Entertainment
All the victims NOT featured in ITV’s The Long Shadow, and why?
The Long Shadow is currently unsettling ITV audiences with its chilling depiction of Peter Sutcliffe’s crimes – but not all of his victims feature in the crime drama.
Episode one of the seven-part series focused on the first known woman the serial killer murdered. Gemma Laurie portrayed the first victim Wilma McCann, who was just 28 when she died.
Episodes five and six of the series feature Daisy Waterstone as the last victim Jacqueline Hill. Peter Sutcliffe killed the 20-year-old Leeds University student on the night of November 17, 1980.
Viewers also saw Katherine Kelly portray second victim Emily Jackson, while Molly Vevers starred as Irene Richardson. But there are several of Sutcliffe’s victims missing in the true crime drama The Long Shadow…
Which victims are depicted in The Long Shadow on ITV1?
Rather than focus on serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, the seven-part series The Long Shadow on ITV1 attempts to humanise the women he murdered. He is known to have killed 13 women, and attacked at least seven more.
This is the first time their stories have been dramatised. In fact, Peter Sutcliffe – played by actor Mark Stobbart – doesn’t even appear in the drama series until the final two episodes. A spokesperson for the channel made it clear that the focus of the series is not on the killer, but instead his victims, and their families.
In the series, Peter Sutcliffe’s first four known victims are brought to life by actors. These are Wilma McCann, Emily Jackson, Irene Richardson, and Patricia Atkinson.
Last, Peter Sutcliffe killed his final victim, 20-year-old Jacqueline Hill, who is also featured in the drama. But there are more than half of his victims who are not depicted in the series.
Which victims are missing from the ITV series?
The victims not depicted in The Long Shadow include 16-year-old Jayne McDonald, who was killed in June 26, 1977. Peter hit her on the head three times with a hammer and stabbed her in the chest and back. A broken bottle was found embedded in her chest.
Jayne had been to meet friends in Leeds, but was forced to walk home after missing the last bus home. Peter Sutcliffe went on to murder sex worker Jean Jordan, 20. She had been killed by hammer blows to the head after which she had been stabbed in the body. No actress plays Jean in the drama. On October 9, 1977, local dairy worker and future Coronation Street actor Bruce Jones found her body.
Then came Sutcliffe’s next victim Yvonne Pearson, a 21-year-old prostitute from Bradford who was murdered on January 21, 1978. He repeatedly bludgeoned her across the head with a ball-peen hammer. Her body was not found until March 26, 1978.
Next, Peter Sutcliffe killed Helen Rytka, 18. He struck Rytka on the head five times as she exited his vehicle, before stripping most of the clothes from her body, then repeatedly stabbing her in the chest.
Sutcliffe attacked Marguerite Walls with a ball-peen hammer
Vera Millward, 40, was killed on May 16, 1978. Sutcliffe attacked her with a hammer, and stabbed her repeatedly. Josephine Whitaker, 19, was killed on April 4, 1979. The killer hit her several times with his ball-peen hammer. Josephine does not feature in the ITV series.
Peter Sutcliffe murdered Barbara Leach, 20, on September 1, 1979. He hit her on the head with a hammer, dragged her body into a rubbish-strewn yard, then used a sharpened screwdriver to stab her in the neck, chest and abdomen. He stamped on her thigh, leaving behind an impression of his boot.
Tragically, Marguerite Walls, 47, was next. Sutcliffe attacked her with a ball-peen hammer. He then jumped on her chest before stuffing horsehair into her mouth from a discarded sofa. Finally, he buried her beneath it. She is the last of this victims who does not appear in the series.
Why are 8 victims missing from The Long Shadow?
An ITV spokesperson confirmed that the series The Long Shadow would only feature five of the known victims. Writer George Kay says: “Wilma is the first victim but, as the series progresses, we focus on the ever-widening ripple. […] Across seven episodes we follow a trail that takes us from Wilma McCann to Sonia McCann. A trail that left so many devastated in its wake.”
He adds: “It was no small thing to research and accurately present the full impact and legacy of this case – a five year investigation that touched the lives of thousands in ways both monumental and negligible.”
Of course, it would be difficult to portray every victim in such detail over the course of one series. Talking about Katherine Kelly’s portrayal of Emily Jackson, he said: “Emily Jackson presented us with a huge challenge, in terms of having a very limited screen time to represent her story and the circumstances she and her husband had found themselves.”
The producers of the show also explained how they were not keen to show the murders themselves, instead saying they wanted to focus on the lives of those who were killed and the impact on their families.
Read more: The Long Shadow review: ITV series deserves all the awards for its focus on the victims
The Long Shadow continues on Mondays at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
What do you think of The Long Shadow so far? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.
Helen Fear has been writing about all things entertainment for more than two decades, starting as a TV reviewer at Time Out in the (whisper it…) 90s. She has also worked for the Daily Express, Closer, OK! and Reveal, to name but a few! When Helen’s not writing about TV, she’s usually watching it – current favourites include Line Of Duty, Killing Eve, The Handmaid’s Tale and Big Little Lies.
Entertainment
‘The kids are really sad’
Rebekah Vardy has opened up about the sadness her kids experience every Christmas. And this year isn’t going to be any different.
The former I’m A Celebrity star was in the news a lot amid her nemesis Coleen Rooney’s jungle stint.
In fact, she was appointed as the columnist for the ITV show one paper, allowing her to publicly describe Coleen as “dull” and gush about one of her performances. Yes, you read it right!
As her focus has now shifted from I’m A Celebrity, the WAG is investing all her energy in making the holiday extra special for her children.
Rebekah Vardy shares her festive heartache
Rebekah shares three children with her husband Jamie Vardy. Aside from Olivia, four, Finlay, seven, and Sofia, 10, she’s also mother to Taylor, 14, and Megan, 19, from a previous relationship.
She was speaking to OK! Magazine about her plans for Christmas, when she revealed that her “kids are really sad” because their dad isn’t going to be around.
We go mad on decorations, but not on presents – that’s not what Christmas is about.
As football at Christmas is a very British tradition, Jamie will be away from home most of the holiday. “It’s really hard – and really hard for the kids, but at the end of the day, that’s his job and we’re so proud of him,” she said.
“Control the controllables, I always think. You just have to make do. We’ll have him for a couple of hours on Christmas Day but he won’t make it for Christmas dinner.”
As Rebekah revealed, Jamie will be training on Christmas Day before travelling up to Liverpool that night. He has a game on Boxing Day (December 26), so his family won’t see him until December 27.
Christmas plans
As Jamie is away for the holiday, Rebekah leaves no stone unturned to make the occasion memorable for her children.
Growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness, the WAG says she didn’t celebrate Christmas. So, now she ensures the festival is full of joy and celebrations.
“We go mad on decorations, but not on presents – that’s not what Christmas is about. It’s having the kids off school, and making memories and creating traditions that the kids will take into their lives when they have families, too,” she told the magazine.
No matter how extravagant the decorations are, her “kids are really sad” when their dad has to leave them on Christmas day. Of course, Jamie finds it harder to say goodbye because his wife stays home with the kids.
But Rebekah counts on her dad Carlos’ presence as he’ll be with her and her kids on Christmas to “lift everyone up and create absolute carnage”.
Read more: Maura Higgins takes swipe at Rebekha Vardy amid I’m A Celebrity ‘stint’
So, what do you think of the story? Tell us on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.
Entertainment
Strictly judges accused of ‘planting doubts in people’s minds’ over Tasha Ghouri
As the grand finale of Strictly Come Dancing approaches, former professional dancer Brendan Cole has accused the judges of influencing public opinion against finalist Tasha Ghouri.
In an exclusive interview with ED! on behalf of SkyVegas, Brendan shared his concerns about the judges’ critiques and their ability to sway audience votes in favour of certain contestants.
Strictly Come Dancing judges’ votes won’t count in final
Brendan candidly addressed how much weight the judges’ feedback carries with viewers. And, although their scores won’t influence who wins directly, he admitted that their comments and critiques may play a crucial role in determining the winner.
“The audience will make up their own minds, but a lot of people do listen to what they [the judges] say. Otherwise, what’s the point of them?” Brendan remarked.
“It won’t alter [the results] that much, but they can. They can plant doubts in people’s minds.”
The former Strictly star went on to explain how this season’s judging has seemingly shifted in favour of JB Gill while becoming more critical of Tasha.
“They [the judges] have been really strong on JB Gill because they’ve been championing him for the last few weeks,” Brendan observed.
“They’re not quite as kind about Tasha [Ghouri], which they were in the first few weeks. That can plant a seed in the audience’s minds that JB [Gill] is the best as he’s getting the best marks, so let’s vote for him. That’s essentially what happens.”
“It’s psychological’
Brendan also elaborated on the psychological influence judges can have on audience perceptions.
‘It’s psychological, you tend to be told what is good and what is bad,” he explained.
“I could watch something and think one thing, but someone else could give me their opinion on it, and instantly my opinion could start to change towards their opinion.
“The judges are supposed to know what they are doing. It’s very easy to [change opinions] as people do hold what they say with weight, and it can sway things.”
How the winner is decided
The Strictly Come Dancing 2024 winner is decided solely on the public vote. The judges do give their verdict, with 10 paddles doubtless getting an airing, but those scores won’t count. And, when it comes to picking a winner, that honour is entirely up to the viewers.
A successful season, according to Brendan
Despite his criticism of the judges’ feedback, Brendan praised the overall production level of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
“The show has been pretty good as a whole, and no one can look at the show and go, that could have been better,” he said.
“They’ve had some great artists coming on, the costume, hair, and make-up are always outstanding – they’ve got that absolutely spot on. As a viewer, people should be quite happy.”
Read more: Strictly Come Dancing winner ‘sealed’ as viewers back Chris McCausland ahead of Saturday’s final
You can catch the final of Strictly Come Dancing 2024 series on Saturday at 6pm on BBC One.
For all the latest Strictly Come Dancing news head to our dedicated Facebook page here.
Who would you like to see win Strictly Come Dancing? Let us know by leaving a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.
Entertainment
Helen Flanagan hits back as she’s accused of ‘ruining’ her face
Actress Helen Flanagan responded to online trolls who criticised her appearance with comments about her face in a recent social media post.
The 32-year-old is best known for her role as Rosie Webster on Coronation Street.
However, Helen faced backlash after sharing a video on Instagram where she documented her transformation from casual to glam for a night out in Liverpool.
Helen Flanagan’s face
In the clip shared with her Instagram followers, Helen appeared makeup-free with a towel on her head before unveiling her glam look – bold smokey eye, styled waves, and a strapless black corset ensemble.
While she captioned the post saying she “felt so nice in this outfit” the comments section quickly turned divisive.
Critics slammed her appearance, particularly her overlined lips.
“Did you look in the mirror after doing your lips, looks ridiculous, ” one commenter wrote.
Another criticised her choices by saying: “The lips are absolutely ruining your face, please stop. You’ve daughters that look up to you along with many others – just be yourself.”
“Leave your lips alone, whatever you’ve done don’t do it again, looks silly,” a third added.
Fans react
Meanwhile, Helen didn’t shy away from addressing the negativity. Sharing some of the harsh comments on her Instagram Story, she reminded followers of what truly matters.
“I never understand why people can be so mean,” Helen wrote. “It doesn’t actually matter how someone looks if you’ve got a good heart, you’re beautiful anyway.”
Supporters of Helen were also quick to defend her in the comments.
“To everyone who has made a rude/vile comment… just keep your negative opinions to yourself!” One fan fumed.
“Please just stop with your unwarranted opinions, are you all perfect? I very much doubt it. She hasn’t put this video up to receive ridicule so please stop it. To see women putting down women is awful to read.”
“Who gives a [bleep] what she’s done to herself? She’s beautiful,” another hit back at the critics. “It’s her choice, you don’t need to comment. Get a job, get a life… Concentrate on bettering yourselves.”
“You look beautiful love your outfit and bag,” a third fan gushed.
Read more: Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan reveals why Rosie Webster hasn’t returned
What did you think of this story? You can leave us a comment on our Facebook Page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.
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