Claude Littner will not be returning to BBC’s The Apprentice because of a horrific accident that left him in hospital. According to recent reports, a bike accident in April damaged his leg so severely that doctors considered amputating it. The 72-year old businessman has had nine surgeries to rectify the injury and will be having another surgery later this month.
The BBC has replaced Claude with the first-ever winner of The Apprentice, Tim Campbell, who won the show in 2005. Littner said in a statement: “Whilst I’m disappointed that I won’t be out and about covering the tasks or in boardroom for this upcoming series, I’ll most definitely be glued to the action from my sofa.” Lord Sugar added: “Claude has been part of the series since the beginning and is leaving an important boardroom chair to temporarily fill. I’ve been speaking to him regularly about his recovery, and of coursehope we see him back in the boardroom very soon.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g14HC6NagRs
BBC reveals stars’ salaries, with Gary Lineker taking huge pay-cut
BBC have revealed their staff's salaries, which have shrunk by 10 per cent in the past year. Gary Lineker, the BBC's highest earner, took a pay-cut of £390,000, leaving his salary now at £1.36 million per year. Zoe Ball is the second-highest earner, even after requesting a pay-cut of £230,000 per year, claiming she felt "uncomfortable" about her salary. In the last year, she earned £1.13 million, but her annual salary going forward will be £980,000.
The BBC annually releases the salaries of all employees earning over £150,000. Radio presenter and DJ Scott Mills earned a spot in the top ten this year, after receiving a £30,000 bump in salary and Graham Norton leaving his BBC radio show.
Rachel Riley reveals she potty-trained her child from three months to ‘go green’
Countdown star Rachel Riley revealed she potty-trained her first daughter from three-months old, to be more environmentally friendly. She told The Sun: “We saved loads of money, and loads of plastic too. And we use cloth nappies — when you’ve got a baby, you’re doing more washing anyway.”
Riley is expecting her second child with Strictly dancer Pasha Kovalev in October. She confirmed they have planned to take the same approach with their second baby. In her bid to go green, she also revealed Countdown is now using reusable whiteboards, eco-friendly pens, and has banned plastic bottles and cutlery on set. Riley said: "It's small things, but every aspect of the show and how we make it is being looked at."
Scarlett Johansson is pregnant with her second child
Scarlett Johansson is reportedly “pregnant and secretly expecting her first child” with her husband, Saturday Night Live star Colin Jost. An insider told Page Six: “Scarlett is actually due soon, I know she and Colin are thrilled." Despite the release of Marvel blockbuster Black Widow, in which she stars and is executive producer, she has been notably absent from some of the press leading up to its release.
Another source said: "Scarlett is pregnant but has been keeping it very quiet. She has been keeping a very low profile…She hasn't been doing many interviews or events to promote Black Widow which is surprising since it is a huge Marvel/Disney release.”
Jeremy Paxman says he’s got off “lightly” with Parkinson’s disease
University Challenge host Jeremy Paxman confirmed in May he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, but said he believes he got off “lightly” with his symptoms. Back in May, he said: “I can confirm I have recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. I am receiving excellent treatment and my symptoms are currently mild.”
In Saga magazine this week, he wrote: “I recall that by my age, most of my ancestors – a long line of illiterate peasants on both sides were dead. I’ve been let off lightly with Parkinson’s.” He added that he plans to “continue broadcasting and writing for as long as they’ll have me” and plans to continue writing about his diagnosis publicly.
Image Credit: damo1977, CC BY-SA 2.0
