Pull-Out
27 | THE VOICE JUNE 28 - JULY 4, 2012
NEW MUSIC
Dizzee Rascal is back
TOP CLASS
Emeli Sandé honoured
DAVID AJALA
Stepping up a gear
28 ! THE VOICE JUNE 20 - 26, 2013
IN DA HOUSE!
In light of the Big Brother 13 launch, we remember some of our favourite housemates throughout the history of the popular show
VICTOR EBUWA (BB5)
ALISON HAMMOND (BB3) The larger than life contestant was the second to be evicted from the house in series three. Together with eventual winner Kate Lawler, the pair livened up the popular show
MELANIE HILL (BB1) The Londoner appeared on series one. She was known for plucking her bikini line with tweezers and boasting about her intimate body piercings
SCIENCE (BB6) Science was a music and selfstyled "entertainment entrepreneur" who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. He reportedly dated former housemate Vanessa McIntosh
The business studies student, who was described by several national newspapers as being boring, claimed Channel 4 deliberately edited racist comments from the show
Victor was a contestant in series five. The Londoner was famed for stirring controversy in the house and his 'straight talking' attitude towards housemates
MAKOSI MUSAMBASI (BB6) Probably one of the most controversial contestants in the house, outspoken Makosi got steamy with housemate Anthony Hutton in the hot tub and then thought she was pregnant
Derek, a British lobbyist, businessman, political adviser, speechwriter and journalist, achieved celebrity status when he appeared in the sixth series. The well-spoken contestant brought hours of comedy to the show
DEREK LAUD (BB6)
BRIAN BELO (BB8) The fun-loving Essex boy won the eighth series of the show. Belo, famed for his blue contact lenses and straightened tresses, is notable for being the only series winner to enter the show on day 17
The south Londoner was painted as the feisty character in the house. She was thrown off the show and labeled a “bully� and “most hated contestant� after threatening other housemates
CHARLEY UCHEA (BB8) The self-styled 'It Girl' ruffled a few feathers. She had a tenuous grip on her temper. When she let it go, the house was filled with shrieking, wailing, screaming and swearing
DARREN RAMSEY (BB1) Chicken-loving Darren appeared in the first series of the show. He grew fond of a Big Brother chicken, Majorie and won public approval for his laid-back attitude
AMMA ANTWI (BB2) Amma, a former shop assistant, shocked the world when she announced she also worked as a stripper. At the time, her mother said she was 'very upset and cross' at the revelation
ALEXANDRA DE-GALE (BB9)
SOPHIA BROWN (BB10) The late Sophia was the bubbly contestant on series 10. She was evicted after just eight days in the house. The Lupus sufferer passed away in 2012. The cause of death is unknown
'DYLG %RODULQZD
DAWN BLAKE (BB7) Dawn was thrown off the show for communicating with the outside world. She threatened to go on a hunger strike until the show's producers handed over tapes of her time in the house
ADELE ROBERTS (BB3) The petite DJ revealed she was bisexual on the show’s third series. She famously argued with the late Jade Goody about her verruca and fancied fellow contestant Alex
EVEN THOUGH track and field competitor David Bolarinwa is still a teenager, the 100m and 200m sprinter has medals galore to his name and is rightfully revered by his peers. In 2010 he captured a bronze medal at the Youth Olympics in Singapore, the following year he won gold and a bronze in the 200m and 100m at the European Junior Championships in Estonia and he has picked up a multitude of national titles too. Reminiscing on how his meteoric rise in the sport first began, the 19-year-old from southeast London said: “I started aged 14. Basically I was just a young kid playing football and one day my PE teacher just said ‘I think you’re better off
doing athletics’. I went to my local track in Eltham and from then on I just started getting faster and faster and everything just went on from there.� Outside of athletics Bolarinwa plans to study business management at the University of Hertfordshire where he faces the tricky task of balancing training with the every day tribulations that university life brings, but he insists that he will rise above the challenge. “Throughout my GCSEs and A-levels I’ve been balancing the two for a long time. This is the first year where I’ve just had athletics on my mind. Hopefully I can continue to balance it in the right way in the next three years that I’m at uni.�
VANESSA MCINTOSH (BB6)
DARNELL SWALLOW (BB9) Darnell was deported to the UK after getting involved with gang culture in the States. He was penalised for discussing nominations in secret code
JONATHAN TICKLE (BB4)
Bespeckled Jon was the brains in the house. Tickle, a physics graduate, has gone on to co-present Sky One show Brianiac, a series of science-based shows
youngvoicesmagazine
@youngvoicesmag
JUNE 20 - 26, 2013 THE VOICE ! 29
www.voice-online.co.uk/entertainment
UK actor David Ajala talks to YV’s Dionne Grant about taking Hollywood by storm, dealing with rejection and why his Nigerian parents aren’t fazed by his stardom
M
ANY PEOPLE would jump at the offer to watch an exclusive trailer for one of the highest-grossing films of the year. But not the parents of British actor David Ajala. In fact, when the 27-year-old came home excitedly waving his copy of the Fast & Furious 6 teaser, of which he stars alongside Hollywood heavyweights Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, The Rock and Tyrese Gibson, he had a hard time prising his parents’ eyes away from their beloved Nigerian home movie. This, the UK actor says, helps him put his rising fame in perspective. “When BEN TV is on and they’re watching a Nigerian film, it’s tough to get their attention,� he laughs. “Imagine, here I am with this exclusive trailer starring The Rock and all these big cats
and I’m struggling to show it to them. They’re like ‘It’s nice, it’s nice’ after only seeing five seconds of it. I suppose they help keep everything in perspective for me, so it’s all good,� he says. But Ajala has rarely struggled to stay grounded throughout his constant and steady rise to prominence. I first interviewed a freshfaced Ajala in 2008 when he was promoting children’s BBC series Trexx and Flipside. He has since gone on to land roles in Batman franchise The Dark Knight and will star as villain Ibis alongside Channing Tatum and Mila Klunis in upcoming sci-fi Jupiter Ascending among many other notable accolades. “I’m a gate crasher who’s making it up as he goes along,� the Hackney-born star says about the secret to his success in Hollywood. He explains: “It’s like there’s
this brilliant party going on and I don’t have an invitation. I really want to go so I sneak in through the back door and make friends with fellow partygoers. In the end, everyone believes that I was an invited guest. It’s the same kind of premise with this industry, I’m making it up as I go along, but something seems to be working�. Although UK-based, the actor is clocking up those air miles as he upholds film commitments across the pond, much like many of his acting peers hailing from London. “A lot of people are making great moves in this industry, especially young black British actors,� he says. “I was overjoyed when [UK actor] Arnold Oceng, a friend of mine, landed a part in The Good Lie [alongside Reese Witherspoon] and for Aml Ameen with The Butler [alongside Oprah and Forest Whitaker]. The list goes on. It’s
happening!� The actor, a promising scientist in school, explains: “We’re on planet Earth and although it stays in one fixed position, everything around it circulates. That’s why we go through seasons and cycles. I believe the same thing is happening in the acting industry, we’re going through a very exciting cycle. British actors, more specifically black British actors, who are good at their craft, are going over to the States and are being rewarded by being employed on great productions. I think more and more people are seeing these guys from the UK and are thinking ‘Oh wow, cool. Let’s open up our books and try and embrace more of that talent.’� He adds: “The US are not romanticised by the fact that we’re British, we have to be good. You don’t get access to certain things because you’re a Brit, you get access because you’re a Brit who’s brilliant at what you do, that’s the difference.� With his role as ‘the baddy’ (my words, not his) Ivory in Fast & Furious 6, he reveals it was a “few weeks� before he heard anything back from the decision makers and a further wait before meeting with the film’s director Justin Lin. “Yes, it can be very glamorous, but sometimes it can be tough with auditioning. Fair enough, I’ve got Fast & Furious 6 and Jupiter Ascending, but the amount of rejection I’ve had before that is ridiculous.� The latest
rejection, he recalls, was losing out to actor and “good friend� Gary Carr, to become the first black character on hit ITV series Downton Abbey. “That was one ‘no’ that I had to take with all the others along the way. I’ve been close to other Hollywood films and they’ve told me no. In this industry, you have to have the soul of a baby, but the skin of an elephant,� he says. Yet, Ajala, who will fly to Chicago in July to continue filming for Jupiter Ascending, can take comfort in knowing not all castings end up like that one. When auditioning for his role in the aforementioned film, the Brit was called and booked just one hour after meeting the film’s critically-acclaimed directors Andy and Lana
Wachowski - the names behind The Matrix franchise. “I had to work through a few scenes with them, which went well. Usually when you get the job, they may contact you a few days or a few weeks later. They contacted me an hour after our meeting and told my agent they wanted me on board. That’s the first time that’s happened,� he recalls. And there’s a few more firsts he’s hoping to cross off his bucket list in the coming years. “A line of statues representative of the awards I’ve won and how far I’ve come would be great,� he jokes. Jupiter Ascending is out in 2014. David will also appear in films Starred Up and Kill Command. For more information follow @IAmDavidAjala on Twitter
EMELI SANDE:
DIZZEE RASCAL:
The British singer was given an honorary degree from the University of Glasgow for her outstanding contribution to music
East London star Dizzee announced that he would release his first album in four years this summer
OR BUSTED? F F U B
Dear Kat, I found out that I am pregnant and I’m too scared to tell my parents. They’re strict Christians and I know they’ll be so disappointed in me. I’m not with the baby’s father anymore. We were never really together in the first place. I like him a lot, but he doesn’t want a relationship and won’t answer my calls ever since I told him that I was expecting. We’re both 16 and I don’t want to get him in trouble. But once I tell my parents, I know my dad and my brothers will want to speak with him. Anon
Hi Anon, You’ve found yourself in a mighty sticky situation. This is why you’ll find many adults, including myself, championing safe sex. It’s to protect young people from finding themselves in predicaments similar to this – and even worse. Firstly, you’re going to have to tell your parents. Your main concern should not be protecting your elusive ex, it should be your unborn child and yourself. Right now, for whatever reason, he’s chosen to ignore you, so effectively he has put himself and his emotions ahead of yours. Your parents are going to be upset, that’s a given, but nothing will stop them from wanting to ensure that you get the best possible care through all of this. You can’t and shouldn’t do this by yourself!
CLEO HIGGINS:
RIHANNA:
The UK singer was voted off TV talent show The Voice UK despite an explosive rendition of En Vogue’’s hit 'RQҋW /HW *R
BUFF
BUFF
The singer was forced to look at images of ex Chris Brown getting cosy with former lover Karrueche after pictures were posted on Instagram
TWEET OF THE WEEK JLS star Marvin Humes posted a picture of threeweek-old daughter Alaia-Mai on Twitter after yielding to mounting pressure from fans:
ZOE SALDAN Gorgeous!
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SOLANGE:
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J COLE
30 ! THE VOICE JUNE 20 - 26, 2013
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