Ellie Simmonds reveals hard hitting TV doc plans after bagging her first Bafta nomination
ELLIE SIMMONDS has won five golds at the Paralympics – and now she has got her eye on a different award that is just as shiny.
The Strictly star – who blew me away on the BBC dance contest in 2022 – is up for a TV Bafta on May 12 for her brilliant ITV documentary, Finding My Secret Family.
The show saw Ellie looking into the relationship between disability and adoption, and tracked down her birth mother during filming.
And now the former Paralympian swimmer told me that she has got a taste for documentary making and is already lining up her next projects.
In a chat backstage at the FEVO Sports Industry Awards in London, Ellie said: “Documentaries is what I want to do.
“I love working in sport and TV and interviewing people but to do documentaries is my focus.
“It is something that we are working on now. For me disability is close to my heart so I’d like to do another one focusing on that.”
The country’s favourite reality TV star Harry Clark was also at the event, which was held in Evolution London.
And after winning BBC show The Traitors, he is eyeing up a return to the celebrity version of the show alongside host Claudia Winkleman.
Harry told me: “I’d love to work with Claudia in some way, even if I was in the tunnel with the Traitors and helping them come up with a game plan.
“It would be a game in a game and become a tournament over who could win.”
But could he beat Claudia if he took her on?
“She is amazing but up against her, I would win,” laughed Harry.
“Confidence all the way.”
Go get them, Haz.
AFTER Spencer Matthews said he would run 30 marathons in 30 days in the Jordanian desert, we thought he’d gone crazy.
And it turns out his wife, model Vogue Williams, agrees.
“He’s lost his mind,” Vogue said about the charity feat, which will see Spencer raising money for charity Global’s Make Some Noise.
Talking to the Radio Times, she added: “It’s also going to be a world record.
“He’s trying his best but it’s a really tough race.
“It’s 30 marathons, 30 days in 45-degree heat.”
I think it’s time Spenny gave endurance athlete Russell Cook, aka the Hardest Geezer, a call for tips – he’s gonna need them.
Best of luck, Spencer.
Harry’s primed for trek challenge
HE won Strictly in 2011 and last week ran the London Marathon in just under three and a half hours.
But McFly drummer Harry Judd’s next challenge is likely to be his toughest yet.
In June he will head off on a 100km trek of the Brecon Beacons in Wales to help raise money and awareness for breast cancer charity CoppaFeel.
On Chris Evans’ Virgin Radio Breakfast Show on Thursday, Harry said: “It’s going to be an epic challenge.
“McFly have a gig with James Arthur and I’m getting off stage and going straight to Wales trekking for five days.”
Harry admitted in his younger years he would have hit the bar after his Marathon efforts.
He said: “How times have changed.
“I quit drinking just under 13 years ago – the positives definitely outweigh the negatives.
“Looking back, we had fun before that.
“Maybe too much fun.”
Harry, I salute you.
HE is one of the hottest blokes on the box at the moment. But it turns out even Theo James got some embarrassing tattoos as a teen.
My exclusive pictures of the actor – who stars in Guy Ritchie’s new Netflix series The Gentlemen – show some suspect inkings on his legs when he headed to the gym in Venice Beach, California.
The tatts included a hummingbird and something I assume is meant to be a fish.
They’re not great, but they’re as bad as a tattoo one of my exes had across his back which read: “Pain is temporary, pride is forever.”
What a berk.
EMINEM is killing off alter ego Slim Shady – 25 years after releasing his album of the same name.
The rapper will return with a new record later this summer which will be called The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace).
In a trailer for the album, 50 Cent has a cameo and says: “He’s not a friend, he’s a psychopath,” before Eminem adds: “I knew it was only a matter of time for Slim.”
Dazzling duo at NY
IT was all smiles and sparkles as Kylie Minogue and Dua Lipa reunited on the carpet at the Time 100 Gala.
The pop pals have both been named on the US magazine’s list of influential people and were clearly in good spirits as they were celebrated at the New York bash.
It came just weeks after Training Season hitmaker Dua handed Kylie the Global Icon award at the Brit awards in London.
While single Kylie was flying solo, Dua later headed out hand in hand with her British actor boyfriend Callum Turner for a late bite to eat.
With all this going on, and her headline slot at Glastonbury just weeks away, it’s no wonder Dua couldn’t stop beaming.
Tour has put N-Dubz back in the money
N-DUBZ’s finances used to leave accountants scratching their heads, but now the group are rolling in it again.
Ten years ago things were so bad, band member Fazer was declared bankrupt, but since returning in 2022, the trio have been coining it in.
The trio – also including Dappy and Tulisa – banked almost £50,000 a week from their pop companies last year.
Updated figures show they now sitting on a fortune of £2.5million from their firms LRC Entertainment and LRC Live.
When they announced a comeback with their Back To The Future Tour, the dates sold out so quickly, seven extra gigs were added to cope with the demand.
During their career, N-Dubz enjoyed four Top 10 albums and 13 UK Top 40 hits, including I Need You, Best Behaviour and my fave, Playing With Fire.
They also bagged the top spot with 2009 single Number 1 alongside the rapper Tinchy Stryder.
With a long summer ahead of them, I’m sure they will enjoy splashing the cash.