TV

'Downton Abbey' leads this year's TVChoice Awards nominations.
The hit ITV period drama has notched up three nods at this year's awards, including Best Drama Series, Best Actor for Allan Leech and Best Actress for Joanne Froggatt.
BBC One's critically acclaimed 'Happy Valley', meanwhile, is up for Best New Drama and lead actress Sarah Lancashire has also been nominated for her incredible portrayal of police sergeant Sarah Cawood.
'Sherlock' star Benedict Cumberbatch is nominated once again in the Best Actor category, while the show is also up for Best Drama following its third series earlier this year.
The battle of the soaps will see 'Coronation Street' take on 'EastEnders' as the tear-jerking death of Hayley Cropper goes up against the murder of Lucy Beale in the Best Soap Storyline category.
Julie Hesmondhalgh, who has earned numerous awards for playing cancer-stricken Hayley, is hotly tipped to pick up Best Soap Actress but will face stiff competition from Lindsey Coulson, who plays cancer patient Carol Jackson in 'EastEnders', and 'Corrie' beauty Michelle Keegan.
TVChoice editor Jon Peake said: "This will be our 18th awards ceremony, and we are thrilled that it has become an unmissable event for Britain's biggest stars. They know that the TVChoice Awards are always a special night - and a great chance to thank the loyal viewers who've put them on top."
The TVChoice Awards - hosted by comic David Mitchell - take place in September.
Viewers can cast their votes at www.tvchoicemagazine.co.uk.

TVChoice Awards 2014 nominations:

Best International Show
'The Big Bang Theory' (E4)
'Game of Thrones' (Sky Atlantic)
'Modern Family' (Sky 1)
'The Walking Dead' (FOX)

Best New Drama
'Happy Valley' (BBC One)
'The Crimson Field' (BBC One)
'The Musketeers' (BBC One)
'The Widower' (ITV)

Best Drama Series
'Call the Midwife' (BBC One)
'Downton Abbey' (ITV)
'Sherlock' (BBC One)
'Waterloo Road' (BBC One)

Best Factual Entertainment and Lifestyle Show
'Educating Yorkshire' (Channel 4)
'One Born Every Minute' (Channel 4)
'The Call Centre' (BBC Three)
'The Supervet' (Channel 4)

Best Entertainment Show
'Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway' (ITV)
'Celebrity Juice' (ITV2)
'Gogglebox' (Channel 4)
'The Graham Norton Show' (BBC One)

Best Food Show
'Gordon Ramsay's Home Cooking'' (Channel 4)
'Mary Berry Cooks' (BBC Two)
'Saturday Kitchen' (BBC One)
'The Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure' (BBC Two)

Best Reality Show
'24 Hours in A&E' (Channel 4)
'Big Brother'/'Celebrity Big Brother' (Channel 5)
'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!' (ITV)
'Made in Chelsea' (E4)

Best Comedy
'Bad Education' (BBC Three)
'Benidorm' (ITV)
'Birds of a Feather' (ITV)
'Derek' (Channel 4)

Best Talent Show
'Britain's Got Talent' (ITV)
'Strictly Come Dancing' (BBC One)
'The Great British Bake Off' (BBC Two)
'The X Factor' (ITV)

Best Daytime Show
'Pointless' (BBC One)
'The Jeremy Kyle Show' (ITV)
'The Paul O'Grady Show' (ITV)
'This Morning' (ITV)

Best Actor
Benedict Cumberbatch, 'Sherlock'
Allen Leech, 'Downton Abbey'
David Tennant, 'The Escape Artist'
Bradley Walsh, 'Law & Order: UK'

Best Actress
Laurie Brett, 'Waterloo Road'
Joanne Froggatt, 'Downton Abbey'
Sarah Lancashire, 'Happy Valley'
Judy Parfitt, 'Call the Midwife'

Best Soap Actor
Danny Dyer, 'EastEnders'
David Neilson, 'Coronation Street'
Kieron Richardson, 'Hollyoaks'
Adam Woodyatt, 'EastEnders'

Best Soap Actress
Lindsey Coulson, 'EastEnders'
Julie Hesmondhalgh, 'Coronation Street'
Michelle Keegan, 'Coronation Street'
Nikki Sanderson, 'Hollyoaks'

Best Soap Newcomer
Maddy Hill, 'EastEnders'
Michael Parr, 'Emmerdale'
Kirsty-Leigh Porter, 'Hollyoaks'
Sam Strike, 'EastEnders'

Best Soap Newcomer
Hayley's cancer, 'Coronation Street'
Killer Cameron/the Woolpack siege, 'Emmerdale'
Maxine & Patrick's domestic abuse, 'Hollyoaks'
Who killed Lucy Beale?, 'EastEnders'

Best Soap
'Coronation Street' (ITV)
'EastEnders' (BBC One)
'Emmerdale' (ITV)
'Hollyoaks' (Channel 4)

Rugby hunk Thom Evans is being lined up for 'Strictly Come Dancing'.
The burly 29-year-old star - who famously dated glamorous Kelly Brook - will reportedly get temperatures rising on the dance floor as BBC bosses hope he'll bring in female viewers when the new series begins later this year.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "It's the second year in a row Thom has been approached by 'Strictly' bosses. Last year he turned down their offer because he was in a relationship with US actress Jessica Lowndes.
"It's different this year after the couple split in October. Thom looks likely to sign in the next few weeks.
"He's keen to make a celebrity name for himself outside of the world of rugby. He wants to be an actor and thinks 'Strictly' will be a great launch pad."
It's hoped Thom will follow in the footsteps of last year's hunky contestants, Ashley Taylor-Dawson and Ben Cohen, and is tipped to be a big hit with the ladies.
The source added: "Bosses see Thom as the new show heartthrob. There is no doubt he'd make housewives pick up the phone to vote."

Adam Thomas is "really excited" for the birth of his baby.
The 'Emmerdale' star - who plays Adam Barton in the soap - have revealed the exciting news that he and his girlfriend will be adding to their family in the near future and he joked now he got over initial shock, he can't wait.
He told new! magazine: "I'm really excited now I've got my head around it - it definitely wasn't planned!"
He also revealed they have discussed marriage, but his plans to propose this year have been delayed by the surprising news.
He added: "I was going to propose this year, then she said she was having a baby so I was like, 'Oh, I'll save it for next year' ... This is the longest relationship I've ever been in and the first time I've ever been in love.
"Caroline's got a heart of gold - I couldn't have picked a better woman."
Speaking recently about their unborn baby - who is due in autumn - Adam described this as his "best year ever", both professionally and personally.
He said: "This has been my best year ever -- at work and outside of work -- and I can't wait for what happens next.
"Life's honestly the best it's ever been. Everything I'm doing is really exciting -- I feel very lucky."

Millie Mackintosh struggled with pressure on 'Celebrity MasterChef'.
The former 'Made In Chelsea' star admitted she was a "nervous wreck" while filming for the upcoming new series of cooking show, although looking back she is "really proud" of herself.
She said: "It's been amazing. Watching it back I felt really proud and was fist pumping and jumping up and down!
"But I was a bit of a nervous wreck at the time. I was quite difficult to be around because the nerves made me quite uptight. I wasn't sleeping much."
Due to the stress of the celebrity contest, Millie found herself battling fatigue as she tried to keep on top of everything - although she eventually "burst into tears" when it almost became too much.
She added: "Catering for loads of people was really stressful because of the pressure to get everything done. At the end I burst into tears because I was so exhausted."
And while the star didn't put on a lot of weight, she did notice her "eating habits got worse".
She admitted: "I tried to fit in the gym as much as I could, but filming made it difficult. I didn't find that I put on weight but my eating habits got worse.
"It was hard not to snack on the crisps and sandwiches available, so I started making healthy food the night before."

'The Only Way Is Essex' stars Lydia Bright and James 'Arg' Argent are reportedly close to a reunion.
The 24-year-old boutique owner recently returned to the hit ITV2 reality show after a two-year hiatus following revelations her man cheated with Amy Childs, but it is said she is now keen to give it another go.
An insider told The Sun newspaper: "She wants to see him all the time. He is convinced that she is totally in love with him again.
"They're spending a lot of time together and she's always asking to see him. It's her doing the asking even though she's been telling everyone she just wants to be friends."
However, it is also reported that Arg is keen on a reunion with his former lover.
While Lydia is said to pushing for that, she recently insisted she just wanted them to be civil - although she has no interest in a friendship with Amy.
She previously claimed: "I just want to reach a happy medium where we can be in the same room and not be biting each other's heads off ... [But] me and Amy were never friends.
"I never knew her before 'TOWIE'. I don't have her number and I haven't spoken to her since. I wouldn't choose a friend like her. I don't think she's a very loyal friend.
"She's not really my kind of girl. It's unfortunate that she came into my life but then, equally, she's not really part of my life anyway."

Brendan O'Carroll is set for a chat show as Mrs. Brown.
The actor - who has become hugely popular as the foul-mouthed Irish matriarch - could become the new Mrs. Merton with TV bosses reportedly keen to create a programme based on Caroline Aherne's popular 90s show.
An insider told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: "Agnes Brown is irreverent, outspoken and ­incredibly nosey - perfect qualities for a chat-show host.
"The hope is it would be very much in line with 'The Mrs. Merton Show', which was a huge hit.
"Things are at an early stage but senior staff are hopeful this can happen. It's a fantastic idea and seems like a near-certain hit on paper."
It is said the BBC are very keen to "get the wheels in motion" on the project, due to the huge success of 'Mrs. Brown's Boys' - with some episodes across the three series watched by more than 11 million people.
Meanwhile, 'Mrs. Merton' ended its four-year run on the air in 1998 because ­Caroline wanted to focus on other projects.
The series had become ­infamous for the way she used cutting comments to put her celebrity guests in their place.

Linda Nolan has claimed Rolf Harris' prison sentence is "too lenient".
The 84-year-old TV presenter - who was found guilty of 12 counts of indecent assault - has been jailed for five years and nine months after being, and the singer has hit out while explaining that by her speaking about her own experiences, she might encourage others to do the same.
Talking to Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard on 'Good Morning Britain', she said: "In my opinion I think that his sentence was too lenient and I think that if me speaking out helps other people come forward then maybe we can do something about that."
Linda, 55, opened up about a meeting with Rolf 40 years ago - during which he bear-hugged her and made her "feel like an idiot" for complaining about his hands - and admitted he made her "uncomfortable".
She explained: "We were touring with him in South Africa and I went to the loo before we were going to go on stage, I was in my dressing gown, and when I came back out of the loo, he was in the corridor and he gave me a bear hug.
"I felt his hands all over my back, it felt uncomfortable immediately, his hands came around the side, too close to my breasts and then I felt him kissing my neck, I felt his tongue on my neck and I just shouted 'Stop Rolf, don't' and he just, he did stop, but he made me feel like an idiot.
"[He said] 'I'm only playing with you', and of course at the time you think ... he made me feel embarrassed, he made me feel like a stupid child and that's why I didn't then go in and tell everybody and all of that."
Meanwhile, Linda admitted she was nervous about sharing her story in case it looked like she was "jumping on a bandwagon".
She added: "I was really nervous coming on today, I obviously don't want people to think I'm jumping on a bandwagon here.
"I've never believed that any of these enquiries should be a witch hunt but I do feel that if we do speak out and I'm in position to do that, then maybe it will help other women come forward if the same thing has happened to them."

Amanda Barrie will play a psychic in the new series of 'Benidorm'.
The former 'Coronation Street' actress - who played cafe boss Alma Baldwin for more than 15 years - is set to join the comedy as Psychic Sue, in a role which will reunite her with former soap co-star Sherrie Hewson.
A source told the Daily Star newspaper: "It's a thrill to have Amanda back on the box. She and Sherrie are a hoot together."
Amanda's character will be seen regularly at the Spanish resort's Blow and Go hair salon, and it is said she will end up in a storyline with Kenneth du Beke, played by Tony Maudsley, and Adam Gillen's character Liam Conroy.
The 78-year-old star is making her TV return, with most fans remembering her 'Corrie' character getting cancer and being killed off in 2001.
Two years after leaving the soap, she appeared in 'Bad Girls' and was also seen as a contestant on Gordon Ramsay's 'Hell's Kitchen' in 2004.
Meanwhile, the next series - due in 2015 - will see Joan Collins back as hotel group boss Crystal Hennessy-Vass, plus guest appearances from Nadia Sawalha and John Challis.

Sharon Osbourne has warned serious singers not to sign up for 'The X Factor'.
The showbiz matriarch, who quit the judging panel after one series last year, has revealed she doesn't see the point in artists who write their own material signing up for the ITV singing competition because it will compromise their vision and ruin their credibility.
She admitted during a Q&A session with show host Dermot O'Leary: "Always my mentality when I was on 'X Factor' was, if you were a singer-songwriter you have a definition of who you are, writing songs you love and that suit your voice and who you are.
"For me, if you were a singer-songwriter, do not go on a talent show. It's not going to work. Could you imagine them doing ABBA week, or '80s week? It's just not for you - because you know who you are.
"Talent shows are fantastic and they change people's lives. But they are not for people who are singer-songwriters. It's not the thing to do."
Sharon - whose departure paved the way for Cheryl Cole and Mel B to join show stalwart Louis Walsh on the judging panel, as well as returning head judge Simon Cowell - also confessed the "fleeting" fame 'The X Factor' provides rarely lasts more than a year.
She added: "When you look at the long-term of talent shows, there are very few people who actually sustain any fame. It's fleeting, fleeting, fleeting. People forget who was on last year.
"It's all about the year that they're watching. There have been some superstars, but the majority are forgotten."