Theo James has quite the range of talents, having made his mark as an actor, model and United Nations ambassador. Now, he appears to have added another skill to the list: rapping.
Fresh from filming The Gentlemen, he took to the mic at the King’s Head in Poole, Dorset, to show off his rap skills alongside co-star Kaya Scodelario.
The pair, who portray drug kingpin Duke Eddie Horniman and crime boss Susie Glass, had been filming the Netflix gangster thriller nearby.
They gave pubgoers their take on Coolio’s hit Gangsta’s Paradise before staying on to party until 2am.
Pub owner Kim Novell said: “I couldn’t believe it.
“I was absolutely gobsmacked. They were lovely.”
But Theo’s performance skills may not come as a complete surprise to those who know his background.
He previously played in a band called Shere Khan, and a quick search online turns up old footage of the actor showing off his dance moves.
Theo’s passion for hip-hop developed while growing up on the streets of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
In a previous interview, he described himself as “a middle-class guy that listened to a bunch of hip-hop and played basketball”.
He added: “I pretended to be a lot cooler than I used to be. We had a whole group of friends that called ourselves the ‘A Crew’.”
Theo has also been filmed performing Gangsta’s Paradise before. The track became a huge hit in 1995.
Looking back on his latest appearance, Kim said the actors enjoyed plenty of shots and spent time chatting with members of staff throughout the evening.
She added that the experience was so surreal that staff woke up the following morning wondering whether it had really happened.
The second eight-part instalment of Guy Ritchie’s gangster drama aired in September, and production on the third season is now under way.
Maya Jama, who plays fixer Aisha, is set to have a much bigger role after her limited appearance in series two.
She and James were recently spotted filming at Ritchie’s Compton Abbas Airfield, near Shaftesbury.
The director has also used his airfield and Ashcombe Estate, his country home on the Dorset/Wiltshire border, as locations for the show.
Rubbish Epiphany at Show
Antiques Roadshow expert Chris Yeo has shared the story of a disappointed visitor who threw away his supposedly precious “treasures” after discovering they were worthless.
With BBC bosses preparing to celebrate the programme’s 50th anniversary in 2027, Chris recalled: “A chap came along and I don’t know where he got these pictures from but they were all prints.
“He had the Mona Lisa and a couple of Constables. And I had to say ‘I’m very sorry . . . ’
“Then I was looking on Twitter and somebody had photographed all these pictures in a bin and written, ‘I don’t think someone was very happy with their Antiques Roadshow valuation’.”
Korea Change, Rylan?
Their third BBC travelogue, this time exploring Greece, is due to air soon, but Rylan Clark is already thinking about a fourth adventure with Rob Rinder.
And he has a few ideas about what his travelling companion should do along the way.
Speaking on the Life’s A Beach podcast, Rylan revealed: “I want to go to South Korea.
“I want all their skin care – inject me, rip me up – and to see a bit of art, obviously.”
Reflecting on the show, which has also taken the pair around Italy, Rylan said: “It’s been quite Rob heavy, it’s been ‘Oh love, Oh love a bit of Caravaggio’. It’s been great.
“But now I’m like ‘Rob, it’s time for a bit of Botox. Get your lips done for god’s sake.”
Whether Rob is fully on board with the idea remains to be seen . . .
Fresh from his exit from The Celebrity Traitors, Joe Lycett is set to return to television this Friday for the Celebrity Gogglebox Stand Up To Cancer special, airing on Channel 4 at 9.05pm.
The comedian, who played a Faithful on the BBC reality hit, will appear on the show alongside his aunties Pauline and Margaret.
Source: Various
