Josh Warrington returns to Leeds Arena

Following your amazing reaction to our original coverage of Joshs' fight in Leeds last year, we are delighted to be supporting him again this year

The undefeated Leeds star closes in on dream shot on April 11 when Josh Warrington faces Dennis Tubieron in an official eliminator for the WBC World Featherweight title at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on April 11, live on Sky Sports.

Warrington is aiming to continue his meteoric rise over the last year inside his intimidating fortress and pick up the vacant WBC International crown in the process, but faces a tough task in the shape of ‘The Scorpion’ from the Philippines, who boxed for that title in December with his clash against Carlo Magali ending in a controversial draw.


The Leeds star has seen off Samir Mouniemne, Rendall Munroe, Martin Lindsay and Davide Dieli in a dazzling run of displays, and with a raucous hometown army behind him, the 24 year old will be aiming to crash into the rankings in style on April 11, with a trip to Berlin on the undercard of Paul Smith’s World title rematch against Arthur Abraham to come first for Warrington on February 21.

Welsh star Nathan Cleverly will return to action in the Light Heavyweight division as he targets German WBA champ Jurgen Braehmer while Martin J Ward will rematch Maxi Hughes in a British title eliminator following their exciting draw in London at the end of 2014. Leeds man and British Light Heavyweight  champ Bob Ajisafe features as part of a big line up to be announced over the coming weeks.

Tickets are on sale now to Matchroom Fight Pass members from www.matchroomboxing.com priced at £30, £40, £60 and £120 for VIP tickets.

Tickets go on general sale at 10am tomorrow (January 8) from the First Direct Arena on 0844 248 1585 and at www.firstdirectarena.com. VIP tickets priced at £120 are available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing on 01277 359900 and at www.matchroomboxing.com.

First bands for Rewind 2015 revealed

Our contacts have confirmed the first two bands for Rewind 2015

Go West, yet again, will play, hopefully having mixed up their set a bit and come up with a new cover version. Sex Is On Fire is soooo tired now. I really do think these guys should have a year of three off...

Human League, having just had a hugely succesful winter tour, these guys really are on fire..see what I did. Always ones to dip into their back catalogue that little bit further so are welcome additions.

More expected soon. We do hear that one act never before on Rewind was pencilled in for all three Rewinds but at the moment is thought to have pulled our after an extensive tour recently.

The 100 - Interviews with Clark and Jaha..

When nuclear Armageddon decimated Earth nearly 100 years ago, 12 international space stations united to keep a group of survivors alive. However, as resources started to deplete in space, 100 juvenile prisoners were secretly sent to Earth’s surface to test whether the planet was habitable. With the survival of the human race entirely in their hands, the 100 exiles were forced to find a way to transcend their differences, unite and forge a new path on a wildly changed planet that’s primitive, intense and teeming with the unknown.

At the end of Season 1, an epic battle took place between the exiled teenagers and a group of Earth-dwelling survivors called the Grounders. Which characters will survive? Who will win the fight? And what is the truth behind mysterious Mount Weather? Season 2 of The 100 returned to E4 last night.

Thanks to Channel 4 we caught up with two of the stars who tell us their thoughts on season 1 and maybe a little more about the rest of the season..

Firstly we spoke to Eliza Taylor who plays Clark.


When the audience last saw Clarke in Season 1, she woke up in a white room. What is the significance of that white room?

I think Clarke’s journey has been really, really interesting in The 100. She’s come full circle. She's gone from being in a prison cell in the first episode of Season 1, to being wild and free and a leader – but now she's back in some kind of cell. It's going to be interesting to see her use the skills that she picked up on the ground to fight her way out of there. We start the new season right at the point where we left off, so we get straight into that storyline. It’s a lot of fun.

A lot of fans are rooting for Clarke and Bellamy to get together. Do you think this might happen in Season 2?

We haven't even found Bellamy yet, so we don't know if he is alive or dead. That sort of chemistry between them wasn't intentional. It wasn't written; it was just something that the fans clung onto. I think it would be cool if we saw more of that relationship, but I think there are more important things for Clarke to deal with – like fighting the Grounders and surviving. There is still a lot to come out and I want people to learn the secrets about Mount Weather, the Mountain Men, the Grounders and the Reapers. I can't wait for people to explore it with us.

Can we expect conflict between Clarke and Anya in Season 2?

For me, Clarke and Anya have a really interesting dynamic. They are both leaders of their groups and they both think that their tribes have the best ways. There's a lot more to come from these two.

Will Clarke be reunited with her mother in Season 2?

I think they will be reunited. I think they must! I think it would be really interesting to see what happens if they did because there's a lot of tension there. They've both changed so much that I think it will be interesting to see if they even recognise one another. Clarke has to deal with the knowledge that her mother had her father killed. They've been through so much together, but Clarke has gone from being a little girl and she’s now this fierce, scary leader woman. Things have changed for The 100. When we first landed on Earth, we were scared little kids – but now we have all become hunters and warriors. It’s intense.

Clarke's character has been full of contradictions. Will we see more of that darker side to her in Season 2?

Absolutely. I think she's on that path and there's no turning back. She's definitely blurring the lines, which is something I think you have to do as a leader. And personally, I'm loving it. It's so fun to play that moral dilemma. I'm doing things as an actor that I never thought I could do. It's cool.

How does it feel to play a strong female character on television?

It's fantastic. I've never been able to play a character like this before, so it's a dream come true for me. She’s smart and strong and soulful, which is fantastic for me to portray.

How much do you enjoy the physical aspect of your role?

It's been challenging, but great. One thing I watched back on Season 1 that I've been trying to do in Season 2 is focus more on my physical abilities. I am a girly girl, but there are scenes where I noticed that I was doing girly movements – but Clarke isn’t like that. That's been really challenging, trying to be grounded and strong and really get more of that masculine physicality.

How long do you spend in makeup getting all that dirt applied?

For the guys in the show, I think it was pretty easy to get dirty – it’s just some sweat and mud. Sometimes, you forget about all the stuff that’s on you. Once, I went home after a shooting a long day and I had fake blood everywhere; it was all over my hands I didn't even think about it. I popped into a local store to pick up some chewing gum and when the guy served me, he looked at my hands and said to me, “Erm, are you okay?" I was like, "Yeah, I'm fine..." And I hurried out.

Is the role more physically challenging, or mentally challenging?

It's all pretty challenging, but it depends on the day. I've definitely had to step up my work-out regime and all that stuff, which can be hard at times. I've definitely cried at training sessions. And I just don't like running. Emotionally, it can be very demanding. I remember that scene I shot in episode eleven, where I kill a guy and I hold my hands over his mouth while I watch him die. Filming that scene was really, really emotionally tough for me. That was a whole 12-hour day of just killing. Being in that mindset, it's hard to go home at night and not feel all those things. You need to ease out of it.

Did you have any worries about what was in store for Clarke in the second season?

I was scared I wasn't going to be as strong as the script demanded for the first couple of episodes. Clarke is a fighter now, but I'm not like that in real life. I'm not a fighter. I think Clarke's heart is still intact this series, but she has had to learn how to compartmentalise things.

How far in advance do you hear about upcoming storylines for your character?

We only get our scripts two or three days before we start shooting that episode, which can be really, really nerve wracking. We know where the plot is going, but at the same time, it changes all the time. Plus, they don't mind killing people off. It's a terrifying show to work on in that respect.

Have there been any other scenes that you found tough to work on?

One scene was hard to be part of was the torture scene with Ricky Whittle, who plays Lincoln. He was in the restraints for so many hours and that scene took so long to film. Visually, it looked great, though.

Next we spoke to Isaiah Wasjington who plays Jaha..


What did you enjoy the most about Season 1 of The 100?

I enjoyed seeing the Ark coming down in the Season 1 finale. Well, that’s one of many things that I enjoyed in Season 1. I'll start at the end of the season and I’ll work my way back. The Ark coming down was amazing. Watching Joseph Gatt – who plays Tristan – fighting the war and then the chaos stopped for a second where you see this fire in the sky… That was intense. Season 2 is going to be really fun because that’s where the action stopped in Season 1 and that’s where the action starts for Season 2. I assure you, you're going to be very excited.

What is the appeal of a show like The 100?

I’ve always talked about being a huge fan of [The 100 creator] Jason Rothenberg. If you’re sitting in the privacy of your home, you could be watching 999 other things for 42 minutes – but if you’re taking a ride with us, it’s going to be compelling and it’s going to be great television. Our show is shot beautifully and it’s exciting to be part of it.

The 100 is a pretty dark show at times. What do you think of the darkness?

That is an interesting question to address and I’m going to try and be as frank as possible. Society is living in some very coarse times right now. The world is in some very coarse times. If we look at CNN right now, it looks like people are trying to accelerate what our characters have already – unfortunately – been doing in The 100. The darkness of our show has to reflect the darkness in the world, but hopefully that turns you off; and that’s a good thing because that means you’re human and you want to be better. Our show takes you to the darkness, but there’s also retribution and redemption, as well as a sense of hope. And that’s where Chancellor Jaha comes in. Whatever his fate will be, his presence is still going to be very largely hopeful. I’m not saying it’s spiritual and it’s not perfectly moral, but it’s certainly hopeful to remind everyone that we could be better.

What was the most challenging scene for your character in this first season?

The culling. And then finding out, because of all of this human behaviour, it didn’t have to be that way. That was a tough one. That was hard.

What can you tell us about the storylines of Season 2?

I can’t tell you much. All I can say is the fact that it’s going to be intense. It's going to beautifully brutal. Trust us. Just trust us.

Has Jason Rothenberg told you what’s planned for Thelonious Jaha in Season 2?

Jason knows all, but he hasn’t told me anything. And I haven’t asked.

When we last saw Thelonious, he was left in space with a limited air supply. How long can he survive up there?

This is television. If needed, he could probably survive by sucking on that air for another 12 seasons of the show! They could slow down time. They could do a lot of things if needed. We’ll just have to see what happens.

Thelonious sacrificed himself so that the Ark could return to Earth. How is he feeling when we see him again?

His feelings are definitely explored [in Season 2]. All the choices he made are explored. He deals with the fact that he’s a symptom of his own demise. He made an executive decision that he thought was the right decision, which was to sacrifice 300 people. He then realised that he didn’t have to do that, but that’s not something that he can control. He’s not the type of guy who points fingers. He’s the type of guy who goes, “I’m the Chancellor.” He won’t say, “I did this because…” or, “That happened because…” A true leader doesn’t do that. He has no hesitation about sacrificing himself. He’s up there alone now.

Does this mean you’re alone in isolated scenes in space in Season 2? If so, how do you approach that type of acting style?

It’s deep, man! This is beyond 2001: A Space Odyssey and Tom Hanks talking to a soccer ball [in Castaway]. I keep saying, “Jason, are you out of your mind? This is so exciting.” I was excited about the show last year and I’m excited about the show this year again because I know it’s going to be great. It’s beautiful. And it gets beautifully brutal this year.

When you use the word ‘beautiful’, are you referring to Jaha’s world or the show in general?

I’m talking about the whole, entire show. It’s beautifully shot. Beautifully shot! I honestly can’t wait for everyone to see it. It’s going to be amazing.

Toyah announces Wakefield Show

From punk princess to high priestess of TV, Toyah Willcox is a uniquely gifted performer. Charismatic, outspoken and impossible to categorise, she is one of Britain’s iconic household names – an award-winning rock legend as well as a much-loved actress and music composer.


Now she brings her acclaimed Greatest Hits Live show to Wakefield this March.

It’s A Mystery, I Want to Be Free, Brave New World and Be Proud, Be Loud, Be Heard all are quintessental 80s tracks but as we have seen in recent years Toyah and her band bring a new layer to them, making them entirely relevant to 2015.

Away from the retro circuit, Toyah began a collaboration with Bill Rieflin (REM) and Chris Wong on the band project in 2007, The Humans. Described as “European experimental meets West Coast American grunge”, The Humans debut live performances took place in Estonia in 2007. Their debut album, We Are The Humans, was recorded in Seattle in 2008 and released in Estonia in May 2009 to coincide with the band’s return to play before the country’s president at Tartufest. It received a UK digital release in September 2009, along with a Humans’ single, These Boots Are Made For Walkin’.

Toyah continues to be seen on film with her recently completed starring role in the British film Power of Three, a light-hearted feel-good comedy that follows the adventures of 3 friends who pool their strengths when the going gets tough. Additionally, the track Quicksilver by The Humans features prominently in the short film Marigolds.

With new book projects and music releases in the pipeline and live concert dates scheduled for the year ahead, Toyah maintains her multi-faceted and vibrant career.

Toyah at Wakefield 23 Saturday 7 March 2015 details http://warehouse23.co.uk/events/toyah 
Toyah website http://toyahwillcox.com/

Dumb and Dumber To review - Hardcore D&D fans only

Be warned: this is a movie meant only for hardcore fans of the 1994 original, and other moronic comedies in which plot, character and filmmaking coherence aren't important. If any fart joke makes you laugh, don't miss it. Everyone else probably already knows that they should avoid this movie, which is even more idiotic than it looks. Although for those forced to suffer through it, there's at least a strand of witty, absurd comedy faintly running through each scene.

After an utterly pointless 20-year practical joke, old buddies Harry and Lloyd (Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey) are once again a team, causing chaos everywhere they go due to their inability to understand pretty much anything that's happening around them. Now Harry needs a kidney transplant, just as he discovers that he fathered a child with Fraida (Kathleen Turner) nearly 23 years ago. So he and Lloyd head off to find his daughter Fanny (Rachel Melvin). She has been raised by a Nobel-winning scientist (Steve Tom) and his money-grabbing wife (Laurie Holden), who's plotting with the handyman (Rob Riggle) to steal his millions. All of them converge on an inventors' convention in El Paso, where Harry is mistaken as a genius, Lloyd falls in love with the wrong woman and everything climaxes in a vortex of mistaken identity and wacky slapstick.

While absolutely everything about this film is painfully stupid, filmmakers Peter and Bobby Farrelly have learned from making solid comedies (like There's Something About Mary and Stuck on You), and the script has an underlying wit to it that hints at a much better movie screaming to get out. But the Farrellys simply leave everything as mindless as possible, using a strangely clunky directing style that feels cheap and underplanned. While there's a steady stream of amusing throwaway gags, the plot and characters never develop into anything engaging, mainly because both Carrey and Daniels are encouraged to overplay every moment so badly that we begin to wonder how anyone could think this was even vaguely funny.

Everyone around them plays it relatively straight, staring gob-smacked at Carrey and Daniels' gurning, overwrought performances as if they're wondering how this could possibly work. And why they agreed to be in this mess. Then just when all hope is gone, something actually funny pops up where we least expect it, eliciting a stifled laugh. The plot may be blatantly predictable, the characters mere cardboard cutouts and the jokes obvious and inane, but it's all so breathtakingly stupid that it'll probably be a huge hit.

Night At The Museum - Secrets of the Tomb review - thin polt even by this franchises standards

Now in its third instalment, it's clearer than ever that this franchise is based on one joke that has been stretched far beyond the breaking point. And not too cleverly at that. Fortunately, this movie retains much of the deranged idiocy that made the second part rather enjoyable. So it's watchable even if there aren't many new ideas, and even if filmmaker Shawn Levy is far too happy to settle for unnecessary digital effects work where a bit of character comedy would have been much more engaging.

Back on the job as a night watchman in New York, Larry (Ben Stiller) is now orchestrating the museum exhibits when they come to life to provide spectacular shows for visitors who think this is all a special effect. Even his boss (the one dimensional Ricky Gervais) isn't sure what's really going on. But when a glitch in the magical Ancient Egyptian powers causes chaos, Larry learns that he needs to travel to London so he can reunite Ahkmenrah (Rami Malek) with his father (Ben Kingsley), who's on display at the British Museum. Larry's teen son Nick (Skyler Gisondo) comes along, as do his revived pals Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams), tiny soldiers Octavius and Jedediah (Steve Coogan and Owen Wilson) and others. But in London, while sneaking around local night guard Tilly (Rebel Wilson), Larry's team awakens a statue of the knight Lancelot (Dan Stevens), who dives into their quest with rather a bit too much gusto.

Until Lancelot turns up, everything about the film feels oddly tired, from the starry cameos to effects work that strains to be clever. Then Stevens injects a badly needed jolt of blue-eyed charisma and warped comical timing that makes the rest of the movie rather good fun. Rebel Wilson's side-plot is also rather amusing, with some wonderfully ridiculous touches. And even the cameos get better, notably a scene on a West End stage that's genuinely inspired silliness. Coogan and Wilson offer some raucous banter to accompany everything that happens, and Stiller kind of hangs on for dear life. But the filmmakers don't really care about these characters; they're just trying to create something visually impressive that's also goofy fun.

The quality of the digital trickery is certainly impressive, most notably in some freak-out moments like a room full of broken statues trying to move with missing limbs. And a sequence inside an Escher painting is eye-popping. But there's little coherence between these set-pieces, and no real momentum to the thin plot. And there's also the problem that the filmmakers are clearly not interested in museums at all. They never make anything of the interaction with history or art (they don't even understand that a historical collection like the British Museum is unlikely to contain a dinosaur skeleton or an Escher painting). Instead they're just happy to provide a bit of high-budget, middle-brow escapism.

The Missing Series 2, more details and a twist to series 3?

Following the conclusion of the first series of The Missing last night, millions of viewers were given a surprise taste of a second series of the hit BBC One show. As the case of Oliver Hughes came to a startling conclusion - or did it? BBC One broadcast a cryptic trail revealing clues to a whole new series.

Made by New Pictures for BBC One, the series will once again be written by Harry and Jack Williams and will be told over two time frames but with a new case, new characters and new location.


Last nights trail was written by Harry and Jack Williams and was directed by Tom Shankland. It presented viewers with an intriguing, atmospheric sequence hinting at subtle clues pointing towards series 2. The sequence was accompanied by a voice over from the lead French detective, Julien Batiste (Tcheky Karyo):

“To lose somebody can destroy a person. But to find them again, when so much has passed... Well. Sometimes...that can be worse.”

Harry and Jack Williams, Writers (Two Brothers Pictures), say: “We always knew that the story of Oliver Hughes would have an ending. But in writing the first series we found there were many themes and issues we didn’t have the chance to explore. The response to the show has been fantastic, and we’re thrilled to be telling a brand new story which we hope will surprise and intrigue and tell an even bigger tale on an even more ambitious canvas.”

Charlotte Moore, Controller, BBC One, says: “The Missing surprised at every turn, weaving a gripping and complex story across two timescales which kept viewers guessing til the very end and demonstrated the range and ambition of drama on BBC One. I’m really pleased to announce that the incredible team behind the series will bring a new case to our BBC One audience and we can guarantee another challenging, contemporary story written by Harry and Jack Williams.”

Ben Stephenson, Controller BBC Drama commissioning, says: “Harry and Jack Williams’ original drama series has had the nation gripped for the last eight weeks and has proved both a critical and ratings hit with our BBC One audience. With a brand new and fresh case ahead - we can’t wait to learn what Harry and Jack have in store for series two.”

Now rumours abound this morning that series 3 has already been planned and that an idea being floated is that it may touch once more on Oliver and reveal he isnt in fact dead. Viewers didn't see what was in the van but assumed it was his body.. perhaps he was bound and gagged and in the hands of..well lets no go there but I am sure you could imagine.

See our interview with series one star James Nesbitt live on set, here