carer. His fame and career place more and more demands upon her and she struggles with the physical and emotional effort of this work alongside the job of caring for their young family.

    Jane told Christian Connection, “Faith was my rock and my blessing because I believed that there was help and support for me in all the challenges I faced and that things would resolve themselves eventually.”

    In another interview she said: “I felt I needed the rock of my faith to do what might be expected of me, I was very dependent on my faith to help me through. I thought there must be a loving God acting in his (Stephen’s) life otherwise he might not have been gifted with the brain of a genius which enabled him to do the science that he could do. He couldn’t walk, he was having difficulty talking, he couldn’t write. All he could do was think, but he could think in such an extraordinary way, in a way not given to many people, to himself and [Albert] Einstein perhaps, but not many others. And that seemed to me to be the most extraordinary gift.”

    In 2018 Jane told Readers Digest: “One day I asked him (Stephen) ‘How do you decide on a theory?’. He said, ‘Well you have to look at all the possibilities in various areas of research and decide what you’re interested in. Then you decide which area of research is most likely to give you the positive result. So you choose your theory, your area of interest, and then you have to take a leap of faith.’ I said, ‘What? What’s the difference between taking a leap of faith in physics and other people taking a leap of faith in religion?’ He laughed.”

    Jane describes her parents as ‘darlings’ and says her Christian faith has helped her persevere, “I think my parents were rather taken aback, but they were very supportive of me when I married Stephen, and my mum, Beryl, encouraged me to keep faith as the way forward”.

    Her first novel Silent Music was published by Alma Books in 2016. It tells the story of a child growing up in an unhappy family in London after the Second World War. The title of the series is The Immortal Souls. This stems from Jane’s belief that “everybody has a spark of spirituality and the divine inside them, and that circumstances often combine to prevent that spark from blossoming”.

    “I saw Stephen’s spark blossom and my own is blossoming now in so many ways. I have my wonderful children and I’m doing all the things I want to do, especially my writing. I’ve been down a long winding path to reach that ultimate fulfilment but I think I’ve found it now.”

    Jane is a strong, inspirational woman who has emerged from the shadows of her past and found a new life for herself. She’s found meaningful creative work. She’s found a special love with her husband Jonathon Jones Helyer, together they share a strong faith and a deep love of music. Her life has a happy ending. She said: “Life goes on doesn’t it? One year succeeds another and you concentrate on all the really wonderful things.”

    Interview credits: Readers Digest, The National, Christian Connection, BBC Woman’s Hour.

  • Gemma Hunt: “Christmas is about Jesus, the light in the darkness.”

    Gemma Hunt: “Christmas is about Jesus, the light in the darkness.”

    The Cheeky Pandas has released a pack of free resources, including a special Christmas episode, The Best Present Ever. Featuring CBeebies’ star, Gemma Hunt, there’s a special message for kids; Christmas is really about a person called Jesus, who is the best present of all.

    In The Best Present Ever Christmas preparations are falling apart for the Cheeky Pandas. Milo is sad at the lack of snow, Rory and Benji are fighting over which Christmas lights to use, and CJ’s cooking is less than perfect (pies in the kettle and turkey in the toaster!). Lulu just wants everyone to be happy. Every panda has a different idea about how Christmas should be. When the pandas get a special gift from the Pandaroo Delivery Service, will it remind them who Christmas is really about?

    The Christmas episode and song are both available on YouTube and The Cheeky Pandas website. The downloadable activity pack contains questions, prayer points, craft activity and a super-easy recipe (no ovens or mixers required). A free assembly plan will also be available for use in schools and a new Cheeky Pandas book The Best Present Ever accompanies the Christmas episode.

    CBeebies star Gemma Hunt said: “It’s an absolute joy to be a part of The Cheeky Pandas family. The fun, free Christmas resources that they are providing for children this year to remind them of the life-changing message of Jesus, the greatest gift this world has ever seen, is great! In the aftermath of the pandemic, as we face a cost-of-living crisis and a world that often feels in turmoil, children and families are more in need than ever of hope that can’t be taken away from them. Through this year’s Cheeky Pandas Christmas episode, song and bumper pack of crafts, recipes and activities, they have a timely reminder that Christmas is about Jesus, the light in the darkness.” 

    Access The Cheeky Pandas Christmas episode and song here

  • Interview: The cool character behind Cool Runnings

    Interview: The cool character behind Cool Runnings

    When it comes to discussing the mental mindset of an athlete, one story comes to mind, and many people know the story by its hit family friendly movie portrayal Cool Runnings.

    Over one billion people watched Dudley Tal Stokes and his team crash out of the Olympic Games in 1988 in Calgary. A crash that happened at 80mph, resulting in the team’s helmets dragging along the wall of the run for over 2000ft. Many people remember the team walking alongside their sled with overwhelming applause from the onlookers and fellow teams competing.

    For a person who had been a highflyer his whole life, the outcome was extremely devastating. Dudley, a graduate of the RMA Sandhurst and a Pilot in the elite Jamaica Defence Force Air Wing, was recognised as someone who had a winner’s mentality.

    Dudley Tal Stokes comments: “Burnout is the term used to describe a lethargy felt by someone towards their mode of earning a living and is thought to be the result of internal and external pressures that cause them to lose motivation and interest in what they are doing. This is often recognised as the longterm condition of quiet quitting. But I was not a quitter …

    “I could have easily quit after what happened at my first Winter Olympics, but instead I focused on my key three areas to get up and keep going; physicality, mentality, and ability. A Senior Military Officer for whom I worked with had recently passed over for promotion and explained to me ‘Dudley, you think you are looking at me, but that is not so. This is not me; this is just the kit’. In other words, the body may be present, but the meaningful presence is what is within.

    “Everybody will fail, but you have to come back, learn from the previous failure, access the goal and try again another way, and that’s exactly what I went on to do.”

    Ultimately, six years after the 1988 games, the Jamaican bobsleigh team became the tenth best team in the world. Hard work and an Olympian mindset paid off. Dudley has since personally competed in two more Olympic Games, and the Jamaican bobsleigh team were 14th sled overall in the Lillehammer Norway games in 1994, beating all the American sleds.

    THE INTERVIEW: A SNEAK PEEK

    Steve Legg (SL): Growing up did you have a sort of sense of destiny that you were on this planet to achieve something amazing?

    Dudley ‘Tal’ Stokes (DTS):

    I always dreamt of representing Jamaica. Now, Jamaica is a relatively small place, but the guy who grew up to the west of me went on to win a bronze medal in the 4 x 100 and the World Championships in 1983. And then the guy who was two miles to the east of me, was a guy named Jimmy Adams, who then played for the West Indies for many, many years, in the shadow of Brian Lara. But he actually scored as many centuries as Brian Lara did. Lara scored some huge ones.

    In Jamaica you’re rubbing shoulders with athletic royalty all the time. The high school I went to, the coach of the high school was a guy called Herb McKinley, was Jamaica’s first Olympic medalist, and he won medals in the ’48 games at 200 and 400 and came back four years later and won a medal at the 100 meters. This outstanding athlete and he was a high school coach.

    You have this sense that there is something for you to do in sport. And I think many, many Jamaican children grow with that. And it feeds the sort of athletic excellence that we produce because it starts very young and people start thinking and dreaming. They build that desire and they do the work and the competitive pressures through outstanding athletes. And I was in those pressures. I wasn’t getting anywhere. I thought I’d lost my chance and then the bobsleigh opportunity came along.

    SL: I mean, who would’ve thought it? We fell in love with the movie, Cool Running, the Jamaican Bobsleigh Team. A concept so outrageous it could only be made if it was true.

    DTS: Yeah. Well that is one of the things that you just couldn’t make up. There is no imagination that ever lived that would’ve sat down and said, “Yeah, this is how it’s going to be.” Is an incredible story that has unfolded.

    SL: Oh man, we’re going to talk about it, but just going back to what you said, I love that mindset. Is it a typical Jamaican mindset that anything is possible?

    DTS: Yeah, and I think it has become typical and that’s because examples of it abound and they’re not far from you. You go down to the plaza on a Saturday afternoon and you’re going to run into somebody who has achieved at the highest level. That just happens all the time in Jamaica. It’s not myth. You can see the guy right there, you see Usain Bolt standing over there and you say hi to him and he say hi back and wave. When you’re that close to that level, it is not hard for you to make the association and to start thinking and dreaming about taking such a step yourself.

    And I think that’s endemic in Jamaican society and it throws up a lot of performers in the areas in where you have opportunities, in athletics and football, cricket, in those areas in entertainment. Those are the areas, because of the economic realities, these are where the opportunities lie and so the talent goes there.

    Listen to the full interview here: The Big Lunch 26 NOV 2022 by KonnectRadio | Mixcloud

    Read the full interview by subscribing to Sorted Magazine here: Annual Subscription/Printed Version – UK Only – Sorted Magazine