Who didn’t think it seemed like a massive laugh and the adventure of a lifetime to be shrunk down to minuscule proportions after watching the Disney classic, Honey I Shrunk the Kids?! (Although, now, in hindsight, it’s actually quite a scary prospect to have to climb over a pile of Cheerios…)
But 26 years later, what exactly are wacky inventor Wayne Szalinski and his family up to these days?
Rick Moranis as Wayne Szalinski
Rick wasn’t just known as the child-shrinking dad and eccentric inventor Wayne Szalinski, but was also a pretty big deal for his comedia deals in classic 80s films, Ghostbusters, Spaceballs and Little Shop of Horrors – yeah, THAT’S where you recognise him from! Since then, Rick retired from acting in 1997 so he could raise his children, after his wife Ann sadly lost her battle to cancer. However, still providing us with some laughs, Rick’s released two comedy albums, one – The Acrophobic Cowboy – which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2005 and using his retirement as the subject of some video song parodies that have gone viral. He’s shot down any rumours of a third Ghostbusters movie starting up, but with an all-female leading cast version of the film in the works, could we maybe see a little cameo from original cast member Rick?
Marcia Strassman as Diane Szalinski
Marcia was Wayne’s ultra understanding wife – seriously, how do you stay calm when your husband’s told you he’s SHRUNK your kids?! – and while she started out as a singer, she also played Julie Kotter in 70s sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter. Since trying to transform teeny kids back to normal size, Marcia was all over our TV screens, including 2003 Sci-Fi Channel series Tremors and 2006 sitcom Twenty Good Years, as well as numerous one-off TV appearances in the 90s and 00s. Marcia’s last performance was in TV movie Looking for Mr Right, before she devastatingly lost a 7 year battle with breast cancer in October 2014.
Amy O’Neill as Amy Szalinski
Playing a victim of miniaturisation and daughter of Rick and Marcia, Amy was already a regular on popular soap opera The Young and the Restless. Despite popping up in episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Murder She Wrote after Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Amy was so saddened that so many roles asked for nudity, that she quit acting after reprising her role as Amy in sequel Honey, I Blew Up the Kids. She ended up joining the circus and performing as an expert stilt-walker, with a rare appearance in indie film The Japanese Sandman in 2008.
Robert Oliveri as Nick Szalinski
Robert played youngest of the bunch to get shrunk out of the Szalinski squad, and reprised the role not once, but twice while in the trilogy of ‘Honey…(I’ve done something to our kids)’ films. And although he also starred in other childhood classic Edward Scissorhands, Robert left the hills of Hollywood after 1994, and after a final performance in 4D experience, Honey, I Shrunk the Audience in Disney, Robbie quit acting for good. He studied at Oglethorpe University and is pretty much M.I.A on the social media and entertainment scene these days, but is said to be currently living in Florida with his wife, son and daughter.
But one person’s name who we can’t help to notice is missing from the line-up is our favourite cherub-faced cutie, Stevie Johnson. And it seems that that might be due to his new job.
‘What other job does Stevie even need apart from having GREAT tousled hair and dishing out less great but still amazing chat-up lines?’ we hear you cry!
Well, you won’t be spotting Stevie Johnson stacking shelves at your local Sainsburys any time soon, but if you head down to a comedy club, you could catch him making everyone chortle as he’s been turning his hand to doing a bit of stand-up!
Posting a pic on Instagram of him on stage with a mic in his hand, he said: ‘Last night was one of the scariest things I’ve done – but the crowd seemed to enjoy! #StandUp’
The 25-year-old obviously seemed to be nervous about standing on stage to share his knock-knock jokes with the public, instead of strolling along the river contemplating life, as he tweeted ‘Nervous about tonight!!’ earlier on in the evening.
Stevie always made us laugh on the show, so we’re sure our boiiii is going to do great! Get us to his next show!
But what about all the other Chelsea gang who’s left the hazy and dreamy shots of the E4 show?
Well, Stevie’s partner-in-crime, Andy Jordan recently announced that he was leaving the show to persue his dreams of music and fashion. Well, we don’t blame him really as his first EP, A Whole Lot of Water, entered the UK’s Top 40 last year and he’s been touring the country while working on a new album. Oh, and he’s got his own clothing line, Jam Industries and has been voted London’s best-dressed man by American GQ. You go Andy Jo-Jo!
Then there’s those from the MiC original cast. CaggieDunlop was a Chelsea SW3heart but left her on-off fling with Spencer Matthews to follow her dream of singing. She went to Australia to do so, played some festival circuits and even realeased some singles. Throughout all that she’s also released her own fashion range, ISWAI, oh, and casually dated one of the most famous and fittest boys on the planet, Harry Styles. Desipte leaving the show to sing her little heart out though, she admits to Hello online that she misses being on the show and would ‘definitely want to go back to television.’
Fashion’s quite a popular route for the Made in Chelsea gang to go down after they leave the show, unsurprisingly as they’re always dressed so fabulously! And that’s exactly what Millie Mackintosh has done. As well as marrying rapper Professor Green and being in a on-going prank war with him on social media, her self-named clothing line has been so successful that it’s been picked up by ASOS! She’s always showing us mere mortals how to be a South West babe by doing make-up videos and tutorials with Revlon, Feel Unique and Charlotte Tilbury. Pass us that lip gloss girl!
Even Millie’s ex, Hugo Taylor (yeah, remember that happened?) is now a co-founder and creative director for luxury sunglasses brand, Taylor Morris. That’s after he gobbled up bugs and roughed it in I’m A Celeb though. Mmm, cockroaches – how chic.
It’s not all fashion though dahhhling. Francis Boulle was our favourite redheaded rascal and we’re still not quite over the fact that he skateboarded off of our TV screens. But like life imitating art, after releasing his epicly named book, Boulles Jewels, he’s now leading a career in diamond mining, and is often posting pics of his jetsetting between West Africa and South America while trading precious metals. Is it anything like trading Pokemon cards?
Ollie Locke also put pen to paper and released Laid in Chelsea – classy – which went on to become a best seller! Well, what can we say, we’re a nosy nation… He’s now continuing to write and is working on a fantasy novel!
Oh, and Ollie’s ex, Gabriella Ellis left the show to become a popstar and released power song Fight which is complete shower sing-a-long material FYI. While being the face of skin care range Proactive, she’s made a quick cameo on MiC when they heading to New York, and with her recently posting a pic with Chelsears Binky Felstead and Lucy Watson while they were filming in L.A, could we be seeing another apperance from Gabs? Here’s hoping!
Stick on Can't Fight The Moonlight and get ready to shake your booty, because it's the 15th anniversary of Coyote Ugly!
The stars of Coyote Ugly, Tyra Banks, Piper Perabo, Maria Bello, Izabella Miko and Bridget Moynahan, 2000
Can you believe it’s been 15 years since Coyote Ugly first hit cinema screens? No, neither can we.
A decade and a half after shy songwriter Violet Sanford (AKA the film’s star Piper Perabo) headed to the bright lights of New York to persue her dream of a career in music, and we still can’t get past the opening bars of Can’t Fight The Moonlight without wanting to climb up onto the nearest bar and strut our stuff like a badass.
But where are the cast of the film now? Find out below, and see what they look like 15 years on in the gallery above!
Piper Perabo
After the success of Coyote Ugly, Piper starred in a string of indie movies, including Canadian drama Lost and Delirious, and comedy Slap Her… She’s French, before returning to the mainstream once more in the Cheaper By The Dozen movies. She was most recently seen in US TV series Covert Affairs, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe. And guess what? She now owns her very own bar in New York City! You’ve come a long way, Violet
Adam Garcia
Following Coyote Ugly, Adam appeared alongside some big name stars, including Lindsay Lohan and Megan Fox in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, and Drew Barrymore in Riding in Cars With Boys. He then swapped the big screen for the stage, starring in the original London production of Wicked alongside Idina Menzel from 2006 to 2007, and most recently returned to his native Australia to be a judge on Dancing With The Stars. Earlier this year Adam married girlfriend Nathalia, and the couple are expecting their first child this summer. Aww!
Tyra was – and continues to be – the biggest star to appear in Coyote Ugly. The fierce model-slash-actress is perhaps best known for her role as head judge on American’s Next Top Model, which is just about to start its TWENTY-SECOND series. Wow! In between ordering contestants to ‘smize’, Tyra has also found time to host her own chat show, pen a best-selling book and complete a course at Harvard Business School.
John Goodman
Who could forget the moment when veteran actor John Goodman – playing Violet’s dad – clambered onto the Coyote Ugly bar and wiggled his backside? Since that hilarious scene, John has gone on to appear in countless movies, including Inside Llewyn Davis, The Hangover III, Monsters Inc and Oscar-winning film The Artist.
Izabella Miko
If you’re wondering where you know Izabella from outside of Coyote Ugly, you’re probably thinking of the music video for The Killers’ 2004 mega-hit Mr Brightside – she played lead singer Brandon Flowers’ love interest in it! She’s also had parts in Save The Last Dance 2 and Step Up: All In.
Coyote Ugly shot then 15-year-old country singer LeAnn to mega-stardom, thanks to her incredible vocals on the film’s soundtrack single, Can’t Fight The Moonlight. To date, LeAnn has released 15 studio albums – although it’s her love life that has dominated the headlines. She was divorced from her first husband, Dean Sheremet, in 2010 amid reports of an affair with Eddie Cibrian – who himself was married. The actor later split from his wife and began a relationship with LeAnn, and the pair eventually married in 2011.
Bridget Moynahan
We couldn’t help but wonder… Isn’t that Natasha from Sex And The City!? Well, yes it is; Bridget went on to play Big’s wife, appearing in seven episodes – including that infamous scene where she falls down the stairs after catching Carrie in her and Big’s apartment. She dated Tom Brady (now known as Mr Giselle) from 2004 to 2006, and announced she was pregnant with his child two months after they split. She gave birth to a son, John Edward Thomas Moynahan, in August 2007, and is currently single.
Maria Bello
Since her Coyote Ugly days, Maria has enjoyed a successful film career, with roles in movies including A History of Violence, Thank You For Smoking and The Jane Austen Book Club. She also took the lead role in the American version of Prime Suspect. In 2013 the actress came out as gay in a New York Time article, and sharing a thoroughly modern family snap showing her with her ex-boyfriend and father of her son Dan McDermott and her new girlfriend Clare Munn. The couple are still together, with Maria describing her love as “‘one of the most beautiful, charming, brilliant and funny people I have ever met”. Cute!
If you're an 80 (or 90s!) baby you will definitely remember Short Round following Indiana Jones around in the Temple of Doom! Find out what he's up to now...
We wished and wished for a pair of oil-spitting shoes like Ke Hu Quan's character Data
Yes! That’s Jonathan Ke Quan, now 43, who at the age of 12 starred as Harrison Ford‘s sidekick, Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. He may have won our heart’s over with his quick wit and saying things like: ‘Indy, I love you… Wake up, Indy! You’re my best friend! Wake up, Indy!’ Too cute! But what is he up to now?
What did he do after Indiana Jones?
He went on to work with Mr Steven Spielberg again, playing Data in the Goonies —ahh! Best. Childhood. Film. Ever. Yes, that clumsy, nerdy all-round loveable, tech-whizz. Remember that tool belt? We always wanted one too. Sadly, it wasn’t enough to launch his ‘big break’. Sigh!
Quan has been in a few Japanese and Chinese films since, though, as well as Encino Man in 1992.
You will never believe this: Quan is a man of many talents — in 1995 he moved to Australia to pursue a solo singing career! You will have to do some digging on to have a listen.
Has he been in anything recently?
No! But that doesn’t mean that he hasn’t been adding things to his CV. He attended USC’s School of Cinematic Arts before travelling to this side of the pond to study at University of Manchester. AND more recently has turned to working in the martial arts, after studying Tae Kwon Do as a kid — maybe he wanted to help Indy, ey?
Have we seen his work anywhere?
Probably! He now works behind-the-scenes as a stunt co-ordinator, for films like X-Men. So, it’s not too bad. If that wasn’t enough, he worked with Corey Yuen, a renowned Hong Kong fight coreographer, in Jet Li‘s The One.
Ralph Macchio found fame as The Karate Kid Daniel in the 1980s - but what has he been up to since?
Ralph Macchio as Daniel in The Karate Kid 1984
Can you believe it’s been a whopping 31 years since The Karate Kid was released? How is this possible?!
The classic 1984 movie follows the story of bullied schoolboy Daniel, who learns all about martial arts from the wise Miyagi and (spoiler alert) eventually beats his tormentors in a fighting tournament.
We all cheered on young Daniel-san throughout the legendary flick – but just what happened to actor Ralph Macchio? Click through our pictures above to see how he’s changed – and you’ll see that, now aged 53, he looks pretty amazing!
Despite Daniel being of high school age, baby-faced Ralph was actually 22 when he played the iconic role and his youthful demeanour seems to have stayed with him throughout the years.
The Karate Kid catapulted him to stardom and he went on to star in two sequels, but the roles dried up a little after his initial success. Ralph’s next big part came in the award-winning 1992 comedy film My Cousin Vinnie.
Ralph seemed to go pretty quiet throughout the rest of the 1990s. There wasn’t even a cameo in 1994 Karate Kid spin-off The Next Karate Kid (which, let’s face it, wasn’t a patch on the original).
This might be explained by the fact that the actor was busy raising a family with wife Phyllis Fierro, who he met when he was 15 – awww! They married in 1987 and in the 1990s welcomed daughter Julia and son Daniel.
More recently Ralph has had cameo roles as himself in the likes of How I Met Your Mother and Entourage. Ugly Betty fans might also recognise him from his stint in the show as Hilda’s love interest Archie.
Outside of acting, the former Karate Kid has appeared on the US version of Strictly, Dancing With The Stars, and additionally dabbles in directing, writing and producing.
Oh, and cute fact – his daughter Julia, 23, has followed in her dad’s acting footsteps and appeared in the 2013 movie Girl Most Likely.
In fact just last month Ralph and Julia stepped out together at the New York premiere of Paper Towns and both looked all glowy and happy – cute family alert!
Click through our pictures above to see how Daniel-san has (barely) changed over the years…
It’s been almost 20 years since the last season of Fresh Prince of Bel Air went on air, have a look at what they're doing now...
Alfonso Ribeiro, James Avery, Joseph Marcell, Will Smith, Karyn Parsons, Tatyana Ali
Fresh Prince of Bel Air - 1990
If you ever sit and wonder how the cast from your favourite 90s show are doing, look no further.
Fresh Prince of Bel Air gave us the best inspiration for all you needed to survive at school. Whether it was Carlton‘s dance moves, Hilary‘s wardrobe, or Will‘s street-smart – you had it covered.
The NBC show, which first aired in 1990 focused around the cheeky Will Smith, who was sent by his mother ‘to live with his aunty and uncle in Bel Air. ‘
Will, now 46, was already rapping under the Fresh Prince moniker, before filming for the show began.
When the show finished in 1996 *sob* – Will’s acting career took off at lightening speed. And he went on to star in a huge number of films including: ‘Independence Day’, ‘Seven Pounds’, and of course ‘Men in Black’.
Remember Alfonso Ribeiro, 43, who brought us the Tom Jones-loving Carlton? Well after Fresh Prince he went on to star in the TV show ‘In The House‘ and a bunch other of cameos – including ‘Love Wrecked’.
He also did a stint in reality TV. In 2013 we saw him enter the jungle to take part in I’m a Celeb with the likes of Joey Essex. And last year he won Dancing with the Stars, and wiped out the other contestants with his final scores. He scored an amazing score of 40 out of 40 in all three dances. We knew Carlton had some moves, but wow!
And Hilary. She taught us that sometimes it is okay to marry for money, as well as having a tip-top wardrobe. Karyn Parsons, 48, nailed her interpretation of the ultra vain Hilary Banks.
After Fresh Prince, Karyn went on to star in the movies ‘Major Payne‘ and ‘The Ladies Man‘. Her last on screen appearance was in the early noughties, in ‘The Job’.
The baby of the household – Ashley Banks – was played by Tatyana Ali, who was only 11-years-old at the time! She later appeared in ‘Kiss the Girls‘, ‘Jaw Breaker‘, and more recently ‘The Young and the Restless’.
Who could ever forget Geoffrey the Butler! After Joseph Marcell‘s, now 66, Fresh Prince days, he made acting appearance on British turf, making an appearance in ‘Eastenders‘, and ‘King Lear‘ at the Globe Theater, London.
Daphne Maxwell Reid took over the role as Vivian Banks in 1993. She went on to make small TV appearances, inlcuding much-loved Sister Sister.
And then Uncle Phil. James Avery went on to write poetry and TV scripts, as well as voicing many animated series like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He passed away in 2014 after complications following heart surgery.
Unless you have been living under a rock, you will have seen Ferris Bueller's Day off about a million times. Remember Cameron Frye? Find out what he's been doing now...
Cameron Frye Alex Ruck Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Remember the one Ferris (Matthew Boderick) convinced to take the day off, AND steal his dad’s RARE Ferrari? Yes. That’s the fella. We loved how Cameron went from being that tightly strung (no-fun) guy, to, well, not that.
Well the man who brought us Cameron, Alan Ruck, is now 59, and has been pretty busy since FBDO. You might have even seen him around without even noticing!
Here’s a crazy fact: can you believe that Ruck was 29 when he played the depressive Cameron? Mind.Blown.
What happened after Ferris Bueller?
Alan has been in a number of films since his Day Off with Ferris — including, Star Trek Generations, Cheaper by the Dozen, and Casper!
In ‘Kickin It Old Skool’ Ruck played Dr. Frye… Hmm, coincidence much? WELL during the film Dr. Frye metioned that he was still paying off an old Ferarri… We wonder if poor Cameron will ever stop paying for that day off from school.
Ruck’s made a fair few one-off TV appearances over the years. Appearing as a Sacred Heart patient in Scrubs (season 2). He also had a minor role in an episode of Cougar Town, where his character had marriage problems due to a crush that he once had on Jules, played by Courteney Cox.
Have we seen him anywhere recently?
Now, he’s in a new science-fiction television series, The Whispers, playing Alex Meyers, executive director of the FBI… OOOH.
And if that’s not enough, he’s just started filming for a new horror film, Carnage Park.
What about his personal life?
Alan married Claudia Stefany in 1984, but later divorced in 2005. They had two children together Emma and Sam.
He later went on to marry actress Mireille Enos in 2008, after meeting in 2005 while co-starring in the Broadway show Absurd Person Singular. They also had two children together, Vesper Vivienne in 2010, and Larkin Zouey in 2014.
You can watch (for the millionth-and-one time) Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on E4 on Saturday at 9pm.
It's been a whole quarter of a century since Pretty Woman was released - so where are the stars of the film these days?
Pretty Woman
Can you believe it’s been 25 YEARS since Pretty Woman hit cinemas?! It seems like only yesterday that Julia Roberts strutted onto the screen in that questionable blue and white cut-out dress and into our hearts as the hooker who caught Richard Gere‘s eye.
It might sound like an unlikely story but this iconic romcom was a HUGE hit and even gave Julia an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Whilst Ms Roberts has gone to achieve great things, we were keen to find out what’s happened to the rest of the cast in the quarter of a century (yes, really – doesn’t it make you feel old?!) since Pretty Woman was released.
Here’s how life has been treating the stars of our fave chick flick…
Julia Roberts – Vivian
Even though she’d already been Oscar-nominated for Steel Magnolias, Pretty Woman was the film that REALLY made Julia Roberts a star in our eyes. She had so many awesome lines (remember those snails were, ‘Slippery little suckers!’) as Vivian, the prostitute with a heart, and quite rightly went on to achieve great success after the film.
Now 47, Julia has appeared in a whole range of massive movies. She reunited with co-star Richard Gere in 1999 for another romcom, Runaway Bride, and in 2001 won an Oscar for her role in the biopic Erin Brockovich.
Following a short-lived marriage to country singer Lyle Lovett in the early 1990s, Julia went on to marry cameraman Daniel Moder in 2002 and they have three children together.
Richard Gere – Edward
Ah, Richard Gere. The man who made us all swoon as businessman Edward who loved building blocks. Before Pretty Woman, Richard had found fame in the 1980s flick An Officer And A Gentleman and the two films remain what he is best known for. He’s continued to act and earned acclaim in 2003 for his role in the big screen adaptation of musical Chicago.
Most recently he appeared with several British stars in The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Richard, 65, is also a keen activist.
In 1991 the actor married supermodel Cindy Crawford, who was 16 years his junior. They split in 1995 and Richard then married actress Carey Lowell in 2002, with whom he had a son called Homer. Sadly they separated in 2013 and were rumoured to be going through a costly divorce last year.
Jason Alexander – Phillip
Remember that nasty fella who was Edward‘s sleazy lawyer? The one who eventually tried to attack Vivian, only for Edward to come to her rescue (yay!)? That was Phillip, played by Jason Alexander.
Jason, 55, has gone to find success in television since Pretty Woman was released. He’s starred in hit US shows such as Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, and had a memorable cameo in Friends as a depressive call centre worker called Earl.
Away from the screen, Jason is married to Daena E Title and they have two sons.
Laura San Giacomo – Kit
We always thought Laura San Giacomo, now 52, was pretty cool as Kit, Vivian‘s fellow prostitute and roommate. Over the years Laura has continued to act and has particularly appeared in many TV movies. She also played the lead role in the popular American comedy series Just Shoot Me, which ran from 1997 to 2003.
In 1990 Laura got hitched to actor Cameron Dye and they had a son called Mason, who was born with cerebral palsy. His condition has caused Laura to become a spokesperson for disability-related causes. She split from Cameron in 1998 and is now married to Matt Adler.
Héctor Elizondo – Barnard
Some of the most memorable scenes in Pretty Woman feature Héctor Elizondo as hotel manager Barnard, who tried to help hooker Vivian with her etiquette. Héctor, now 78, was nominated for a Golden Globe even though he’s only in the movie for 10 minutes – impressive! He’s had a successful career both on stage and on screen, and fans of Grey’s Anatomy might recognise him as Callie‘s dad.
Since 1969 Héctor has been married to actress Carolee Campbell.
To celebrate 25 years since the film’s release, several cast members recently reunited for a special interview on the Today show and it was SO amazing to see them all together again. We won’t get our hopes up for a sequel though – Julia has previously joked: ‘No one wants to see an old hooker!’
But one person’s name who we can’t help to notice is missing from the line-up is our favourite cherub-faced cutie, Stevie Johnson. And it seems that that might be due to his new job.
‘What other job does Stevie even need apart from having GREAT tousled hair and dishing out less great but still amazing chat-up lines?’ we hear you cry!
Well, you won’t be spotting Stevie Johnson stacking shelves at your local Sainsburys any time soon, but if you head down to a comedy club, you could catch him making everyone chortle as he’s been turning his hand to doing a bit of stand-up!
Posting a pic on Instagram of him on stage with a mic in his hand, he said: ‘Last night was one of the scariest things I’ve done – but the crowd seemed to enjoy! #StandUp’
The 25-year-old obviously seemed to be nervous about standing on stage to share his knock-knock jokes with the public, instead of strolling along the river contemplating life, as he tweeted ‘Nervous about tonight!!’ earlier on in the evening.
Stevie always made us laugh on the show, so we’re sure our boiiii is going to do great! Get us to his next show!
But what about all the other Chelsea gang who’s left the hazy and dreamy shots of the E4 show?
Well, Stevie’s partner-in-crime, Andy Jordan recently announced that he was leaving the show to persue his dreams of music and fashion. Well, we don’t blame him really as his first EP, A Whole Lot of Water, entered the UK’s Top 40 last year and he’s been touring the country while working on a new album. Oh, and he’s got his own clothing line, Jam Industries and has been voted London’s best-dressed man by American GQ. You go Andy Jo-Jo!
Then there’s those from the MiC original cast. CaggieDunlop was a Chelsea SW3heart but left her on-off fling with Spencer Matthews to follow her dream of singing. She went to Australia to do so, played some festival circuits and even realeased some singles. Throughout all that she’s also released her own fashion range, ISWAI, oh, and casually dated one of the most famous and fittest boys on the planet, Harry Styles. Desipte leaving the show to sing her little heart out though, she admits to Hello online that she misses being on the show and would ‘definitely want to go back to television.’
Fashion’s quite a popular route for the Made in Chelsea gang to go down after they leave the show, unsurprisingly as they’re always dressed so fabulously! And that’s exactly what Millie Mackintosh has done. As well as marrying rapper Professor Green and being in a on-going prank war with him on social media, her self-named clothing line has been so successful that it’s been picked up by ASOS! She’s always showing us mere mortals how to be a South West babe by doing make-up videos and tutorials with Revlon, Feel Unique and Charlotte Tilbury. Pass us that lip gloss girl!
Even Millie’s ex, Hugo Taylor (yeah, remember that happened?) is now a co-founder and creative director for luxury sunglasses brand, Taylor Morris. That’s after he gobbled up bugs and roughed it in I’m A Celeb though. Mmm, cockroaches – how chic.
It’s not all fashion though dahhhling. Francis Boulle was our favourite redheaded rascal and we’re still not quite over the fact that he skateboarded off of our TV screens. But like life imitating art, after releasing his epicly named book, Boulles Jewels, he’s now leading a career in diamond mining, and is often posting pics of his jetsetting between West Africa and South America while trading precious metals. Is it anything like trading Pokemon cards?
Ollie Locke also put pen to paper and released Laid in Chelsea – classy – which went on to become a best seller! Well, what can we say, we’re a nosy nation… He’s now continuing to write and is working on a fantasy novel!
Oh, and Ollie’s ex, Gabriella Ellis left the show to become a popstar and released power song Fight which is complete shower sing-a-long material FYI. While being the face of skin care range Proactive, she’s made a quick cameo on MiC when they heading to New York, and with her recently posting a pic with Chelsears Binky Felstead and Lucy Watson while they were filming in L.A, could we be seeing another apperance from Gabs? Here’s hoping!
Ever wondered what happened to the youngest of the Brody kids after Jaws? Have a look to see where he went next...
Sean Brody Jaws, 1975
You will remember the first time that you watched Jaws for the rest of your life. The film that made you PETRIFIED to even dip your little toe in the water.
Can you remember Martin and Ellen Brody‘s cute little son Sean? The one who sat imitating his police chief dad round the table? Too cute.
And when he was just happily building a sandcastle as Jaws passed under the water, before melting our hearts when he started crying because his brother Mike was sent into shock, after witnessing a shark attack?
That’s the kid, and now he’s all grown up! Jay Mello, now 47, played the youngest of the Brody sons in the Steven Spielberg hit forty years ago – and you will never guess what he’s up to now!
His performance in Jaws showed promise that he was going to have roles land at his feet – right?
Well, after the blockbuster Jay didn’t have a gleaming acting career – in fact, it sunk straight to the bottom of the ocean…
In December 2009 he was given a probation on a lewd act charge, after being accused by a nine-year-old girl.
And in 2010 he continued to work as a janitor at Lyndon State College, Vermont. That was until ‘underage kids’, who were at the college on a special programme, found him acting ‘creepy’. And was jailed for violation of probation. SHOCK!
Who would have thought that the adorable Sean Brody would have ended up in prison? We didn’t either!
There is some happiness in there… Jay married Rayanne M. Cross in June 1990, and had three kids together.
And there is good news – if you feel like reminiscing back to the days when Sean Brody was a cute little toddler, then you are in luck! The Jaws trilogy is on TV this weekend, and we can’t wait! Although, we won’t be going swimming anytime soon…
They burst onto the scene with their Liquid Dreams (eww) after TV show Making The Band put them together - but what have the O-Town boys been up to since?
Boyband O-Town at Planet Hollywood, London, 2000
Waaay before The X Factor produced One Direction – and even before Popstars: The Rivals produced One True Voice (remember them??) – there was a show called Making The Band that produced a boyband called O-Town.
Any early Noughties girl will remember the reality show that saw kinda-creepy record producer Lou Pearlman (the same man behind Backstreet Boys) audition hundreds of guys in his quest to form the next big boyband.
The lucky lads that made the final cut were Ashley Parker Angel, Dan Miller, Erik-Michael Estrada, Jacob Underwood and Trevor Penick, and thus O-Town were born.
They enjoyed hits including their gross-in-hindsight debut single Liquid Dreams and All or Nothing, but their success was short-lived and they split in 2003.
Yet praise be to the boyband of the 90s gods, as the boys reformed in 2013 (minus Ashley).
But what else have the guys been up to since their O-Town glory days? As one member shares a naked snap of themselves, we investigate…
Ashley Parker Angel
Ashley was the official Cute One in O-Town, so we were gutted when he declined to join the rest of the boys when the band reunited in 2013.
We still love him though – especially since he started posting hot pictures of himself in various states of undress on Instagram.
The 34 year old recently took part in the #100DaysofFitness challenge, and has clearly been very pleased with the results.
He shared a string of shots in his underwear during the challenge, and most recently posted a TOTALLY NUDE snap to celebrate the end of his healthy journey, writing: ‘You don’t have to be a fitness model or featured in the ESPN Body Issue to be proud of your physique. We all have what it takes to be the best version of ourselves we can be.’
Besides getting buff, Ashley has continued to pursue a career in the spotlight. He dabbled with rock music after leaving O-Town, before playing Link Larkin in the Broadway production of Hairspray.
He was engaged to the mother of his only child, now nine-year-old son Lyric, but the couple split in 2008.
Dan Miller
Ashley might have been the looks, but Dan was the real singing talent in O-Town, and we regularly fell asleep with his soulful voice playing on repeat on our CD player (RETRO).
Not only is he swoonsome, he’s smart too. After O-Town disbanded, Dan went back to school and gained a degree in graphic design, and he now creates all of the band’s artwork.
He now sees himself as a bit of a Jack of all trades, with his Twitter profile describing him as ‘a husband / father / college grad / artist / songwriter / producer / designer / member of Otown / hermit.’ That’s quite a list!
Dan married hisbeautiful wife, Erin, in 2004, and the pair have since had two adorable babies – son, Major Lorenzo, two, and 10-month-old daughter Navy Jean.
Jacob Underwood
We always remember Jacob as the rebel of the group because, as a lover of hard rock music, he often struggled with his status as a boyband member.
After O-Town he experimented with more of a hipster sound, forming southern funk rock band Jacob’s Loc, before rejoining the O-Town boys in 2013. He now manages the band.
Jake is also turning his hand to acting, and will appear in Backstreet Boy Nick Carter’s zombie film, Dead7, alongside BSB’s AJ McLean and Howie Dorough, Joey Fatone from *NSYNC and fellow O-Towner Erik-Michael Estrada. Yes, you read that right: Nick Carter is making a zombie movie starring all your favourite 90s boyband members!
Jacob is currently single – so you’ve still got a chance to snag a member of O-Town!
Trevor Penick
Out of all the O-Towners, Trev kept the lowest profile in the post-split, pre-reunion years – so much so that not much is known about what he got up to in The Lost O-Town Years, as we’re calling them – although he did make an appearance as himself in film AKA Private, a documentary about the never fading dream of stardom in Hollywood.
He seems pretty psyched about the band’s second coming though, with his Twitter profile stating he feels ‘blessed for another chance at giving our fans new music.’ Aww!
Erik-Michael Estrada
Baby-faced Erik reportedly joined the army after O-Town split, before putting his looks to good use as a movie hunk, with roles in indie films such as Los Lost Ones and Tainted Rose – check him out in the latter below!
He’ll also be appearing in Nick Carter’s film Dead7, which has seen him putting in some 6.30am sword training sessions. We can’t wait to see the final result!
As ITV prepare to bring hit 90s show Cold Feet back to our screens, find out what the stars have been up to since - and how they've changed since we first met them as Adam, Rachel, Pete, Jenny, David and Karen...
The cast of Cold Feet
It’s a happy day for fans of Cold Feet, as ITV are in talks to revive the hit comedy show more than a decade after it was cancelled. Whoop!
The show – one of the biggest of the 90s – told the tale of three 30-something couples in Manchester, and was described as the UK’s answer to Friends.
ITV bosses are reportedly hoping it can fill the Sunday-night void left when Downton Abbey ends later this year.
So what better time to take a look at where the cast of the much-loved TV show are now?
Here’s what the Cold Feet crew have been up to since the show ended in 2003 – and check out how they’ve changed since then in the gallery above!
James Nesbitt
Irish actor James played leading man Adam, the womanising rogue we loved to hate.
After picking up a string of gongs for Cold Feet including a National Television Award, James went on to appear in other TV shows including critically acclaimed film Bloody Sunday and BBC police series Murphy’s Law.
Later in his career, he was cast in Peter Jackson’s film adaptations of The Hobbit, appearing in all three movies as the dwarf Bofur.
Helen Baxendale
Whilst it would be somewhat difficult for the Cold Feet scriptwriter to work Helen’s character Rachel into a new series given that (SPOILER ALERT!) she died in a car crash during the final series, we’re hopeful that she might make it onto the screen in flashbacks – or maybe as a ghost? (We’re clutching at straws here, aren’t we?)
At the same time as appearing in Cold Feet, Helen took on her other most memorable role – as Emily in Friends. Helen appeared in 14 episodes of the hit US show, playing the British girl that Ross ends up marrying – and divorcing.
After that, Helen scaled back on her acting work in order to spend more time with her family, with small roles in shows including Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years, Lewis and Agatha Christie’s Marple.
John Thomson
Prior to Cold Feet, we loved John for his roles in The Fast Show – particularly for his super smooth Jazz Club character.
Following his stint on Cold Feet – which saw his unlucky-in-love character Pete get divorced twice – John went on to appear in various stage productions, before joining the cast of Coronation Street in 2008.
In 2011 he was cast in BBC series Waterloo Road, and more recently he has appeared in The Keith Lemon Sketch Show.
Fay Ripley
We fell for Fay as ballsy Jenny in Cold Feet, who dumped cheating husband Pete and moved to New York, only to return to both Manchester and her hubby for the final series.
She followed Cold Feet with leading roles in TV films such as Green-Eyed Monster, The Stretford Wives and Dead Gorgeous, and most recently starred in Channel 5 series Suspects.
She’s also put her cooking skills to good use by releasing three cookbooks, Fay’s Family Food, What’s For Dinner? and Fay Makes It Easy.
Robert Bathurst
Robert already had quite the acting CV when played bumbling David in Cold Feet, having appeared in shows including Red Dwarf and The Lenny Henry Show.
He went on to appear in TV shows including My Dad’s The Prime Minister, Wild at Heart Downton Abbey, appearing in six episodes of the hit ITV drama as Sir Anthony Strallan, in addition to various theatre roles.
And last year saw him appear in hit movie Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie.
Hermione Norris
Hermione was reportedly considering giving up acting to study for a law degree when she won the role of middle-class mum Karen in Cold Feet – and we’re bet she’s glad she didn’t!
The actress has gone on to enjoy a successful television career, with major roles in Wire in the Blood alongside Jackson Green, BBC drama series Spooks, ITV’s Kingdom and The Crimson Field, part of the BBC’s World War I centenary season.
She was reunited with her on-screen husband Robert Bathurst in theatre production Blithe Spirit, which toured the country from 2010 to 2011.
Blockbusters, marriage and kids – you HAVE to see what the Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging cast are up to now!
No Merchandising. Editorial Use Only. No Book Cover Usage
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Snap Stills/REX Shutterstock (1962278c)
Manjeeven Grewal, Georgia Groome, Kimberley Nixon, Eleanor Tomlinson
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging - 2008
Remember when you first watched Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging? It kind of felt like someone made a film about your diary. AWKS.
Growing up was tough, but it seemed like everything happened to Georgia Nicholson.
Fake tan, eyebrow, chicken fillets and relationship disasters… need the list go on? And those darn nunga nunga holders!
Also, remember how random it was when Steve Jones made an appearance as a handy man?
So where is the cast of Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging now?
After playing the hapless Georgia Nicholson, Georgia Groome, 22, went on to make a brief appearances in crime dramas Lewis and The Bill, before going onto complete a degree in English at Kings College London, in 2014. You will be able to catch her in a VERY short film later this year – Graduation Afternoon based on a Stephen King short story – which is expect to run for a tiny nine minutes!
And Jas, played by Eleanor Tomlinson, who was worried about her lack of nunga nungas. Well, Eleanor, now 23, went on to perform in a few films – including Alice in Wonderland, with Johnny Depp! She also appeared in BBC dramas The White Queen, and Poldark.
Then there was Rosie, who was played by Georgia Henshaw, and was known as the ‘experienced’ one, because she already had a boyfriend. Georgia, 22, has since gone on to appear in a number of prime TV programmes – you might have heard of them: Casualty, Holby City, and Waterloo Road.
Remember Ellen? Well Manjeeven Grewal, 22, hasn’t made as many on screen appearances like her fellow cast members. She did go on to appear on E4 series School of Comedy in 2009, but apart from that, she has been quite quiet on the acting front.
AND we can’t forget the one and only Robbie Jennings, who Georgia – and we – just wanted to date SO badly. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 25, has appeared in a host of TV and big screen roles – including Anna Karenina, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Kick-Ass 2. Aaron is sadly off the market, after marrying 50 Shades of Grey director Sam Taylor-Johnson, 48, in 2012, and have two children together.
With the news that Norwegian trio A-ha are set to release a new album and go on tour, we've been thinking about the other stars from the decade of high hair that we'd like to see again
A-ha in 1986
Here’s some exciting news for 80s kids – A-ha are making a comeback!
Thirty years after releasing hit Take On Me, the Norwegian trio are set to release a new album and embark on a two-year European tour. Squeal!
And the good news is lead singer Morten Harket is still as dreamy as he was back in the day, if this snap of the band shared by BBC Breakfast yesterday is anything to go by…
And, swept up with all the excitement around A-ha’s reformation, we got to thinking about other icons of 80s music that we’d like to see get back together…
Bananarama
Robert De Niro’s Waiting. Cruel Summer. Love In The First Degree. All 80s classics from the amazing Bananarama.
The original girl power group (sorry, Spice Girls) was made up of friends Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward, although Siobhan left the band in 1988 (it’s like the Sugababes but 10 years earlier)
But the remaining girls soildered on, first with replacement member Jacquie O’Sullivan, and then as a two-piece.
They celebrated 30 years in the music industry in 2013, and Sara announced they were working on new music around that time, but we’ve yet to hear the fruits of their labour. Come on girls, hit us with it!
Belinda Carlisle
Here’s a wish that may just come true…
Belinda – AKA Queen of the 80s Power Ballard, with hits including Heaven Is A Place On Earth and Leave A Light On – announced in May this year that she was working on a new album, which is tentatively scheduled for release in January 2016.
Whoop!
Bros
There wasn’t a teenage girl in the country who didn’t have Bros posters plastered all over her bedroom walls in the late 80s, and playground conversations raged over which was the cuter Bros brother, Matt Goss or Luke Goss (third member Craig Logan, who left the band in 1989, didn’t really get a look in, did he?).
Having last released music in 1991, the Bros boys teased a reunion in 2008, but Matt later went on to break out hearts in 2010 by saying that the moment had passed and they wouldn’t be reforming. Sob!
Kajagoogoo
With their oh-so-Eighties bouffant hairstyles, five-piece band Kajagoogoo stand out in our memories of the decade that good taste forgot.
The band staged a brief comeback in the late Noughties, playing concerts and releasing new tracks – but, to be honest, we’d be happy just to see them on stage singing their biggest hit, Too Shy (shy, hush, hush! Eye to eye!).
Sinitta
She’s released a single here and there over the last few years, but nowadays Sinitta is best know for her role as former boyfriend Simon Cowell’s sidekick at the judges’ houses stage of The X Factor (and for the increasingly bonkers outfits she wears for the occasion).
But back in the 80s, Sinitta was a music megastar, with classic hits including So Macho and Toy Boy. And we reckon the time is right for the singer to launch a full on, all singing and dancing, palm-leaf-filled comeback. You just know it would be amazing.
A Flock Of Seagulls
Despite the name, no seagulls actually made up this Liverpudlian band – although lead singer Mike Score’s unique hairstyle (replicated by Chandler in that flashback episode of Friends) did kinda make him look like one.
The band was originally made up of Mike and his brother Ali Score, along with Frank Maudsley and Paul Reynolds. They briefly reunited in 2004, but nowadays Mike tours under the Flock of Seagulls name with later band members Joe Rodriguez, Pando and Michael Brahm.
Curiosity Killed The Cat
Had he been a hot young thing nowadays, South-West Londoner Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot would probably have been part of the Made in Chelsea cast.
As it was, he (and his trademark beret) fronted 80s band Curiosity Killed The Cat, scoring hits including Name & No.
The band got back together in 2001 for, umm, a performance on the National Lottery – but we’d love to see them make a full-on comeback, beret and all.
Ex-member of The Wanted Jay McGuinness is appearing on this year's Strictly Come Dancing, but what are the others doing now?
What are your Christmas plans?
Tom: 'We're going to Barbados for a bit of sun.'
Max: 'And drinking a lot more.'
Tom: 'More than we already do? Jesus!'
You remember The Wanted, right?
Of course you do. Nathan Sykes, Jay McGuinness, Max George, Tom Parker and Siva Kaneswaranbecame The Wanted in 2009 when they were chosen by music manager Jayne Collins – who also put The Saturdays together – to be in a band to rival One Direction. Well, that was the plan, but band member told Sugarscape in an interview that Harry Styles and co were ‘untouchable’. Even so, The Wanted had plenty of success on their own – their first single All Time Low made number one and stayed in the UK Top 40 for 17 weeks. They also supported pop heavyweights Justin Bieber and Britney Spears on tour.
So then what happened?
They briefly had their own reality series, The Wanted Life, on E! It only lasted for one season, but was nominated for a Teen Choice Award in 2013. The Wanted announced last year that they were going on a hiatus (yep, that thing that One Direction are going to do next year) to focus on solo projects.
So how did their solo careers go?
Very well, for Nathan Sykes, anyway. His pop career got off to a flying start on his pop career when he duetted with his then-girlfriend Ariana Grande on Almost Is Never Enough in 2013, and he released his own single, Kiss Me Quick, in July 2015, which reached number one on the UK dance chart.
And the others?
Max George was engaged to Michelle Keegan for two years but they split in 2012, and he’s now trying to break into TV. He filmed six episodes of Glee playing the character Clint, and now lives in LA to pursue an acting career. Tom Parker dabbled with reality TV – he made it to the semi-finals of Celebrity Masterchef this year, and also played on the UK team in Rugby Aid For Heroes in September. Siva Kaneswaran is focusing on his personal life – he proposed to his girlfriend, shoe designer Nareesha McCaffrey, in 2014, and the pair now live in LA with their poodle Mylo. Siva is also working on a solo album and says he’s been offered various acting roles, but turned them down because he wants to ‘work on his acting skills’ first.
And what about Jay?
Ah yes, Jay McGuinness. The curly-haired one is the reason we’ve all been reminded of The Wanted, because he’s set to appear in the new series of Strictly Come Dancing. He’s been living in LA, but moved back to the UK to take part in the series. He’s also the only single member of The Wanted – perhaps those lycra outfits will help him find love?
As plans for a sequel are announced almost 20 years after the first film, where are the stars of cult Brit film Trainspotting now
It’s widely regarded as one of the greatest British films of all time, so we’re very excited that plans are a-foot for a sequel to Trainspotting!
Nineteen years after every student in the country plastered its poster on their wall, director Danny Boyle has confirmed that ‘Trainspotting 2′ will happen, and it’s just a matter of co-ordinating the diaries of the film’s original stars, Ewan McGregeor, Johnny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle and Ewen Bremner.
Speaking to US site Deadline, Danny said: ‘All the four main actors want to come back and do it. Now it is only a matter of getting all their schedules together which is complicated by two of them doing American TV series.’
He added that the script – penned by the movie’s original writer, John Hodge – will be based on Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh’s follow-up book, Porno.
But what have the film’s stars been up to since Trainspotting first propelled them to fame in 1996? Read on to discover more – and click through the images above to see how they’ve changed!
Ewan McGregor
Scottish actor Ewan has come a long way since he played skinny, shaved-headed addict Renton who notoriously crawled inside a filthy toilet in the one of film’s most infamous scenes.
He went on to find fame in Hollywood with roles in blockbuster films such as Moulin Rouge! and the Star Wars prequel trilogy in the Noughties which also secured his heartthrob status – and the Oscar-winning August: Osage County in 2013, alongside Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.
He also made us swoon as a hunky motorcyclist in his TV series Long Way Round, which saw him bike from London to New York via central Europe, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Siberia, Canada and the United States with his best friend, Charley Boorman.
Ewan has swapped Scotland for LA, where he lives with his French production designer wife Eve Mavrakis and their four daughters.
Jonny Lee Miller
As Simon “Sick Boy” Williamson, English actor Jonny Lee blew people away with his more than convincing Scottish accent in Trainspotting – and the the plaudits have just kept coming.
He won critical acclaim for his performances in films including Afterglow, Mansfield Park, The Flying Scotsman and Endgame, with his role in The Flying Scotsman earning him a London Film Critics’ Circle nomination for Actor of the Year.
Then, in 2011, he won the Olivier Award for Best Actor for his role in theatre production Frankenstein opposite Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch.
And, speaking of Sherlock, Jonny went on to play the world-famous detective in US TV series Elementary alongside Charlie’s Angels star Lucy Liu – which also won him praise and award nominations.
He married his 1995 Hackers co-star Angelina Jolie a month after Trainspotting’s release, but the couple divorced 18 months later. Jonny is now married to actress Michelle Hicks, with whom he has a son, Buster.
Robert Carlyle
After playing psychopath Franco in Trainspotting, Glasgow-born Robert, 53, won a Best Actor BAFTA for 1997’s The Full Monty.
He’s continued to show his acting chops in films such as The 51st State, 28 Weeks Later and Eragon. He’s played Rumpelstiltskin in TV drama Once Upon A Time since 2011.
He was last seen starring alongside Emma Thompson and Ray Winstone in The Legend of Barney Thomson, which he also directed.
Robert has three kids with make-up artist wife Anastasia Shirley. In 2008, he admitted that people ‘constantly’ quote to him his Trainspotting line: ‘That lassie got glassed’.
‘It’s going to be on my f*cking tombstone,’ he joked. Cripes!
Ewen Bremner
Nineteen years after playing Daniel ‘Spud’ Murphy, Ewen is still acting.
The Scottish star has appeared in hit movies including Pearl Harbour and Snatch, and recently starred in BBC2 series Banished.
The 43 year old reunited with Trainspotting co-star Ewan McGregor in Black Hawk Down, Perfect Sense and Jack The Giant Slayer.
A private person, he has a teenage daughter named Harmony. He’s believed to have named her after director Harmony Korine, who he worked with on 1999’s Julien Donkey-Boy.
Kelly Macdonald
You may recognise Kelly, 38, from her role as Steve Buscemi’s wife Margaret Thompson in American gangster drama Boardwalk Empire.
But before that, she was sneaky teen Diane who seduced Ewan McGregor’s character in Trainspotting.
She only landed the role after seeing a leaflet for an open audition while working as a barmaid in Glasgow. Hard to believe, right?
She went on to appear in films including Gosford Park, Nanny McPhee, No Country For Old Men and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
She’s married to Travis bassist Dougie Payne and the couple have two sons.
As CBBC celebrates 30 years, we look back at the best presenters to host the show, including Phillip Schofield, Andi Peters and a few furry faces...
CBBC presenter Phillip Schofield with Gordon the Gopher
Here’s some news to make you feel old: CBBC turns 30 today!
Over the years the kid’s branch of BBC programmes has brought us classic shows such as cartoons Bertha and Bananaman, and teen dramas Grange Hill and Byker Grove.
But it all started in The Broom Cupboard, the booth used to present the sections between shows that launched many a famous face.
And so, in celebration of 30 years of CBBC, we look back at the best presenters ever to host the show, including Phillip Schofield, Andi Peters and a few furry faces…
Phillip Schofield
Phillip kickstarted CBBC back in 1985, presenting the show for two years.
He then swapped the broom cupboard (question: where were the actual brooms??) for the Going Live! studio, co-presenting the Saturday morning show with Sarah Greene.
Phil appeared on stage in 1992, taking over the lead role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat from Jason Donovan.
Then, in the early 90s, Phillip ditched the Beeb for ITV, hosting shows including Talking Telephone Numbers and Schofield’s TV Gold before landing his current role as host of This Morning in 2002.
He also currently presents gameshow The Cube, and was the host of Dancing On Ice from 2006 until it ended in 2014.
Gordon the Gopher
Gordon was Phillip’s trusty sidekick and could have the CBBC audience in stitches with a single squeak – and regularly did just that!
Despite a handful of TV appearances following his exit from the Broom Cupboard, Gordon struggled in his post-CBBC life, and Phillip revealed in a 2005 interview that he was now an alcoholic.
Happily, a stint in rehab in 2008 sorted him right out, and he was reunited with Phillip on This Morning in 2010 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their first appearance on CBBC.
Oh, and a little fun fact: Gordon’s famous leather jacket was a gift from 80s pop star Adam Ant, he described the cheeky little gopher as ‘one of the most interesting people’ he’d met.
Andy Crane
Radio presenter Andy made his TV debut when he stepped into the Broom Cupboard following Phillip’s departure, hosting the show from 1986 until 1990.
After leaving CBBC he too went to ITV, where he presented shows including Motormouth and What’s Up Doc? He also appeared in mad 90s TV show Banzai.
The Noughties saw Andy return to radio, with stints at BBC Radio Manchester, BBC Radio Sheffield and Radio 5 Live.
He’s currently a freelance newsreader for ITV Granada.
Andi Peters
Andi with an ‘I’ stepped into Andy with a ‘Y”s shoes in 1989, presenting The Broom Cupboard until 1993.
He went on to be the first presenter of new Saturday morning show Live & Kicking, alongside co-host Emma Forbes.
In addition to being executive producer of Top Of The Pops and creating Channel 4 music show T4, Andi managed to bag a part in Hollywood blockbuster Toy Story 2 – as the voice of ‘Male Baggage Handler 1′.
He took part in the first series of Dancing on Ice in 2006, and also presented the live link-up from a CD factory during the The X Factor final in the days when CDs were still a thing.
More recently, he acted as narrator on ITV2 show The Big Reunion.
Edd The Duck
When he wasn’t snapping at the long arm of arch enemy Wilson the Butler, green-haired Edd was the 90s answer to Gordon the Gopher, appearing first alongside Andy C and later alongside Andi P.
Avid Blackburn Rovers fan Edd became a bit of an entrepreneur following his departure from The Broom Cupboard, appearing in his own cartoon strip in BBC Magazine, releasing a single called Awesome Dood!, and even launching his own range of milkshakes.
He also had the honour of being the official UK Olympic team mascot at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Edd was last seen on the Celebrity Juice The Big Reunion special in 2014, which saw him reunited with Andi Peters.
Philippa Forrester
Hampshire-born Philippa first made her CBBC debut in the late 80s, but became a regular fixture alongside Toby Anstis in 1990.
She worked on CBBC until 1994, when she went on to present other BBC shows including Tomorrow’s World, Barking Mad, The Heaven and Earth Show and Robot Wars.
As a keen environmentalist, Philippa co-produced wildlife documentary An Otter in the Family with husband Charlie Hamilton James, and 2013 BBC show Harvest, which followed the progress of Britain’s vegetable, cereal and fruit harvests.
In the late Noughties she starred in a string of adverts for Lloyds Pharmacy, and is a brand ambassador for Anglian Windows.
She currently lives in Somerset with her husband and their three sons.
Toby Anstis
After a three-year stint in The Broom Cupboard, Toby went on to host music show The O-Zone in 1995.
As well as to co-hosting BBC programmes including Children in Need, The National Lottery Live and Grandstand, Toby has appeared on various reality TV and quiz shows.
In 2006 he was the first person to be voted off the sixth series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, but had more luck on Pointless Celebrities, winning the show in 2012. He’s also appeared on Ready Steady Cook, The Alan Titchmarsh Show and Big Brother’s Big Mouth.
In addition to his TV work, Toby has also enjoyed a successful radio career, joining Heart FM in 2002. He currently hosts the station’s mid-morning show from Monday to Saturday.
Zoe Ball
Zoe started working on CBBC in 1994, filling in for Toby on The Broom Cupboard before hitting the big time as the new co-host of Live & Kicking, alongside Jamie Theakston.
She went on to a brief stint as the host of Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast and was also a regular presenter on Top of the Pops between 1996 and 1998, before moving on to Friday night show The Priory.
She’s also presented various TV talent shows, including Soapstar Superstar, Grease is the Word and The Voice: Louder on Two.
And, of course, she’s the currant host of Strictly Come Dancing spin-off It Takes Two.
Away from telly, Zoe too has enjoyed success on the airwaves. She became the first female solo host of The Radio 1 Breakfast Show in 1998, right around the time that her hard-partying ways were scoring her heaps of headlines.
In 2002 she joined London station XFM, and since 2006 has worked on various Radio 2 shows.
Zoe married Norman Cook – AKA DJ Fatboy Slim – in 1999, and the couple have two children.
Josie d’Arby
Having worked on CBBC in the early 90s, Josie’s career followed a startlingly similar path to fellow CBBC star Zoe Ball, with roles presenting The Bigger Breakfast (a spinoff from The Big Breakfast) and Top of the Pops.
But then she went on to pursue acting roles, appearing in BBC series Merseybeat and Channel 4 sketch series Spoons. She’s also appeared in an episode of Miranda, and even alongside Vince Vaughn in the movie Blackball!
She now works as a writer and director, winning rave reviews for her stage show The Newport Monologues in 2012.
Otis the Aardvark
Otis first popped up in 1994 and racked up five years on CBBC, outlasting many of his co-hosts – the big-eared puppet appeared alongside Toby, Zoe, Josie and many other presenters.
He went on to appear in shows including Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow, Saturday Aardvark and CBBC on Nickelodeon, before finally retiring from TV in 1999 – although he did make a special appearance on a special ‘puppet’ edition of The Weakest Link in 2007, and on Celebrity Juice in 2010.
Relive all the best moments from CBBC’s 30 year history with this just-released video!
So what really happened to former Live & Kicking presenter Emma Forbes?
Emma Forbes
Ever wondered what happened to Emma Forbes? We reveal all…
The Live & Kicking presenter?
Yes, who could forget telly totty turned super-MILF Emma Forbes? She was Saturday morning kids’ TV gold in the 90s, hosting a cookery slot on Going Live! then co-presenting Live & Kicking with Andi Peters from 1993 to 1996. She described her time on the show as ‘brilliant fun from start to finish’.
Emma comes from a showbiz dynasty. Her mum is actress Nanette Newman, now 81, who starred in 70s films The Stepford Wives and International Velvet, both of which were directed by Emma’s dad Bryan Forbes, who died in 2013. Her godfather was late acting legend Richard Attenborough.
What did Emma do after kids TV?
She still worked on TV loads. Emma hosted Speakeasy, the first ever teen problem show for ITV, and the quiz show What’s My Line? from 1994 to 1997. She’s also had a successful radio career, appearing on Heart, Capital and Radio 2. In the 90s she was the face of a TV advert for Head & Shoulders shampoo. She’s now a coach running workshops for children aged 11-18 about speaking with ‘authenticity.’ Rocking a signature crop like no other, Emma was even voted No 64 in the FHM 100 Sexiest Women Poll in 1996.
So why do we love her?
Now 50, she’s still rocking a banging bikini bod and is the face of Sheer Cover cosmetics. In 2006, Emma said: ‘Everybody says life begins at 40, but I didn’t like it. It’s too depressing. Life’s much better now I’m 41.’
Where is she now?
Living in the lap of luxury with her banker husband Graham Clempson. Married for 28 years, their four-storey house is reportedy worth £27 million, with five king-size bedrooms, five bathrooms, an underground pool, a gym and a car lift. The couple have two children, Lily, 18, and Sam, 16. Emma says: ‘All my happiest times and memories are with my kids and husband.’ Aww.
These 7 Bugsy Malone actors have been famous since they were kids but look how much they've changed...
It’s been almost 40 years since Sir Alan Parker released Bugsy Malone in 1976. Since then the relatively unknown child cast have either gone on to become stars while others fell back into a life of normality.
Here’s the ones who made it:
Scott Baio – Bugsy Malone
Brooklyn-born actor Scott, now 55, made his movie debut at the age of 14 in Bugsy Malone.
After his big break, Scott went onto to forge a strong career in TV and is now best known for his role as Chachi Arcola in Happy Days and his own spin-off series Joanie Loves Chachi.
He now has a regular spot on Diagnosis Murder, Charles in Charge, Arrested Development and See Dad Run.
Florence Garland – Blousey Brown
Florence, 52 decided against becoming an actress after her debut in Bugsy Malone at the age of 13 saying, ‘I enjoyed the acting, and the camaraderie and the joy of memorising roles. But I didn’t want to do it professionally.’
At 18, Florence joined the United States Air Force as a medical administrator, serving in air force bases in the UK, South Korea and the United States.
Jodie Foster – Tallulah
Unlike the rest of Bugsy Malone’s child cast, Jodie, 52, started her career in acting aged just three years old! In the same year as Bugsy Malone’s release, Jodie also feautured in Martin Scorsese’s film Taxi Driver and went on to also feature in The Silence of the Lambs which she won an Oscar for!
In 1991, Jodie started film directing. She has also directed episodes of the popular TV programmes Orange Is The New Black and House of Cards.
John Cassisi – Fat Sam
John was picked for the role as Fat Sam purely becuase he was the naughtiest child in his class. After a short career in acting John, now 52, works in construction.
Martin Lev – Dandy Dan
Martin started acting at 16, playing the role of David Bowen in the film The Day After Tomorrow. One year later, Martin was cast to play Dandy Dan but abandoned his acting career in favour of becoming a designer.
Martin sadly died in 1992 after committing suicide aged 32.
Dexter Fletcher – Baby Face
Baby Face is now 49 and is an inconic British actor and director, featuring in Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrel and Matthew Vaughn’s Layer Cake as well as TV drama Hotel Babylon.
Bonnie Langford – Lena Marelli
51 year-old Bonnie is known for her dancing as much as she is for her acting! After Bugsy Malone, Bonnie appeared in the BBC’s Doctor Who as well as on stage in West End and Broadway musicals such as Peter Pan: The Musical, Cats, The Pirates of Penzance and Chicago and more recently on TV in the reality competition programme Dancing on Ice.
Check out how the Hollyoaks gang from two decades ago have changed
Jeremy Edwards played the part of Kurt Benson from 1995 to 1999
Yasmin Bannerman was 22 when she stepped on to the set of Hollyoaks in 1995 playing Maddie Parker, the streetwise and sassy siren who ran Parker’s restaurant. Her stint in the soap was brief and after two years the character of Maddie left when she went to live with her mum. Yasmin, 42, has gone on to have small parts in Doctor Who, Casualty and Torchwood since leaving the programme.
Brett O’Brien only appeared in the soap for a year as part of the ‘original magnificent seven’. Since leaving she has appeared in Wire in the Blood and The Fungus of Bogeyman.
Despite brief stints on rival soaps such as EastEnders, actor Nick Pickard is the ONLY remaining cast member from the original Hollyoaks gang. His character Anthony ‘Tony’ Hutchinson has been through two affairs, suffered the loss of his daughter and beat testicular cancer!
The death of Natasha Andersen, played by Shebah Ronay, was the first time Hollyoaks made waves with their storylines. The character passing away in 1996, a result of drugs, was front page news and the soap was finally seen to be engaging with gritty plots. Since the leaving in 1996, Shebah has gone on to marry artist Jonathan Yeo and the couple have two children together. She has not worked as an actress since.
Will Mellor first came to our attention in 1990, when he played Ben Rowlingson in the children’s programme Children’s Ward. In 1995, he joined the cast of Hollyoaks and playing James ‘Jambo’ Bolton until 1998. As well as appearing as Gaz in Two Pints of Larger and a Packet of Crisps. Will also released a cover of Leo Sayer‘s When I Need You, which reached no.5 in the Singles Chart…who knew?
In her two short years on the soap, the character of Dawn Cunnigham - played by Lisa Williamson - managed to have an affair with her best friend’s dad, fall pregnant and put her daughter up for adoption all by the age of 16! Sadly the character of Dawn passed away from Leukemia in 1997. Lisa went on to star in KFC adverts and vitamin commercials but is still best known for her stint in the soap.
Motorbike-and-music-loving Kurt Benson was played by Jeremy Edwards from 1995 to 1999. Jeremy went on to act in Holby City from 1999 to 2003. He got engaged to Rachel Stevens in 2002 but they broke up in 2003. In 2005, he took part in the third series of Celebrity Big Brother, finishing in fourth place, behind Brigitte Nielsen, Kenzie from Blazin’ Squad, and the winner, Bez. In 2011 he was spotted working as a builder’s labourer to earn extra money. Awks!
