Laura Whitmore defends decision to appear on British Army podcast after backlash

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentUndeterred by the pandemic, the wheels of Switzerland’s film production machine kept on spinning in 2021, churning out the meticulously made multicultural co-productions the country is known for that scored slots at top festivals.Works by young directors such as Elie Grappe, whose coming-of-age drama “Olga” launched at Cannes; Niccolò Castelli’s terrorism-themed “Atlas,” which bowed at Locarno; and also the VR project “Caves” by Carlos Isabel Garcìa, which premiered at Venice; provided a preamble to the exceptionally strong Swiss presence at this year’s Berlinale.Berlin sees a record-breaking two competition slots filled by new works from established Swiss directors, Ursula Meier’s “The Line” and Michael Koch’s “A Piece of Sky,” plus several more Swiss titles in other sections. “In the worst year ever we shot three productions back-to-back during the pandemic; somehow we got used to it,” says Oscar-nominated Max Karli (“My Life as a Zucchini”), who is among the producers of “The Line” via his Geneva-based Bandita Productions, in tandem with Pauline Gygax.In Switzerland, the film and TV industry held firm last year as one of the few sectors where camera crews and actors continued to work, unlike advertising, which shuttered completely for many months.“It was quite hard because we were shooting without insurance pertaining to anything linked to the pandemic,” Karli says, though some government subsidies were made available for physical productions struck by COVID infections.But, as Karli and other Swiss producers point out, Switzerland is a confederation.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentLola Arabia, the United Arab Emirates label of Oscar-winning Spanish producer Andrés Vicente Gómez (“Belle Epoque”), has struck a 12-movie co-production deal with Dubai-based Charisma Group.The alliance will take in a range of titles, from $2 million-budgeted contemporary comedies to banner productions budgeted at $40 million, revolving around contemporary and historic stories of West Asia.The partners aim to produce an average of four films a year, said Charisma Group co-president Ayham Al Ziyoud.Development has begun on the whole slate. “Although in principle we plan projects with modest budgets, these will be increased in the following year once we find the rights partners outside the Gulf States,” Gómez said.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentAt 81, Italian horror maestro Dario Argento is busier than ever.The director of a string of cult chiller classics starting in the 1970s, including “The Bird With the Crystal Plumage,” “Suspiria” and “Deep Red,” was at Cannes last July with his acting debut in Gaspar Noe’s “Vortex,” about a pair of old lovers. Argento was also celebrated last year with a new book by Italian critic Steve Della Casa and a retro at New York’s Lincoln Center.

Liverpool star Luis Diaz was so good on his Premier League debut against Leicester that he had the BT Sport pundits “drooling” over him, according to Michael Owen.There is a lot of excitement around Diaz, who joined Liverpool in the January transfer window from Porto for an initial fee of £37.5million, which could increase by a further £12.5m.Liverpool fans got a chance to see him for the first time in the 3-1 win over Cardiff City in the FA Cup on the weekend, but the Colombian international made his full debut at Anfield on Thursday night. He didn’t disappoint, putting in an exciting performance on the left side of Jurgen Klopp ’s front three as the hosts ran out 2-0 winners over Leicester.

Laura Whitmore, an Irish presenter based in London, has come under fire for a social media post about the British army.

Really pleased to share the first episode of the new podcast series ‘The Locker’ . Hear me talk about all things confidence, body positivity, being female in a male dominated industry & overcoming insecurities with the inspiring Ella, a soldier in the @britisharmy – Ella’s body changed when she trained and she didn’t fit into the stereotypical ‘feminine’ shape but she is proud of her body and knows to accept and appreciate herself and her strength.

Laura Whitmore has hit back after social media followers slammed the Love Island presenter for appearing on a British Army-backed podcast.

Laura Whitmore has denied ‘trying to recruit people to the army’ after criticism of her appearance on a British Army podcast.The Irish star was hit with backlash today after she posted an ad to promote an episode of The Locker, which is made in collaboration with British Army Jobs.The 35-year-old posted a picture of herself giving a thumbs up and wearing a camouflage top, and wrote on Instagram: ‘Really pleased to share the first episode of the new podcast series ‘The Locker’ .

Laura Whitmore is a strong romantic at heart and insists Love Island is ‘not about appearances but personality’. The 35-year-old replaced late presenter Caroline Flack to host the ITV2 dating show’s winter series earlier this year, and she was well-received by the audience. Love Island has become synonymous with good looking contestants and gym-made bodies, but it has also offered some pretty entertaining characters along the way, with islanders like Chris Hughes, Kem Cetinay and Shaughna Phillips, making us laugh on their quest for love. There have been calls for more diversity on Love Island with some viewers wanting to see older islanders and those with different body shapes. Sharing her thoughts on the casting, Laura told Metro.co.uk:

Laura Whitmore has insisted that men on Love Island face more pressures than their female contestants.

HEARTBROKEN Laura Whitmore says she will never get over her friend Caroline Flack's death. The TV presenter admitted she is still "working through the grief" in a new interview with The Times magazine six months after Caroline tragically took her own life.

Laura Whitmore has said she doesn’t think she will ever get over Caroline Flack’s death. Caroline died by suicide back in February, with Laura working on the first ever winter series of Love Island at the time out in South Africa.

Love Island has received an "overwhelming" number of applications from singletons desperate for romance after lockdown, host Laura Whitmore has confirmed.

Lorraine airs on weekdays at 9am on ITV .This is a live TV story and is constantly being updated.Please refresh the page regularly to get the latest TV updates.TV & Showbiz reporters are working to source the latest information, reaction, pictures and video related to this story. You can also follow us on Twitter @DailyStar , or follow us on Instagram @dailystar to get the latest TV and celeb gossip 24 hours a day.

Laura Whitmore has spoken candidly on her relationship with boyfriend Iain Stirling amid lockdown.The couple live together and have been spending more time together during the pandemic than ever before.Laura and Iain are reported to have first started dating in 2017.Laura has since spoken out on how their first date did not go as planned.While appearing on This Morning, Laura said: "He brought me to a comedy gig, so we sat in a dark room, faced not directly towards each other and then watched his friends perform."She added: "Then we met his friends and his friend's family."We didn't really talk to each other, and Iain was wearing… he'll kill me for saying this… he was wearing a backpack and I thought he'd come from school or a jog

The Times adding, ‘That’s the one thing the audience at home never see.’‘When you walk into a house with that many men and there are only two or three toilets – the smell of fake tan, the flatulence, the perfumes and aftershaves all together is like this eclectic medley.’Wow.Well now, we’re certainly not as keen as we were to while away a summer chilling in the stunning but smelly villas.Realistically though, what did we expect with that many contestants sharing a bedroom?Click here to read about how Love Island’s Laura Whitmore managed to speak about her miscarriage heartbreak.

Hot Press, ‘In the room I could see the outline of what looked like a jelly baby – just like in the movies.

Laura Whitmore has a mug of tea in one hand and with her other is trying to stop her super cute white Maltipoo, Mick, from licking her face.

LOVE Island presenter Laura Whitmore has revealed a very smelly side to the show viewers simply don't see. The Irish host, 35, who fronted the first ever winter series in South Africa, told how the mixture of contestants, products and heat gave off a lingering aroma.

Laura Whitmore has given fans of Love Island a bit of behind-the-scenes info – the famous villa actually smells pretty bad. The presenter, 35, who took over the first winter version of the show from host Caroline Flack, revealed that the luxury house the contestants stay in is pretty pungent once all the Islanders get in there. She explained to The Times: ‘The Love island villa smells.

Love Island presenter Laura Whitmore has admitted she was disgusted by the stench when she walked into the villa as the place reeks of "flatulence and fake tan".