Entertainment
Jenny Seagrove says ‘woke culture is taking away all the fun’ | Celebrity News | Showbiz & TV
Would-be actors are being driven away from a career on stage because of wokeness and lockdown, says TV and theatre star Jenny Seagrove.
She believes that while “woke” culture has brought about some improvements in the acting world it has also taken the fun out of the profession and turned certain areas into “minefields”.
The actress adds that lockdown has changed people’s perception of work and made many would-be recruits shy away from the unsociable hours of acting.
Jenny is appearing in a new play alongside Martin Shaw – her on-screen lover in hit ITV drama Judge John Deed.
In Alone Together, written by The Archers actor Simon Williams, they play a couple divided and navigating challenges in a world of grief and disconnection.
Jenny, 66, has a long relationship with the theatre. Her partner is producer Bill Kenwright, who has been Martin’s best friend for 40 years.
Martin and Jenny both believe theatre plays a crucial role in the nation’s cultural landscape – but Jenny said she worried about those fresh to the acting world. She said: “I came across someone entering the business and saying, ‘I don’t want to do this, I want a life’, which I can’t understand because it is my life.
“But people got used to easy hours in lockdown and they want their evenings and their weekends.
“We don’t have that on stage or even filming sometimes – you give up your life. I often joke that work does get in the way of my social life but it’s a vocation. A lot of people now are coming into the business and saying, ‘this isn’t for me.’
“I find that really sad.”
She said that while welcome in some areas, woke culture had made performing less fun. She explained: “The business is changing in a way. I am going to add to really difficult territory here but it has changed because of wokeness.
“It’s not as much fun as it was because you really do, and quite rightly, have to think before you give someone a hug, and think about what you say all the time.
“It’s sort of become a minefield. It used to be a real community and a family of people who were spontaneous and, yes, sometimes inappropriate. But actually sometimes when you are among people you trust the inappropriate isn’t inappropriate.
“I’ve worked with people who really got in my space and who abused me and it’s not nice, but the business has changed. An awful lot of the fun has been lifted, so the compensation of giving up your life, as it were, to become part of this family – you start thinking ‘I am not sure if I want to do this.”
She said this added to the difficulties to a sector already buckling after the deprivations of the pandemic years. The hospitality and entertainment industries were hit particularly hard by lockdown, and the current cost-of-living crisis has made the situation even worse.
She said: “The industry is being kicked and it’s not really recovered, you know. I run a charity and we have some elderly people who actually support us financially and I said I was doing this play and they went, ‘We used to go to the theatre all the time and we got out of the habit. We just haven’t got back into it’.
“And there is the cost-of-living crisis so it’s even less possible to go to the theatre. It is just tragic.”
Martin, 78, who starred as Doyle in The Professionals, said that social interaction was as vital as medical interventions when it came to general health.
He explained: “Somebody once said to me if there were no theatres there would be more people in hospitals and I took a minute to think about that. There was a survey recently about what is the most life-enhancing and life-extending. They had all these lists you know, vitamin C, exercise, sleep.
“It found social interaction is more important for extending your life and keeping you healthy than sleep, vitamin C or exercise.
“An incredible thing about theatre is you’ve got this essence of social interaction because you’ve got people on stage. You are socially interacting to the point of exhaustion in order to get your experience to 500 or 1,000 people if you’re lucky. You’re socially interacting with their concentration and comradeship.”
Jenny agreed, saying: “I actually think he’s right because what happens on stage sometimes profoundly affects people.
“It can just be as simple as having someone having a laugh when they need it. It can be a life lesson. It can be incredibly valuable.”
Another problem for those eyeing a career on stage was the lack of acting in schools, Jenny said. She argued that this would help youngsters communicate in person in an increasingly digital world.
She said: “I’m on a rant now, but what about theatres in schools, in education? It’s nothing like when we started. It’s about young people learning to communicate. The way society is going you won’t see other people at all, in fact let’s all be AI.”
But both are excited about their new project that puts them onstage together. They have previously performed in productions of both Love Letters and The Cherry Orchard.
Yet while the pair are firm friends they are seldom mistaken for a couple, laughs Martin.
He said: “It was always very clear that Jen’s partner, Bill, has been my oldest friend for about 40 years and that Jen and I have been friends for about 25.
“It’s called acting and we can switch it on and off.”
Jenny adds: “I did get an awful lot of, ‘God he’s sexy. I’m really jealous!’ at the time.”
She said she had seen Martin on television last week and admitted: “I did zoom in and he is tasty.”
But could Judge John Deed, which attracted nine million viewers for its finale, make a comeback?
“The door is always open as far as we’re concerned,” said Martin. “Nothing would please me more but I don’t think the BBC would do it. I think they’ve moved on.”
Jenny added: “Maybe it’s best to leave them wanting more.”
● Alone Together premieres at the Theatre Royal Windsor, Monday August 7 to Saturday, August 19 www.theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk
Entertainment
Freddie Mercury’s favourite songs include an Elvis Presley classic fro | Music | Entertainment
Freddie Mercury, the legendary frontman of Queen, was a man of eclectic tastes, and his musical influences spanned far and wide. Known for his unmatched vocal range and electrifying stage presence, Mercury drew inspiration from pop, soul, opera, and even the vibrant sounds of classic 1950s rock ‘n’ roll.
In a playlist compiled by his Queen bandmates, which sheds light on Mercury’s favourite songs, one classic stands out: the iconic Elvis Presley hit ‘Jailhouse Rock’.
The track, which Elvis Presley recorded in 1957, quickly became a defining anthem of early rock ‘n’ roll. Its infectious rhythm, catchy lyrics, and undeniable energy made it a classic that captured the essence of Presley’s musical style – a blend of rebellion, charisma, and raw power.
Mercury was known for his larger-than-life performances, and his admiration for Presley was no secret. In 1979, the Queen frontman wrote ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’, a song which bandmate Brian May later confirmed is “Freddie’s tribute to Elvis in a way”. He added: “Freddie was very fond of Elvis.”
While Jailhouse Rock holds a special place in Freddie Mercury’s heart, it wasn’t the only song that shaped his musical identity. From ‘Kashmir’ by Led Zeppelin to ‘Respect’ by Aretha Franklin, Freddie’s tastes were anything but predictable.
Songs like ‘I Get Around’ by The Beach Boys and ‘Woman in Love’ by Barbra Streisand highlight his love for both upbeat pop anthems and more emotive ballads, while ‘Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting’ by Elton John reflects his affinity for high-energy rock and roll.
Another Elvis classic, ‘Love Me Tender’, also earned a spot on Freddie’s list of favourites. Released in 1956, the ballad is an adaptation of the Civil War-era song ‘Aura Lea’ and has since been featured in at least 20 films.
Here are the top 25 of the 60 songs on the playlist of Freddie Mercury’s favourite songs, as selected by his Queen bandmates, his former PA Peter Freestone, and author and band friend Jim Jenkins:
• ‘Africa’ – Toto
• ‘Kashmir’ – Led Zeppelin
• ‘I Get Around’ – The Beach Boys
• ‘Careless Whisper’ – Wham!
• ‘Jailhouse Rock’ – Elvis Presley
• ‘Woman in Love’ – Barbra Streisand
• ‘Relax’ – Frankie Goes to Hollywood
• ‘Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting’ – Elton John
• ‘I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself’ – Dusty Springfield
• ‘Respect’ – Aretha Franklin
• ‘Rock With You’ – Michael Jackson
• ‘Unchained Melody’ – The Righteous Brothers
• ‘Make It Easy on Yourself’ – The Walker Brothers
• ‘Carnival is Over’ – The Seekers
• ‘Please Don’t Tease’ – Cliff Richard
• ‘Love Me Tender’ – Elvis Presley
• ‘Imagine’ – John Lennon
• ‘Billie Jean’ – Michael Jackson
• ‘Take My Hand, Precious Lord’ – Mahalia Jackson
• ‘(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman’ – Aretha Franklin
• ‘Goin’ Back’ – Dusty Springfield
• ‘Vesti La Giubba’ – Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti, and Mehta
• ‘Little Red Corvette’ – Prince
• ‘Pull Up to the Bumper’ – Grace Jones
• ‘D’amore Sull’ali Rosee’ – Giuseppe Verdi.
Entertainment
InZOI Creative Studio release time and full launch date – how to play without a code | Gaming | Entertainment
New Sims rival InZOI is giving players the chance to sample part of the game for free ahead of the early access release.
The InZOI Creative Studio lets players create their own character (Zoi) and design a home. It made its debut on March 20, but only for fans who received a code by watching a stream.
Publisher Krafton is now opening the Creative Studio up to all fans, meaning you can download and enjoy the creation tool simply by visiting the Steam Store and adding it to your library.
The InZOI Creative Studio has a March 23 release date and a midnight GMT release time for fans living in the UK.
InZOI will enter full early access on March 28, complete with three open-world environments to explore and customise.
Success in the game revolves around meeting the needs of your characters, including hunger, hygiene, bathroom, fun, social, energy, sleep, and recognition.
Players can also fully build and customise their environments, which includes creating your own furniture.
InZOI will cost $39.99 during Early Access (UK pricing is yet to be revealed), which includes all updates and downloadable content until it launches in full.
As for InZOI Creative Studio, the demo has been given a small update since March 20. You can check out the patch notes below.
InZOI Creative Studio patch notes…
Installation/Launch Issues
• Fixed an issue where launching the game on Intel integrated graphics cards with 128 MB VRAM will occasionally show an error message related to DirectX 12.
• The message “Insufficient video memory to run the game.” will now be displayed when video memory is insufficient.
• Fixed an issue where certain text would not appear when the game language was set to Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, or Japanese.
• Fixed an issue where the game could not be saved if the save file name was not entered.
• Fixed an issue where the “Canvas Under Construction” page would occasionally appear on the lobby tablet.
• Fixed an issue where physical memory and the page file would be rapidly consumed due to sudden spikes in usage.
• Fixed an issue where unsupported resolutions were being applied in windowed mode.
• Fixed an issue where unnecessary large files were being uploaded along with creations on Canvas.
Build Studio Issues
• Fixed an issue where players could control the Zoi character outside of Build Mode under certain conditions.
• Fixed an issue where the data could not be saved when selecting “Save and Exit”.
• Fixed an issue where 3D objects would not retain their appearance when returning to the last saved property.
• Adjusted certain property presets.
• Fixed an issue where the “Needs” and “Skills” pop-ups would appear immediately upon entering Build Studio.
• Fixed an issue where the UI would occasionally disappear when uploading to Canvas.
• Fixed an issue where pressing ESC while using the 3D Printer would turn off lighting effects, resulting in a dark screen.
Character Studio Issues
• Fixed an issue where a Zoi’s torso would disappear when opening 3D Printer Decorations with all outfits hidden.
• Fixed an issue where the chin gizmo appeared far from the chin during facial customisation.
• Fixed an issue where the torso would disappear during certain steps on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti systems.
• Fixed an issue where wristwatch accessories displayed overlapping textures.
Entertainment
PS Plus April 2025 free PS5, PS4 games – Death Stranding, Alone in the Dark and Cuphead? | Gaming | Entertainment
Without any leaks to go on, fans have been attempting to predict the line-up ahead of next week’s reveal.
In the regular monthly predictions thread on Reddit, multiple fans believe cartoon shooter Cuphead will join the PS Plus Essentials.
Despite its classic cartoon aesthetic, the gorgeous 2D shooter is hard as nails, featuring a mixture of side-scrolling stages and boss battles.
Other games with plenty of predictions include Need for Speed Unbound, Atomic Heart, Lords of the Fallen, Robocop and Avatar Frontiers of Pandora.
Speaking of Ubisoft, others think Assassin’s Creed Mirage could join the line-up, although it seems unlikely given the recent launch of AC Shadows. The Crew Motorfest is also in the predictions thread.
One fan thinks Lord of the Rings Return to Moria could join the line-up, which seems possible given it was recently given away on the Epic Games Store. Other realistic picks include Pacific Drive, F1 Manager 2024, NBA 2K25, EA Sports FC 25 and Stray.
Other games tipped to appear include A Way Out, Hi-Fi Rush, Outcast A New Beginning, Warhammer 40,000 Darktide, Goat Simulator 3, Hogwarts Legacy, The Casting of Frank Stone, LEGO Bricktales, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, Another Crab’s Treasure and EA Sports College Football 25.
That’s on top of Parcel Corps, Scorn, Psychonauts 2, Nioh 2, Lies of P, Tinykin, Dakar Desert Rally, Deathloop, Signalis, Viewfinder, Layers of Fear, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake and Jusant.
Finally, there are countless predictions for Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, Wo Long Fallen Dynasty, The DioField Chronicle, Lost in Random, South Park Snow Day, Exoprimal, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Like a Dragon Ishin!, Citizen Sleeper, DNF Duel, Cozy Grove, Steel Rats, Darkest dungeon 2, Pentiment, Cocoon, Life is Strange: Double Exposure, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Wanted Dead, Burnout Paradise Remastered, Resident Evil Village, One Piece Odyssey and The Riftbreaker.
In terms of first-party games, Gran Turismo 7 and Death Stranding, the latter of which seems like a possibility considering the sequel is just a few months away.
The new games will replace the likes of Dragon Age The Veilguard, TMNT Collection and Sonic Colours.
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