News about Irvine Welsh

Katie Tilbury says Leith has 'historically insalubrious' associations, but that these shouldn't put you off visiting. Now, it's home to a plethora of new bars, restaurants and interesting shops. Not to mention, it has a luxury floating hotel, with double rooms from £300.

The debut episode of  Irvine Welsh's drama Crime left viewers 'curious' about the transgender plot, two months after the actor said criticism of JK Rowling left him 'deeply uncomfortable'.  The second series kicked off on Wednesday night with gender identity playing a strong theme.  This came as a surprise to some fans of the show as Trainspotting novelist Irvine, 65, had previously weighed in on the trans debate and Harry Potter author JK's views.  

CHRISTOPHER STEVENS: Here's a deadly drinking game, for anyone with an asbestos liver and a craving for gritty police thrillers - watch Irvine Welsh 's Crime and take a slug of cheap whisky every time it rips off Rebus. Long before the six-part series is over, you'll be pickled like an onion. The similarities between Welsh's anti-hero DI Ray Lennox (Dougray Scott) and novelist Ian Rankin's DI John Rebus (played on BBC1 earlier this year by Richard Rankin) are not parallels - they're photocopies. Both are cynical alcoholics, maverick cops hunting killers in Edinburgh . Both are emotionally damaged and single, regarded with a mixture of resentment, reverence and suspicion by their colleagues.

Picture the scene - a squalid public toilet, its filthy urinal the grim focal point as a drug-addled teen slumps to the floor, glassy eyes staring vacantly into space as he savours the effects of his latest fix. No, it isn't Trainspotting, although one could be forgiven for thinking of Irvine Welsh and his harrowing depiction of the heroin crisis that gripped inner-city Edinburgh in the 1980s. Somewhat surprisingly, the gritty tableau comes straight from the annals of BBC children's TV show Grange Hill, as those of us with long enough memories well know.

He is famed for his gritty depictions of crime, drug addiction and poverty. But Irvine Welsh has revealed he became embroiled in the most suburban of disagreements when he fell out with a neighbour about their overgrown wisteria. The Trainspotting author was living next to a 'high-handed, posh ex-army guy' in a leafy area of north London when the fast-growing climber invaded his property and began clogging the drains.

The family of Line of Duty star Brian McCardie have launched a drive to raise funds for research into heart disease - and his co-star on the show Paul Higgins made a generous donation.  McCardie was best known for his role as underworld boss John Thomas 'Tommy' Hunter in the police drama. The 59-year-old was described as a 'wonderful and passionate actor' by his sister Sarah who revealed his sudden death last month.

Line of Duty actor Brian McCardie died after suffering a tear to a major heart artery, his devastated family have revealed. The actor, best known for playing underworld boss John Thomas 'Tommy' Hunter in the popular BBC police drama, passed away suddenly at his home in April , aged 59. In a post shared on X - formerly Twitter - his sister Sarah revealed he had an aortic dissection, a rare condition where a weakened aorta wall tears.

After launching in May 1994, the last physical copy of the controversial magazine - known for its scantily clad female celebrity cover stars and non-PC humour - was published in April 2015; a brief version online quickly fizzled out. At its 90s and Noughties height, the magazine, which had the strap line 'for men who should know better', was one of Britain's biggest and bestselling publications, rivalled by FHM and copycat magazines Later, Maxim, Nuts and Zoo. Its journalists bagged the biggest industry awards, and it was lauded for its fashion pages - although it also garnered plenty of criticism for its unapologetic 'laddism'. Now, Loaded will mark 30 years since it was first published with 'a digital rebellion' via the website loadedworld.com. It'll have to go some way to make a mark as memorable - often for the wrong reasons - as its first incarnation. Here, MailOnline looks back at some of the controversies that Loaded sparked in its first 21 years of being published...

Even before a ball had been kicked in Sunday's game against Aberdeen, Nick Montgomery sounded like a man under pressure. In a pre-match interview, the Hibs boss spoke about his team's xG (expected goals) and how they really ought to be higher up the league table. As soon as a manager starts wheeling out the XG stats, it is invariably a tell-tale sign they are feeling the heat.

Sarah McCardie announced her sibling's death in a heart-wrenching statement on X as she told how 'we love him and will miss him greatly'. Sarah, herself an actor and director who starred in ITV television drama Irvine Welsh's Crime, said her brother had 'touched many lives'. Producers of Line of Duty Jed Mercurio and Simon Heath also paid an emotional tribute in a joint statement in which they described Brian as an 'incredibly talented actor'. Scottish star Brian was best known for playing mafia boss John Thomas 'Tommy' Hunter in BBC crime drama Line of Duty, but also appeared in Outlander and had joined the cast of series prequel Blood of My Blood. Brian recently appeared in the hit BBC prison drama Time, starring Sean Bean and Stephen Graham - and before that hit the big time with a prominent role in action sequel Speed 2 alongside Sandra Bullock.

The broadcasting behemoth has sold a 5 percent stake in the digital subscription platform, which has around 3.75 million users, to its joint venture partner BBC Studios for £255 million. Since announcing its annual results on March 7, the company plans to use the estimated $235 million in net proceeds from the merger to finance a share buyback, which it intends to start from.

The new year has featured our writers' best fiction. Prepare to be wowed by Neel Mukherjee, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Tom Hindle, and Alex Michaelides' new books.

According to the 64-year-old, poverty and a lack of 'knowledge of our own destiny' was to blame for the country's highest mortality rate under the Scottish National Party. Despite the number of people being killed by opioids dropping for the second year in a row, figures from last week showed that Scotland remains Europe's 'drugs-death capital.' The figures have risen during SNP's tenure as Prime Minister over the past 16 years. The Miami-based writer, who rose to fame with the publication of his book, later a cult film, told BBC Radio 4's Today show: 'Scottish culture of detoxification has always been bad, and we've dealt with all this debate about alcohol, but the dishes have remained the same.' It comes down to deprivation, the fact that we don't really have political bodies to have influence over our own destiny in Scotland, and that we are still have political parties to decide our own destiny, and that we are still on the margins of British life... even more so now.'

Centrica's manager, Sergio, is a Primal Scream devotee with an overbeard and moustache who received £4.5 million in salary and honor last year. Chris O'Shea, 49, who lives in a village near Reading, received a £790,000 in salary in 2022 plus a £1.4 million annual reward and a £2.3 million long-term share bonus. In terms of the criticism it attracts, the married father-of-three has previously revealed that his position as the head of Britain's largest energy company is the 'lightning rod position.' Mr O'Shea, who joined Centrica as the chief financial officer in 2018 and was appointed CEO two years later, has also spoken out about ethical principles. He wore a hoodie for an interview with The Times last year featuring the slogan: 'Why be racist, sexist, homophobic or transphobic when you could just be quiet?' After falling out of the FTSE 100, Mr O'Shea has been credited with turning around Centrica after it fell 90% from its 2013 peak and revenues dropped to a record low. When the Scotsman took over as head executive of the pandemic, he laid off 5,000 jobs and began a 'fire and rehire' campaign with British Gas boiler engineers, which sparked so much rage that someone sent a 'package of s*** to the house.' But Centrica's earnings growth seems to be picking up speed, despite the fact that the transformation appears to be picking up speed.

Today, JK Rowling (left) revealed how pro-trans activists (right) bombarded her with copy and pasted messages about imaginary children's 'upset at her beliefs.' The Harry Potter and Strike writer, 57, showed examples of other Twitter pages sent to her. All of them say they are parents who have a trans daughter who is 'heartbroken' because of her gender-based views.

Because of her views on transgender issues, trainspotting author Irvine Welsh has said that J.K. Rowling has been "demonized" as "some sort of witch" in her writings. The 64-year-old Scot, who made his book a hit when Danny Boyle turned it into a film in 1996, said the Harry Potter author was simply 'trying to protect women's spaces.' When writing The Long Knives, he even said he had consulted a team of 'trans advisors' when drafting The Long Knives, which was released last year, according to The Times.

Any of his plans will be controversial. The most eye-catching is to encourage companies to host digital-only meetings, which would deprive some AGM users of their pastime of berating the board and then tucking into free food and drink. Digital innovation, as Norman correctly points out, must be harnessed to crack down communication barriers. At our peril, we lose the vigor of the small investor.

JAMES BROWN: She has the vote ahead of comedians Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, American rappers Beastie Boys, and the ohmobolic New Order, and I've spent a fair amount of time with both of them. I spent just a weekend with Helen, and it was the best. I was headed to Los Angeles to photograph something else when I discovered this striking photograph of Helen in a glossy magazine shoot, lying on a bed with her legs against a wall. It was really sexy and chic, and reminded me of a fashion designer whose book I had just broken up with a year ago. I was hoping to interview her while it was available, but she was up for it even after giving her just a week's notice. Featured: Helen posing in 1996, a Loaded cover, and James Brown in the 1990s.

RICHARD EDEN: Netflix's hit The Crown has received critical praise and high ratings from imagining royal tragedies, but the show's creators now have a face of their own. And though filming is set to begin in a few weeks, I can confirm that they are still desperately looking for a young actor to play Prince William in the eagerly awaited final series. On showbusiness websites, casting director Robert Sterne has made a last-ditch offer, urging suitable candidates to apply. 'The Crown is looking for an outstanding young actor to play Prince William in the forthcoming series,' the advertisement claims. This is a significant role in this award-winning film, and we're looking for a strong physical similarity.' In early September, rifle shootings will begin.' The ad insists that no previous professional acting experience is required in an attempt to broaden the field of potential candidates.' We are well versed in offering a great deal of assistance to the young actors and their families through what they describe as a "awesome, creative process."