A new generation of fans and comedians, including Johnny Vegas, Victoria Wood and Vic Reeves, are now rediscovering Dodd's unique talents. Dodd has a huge and fiercely loyal fanbase. On the eve of his eightieth birthday, Ken Dodd is still touring the country, performing in packed venues an average of two nights a week with his legendary four-hour sets. 'I do it because that is what I do. I do it because that is what I am,' he said, when asked why he continues with this punishing schedule. Ken Dodd's career has spanned over five decades as he went from singer to actor, and presently, most famously, comedian. He is considered the last, great, music-hall-inspired variety comic, but what drives this man whose career has been tainted by hardship? Dodd still lives in his childhood home of Knotty Ash and has never married, despite having two-long term fiances. In 1989, his strange relationship to money culminated in a trial for tax evasion, and he was also famously stalked by a mystery woman. How did this feather-duster salesman become one of the most loved, though least-lauded, British comedians of all time? Stephen Griffin interviewed friends, colleagues and fellow comedians to get inside the mind of the original Diddyman.

    As Alan recounts tales from his extraordinary life, he relives the sporting occasions, radio broadcasts and famously long drinking sessions that have defined his career. He takes readers inside the talkSPORT studio for a behind-the-scenes view of his most memorable interviews, and talks for the first time about the on-pitch rivalries and dressing room debriefs of his footballing career.With his typically outspoken and irreverent delivery, Alan shares everything from his thoughts on how the sports he loves have changed to his top tips for picking winners (and many losers) at Cheltenham. And he revels in wine-soaked jaunts in the South of France and late-night supermarket sweeps with Ray Parlour – if you can keep up.Packed full of never-before-told stories, refreshing appraisals, sporting controversy and a cast of larger-than-life characters, this is a brutally honesty and wickedly funny insight into an extraordinary life.

    As a member of the Nolan sisters, Coleen Nolan was born into the spotlight and has stayed there ever since. She has now become one of the nation's favourite TV presenters and is used to newspapers and magazines claiming to have the inside story of her private life. In No Regrets Coleen finally reveals the truth of what really happened during the last few rollercoaster years, truly the worst of her life. Whilst it's certainly been a traumatic time for the whole family, Coleen is a survivor. First and foremost, she is a mum and is determined to hold her family together. The Nolans finally put aside their infamous feud to rally round their beloved sister Bernie, who tragically lost her fight with cancer on the 4th of July last year, aged just 52. In this memoir, Coleen movingly describes her struggle to deal with the emotional scars that come from losing someone so close and the effect it has had on her own life. In this incredibly candid memoir, Coleen writes with raw honesty about her family troubles, her career highs and lows, and her struggle with her body image. In recent years, Coleen has found herself in both a plastic surgeon's office looking at a £20,000 bill to 'fix her face' and at a breast cancer clinic asking for the removal of her healthy breasts to avoid becoming the fourth sister in the family to be struck down by cancer. Wonderfully warm and moving, and brilliantly funny and honest, No Regrets will take you from laughter to tears and back again as you share in Coleen's very personal journey.

    The city lies under the dark cloud of the Troubles, and hatred fills the air like smoke. But Tony Macaulay has just turned twelve and he’s got a new job. He’s going to be a paperboy. And come rain or shine – or bombs and mortar – he will deliver…Paperboy lives in Upper Shankill, Belfast, in the heart of the conflict between Loyalists and Republicans. Bombings are on the evening news, rubble lies where buildings once stood, and rumours spread like wildfire about the IRA and the UDA.But Paperboy lives in a world of Doctor Who, Top of the Pops and fish suppers. His battles are fought with all the passion of Ireland’s opposing sides – but against acne, the dentist and the ‘wee hoods’ who rob his paper money. On his rounds he hums songs by the Bay City Rollers, dreams about outer space and dreams even more about the beautiful Sharon Burgess.In this touching, funny and nostalgic memoir, Tony Macaulay recounts his days growing up in Belfast during the Troubles, the harrowing years which saw neighbour fighting neighbour and brother fighting brother. But in the midst of all this turmoil, Paperboy, a scrappy upstart with a wicked sense of humour and sky-high dreams, dutifully goes about his paper round. He is a good paperboy, so he is.Paperboy proves that happiness can be found even in the darkest of times; it is a story that will charm your socks off, make you laugh out loud and brings to life the culture, stories and colourful characters of a very different – but very familiar – time.

    

    The cruel bon mot which has its sting drawn from the laughter that ensues. It was Oscar Wilde who pointed out that no comment was in bad taste if it was amusing - and if for that reason alone it is worth while preserving these delightful examples of verbal dexterity.

    

    He has proudly told "dick jokes for cash" in pretty much every comedy club and festival in Australia, and taken his knob gags international at all the major festivals from Edinburgh to Auckland to Montreal, and graced some of the most famous stages in the world in New York and LA.In 2008 Wil was named GQ's Comedic Talent of the Year, and given an excellent trophy which he immediately misplaced while drunk at the after party.

    That’s not physically possible, but if you could Nick Matthew would have done it by the bucket-load. Throughout his 15-year career, Matthew has fought his way to the top of the PSA World Rankings in his gladiatorial sport, winning 25 World Tour titles, including being crowned world champion on two occasions and British Open champion three times. Nick holds the record of five British National titles in addition to being crowned Men’s Singles and Men’s Doubles Gold Medalist at the 2010 Commonwealth Games making him England’s most successful player. Sweating Blood: My Life In Squash is much more than the tale of a squash player. In this brutally honest story: Nick psychoanalyses his own obsessive-compulsive personality and explains how it helps him win; He remembers how, as a late developer, he was constantly told he lacked the talent to succeed yet went on to become the most successful English player of all time; He gives an amazing behind-the-scenes access to the sport: the prize money, the anti-doping, the gruesome training, the post-match celebrations, the crazy players on the PSA World Tour and the far-flung corners of the globe where he competes; He remembers the career-threatening shoulder operation that eventually put him on the road to World Championship and Commonwealth Games glory; He tries to understand how his relationship with another top British player went so horribly wrong; He digs back into his Yorkshire upbringing and remembers the colourful characters who turned him into the champion he is today; And he pinpoints the most crucial moments in his career – the moments when he really felt like he was sweating blood.

    His designation grants him sweeping powers over the Indian security and intelligence apparatuses, and a say in foreign relations that he has exercised vigorously, particularly when it comes to the country’s neighbours. His outlook combines strident Hindu nationalism with habits learnt over his decades in the Intelligence Bureau. The results have been far from extraordinary—yet large sections of the media continue to laud him. Doval’s public persona as a super-spy and statesman may be too good to be true. The Caravan -India's finest magazine of politics, culture and business. Since its relaunch in 2010, The Caravan has earned a reputation as one of South Asia's most sophisticated publications, a showcase of the region's finest writers, with a distinctive blend of masterful reporting, unique criticism and stunning photo essays.

    The honest, entertaining and often surprising autobiography of one of our favourite Loose Women.

    So did Shatrughan Sinha (SS) who achieved the impossible twice over. The youngest and the most pampered in a family of academics and doctors where four sons were named after the four brothers of the Ramayan, SS stood out defiantly different. He was born for applause and the limelight; he was besotted with Raj Kapoor and cinema. In the face of stiff opposition from disciplinarian father Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha, mother Shyama Devi’s chhutka bauwa (little darling) set out for the Film Institute of India (now FTII) in Poona. Bombay was the next logical destination. Without Kapoorian good looks or any connection with the Hindi film industry, the unknown scarface from Patna went on to create history on celluloid. In politics too, with no known surname or family to power his entry, he set a record as the first film star from India to be sworn-in as a Cabinet Minister. Quotes Anything But Khamosh: The Shatrughan SinhaBiography, is a rivetingly honest read that retraces the hurrahs and heartaches of India’s most popular BihariBabu. “Do not attempt to change him. Of the 1.25 crore people of India, he stands out as unique” – Amitabh Bachchan, superstar, Hindi cinema “They used to call me the Shatrughan Sinha of the South” – Rajinikanth, superstar, Tamil Nadu “I became an actor because of Shatrughan Sinha” – Chiranjeevi, superstar & Congress-I leader, Andhra Pradesh “Ours is an Eklavya-Dronacharya story. He is my guru” – Ambareesh, superstar & Minister for Housing, Karnataka “A person who joined the Jan Sangh or the BJP when it was in the Opposition, had to be gutsy. Shatrughan is” – LK Advani, Senior Leader, BJP “I would give him sanyam ki salaah (advice on patience)” – Sushma Swaraj, Minister for External Affairs “I find there’s no chaploosi (sycophancy) in him. Our doors are open 24/7 to him” – Lalu Prasad Yadav, Leader, RJD “If the Bihari Babu is hurt, the whole of Bihar is hurt” – Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister, Bihar “If we had Shatrusaab on our side, we wouldn’t need anybody else on our team” – Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister, Pakistan About the Author Renowned columnist, critic and author Bharathi S Pradhan has written both fiction and non-fiction. Mr Bidi – the life story of an industrialist; Heartfelt: The inspirational story of Medha Jalota; Colas, Cars & Communal Harmony on secularism and Valentine Lover, an adult novel, are some of her well-received books. She scripted a documentary on Mughal-e-Azam and ideated for Balaji Telefilms. She has been Chairperson, National Awards (for best writing on cinema), and has been on the jury of diverse awards committees. She was also on the jury of the Indian Panorama of IFFI 2015. Bharathi has edited a variety of magazines and contributed to several publications that include Reader’s Digest, Mid-day, Savvy, Femina and Movie. She continues to be a Sunday columnist with The Telegraph. She lives in Mumbai with Sanjaya, her Chartered Accountant husband and Siddhesh, her son who is currently studying Law. Talking Points - The authorised biography of Shatrughan Sinha - 7 years, 37 interviews and over 200 hours of taped conversations - Photographs from the Sinha family’s private archives

    

    It was a dream that would lead him into a nightmare of sexual and physical abuse from which he has still not recovered. Stewart was abused every day for four years by his junior football coach. He suffered in silence and embarked on a successful career that saw him play for Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Sunderland, scoring in an FA Cup final and winning caps for England. Behind it all, he was a broken man – many times he wished he could end his life. He turned to drink and drugs as a way of coping with his devastating secret. In 2016, Stewart was sitting at his office desk one morning when he read a Daily Mirror story about a footballer who had been abused. His world was about to change… Paul Stewart: Damaged is one of the most powerful and emotionally charged football life stories you will read.

    Michael Whitehall contrasts the glamorous image of theatrical life with the mundane realities of the business, while passing on some startling trade secrets along the way.A laconic raconteur of refreshingly unstar-struck theatrical anecdotes, Whitehall deftly sketches the social comedy of his eccentric background: growing up in suburban London in the 1950s, his schooldays at Ampleforth and his subsequent adventures as a prep schoolmaster – worthy of Evelyn Waugh himself – before becoming an actors’ agent.Shark-Infested Waters is a charming, funny and piquant view of a world that continues to fascinate.Praise for Shark Infested Waters:“The funniest show-business memoir I’ve read since David Niven’s The Moon’s a Balloon.” - Nigel Havers“One of the year’s funniest memoirs.” – Daily Express