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Elijah Wood reunites with fellow Lord Of The Rings cast in lockdown

Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom and Ian McKellen reunite with their fellow Lord Of The Rings co-stars from lockdown in hilarious video call teaser

They were part of one of the greatest film franchises in history, which remains a classic after almost two decades.

And the Lord Of The Rings cast are set to reunite for Josh Gad’s Reunited Apart YouTube series on Sunday, and a hilarious clip teasing the episode was released on Wednesday for fans to enjoy.

Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Sir Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd all appeared in the amusing video which saw the Frozen star, 39, asking the actors if they wanted to be a part of the episode.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=NzPpOzBxJfk%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D1

Wow! Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom and Ian McKellen reunited with their Lord Of The Rings co-stars from lockdown on Wednesday (pictured Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan)

The video started with Sean, who took on the role of hobbit Samwise Gamgee, and he joked that ‘The Goonies are done’ and wouldn’t reunite for the show as ‘Brolin sent you a cease and desist, Spielberg changed his name so you can’t call him’

But Josh revealed he actually wanted to bring together the cast of the fantasy epic, calling them ‘a couple of buddies, comrades, pals, I don’t know whats another word for that, maybe, I don’t know, a fellowship.’

Jokingly dismissing the idea, Sean said: ‘Josh you’re out of your mind man, come on.’

Classic: The cast were part of one of the greatest film franchises in history, which remains a classic after almost two decades after its release

Amusing: Sean began the video by joking that Josh wouldn’t get The Goonies cast together, but was delighted to hear that he wanted to bring the Lord Of The Rings cast together instead

To which Josh began to passionately recite Sean’s character’s exploits, and gushed: ‘You fought off an army of orcs multiple times, escaped from the clutches of the Uruk-hai, killed the demon spider Shelob.’

When Sean clarified that Sam had simply wounded the creature, Josh went on: ‘Wounded the demon spider Shelob, ran away from Gollum, all to destroy the one ring to rule them all. How hard can a f****** phone call to Elijah Wood be?’

Apparently it wasn’t so difficult after all, as Elijah (Frodo Baggins) immediately appeared on the Zoom call and Josh questioned: ‘I don’t understand were you already on with Elijah?’

Sean said that he was ‘always on with Elijah’, who chimed in and said that his co-stars presence ‘comforts [him].’

Plea: Josh passionately recited Sean’s character’s exploits as he asked ‘how hard can a f****** phone call to Elijah Wood be?’, who then appeared (pictured, Sean in The Return Of The King)

Joining in: As the trio discussed the possibility of reuniting the cast it was then the moment for Dominic (Merry Brandybuck) and Billy (Pippin Took) to pop into the call

As the trio discussed the possibility of reuniting the cast it was then the moment for Dominic (Merry Brandybuck) to pop into the call, as he joked that he’s ‘always waiting in the wings in case a life or death situation comes between Sean and Elijah.’

Josh took the opportunity to throw in a reference to Dominic’s role in Lost, but the actor wasn’t having it as he said Josh was ‘better than that.’

But that wasn’t all, as Billy Boyd (Pippin Took) then entered the chat and said the quartet had been ‘together for 2565 days’ so a reunion was possible.

Legolas star Orlando then appeared and declared: ‘Hey guys, sorry about that, I had to go find a mirror and take a look to remind myself that I am in fact Orlando Bloom.’

Joker: Legolas star Orlando then appeared and declared: ‘Hey guys, sorry about that, I had to go find a mirror and take a look to remind myself that I am in fact Orlando Bloom’

When Josh asked they were always on a call together, Orlando said: ‘Yea we are always on a call together, always. Katy [Perry] has to remind me to turn the Zoom off in bed’

Josh couldn’t believe his eyes, as he asked: ‘I really don’t understand what’s happening, are you guys always on a Zoom call together?’

Orlando responded: ‘Yea we are always on a call together, always. Katy [Perry] has to remind me to turn the Zoom off in bed.’

To which Dominic said: ‘Never turn the Zoom off in bed Orlando, never turn the Zoom off in bed.’

And when Josh asked the group once more if they’d be interested in taking part in a reunion episode, the actors deferred the decision to lead star Elijah who quoted his character from The Fellowship Of The Ring.

Decisions: When Josh asked if they’d take part in a reunion episode, they deferred to Elijah who quoted Frodo (pictured, with Sean, Dominic and Billy in The Fellowship Of The Ring)

In character: ‘I wish this choice hadn’t come to me, I wish none of this had happened,’ he said, replicating Frodo’s mournful tone from The Fellowship Of The Ring

‘I wish this choice hadn’t come to me, I wish none of this had happened,’ he said, replicating Frodo’s mournful tone from the first film in the iconic trilogy.

Sir Ian then appeared on the video to complete the quote to the delight of his cast mates, as he embodied Gandalf and said: ‘So do all who live to see such times but that is not for them to decide, all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.’ 

As the entire cast expressed their joy at his appearance he raised a glass of wine and said cheers before taking a sip.  


Ending with a bang: Sir Ian appeared to complete the quote, as he embodied Gandalf and said: ‘All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us’

Full reunion! Dominic confirmed Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler, Sean Bean, Andy Serkis, Miranda Otto, Karl Urban, John Rhys-Davies, Fran Welsh, and director Peter Jackson would appear

While they did not appear in the video, Dominic confirmed that Viggo Mortensen (Aragon), Liv Tyler (Arwen), Sean Bean (Boromir), Andy Serkis (Gollum), Miranda Otto (Éowyn), Karl Urban (Éomer), John Rhys-Davies (Gimli), producer Fran Welsh, and director Peter Jackson would also appear.

Sharing a snap of the entire group in the video call via Instagram, he wrote: ‘This SUNDAY! Reunited apart. We will break the world wided interwebs!’ 

The adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy trilogy began with The Fellowship Of The Ring in 2001, and was followed by The Two Towers in 2002, and The Return Of The King in 2003.

The Return Of The King tied with Titanic and Ben-Hur for wins at the Academy Awards after it received eleven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. 

Iconic: The adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy trilogy began with The Fellowship Of The Ring in 2001, and was followed by The Two Towers in 2002, and The Return Of The King in 2003

Huge success: The Return Of The King tied with Titanic and Ben-Hur for wins at the Academy Awards after it received eleven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director

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Boy, 9, weeps with joy at first McDonald’s meal after months of lockdown – The Sun

HEARTWARMING footage shows a nine-year-old breaking down in tears as his mother surprises him with his first McDonald's since the start of Singapore's lockdown.

Mum Wati filmed herself showing Adam Bin Mohammad Irwan, who has autism, a table laden with food from the chain after weeks stuck at home.



The clip opens with Atwi sat in her car and saying to the camera: "Hello guys.

"I'm [getting] McDonald's. It's a surprise!"

She buys the food and conceals it in plastic bags, though jokes: "I think the smell will give it away".

She then leads Adam through the home and into the dining room.

Adam initially thinks his mum is playing a prank, so begins to run around the table and shriek before spotting the food.

He then begins to cry before running back and giving his mum a hug.

"I thought you wanted to scare me," he says.

"I didn't want to scare you!" she says.

"I wanted to surprised you. Look, what is it?"

"McDonald's," he says.

Adam is then seen eating from a box of chicken nuggets.

Wati later shared the video to Facebook, where it has been viewed over 73,000 times.

Reacting to the clip, one user wrote: "This boy's genuine reaction is enough to move anyone's heart."

She said that McNuggets with fries and ice cream was Adam's favourite meal, adding that his "overreaction" was caused by his sensory sensitivity and mild autism.

Lockdown was first imposted in Singapore on April 7, and all McDonald's outlets have been closed since April 19.


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82-year-old charged with killing lover in violent sex game gone wrong

An 82-year-old Texas man has been charged with killing his secret male lover in a sadomasochistic sex game gone terribly wrong, according to court documents.

Alan Bischof was busted for felony aggravated assault over the death of lover Craig LaMell, 65, who died almost a month after claiming he had been jumped by several strangers near his home in Houston.

The octogenarian was only found out four months later when he was fired from work at Chevron — and his manager found a confession on his work computer, according to an affidavit.

In various “writing,” Bischof went into “great detail” about their “sexual relationship” which they appear to have hidden, according to the papers.

His emails revealed how “they engaged in sadomasochistic behavior” — and that “LaMell had requested Bischof to assault him,” according to the court records.

Bischof described his lover as a “helpless baby” during the attack — and even took a photo of him lying on the ground bloodied with injuries to his face, upper body and arms, the papers say.

The pair agreed on the “mutual plan” of claiming it was a mugging — yet LaMell also gave conflicting excuses to friends, even claiming he was battered by the jealous husband of a woman he was seeing.

Despite initially being discharged from Houston’s Methodist Hospital — including almost a week in ICU — LaMell died on December 2 after being readmitted for emergency surgery for bleeding on the brain. His death was ruled a homicide from blunt force head trauma, the papers say.

Bischof’s alleged confessionals only came to light on April 29 — almost five months after his lover’s death — when his former manager found on his work computer after he was fired from Chevron, the papers say.

During his employment, Bischof had signed away any right for privacy on the computer and it was “company policy to monitor soon-to-be terminated employee’s computer activity,” the papers say.

It included a document titled “Confession” — in which Bischof said he planned to kill himself over the accidental death of his lover, the court docs say, with suicide notes to his family also on the computer.

During police interviews, he said that “everything in the letter was correct” — and that they had mutually planned the brutal beating “for several weeks” beforehand.

Bischof, who was 81 at the time of the attack, told officers that “while the blows were hard, they were not as hard as he could possibly punch someone,” the documents state.

Bischof was charged with aggravated assault of a family member because of their relationship. He was released on $50,000 bond.

“I don’t have anything to say right now,” he told KPRC2 on his doorstep Tuesday.  An attorney listed for him, Mike Russo, did not immediately respond to messages Wednesday.

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Harry Styles Gets Naughty With Fruit in ‘Watermelon Sugar’ Video

Produce clerks, look away! Harry Styles released the ultrasexy music video for his new single, “Watermelon Sugar,” on Monday, May 18.

The Bradley & Pablo-directed visual kicks off with a title card that reads, “This video is dedicated to touching” before cutting to the singer, 26, taking a seat at a table on a beach in Malibu. He puts down a plate with a single slice of watermelon on it and begins singing the track’s opening lyrics.

Things quickly take a NSFW turn when Styles — dressed in an orange crochet vest and blue Elton John-esque sunglasses — starts running one of his fingers across the top of the watermelon sliver. After he picks it up and takes a juicy bite, the camera cuts to a woman sitting in the sand with a full-size watermelon between her legs, simulating oral sex.

For the remainder of the retro-filtered video, the One Direction alum, a group of women and one other man frolic on the beach and in the ocean while sharing watermelon and strawberries. (The video was filmed in January before social distancing guidelines were enforced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)

“Watermelon Sugar” serves as the fourth single from Styles’ sophomore album, Fine Line, following “Lights Up,” “Adore You” and “Falling.”

When Beats 1 host Zane Lowe asked Styles in November 2019 to confirm that “Watermelon Sugar” is about “the joys of mutually appreciated oral pleasure,” the entertainer smirked and coyly replied, “Is that what It’s about? I don’t know.”

The former boy bander said in the same interview that he feels “so uncomfortable” when people refer to him as a sex symbol.

“Honestly, I’d say I try and think about it as little as possible because it’s a very strange, dynamic thing. It’s also, like, a weird thing to think of about yourself,” he explained at the time. “I guess the thing with sex in general is like, it used to feel so much more taboo for me. Even like when we were in the band, the thought of people thinking that I had sex was like, oh no, that’s crazy. What if they know?”

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I want to get back with my ex but his new girlfriend says she’ll ruin him – The Sun

DEAR DEIDRE: MY former boyfriend has come back into my life but there’s one problem – his new girlfriend.

I am a woman of 30 and he is 32. We were together for four years and he broke my heart, cheating on me with a colleague who he left me for. I never got over him but recently we rekindled our friendship and realised where we went wrong.


Get in touch with Deidre today

Got a problem?

My team and I are working safely from home but we are here to help you as always.

Send an email to [email protected]

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We are desperate to get back together but his ­girlfriend is abusive. She controls him and threatens to ruin him financially.

She is 35 and has said she will ruin his good name in the workplace if he leaves her. He can’t even go to the HR department at work as she is best friends with one of the women there.

DEIDRE SAYS: Do be wary. This man has hurt you badly once and now seems to be coming up with lots of reasons why he can’t leave his new partner, though you only have his word for that.

If he is sincere, he has to tell his girlfriend that blackmailing him is never going to make him love her. My e-leaflet Ending A Relationship will help him find the right words.

Meanwhile, he should keep a note of any work-related threats she makes and, if needs be, talk to the head of HR.

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US would lose a war with China fought in the Pacific, sources warn

US ‘would lose a war with China fought in the Pacific, is unable to defend Taiwan from an invasion and fears the Guam military base is at risk NOW’, Pentagon sources warn

  • ‘Eye-opening’ Pentagon war games revealed the US is vulnerable to China and an attack from the superpower would lead to the US ‘suffering capital losses’ 
  • US defense sources told The Times that one Pentagon simulation based on the year 2030 resulted in the US being overwhelmed by the nation’s force
  • Every US base in the Indo-Pacific Command region is considered to be at risk of attack now with the US island territory Guam a particular concern 
  • Taiwan is the ‘most volatile issue’ between the two nations, sources said
  • A source said the Pentagon is developing more hypersonic weapons and arming marine units along China’s seas with anti-ship missiles in preparation
  • The worrying analysis is expected to come to light in the Pentagon’s 2020 China military power report this summer 
  • Tensions between the US and China have escalated in recent months as the coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the globe 
  • Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

The US would lose a war with China fought in the Pacific, is unable to defend Taiwan from an invasion and fears the Guam military base is at risk now, US defense sources have warned. 

‘Eye-opening’ Pentagon war games have revealed growing fears the US is vulnerable to threats from China and that any attack would lead to the US ‘suffering capital losses’, the sources said.

The worrying analysis is expected to come to light in the Pentagon’s 2020 China military power report this summer. 

The stark warning comes as tensions continue to mount between the two nations after US President Donald Trump has blasted China’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and repeatedly suggested the nation lied about the extent of its crisis.

A US Navy submarine. The US would lose a war with China fought in the Pacific, is unable to defend Taiwan from an invasion and fears the Guam military base is at risk now, US defense sources have warned

US defense sources told The Times that one Pentagon simulation based on the year 2030 when China would have new attack submarines, aircraft carriers and destroyers resulted in the US being overwhelmed by the nation’s force. 

The threat is more immediate than 2030, however, with every US base in the Indo-Pacific Command region considered to be at risk of attack now because China has ramped up its supply of medium-range ballistic missiles.

The US island territory Guam, home to three US military bases, is a particular concern, the games revealed.

‘China has long-range anti-ship ballistic missiles and hypersonic [more than five times the speed of sound] missiles,’ one US defence source told The Times. 

Analysis from US experts on China have issued similar warnings. 

Bonnie Glaser, director of the China power project at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington and a consultant for the US government on east Asia, told The Times that Taiwan is the ‘most volatile issue’ between the two nations and fears tensions could erupt in a nuclear war.   

Taiwan has increasingly found itself caught in the middle of the political games between the two superpowers.

A Chinese Navy aircraft in the Pacific. US defense sources told The Times that one Pentagon simulation based on the year 2030 when China would have new attack submarines, aircraft carriers and destroyers resulted in the US being overwhelmed by the nation’s force

Chinese Navy carries out exercises in the South China Sea in 2018. Beijing military activities have been ramped up in the South and East China Seas while Taiwan is said to have become the ‘most volatile issue’ between the two nations

The Communist Party in China claims Taiwan as its own territory, but it does not have sovereign control there. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping has made it clear he wants Taiwan back under its ‘One China’ principle by 2050 and this week demanded the island accept Chinese status if it wants to be represented at the World Health Organization assembly next week.

Beijing military activities have been ramped up in the South and East China Seas, including harassing carriers and constructing military outposts on artificial islands it has built in the disputed waters. 

Meanwhile, the US has also increased its military presence in the seas and antagonized China by increasing its ties with Taiwan through boosting arms sales to the country.  

‘Every simulation that has been conducted looking at the threat from China by 2030 have all ended up with the defeat of the US,’ said Glaser.

‘Taiwan is the most volatile issue because that could escalate to a war with the US, even to a nuclear war.

The US island territory Guam, home to three US military bases, is a particular concern to US defense officials, sources said

‘In the Pentagon and state department and the White House, China is now seen as the biggest threat. We have been too passive in the past.’

One source told The Times the regional commander Admiral Philip Davidson has also sounded warnings and the Pentagon is switching its approach in preparation. 

There’s a focus on developing more hypersonic weapons, sending more long-range, ground-launched cruise missiles to the Asia-Pacific region, and arming marine units along China’s seas with anti-ship missiles, they said.

‘Mark Esper [the defence secretary] is aggressively moving to build the capabilities that we need to deter China from committing to a major confrontation,’ they said.  

On Friday, President Trump announced the US is developing what he called a ‘super-duper missile’ which he boasted is ’17 times’ faster than missiles available right now. 

‘We are building incredible military equipment,’ he said as he staged a ‘very special moment’ and unveiled the new flag of the Space Force Friday. 


Tensions between the US and China have escalated in recent months as the coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the globe

‘We have, I call it the super-duper missile, and I heard the other night 17 times faster than what they have right now, when you take the fastest missile we have right now. You’ve heard Russia has five times and China’s working on five or six times, we have one 17 times.’

The same day, the US revealed a Taiwanese company would set up a factory in Arizona to make computer chips in the US – taking custom away from China.

Tensions between the US and China have escalated in recent months as the coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the globe. 

The US has led the charge against China over its response to the pandemic. 

President Donald Trump has accused Beijing of a series of cover-ups amid the outbreak and said in April he had seen evidence that the virus started in the Wuhan virology laboratory.

He also warned he could impose tariffs of $1 trillion on China in retribution for the pandemic.  

Beijing has hit back at the claims with a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry last month warning the ‘enemy is the virus, not China’. 

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I had magical sex with my ex who I still love but she won’t stop sleeping around – The Sun

DEAR DEIDRE: A WEEK ago, my ex called. I went round to her place and we had magical sex.

I love her so much and she says she still loves me, but she sleeps around.


Get in touch with Deidre today

Got a problem?

My team and I are working safely from home but we are here to help you as always.

Send an email to [email protected]

Every problem gets a personal reply, usually within 24 hours weekdays.

You can also send a private message on the DearDeidreOfficial Facebook page.

Follow me on Twitter @deardeidre.

She is 28, I am 26. We met last year at a local carnival. She is very pretty, bubbly and great fun to be around.

Also, she’s got a boy and a girl, who are smashing kids. Her nine-year-old son was on the float I was helping to organise.

We hit it off straight away and started dating.

She told me she wasn’t any good with relationships and yet for the first six months, we spent all our time together and I moved in with her and the kids.

Then she started going out on her own in the evenings, coming in late and making excuses about where she’d been that never really made sense.

I never had a problem with her meeting girlfriends.

But when she admitted she was dating other men, I said we were finished.

We stayed in touch and one weekend before lockdown began she called me late on the Saturday night in tears.

I went to the pub she was at and found her crumpled on the toilet floor. Her drink had been spiked.

I took her home and looked after her all weekend. But as I left on Monday, she was arranging to meet another man that day.

So we don’t live together any more but I miss her and the kids so much.

My life is miserable without them, although her behaviour tears me apart.

I can’t resist when she asks me round to have sex but she insists she will have fun with whoever she chooses and it’s my choice if I want her in my life or not.

She can be so sweet and she says she loves me.

But how can you say that to someone and then do the things she does?

I want her back in my life, but I don’t know how to persuade her to change her ways.

topic4today

I HEAR from young people targeted by online predators and from children worried about their online porn habit.

My leaflet Staying Safe Online is a guide for all ages.

For a copy email me at [email protected] or message me on Facebook.

DEIDRE SAYS: You may find her hard to resist but breaking the lockdown restrictions was risking her children’s health as well as hers – and yours.

It is likely she isn’t good at having committed relationships because she learned early on in life not to trust anyone.

People who should have been there for her let her down by abandoning her emotionally or literally, or they abused her in some way.

The good time she had with you just did not feel familiar enough for her to trust it.

She will turn to you when the next crisis happens as long as you are willing to be her go-to.

But you are not going to change her.

Is having her back in your life on her terms really going to make you happy?

Why hang in there with a girl who admits she won’t commit?

Perhaps fighting to feel loved is familiar to you, too?

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Trade talks with Japan to begin within days after Government publishes its negotiating objectives – The Sun

TRADE talks with Japan will begin within days after the UK published its negotiating objectives tonight.

Trade Secretary Liz Truss said Britain’s textiles, clothing and professional and financial services industries will be the biggest winners of a bumper free trade deal with Japan.

The goal of the negotiations is to build on the existing EU-Japan free trade deal and secure additional benefits for UK businesses trading with Japan.

Ms Truss said it would help improve the “resilience” of the UK’s supply chains, which is vital to deal with future pandemics.

And she said it would open new markets for business, bringing investment, better jobs, higher wages and lower prices at a time when the UK economy is likely to face huge economic challenges following the Covid-19 crisis.

Government analysis published showed that the UK economy could benefit from a £1.5 billion boost, as a UK-Japan trade deal could increase trade flows between both countries by £15.2 billion.

UK exporters would benefit from zero or lower tariffs, creating potential savings worth around £33 million per year, while UK workers’ wages are expected to increase by £800 million in the long run as a result of the deal.

Ms Truss said: “Japan is one of our largest trading partners and a new trade deal will help to increase trade, boost investment and create more jobs following the economic challenges caused by coronavirus.

“Both sides are committed to an ambitious timeline to secure a deal that goes even further than the existing agreement especially in digital and data.

“Negotiations with Japan are an important step in CPTPP accession, a key UK priority, which will help us diversify our trade and grow the economy”.

  • GOT a story? Ring The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or email [email protected]

 

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Contestant walks away with £500,000 on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire

Retired doctor bottles it on the million pound question but walks away with £500,000 on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire – so would YOU have known the answer about historic motor races?

  • Andrew Townsley could have been sixth contestant to scoop the ultimate prize
  • But faced with a motorsport question, he decided to walk away with £500,000
  • Retired doctor from Glasgow said: ‘I don’t know and it’s too much money to lose’
  • But agonisingly, Mr Townsley later said he would have guessed correct answer

A retired doctor got to the final question on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire – but walked away with £500,000.

Andrew Townsley, from Glasgow, could have been the sixth contestant to scoop the maximum prize on the ITV quiz show after correctly answering the first 14 questions.

But faced with a question on motorsport, he decided to play it safe and walk away with half a million pounds.

Andrew Townsley, a retired doctor from Glasgow, got to the final question on ITV’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, but decided to walk away with £500,000

The crucial final question asked: ‘Which of these iconic races was held first?’

The options were A. Le Mans 24 Hours B. Monaco Grand Prix C. Indy 500 or D. Isle Of Man TT.

Mr Townsley, who said he will use the money for a trip to Niagara Falls, used his final lifeline, phone a friend, but his chosen helper did not know the answer either.

Explaining his decision to walk away, he said: ‘I don’t know the answer and it’s just too much money to lose.

‘Having got so far and to go on a whim I think would be foolish and Niagara Falls is looking very nice at this time.’

Agonisingly, Mr Townsley said he would have said Isle Of Man TT, which was the correct answer.

Mr Townsley pictured with host Jeremy Clarkson. He could have been the sixth contestant to scoop the maximum prize on the ITV quiz show after correctly answering the first 14 questions

Faced with a question on motorsport, Mr Townsley decided to play it safe and walk away with half a million pounds during the show, which aired on Tuesday evening

Host Jeremy Clarkson congratulated him on being a ‘truly fabulous contender’.

The £500,000 question asked who Beethoven’s 1804 Eroica Symphony was originally dedicated to.

Mr Townsley, who appeared on the show in a wheelchair and has progressive MS, asked the audience before correctly answering Napoleon Bonaparte.

He also answered the £250,000 question, correctly identifying The Twelve Apostles peaks as being connected to Table Mountain.

Ingram Wilcox was the most recent winner of the million pounds, going all the way in 2006.

Mr Townsley, who appeared on the show in a wheelchair and has progressive MS, asked the audience before correctly answering the £500,000 question

In all, five contestants have won the one million prize on the UK version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

The first was Judith Keppel in November 2000.

For her final question, then host Chris Tarrant asked: ‘Which king was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine?’

Ms Keppel corrected answered Henry II.

Perhaps the most famous contestant in Who Wants To Be A Millionaire history, Major Charles Ingram, has been back in the news thanks to ITV drama Quiz.

Ingram ‘won’ the grand prize but it was never paid out after he was accused of cheating in an infamous coughing scam.

The Who Wants To Be A Millionaire episode aired on ITV at 9pm on Tuesday. 

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Charity is flooded with calls as Corrie's Oliver is diagnosed

Coronation Street is taking the brave step of tackling potentially fatal condition mitochondrial disease as Oliver will this week be diagnosed after suffering seizures, leaving parents Leanne (Jane Danson) and Steve (Simon Gregson) devastated.

And a small charity called The Lily Foundation has found that the soap’s raising of awareness of the disease is leading to many seeking advice and support.

Warlingham-based The Lily Foundation, which supports children and young adults with mitochondrial diseases, received hundreds of calls and thousands of visits to its website in response to the soap’s heartbreaking storyline.

Liz Curtis, the charity’s co-founder and CEO, who lost her own baby daughter Lily to a mitochondrial disease in 2007, said: ‘When Oliver’s diagnosis was announced on the show we started getting calls, many of them from concerned parents wanting to find out more about the disease, but also from families who have children with mito and are just so happy that their story is being heard.

‘Then when Jane Danson went on This Morning to talk about her role, everything went crazy. I’ve been on the phone pretty much non-stop, and our website received over 11,000 visits in a couple of hours. For a small charity like ours this is a very big deal. We’re absolutely delighted with the response.’

What is mitochondrial disease?

Mitochondrial diseases result from failures of the mitochondria, specialized compartments present in every cell of the body (except red blood cells).

Mitochondria are responsible for creating more than 90% of the energy needed by the body to sustain life and support organ function. When they fail, less and less energy is generated within the cell. Cell injury and even cell death follow. If this process is repeated throughout the body, whole organ systems begin to fail.

The parts of the body, such as the heart, brain, muscles and lungs, requiring the greatest amounts of energy are the most affected.

Symptoms vary depending on the organ(s) affected but may include seizures, atypical cerebral palsy, autistic features, developmental problems, fainting and temperature instability.

According to United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, the prognosis depends upon the severity of the disease and other criteria. As more research funds are raised to find more effective treatments and ultimately a cure, some of the affected children and adults are living fairly normal lives with mitochondrial disease.

In other cases, children may not be able to see, hear, talk or walk. Affected children may not survive beyond their teenage years. Adult onset can result in drastic changes from an active lifestyle to a debilitating ilness is a short amount of time.

Treatment plans vary from patient to patient but involve therapies, diet changes and other means to try and slow the progress of the disease.

You can find out more information from the NHS here.

The Lily Foundation currently employs just four staff, and supports over 800 UK families affected by mitochondrial disease, a type of genetic disorder that tends to develop in babies and children but can affect people at any age.

The charity was approached by ITV last year to advise on the Coronation Street script, and has been working closely with the show’s cast and writers to ensure the storyline accurately reflects the experiences of real families whose lives have been devasted by ‘mito’.

Corrie boss Iain MacLeod told Metro.co.uk: ‘The reasons for doing it is because it’s a strong story to tell with a really blended family so we could see a multi faceted story where the whole clan – Leanne, Steve, Tracy, Nick, Gail, Emma, Amy – have to overcome the worst possible news. Also the condition, not many people know about it – it is relatively common but also underfunded so it was also an opportunity to draw attention to families’ struggles as better treatments need to be found for this illness.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=V6GguQVXCXk%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26fs%3D1%26autohide%3D2%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26wmode%3Dtransparent

‘The fundamental component is Leanne’s love for her son and willingness to move mountains to save him. It’s really passionate and heartfelt, the cast are right behind it. Jane has been talking to charity partners about how Leanne is feeling she wants to get it right. We all do.

‘In Oliver’s case it was latent from first then manifest in 3-4. There are 100s maybe thousands of strands so his case is different. He was been asymptomatic but his diagnosis means he is going to have a seriously limited lifespan. It then goes on with how everyone copes with that – Leanne and Steve are bonded tightly more than ever and the difficulty is Tracy and Nick feel shut out from that little triangle.

‘But it makes you the worst person in the world to express that so they try to support the one they love while keeping their own emotions to the side. Everyone will be permanently changed behind it but after they’ve been through the fire these relationships are lifelong and once you have been through something like this, it will make them stronger than ever before.’

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