The Vampire Diaries - Tuesday 28th Feb 2012

***Spoilers Alert***

YES!  The show with the most amount of hot guys ever is back on our screens, people!!  (This is going by UK time...the US have been lucky enough to have had it back for a few weeks now)

Well, Damon Salvatore has certainly been missed, but did anyone else notice that he was looking a little...shall we say, healthier(?) in last night's episode?  His skin is usually quite pale, but last night he looked a bit like Dougal from Father Ted when Mrs Doyle does his make-up in the episode "A Song for Europe".

Anyway, back to the topic in hand...The Vampire Diaries certainly knows how to hook everyone into the life of Mystic Falls.  There is always something going on, and it always finishes with a cliff-hanger.  It's so rare that a show does this...and does it well... and TVD does not get enough recognition for its writing!

Last night's episode in a nutshell:

Poor Tyler has been brain-washed and it is only a matter of time before he causes mass destruction.  He was close to getting Jeremy killed, on Klaus's orders.  Good old Alaric took the fall though - what a hero.

Elena is still looking too beautiful.

Stefan is hoarding Klaus's family (in coffins) in the house that is haunted by the witches.  However, Bonnie has seen something in her dreams that means that those babies aren't going anywhere soon...but they may be opened.

Elena gave Klaus Rebecca - who she stabbed with the dagger in order to save the gang - but he put the knife back in her...something tells me he is cooking up a storm!

Jeremy has been "compelled" to go and live somewhere else.  For his own safety.  I'm guessing he'll be back though.  They always come back!

And finally, Damon told Elena that he could not carrying on "wanting what he wants" (Elena) as he feels guilty because Stefan still has his humanity somewhere within him.  However, he professed that if he was going to feel guilty, he should have something to feel guilty about.

And that's when it happened!!  The kiss that we have all been waiting for.  The kiss that has been brewing up inside of them for so long that the chemistry between Elena and Damon was off the chart.

The Kiss:

Electrifying!!!!

Playing It Straight - The Result

***Spoilers Alert***

So, the final of Playing It Straight has arrived...and everyone was curious to know whether or not Cara picked the straight man as the winner, leaving both able to walk away with £25k.

So, did she do it??

First of all, Cara and the boys received the dreaded visit from Jameela, who informed Cara that "at least" one of the boys left was straight...and "at least" one of the boys was gay.  This, of course, did not make things any easier for poor Cara.

Then, we saw Cara have to pick one of the last remaining four boys to leave the Hacienda.  It was a cruel twist in the form of four envelopes that each invited the boys on a date with Cara...except envelope number 4, which saw the chosen boy get sent back home to England.  That boy was....

Danny.  "But before you go, I have to know...are you gay or are you straight?" - He was gay.  Cheeky!  But, out of the last four, he was definitely the gayest.

Cara was not happy.

So, after the dates, Cara still felt none the wiser.  Out of Sam, Sven and Dean, she had to send someone home before picking the winner out of the final two.

Sam was invited up onto the step...Cara sent him packing.  That's when she found out whether or not she made the right decision...and she had done!!  Sam, just like his twin brother, was gay.  After this revelation, he was told to "just go!" and off he went.

Again, Cara was not happy...

So, two boys left.  Sven - the most boisterous out of everyone in the group, and deemed "too straight to be straight", and Dean - who had developed a bromance with - previously outed - Danny.

And the winner is...

Dean!  Cara chose Dean as the straight man.  And what did he turn out to be?

Straight!!  They won!  Well, this had to be the first time anyone saw Cara crack a smile since the competition began.  But being £25k richer would certainly put a smile on anyone's face.  There was much picking up and swinging around done while both Dean and Cara cheered.

As for Sven...who was stood there waiting to confess whether or not he was gay or straight and confirm whether Cara would have still won, or lost if she had picked him...he made his way to the top of the steps and looked Cara in those beadies of hers.

He offered the same suspense that Cara did each week while he waited to hear if he would be staying/leaving the Hacienda.

And what was he?

Gay!!!  Yes - that boisterous little beast turned out to be gay!  What a player.  Luckily for him (and his marbles) though, Cara was too happy with her recent win to really care anymore.

Out of the remaining four boys, Cara picked the only one that was straight as the winner!

Very good - well done!  Now roll on the next series...

Playing It Straight - The Name of the Game

Did you ever see the previous season of this show? June Sarpong was the hostess and the girl in Cara's position ended up choosing a gay man. She was furious with him - saying he had lied and conned her all this time. Which, yes, I agree is true, but that's the name of the game!! It's called PLAYING IT STRAIGHT! That's what he was there to do.

June was just as horrid to the guy too when it came out that he had...come out. (Teeheehee - a little pun there for you) She was giving him dirty looks, shaking her head, didn't speak to him.  She went right down in my estimation after that. Surely she should be impartial!?

Anyway, my point about this last part is that Cara, from the current series (see previous blog) seems to be going the same way. She clearly does not have any emotional attachment to the remaining boys (or any of the previous ones) so she is clearly in it for the money now. However, she keeps telling the boys that she will be really angry if they turn out to be gay. In other words, she'll be bitter that they played a better game than she did and she doesn't want to go home empty handed. Greed!

Jameela Jamil (the hostess of this year's show) should not react like June did...I'll be very disappointed if she does, and expect to see a blog expressing that...!

Playing It Straight

***Spoilers Alert***

Have you seen this programme?  It's hilarious!

Cara, the girl searching for her perfect partner...and £25k...is trying to seek the straight men within a mixed bag of straight and gay men.

I should mention at this point that if Cara picks a straight man in the final showdown to share the £50k pot with, they share the money ( £25k each for anyone not feeling mathematical today).  HOWEVER, if she chooses a gay man at the end, he walks away with the whole pot!  That's right, he gets twice as much for fooling her, and she walks away with nothing!

She started off doing quite well and sent a few gay men packing from the Hacienda where they are all staying.  Now, she seems to be firing directly at the straight men...you can't blame her though; most of them are very camp.

Each week (although I imagine it's days in reality) we see Cara sending the boys on a variety of tasks where they have to prove their heterosexuality!  This is where it gets tricky though.  Some of the gay men are so buff and manly that they conceal their homosexuality very well.

I love that though, as it proves that people should not stereotype.  I've been on Cara's side many a time believing that the person she has sent home is gay and he is straight, and vice versa.

Anyway, so at the moment we are left with four men: Sam, Danny, Dean and Sven.

It's so hard to call!  But here is what I think:

Sam: Gay/Straight - Hard to tell as his twin brother, Ben, who was eliminated last night, was gay and I'm unsure of whether or not both twins are gay.  According to my friend, it's common for both twins to be gay.  So, that's why I'm undecided on Sam.

Danny: Gay - I would be surprised if he is straight.  He's the only one out of the four that I'm adamant about their sexuality.

Dean: Straight - Part of me does want to say gay...and I'm very tempted to change my prediction...but I think he does genuinely care about Cara, so I don't think he would want to hurt her.  I'd be surprised if he has been conning her all along.

Sven: Straight - As it stands, and possibly has done for a while, he is the straightest man in the Hacienda.  He is so boisterous and pig-headed that I'd be shocked if he is gay.  However, he has said many a time to Cara that he doesn't fancy her and he is solely there for the money.  Is £25k enough or is he double-bluffing and going for the £50k??  It's very hard to tell.

Now, even if you don't really care about the competition, you should definitely just watch this programme for the narration of Alan Carr.  Oh my Goodness, he is absolutely hilarious!!!  I have actually been laughing out loud (lolling!) from his comments about the boys.  Comedy Gold.

Skins - Series 6

Ah, once again I have been drawn into the world of the Skins characters; but, just like before...once they've hooked me in, the producers/writers decide to confuse me with the rollercoaster storylines.

I think most of you know (who have seen the latest series) who I am talking about...

Yes!  Frankie!!

When we saw Franks at the start of Season 5 we were introduced to a quirky outcast.  Brilliant!  I loved how awkward she was and not just some pretentious teenager who acted like they owned the place. 

However!!  Now, she seems to have gone a little slutty promiscuous and all the boys are falling in love with her, even though most of them have never really spoken to her before.  (I'm talking about Matty at the end of last season, and now his brother...whose name I have forgotten...Nick?  I think it's Nick...)

Anyway; needless to say, I was baffled!  Was you??

I know a character has been killed off in each alternate series (we lost Chris in Season 2 and Freddie in Season 4) so nothing seems to shock anymore, but Grace's death really came as a surprise!  I was not expecting it...I think mainly because I was too wrapped up in the sweet relationship between her and Rich.

I thought the episode where Grace died was done beautifully.  I'm sure my ice-cold heart tried its hardest to beat out a tear when I realised what was going on.  Poor Rich.

Off the topic: Does anyone else think Rich looks quite cute with short hair?  Or do you prefer it longer?

I'm not going to ponder too much over the characters in the show, but what I will mention is the relationship that is brewing between Mini and Alo.  I love how different they are but keep ending up together!  Electric!!

Him & Her

If you have not seen this BBC3 comedy yet, I advise you to do so.  It's a delight!

Basically, Steve and Becky (aka Him & Her) live like slobs in a dingy little flat that looks as if it has never been cleaned.  However, they very much love each other and that's all that matters.  Russell Tovey and Sarah Solemani are perfect as the benefit-claiming couple as they bounce off each other so naturally.

The comedy is amped up with the assistance from Dan (the socially awkward neighbour from upstairs), Laura (Becky's romanticist sister) and Paul (Laura's fiance/hot-headed adulterer).

This is one of those shows that you can watch over and over again and still find something new to laugh at.  It's brilliant to see another show use such a small space in a number of ways.  It's a very clever thing to do and can only be achieved by the most observant comedy writers (think Craig Cash and Caroline Aherne with The Royle Family).

If there is one thing I ask of you, it's to watch this programme!  It's a realistic view of romance in the modern world, and you will find yourself pointing at certain character traits and comparing them to your own.

Truly wonderful!

TOWIE

It's taken me a while, but I've finally gotten into TOWIE!

This came about when I decided to sign-up to Netflix through the PS3.  They have offered me a month's free trial (allowing me to cancel my membership at any time before the trial runs out, without charge) so when I had a night free, I decided to watch some of The Only Way is Essex and see what the fuss is all about.

Well, just like with Laguna Beach, The Hills and Made in Chelsea, I am now hooked by all the drama.  in the past couple of weeks I have managed to watch all three seasons so am up to date enough to watch Season 4.

I must say, the characters do not seem as bitchy as they do in the other dramality programmes, but there is certainly an ample amount of drama to contend with so it's not too bad.  The only person that I'm not too struck on is Lauren Goodger.  I am trying my hardest to like her but she's the only one that seems to go out of her way to stir things up.  Does anyone else feel that way?

Amy Childs is possibly my favourite from the first two seasons.  She's as daft as a brush (to put it politely) but she's very sweet.  And as the show has continued, I would have to say (out of the girls) my favourite is Chloe Sims.  She's adorable!!  To look at, she is a walking Barbie doll, but there really is a sweetheart underneath all the plastic.  Gemma Collins is also a sweetie, and I love her relationship with the Twins.

Kirk was very annoying.  Was it just me who was cringing whenever he was "flirting" with girls?

Now, I have to say it, and I have been advised that this is very wrong...but I have to admit that I have the hots for Arg!!  He is so cute and cuddly.  Do you agree that this is wrong...??

Right, well, I've somewhat brought you up to speed with my thoughts on TOWIE!  I'm now off to get a vajazzle...

OK, maybe not!

Desperate Scousewives

My boyfriend, Rob, refused to watch this so I missed it...

Is it worth watching??

Made in Chelsea - The Final

Oh my goodness, this show has become my pleasure now - it is no longer just a guilty pleasure!!

The final to the show was outstanding - Millie Mackintosh (possibly my favourite name ever!!) discovered that her ex-boyfriend Hugo cheated on her with her BEST FRIEND, Rosie, when they were together.

Like, oh..my..God!

I could hardly contain myself with all the drama.

However, sadly the season has come to a close and I now have to wait three weeks - yes, THREE weeks - before I get a refill of that juicy goodness.

Christmas special is on 19th December!

Ollie Locke still proves to be my favourite character from the show - he is absolutely hilarious with his flamboyant campness.  I wish he was my friend - I imagine we'd have lots of fun together.

On the boring side of the show... Caggie is still stringing Spencer along.  *Yawn*

Alan Partridge

Is it just me or does anyone else say at least one Alan Partridge quote each day without realising?

Any favourite quotes?


- Loulabella posting from her iPhone

Horrible Histories - BAFTA Awards

As you may have read before, I'm a big fan of this children's programme - well, technically it's a children's programme but it is indeed entertaining, and educational, for people of all ages! (I'm 26 and trying to convince myself here...) - so imagine my delight when I discovered that the show has been nominated for an award.

It truly does deserve it as it's incredibly intellectually written and certainly makes learning about History fun.  I was not a fan of the subject at school - possibly due to the teachers; I'm sure they were historical themselves! - and after watching this show, I have learnt so much about various eras and historical figures than I ever would have done at school.  It's truly marvellous!

Wonderfully, it's not just the show that has been nominated for a BAFTA Award; one of the show's actresses has also been nominated.  The outstanding Martha Howe-Douglas has been put forward for a nomination in the 'Performer' category.

I wish the best to the show and to Martha as they both/all deserve to win... (again...)

You can view the whole list of nominees here: BAFTA Award Nominees

And, if you have never seen Martha in action, or would like to see her again, here is a video of her performing as 'Boudicca'...

Outstanding!   ♥ ♥ ♥

The X Factor - Tulisa's Tattle Tales

Oh dear - there was quite a bit of uproar on Saturday.  I don't know what was wrong with the judges but, for some reason, they were bickering like a bunch of old crows.

The straw that broke the camel's back?

Answer: Tulisa giving Misha B a telling off for being a bit of a nasty pasty backstage.  Now, I do not agree with bullying and, if she has been quite vicious towards the other contestants, it does need to be stopped; but there is a time and a place for such reprimanding...and on the live show, for the whole nation to see, was not the place.

Bad judge points awarded to Tulisa!

The X Factor - Kitty Update 2

As those of you have visited my blog previously will know, I have developed admiration for Kitty's performances on the X Factor.

Yes, yes, I know she is a bit of very much an odd ball; but, my foot, that girl is entertaining!

Once again, she stole the show on Saturday night with her performance of Live and Let Die.  AND, she was one of the very few that actually did a rock song!

But the public are focusing too much on her bizarre personality and feigning ignorance to the fact that she is a great entertainer - who can actually sing!

So, I was very frustrated that she was in the bottom two on the results show last night - but, admittedly, not surprised because, as I have stated in a previous blog, it's primarily young girls that vote for these shows and they're all rooting for Frankie.

Her version of Lady Gaga's The Edge of Glory totally (to quote my friend, Q) "blew Sami out of the water".

It's a shame this show is not based on talent, as it should be, and is more of a popularity contest - no wonder we never hear of previous winners of the show!

Alexandra who?  Joe who?  Steve who...??

Made in Chelsea

Is anyone else finding this show annoyingly addictive?

I never got into TOWIE, and I vowed not to get into MiC either... but I just can't seem to stop myself from watching it.

Ollie seems to be the most endearing as he poses, very bizarrely, for his modelling shoots.  His facial expressions, particularly in last night's episode, were truly hilarious.  And don't even get me started on the time a modelling agent told him during an interview that he may need to cut his hair.  Here's a taster of what he looked like...

Ollie Locke - Made in Chelsea - Google Images

I tried to search for a video clip of his interview but it doesn't appear to be online - if anyone can get hold of it, please let me know... ♥ ♥ ♥

The rest of the cast prove to be terribly annoying (especially Spencer, Caggie and Hugo) but I still can't help getting drawn into their ridiculously posh lives.

Perhaps I am just jealous because I don't get whisked away by friends to huge country manors for dinner parties, or go on first dates where someone takes me to a park bench and offers me champagne...

I need to rethink my life!

The X Factor - Amelia Lily

Oh dear!  I've just read that Amelia Lily, who was dropped by Kelly Rowland, ran from the stage in a strop after hearing her fate.

What a brat!  If there's one thing I really cannot stand about The X Factor contestants, it's when they pout and sulk because they have found out that they are not as good as they thought they were.  Of course they are going to be upset, this is expected, but to actually hang their heads and fail to communicate with Dermot, their Judge, or the audience, is absolutely cringe-worthy.

They should be ashamed!

Loula's Advice: No one likes a moody-pants!!

I would much prefer it if they accepted the Judges', and the public's, decision to boot them and get on with it.  Smile with dignity and show support for the rest of the competitors!

Disgraceful behaviour, Amelia Lily!  And you, Jonjo!!

2 Shoes and James (or Charlie!?) showed that they were upset but also expressed their respect for the Judges' decisions.  Admirable!

The X Factor - Kitty Update 1

I have to confess...

Kitty, the crazy drama queen from the X Factor, is starting to grow on me!!

I know!  This is madness!  But when I saw her jump into the pool after her audition last week, I thought it was hilarious.  She's as unpredictable as a whirligig!

Her rendition of Queen's Who Wants to Live Forever was so ambitious on Saturday's Live Show.  Admittedly, she did not sing too well to begin with.  I was actually cringing with my hands covering my face.  But then she sang the big notes and it didn't sound half bad...

She absolutely blows Katie Waissel out of the water with her Diva-like qualities and Drama Queen skills. ♠

The X Factor - Live Shows

What a twist to introduce us to the Live Finals of the X Factor!  The Judges had to pick one of their acts to be sent home.

My prediction was:
Boys: The curly haired one who murdered the Beatles' Ticket to Ride
Groups: NuVibe - they just didn't cut it against The Risk, who were amazing, and I thought 2 Shoes deserved to stay as they are the only group in the competition who actually came to X Factor as a group!!  They were not manufactured by the Judges.
Overs: Jonjo - at first I tought Johnny should go as he was given a song that did not suit his voice, and was turned into a carnival act by Louis - but then Jonjo butchered The Kinks' You Really Got Me
Girls: This one was tough as they were all so good!  But for me, it had to be Amelia.  She was pipped slightly by the other girls, and she had the disadvantage of being the first performer of the entire show.

So, three out of four wasn't too bad!  However, my boyfriend, Rob, guessed all of the acts that were being sent home.  He knew it would be 2 Shoes out of the groups.  I've told him to have a go on the lottery this week also...

Results:

Boys: Charlie

Groups: 2 Shoes

Overs: Jonjo

Girls: Amelia

The X Factor - Judges' Houses

Last week, we saw many acts get sent home from the Judges' houses (may I just say: thank God the acts all got to go somewhere exotic - it surely beats going to Dublin or Newcastle [no offence Louis and Cheryl]) and many go through to the Live Shows.  There were tears, there were tantrums, there were air punches.  The houses were full of mixed emotions.

I must say - I pretty much agreed with every single act that went through.  The only one that troubled me was Jade, the Scottish singer who brought Kelly Rowland to tears at her first audition, being sent home.  It concerned me slightly that Janet, the Irish dot, was chosen over her.

Gary and Tulisa were the only Judges that picked the correct acts to go through without any disagreement from me.  It was touch and go for a moment when I thought Gary was going to put Luke Lucas through after his awful audition at the poolside (which contrasted greatly against his amazing first audition) but it was ultimately decided that he was just not ready for the Live Shows.  Agreed.

Now, we move on to Louis.  The Judge who argues till he is blue in the face that The X Factor is a singing competition.  So, what does he do?  He puts Goldie through to the Live Shows instead of Sami.  I was outraged.  Yes, I agree that she is very comical, but there we had the same problem last year with Wagner.  However, due to Goldie withdrawing from the competition, Sami is now through to the Live Shows - exactly where she should be and deserves to be there!!

The X Factor - Kitty

Aboslutely, 100%, this year's equivalent to Katie Waissel...

Prepare to see her in the last few weeks of the live shows.  This is only the beginning of the drama!

Fix, Fix, Fix...(!)

X Factor - Boot Camp

Dear oh dear!  What a drama!

First of all, we saw a group of hopefuls get rejected before they even had their second chance to prove their worth in the competition (something I very much did not agree with!  Bad form, X Factor, bad form!).

Then, we were treated to a cocktail of hopefuls proving their worth in the competition by making themselves stand out.  How did they do this?  Well, most of them forgot the words, while others crawled on the floor, sang out of tune or did weird little hand movements while they sang.

Loula Tip: If you want to get through to the next round of X Factor, I suggest you try these techniques - they clearly overpower any singing abilities...

So, we were then offered a fresh new cocktail of selected rubbish singers who the judges "just did not want to lose" and were given a second chance.  This second chance was to create an array of groups.

Basically, the groups they had already were shit not good enough!

Sunday's showing provided the next stages, where people had to give their own take on a song.  Cue "cute" guys whispering and juddering their words, many forgetting the words altogether and saying "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" (because I'd love for Katy Perry to do that on stage when I see her next month...), someone chasing Gary around his desk, and another sitting on a piano with an outfit that lights up.

Just a regular day at X Factor Bootcamp...?!

And as for the super-groups that the judges created?  Well, most of them proved to be shit rubbish, but fear not - the judges had another plan hidden up their sleeves... two girls from one rubbish group, and two girls from another rubbish group were combined to create the Ultimate Super Group!

Good grief!  There's just so much going on!!