EastEnders heartthrob to make UK telly comeback in Death in Paradise after 20 years in Hollywood
NINETIES heartthrob Sean Maguire is making his UK telly comeback this weekend in BBC One crime drama Death In Paradise.
He may have lived and worked in Hollywood for two decades but fans of Grange Hill and EastEnders still remember him fondly — as do his die-hard music fans despite the fact he says he was a rubbish pop star.
Sean told me felt a fraud during his chart career in the Nineties, no more so than when he appeared on Top Of The Pops.
He explains: “I kept saying, ‘I can’t sing, can’t write, I can’t play’ this should be going to someone with talent. Then I did Top Of The Pops and I was following Tina Turner singing Golden Eye.
“I felt like I was trying to rob a bank on live television with the entire country watching.’”
But Sean, who released two albums, had been happy to move into music after starring in EastEnders as wannabe footballer Aiden Brosnan.
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He says: “I was in EastEnders at its height and it tended to be ‘girls like you, boys don’t’. And when they’re out with their girlfriends they want to give me a smack, I was almost like a badge of honour.”
After quitting music, he moved to Hollywood and carved out a successful career starring in sitcoms, sci-fi series and blockbuster movies, including 300 parody, Meet The Spartans.
He also set up an online acting school during the pandemic called Players Conservator.
But Sean couldn’t resist returning to our screens for the 100th Death In Paradise this Sunday on BBC1, 13 years after he appeared in the first ever episode.
He adds: “At the time of the first one I’d just fallen in love with an amazing woman who came with me.
“When I was asked back for the 100th episode, the girl who I had fallen in love with is now my wife.
“I didn’t need a lot of arm twisting because it’s the Caribbean. Who doesn’t want to go to the Caribbean?”
I can think of worse places to work.
Danny's a stand up guy
DANNY DYER may have signed up for drug-based movie Marching Powder, but his next TV role is more cupcake than cocaine.
The hardman is set to show his soft side this spring on Bake Off’s Stand Up To Cancer celeb special.
He will be joined by several other famous names for the mini series, which aims to raise money for the disease.
I revealed in August that C4 bosses were thrilled to finally tie down Danny.
He previously vowed to stay away from Bake Off after an embarrassing incident with former host Mary Berry at the TV Choice awards in 2014.
An insider told me: “Danny once said he could never go on the show as he got drunk at a bash, and when he met Mary Berry, he licked her ear.”
Hopefully Paul Hollywood will remind Danny of the cringey moment during filming. If anyone is brave enough, it’s Paul.
NEW kids’ animated series Yukee will featutre a host of music stars.
Indie group Wet Leg, Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective, singer Tom Odell and soul legend PP Arnold will provide voices and music for the series, which airs weekdays on CBeebies from Monday.
Ry: Make footie prettier
IF you’re guilty of writing off Rylan Clark as a fluffy entertainment presenter, then think again.
He fronts new documentary Rylan: Homophobia, Football And Me, for discovery+ and TNT, out on February 13.
It features interviews with Rio Ferdinand, Thomas Hitzlsperger and Arsenal women’s Jen Beattie as born-and-raised West Ham fan Rylan examines prejudice in the beautiful game.
Rylan said: “Growing up loving football and being a West Ham fan, I always assumed I’d be able to go to games. But as time moved on and as a gay man, I sometimes felt uncomfortable around spectators at games.
“I talk to fans, players, past and present, about how the beautiful game could be even prettier for everyone to enjoy.”
Trick is scary for Sue
SUE PERKINS had a wee problem in the Alaskan wilderness when she thought a bear was about to attack.
On her new show, Lost In Alaska, Sue instantly forgot all her survival training and she wet herself.
Fortunately for the former Bake Off presenter, it turned out the bear was her survivalist trainer.
Sue told The Sun’s TV Mag, free with the paper tomorrow: “My trainer played a joke on me, one which sent me into some kind of PTSD.
“I genuinely thought a bear was running at me, and my response was to slightly wet myself, swear, trip over my left foot and discharge pepper spray down my leg.”
Let’s hope she packed some spare trousers.
The three-part travelogue around America’s last frontier airs on Channel 5 next Friday at 9pm.
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MICHELLE KEEGAN’s record-breaking run in Netflix’s Fool Me Once has seen her honoured with the prestigious Variety Club Silver Heart Award for Outstanding Achievement in Global Television and Streaming.
Accepting the award on Wednesday, she said it was a “special moment”.