X Factor’s Gamu Nhengu visa refusal reversed on appeal

X Factor reject Gamu Nhengu and her family have won the latest round of their legal fight to remain in the UK, the BBC reports from Scotland.

The Home Office or UK Border Agency (UKBA) had turned down a visa renewal application by the teenage singer’s mother, but reversed that decision at a hearing in Glasgow.

The 18-year-old and her family are originally from Zimbabwe but have lived in Clackmannanshire, Scotland for several years.

UKBA Officials refused their visa renewal over procedural problems, but said they would now make a fresh decision.

Speaking after the hearing, the family’s lawyer, Frances Farrell, said: “The family are pleased that the Home Office have withdrawn their decisions and decided to reconsider my clients’ cases.

“The family are hopeful that they will now be granted leave to remain in the UK.

“They want to thank everyone for all the wonderful support they have had.”

The solicitor said she hoped a fresh decision would be made within weeks, rather than months.

An application by the singer’s mother, Nokuthula Ngazana, to stay in the UK after her visa expired was turned down on the grounds there was an administrative error in the application.

The UK Border Agency said it did not “meet all of the conditions for approval”.

Family solicitors said the error was due to Mrs Ngazana giving the wrong bank details, so the fee for the application could not be taken.

The application was judged “out of time” as a result, but the lawyers said it was lodged in time.

The family was told in October to leave the UK voluntarily or face being sent back to Zimbabwe.

Despite initially being told they had no right of appeal, the family was given a lifeline after being granted a full appeal hearing before a judge.

The appeal case was expected to be heard before Immigration Judge Mungo Deans.

But a Home Office representative told the hearing that he had instructions to withdraw the original decision made on 6 October, over a “technical issue”.

Facebook appeal

Myles Matthews said the case “will now be reconsidered and a fresh decision will be made in due course”.

Simon Cowell said in October that his lawyers were helping in the family’s battle to stay in their Tillicoultry home.

Cowell, 51, maintains bosses at the ITV1 show were not aware of Gamu’s visa situation while she was on the programme.

The singer was rejected by judge Cheryl Cole in October despite being trailed as an early favourite to win.

She caused controversy when she claimed that she would face a firing squad if deported to Zimbabwe.

More than 250,000 fans signed up to a Facebook page called ‘Gamu Should Have Got Through’, in protest at the decision to leave her out of the final 12. Source: BBC.

The case proves that even when you are faced with a seemingly hopeless situation you should not give up.

It seems Gamu has had more luck with Immigration Judges than Cheryl Cole and the X Factor judges who shot her to fame.

By Charles Kelly

http://www.ecademy.com/module.php?mod=list&lid=212803

Spoiler: Ryan discovers the truth about Whitney

Ryan returns to Albert Square, unaware of everything that happened while he was away.  However, this doesn’t last for long as when he visits the Minute Mart, Heather and Denise comment on how Whitney needs her brother around her.  When Fatboy enters the shop, a confused Ryan asks what’s been going on with Whitney, so Fatboy takes him to see Dot and she explains everything.  Later, when Ryan returns to Pat’s house, he starts to question Whitney but the reality of the situation becomes too much for him and he walks out.  When Ryan has a confrontation with Janine about the matter, she tells him to forget about what happened with Rob and instead concentrate on supporting Whitney.  Realising she is right, Ryan decides to apologise to his sister.

Read the rest of this article here Discuss on our Eastenders Forum here

By Daniel Kilkelly, Digital Spy Soaps Editor

Home and Away: Picture Preview – The Birth

We have a special spoiler for all you home and away fans, to see it click here

Real Nick Clegg found chained in Conservative party basement

British Soap Awards: The 2011 Final Shortlist

Voting began back in March to decide on this years prizes based on an initial longlits for ‘Best Actor’ and ‘Best Actress’ , ‘villian of the year’, as well as ‘sexiest female’ and ’sexiest male’.  These categies contained 3 from each of the british soaps (Eastenders, Coronation Street, Hollyoaks, Emmerdale, and Doctors). 

 

Now the stort list has been revealed based on the results of this vote, and includes the category of ‘Best British Soap’.

Corrie is in the lead according to Digial Spy.

 

Here is the list of those currently in the running:

 

Sexiest Male

 Scott Maslen (Jack Branning, EastEnders) 

Danny Miller (Aaron Livesy, Emmerdale) 

Keith Duffy (Ciaran McCarthy, Coronation Street)
Chris Fountain (Tommy Duckworth, Coronation Street)

 

Sexiest Female

Rita Simons (Roxy Mitchell, EastEnders)
Jennifer Metcalfe (Mercedes McQueen, Hollyoaks)
Michelle Keegan (Tina McIntyre, Coronation Street)
Alison King (Carla Connor, Coronation Street)

 

 

VILLIAN OF THE YEAR
Kate Ford (Tracy Barlow, Coronation Street)
Charlie Brooks (Janine Malloy, EastEnders)
Don Gilet (Lucas Johnson, EastEnders)
Emmett J Scanlan (Brendan Brady, Hollyoaks)

 

BEST ACTOR
Chris Gascoyne (Peter Barlow, Coronation Street)
Shane Richie (Alfie Moon, EastEnders)
Danny Miller (Aaron Livesy, Emmerdale)
Emmett J Scanlan (Brendan Brady, Hollyoaks)

 

BEST ACTRESS
Katherine Kelly (Becky McDonald, Coronation Street)
Jessie Wallace (Kat Moon, EastEnders)
Jane Cox (Lisa Dingle, Emmerdale)
Claire Cooper (Jacqui McQueen, Hollyoaks)

 

BEST BRITISH SOAP
Coronation Street
Doctors
EastEnders
Emmerdale
Hollyoaks

Make sure you click here to vote for you faviorites.  

The results will be revealed at the awards ceremony in Manchester on May 14,  and is expected to air May 25th on ITV.

Do you agree with the final shortlist? 

Who else would you have nominated? 

Who will you be backing?

 

Discuss on our forum here 

 

Or leave a comment below.

EastEnders: Samantha Womack

If any of you have been following EastEnders the last few days you would of the the climax to the controversial Baby swap story line.  Both actresses involved in the story line put in brilliant performances, but for me Samantha Womack showed us what a brilliant actress she is.  Over the years we have seen Ronnie face many trumatic experiences, so it was hardly surprising she would eventually have a mental breakdown. I thought adding the twist of Ronnie experiencing flash backs of Danielle’s death also complimented the storyline and showed continuity. Well done Samantha Womack for a brilliant performance and Good Luck for your future roles.

Kym Marsh confirms Corrie September return

Kym Marsh has confirmed that she and Keith Duffy are due to return to Coronation Street in September.

The actress took early maternity leave, in a storyline which saw her character Michelle Connor join Duffy’s Ciaran McCarthy on a cruise.

Earlier this month, the Boyzone star – nominated for ‘Sexiest Male’ at the British Soap Awards – revealed that he is returning to filming on September 15.

“I’m due to return to work on Corrie around September and so is Keith Duffy, who plays Ciaran McCarthy,” Marsh wrote in her New magazine column. “

Commenting on the pair’s joint return to the Street, she added: “It makes sense for Ciaran and Michelle to return together as viewers like them as a couple.”

Marsh gave birth to her baby daughter Polly Lomas late last month.

Discuss on our Coronation Street Forum

By Ryan Love, Entertainment Reporter

 

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s3/coronation-street/news/a315424/kym-marsh-confirms-corrie-september-return.html

Gamu Nhengu is close to being deported

Former xfactor contestant Gamu Nhengu has lost her battle to stay in the UK as her families visa application has been refused.  It initially appeared that the original ruling would be overturned, however the home office have now confirmed that the whole family will need to leave the UK and return to their native country.  The family have previously claimed that a return would be life threatening.   The home office said

“Ms Ngazana’s application was refused as it did not meet the conditions for approval. Her family, who had applied as her dependants, were therefore also refused.”

However, this is not the end of the story.  Gamu’s family are said to be launching an appeal, therefore there is still hope that they may be able to stay in the UK.

Where Are They Now?

Spelbound

What a year it’s been for the high-flying gymnastics troupe who took last year’s competition by storm. The reigning champions were given the regal seal of approval when they performed at the Royal Variety Show, and were the highlight of the night when they shared the stage with Katherine Jenkins at a Help For Heroes concert. The acrobats have managed to juggle their new found fame with school and work commitments and have even found time to release a fitness DVD… flipping heck!

 

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Twist and Pulse

Add two cheeky chappies, chop in some windin’ and poppin’, sprinkle with comedy, mash-up some music, and what do you get? A recipe for success… Twist and Pulse style! Best friends Ashley and Glen have continued to tickle audiences with their unique Streetomedy brand of dancing. After a stint touring the Butlins holiday camps, the Brit School buddies have performed on ITV’s Magic Numbers and for Northern Ireland’s Children In Need.

 

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Tina and Chandi

Move over Lassie, step aside Bouncer, and budgeup Wellard… there’s a new name for the TV dogs Hall of Fame. Chandi the amazing dancing dog and handler Tina, took their intricate and inventive dance routines to last year’s grand final, and showcased the Disco Doggy and the Woofing Waltz along the way! The couple’s skills didn’t go unnoticed and they have since appeared on Blue Peter, Daybreak, and BBC Breakfast, they’ve also released a DVD which is available to buy now.

 

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Paul Burling

After 25 years of trying 2010 was the year Paul Burling finally got his breakthrough to the big-time. Armed with an array of comedy impressions, the father of three revealed his talent to the nation, and the British public roared their approval… especially for his Harry Hill impersonation! Since the show Paul has performed in panto, released an iphone app, and had his very own show, It’s Paul Burling, which attracted 3.7 million viewers when it aired on ITV1 in December.

 

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Diversity

The lads with the liquid limbs, fronted by the charismatic Ashley Banjo, have continued to delight audiences since they were crowned Britain’s Got Talent champions in 2009. After dancing for the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance and becoming ambassadors for the Change4Life initiative, the boys embarked on a sell-out nationwide tour followed by an appearance in the movie StreetDance 3D. The busy boys also found time to release a fitness DVD… phew!

 

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Susan Boyle

Since her first audition Susan Boyle’s meteoric rise to fame has been nothing short of remarkable. A series three runner-up, Susan’s I Dreamed A Dream became the fastest selling UK album of all time. 2010 was a massive year for Susan; she performed for the Pope, was voted the seventh Most Influential Person In The World by Time Magazine, and became only the third person ever to top both the UK and US album charts twice in the same year!

 

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Stavros Flatley

Everybody’s favourite Greek Irish dancers have not stopped working since they Riverdanced their way onto our screens in 2008. In the intervening years the father and son duo have performed all over the world, from China to Australia, via the Glastonbury Festival. They’ve become the faces of a Mazuma Mobile advertising campaign, and have also released a book entitled How To Be A Little Bit Greek.

 

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Shaheen Jafargholi

Shaheen’s star has continued to rise since he melted our hearts in series three. The Welsh warbler has gone on to perform at the MOBO Awards, the Oprah Winfrey Show, and he even sang the Michael Jackson memorial concert! Shaheen has recently signed a deal with a major record label, and his debut album is available to buy now!

 

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George Sampson

George caused a big splash in 2008 body-popping his way into our hearts with his memorable Singin’ In The Rain routine. Since then the teenager’s dancing feet have barely touched the ground, with starring roles onstage – Into The Hoods , the big screen – StreetDance 3D, and on TV – Waterloo Road. This year has also seen George strut his stuff at the Sunshine Concert, for the Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity.

 

 

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Paul Potts

When Paul’s Cardiff audition first aired, he went from a humble mobile phone salesman to a global internet sensation, overnight! That first BGT performance went on to amass over 100 million views on YouTube, making him a bona fide, worldwide web-celeb! He has since gone on to release three top-selling albums and has toured the world extensively. Paul’s fans can see him showcasing his poperatic skills at his next gig at The Colosseum… in Canada!

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ITV Press Centre

Britain’s Got Talent: David Hasselhoff

Biography:

David Hasselhoff is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as “The Most Watched TV Star in the World” thanks to starring roles in both “Knight Rider” and “Baywatch.

”Born in Baltimore, MD, and after his theatrical debut at age 7 in Peter Pan, David’s childhood dream was to have a career on Broadway. Having appeared in the Frank Wildhorn hit Broadway musical, Jekyll & Hyde everything came full circle when he recently made his debut as Captain “Hoff the Hook” in the UK Pantomime production of Peter Pan, at the legendary Wimbledon Theatre, breaking all box office records in its 100 year anniversary.

While in England, at the personal request of good friend and producer, Simon Cowell, David joined the U.K.’s hit TV show, Britain’s Got Talent. In addition, he recently completed a 14-city tour, The Hoff is Back, to the delight of his legions of fans in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.David’s first professional job came on the CBS soap opera, “The Young and the Restless,” playing Dr. Snapper Foster. Six years and 850 shows later he was lured to primetime TV by NBC President, Brandon Tartikoff, to star in the now legendary “Knight Rider” as Michael Knight leading him to a People’s Choice Award for Most Popular Actor. 24 years later, the show is still playing throughout the world.

In 1989, he headed the cast of “Baywatch,” and after being cancelled by NBC, it was acquired by Hasselhoff and the producing partners for first run syndication at which time he became one of the executive producers and TV history was made. “Baywatch” ran for 11 years and is still viewed in 140 countries by over one billion viewers every week…making Hasselhoff the most watched TV star on the planet.

Along the way Hasselhoff appeared in feature films such as Adam Sandler’s Click,The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Layover, Legacy, and soon to be seen in Universal’s HOP, which will premiere this Spring.

His remarkable musical career took off in the late 1980s when he recorded the album, “Looking For Freedom” for BMG Germany. The song became an anthem for East and West Germany and remained at the top of their charts for 8 weeks. The album went triple platinum in Europe and Hasselhoff was named “Most Popular and Best Selling Artist of the Year.” He has since garnered over 40 gold and platinum records worldwide.

In 1989, he sang “Looking For Freedom” from atop the Berlin Wall to over one million people during the New Year’s Eve German Reunification Celebration. This past year he was asked to perform the song again atop the wall to ring in the 2011 New Year.

His latest pop single Jump in My Car, which he performed on the # 1 NBC summer show, “America’s Got Talent,” where he also served as a judge for four years, hit the top of the UK charts. The Jump In My Car video, as well as his viral video hit Hooked On A Feeling were downloaded over 16 million times and he became one of the most downloaded artists of the decade. His concerts continue to play to standing room only audiences worldwide.

In 2000, Hasselhoff made his long-awaited Broadway debut in the hit musical, “Jekyll & Hyde” which was also filmed by Broadway Television Network that aired on HBO Signature, and is available on DVD from Image Entertainment.

He went on to make his West End debut in London as Billy Flynn in the long-running musical, “Chicago”, and starred in the Las Vegas production of Mel Brooks’ hit musical, “The Producers”. His portrayal of the flamboyant Roger DeBris and the ‘singing Hitler’ proved to be an audience knockout.

His autobiography, Making Waves, was published by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK and made the Best Seller list.  A US release titled Don’t Hassel the Hoff was published by St. Martin’s Press. Due to its success, Making Waves was re-issued in the German translated edition Die Autobiographie and reached # 8 on the German-Austrian non-fiction charts.

Iconic status came for Hasselhoff when he was recently honored by the Comedy Central channel with “The Comedy Central Roast of David Hasselhoff.” The Hoff-Roast premiered as one of the top-rated comedy specials on the network and was number one in male demographics for all cable and network shows that night.

It was a “trending” phenomenon with over 2 million tweets domestic and worldwide. His recent appearance on ABC’s, # 1 primetime show, “Dancing with the Stars” garnered an impressive 36% increase in ratings from the previous year.

Britain’s Got Talent Interview:

How are you finding your new position on the judging panel?

Third to the left and fun to be sitting in Simon Cowell’s seat.  It’s very warm.

Had you met Michael or Amanda before?

Yes I had met Amanda before, briefly, and I knew of Michael’s reputation as the number one comedian in the country.

How have the three of you got on?

Lots of fun…. lots of respect and sometimes complete and utter chaos with us not agreeing!

How have you found the British talent?

I find that the talent so far is brilliant, some of the young people especially, and we’ve seen some very funny comedians.  I have also enjoyed some of the wackiest acts on the planet!

What do you love most about Britain?

The heart-warming and kind people that I’ve met in every city that I’ve visited  and the full English breakfast and Liverpool girls.

If you were to enter Britain’s Got Talent, what would your act be?

My act would be a dancing willy! No, no, no …..just kidding!  Running in slow motion!

Without giving too much away, what have been some of the best acts during the auditions?

The young acts are without a doubt going to be in the finals and surprisingly a fantastic dog act and some very funny comedians.

And the worst?

A man who did impersonations of trucks.  I think he was run over last week while doing a truck sound….. because someone really thought he was a truck.

Are the UK audiences more vocal about acts than US audiences?

Yes!  And they are very territorial! It seems like every city really dislikes every other city.

Are you looking forward to seeing Simon at the live shows?

Of course!   Simon and I go back to 1993. We are friends first and it will be fun sparring with him on a live show because we are such good friends.  It will be fun having him on.

What do you think Simon will make of the talent you’ve found?

Probably hate it all and probably send me back to America but actually he knows that I take this competition very seriously and he will be proud with the acts that we have.

Do you worry about finding the right winner for The Royal Variety Performance?

Absolutely…..  It’s fun to be entertaining and to have wacky acts on the show but this is a talent competition and a very big break for the person who gets this position to perform. I take this very seriously and the contestants should as well.

What kind of act would you like to see win this year?

That is a secret.