Sir Bruce Forsyth to be honoured by the National Television Awards — as chiefs set to rename the Entertainment Award in his legacy
SIR BRUCE FORSYTH spent more than 75 years in showbiz, bagging so many awards that he will have needed to extend his downstairs loo time and again.
Now he has another award — this time named after him.
I can reveal that the National Television Awards will from next year rename their Entertainment Award as the Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award.
Bruce’s widow Lady Forsyth said: “My darling Bruce would have been both humbled and delighted.
“Entertainment was his life. The National Television Awards always had a special place in his heart because they’re voted for by viewers.
"The children and I are thrilled his flame will still burn brightly.”
CARRY ON VOTING
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Winners will be announced at the ceremony on ITV on January 23 2018.
Sir Bruce had a close history with the NTAs , presented since 2010 by DERMOT O'LEARY.
In 2011 he was honoured with the Special Recognition Award, which he called the “best thing” he’d ever won.
The next year he created a classic TV moment when he opened the NTAs performing Let There Be Love with ANT & DEC.
The Geordie duo will now battle out for the gong up against The Graham Norton Show, All Round to Mrs Browns and Tonight At The London Palladium, which Bruce used to host.
Today I launch the full longlist for the awards, which The Sun is the exclusive newspaper voting partner of.
You can start voting for your favourites today to whittle them down to a shortlist which I will reveal in January, before a final round of voting.
The Brucie trophy is not the only new addition. The first Crime Drama Award will be fiercely contested, with the likes of Line of Duty, JK ROWLING’s Strike and Sherlock going toe to toe.
Newcomers PRUE LEITH and SHIRLEY BALLAS will bid for TV Judge prize for the first time, for their turns in Bake Off and Strictly.
SIMON COWELL won’t take kindly to losing.
READ MORE FROM DAN WOOTTON'S BIZARRE COLUMN
Price is right, Steff
AFTER 25 years in the showbiz game, three husbands and five children, KATIE PRICE has certainly experienced her fair share of drama.
Now she has offered to pass on all the lessons she’s learned to troubled fellow reality character STEPHANIE DAVIS.
Loose Women presenter Katie even went as far as to invite ex-Hollyoaks actress Stephanie round to her home, where she has promised to help rebuild her career when she’s ready.
An insider revealed: “Katie really sympathises with Stephanie and wanted to reach out to offer her some advice.
“She told her to take a break from the spotlight and instead concentrate on spending time raising her son.
“Stephanie really respects Katie and has taken everything she said on board.
“Katie has been in the business for years and is a mother herself so knows what she is talking about.”
Stephanie has finally been given the chance to move on from her former boyfriend JEREMY
McCONNELL after he was given a three-year restraining order banning him from contacting her.
The ruling came after Stephanie’s Celebrity Big Brother squeeze was convicted of assaulting her in a cocaine-fuelled rage.
That’s pretty extreme even by Katie’s standards.
COLDPLAY'S VEGAS TRIBUTE
IF any band can soothe an anxious crowd, it’s COLDPLAY.
Days after the Vegas atrocity the band raised the spirits of their fans after extra security meant it took them two hours to get into the San Diego venue.
Frontman CHRIS MARTIN paid a heartfelt tribute to the 59 victims of the shooting – as he waved the US flag then kept it in the back of his jeans for the whole night of their Head Full of Dreams gig.
I'll take Xmas by Stormzy
STORMZY’s boots have been getting bigger and bigger ever since his debut album Gang Signs & Prayer hit No1 in February.
Now he wants to confirm himself as the new king of grime by storming to a Christmas No1.
I can reveal Stormzy is hoping to smash the festive singles charts by releasing a special version of his rousing, gospel-infused anthem Blinded By Your Grace.
The track will follow parts one and two of Blinded By Your Grace, which featured on his hit album.
It is likely to have a hymn-like feel to it again and will draw inspiration from Stormzy’s Catholic faith.
Fraser T. Smith, Stormzy’s producer and co-writer who has also worked with the likes of ADELE, SAM SMITH and BRITNEY SPEARS, has already put out a teaser for the release.
In an exclusive interview, he revealed: “Stormzy’s got some big plans for Blinded By Your Grace.
“I don’t want to say too much and jinx it.”
Last year, Stormzy urged fans to get his track Shut Up to the top of the Christmas singles chart but the song stalled at just No8.
CLEAN BANDIT’s hit Rockabye claimed top spot instead, with RAG ’N’ BONE MAN’s Human at No2 , and LOUIS TOMLINSON’s debut solo single Just Hold One, featuring STEVE AOKI, making No3.
Stormzy will be hoping for a better result at the second time of asking.
BIZBIT
NIALL HORAN has become the first member of 1D to hit No1 on America’s Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart as a soloist with Slow Hands. He’s proved he’s crossed over to a much wider US adult audience. Congrats.
Janet in a great state
JANET JACKSON is already a month into her massive State Of The World concert tour and taking to the stage every night has got her fighting fit.
Only nine months after having son Eissa, she has undergone an incredible transformation – which I’m sure has been helped by dancing.
Janet posed for photos at an after-show party in LA and she certainly had reason to celebrate – she has had incredible reviews.
It’s good to see her looking so happy after separating from billionaire hubby WISSAM AL MANA.
I will be in the front row, if she ever brings the show to the UK.
CATTRALL'S LIFE STORY
SEX And The City’s KIM CATTRALL has finally spoken about her rumoured fall-out with co-star SARAH JESSICA PARKER.
They were believed to have stopped talking after Kim turned down a third film.
Speaking to PIERS MORGAN for her Life Stories episode, Kim said she was asked to do it but had politely said no. She said: “Then, to get negative press saying I’m a diva, I have to take the Sex And The City people and, specifically, Sarah Jessica Parker to task. She could have been nicer.”
Doesn’t sound like they’ll be pals again any time soon.
Brooklyn wings in the woo
THE luck of the Irish appears to be working for BROOKLYN BECKHAM and CHLOE MORETZ’s relationship.
They looked more loved up than ever as they spent some much-needed quality time together in the nation’s capital.
Brooklyn has no ordinary background, and he proved he’s no ordinary boyfriend, flying from his New York uni to spend just 35 hours in Dublin with the actress.
She is there filming psychological thriller The Widow. Brooklyn and Chloe weren’t afraid to hide their romance during their whirlwind weekend, two months after I revealed they had rekindled their relationship.
They strolled hand-in-hand and later went to enjoy some beers and the rugby at the Aviva Stadium, with home favourites Leinster beating Munster.
Nothing says true love like a pint of Guinness.
PUSSYCATS CONFIRM REUNION
THE PUSSYCAT DOLLS have confirmed they are reuniting just a week after I first revealed they had put aside their differences.
The catty girl group, who split acrimoniously in 2010, have set up a website entitled PCD Reunion to keep fans in the loop.
The group, fronted by X Factor judge NICOLE SCHERZINGER, have also launched an Instagram account with the same name.
Last week I told how the US girlband are to perform a series of shows next year – their first since they split.
They had No1 singles with Don’t Cha and Stickwitu, as well as six other Top Ten hits from their two albums, released in 2005 and 2008.
But CARMIT BACHAR, who left the group in 2008, claimed things soured for bandmates ASHLEY ROBERTS, JESSICA SUTTA, KIMBERLY WYATT and MELODY THORNTON after Nicole started to steal the limelight.
Time is a healer after all.
Back to the island
RYAN THOMAS and LUCY MECKLENBURGH clearly have a thing for island life.
After meeting on BEAR GRYLL’s show Celebrity Island in June, the couple were seen in Ibiza having a stroll.
Things appear to be getting serious between the couple, especially after Lucy told how she has been introduced to Ryan’s eight-year-old daughter.
During their Ibiza getaway the actor and former Towie babe Lucy were also seen getting cosy at the Blue Marlin Beach Club.
The Sun revealed how the duo got together after spending the night together while in Panama for the Channel 4 show.
A break in Ibiza definitely beats their last Island getaway sleeping on the ground and foraging for food.
DAN WOOTTON'S BIZARRE JUKEBOX
THERE are loads of great new tunes out this week and I bring you the very best of them.
My Bizarre Jukebox Spotify playlist is updated every Tuesday with 15 tracks from my favourite artists and new talent. Here are four on this week’s list:
- PRAY: There is no stopping SAM SMITH. Fresh from three weeks at No1 with Too Good At Goodbyes he has dropped equally personal new tune Pray, produced by TIMBALAND. It will feature on his second album The Thrill Of It All, out on November 3.
- HELP ME OUT: Enlisting exciting new singers for their latest album certainly seems to be paying off for MAROON 5. After working with SZA on What Lovers Do, they teamed up with JULIA MICHAELS for this next single, which was released on Friday.
- HOW LONG: CHARLIE PUTH has returned with the second single from his forthcoming album, Voicenotes. On this tune he admits to cheating, singing: “I was drunk, I was gone, that don’t make it right. But I promise there were no feelings involved.”
- 1-800-273-8255: LOGIC’s emotional anthem with ALESSIA CARA and KHALID has struck a chord with millions of fans around the world. Titled after the US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, it reached a new high of No9 in the UK charts last week.
