Noel Edmonds took aim at Riley over her affiliation with Lloyds bank
Countdown host and maths whizz Rachel Riley has become the victim of an extraordinary attack from Noel Edmonds after appearing in an advert for Lloyds Bank.
Riley has signed up for a Lloyds campaign, with partner Mental Health UK, to encourage people to speak about their mental health.
But Edmonds, embroiled in a bitter legal dispute with the bank over its handling of a past fraud which ruined his TV business, accuses Riley of taking part in a ‘propaganda’ exercise for the company. ‘Apparently Rachel has been paid £20,000 to lend her name to the campaign,’ the former Saturday night TV star, who is suing the bank for £60 million, claims.
‘It’s possible that Rachel is not aware that Lloyds Bank is responsible for the destruction of lives and livelihoods on a military scale.’
He is calling on Riley to ‘hand back the money and restore your integrity. You’re either with the victims or the perpetrators. Undo the damage, Rachel.’ Riley has yet to respond to Noel’s call for a face-to-face meeting. Perhaps the genius, who makes maths look easy on Countdown, could help Edmonds plan his future investments more wisely.
The coundown host was involved in a campaign to raise awareness over mental health issues in tandem with the bank
Harry Potter fans were perplexed when J. K. Rowling outed one of her main characters, Albus Dumbledore, as gay at a press junket, despite never having made his sexuality explicit in her books.
Now Jude Law, who will play the wizard in the sequel to Fantastic Beasts — a prequel to Harry Potter — has reignited the debate. ‘That was a question I actually asked Jo [Rowling] and she said: “Yes, he’s gay,” ’ he reveals.
The 45-year-old, whose preparation for the role included growing a beard, adds: ‘I suppose the question is: how is Dumbledore’s sexuality depicted in this film?
‘We learn a little about his past in the beginning of this film, and characters and their relationships will unfold naturally, which I’m excited to reveal.’