Comedian Jack Whitehall and actress Gemma Chan split after six years together
A LEAGUE Of Their Own is fast-becoming a lonely-hearts club.
Funnyman and show regular JACK WHITEHALL has split from his girlfriend of six years GEMMA CHAN at the same time as nursing fellow panellist JAMIE REDKNAPP through his marriage breakdown.
I can reveal the couple, who met in 2011 when they both starred in E4 comedy Fresh Meat, parted ways after struggling to make their relationship work around their hectic filming schedules.
A source said: “Jack and Gemma secretly pulled the plug on their relationship but remain good friends.
“For the past couple of years they’ve both been finding it difficult to make proper time for one another and, with their schedules showing no signs of slowing down, have decided to go their separate ways.
“It’s sad but they remain supportive of one another.”
The shock split comes as Jack prepares for the biggest gig of his career when he follows in the footsteps of A League Of Their Own host JAMES CORDEN by presenting the Brit Awards in February.
He has also been busy working on his new football-orientated YouTube series, Training Days – produced by Fulwell 73, the company behind James’s The Late Late Show and Carpool Karaoke series – which Jack will front in the run-up to the 2018 World Cup.
Gemma has been filming for her role on Channel 4’s hit sci-fi drama Humans, which has been recommissioned for its third series.
The actress was living with Jack at his pad in London’s Notting Hill but sources close to Gemma say she is now back with her parents in Kent.
Jack and Gemma were one of the most understated power couples in showbiz.
I won’t be the only one thinking it’s a shame they couldn’t make it work.
READ ON FOR THE REST OF DAN WOOTTON'S BIZARRE COLUMN
bizbit
DUA LIPA is the frontrunner at the inaugural Global Awards.
She is up for five gongs at the London ceremony on March 1, including Best Female and Best Song for New Rules.
Fans can vote by downloading the Global Player app.
Oui like it, Katy
KATY PERRY is taking a royal approach to her new video.
The pop princess channels the last Queen of France, Marie Antoinette, in this clip for Hey Hey Hey, which she released yesterday.
And in true Katy style, she tweaked the 18th century-inspired outfits to be eye-catchingly outlandish.
It is the fourth single to be taken from her fifth album Witness, which she will bring to the UK on tour next June.
If these looks are anything to go by, the shows will be a spectacle.
After her latest album sales, I suggest she spends more time in the studio and less in the costume cupboard.
bizbit
WILL SMITH has said he couldn’t play his classic character if the Fresh Prince of Bel Air ever returned.
Guesting on The Graham Norton Show, he said: “Man, I’d have to be Uncle Phil in that one now, I’m nearly 50.”
William reveals Madge secrets in album doc
MADONNA’s 1998 album Ray of Light is one of the most iconic of her career – and now its producer is revealing the secrets behind its creation.
Superstar WILLIAM ORBIT is working on a documentary which will tell the stories behind Madge’s seventh album to mark the 20th anniversary of its release in February.
It was hailed for bringing electronica into pop music.
A source close to the producer revealed: “William wants to mark the 20th birthday of his most successful album, and arguably Madonna’s too, by revealing everything that went into creating the record.
“It will cover all the events, including how Madonna was originally working on the album with her old collab- orator Patrick Leonard and other producers, but changed direction completely when she heard Orbit’s sound.
“It was at that time that Evita changed the way Madonna sang and it came just after she became a mum, which really influenced the themes of the album.”
She has released six more studio albums since then, and rightfully earned the Queen of Pop title.
I can't see them fitting all that in one documentary.
bizbit
GERI HORNER is campaigning for a memorial to her late friend GEORGE MICHAEL.
She said: “If there is something to be done, possibly look at Abbey Road Studios, or a studio in North London, maybe a plaque.”
Fashion de-Niall
NIALL HORAN isn’t one to be leafing through his old ONE DIRECTION photo albums.
The singer has admitted he hated his look during much of his time in the band and cringes when he thinks about the outfits he wore back in the day.
He said: “A while ago I was probably the worst dressed man on the planet.
“Obviously some people can pull it off, and some people can’t.
“I happen to be one of those who can’t. But I was 16 and 17, so you let yourself get away with it.”
Being in the world’s most successful band probably eased the pain a little.
Zen-ter of attention
ZENDAYA must have had butterflies walking the red carpet at The Greatest Showman premiere in Sydney – so much so that she dressed as one.
The American actress looked incredible in her Moschino outfit alongside her co-stars HUGH JACKMAN and ZAC EFRON.
Last week I saw the film, which is about P.T. Barnum, who started the Barnum & Bailey Circus and is out on Boxing Day, and absolutely adored it.
Speaking about her role as acrobat Anne Wheeler, Zendaya said: ‘There are so many messages and so many things you can pull from it.
“What drew me to it was that love story and this idea that at the end of the day, love can conquer all.”
Martine's Love Actually tease
MARTINE McCUTCHEON has teased there could be a sequel to festive favourite Love Actually.
When asked about a follow-up to the 2003 RICHARD CURTIS film, Martine said: “He knows that in a heartbeat, so many of us would be involved.”
This week she surprised passengers at Heathrow as part of the airport’s Christmas campaign, right, where you can tweet @HeathrowAirport to arrange a personalised welcome for loved ones.
Time has flown by since Love Actually was released - I hope it's not long before we see it again.
That’s enough to get me in the festive spirit.
Keeping his Ed down
YEARS of signing autographs has taken its toll on superstar ED SHEERAN.
He has put a stop to his regular meet and greets with fans after his shows because he is terrified of getting ill.
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The singer who is on track to score the Christmas No1 tomorrow with Perfect, said: “I used to always hang around after my concerts and sign autographs for everyone. Now I do so many shows in a week that if I stay up late, or stand outside in the cold, my voice could go and I might have to . . . well I wouldn’t cancel a show, but I would struggle at the next show.
“For me now it’s just about getting straight to the hotel and going to bed.”
It's best he keeps his Ed down.
bizmeter: film
- Box office: Star Wars: The Last Jedi is at No1 after hitting 723 cinemas – the widest ever release for a film. Taking £28million in four days, it just falls short of predecessor The Force Awakens, which raked in £34million in the same period. Paddington 2 is in at No2, grossing £31million in six weeks.
- Release: Pitch Perfect 3, which wraps up the trilogy of America’s favourite dysfunctional female singing group the Bellas, is out tomorrow. But REBEL WILSON who plays Amy, said on Lorraine: “The poster for Pitch 3 said, ‘Last call, Pitches’ and I was like, ‘I wanna do four and five!’”
- The change: Jungle Book: Origins has been renamed Mowgli. The film, set for release in October next year, will have a darker tone than JON FAVREAU’s 2016 effort, and the stellar cast includes CHRISTIAN BALE, CATE BLANCHETT and ROHAN CHAND as Mowgli.
- Delays: The release of the SpongeBob movie has been pushed back from August 2, 2019, to July 31, 2020. It follows 2015’s Sponge Out Of Water, which grossed £235million. Paramount has also put JOHNNY KNOXVILLE’s comedy Action Park back to May 11, 2018, from March 23.