It’s summer and if there’s one thing better than the wall-to-wall sport on offer, it’s making an occasion of it and watching with friends. After all, big sporting moments are exciting, but they’re better experienced together. To make your home the place where friends and family want to gather, add a screen that’s smarter than a smart TV. The best TV for watching sports—Sky Glass.

Sky Glass is fully-loaded with the latest audio and visual tech to bring the sights and sounds of match day into your home—it’s as close as you can come to experiencing what it’s like to be there without actually being there. The colours are vibrant and the powerful Dolby Atmos® speakers give a level of detail to the sound that brings the game to life. Sky’s Auto-Enhance sports mode recognises when the game’s on and automatically amplifies the vividness of the colours and the sound of the crowd to bring the stadium atmosphere into your home.

The ability to pause, rewind or restart live TV means you can delay the start for late-comers, or bring them up to speed on the biggest moments of the game so far. You can also watch and rewatch contentious decisions over and over again in the post-game post-mortem. Everything is stored in the cloud so there’s no need to fret about storage either, and there’s no more hunting for the remote—voice control means you can ask Sky Glass to play any live match, and it’ll find it in a flash.

Sky Glass is also a worthy centrepiece for any modern living room, and with five stylish colours (and 10 speaker fascia colours if you want to add an accent), it’s sure to suit your design scheme. You don’t have to worry about installing a dish, finding a place for the soundbar or work out how to hide the wiring either—it’s all built-in, making for one sleek package.

It has another trick up its sleeve to help you share big sporting moments with others. Sky Live is a 12 megapixel, HDR-capable camera that is exclusive to Sky Glass TVs.

Sky Live instantly makes your TV smarter, more social and more interactive, adding gaming, workouts and video calls. Its Watch Together feature is especially appealing to sports fans—a tap of the button turns your screen into a video call so you can invite friends and family to watch what you’re watching.

The camera’s wide field of view and Auto-Tracking tech ensures everyone will always be in shot and in focus, while background noise suppression means your voice—and opinion on that contentious VAR decision—will always be heard. 

With Sky Live, there’s no need to scroll through social media or wait for the halftime interval to get stuck into the debate, you can chat and react as the action unfolds. 

Now, with the addition of Sky Live and Watch Together, you can strap in for that penalty shootout, Grand Slam decider or checkered flag finalé with your friends and family by your side, wherever they are in the world—all from the comfort of your home. It’s the ultimate front row viewing experience for this unbeatable British summer of sport. 

To find out more visit sky.com/glass. 

This Sunday, thousands of runners will set off through the streets of London for the London Marathon. Among them will be runners of all stripes running for charities, PRs and world records. 

Each year a number of famous faces sign up, often raising funds for causes close to their heart. From actors, comedians and TV presenters to musicians and even Olympic medalists, there are plenty of celebrities to keep an eye out for on April 21. Golden Globe-winner Ruth Wilson, comedian Romesh Ranganathan and Ted Lasso star Phil Dunster will all be making their London Marathon debut this year.

Celebrities Running The 2024 London Marathon

Here are the celebrities who will be running the London Marathon 2024, with the charity they are running for in brackets.

• Aimee Fuller – former snowboarder and winter Olympian
• Ali Jawad – Paralympic powerlifter (Crohn's & Colitis UK)
• Alexander Lincoln – actor, Emmerdale (Centrepoint)
• Baasit and Raza Siddiqui – Gogglebox
• Ben Murphy – 2023 National Chef of the Year (Hospitality Action)
• Charlie Hodgson – former England rugby union player (Muscular Dystrophy UK)
• Chloe Meadows – The Only Way Is Essex (Crohn's & Colitis UK)
• Chris Newton – former Olympic cyclist (Anthony Nolan)
• Christopher Eccleston – actor, formerly Doctor Who (The Big Issue)
• Dan Hudson – comedian and podcast host of A Gay and A NonGay (Marie Curie)
• Danny Crates – Paralympian (Sports Aid)
• Darren Turner – racing driver (Hope for Tomorrow)
• Emma Barton – actor, EastEnders
• Emily Clarkson – influencer and Should I Delete That? podcast host
• Emon Choudhury – winner of BBC’s Race Across the World series two
• Erin Doherty – actor, previously in The Crown (Young Minds UK)
• Esther Manito – comedian (World Animal Protection)
• Gary Rowett – football manager
• Harry Judd – McFly drummer (The Children’s Trust)
• Helen Thorn – author and comedian
• Jack Derges – actor (Child Bereavement UK)
• James Cracknell – former Olympic rower
• Jamie Borthwick – actor, EastEnders
• Jamie Jones-Buchanan – former rugby league player (Sue Ryder Care)
• Jamie Peacock – former rugby league player (Sue Ryder Care)
• Jenni Falconer – Smooth FM radio presenter
• Joe Kellaway – 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medal winner (Mental Health Foundation)
• Josh Cuthbert – former Union J singer (Samaritans)
• Joshua Patterson – TV personality, Made In Chelsea (Samaritans)
• Laura Hamilton – presenter, A Place in the Sun (WellChild)
• Lauren-Nicole Mayes – actor (Action on Postpartum Psychosis)
• Lawrence Robb – actor, Emmerdale (Samaritans)
• Natalie Pinkham – Sky Sports F1 presenter and Flackstock co-founder (Samaritans)
• Phil Dunster – actor, Ted Lasso (Young Lives Vs Cancer)
• Rangan Chatterjee – host of Feel Better, Live More podcast
• Romesh Ranganathan – comedian and presenter (CALM)
• Ruth Wilson – actor (Alzheimer’s Research UK)
• Ryan Hand – TV presenter (Marie Curie)
• Shane Williams – former Wales rugby union player (Velindre Cancer)
• Suzanne Shaw – TV personality and singer (WellChild)

London Marathon FAQs

When is the London Marathon 2024?

The London Marathon will take place on Sunday April 21, 2024.

When does the London Marathon start?

The London Marathon start time is 10am for runners in the mass-participation field, but runners set off in waves so the celebrities above may not start running until 11:30am. Follow their progress using the London Marathon tracker app. 

Can you watch the London Marathon on TV?

You can try and catch these celebrities on the BBC’s official coverage of the race. You can watch live on BBC One and Two, online, or on the iPlayer app, with coverage starting at 8.30am BST (3.30am EST). All the details of the BBC’s live coverage of the London Marathon 2024 (all times BST) are below, and there is also a highlights show for the event at 6pm on BBC Two on the day.

• BBC One: 8.30am-2.15pm
• BBC Two: 2.15pm-3pm
• BBC Online and iPlayer: 1pm-6pm

How can you run the London Marathon 2025?

There are a number of ways to gain a race place in next year’s event, but the most popular ways are through the London Marathon ballot and getting a London Marathon charity place. The ballot opens on Saturday April 20, 2024, and you can throw your hat in the ring without putting money on the table, so it’s well worth a go.

If you’ve ever wanted to know the fitness secrets that help celebrities stay in shape, we’ve done our best to prise this insider info out of them. We have interviews with huge stars from the silver screen, as well as musicians and a host of other big names with top fitness tips to share.

Nowadays many of us stream music through our smartphones, tablets and laptops which makes traditional speaker units seem a little outdated when there’s tangled wires and portability issues to contend with. That’s why we’d recommend a Bluetooth speaker. They offer a high-quality sound over a wireless connection which is especially useful for pumping up the volume when following workout apps or Youtube videos to keep fit through Covid-19.

Not only are most Bluetooth speakers small and portable, a few are waterproof, while others are powerful enough to fill the room with a rich and clear sound. Some are compatible with Siri and Google Assistant thanks to built-in microphones, and a few high-end models can charge your phone wirelessly, or even use technology which adjusts the EQ to match the room.

Navigating the world of Bluetooth speakers is easy when you’re in the know and we’ve compiled a short buyer’s guide and a roundup of the best Bluetooth speakers to quickly get you up to speed. 

See related 

• Best Fitness Trackers
• The best smartphones for fitness

Buyer’s Guide to Bluetooth Speakers

Portable or fixed speakers

Quality portable speakers have built-in batteries that give a music playtime of eight hours or more. Naturally, the battery life varies between speakers — depending on its size and how much you spend. Comparatively, fixed Bluetooth speakers don’t come equipped with a battery and have to be plugged into a mains supply but what they’re lacking in portability they make up for in the quality of their sound.

Ruggedised and waterproof speakers

Rugged speakers will be shockproof, which means they can survive occasionally being dropped or thrown around, while water resistant models come with a waterproof rating (known as an IPX rating) to let you know how long they can be exposed to water for. Most models have an IPX4-rating which means they can withstand the odd splash. Pricier Bluetooth speakers often come with an IPX7-rating, as they can survive being submerged in up to 1m of water for 30 minutes.

The Best Bluetooth Speakers Of 2022

You get two for the price of one with the Juice Duet speakers. Thanks to a clever magnetic mechanism, the speakers can be played together as one unit or separated up to 10m apart to deliver stereo sound. Each of the units feature a 3W driver, they’re IPX4-rated which means they can withstand a few slashes and dust exposure, and have a six hour playback time. That’s impressive for dinky Bluetooth speakers that cost under £20.

These speakers tick an awful lot of boxes considering they’re just £30. The IPX7-rating means it’s waterproof to a limited of being submerged in 1m depth of water for up to 30 minutes, and with a 24-hour battery life, you’re all set for day trips – even weekend getaways if you don’t need music while you sleep. Hiding in its diminutive frame are dual 6W power drivers and control buttons on the top which makes it easy to adjust the volume and switch songs. The sound can wobble at higher volumes as other speakers in the list, but for this price it’s fantastic value.

None are more portable than the JBL Clip 2 Bluetooth speaker. Use the carabiner to attach the circular speaker to your clothing or backpack and take your music on all your travels. Its fully waterproof and rugged design means it’ll outlive all of your adventures and it can be paired with another JBL Clip 2 speaker to give a louder sound. Small, versatile, and durable, the JBL Clip 2 gives a high-quality sound (just don’t expect it to fill a big room) and has a built-in microphone for hands-free calls.

The Ultimate Ears MegaBoom 3 comes with many cool features but our favourite is that it can float on water while it plays music. Combine that with a dustproof and shockproof design, a powerful, omnidirectional sound that’s complimented by a strong bass and treble, a wider Bluetooth range than earlier models and 20 hours worth of playtime, and you’ve found the perfect party speaker. You can even pair the speaker with up to 150 other Boom and MegaBoom speakers for an even bigger sound.

Buy from John Lewis | £169

This small, portable Bluetooth speaker from Bose gives an exceptional sound that’s capable of filling a mid-sized room. Its Stereo and Party modes give you the freedom to pair with other SoundLink Revolve speakers for an amplified sound and with an IPX4-rating, there’s no need to worry about spills. A single charge gives 12 hours worth of playtime, while the built-in microphone gives access to Siri and Google Assistant. Plus, with a clever volume-adaptive EQ algorithm, the speaker will maintain a refined sound without distortion even at loud volumes.

Consider the B&O Beoplay if you’re a fan of the JBL Clip 2 but want a crisper, richer sound. Unlike the Clip 2 which has an RMS power output of 3W, the Beoplay A1 uses two 30W amplifiers to power its aluminum core subwoofer and tweeter to give a refined sound. The portable device’s strap makes it easy to cart around, its circular design and sleek black colour looks stylish and with an included microphone it’s ideal for conference calls, which is ever needed in today’s climate. The lightweight Bluetooth-enabled speaker also lasts a full day on a single charge.

This Danish audio brand has thrown technology’s kitchen sink at this speaker: connect to it over Bluetooth or WiFi; run it off the 12-hour long battery or the mains supply; use the integrated Amazon Alexa, Spotify Connect or AirPlay 2; and control the whole caboodle through an intuitive app that’s easy to get to grips with. Its zipped design makes a statement but also means you can remove and clean the cover, or replace it if you fancy a change of colour. It's a pricier Smart speaker than the likes of the Echo family, and it doesn’t come with waterproofing, but its powerful sound makes up for that.

The Naim Mu-so Qb (2nd Gen) Bluetooth speaker boasts many useful features, including an illuminated volume dial, a compatible Naim app and small remote control. Inside the speaker you’ll find high powered drivers - one bass, two mid-range and a pair of tweeters - which are powered by 300W amplification. The result? A clear, rich and impressive sound that’s enough to full all room sizes. The Mu-so Qb is the priciest Bluetooth speaker to be included on this list but it’s truly the best of the bunch in terms of delivering a top class sound.

Buy from John Lewis | £749

Photography Glen Burrows. Grooming Laura Tucker

This cover star of August’s Men’s Fitness has had quite a year. He went from cutting hair in a back-street barber’s to recognition on every street corner after winning Love Island, 2017’s hit and Bafta-winning ITV2 reality show. More than 2.5 million people watched him and Amber Davies leave the show’s Mallorcan villa as king and queen of the ultimate holiday romance.

But while viewers voted in droves for his cheeky and cheerful outlook on life, they didn’t realise that Kem hadn’t always been the life and soul of the party. Indeed, he spent his early teens locked away in his bedroom unable to leave the house for school or work because of crippling anxiety brought on by almost losing his mum. Discovering the gym helped him turn his life around, and now Kem is determined to use his fame and huge social media influence to help other people struggling with mental illness to get back on their feet too.

It’s been quite a year for you Kem – has it all sunk in yet?

It’s been an absolute whirlwind. This time last year I was a barber in a little back street trying to live a normal life. I had the most normal job of the all the people who were on the show; a few of them had celebrity friends and knew how the industry worked. But I was so naïve and I think that’s why I did OK on the show – I didn’t over-think anything, I didn’t have a game plan, I just wanted to be myself and ended up really enjoying it, especially after a couple of weeks in.

How did you adjust when you came back into the real world?

When we left the villa I had amazing support and I feel so fortunate that I still do. Everyone has been so supportive and I think that’s because with me, what you see is what you get. I am an open book.

Was it tough coming back to a totally different life?

Yeah. Everyone sees the glitz and glamour, but it can be tough and lonely at times. Like when you wake up in the morning by yourself and see or read something about you on social media or one of the papers. That can be hard. I went through a break-up [with Amber] and that’s tough when it’s in public, but people have been very supportive, even when I wasn’t expecting it.

Did you know what you were getting into when you applied for Love Island?

I really wanted to do it, but my parents didn’t want me to because when I applied I had only just got back onto my feet after four of five years of depression and anxiety. I applied thinking I had no chance of getting on: 80,000 people tried out, but I just kept getting through round after round of interviews and then I was told I was going into the villa. My mum was in floods of tears and really didn’t want me to do it, because my parents thought exposing myself to criticism and nasty comments would send me back to square one. I remember when I told my mum I was going to do the show, and she just said, “But I’ve only just got my son back”. The previous years had been hard, so it was a risk.

When did your battle with anxiety begin?

It started when I was nine and my mum went in for a routine operation but it went wrong. We were told she had 24 hours to live. I just went into shock and didn’t really know what was going on. Fortunately she recovered, but it took a long time for her to get better, and I became incredibly protective of her. I didn’t like strangers talking to her, and I couldn’t go to sleep unless I knew she was home and safe. So I never slept at mates’ houses and always wanted to be near her. But things got really bad when I was a bit older, around 15. I suffered my first proper panic attack, although I didn’t know what was happening at the time. I was on a train to London, and just had a meltdown. It went downhill quickly from there and I started to struggle at school. I still played football, which I loved, but got injured so I stopped playing. I managed to get a few GCSEs, but for about a year after my exams I barely left the house, just staying in my room, anxious and depressed.

Did you realise how serious it was?

I convinced myself that I was fine, and everything was fine, and I would always find an excuse not to go out. But in my head I drew up a list of things that would never happen to me, like going on a date with a girl, let alone actually ever getting a girlfriend. And because I’d stopped playing football and going out I put on quite a bit of weight. I saw one therapist but it didn’t help, but then I met another one. On our first session I got really anxious and wanted to leave, but she got up and locked the door! She said she wanted me to prove to myself that I could stay and complete the session – and I did. That was really one of the big turning points, because she made me believe that I could take small steps in the right direction – like something so basic as going to a restaurant, which everyone loves doing, but for a long time I couldn’t even contemplate.

When did you discover exercise as a way to cope with what was going on?

My brother has always been into his weights, and when I started I quickly found that training, whether that was weights or running, really helped me cope with my anxiety. Every time I started to feel a little anxious I’d put on my headphones and go for a run or go lift the weights, and I immediately felt much better. It helps me push stuff out of my head. I’m a big over-thinker, which I’m trying to channel into a positive thing, but exercise is the best way for me to get stress out of my system. I love pushing myself and feeling my body really working hard, and when I’m in the zone I don’t think or care about anything else. And I don’t mind a bit of pain – it means I’m working hard towards to being fitter or stronger or leaner.

What’s your training approach?

I’ve always trained by myself and while I am no expert, I have learned what works best for me. I’ll lift weights five or six times a week, focusing on one body part per session. I like focusing on just one muscle group, and hitting it as hard as possible. This doesn’t mean I lift heavy – I keep the weight lighter but do high-rep sets and focus on keeping each rep perfect and getting my breathing right. Keeping the weight a bit lighter and the reps slow and controlled, with lots of reps per set and short rests between sets, is a great way to really damage the target muscle and feel that burn and get a pump. It’s what really works for me. 

Do you do much cardio?

I played so much football when I was younger so I still love cardio and will do a run or incline treadmill walk after most weights sessions, or maybe three times a week if I am tight for time. My dad is 66 and he still runs all the time – and he’s decent at it! He says that he can’t relax until he’s got his run in, and I’m the same. We train not just for our bodies but for our heads. I know what it’s like to feel like shit all the time, and I’m not going to let anyone or anything make me feel like that again. If I’m looking after my body, then I’m looking after my head too, and that means I can keep moving forwards in the right direction.

Nutrition is a huge part of looking good as well as feeling good. What’s your diet like?

Up until three months ago my diet was very up and down. I love bread, and carbs, and everything, really! I would diet hard and cut out all carbs and other foods, and would sometimes end up just skipping meals because I couldn’t face another plate of just chicken. And then when I wasn’t training specifically for something my diet would go out the window and I’d eat what I wanted.

So what changed?

I met Max [Evans, the Scottish international rugby union player] on Dancing On Ice [Kem finished fourth, one place below Max, in this year’s show], and he taught me so much about better nutrition and how to be balanced. It’s better to eat well most of the time, but still allow yourself the odd treat now and then. It means I am in good shape all the time – I can maintain my abs – without having to yo-yo diet, or overeat then go really strict. It’s a much better way to eat, because you don’t constantly crave certain foods, so it’s better for your body and your head too. Diet is so important – I wish it wasn’t! – but it is, and if you are serious about getting shredded then you have to be on top of it, just like you do with training. There are guys in my gym who train twice as much as me, but always ask me why I’m in good shape, and it’s because I’m on top of my diet. It doesn’t mean getting lean is easy – to get really shredded training should be hard and your diet should be a bit hard too. If it was easy then everyone would be ripped!

Finally, how are you feeling about the future?

Mentally, I am in the best place I’ve been. I had a bit of a dip during my break-up but I am very lucky to have amazing family and friends, and a fantastic team around me. And I am very lucky to have some amazing career opportunities coming up, like hosting the Love Island podcast and a new show with Chris [Hughes, fellow Love Island 2017 contestant] for ITV2. As with any new job it takes time to adapt and it can be tough and lonely at times, and I’ve turned down a lot of projects to focus on what I am most passionate about and what’s important to me. I set myself the target of working on four things: mental health, fitness, barbering and TV, and doing what I can to help people who may be going through some of the issues that I had. That’s really important to me, and an area where I really think I can do some good.

Charities such as MIND, The Samaritans and CALM offer help for those with mental health problems – or you can visit your GP.

When you have a big football match to play on a Sunday, most of us would prefer an early night on the Saturday. A quiet one in front of the TV. However, for Radio 1 DJ Monki, aka Lucy Monkman, that isn’t an option. She’s behind the decks into the wee hours before grabbing a couple of hours sleep and heading off to play for her team AFC Phoenix in south London. We spoke to Monki about her love of football and how she manages to fit in playing around her work as a DJ.

How long have you been playing football?

I started when I was about five, playing with my cousin down the park. I played with the boys in the playground at school and I carried on playing with boys until I was told to stop by the FA! Once you reach a certain age you’re not allowed to any more and the schools I went to didn’t have a girls’ team so I really didn’t have an opportunity. I played at a few academies, Chelsea and Fulham, then stopped for a long time before getting back into it.

When did you stop playing?

I stopped when I was about 15 or 16. I basically discovered clubbing. Then I started again when I was 20. I joined quite a low league just to get back into it and played five-a-side. I trialled for London Bees, who are WSL2 [Women’s Super League 2, to be renamed FA Women’s Championship from 2018-19], but the commitment they needed was too high along with my job. I joined the team I’m in now [AFC Phoenix] in the London and South East Division, so it’s still a pretty high level. If you compared it with the men’s pyramid we’d be conference [National League].

How often do you play now?

We train during the week and play matches on Sundays, which can be hard for me with work. I have a tour manager to take me to my gig on a Saturday night and then take me straight home. I’ll sleep in the car on the way there, then I’ll sleep on the way back and then I’ll sleep at home for a few hours and wake up for the game! That’s how I manage it. If I’m DJing abroad obviously it can be impossible, though there have been a few times when I’ve flown back from Ibiza and gone straight to a game.

What’s your favourite thing about football?

The camaraderie is probably my favourite thing. It always revolves around mates. It’s something you’re sharing with 20 other people who have been playing with you every week for the past several months, in the rain and the cold.

And it’s escapism as well. Whenever I play footy I don’t think about anything else. When you’re on the pitch you’re in the moment.

What position do you play?

I’ve played every position this season except centre back and in goal! Usually I play right wing, or number ten – up top sometimes.

What advice would you give to someone looking to get into football now?

Five-a-side is great way to get into it, because it can be a proper leveller. Eleven-a-side might be a bit tricky at first, but there are plenty of grassroots teams. There’s a team in Hackney called Romance FC, they all started playing only three years ago and didn’t even know how to kick a ball. Now they play together every week and they’re always accepting new players. If anyone in east London wants to join a new team I highly recommend them.

Monki will be playing Lovebox Festival on Saturday 14th July. Her debut EP Voices is out now. Listen on Spotify or Beatport

Most of us check our phones first thing in the morning before considering if we should roll out of bed into the cold and head for the gym. Unless our personal trainer is holding us accountable we have been known to skip workouts and still expect results. 

If you’re struggling to stay motivated you’re likely not following these upcoming fitness stars. With daily posts that will cause you to literally launch out of bed, here are the five Instagrammers you should be following.

@stef_fit

The ab envy of Stef Fit’s daily posts should give you the much-needed motivation to push through challenging days! Revealing the true dedication needed to maintain fitness along with a diverse range of workouts. Stef’s Instagram is just the inspiration needed for switching up our gym days and committing to healthy eating.

@DaniellePeazer

Keeping fit doesn’t get more glamorous than Danielle Peazer. She is a global Reebok ambassador, known for dancing for some of the music industry's biggest stars, including Kylie and Justin Timberlake, as well as at high-profile events like London 2012 Olympics and the X Factor; she also finds time for a blog and YouTube channel – wow! Dedicated to sharing how to live a healthy balanced life, Danielle is a fitness and lifestyle inspiration. Launching an easy-to-follow 12-Week Body Plan alongside her regular Instagram posts, achieving a dancer's body has never been easier.

@Maeve_Madden

Proving you can bounce back when life causes you to stumble, ex-dancer Maeve Madden has overcome dancing injuries to excel in fitness and commercial modelling. Revealing exactly how to achieve a healthy body for modelling alongside candid lifestyle shots, her Instagram challenges us to step out of our comfort zone and become our best version. A must-follow for those of us struggling not to let health woes get the better of our workouts and those who need that extra push not to give up.

@Londonpaleogirl

Tess Seward’s London Paleo Girl Instagram is serious food porn. A dedicated foodie, Tess’s Instagram is great to follow if you’re struggling with striking a balance between nutrition and fitness. With meals for any time of day as well as snacks, achieving your goals just got closer.

@CarlyRowena

If you’re struggling with juggling fitness, work and other commitments, Carly Rowena’s blog has all the inspiration needed to maintain balance. A qualified personal trainer, she has a growing legion of online followers who rely on her easy-to-follow YouTube workouts alongside quirky Instagram quotes for daily motivation. With a balance of candid photos as well as professional snaps she makes keeping fit look fun and easy, while also remaining relatable.

This article first appeared in Women’s Fitness

Before blogs, smartphones and streamed video content, there were podcasts or “audio blogs”. The downloadable audio files were all the rage in the early noughties, giving us a reason to look forward to the morning commute, not to mention providing us with endless background entertainment while we toiled away at work. We learned more, wasted less time and laughed at a few jokes along the way – and then podcasts seemed to disappear, giving way to a more visual form of blogging media.

But podcasts are back and stronger than ever. Data shows that while the focus may have been on e-zines and video blogs in recent years podcasts have been steadily growing in popularity in the background. Here's our pick of the best podcasts for fitness fans.

Ben Coomber Radio

Best for: Active bods

Tune in: Listen to Ben chat to a multitude of industry experts – such as Pete Evans, Adam Richman, Layne Norton and John Meadows – about health, performance, nutrition, body composition and mental prowess. Start at episode one and let Ben et al expand your fit body horizons with their knowledge, passion and occasional joke. You’ll learn all about how to perform better, strive for more and be all-round happier in today’s fast-moving world. Zero adverts; engaging conversation – winner.

Length: 40-60 minutes

Subscribe: bencoomber.com/podcast

No Meat Athlete Radio

Best for: Vegan fitness fans

Tune in: Are you a vegan or veg curious? No Meat Athlete Radio is the place to come for vegan and vegetarian eating tips. Whether you want to know how to fuel your runs or what other vegan athletes eat on a typical day, this podcast will inform you. It’s not preachy, so is a great place to go if you’re thinking about quitting meat, and provides plenty of useful nutrition, motivation and running tips. There’s one episode per week, so start at the beginning now and catch up!

Length: 30-40 minutes

Subscribe: nomeatathlete.com/radio-archive

Podrunner

Best for: Exercise music lovers

Tune in: Podrunner is a long-running podcast that provides free music for runners, joggers, power-walkers, cyclists and any other tempo-based workout. Produced by San Francisco Bay DJ, Steve Boyett, Podrunner has been in the iTunes top 100 downloads since its February 2006 debut. There’s something for every athlete – interval tracks, run jog run beats and even series designed for 5K, 10K and other endurance training sessions. You’ll be hooked.

Length: 20-80 minutes

Download it: podrunner.com

Food For Fitness

Best for: Fitness foodies

Tune in: Physique and sports nutritionist Scott Baptie shares his diet, cooking and healthy-living strategies on this handy podcast. Scott, who has worked with a big range of clients from pro footballers to big-brand companies, takes the guesswork out of smart eating, so that you can lose fat, get lean, build muscle or perform better for a sport. It’s not about deprivation but about eating better through learning handy techniques and cooking tips. A great one to download if you want to overhaul your diet.

Length: 30-55 minutes

Download it: foodforfitness.co.uk/podcast

Another Mother Runner

Best for: Regular runners

Tune in: Need a running buddy? This is it. Download Another Mother Runner and enjoy the chat about training, racing, nutrition and mental toughness on your run. Main host Sarah Bowen Shea is joined by a range of expert guests, from sports nutritionists and psychologists to other mother runners and even Olympic marathoner Deena Kastor! Great conversation about how to run a sub two-hour marathon, strength train for running and eat healthily. Perfect for mums everywhere who love to run when the kids are at school!

Length: 45-70 minutes

Download it:  acast.com/anothermotherrunner

This article first appeared in Women’s Fitness

Comedian Yianni Agisilaou is about to embark on a UK tour with his show The Simpsons Taught Me Everything I Know. So what, exactly, has The Simpsons taught him?

As someone performing a show called The Simpsons Taught Me Everything I Know, people often ask me what, exactly, The Simpsons has taught me. And while it’s not everything I know, sometimes you need to exaggerate to make your point (like the man from Nantucket).

1. Play To The Lowest Common Denominator

Michelle Obama once said, “When they go low, we go high!” Admirable, but incorrect.

Lisa lamented Bart’s populist campaign for class president, watching him incite the crowd by wiping a picture of Martin on his butt while screaming, “He says there aren’t any easy answers! I say HE’S NOT LOOKING HARD ENOUGH!” Bart is Donald Trump Mark One. Sure, Bart loses the election, but only because no-one remembered to vote. The campaign, however, was sound.

In an omen of the Trump and Brexit campaigns that followed, Mayor Quimby distracts attention from his domestic failings by shifting the blame to immigrants in “Much Apu About Nothing”.

Time and again, The Simpsons shows us that far from crowds being wise, groups of people are often easily led by scapegoating (“Immigrants! Even when it was the bears I knew it was them!”), crappy ads (Mr Plow) or catchy songs (“Monorail”!).

We can discuss this and much more after my show, as there’s FREE BEER AND WINE!*

2. Be Economical With The Truth

The Simpsons can teach us a surprising amount about economics.

One episode particularly flush with wisdom is “Bart Gets An Elephant”, in which Bart wins an elephant named Stampy in a radio contest.

When Lisa worries that the person trying to buy Stampy is an ivory dealer, Homer explains some basic principles of supply and demand, reassuring her that “a guy who has lots of ivory is less likely to hurt Stampy than a guy whose ivory supplies are low”.

While Stampy lives in the backyard, Homer starts a business selling rides to neighbourhood kids for $2 apiece. Brandishing a wad of bills after day one he boasts, “Look Marge, $58 and all of it profit. I’m the smartest businessman in the world!” Marge replies “Stampy’s food bill today was $300”, teaching us that profit involves revenues and expenses.

Mention this article when you come along to my show to receive 50% REFUND OFF YOUR TICKET PRICE!*

See related 

• Life Lessons From Fathers For Father’s Day
• Life Lessons From Bond Villains
• Life Lessons from Great Britain's Mountain King

3. Tell People What They Want To Hear

In “Bart’s Inner Child”, self-help guru Brad Goodman implores Springfield to “be like the boy”, meaning to imitate Bart’s worldview and do what they feel like all the time.

The town’s subsequent Do What You Feel festival is a disaster. The bandstand collapses because the man responsible didn’t feel like bolting it, then everyone speaks frankly about each other and a brawl ensues. Classic Springfield.

When Homer runs for garbage commissioner in “Trash Of The Titans” he makes a bunch of unaffordable promises just to get elected. When he can’t deliver them, garbage piles up and the town has to be relocated five miles down the road.

On a totally unrelated note, I guarantee anyone who comes to my show everlasting happiness, financial security and VIP entry to Heaven, Valhalla or the utopian paradise of their choice!*

4. Check Your Privilege

The Simpsons taught taught me to check my privilege years before that was even a thing!

When Flanders, Krusty and Apu band together to pull Homer out of his burning house in “Homer The Heretic”, Reverend Lovejoy tells him, “God was working in the hearts of your friends and neighbours when they came to your aid, be they Christian [Flanders], Jew [Krusty] or miscellaneous” [Apu]. “Hindu,” interjects Apu. “There are 700 million of us.”

In “Lisa Vs Malibu Stacy”, Lisa laments, “It’s awful being a kid – no-one listens to you.” Grandpa concurs, “It’s rotten being old – no-one listens to you.” Homer walks by and says, “I’m a white male aged 18 to 49. Everyone listens to me, no matter how dumb my suggestions are!” before opening a tub labelled “Gum and nuts. Together at last!”

I’m a white male aged 39. I may not have the best ideas, but everyone who comes to my show will received FREE GUM AND NUTS with every ticket purchased!*

*Not a guarantee

Yianni Agisilaou’s UK tour of The Simpsons Taught Me Everything I Know runs 6th September to 9th December. Visit ycomedian.com/touring for locations and tickets

If you want to see Zac Efron with his shirt off, you won’t have to search too long for the right film. In 2016 alone you had Bad Neighbours 2, in which he was frequently shirtless, and Mike And Dave Need Wedding Dates, which displayed his abs on the poster.

And now there’s this summer’s big-screen adaptation of 1990s TV series Baywatch, in which he’s routinely running on the beach wearing – no surprise here – nothing more that those legendary red trunks and a whistle.

A quick search online for Efron yields hundreds of pictures of him in the shape of his life, while looking him up on Instagram leads you to his many, many recent beefcake photos from the Baywatch set, where he and co-star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson evidently spent their spare time engaged in bare-chested tyre-flipping contests.

RECOMMENDED: What We Learned From Insta-Stalking The Baywatch Cast

Though Efron, now 29, worked very hard to achieve his physique (the same shirtless torso that, in 2014’s Bad Neighbours, caused Seth Rogen’s character to say, “He looks like something a gay guy designed in a laboratory”) and works even harder to maintain it, he’s also aware the subject has begun to spin out of control.

The breathless online coverage of his pecs, lats, and delts expands daily, ranging from fawning (“This Woman Spraying Zac Efron’s Body Has Your Dream Job!”) to potentially disturbing (“Are buff male stars like Zac Efron driving young men to drugs and eating disorders?”).

Efron appreciates the love but as a guy who spent years running away from the first, extremely popular, version of himself – Zac Efron, Pretty Boy Teen Idol – he admits he’s now wary of being typecast all over again, this time as Zac Efron, Shredded Human Ken Doll. But that doesn’t mean Efron has any intention of letting himself go. Although it must be tempting, given his ridiculous schedule.

It’s a Sunday in LA, and we’re at a table in the garden room of the trendy Soho House. Efron flew in early yesterday from the set of Baywatch, in Savannah, Georgia; so far he’s seen his girlfriend, slept a little and filmed an entire day of reshoots on Bad Neighbours 2.

That shoot ran until 5am, after which Efron spent some more time with his girlfriend, then caught a few hours of sleep before getting up and driving over here to talk about himself over brunch.

As soon as we finish, he’ll go straight to the airport and fly back to Savannah, landing around 1am, and by 7am tomorrow, he’ll be on set again, alongside Johnson, rescuing people who are pretending to drown.

“It’s been a pretty gnarly schedule,” he says. It’s obvious he’s tired, and I half expect him to order a cheeseburger and a beer and prop up his feet. Instead, he digs into a small backpack and pulls out a plastic bottle, shakes it up and sets it on the table.

Inside is a yellow-brown liquid with a foamy head, comprising ingredients typed on a label by his nutritionist: mango, coconut and lemongrass with coconut water, virgin coconut oil, protein and almond milk.

He drinks a little, then adds water to dilute what’s left. That’s right: Efron is so committed to his body that he brings his own health drink to a place that offers at least five juice concoctions incorporating every conceivable type of vegetable as well as delightfully LA-ish ingredients such as alkaline water, montmorillonite clay and activated charcoal.

Although Efron is taller than I’d imagined at 5ft 9in (1.75cm), he seems less bulky than expected. It’s not until he pushes his sleeve up to scratch at the remnants of a fake fraternity tattoo from the previous day’s shoot that I glimpse a sign of it: a giant biceps, ridged with veins. “I guess I forgot to scrub there,” he says.

Efron sips his drink and grimaces a little. For him this is something to tolerate, not enjoy – but the pay-off is a body that, he says, feels as good as it ever has.

“Right now I’m probably physically the strongest I’ve ever felt,” he says. “Not in terms of bench press or how much I can squat, but in how quickly I could get out of this room and destroy everything in my path.”

He looks around the room – at the parents with kids, the willowy young women and men eating in sunglasses to disguise their hangovers – and laughs. Maybe this isn’t that impressive, but “if the zombie apocalypse happened right now,” he says, “I’d definitely be able to defend myself.”

Of course, Efron wasn’t always recognized for being an obscenely fit man. Or, for that matter, for being a man at all. At the height of his early fame, circa 2007, he was the extremely handsome teen star of Disney’s smash-hit High School Musical series who, according to a popularly cited but impossible-to-prove stat, was plastered on a third of all American teenage girls’ bedroom walls.

Efron probably could have made a hundred more High School Musical sequels, albums and shopping mall appearances, then retired into a life of wealthy obscurity. But he had other things in mind. “The second we finished the first one,” he says, he began to tell people this wasn’t the life he had in mind. “I was, like, 17. And I said, ‘Guys, you know this is not at all what I want to do?’ And they were like, ‘Really?’ ”

After appearing in the 2007 musical Hairspray, Efron went on to his next post-HSM projects, the teen-girl-friendly films 17 Again and Charlie St Cloud, but he quickly bailed on the Footloose remake and began to do, well, anything that wouldn’t typecast him.

There were dramas (Parkland), thrillers (The Paperboy), indies (We Are Your Friends), grown-up romances (The Lucky One and That Awkward Moment, the latter a bro-fest co-starring Michael B Jordan and Miles Teller). He even voiced a starring role in animated Dr Seuss adaptation The Lorax, and poked fun at himself in several Funny Or Die sketches.

Off-set Efron was experimenting, too. He became a recurring character in the tabloids for a series of social shenanigans. But in 2013 he went to rehab, emerged sober and immediately owned up to his problems, telling The Hollywood Reporter that it was all part of being young, single, and successful in the industry. “I’m human,” he said. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes.”

Then in May 2014, Bad Neighbours came out, and the “Efronaissance” began. The former teen idol surprised nearly everyone in Hollywood by playing a lovably arrogant prick and showing formidable comedic chops.

The film earned more than $260m (around £211m) and became the highest-grossing live-action film of co-star Seth Rogen’s career, but the biggest surprise was probably that Efron stole the movie. Like Justin Timberlake before him, he seemed to successfully shed any former teen-idol lameness and managed to come out the other side not only respectable and unscathed but also cool.

And yet, Efron is nowhere near ready to declare this transformation complete. “I step back and look at myself and I still want to kick that guy’s ass sometimes,” Efron says of his former self. “Like, fuck that guy. He’s done some kind of cool things with some cool people – he did that one thing [Bad Neighbours] that was funny – but, I mean, he’s still just that fucking kid from [High School Musical].”

That’s how Rogen felt, too, when he ran into Efron at a party a few years back. “For sure, I assumed he’d be a guy I wouldn’t like very much,” Rogen says. “But he was very self-effacing and self-deprecating, and I remember really liking him. He won me over.”

Efron says Rogen “was and is my hero” and confesses he never considered working with him “within the realm of possibility”. In their initial meeting about Bad Neighbours, Efron recalls speaking first. “I said, ‘I know what you think of me. I know because I don’t like me, so I can’t imagine what you think.’ ”

According to Rogen, it’s this self-awareness that makes Efron so endearing – it provides a level of psychological complexity that gives his characters depth. “What’s surprising about him is how sympathetic and vulnerable he seems,” Rogen says, “probably because people view him a certain way and he’s been shit on. He’s someone you sympathise with, and that’s really hard to do when you look the way he does.”

“I know that’s how people think, and it’s in the back of my mind all the time,” Efron says. “I ultimately want [those people] to want to see me in another interesting role. And that can only come with time, respect and making decisions that are hard.”

If you look closely enough, there are plenty of signs of this process at work, often in unlikely places. Efron was the first ever celebrity guest on Running Wild With Bear Grylls, the British survival expert’s US show in which Grylls takes celebrities – including President Obama – into the wild and tries to teach them to fend for themselves.

The episode opens with Efron and Grylls skydiving from a helicopter to begin their quest. Efron had jumped a grand total of once in preparation, and that was with an instructor at a much higher altitude. But then the show called for him to make a 5,000ft (around 1,500m) solo jump with a self-deploying chute. To the show’s viewers, Efron jumped out, the chute opened and he landed. In reality, he says, what happened was “one of the worst things possible.”

To be more specific, he almost died when the lead chute’s cord tangled around his ankle and wouldn’t deploy. “As I was going headfirst toward the ground I thought, ‘Something’s wrong here’,” Efron recalls. He could feel the tension of the chute’s cord tightening around his leg, “and everything went kind of white and I started to say, ‘Don’t panic, don’t panic, reach for your reserve!’ ” Jumping from only 5,000ft doesn’t give a person much time to react, but he did everything he could to free his leg. “I just started kicking wildly,” he says. “Then all of a sudden, shoomp! the parachute came out. And I went, ‘Oh my God, that was close…’”

Perhaps most surprisingly, he then just brushed it off. “I haven’t really told anybody this since then,” he says. He got on well with Grylls, and the two wandered around the woods for two days, snacking on worms, abseiling down cliffs and camping out in a cave, where they joked and told stories.

“This is a guy who’s not in the entertainment industry,” Efron says. “I don’t know what he knew of my work or if he’d seen any of it, but I was so grateful he was interested in who I was. I felt like I was talking to just a guy, a dude, with no judgments. He came in with no preconceived notions, and we talked about awesome stuff.”

Efron was born in San Luis Obispo, on California’s central coast, and spent his childhood there with his younger brother, Dylan, who now shares a house with him in Los Feliz, a suburb northwest of central LA. Their father, an electrical engineer at a power plant, and mother, a secretary who worked at the same facility, gave their boys a fairly normal life. Efron recalls that, throughout his school years, he had one defining trait: his height.

“I was the shortest kid in every grade, by a long shot,” he says. In fact he was only 5ft 1in by the time he left high school. He didn’t reach his current height until he turned 20.

His dad pushed both sons to try sports. Zac played baseball and basketball but found his size a real hindrance. It was a piano teacher who saved Efron from a life of athletic ridicule, recommending that he audition for a production of Gypsy at a nearby drama school after hearing him sing a Michael Jackson song.

Efron auditioned, got the part, “and that was it”. The show ran for 60 performances. “Once I found theatre, I’d do anything to get onstage,” he says. He took drama classes and continued to win parts, practising and performing alongside college students and even professional actors from the area.

“I was, like, 13, 14, and thrust into this world where my parents weren’t allowed, with college girls and dudes who loved to share knowledge, and it opened up a whole new world for me.”

For all our talk about getting away from the past, it’s obvious Efron still cares deeply about musical theatre. “I’d love to find a way to reinvent a musical,” he says when I ask if he’d do it again.

But for now, Efron’s reading scripts and taking meetings – but, he says, every audition is still a fight. “The only way people really get me is if they meet me,” he says. “Until that happens, I don’t think they have their heart set on me for any role. Afterward, maybe they take me more seriously.”

Efron’s fitness goal, especially for Baywatch, was to be “fast and light”. His physical archetype is Bruce Lee. “I want to be lean,” he says. “When I put on a T-shirt, I don’t want people to go, ‘Oh, that guy’s a bodybuilder’.”

To consume enough calories to carry out Baywatch’s many physically difficult scenes yet keep his body fat minimal, Efron eats a diet designed by his nutritionist, trainer Patrick Murphy. Every element – carbohydrates, fat, salt, vitamins – is broken down for every meal, so both he and Murphy can see exactly what he’s putting into his body. The diet is extremely low-carb, with an emphasis on organic whole foods.

“After a while your body stops craving junk food and you look forward to these meals,” he says. When I express my scepticism, he explains further. “There’s this trigger that happens after two or three weeks of dieting and eating healthy food, where your body switches its primary energy source from burning mainly carbohydrates to burning fat. And when it switches over, all your cravings change. You go, ‘Holy cow, I want kale and vinaigrette shredded with beets and a little bit of sweet potato!’” I wait for him to laugh. He doesn’t.

Efron was no less serious about the fitness plan created for him by Murphy, who spent ten weeks helping him “drop the last bit of body fat” and “get into the best shape of his life”. It was necessary because although, as Murphy says, “many actors train hard for a specific scene,” Efron was preparing to shoot an entire film wearing, for the most part, nothing but swimming trunks.

Murphy trained him five or six days a week, often twice a day, mixing balance and agility, strength and endurance training, plus swimming, sprinting and hiking to create what he calls “the most dynamic programme I’ve ever put together for a client”.

A few weeks after our chat in LA, Efron has a rare day off in Savannah, and I manage to get him on the phone. One thing I’d wanted to ask him about in LA, before we ran out of time, was his sobriety. Efron battled some very public drug and alcohol issues, and he’s been forthright about those episodes ever since, even discussing them with Grylls on Running Wild.

“I was caring less about the work and more about the weekend,” he told Grylls as the two prepared to eat an omelette made of wild bird eggs and earthworms. “I don’t want to have to take anything from the outside to feel good on the inside.”

And when I bring it up, Efron isn’t reticent. Working out has definitely helped, he says. “When I’m very careful about my fitness and have a goal in mind, it keeps me motivated and balanced. I wake up earlier. I don’t feel the need to be out [socialising] – that kills your day, your hobbies, and your motivation.”

Fitness, he says, is now a key part of a formula that seems to be working: “Balancing sobriety and work and finding that comfortable place where you feel like a good person.”

Spending weeks in Savannah, far from home, working alongside The Rock isn’t likely to lead to a relapse, either. Johnson, Efron says, is exactly what any of us imagine him to be: a superhero in corporeal form, “like the genes just clicked and made this dude”.

Efron wakes up at 5am to train – but Johnson rises by 4am. “He’s getting less sleep than I am and he already did a post on Instagram at 5.30am, doing the most ridiculous leg day you’ve ever seen,” Efron says. “He’s reached nirvana – muscle nirvana.”

The admiration, it turns out, is mutual. “Athletes know how hard it is to prep, train, and diet for a competition,” Johnson says. “It’s months of focused sacrifice all leading up to one particular event that takes place in one night. In the case of Baywatch, Zac’s had to apply the diet and training strategy of an elite athlete, but he’s also had the ‘added bonus’ of needing to maintain that look for months while we’re shooting. Zac committed to be the best version of himself possible and did it. He came in looking like a fucking animal.” The two have been gleefully bro-ing out ever since.

Early one day on set, as the cameras were preparing to roll, Johnson noticed Efron working with some stretch bands – “to, as Arnold says, ‘get the pump on’, ” he explains. Johnson asked Efron to toss one his way, and the two commenced prepping their movie-star muscles for the first scenes. The ridiculousness of the moment poured over Efron. “Here we are lifting weights on the beach, surrounded by a bunch of people watching. It was one of the most ridiculously narcissistic moments of my life.”

Efron has every reason to be self-satisfied – he looks incredible, he’s strong as hell, his career’s going amazingly, he’s friends with The Rock for heaven’s sake – and yet he’s not resting on his laurels. After our interview he’s off to be fitted for a new bike so he can take up cycling, and months later completes his first triathlon. Something tells us he’s just going to get better and better.

This interview first appeared in the US edition of Men’s Fitness

Like its anatomical namesake, the festive perineum is the boring bit that stretches between two much more interesting parts. It comes after Boxing Day when the relatives have gone home, it’s freezing cold, you’re bloated with carbs and cider, and there’s nothing to do before the New Year fitness regime kicks in – and it’s the perfect time for a TV binge.

The trouble is, you’ve worked your way through Breaking Bad and it’s months till the new seasons of Daredevil and Orange Is The New Black. With all those empty hours stretching out till 3rd January, why not dive into something you might not normally try? Coach looks beyond the usual American and British offerings to find some unexpected TV gems.

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The Disappearance

Since The Killing, TV has seen a rash of miseryguts homicide detectives solving crimes with little regard for social niceties, and joining the likes of Broadchurch and The Bridge is this French series. Newly arrived in Lyon, Commandant Bertrand Molina (nicely played by stone-faced comedian François-Xavier Demaison) is immediately forced to deal with the disappearance of 17-year-old Léa Morel (Camille Razat) at a music festival. Tensions rise as the police’s search reveals some uncomfortable truths for her family and friends, exacerbated by Molina’s high-handed, by-the-book professionalism. A classic mystery with suspects and red herrings galore, it’s an easy but involving watch that doesn’t outstay its welcome.

Best thing about it? Alix Poisson and Pierre-François Martin-Laval as Léa’s devastated parents are wholly convincing, but probably the most enjoyable element is the developing rapport between Molina and perpetually hungry partner Camille Guérin (Alice Pol).

How much time do you need to devote to it? Eight hours.

You’ll like it if you like… The Killing, especially if you thought the first season – where, as here, a teenage girl vanishes and we see the shattering impact on her family – was too long at 20 episodes. Available on Amazon Instant Video (not Prime), iTunes, DVD, Blu-ray

IRIS

Revenge. Preventing tragedy. The love of a good woman. Action-hero motivation is usually pretty predictable – but for NSS operatives Kim Hyun-jun (Lee Byung-hun) and Jin Sa-woo (Jung Joon-ho), their cause is a far nobler one: the reunification of Korea. Oh… and there’s the love of a good woman too, although unfortunately it’s the same one for both Kim and Jin. As the secret agents fight for the future of the peninsula, competing agencies appear out of nowhere, good guys are bad guys and vice versa, characters are horribly killed except not really, and it all adds up to a rocket-fuelled international espionage thriller – the most expensive Korean TV drama ever made – that will keep you nailed to your sofa.

Best thing about it? The breakneck shifts from romance to action will keep you on your toes, while the locations – it was shot in Japan and Hungary as well as Korea – are beautifully showcased with some dizzying camerawork.

How much time do you need to devote to it? 20 hours.

You’ll like it if you like… The much-missed, always exciting, extremely silly early-2000s US spy drama Alias, with Jennifer Garner. Available on Netflix

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Thicker Than Water

You thought Swedish TV was all grim-faced detectives and dead bodies? Think again. Sometimes it’s sun-drenched, dreamy family dramas… and dead bodies. The Waldemar siblings are reunited at their family’s guesthouse on the holiday island of Åland without knowing why – until their mother takes her own life, and her will instructs them to spend the season managing the hotel together if they want their inheritance. Eldest brother Lasse (Björn Bengtsson), a struggling Stockholm restaurateur, younger sister Jonna (Aliette Opheim), an actor, and middle child Oskar (Joel Spira), who manages the guesthouse with his wife Liv (Jessica Grabowsky), start out with the best intentions but they can’t escape the troubles in their past. How did Lasse’s restaurant get set on fire? What happened to their father? And why is that sexy vicar taking her top off in front of Oskar? Some of these questions will be answered.

Best thing about it? Spira’s performance is a masterclass in middle-child insecurity, as he keeps Oskar’s jealousy and resentment simmering beneath the surface – most of the time.

How much time do you need to devote to it? Ten hours.

You’ll like it if you like… Netflix’s Bloodline, with which it shares some similarities in theme if not tone. Available on All4, DVD

Club de Cuervos

Sex, drugs, family, politics and football – this glossy Mexican drama has everything you could want from a TV binge. When the long-serving chairman of Cuervos FC dies, his daughter Isabel (Mariana Treviño) assumes she will succeed him, only to be passed over for her feckless younger brother Chava (Luis Gerardo Méndez), who harbours grandiose plans to make Cuervos the Real Madrid of Latin America… if he can stop partying long enough. Cue the inevitable conflict, which the writers mine expertly for both drama and comedy. Depending on who you support, you may also find some pointed satire about the way football clubs are run.

Best thing about it? Undoubtedly Treviño, whose teeth-grinding, fist-shaking frustration is a delight.

How much time do you need to devote to it? With the second season released in early December, there are 23 episodes of around 40 minutes each.

You’ll like it if you like… Fiery women striving to achieve their ambitions and cast off the shackles of their overbearing families. Yes, it’s basically Game Of Thrones but with football and wealthy Mexican playboys. Available on Netflix

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Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries

If you want something beyond the usual UK and US stuff that rules the TV schedules but would rather not read subtitles, how about this series of enjoyable whodunits set in 1920s Melbourne? Phryne Fisher (Essie Davis) is the sharp-witted detective running rings around murderers and police alike, solving the homicides of everyone from antiques dealers and magazine columnists to schoolgirls and chambermaids, all while quaffing champagne and showing off the most glamorous flapper fashions ever seen in Victoria. It’s true comfort viewing, with the intrigue and wit sometimes just a backdrop to costumes and set decoration, and it’s impossible to overdose on it – especially in your post-Christmas daze.

Best thing about it? When the dialogue and plotting sag, there’s always the gorgeously recreated sets to goggle at.

How much time do you need to devote to it? 36 hours, but without an overarching narrative to drive it, you can dip in and out as much as you like.

You’ll like it if you like… Poirot, because it’s basically Australian Poirot, except the quirky-but-brilliant art-deco detective has a sleek bob instead of a waxed moustache. Available on Netflix, DVD

Locked Up

A naïve blonde woman is sent to jail after doing one too many dodgy favours for her boss, who’s also her lover. Out of her depth and terrified, she is forced to negotiate the dangerous, unfamiliar prison territory and figure out who can and can’t be trusted among the staff and inmates. It may sound a familiar premise, but while Orange Is The New Black focuses on character and social issues, this Spanish series is a straight-up thriller – although like OITNB, Locked Up exploits the setting for some unsettling black comedy. After her cellmate is murdered, newly incarcerated Macarena Ferreiro (Maggie Civantos) decides the only way to survive is to get out, which means unearthing a bundle of money hidden somewhere on the outside. Cue violence, chicanery, betrayal, more violence… and the obligatory lesbian affair. Eminently bingeworthy.

Best thing about it? Najwa Nimri’s scenery-chewing turn as the villainous Zulema is cartoonish but hugely entertaining – hey, all prisoners in Spain are allowed to keep pet scorpions in their cells, right? – as is Ramiro Blas’s as creepy Dr Sandoval.

How much time do you need to devote to it? Eleven hours, with another season on its way.

You’ll like it if you like… Prison Break, 24 and anything else with a penchant for expertly crafted cliffhanger endings. Just one more episode… Available on All4

Salamander

A bank robbery. Secret documents. A government cover-up. A maverick detective who won’t let go of the truth. Salamander has all the clichéd elements of all the most clichéd conspiracy thrillers but… there’s no but. Let’s face it, this isn’t the time of year to get into anything heavy, and this Belgian drama rushes by at a pace that lets you forgive its most hackneyed plot points. There are shadowy agents, and flashbacks to the war, and car bombs in suburbia, and in the midst of it all Inspector Paul Gerardi (Filip Peeters) maintains a permanent blank face and a dogged dedication to exposing the criminals. Ridiculous fun.

Best thing about it? There are just so many it’s hard to choose. The bit where Gerardi basically breaks the case thanks to a gobsmackingly massive coincidence. Or the fact that – for some unknown reason – he has an actual monk to do all his Googling for him. Or his lovely snowy-white beard. It’s the monk, isn’t it?

How much time do you need to devote to it? There are a dozen 45-minute episodes, with another season – yes! – reportedly on its way.

You’ll like it if you like… Switching your brain off and going with the flow. Available on Amazon Instant Video (not Prime), DVD

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What’s been your worst injury?

I had a few bad injuries in my basketball career (Thor played for Iceland), I broke my ankle two times and had to have surgery. That was the main reason why I decided to take a break because I was always getting injured and the recovery afterwards was so long. In my younger years I trained three times a day and I believe the bones in my ankle got broken because there was too much jumping and pressure on my feet. While I was healing I fell in love with weights and how I saw my body transform – every day I could see it change. It was unbelievable how my body responded. It just exploded.

Which excuse for not going to the gym/working out are you most ashamed of?

I’m filming for 12 hours, I’m extremely tired and I don’t have the energy, but I’ll still go. It has happened where I might have woken up at 4am, then had makeup, then filmed for 12 hours and I’m supposed to be training that day, but it’s impossible to. So sometimes I have to skip a session.

What’s your most impressive personal best?

I was competing in the World’s Strongest Viking competition and after I won it, the organiser asked if I wanted to try and break a 1,000-year-old record.

It was held by another Viking named Orm Storolfsson – it took seven big men to help him lift a big wooden log that he had to carry, then he took that log on his shoulders and took three steps with it. That man was known for being extremely strong and doing unbelievable things, but his back broke under the enormous pressure. He was never the same after that – he died not so long after.

I decided that I wanted to give it a try. I picked the log up with my shoulders and I felt the pressure going through my bones. I took five steps and on the fifth step my back was in so much pain I dropped it. I did not know how many steps I’d taken but when I saw the people around me cheering, I knew I’d done it. I was very happy, and even more pleased when I realised my back was not broken!

Which day of the week is your unhealthiest?

Saturday or Sunday, it depends on where I am in the world. Usually I take my cheat days with my girlfriend, so I’ll have myself a pizza or ice cream – whatever I want. Throughout the week I eat very healthily, and drink a lot of water. SodaStream is encouraging people to drink more water. We have a good saying: “Fuck plastic bottles.” Every day more than one billion plastic bottles are being used and thrown away – they’re in the landscape, they’re going into our oceans, killing the dolphins, doing bad things to Mother Earth.

If you could be a professional at any sport, what would it be?

I sometimes still play basketball for fun – I’ll pick a ball up and go and shoot with friends. If I’m in a gym somewhere in the world and they have a basketball court, I might play as a warm-up before I train, too. I always enjoy basketball and so if I have the time then I’ll definitely do it.

Who’s your fitness idol?

Obviously I looked up to Jón Páll Sigmarsson – he won World’s Strongest Man four times, he was a great guy and was loved by everyone. I also have a tattoo of him on my left leg, alongside a quote from him. Then Arnold Schwarzenegger – he’s a big idol to me and he has done so many great things, just as a human being. Dwayne Johnson, he is an incredible man and is so dedicated – he motivates me every day. I could name more? Michael Jordan: he was a big inspiration when I was playing basketball, and he still is. There are so many great athletes that I look up to.

Thor Bjornsson has partnered with sparkling water maker, SodaStream, to urge people to stop using polluting plastic bottles that are harming our environment and switch to fresh sparkling water on tap.

Baby, it’s cold outside, so why not stay in with your significant other(s) and stream your way through 2016’s best shows without ever having to leave your sofa?

People Just Do Nothing

“Are you ready ready London, for the sound of The Artful Dooodgaarr!” If you don’t recognise that, then chances are a lot of People Just Do Nothing will go over your head, but if that head is full of looped garage music, then it’ll be your favourite show. This hilarious mockumentary follows a bunch of no-marks as they attempt to run their own pirate radio station, as well as handle club nights and record singles. It’s one of the best comedies to come out of the BBC in yonks, and just keeps getting better. INSIDE! Season 3 available on BBC iPlayer

Stranger Things

This brilliant retro eight-parter surrounds the disappearance of a young boy and a mysterious telekinetic girl. A must for fans of ’80s horror and sci-fi, it’s chock-full of subtle and not-so-subtle references to the best the era had to offer. Available on Netflix

Rick and Morty

Morty is whisked off by his eccentric mad-scientist grandfather Rick on a series of insane adventures that span universes and dimensions. Anything goes: episodes can run the gamut from childish to inventive to dark. Like nothing else on TV. Seasons 1-2 available on Netflix

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Banshee

If you fancy OTT ultraviolence, bad language and gratuitous sex, this ludicrous show is for you. In between all the carnage, there’s a convoluted story about a man released from prison who secretly takes up the mantle of sheriff in a small Amish town. Seasons 1-4 available on Sky Box Sets

Daredevil / Luke Cage

Although it may feel like superhero movies are all that’s on at the cinema these days, they’ve been taking over our TVs, too. Marvel’s doing what it’s doing on the big screen on Netflix as well, albeit on a smaller scale, and two of its best series this year were Luke Cage and the second season of Daredevil. The latter probably topped it (just because The Punisher was so good), but it’s worth catching up on everything (including last year’s Jessica Jones) before they all come together for The Defenders. All seasons available on Netflix

Black Mirror

This latest series is properly good and contains perhaps the best episode ever in San Junipero, a cheek-wipingly great tale that is immediately ruined as soon as you try to describe it. Just sit back and soak it up, you absolute sponge, you. Seasons 1-3 available on Netflix

Game Of Thrones

It’s great watching naked people get stabbed by swords, isn’t it? So says your 12-year-old brother. However, it’s way more than just that (although it is that too). The latest season includes the astonishing episode “Battle Of The Bastards”. Season 6 on Amazon Video, £22.99

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Mr Robot

Mr Robot focuses on a genius who hacks into big corporations to bring about global financial chaos. Oh, and he’s got a split personality. He’s played by Rami Malek in an amazingly jittery performance: Christian Slater is the other highlight. Season 1-2 available on Amazon Prime

The Night Manager

Tom Hiddleston goes James Bond in this sultry adap of the John le Carré spy novel, while Hugh Laurie is a revelation as the villain. The tension never lets up as the characters jet around the globe doing dastardly things. Much more fun than a show of this name should be. Available on BBC Store from £9.99

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Broad City

Graduating from a short web show to a proper TV series, this hilarious, childish sitcom follows real-life bessie mates Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson as they navigate around New York getting into hijinks. Get involved before they become massive stars. Season 1-3 available on Sky Box Sets

It’s that special time of year again and you’ve already watched Home Alone 1 and 2, Elf twice, and fallen asleep during Bad Santa. All of which means you’re likely thoroughly sick of Christmas films, so it’s time to mix things up with something altogether more thrilling.

The Purge: Election Year, available now as a digital download, is the perfect tonic for anyone feeling queasy from watching too many sugary festive films. The third instalment in the Purge series, Election Year once again showcases the drama and danger of a 12-hour period where all crime is made legal.

This time, things get political, with the Purge itself at stake. Presidential candidate Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell) is set on outlawing the Purge if elected, much to the consternation of the ruling New Founding Fathers of America, who hatch a plan to use the upcoming Purge to eliminate Roan.

Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo), who starred as The Sergeant in The Purge: Anarchy, is now Roan’s head of security, and is handed the unenviable task of defending her. Naturally Roan opts to see out the Purge in her unsecured home in order to win a few more votes.

In this exclusive clip, we see Barnes contemplate exactly how he is going to keep Roan safe in her home. It’s fair to say he’s not delighted with the set up.

As you might expect, Roan’s house does not prove the secure environment required to see out Purge night (that would be one boring movie), and with a little betrayal thrown into the mix, it’s not long before she and Barnes are forced out onto the streets of Washington DC.

The Purge: Election Year is available on digital download now (buy on amazon.co.uk) and is coming to Blu-ray™ and DVD on 26th December 2016, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Pre-order on amazon.co.uk

So many days off work, so much sport to watch… Thankfully, very few of your favourite sports stars are allowed Christmas off, which means the best in the world competing live in your living room – even on Christmas Day itself. In the spirit of competition, here’s Coach’s top 10 events to catch.

PDC World Championship

Over the past decade this annual festival of darts has become as important a Christmas tradition as mince pies and rewatching Die Hard. The audiences keep getting larger, with the well-oiled crowd at Ally Pally almost as much of a spectacle as the darts itself. This year reigning champ Gary Anderson will attempt to become just the second man to claim a third world title, with stiff competition from favourite Michael van Gerwen and 14-time winner Phil Taylor. December 15-January 2, Sky Sports

India vs England Fifth Test

Since England bested them 2-1 across four Tests in 2012/13, India have been dominant on home soil. England have shown flashes of brilliance this series, but it will take a Herculean effort to win. December 16-20, Sky Sports 2

Leicester Tigers vs Munster

There’s plenty of European Champions Cup action over December and January, and this looks like the pick of the fixtures. Both have enjoyed success in the tournament, but neither’s made the final since 2009. December 17, 3.15pm, BT Sport

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors

This repeat of last season’s NBA Finals match-up is the perfect way to wake yourself up after the traditional Christmas Day afternoon snooze. December 25, 7.30pm, BT Sport

King George VI Chase, Kempton

The highlight of the festive racing schedule, this will feature some of the finest gee-gees in jump racing, and provide an insight into the best bets for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National. December 26, Channel 4

UFC 207: Nunes vs Rousey

Along with Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey is one of UFC’s two bona fide superstars, so her long-awaited return to the Octagon is an event no fan should miss, even if it involves a very late night. December 30, BT Sport

Rangers vs Celtic

Some might question the wisdom of scheduling the Old Firm derby on one of the booziest days of the year. Celtic beat Rangers 1-0 in the cup and delivered a 5-1 shellacking at Celtic Park in Sept: expect a response from Rangers on home turf.
December 31, 12:15pm, Sky Sports 1

Liverpool vs Man City

The Premier League’s two most entertaining sides should serve up a classic to start your New Year’s Eve revels, with Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp facing off for the first time on English soil. December 31, 17:30, BT Sport 1

Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea

Last season’s Battle of Stamford Bridge saw 12 yellow cards (nine for Spurs) and four goals as Chelsea came from 2-0 down to draw and seal Leicester City’s remarkable Premier League title win. That should add some spice to a game that needs little extra in the way of flavouring, with both teams jockeying for position around the top of the table and London pride on the line, not forgetting Chelsea having beaten Spurs 2-1 just a few weeks ago. January 4, 8pm, Sky Sports 1

College Football National Championship Game

US college football’s equivalent of the Super Bowl may not get the ratings of its NFL equivalent, but tends to be watched by around 30 million. So stay up late. January 9, ESPN on BT Sport/ESPN Player

Christmas and movies go together like new toys and unsupplied batteries. Whether it’s the annual viewing of a festive classic you could recite in your sleep, or escaping the Christmas madness in a darkened room for a few hours, it’s a highlight for many. But which to choose? Coach is here to save Christmas with the 10 best films you can see in the cinema over the next month.

RECOMMENDED: 6 Memorable Onscreen Office Christmas Parties

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

You must watch this, because it’ll barely be January before people will be screaming “YOU HAVEN’T SEEN STAR WARS YET?” into your ears. There’s not much more to say about it other than it’s going to be massive, regardless of the fact that it’s actually just a spin-off from the main Star Wars storyline that you all know, love and worryingly obsess over. However, this one does feature kung-fu superstar Donnie Yen in a prominent role, and that’s most definitely something to get excited about. In cinemas December 16

Passengers

This sci-fi concerns two attractive people (Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt) who wake from a long cryo-sleep on a spaceship still 90 years from its destination. Then, because they’re both impossibly beautiful, they fall in love. And there are explosions. In cinemas December 21

Donnie Darko

Does anyone understand Donnie Darko? The answer is no. We can all agree that it’s great, though. To celebrate its 15th anniversary it’s been given a 4k makeover for a limited run in cinemas. Exclusively at the BFI from Dec 17, then cinemas nationwide from Dec 23

Collateral Beauty

Feast your eyes on the cast list: Will Smith, Edward Norton, Keira Knightley, Michael Peña, Naomie Harris, Kate Winslet and Helen Mirren. This follows a bloke who writes letters and receives unexpected responses. Schmaltzy, but it is Christmas. In cinemas December 26

Elf

Everybody likes Elf, and it’s traditional to watch it every year – a pastime that has led to many people knowing the film off by heart. If you fall into this bracket, then head down to the Prince Charles Cinema with other Elf experts for screenings which encourage you to talk along with the film. If that sounds like a nightmare, the same cinema also provides quieter screenings which come with a free mince pie and mulled wine. Try shouting: “You sit on a throne of lies!” in the middle of these as well. Screenings in Prince Charles Cinema throughout December

Why Him?

Everything Bryan Cranston stars in is gold, just by virtue of having him in it. His latest film concerns “Branston” meeting his daughter’s new boyfriend, played by James Franco on wonderfully obnoxious form, and a hilarious war breaks out between them. In cinemas December 26

Assassin’s Creed

Michael Fassbender headlines this video game adap as a bloke on death row whom is trained by a shadowy organisation to defeat some bad guys; he does this by running about on rooftops in a hoodie. This will rule the box office as we leap into 2017. In cinemas January 1

A Monster Calls

One hell of a weepie, this concerns a young lad with a dying mother who is visited by a giant tree (played by a baritone Liam Neeson) who tells him stories. Maybe not the most cheery film with which to start 2017, but weirdly uplifting all the same. In cinemas January 1

Silence

A historical epic from Martin Scorsese about a pair of Jesuit priests who travel to Japan in search of their mentor (Neeson again – he really does have a particular set of skills). It’s all very epic and tragic, so will please the Academy by the look of things. In cinemas January 1

The Eagle Huntress

If you fancy something less Hollywood, try this fascinating documentary. It follows a 13-year-old Mongolian girl who is to become the first female eagle hunter in her country. A story of family, danger and rising up against an outdated patriarchy. In cinemas December 16

Who did you look up to growing up?

I grew up in a single-parent household and my mother and my gran were huge influences in my life. My mum was a very inspiring woman. She was always pushing me to be the best that I could be, and always instilling good values in us as kids. But also being tough with us – I feel like I have a very good work ethic and so much of that comes from my mum.

Career-wise, I grew up idolising Newman and McQueen. In fact, that Newman/Redford duo – they made two of my favourite movies: The Sting and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Those movies had so much heart, adventure and mischief, that you go “How could I not want to do that, live in that world and have those kind of relationships?”

Who helped you out in your career?

There was a casting director who gave me a helping hand and a lot of advice. I was assisting her casting a play and I asked the director at the coffee shop on the second day if I could come and read for it. She (the casting director) had secretly coached me in what would be a good performance – it was Shakespeare and I’d never done that in my life. I went in and got offered the job – it was my first role as an actor and I think if that hadn’t happened, who knows where I would be right now?

Which celebrity would you turn to for down-to-earth advice?

I’ll tell you who has been amazing in advising me both in my career and personal life: Bill Nighy. He’s just such a genius and a wise man, and he knows how to knock you and shake you. I honestly think that he’s my favourite actor to watch on stage. It’s incredible to see him perform – he’s so alive, and so I still get a bit starstruck, like “Wow, look at him up there. That’s the guy who’s spending time to help me out.”

Whose opinion do you care about?

Sadly, my mum is still one of the few people who’s completely truthful with me: “Oh Gerard, enough of that action stuff, can’t you do a sweet little drama?” There’s nothing better than seeing your family proud of you. I also remember when Olympus Has Fallen came out, and Robert Downey Jr sent me an email talking about how much he loved it, he said it reminded him of movies in the ’90s, sitting in the crowd with people shouting shit at the screen, and then he says “And by the way, Barbra Streisand now officially thinks you’re hot” because he watched it with her! Moments like that, where people dig what you do in surprising ways, is one of the freshest and most fun things about this business.

They say you shouldn’t meet your idols – have you ever found this to be untrue?

Most of the time I find that to be untrue – my fear is when people meet me. I think “How can I live up to it?” I’m sure they’re walking away thinking “Oh, is that it?” For me it’s important to always be nice because I know how meaningful it is to me.

One example would be meeting Bill Clinton – he’s a big hero of mine. He was so charming and interesting, and in fact he’s a big fan. I saw him speak and he talked about having me in the audience and how I’d helped him! But as a person one-on-one, he was just a fascinating man, but also really giving of his time.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

“Stop taking yourself so damn seriously.” I think it was my agent who said it to me one time when I was bitching about something. It sounds trite, but it’s amazing how if you really follow that through, how much it brightens up your life. It doesn’t mean “don’t make an effort”, but at the end of the day this is fun, we’re lucky to be alive. I notice that when there’s a lightness and breeziness to how I’m going through things, everything works so much better.

Who’s the biggest on-set practical joker you’ve encountered?

Honestly, me. I do it all the time. I live for practical jokes on set and it’s an addiction. I remember one a few years ago on Gamer, where I got all the stunt guys to sign a card to the directors saying “What a blast it is working with you guys,” and we sent them a box of doughnuts. But the next day I had us all pull our pants down and take a photo of some doughnuts in our arses – we printed it out and sent it to the directors with another card. That was one of my favourites…

What does the Man Of Today mean to you?

It’s those kinds of classic values that definite a man, like passion, courage, determination and diligence. Also, and this is where I really dig the idea, is it’s a multi-faceted man in all areas of your life – for me, I’m all about success, but not just in my career, in all different areas, whether that’s relationships, adventures or spiritually.

How does a Boss fragrance encapsulate this?

It’s not one particular thing – it has it all. It has that classic spicy fragrance, but then also a number of top notes and base notes. It also seems to have lasted into modern times as well, so I think that it’s – dare i say it – multi-faceted as well.

How important is it for a man to find his fragrance?

Look, is he going to die without it? No. I’m sure he’ll get by, but there's nothing better than when you have a fragrance that's part of who you are – it’s just like your favourite jacket or shirt. It all adds to the richness of who you are and helps you to be more comfortable, sexy, whatever that may be. I think that it’s important, but I wouldn’t want to say it’s essential.

RECOMMENDED: The Best Men’s Fragrances

Gerard Butler is the face of the iconic, award-winning Boss Bottled fragrance (£45 for 50ml; debenhams.com), now also available in Boss Bottled Intense Eau de Parfum (£49.99 for 50ml; debenhams.com) both available from Debenhams stores nationwide.

What can we expect from your live shows?

They’re based on a book I’ve just written called Universal – it’s primarily cosmology, and focuses on what we know about the origin and evolution of the universe and what we know about what happened before the Big Bang. It also addresses questions of how we should react to cosmology, because there’s at least two trillion galaxies in the observable universe, but there are new theories that there might not even be one universe, but possibly an infinity of them. Plus some comedy from Robin Ince and some Q&As, so it’s a lot of stuff crammed into two hours.

How do you avoid the lure of the service station pasty?

I avoid that because I exercise a lot, and I’ve got a trainer who sometimes comes with me on the tours. I’m quite careful to not go too crazy with things like that, although I did have too much wine last night…

What’s your most impressive personal best?

I’m probably fittest now actually, because I train three times a week, and that’s made me a lot fitter than when I used to run. I think that circuit training is – for me anyway – significantly better. I did do the Great North Run last year. I used to run a half-marathon in about 1.42, and even though I hadn’t run one for years or done any training, I was actually on target for 1.45 until the 11th or 12th miles. I hadn’t put enough into the legs and I came in about 1.52, which I was really pissed off about.

Have you ever pulled a muscle in less-than-heroic circumstances?

You know those bands that you can exercise with? I was using those about nine months ago and I nearly snapped one of the tendons in my finger – the end of it was hanging down. You’d think I was doing boxing or something, but it was just taking the band off my leg. It’s still not right, actually. Catastrophically stupid injury.

Which excuse for not going to the gym/working out are you most ashamed of?

The thing is, I’m so semi-obsessed with it that I will always go! My problem psychologically is when I can’t, if I’m touring and I can’t do my regular training. I really look forward to it, so I don’t ever feel any need to get out of it.

Have you ever secretly impressed yourself with a feat of strength?

Yesterday I was doing a one-armed plank – it’s a new thing I’ve started doing and I was quite impressed that I managed to do it for quite a long time. That’s the thing about exercise – you get strong and you get surprised at the things you can do, that you never could have done before.

What’s the best way to spice up a boring jog?

I never listen to music, I like to look at the world. When I was staying in the hills near Manchester, I was doing the same run but throughout the year – it’s interesting, you pay attention to what’s happening as the seasons change. Even in London, if I do go for a run, I like to go down to the Thames and take a look at what’s happening. For me it’s paying attention.

What’s the most extreme thing you’ve done in the name of good health or fitness?

The most physically taxing thing I did wasn’t actually in the name of health or fitness, but was when I was filming for Human Universe. I did some astronaut training in Russia. I got in a big pond while wearing a spacesuit – and that is incredibly hard work. I was in there for a couple of hours and it’s really difficult trying to manoeuvre around. I have unbelievable respect for astronauts after experiencing that.

What’s the longest you have gone without alcohol in the name of good health?

I go more these days for moderation. I only drink wine now and again, and apart from the odd crazy thing – like when there’s an American election – I only drink a couple of glasses. But if I go out for dinner, then I’ll have a glass of wine.

Have you ever “let yourself go” at any point in your life?

When you’re on television you’ve pretty much got a record of what you look like over the years, and actually before I started with my trainer I’d just finished making a series called Wonders Of Life. I look back at that and, compared to what I am now, I think: “Wow, you had a few pounds on you…”

Extra shows for Professor Brian Cox Live are on sale now – briancoxlive.co.uk

Perhaps the reigning kung fu king of the western action movie market, Scott Adkins performs physical feats like no other – but how does he stay in top fighting form when faced with such a busy schedule?

How would you rate your fitness on a scale of one to 10?

For the films I do, you have to be really fit, but if I’m doing a fight sequence we tend to shoot it in shorter takes, so I only need to be fit for about eight seconds! I’m not a massive fan of cardio but I don’t need to be, so I could be fitter cardiovascular-wise. Seven out of ten; I’ll be hard on myself.

How important is health and fitness to you?

It’s everything, because I’m a physical performer. I always wanted to be involved in action films – when I was a kid I looked up to Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, and I still do. It’s a huge part of who I am; I’ve been doing it since I was 12. I pride myself on being able to do most of my own stunts or whatever the producers allow me to do, so being at the top of my game is very important and I intend to do it for many years.

What do you do, fitness-wise?

If I’m playing a part that requires me to be bigger or more muscular then I’ll up the weight training to put on more size, but my routine stays the same. I tend to do more plyometric stuff for my lower body, because it helps with the jumps or kicks – also I’ve had some back problems in the past, so I don’t like to load up my neck with heavy weights. I’ll also do martial arts training, gymnastics training and lots of stretching and yoga.

What do you do to motivate yourself?

I enjoy it, so I don’t have to motivate myself. However, sometimes the motivation is clear – I’m probably going to be doing a film where I’ll be taking my top off, so you don’t want to be looking out of shape. Having said that, I find it hard to stay in perfect shape all year round, so it is nice to do a film where that’s not a priority. I can start eating things that I enjoy a bit more and I can take the steam out of the training a little bit. Then once I’ve had a month or two like that I’ll get the bug again and want to get straight back into it.

What will you never do again?

With martial arts, I hate the wrestling – there’s nothing worse than having a big, sweaty guy on top of you, breathing into your face, dripping sweat into your eyes. Also, cardio – I don’t like going for long runs, I like to hit the mitts with some kickboxing.

How is your fitness fingerprint unique to you and your career?

It’s probably easier for me to stay fit because I’m entrenched in that world – it’s all about looking good and being able to do physical things. I can see how people with a nine to five find it hard to get the motivation to get to the gym, especially if they’ve been working all day. In between films I’ll get into better shape as I can structure my training. With something like the Undisputed films, it doesn’t matter how hard the 14 hours of shooting was, I’ve got to get in the gym and get that weights session in.

Doctor Strange is currently in cinemas and is due for DVD release early 2017.

Office Christmas Party

Office Christmas parties are strange. Sometimes they can be amazing because you get to have a huge blow-out with all your work pals. They can be terribly depressing, because you hate everyone you work for and it’s being held in the breakout area. Or they can be hugely awkward, because you cheated on your partner with the intern and/or ripped the arse out of your trousers on the dancefloor.

Either way, chances are you’ll be going to one this December. This film promises the most debauched, out-of-control, crude and violent Christmas party you’ll ever be invited to (if by invited you mean watching, anyway) and features a top-notch cast of comedy royalty, including (deep breath): Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston, TJ Miller, Kate McKinnon, Olivia Munn, Jillian Bell and Rob Corddry.

Essentially, all these funny people get up to various funny things, and you laugh at their funny moments. Then you receive an email the next morning saying you’ve been sacked because you drank too much at your own office party two days before. Happy Christmas! In cinemas December 7

RECOMMENDED: 6 Memorable Onscreen Office Christmas Parties

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

If you’ve ever seen Hot Rod, you’ll know how good the Lonely Island troupe can be when given the chance to make a film. Because hardly anyone saw that film, however, hardly anyone saw this one either, even though it was hilarious. It’s a pitch-perfect send-up of the pop music industry, and follows an irritating div called Conner Friel, or “Conner4Real” on his quest to become a solo success after his previous group, The Style Boyz, disbands. It’s childish and stupid but also very clever and skewers the music industry right through its dark heart. The songs are hilarious, too. Available for download December 12. Pre-order on amazon.co.uk

I Am Not A Serial Killer

Is he or isn’t he? Well, that would be telling, obviously, and this isn’t a spoiler. This clever little flick follows a weird child who has more than enough to deal with in his own brain without having to sort out a murder spree in his home town. It’s an interesting psychological twist on the serial-killer movie, mainly because there’s an inhuman element to the proceedings that keeps things fresh all the way through. What’s more, it features an absolutely bonkers performance from Christopher Lloyd and a lovely splash of grue to keep the gorehounds happy, too. In cinemas and on demand December 9

Snowden

Oliver Stone makes good movies, doesn’t he? Natural Born Killers was good, Platoon was decent, we’re not sure about Alexander but, hey, Wall Street certainly holds up. Thankfully, so does this one. It tells the story of infamous US security service whistleblower Edward Snowden, and you can be sure you’re getting the real deal, because the film has supposedly been approved by the man himself.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is brilliant in the central role – he’s so convincing, in fact, that it’s uncanny at times. If you’ve seen the documentary Citizenfour, you’ll recognise real-life moments that correspond with scenes in the film so that sometimes it’s almost difficult to tell them apart. In cinemas December 9

From a graphic design agency’s nudity-themed shindig to a madcap hootenanny at a Victorian rubber chicken factory, Hollywood has brought us plenty of noteworthy festive office gatherings. So would you rather go to one of these than your real-life Xmas do? Coach decks the halls – not the boss – and looks back at some of its favourites.

1. Die Hard (1988)

If you worked for a hugely successful Japanese company in LA at the end of the 1980s, the least you’d expect would be a stonking Christmas party. Plus if you’re a VP, you get to invite your estranged spouse from New York to show off how successful you are. What could go wrong with that?

Traditional elements The gun-toting Euro-terrorists may not be a long-established custom – but among the first people they terrorise are a half-undressed couple fornicating in an unlocked office, in the finest Yuletide tradition.

Any shenanigans? As Bruce Willis’s cop John McClane discreetly points out, executive douchebag Ellis (Hart Bochner) has clearly been enjoying a Colombian Christmas. In other circumstances, this might have emboldened him to try his luck with Janice from Accounting. Unfortunately he tries his luck at negotiating with ruthless Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman). Bad move.

Better than your real Christmas party? Sure – if you left early.

Worth a Crimbo watch? Are you kidding? It’s the greatest Christmas story ever told. Available on Netflix, Amazon Instant Video (not Prime), DVD, Blu-ray

2. Love Actually (2003)

Behaving badly at Christmas parties is a recurring theme in Alan Rickman’s career. In Richard Curtis’s multi-story romcom, Rickman’s Harry is the boss of an edgy design agency circulating among his staff while his flirty assistant Mia (Heike Makatsch) makes googly eyes at him. Under the watchful eye of his wife (Emma Thompson), he decides the way to make it clear he’s not interested in Mia is to join her for a sultry slow dance to a song called “The Trouble With Love Is”. He’s a genius.

Traditional elements Awkward inter-colleague chit-chat? Check. Terrible dancing? Check. Giant pictures of naked people everywhere? Nothing says “Christmas” like bare arses. Well, other than the boss making an idiot of himself.

Any shenanigans? Sarah (Laura Linney) has been lusting after Karl (Rodrigo Santoro), and the party provides the perfect opportunity to cop off. But in keeping with the rest of the film – where the male characters largely get what they want while the women are idealised, pursued, reduced to clichés and/or generally humiliated – Curtis soon puts a cruel end to her sexy fun time. Merry Christmas!

Better than your real Christmas party? Discomfort levels: about standard. Depending on how you feel about giant nudey pictures.

Worth a Crimbo watch? If that’s really how you want to remember Rickman. Hey, can we make a suggestion? Try Die Hard. Available on Amazon Instant Video (not Prime), DVD, Blu-ray, usually shown on ITV2 800 times in December

3. The Office (UK): “Christmas Special” (2003)

The magnificent finale of one of the most influential sitcoms ever sees David Brent (Ricky Gervais) returning to Slough for Wernham Hogg’s Christmas party. Some of the show’s most teeth-grindingly uncomfortable moments segue into a surprisingly upbeat ending, as Brent’s blind date turns out to be well suited to him, and star-crossed lovers Tim and Dawn (Martin Freeman and Lucy Davis) share their first kiss. Plus horrible sales rep Finchy (Ralph Ineson) finally gets the verbal slapdown he deserves. Cheers!

Traditional elements Colleagues not knowing what on earth to say to each other. Clumsy dancing to ’80s classics. Someone shouting “It’s Chriiiiiiiistmaaaaas!” along with Noddy Holder. A fella falling asleep in the corner. Embarrassment. Unease. Ennui. Sound familiar?

Any shenanigans? Gervais and co-creator Stephen Merchant’s commitment to drudgery means that absolutely nothing exciting happens.

Better than your real Christmas party? If it is, we’d suggest looking for a new job.

Worth a Crimbo watch? You’ve seen it half a dozen times, but we defy you not to well up a little bit when Dawn comes back in to the party to find Tim. Available on Netflix, Amazon Instant Video (not Prime), DVD

4. The Office (US): season 2, episode 10, “Christmas Party” (2005)

The American remake of The Office had a Christmas party episode almost every year, but its first – in the superlative second season – is the best, a hilarious high point in the show’s colleagues-as-surrogate-family running theme.

It starts to go horribly wrong when boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell) breaks the $20 Secret Santa limit and buys an iPod for Ryan (BJ Novak), only to receive a home-made oven glove in return. He immediately instigates a “Yankee Swap” so everyone has the chance to switch gifts – causing consternation for Jim (John Krasinski), who has put together a highly personal present for his crush Pam (Jenna Fischer).

Since the US version lacks the cynicism of its British parent, everyone ends up having a more or less happy Christmas. (Except Angela. And screw you, Angela.)

Traditional elements All the fun aspects of Secret Santa: having no idea what your office-mates like, breaking the rules, hating what you get, fomenting resentment. It’s textbook.

Any shenanigans? Michael goes against company policy and smuggles alcohol in, which livens the party up no end – and leads to an unexpected, and unwelcome, flashing incident. We’ve all done it.

Better than your real Christmas party? Come for the agonising exchange of gifts, stay for the excruciating nudity!

Worth a Crimbo watch? 100%, especially if it turns into an accidental festive binge of the entire season. Apart from anything, there’s tons of nostalgia value in seeing people getting excited about an iPod. Available on Amazon Instant Video (not Prime), DVD, Blu-ray

5. Scrooged (1988)

In this slick, blackly comic update of A Christmas Carol, the Ghost of Christmas Past (New York Dolls singer David Johansen) takes misanthropic TV exec Frank Cross (Bill Murray) back to his network’s 1968 office Christmas party, where he watches himself being Scroogey amid the merriment. Do you sense important lessons are about to be learned? You may be right.

Traditional elements The past truly was a different country. Copious in-office drinking, smoking, dancing on desks… the health and safety police would think it was, well, Christmas. Plus enough sexual harassment to keep HR busy till Valentine’s Day.

Any shenanigans? In real life, Xeroxing your bottom and handing out copies is strictly the remit of hairy rugby players. Here, it’s done by a young and attractive woman. Movies, eh?

Better than your real Christmas party? Can we refer you to the above health and safety nightmare? It’s a total blast – and even if you leave early, like Frank, you get to meet the love of your life.

Worth a Crimbo watch? Essential for Murray fans, ie everyone. Available on Netflix, DVD, Blu-ray

6. The Muppets Christmas Carol (1992)

Another version of the classic Dickens story, but this time the Ghost escorts Scrooge (Michael Caine) back in time to a party at the rubber chicken factory where he worked in his youth. Like the original’s Fezziwig, Fozziwig is a generous employer who’s baffled by the stiff, formal young man bitching about the cost of the celebration. He decides it’s time to introduce young Ebenezer to his lovely daughter Belle, and everyone lives happily ever after… as long as you don’t count all the years of misery and loneliness and humbug.

Traditional elements As is customary, the boss makes a speech thanking everyone for their hard work over the year. As is equally customary, he’s heckled by some sniggering lads in sharp suits – in the form of resident Muppet grumps Waldorf and Statler, playing Scrooge’s future haunters Marley and Marley. “It was dumb! It was obvious! It was pointless! It was… short. I loved it!”

Any shenanigans? There’s always the party animal who decides it’s time to kick things up a notch, isn’t there? Even better when it’s your actual Animal, going hell for leather on the skins and getting the Victorian Muppets carousing. Goodness, they’ll be showing their ankles next. (Do Muppets have ankles?)

Better than your real Christmas party? It’s a 19th-century rubber chicken factory full of boogieing Muppets – we are there for all of that. If you’re not convinced yet, the Swedish Chef’s catering it. Try the singing grapes.

Worth a Crimbo watch? Definitely – not least because it’s surprisingly faithful, with whole chunks of dialogue lifted straight off the page. We don’t remember Rizzo the Rat in the book, to be fair, but Caine’s brilliant, and so are the songs. Available on Amazon Instant Video (not Prime), DVD, Blu-ray

You won’t see many shows as energetic and manic as a Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes gig – it’s almost a workout just being in the audience. So how does he keep up his touring schedule without burning out?

How would you rate your fitness on a scale of one to 10?

I’m about an eight or a nine – I have to get myself in shape before I go on tour otherwise I just can’t do what I need to do. Our shows are like doing a 100m sprint but singing the whole way. I’ve fine-tuned it a bit, so now I’ve got a workout that I do pretty much every day. If you’d talked to me a couple of months ago it would be a different story because we had a month off and I let myself go a little bit...

How important is health and fitness to you?

It’s everything. I never really cared about it when I was younger, but when you hit 25 years old, you start noticing that things aren’t falling off you the way they used to. I just noticed that I was feeling a bit sluggish, so I started really getting a grip on my diet and getting into shape.

My trainer runs me through boxing drills and we’re sparring a bit, but it’s mostly just getting punched in the face by him. Physically and emotionally – all the ways you don’t want to get hit, he’s hitting me.

I’m also a father now, so I’m trying to make sure that my health is at the forefront, so we can tour as long as we can and go home in one piece to our loved ones.

What do you do to motivate yourself?

The hardest part for me was finding a routine that worked. You want it to be as easy as possible – I rarely want to pull myself out of my house. My trainer’s been running me through drills I can do in an empty venue – crawling and sprinting etc – as well as hotel room routines.

Our tour manager is on a health tip also, so he’s been making sure that the hotels are pretty nice, or have swimming pools. For me it’s about building it into my routine and then it’s easy.

What’s the highlight of your fitness week?

Boxing for sure – it's the thing that exhausts me the most. It’s amazing what you can put into a two minute round and how it will leave you feeling completely depleted.

RECOMMENDED: Punching-Bag Workouts For The Gym

It’s also the most like playing a gig for me – I've been trying to work our show out in a way where it becomes a second workout. We’re really hammering the songs and the first three will run with short breaks, so high intensity for six minutes then a break for a minute where I talk, and then hammer it in back to back again.

People don’t realise it’s happening but it’s all been quite considered – if I miss a workout in the morning then this way I can grab it in the evening. The danger for me is coming off stage and having a drink, because once I do I just want to eat everything and all my hard work is undone.

What will you never do again?

I mostly just hate battle ropes, I’ll get on them and go for the first ten seconds and I feel like The Rock and then when I finish after 20 seconds I’m a newborn baby giraffe, all over the place.

How is your fitness fingerprint unique to you and your career?

Our routine is shook every day – I am a creature of habit but I find it so much easier to break a routine than to build one. Once it’s broken it’s so hard to start again. It’s mostly about trying to capitalise on having an on-the-road routine and an off-the-road routine and trying not to deviate from it as much as possible.

The opportunity to change it up so drastically every day is beneficial – it can be a bit of a drag if you’re going to the same gym, seeing the same people and running through the same workout constantly, it can actually make things quite hard for you. The changing the scenery can mean that it’s actually quite easy to keep myself feeling pretty fresh with it.

Frank was involved in The Ride 2016 with Sailor Jerry. Follow the action sailorjerry.com. His single Lullaby is out now (buy on iTunes) and new album Modern Ruin will be released on January 27. 

What is Barclays LifeSkills?

We’ve come up with something pretty amazing – offering work experience of a lifetime to people who might not be able to achieve or attain that. We’ve opened our doors at Disturbing London and are raising awareness about the whole scheme. Growing up I never had many people offering me opportunities like this one – I think it’s important to pay it forward.

What’s the most extreme thing you’ve done in the name of good health or fitness?

I’d be lying if I said I’ve fasted because I haven’t, but I’ve been able to do a half fast, when you wake up in the morning and you don’t eat until like four or five. I could do that pretty much any time, I’ve disciplined myself. That’s quite an extreme thing because I know some people can’t get past breakfast! Also, a lot of the breakfast stuff I like is not really that healthy anyway...

How do you avoid the lure of the service station pasty?

I’m just over it. Ginsters? You guys can have it, I don’t want it anymore. Trust me, you don’t know how long we’ve been on the road – for the first couple of years, when you see a service station it's almost like seeing Thorpe Park. You think “Oh wow, look at all these amazing things! Burger King! KFC! Even WHSMITH!!” But not anymore, we’re over it now.

Have you ever pulled a muscle in less than heroic circumstances?

I remember after doing loads of performances I woke up and felt like my chest was closing together, so I ran to the hospital and was like “Something’s happening to me!” The doctor was like “You’ve bruised a muscle.” I was about to have a nervous breakdown. I did it just through performing, so that was definitely less than heroic.

Which excuse for not going to the gym/working out are you most ashamed of?

I’m always making up the excuse that I’m tired, I’m an artist, I’ve got lots on, I need to be focused in my mind, I’ve got a performance later – these excuses fly out all the time. I’m not particularly proud of it – I’m confessing it to you right now...

Is there a piece of gym equipment you can’t live without?

I think calisthenics is the best, working with your bodyweight – there’s nothing that beats it in terms of achieving the look I want. You can be ripped, cut and big all with your own bodyweight. But I also think a kettlebell is great – you can do Turkish get-ups, goblet squats, you can work your shoulders as well, loads of different things. So right now, I don’t think I could live without kettlebells.

RECOMMENDED: Kettlebell Workout Guide

What’s the longest you have gone without alcohol in the name of good health?

A good few months I reckon – my lifestyle is quite party-orientated in some aspects, so it’s quite hard to avoid alcohol, but I’m not big on drink. I probably could give up for a good few months if I wanted to tomorrow, apart from the fact that Christmas is coming up...

What’s the worst type of gym behaviour?

The guy or girl who’s doing it for show – that’s how a lot of people get injured. I think that’s the worst – going to gyms where there’s a lot of ego and bravado and no real technique, everyone’s just trying to show you how strong they are, I don’t really like that.

Do you use any fitness apps?

No, I used to use the Nike armband for a little while to keep track of steps and movement and whatnot. But I know I’ll work hard and I’m always keeping fit so I haven’t really had to rely on any apps. It’s not like I’m trying to do 10,000 steps by the end of the day, I know I do it anyway, so it’s cool.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Burgers. I made a mixtape called Junk Food in 2015 – it wasn’t literally about hamburgers, but the artwork expresses how much I love them. I did a listening party and got Shake Shack involved to give everyone free food – I just can’t live without them. I’m 27 and I’m going to keep going for it until my body actually says “No, you can’t.” All the best things in one: brioche bread, meat, salad, it’s everything you need on one plate.

Tinie Tempah, in conjunction with Barclays LifeSkills, has launched the 'Work Experience of a Lifetime' programme, for 18-24 year olds, who want to secure a placement at the likes of Premier League, Shazam, The O2 and with Tinie Tempah himself. You can still apply until Sunday 4 December at barclayslifeskills.com/dream-job

In Sully, one man saves 155 lives. Has anyone ever saved your life?

In fact, Rosie Perez (White Men Can’t Jump) saved my life one time. In New York City, a bus was going to hit me and she pushed me out of the way. I have angels around me that I believe are saving my life – I fell off a cliff 60ft onto rocks when I was 11 – it should’ve killed me. Saving lives was Sully’s number one concern – he still laments the fact that there was one flight attendant on the plane who got hurt.

Is Tom Hanks really the nicest guy in show business?

He’s damn nice. I don’t know everybody in the business – but to be Tom’s stature and still have time, attention and focus for all the people around him, regardless of stage or station, is amazing. He loves to tell stories and that’s how you figure out where he is on set – where is there a conversation about some obscure play that happened in Middle America in the ’50s? Oh, that’s where Tom is.

What about Clint (Eastwood)?

He’s a part of movie history and he knows stories that nobody else knows. Like: during the Spaghetti Western era he used to smoke cigarillos, and because I smoke cigars I said: “Clint, what was your cigar?” He said: “I hated cigars and I hated smoking.” He used to go down to Mexico and get these cigarillos – they were the worst tasting, harshest ones and so that’s what gave him the grimace on his face. So there’s Clint right there – Method actor.

With every film comes criticism, but who is your greatest critic? Whose opinion do you care most about?

I say to my friends: “When you go and see this film, come out of it, smile, tell me you like it and let’s move on with our lives.” I don’t want to hear that it’s bad, because we all work so hard on these movies, and however they’re received really has no bearing on the experience.

On the other hand, people have no trouble telling you how they feel. One time I was in an airport and this guy screamed at me: “Aaron Eckhart, you sucked in such-and-such movie!” The switch flipped in my head and I walked towards him, locking eyes, and said: “What did you say to me?” and he started shrinking down.

It’s nice when people do like the movie though, and they have a story beyond that. I think the primary example is Thank You For Smoking. People have given up smoking – I don’t know how many times I’ve heard that!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

When I was young I was living in New York City and one time I saw Harrison Ford walking past. I just locked onto him and the first thing he did was try to turn around and walk away. I wasn’t having that, so I said: “Hello Mr Ford, I’m a big fan, can I just take a moment of your time for some advice?” He said: “I’m going to go and get takeout, come with me.” While we were waiting he said: “Listen, I don’t give advice, but I’m going to give you some: Just be yourself.” So if I’m talking to young actors today, I tell them to put their unique personality into everything that they do. If you look at any movie star or charismatic figure in politics or rock’n’roll, we like to watch them because of the way they interpret life and that’s the key.

Who do you turn to for down-to-earth advice now?

Al Pacino used to do that for me – I could always call him. But you know what? My thing is this: we have it all inside of us. Every time I think I should go outside of myself for advice, I say: “Wait a second,” and I take a quiet moment to trust my feelings. It means obeying your instincts – that’s the scariest thing because usually we’ll talk ourselves out of things. So now I really don’t ask people’s advice.

They say you should never meet your heroes – have you ever found that not to be true?

We shouldn’t put these people up on pedestals, because if we know one thing in the world, it’s that we’re going to be let down by other people. I’ve had a lot of times where people have said: “You’re the first celebrity that I’ve ever met,” and I apologise for that, but I try and make it a good experience. I think it’s important, especially if it’s someone who has a dream themselves – you never want to put anybody off their dream.

Aaron stars in Sully and Bleed For This, both in cinemas December 2

Bleed For This

There are a lot of boxing movies out there. Some are good (Rocky, Raging Bull), some are bad (Rocky V, Grudge Match), but essentially they’re all about the same thing: somebody rising up against adversity to become either a champion in the ring, or in life. So how many more boxing stories are left to be told before it all gets a bit stale? Well, one more, it seems, in the rather miraculous true-life tale of Vinny Paz – a boxer who was at the top of his game until an almost fatal car accident. Bleed For This looks at the astonishing comeback from his devastating injuries, and is a downright uplifting tale as a result.

Miles Teller does his best GoodFellas impression as the Italian-American Vinny, and puts in a great performance both in and out of the ring. Supporting him, Aaron Eckhart is almost unrecognisable in a committed role that saw him pile on the pounds as his alcoholic trainer – they’re a great team. Aside from the central setback, this doesn’t actually bring too much that’s new to the boxing movie table, but it’s an inspiring and engaging story nonetheless. In cinemas December 2

Sully

The “Miracle on the Hudson River” is one of the 21st century’s greatest rescue stories. In 2009, a plane carrying 155 people had both engines destroyed by a flock of birds, before the pilot made an emergency landing on the water and saved everyone on board. This film follows that pilot – one Captain Chesley Sullenberger – and his First Officer Jeffrey Skiles, in the run-up to, during and after the fateful flight. The landing itself is a spectacular and thrilling sequence – so much so that it’s repeated a few times – and Hank and Eckhart play both the saviours fantastically well; but as a whole it’s rather slow. If you’ve got the patience, however, it’s an enjoyably astonishing story, told in a surprisingly understated manner. In cinemas December 2

Chi-Raq

Spike Lee’s latest joint is a musical joint; one that holds an interestingly bizarre tone, but still holds all the hallmarks of classic Lee. The film follows a group of women who decide to deny all the men in their neighbourhood sex until they stop fighting each other. It’s based on a classical Greek play called Lysistrata (which is also the name of the central female character), but brings it up-to-date and focuses on the gang violence that literally shoots through Englewood, Chicago. It’s got a top cast, featuring Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Jennifer Hudson, Angela Bassett, John Cusack and Samuel L Jackson, and if you can get past the peculiar style, there’s a lot to like. In cinemas December 2

Moana

This colourful Disney animation has The Rock in it (people also call him “Dwayne Johnson” for some reason) and therefore, by default, is a must-see. He plays a legendary Pacific demigod who teams up with a 16-year-old who is tasked with saving her island by obtaining some sort of magical Macguffin or other (this part doesn’t matter so much). Oh, and they’re also accompanied by an absolutely hilarious rooster, which is something that should be a mandatory inclusion in all films. It’s fantastically pretty, very funny and it features The Rock singing like a beautiful angel – surely there’s not much more you could want than that? In cinemas December 2

A United Kingdom

This film focuses on the controversial marriage of Sir Seretse Khama, the first president of Botswana, with a white English bank clerk named Ruth Williams. At the time, the union caused a rift within the governments of South Africa and Britain (which provides the home for a particularly snotty turn from Tom Felton). Rosamund Pike and David Oyelowo play the star-crossed lovers and bring a tragic warmth to the proceedings – they’re the perfect couple and it’ll make you believe in the magic of love (if you don’t already). Love stories are always more effective when they’re based on real life, and this completely affirms that. In cinemas now

Ne-Yo’s music has hit charts the world over, and is a staple of any radio, anywhere. So with such an omnipotent presence, how does he manage to fit in keeping fit with taking over the world?

How would you rate your fitness on a scale of one to 10?

It’s not where it needs to be. I got married in February and had my third child in March – I was there for the entire pregnancy, so anything my wife ate, I ate. And now that he’s here, it’s easy to sit around with him and snack all the time.

I’ve officially jumped back on the trail, though: I’m back in the gym every day and back right with my diet – I can already feel myself getting back to where I was. Muscle memory is a real thing. As far as numbers go, six is an important number, because I’ve got to get my six-pack back. The gift and curse of my body is that it takes no time for me to lose it, but it takes no time for me to gain it, too. I’m always up and down, fluctuating, it really sucks. I don’t want to be really slim, because I have a very large head, so the skinnier I get, the bigger my head looks…

How important is health and fitness to you?

It’s the most important thing. I’m about to go back on tour and the road is trying for the most fit guy you know – it’s not a lot of sleep, it’s long hours, show after show. It’s hard to eat right – you’re travelling in between cities and the only places that are open are fast food or burger spots. That’s the hardest part because I love food – I really feel like there’s a 400lb man living inside me just trying to get out. But we’re not going to let him!

How do you exercise on the road?

Calisthenics. I have a trainer in LA, but he doesn’t travel with me. He’ll give me a workout that I do in my hotel room. You have to make it a part of your day, otherwise you’ll make every excuse. Then before you know it that 400lb man has reared his ugly everything.

What do you do to motivate yourself?

Knowing that there’s no way for me to look the way I want to look by eating 17 burgers a day. Knowing what I want to feel like on stage – when I’m heavier I feel heavier, and my moves are not what I want them to be. That takes away from what I give the fans.

What will you never do again?

Much love and respect to anybody living that vegan life, because it is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I went vegan for a month and a half, and I loved the way I looked, but it was just so hard. I might have been a T-rex in my previous life because I’m a carnivore, I truly am.

How is your fitness fingerprint unique to you and your career?

If I wasn’t a performer or entertainer, the demand for me to be fit wouldn’t be as major, because when I’m not on stage as Ne-Yo, I’m just regular old Shaffer Smith. I’m at home with the kids and I’ve got to be a little fit to be able to chase them around, but as a dad I don’t need a six-pack – my kids ain’t trippin’...

Ne-Yo tours the UK from December 7, tickets available at robomagiclive.com

What’s your most impressive personal best?

I used to be an athlete and a gym instructor – I was working in a sports centre at 18 and I didn’t stop training people until I was like 26, when I got into acting and had to quit. I used to run mini marathons and was a good sprinter – I was doing 100m in 11 seconds when I was 16, which was pretty good back then. I probably could have gone into athletics, but I hate running now, I just find it so monotonous and boring.

Have you ever pulled a muscle in less-than-heroic circumstances?

Yes, massively. Years ago I was showing off dancing and I tried to do that move there where you hold your foot with your hand and jump your other foot through it, then you go into the splits. I tore my hamstring – I heard it go, it just went snap. I got up and was still grooving away, but I could feel it burning and was like “I’m just going to the toilet, man.” I went in there and screamed…

Which excuse for not going to the gym/working out are you most ashamed of?

I wouldn’t say I’m ashamed of any excuses, but I’d say the most common excuse is being absolutely knackered from having three kids. Once you’ve got through the whole rigmarole of getting them all ready for bed, you have like five minutes to yourself before it’s midnight. I’m the kind of person who has so much to do during the day, that there’s no way on God’s green earth that I’d take time out of it to go to the gym. So it usually means I’m up at six to go and work out.

Have you ever secretly impressed yourself with a feat of strength?

Probably more endurance than strength: doing 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, eight-minute interval training and getting to the end of that. The first time I did that I thought I was going to die, but then you keep doing it to the point where you’re on the maximum speed the treadmill can go and you feel like you’re just jogging, you’re breezing it. I was impressed by that.

What’s the most extreme thing you’ve done in the name of good health or fitness?

A few years ago when I was getting out of shape, I did one of those eight-week body transformation challenges, but I did it for four weeks because that’s all the time I had. The results were decent, so I was happy. I mostly maintained it until I put on about two stone for a film, and I’m still trying to get rid of that.

Is there a piece of gym equipment you can’t live without?

I love a good bench press and am on that quite a bit, although not any more than I should be. Working the old pecs, keeping them in shape. If I’ve got a workout to do, I pick chest over anything.

What is your guilty pleasure?

I love a pizza, I love a burger and I love ice cream, particularly peanut butter flavour, so those things work against my fitness the most, I think. Recently though, I’ve been dairy and gluten free so I try not to partake in those as much any more. I think I’m quite healthy anyway, so I didn’t really feel any different after cutting them out, but I lost about a stone and a half, and my jawline came back which was helpful.

RECOMMENDED: The Dairy-Free Diet On Trial

What’s the longest you have gone without alcohol in the name of good health?

I don’t drink. It’s not a religious thing or an anti-drink thing – if I go out occasionally, I’ll have a bit of red wine or port, or at Christmas I’ll have champagne, but generally on a regular day-to-day, weekly, monthly thing, I don’t drink.

Do you use any fitness apps?

No, just my alarm to get up and head to the gym. I wouldn’t know which app to get. I used to have a personal trainer but because I used to be a trainer myself, I still remember quite a few things so I just go with myself. I think for my age I’m in decent shape – I can still see my abs. There’s probably a bit of fat there but on the whole I’m in pretty good shape.

What do you think about “leg day”?

I’m fine with leg day. I’ve got good calves and good thighs, they’re all in proportion, and I’ve got a really big arse, so I’m alright with it. I get all my deadlifts and my leg presses in – I’m not one of those chicken leg guys who wants to turn the lights off before he takes his shorts off. I’m well happy to walk around naked, it doesn’t bother me.

The Level is out on DVD now (buy amazon.co.uk) and BrOTHERHOOD is out on DVD on December 26 (pre-order on amazon.co.uk).

Arnold Oceng is one to watch. The hard-working actor has had a number of stand-out turns in acclaimed movies like A United Kingdom and The Good Lie, as well as stealing every scene he was in in BrOTHERHOOD. But his latest role as real-life boxer Ayub Kalule in The Greatest Man is his toughest yet. How did he step up to the challenge, and how has it affected his overall fitness and health?

How would you rate your fitness on a scale of one to 10?

I’d say I’m an eight/eight and a half – I do feel like I’m in the best shape of my life. I wasn’t really into training – I was athletic but I wasn’t actively in the gym as much as I wanted to be, and it took a film like The Greatest Man to make me go back to the gym. It made me fall in love with training.

What do you do, fitness-wise?

I can’t even lie to you, I’m not actively training right now because I’ve finished for the film. When I was filming I’d be in the gym with my personal trainer doing boxing drills, working on the pads, getting on the bags, then doing some cardio to keep the blood pumping. After, we’d do about an hour of sparring, working on technique, and that’s about it. That was every day. Then, because there’s a lot of shirtless scenes, I would oil my chest and do some press-ups or pump some weights just before action so I looked a bit fuller. But I’m having a bit of a well-deserved break at the moment. I’ve decided to give myself until Christmas to just relax.

RECOMMENDED: Carl Froch’s Boxing Workout

What do you do to motivate yourself?

I want to keep the body I’ve got, before it goes. I worked very hard on it and I’m planning on carrying on with boxing because I do enjoy it. No real matches though. Two reasons: one, I’m a chicken, and two, I don’t want to destroy my money-maker, my face…

What will you never do again?

Nothing, to be honest – I’ve done a lot of different types of training and, as hard as it can be at times, I love that challenge. It’s like a drug, being pushed and seeing how far you can go, so I’ve never shied away from it.

How is your fitness fingerprint unique to you and your career?

I needed a reason to go back into the gym – that push, an incentive to train, and this role was perfect. I did a lot of research on the character and I bought a skipping rope because I thought, “I’m doing a boxing film, so I’ve got to have that skipping montage. There’s got to be at least one scene where I’m going to skip.”

A United Kingdom is in cinemas November 25, BrOTHERHOOD is available on DVD December 26 (pre-order on amazon.co.uk) and The Greatest Man will be released next year.

Stocking fillers listed from left to right:

Everything you need for face and hair in a handy package. £20, buy on boots.com

RECOMMENDED: Men’s Grooming Gifts and Gift Sets For Christmas 2016

The sophisticated scent in this set proves Lynx has grown up. £12, buy on superdrug.com

Shampoo, conditioner and Sumo Tech hair-styling compound. £32.95, buy on amazon.co.uk

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Give someone a taste for this high-end men’s brand with a selection of skincare products. £15, buy on labseries.co.uk

Choose from 10 Christmassy options, all filled with glorious body washes. £10 each, buy on moltonbrown.co.uk

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RECOMMENDED: Tech Gift Ideas for Christmas 2016

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The next best thing to shaving with a lightsaber. Probably. £14, buy on boots.com

The only fitness tracker you’ll find with a dancing panda on it. £13.50, buy on amazon.co.uk

RECOMMENDED: The Best Fitness Trackers

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Did you do any specific training to prepare for the film?

I trained about six times a week, up to twice a day. I was doing lots of intervals with weights, and mixing them with cardio and fartlek runs – I wanted to be as lean as possible. My character (Angel) is supposed to be trapped in this fight club, so he’s in a very primal, ravenous state, but he still has superhero muscles. I missed food so much, I tell you.

Have you ever pulled a muscle in less-than-heroic circumstances?

I badly sprained my ankle playing basketball the day before my first day of filming on X-Men, and I was terrified that I was going to be fired because I couldn’t walk properly. I was walking around with a cane, but somehow I managed to pull it together to do the scene and walk three steps. Luckily, my character flies so I didn’t have to be on my feet too much, although I still had to land on them. It was a bit embarrassing and not really the most professional moment of my life.

Which excuse for not going to the gym/working out are you most ashamed of?

I have many. The best one is that there’s a baby living below me, and I have a mini gym in my house, so I’ll be like “Oh, I couldn’t possibly exercise now because of the baby downstairs.” I’m just a nice guy.

Have you ever ordered healthily in a restaurant, then scoffed someone else’s chips?

I don’t really do that because I get so annoyed if someone does it to me. I’ve never ordered healthily in a restaurant because I hate going “Oh, can I get that meal but without the potatoes? And do you put any salt in your food? Can you take that out please?” I had to be that guy during X-Men, but I hated it.

Shouting in the gym – annoying or essential?

Breathing is essential, but shouting isn’t. I hate it when someone’s giving it all that, especially if they’re not even a big guy and they’re using bad technique. You see them swinging their arms doing biceps curls and you’re like: “Are you kidding me?”

What’s the most extreme thing you’ve done in the name of good health or fitness?

It’s not that extreme, but a few days before my shirtless scene I was trying to dehydrate by cutting out salt. I had a 10-hour flight from London to San Diego for Comic-Con, then a flight from San Diego to Montreal. Flying can dehydrate you anyway, so I had a blinding headache for three days.

What’s the longest you have gone without alcohol in the name of good health?

I’ve always found that hard. I’ll drink vodka soda or other healthy equivalents like tequila, but I don’t think it’s good to let working out ruin your life. I know guys who don’t go out because they can’t drink and it sets them back. Some people like to live that way and it’s fine, but I’d rather enjoy myself and not have to say no to social opportunities.

What would you rather we didn’t see in your fridge?

There’s nothing. I’m not ashamed of my cans of beer or my pizza – I like to have that in my downtime. The good thing about acting is that if you need to be in shape for something, you just go all out, and when you don’t, you can relax. It’s like interval training, but for life – a three month sprint then a three month walk.

Have you ever let yourself go at any point in your life?

I was at least a stone heavier before I started acting. Looking at pictures on Facebook, I do look pretty bloated. I cut that out when I started really getting into acting because, sadly, that’s important in this industry.

Who’s your fitness idol?

I’ve got a couple. One is Joe Manganiello (Magic Mike). He’s in ridiculous shape, and his book Evolution is a great guide to working out. More recently, I’ve noticed Justin Theroux (The Girl On The Train). You see him shirtless and he’s absolutely ripped. He’s probably my latest fitness idol, but I’m not ready to put down the beer just yet…

Ben stars as Angel in X-Men: Apocalypse, which is available on DVD and Blu-ray now

How did you get involved with the film?

The director Jeff Wadlow had given the script to Todd Garner, who’s a producer I work with a lot, and we thought it would be a great departure for me and something different. 
When I looked at the script, which was on the Black List (a collection of acclaimed yet unproduced scripts), I saw great potential in it and thought it could be a lot of fun.

There’s a lot of action in the movie – how did you find that?

I’ve always loved doing physical stuff in my movies, but this was by far the most demanding. We had a great stunt team and that helps in getting you prepared 
– I was down there a month early to train and work on choreographing the fight scenes. It was intense and I was sore before we even started rolling film, but when you prepare like that, you know that you’re going to be able to really go for it and feel confident.

Was there anyone in particular that really helped you out with the fight stuff?

Yeah, the stunt coordinators Steve Ritzi (Jack Reacher, Looper) and Alan D'Antoni (Transformers: Age of Extinction, Breaking Bad) were fantastic. They had worked with a lot of stunt teams in the past but these guys were by far the best, and always safe. It felt great and it just went flawlessly, it was a lot of fun. Jenn A. Harris, Zulay Henao’s stunt double was fantastic, too.

The film has some great actors, but is there anyone you’d like to work with that you haven’t already?

There are tons of people out there, but we were so fortunate to get the guys we got in our movie, I love them all. Leonard Earl Howze was amazing – I loved him so much I put him in my TV show (Kevin Can Wait). Rob Riggle and Kim Coates were just fantastic, as was Andy Garcia. We were blessed to have these people in our movie and they did not disappoint.

With every film comes criticism, but who is your greatest critic? Whose opinion do you care most about?

It’s weird, of course you want everybody to love it, but I’ve been doing it for a while now and I know that it’s just not possible. The more somebody else is enjoying it the more you’re going away from somebody else’s sensibility, so it’s always about casting that net out there and trying to find the largest audience you can.

Who do you run potential projects by before deciding on them?

I have a bunch of buddies I trust who 
will watch things for me and sometimes I’ll bring it to other directors to look 
at. They’ll give their input and they’ve been great – it’s good to have a crew 
of people that you believe represent 
a lot of the people in this world. For me, it’s about relatability and people seeing themselves in the characters that I play.

Who helped you out early on in your career?

Will Smith was a massive influence on 
my career and he helped me when 
I didn’t have anything – he gave me 
a huge shot. And then Adam Sandler just took over and gave me opportunities to be in my own movies and do my own thing. He was the main drive in all of it and he’s my greatest friend to this day – he’s just such a loyal guy and always so great to work with. When I get to work with these people that I respect, I try to be a sponge and soak up what they do, how they deal with people and there’s nobody better than Sandler. It’s nice to see that there are good people like that.

Who were your heroes growing up?

My family and my dad – you strive after that and they’re the ones who shaped me. They were supportive in everything I wanted to do and helped me along the way. I’m obviously a massive influence 
on my co-stars’ lives too, I think that goes without saying – we all feel that, so we can move on, we don’t need to address it.

They say you should never meet your heroes – have you ever found that not to be true?

There are people I’ve looked up to and respected and it’s gone both ways. 
You might meet somewhere and you think, “Oh man, they’re not as great as 
I thought” and it takes the air out of you 
a bit. I can’t name names! But I know some guys where the opposite has been true. There’s a UFC middleweight champion called Chris Weidman. He was just such a nice kid from Long Island and I said, “I want to meet that guy,” because he seemed like such a good person. When I met him he was better than 
I could have imagined – just a really nice guy and that’s always good.

Who is the kindest celebrity that you’ve ever met?

Henry Winkler and Jerry Stiller are brilliant. They are the definition of kindness and it’s how they conduct their lives – they’re just great people.

Which celeb is the biggest practical joker that you’ve encountered?

Once you can have fun on a set and you’re comfortable with everybody, 
they can relax and you get the best 
work from them. They feel they can 
try things out and are less nervous, 
so I like loosening it up a bit. I’m not 
a Matt Damon – he does a lot of pranks 
– but if you get me, you’re going to 
get it back. I’m like Liam Neeson, 
“I will find you…”

True Memoirs Of An International Assassin is on Netflix now

From touring with So Solid Crew to acting up a storm in acclaimed shows like Top Boy, Ashley Walters has lived a busy life, but how conducive is such a hectic schedule to his overall fitness?

How would you rate your fitness on a scale of one to 10?

I’d give myself a six, because focusing is quite hard in my job. I have some good moments challenging myself physically – usually in preparation for roles – but it drops off afterwards. Since I got into my 30s it’s become harder to drop weight and get back to my physical peak.

How do you exercise when you're on the road?

I’ve just been filming in Wales and not having many days off makes it hard, as does getting up at 6am and back at 8pm – it’s like, “Do I really want to go to the gym now?” On one of my few rest days I’ll try to fit in a run, swim or gym session, but it ends up having no real effect because I’m not doing it regularly enough.

What do you do to motivate yourself?

It’s vanity! I’m competing with people in good physical shape. If I take off my top next to them and they can act as well as me, they might have a better chance of a role, so I try to make sure I’ve got all the boxes ticked. When I go to Ibiza, I want to feel comfortable taking off my top on the beach. My wife accepts me, but I still want to push myself.

How is your fitness fingerprint unique to you and your career?

I could sit there and go “Being an actor means you don’t have time to focus on your fitness because you can’t control your environment,” but you’ve got some brilliant actors that are all about health and fitness. However, if you’ve got a nine-to-five job, you always know where you’re going to work and what time you’re coming home, so you can plan your evenings. But in my job I don’t know what’s happening from one day to the next. Trying to fit a regime into that is quite hard. I’ve got eight kids too, so maybe not having eight kids would have made it a bit easier for me as well...

What will you never do again?

Nothing, to be honest – I’ve done a lot of different types of training and as strenuous and hard as they can be at the time, I always love having that challenge. It’s like a drug in itself – being pushed and seeing how far you can go, so I’ve never shied away from it.

Ashley Walters will be in conversation at Southbank Centre’s BAM – Being A Man festival on November 25. BAM, a festival that explores masculinity in the 21st century that runs from November 25 to November 27. Visit southbankcentre.co.uk/bam for further information.

Arrival

The alien invasion film is nothing new – it’s been a sci-fi staple from day one and has produced some classics (War Of The Worlds, Independence Day, Mars Attacks!). Normally, it’s big bad aliens doing the invading, with no intention of making friends – they’ve got big ray guns and they want to end us all for good. But Arrival (not actually a remake of 1996’s E.T. movie The Arrival, with Charlie Sheen) takes a different stance with things – for the majority of the running time, the characters and audience are completely unaware of what exactly the big aliens are doing on this planet.

Also for most of the film, it is genuinely one of the best alien sci-fi movies in existence – its novel approach to its central “invasion” is nuanced and sensible, and the aliens themselves are highly original. Unfortunately, the rest of it causes it to lose its way a bit when an extra fantastical element is introduced. It’s not enough to derail it completely though – this remains an intelligent, moving movie that’s about so much more than aliens and big shiny spaceships. Although they definitely do have pretty shiny spaceships. In cinemas November 10

100 Streets

Idris Elba (aka the man who can do no wrong) spearheads this London-centric drama that focuses on a trio of different stories, all set within the same square mile.

Elba’s tale involves a naughty, cheating ex-rugby player and his estranged wife; then there’s a drug dealer played by Franz Drameh (Attack The Block) who decides to go straight and use his mind for creative expression; and finally, a cab driver and his wife, who are desperately trying to adopt. It’s one of those films where all the different strands overlap at points, but it’s not too unrealistic or strained (Crazy, Stupid, Love take a bow).

It’s chock-full of great actors keeping it firmly on track, and some of the stories are more interesting than others, but it’s a perfectly engaging 90 minutes of home-grown drama. In cinemas November 11

RECOMMENDED: 2-4-1 Tickets to the Black Star Season at the BFI

True Memoirs of an International Assassin

If you’re a fan of Kevin James’ particular brand of clumsy, physical comedy, then you’re in for a treat with this Netflix exclusive. James plays an author who writes a smash-hit novel under the pretence that it’s a true story. As such, he gets mistaken for a professional hitman and becomes mixed up with a load of scary drug lords. Much like most of James’ oeuvre it’s a ridiculous premise, but what’s different is a surprising amount of rather good action scenes alongside all the pratfalls. It’s not high art, but it’s a perfectly fine and funny comedy, significantly buoyed by James’ everyman charisma. On Netflix November 11

The Secret Life Of Pets

This fun, colourful flick is about two dogs who come to loggerheads as they compete for their owner’s affection. This initial disagreement leads to them almost joining an underground clan of human-hating, sewer-dwelling animals, before subsequently going on the run. The leader of the “baddies” is a psychotic rabbit (Kevin Hart, who you’ll know from, oh, everything) and is easily the best thing in the film. The rest of the cast is top-notch too, featuring many comedians known primarily for their very adult work, like Louis C.K. and Hannibal Buress. There’s no smut here though – this is one for all ages. On DVD November 14

The Innocents

This harrowing French-Polish-Belgian co-production centres on a French Red Cross doctor who secretly helps an order of Polish nuns who have been horrendously abused by a group of Russian soldiers at the end of the Second World War. Based on a true story, it takes a deep look at faith and the subsequent doubt that arises in the sisters’ minds as a result of their tragedies. Not an easy watch, but it’s wonderfully acted, beautifully shot, darkly atmospheric and tremendously emotional. In cinemas November 11

What does healthy eating mean to you?

I don’t think you should deny yourself things and so I do have days where I don’t eat brilliantly, but I like to keep fit and train a lot – you can’t undo it all by eating badly. I’m an ambassador for Everdine, which is a frozen meal plan. If you can’t be bothered to cook, you can just take it straight from the freezer and put it in the microwave. We associate ready meals with being less healthy, but these are great for you, so it’s a nice concept.

RECOMMENDED: The Best Healthy Food Delivery Services

How would you rate your fitness on a scale of one to 10?

I’ve just come back from a work trip in America working on the Ryder Cup, so I don’t feel the fittest right now. Before I went... Maybe seven? You feel like you go backwards when you don’t train properly for a while. Once I’m back into all that I can get my fitness back up – I haven’t got any big trips for a while so it’ll be nice to knuckle down and work.

What’s the highlight of your fitness week?

I train with a trainer so I enjoy most sessions. Sometimes I don’t really like it but I still put myself through it – he works specifically on things I want to work on, a certain look or the way I want to feel. I enjoy the weight training and the more specific stuff in a gym with someone one-to-one – that makes me feel better and I can see results quicker.

What will you never do again?

I thought I’d hate Zumba but since Strictly I’ve really enjoyed moving and music. I did a small class in Italy and I really enjoyed it. I don’t know about spinning though, I don’t think I’d enjoy it – I find it a bit too static. I need variety all the time; I’m never going to be someone who’s on a treadmill for 40 minutes, my head just goes.

RECOMMENDED: Chris Hoy’s Reasons to Try Spinning

How is your fitness fingerprint unique to you and your career?

I go away a fair amount, and with TV your hours are all over the place. Then you’ll go to America where there’s a six- hour time difference so you don’t feel like training as much – you do lose it slightly, so it’s quite difficult to do what you want to do sometimes. You just have to give yourself a break; it’s just trying to fit in your life around your schedule. You have to be realistic with it.

Everdine is a meal-box subscription plan with gourmet meals, designed by Michelin-trained chefs, that can be heated from frozen in 10 minutes. To get boxes of 8 or 12 delivered to your door, go to everdine.co.uk

Nocturnal Animals

Starting off as a book within a book (courtesy of the novel Tony And Susan by Austin Wright), this tale has now been adapted into a film within a film, or more accurately, a book within a film. If this all sounds complicated, it’s not. Amy Adams plays a put-upon woman whose ex-husband sends her the manuscript for his new novel and the film flits between her life – both present and past – and the book’s story, both of which have an intense Jake Gyllenhaal in common.

The novel provides the most engaging story, and tells of a kidnapping and subsequent revenge; but it draws parallels with the “real life” drama being told simultaneously. As this is fashion designer Tom Ford’s second film, it predictably looks beautiful in every frame, but the strong performances cause the actors not to be overshadowed by the cinematography. It’s a tad self-indulgent at times, but interest in the central conceit is thankfully never lost, so it remains engaging throughout. Although, of the two stories being told, one is infinitely more exciting than the other – a full-length adaptation of that might have been even better... In cinemas November 4

RECOMMENDED: Get 2-4-1 Tickets to the Black Star Season at the BFI

Supersonic

This new doc charts the rise of Oasis, culminating in the success and excess of their famous Knebworth gigs. The footage provides an unflinching look at the dynamics of the Gallagher brothers’ fiery relationship; from mild sibling rivalry to outright hostility. A montage of grainy home videos and
TV clips provide a backdrop to the brothers’ often very funny accounts – they both certainly have a way with (rude) words. It’s hilarious, sad and will particularly resonate with anyone who’s ever been struck down with a strong case of annoying brother syndrome – although you’d have to go a long way to match the one that unfortunately ended up bringing the band to its knees. Available on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download now. Download on iTunes, buy or download on amazon.co.uk

The Accountant

In between popping his bat-ears on, Ben Affleck’s still on the warpath, but just in a slightly different way in this crime thriller. He plays an autistic accountant who essentially un-cooks books for dodgy enterprises. As you can probably predict, this isn’t exactly a safe or viable career choice, so things eventually go a tad awry and he needs more than a calculator for protection. Soon he’s locked, loaded and wiping the floor with bad guys courtesy of Indonesian martial art pencak silat – which you’ll know all about if you’ve ever seen The Raid. For a movie ostensibly about maths, this isn’t the GCSE revision you might have first thought. In cinemas November 4

Ghostbusters

It’s 2016, and things are moving further away from real life than ever before – the run-up to the release of this film proved that. It’s a reboot of the 1984 original, and this time around the Ghostbusters are women – as such, neck-beards the world over got their off-white briefs in a twist and railed against it hard. It was all unfounded, of course, as the film is a lot of fun, with two reliably brilliant performances by Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy. It’s nothing new or radical, of course, but it’s still a bright, stupid film about big cartoonish ghosts. Available on digital download November 7 and DVD and Blu-ray November 21. Pre-order on amazon.co.uk

A Street Cat Named Bob

There’s a high chance that, at some point, you’ll have seen James Bowen with his cat, Bob, selling The Big Issue or busking in Covent Garden (note: James is the one playing the guitar). Perhaps not recently, though, seeing as James turned his life around thanks to his feline companion, who essentially saved his skin from homelessness and drug addiction when he started following him around and perching on his shoulders. James wrote a book about his remarkable experience and it’s now a film (like all books, eventually) starring Luke Treadaway (Attack The Block). It’s a heartwarming story and no matter how hard you try, it will make you cry because there’s a cute cat in it. Bring tissues. In cinemas November 4

Would you like to watch a fantastic season of films in a nice cinema in London? Yes, of course you would. Luckily for you, you can do exactly that at the BFI’s Black Star season, a celebration of black screen talent, running until the end of December.

Coach readers can get 2-4-1 tickets on any of the season’s films and the offer can be used as many times as you like. Simply quote STAR241 when booking online, in person or over the phone (020 7928 3232). The code can be used more than once but the offer only applies to two tickets being bought for the same film, and excludes previews and special events.

You’ve got a pretty daunting selection of films facing you on the programme, so it’s up to us to offer a helping hand. Here are a couple of choice picks to catch.

Boyz n the Hood

Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Laurence Fishburne deal with the troubles of inner city life in South Central L.A. in this classic ’hood drama. The acting is spot-on, the soundtrack is fantastic and it might just leave you in tears. A quintessential example of black cinema.

Creed

If you missed this Rocky sequel at the cinema earlier this year, here’s your last chance to see it up on the big screen. Michael B. Jordan dons the big red gloves under Sly Stallone’s skilled wing. Great fights, great montages and you might even cry again, you baby.

RECOMMENDED: Creed’s Michael B Jordan: “I got hit – for real”

Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song

With a film title much favoured by snakes, this culturally important film follows Melvin Van Peebles (father of Mario Van Peebles, who you’ll recognise from the 1993 werewolf police movie Full Eclipse) who goes up against, and subsequently on the run from, the Man. The movie essentially led to the creation of the blaxploitation film, and is a must-see for fans of the genre.

Black Dynamite

If we’re talking blaxploitation, then this absolutely hilarious film needs to be mentioned. It’s a spoof of the genre, starring martial artist, action star and absolute badass, Michael Jai White, and it’s pitch-perfect in every way. So good.

Attack The Block

A UK entry here, with a tale of a council block of flats that gets attacked by furry aliens. Directed by Joe Cornish (of Adam and Joe fame) and starring a group of unknown young actors who were drawn from south London where the film is shot, lending it a rare authenticity (apart from the aliens). Interestingly enough, those unknowns are certainly not any more – John Boyega anyone?

New Jack City

Mario Van Peebles again (who, if you recall, once starred alongside Patsy Kensit in the classic half werewolf/half cop movie, Full Eclipse), this time directing Wesley Snipes, Ice-T and Chris Rock in a noirish crime thriller about drug dealers and undercover police (of the non-werewolf kind).

In the Heat of the Night

David Brent’s favourite actor, Sidney Poitier, stars in this mystery about a black police detective who gets caught up in a murder investigation in a racist town in Mississippi. It’s a powerful movie that was instrumental in addressing issues of race through cinema.

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

Forest Whitaker stars in this criminally underseen action film (that’s actually quite light on action) about a Mafia hitman who is a modern-day samurai of sorts. Aside from some pretty nifty fight scenes, it also has a banging soundtrack courtesy of the Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA.

Paris is Burning

This documentary focuses on New York in the ’80s, and takes a look at the underground “ball” cultures that permeated the city throughout the era. It follows predominantly gay, Latino, African American and transgender groups, and remains an important and relevant exploration of race and sexuality.

Blade

You’re the worst person in the world if Blade isn’t in your top five films ever.

Of course, don’t just take the above suggestions as gospel, check out the rest of programme too, and you might find a few pleasant surprises.

Annoyingly, the BFI seems to have neglected to include the important cultural classic Full Eclipse, about a crack team of police officers who also have the ability to transform into werewolves, but you can’t have everything.

Black Star: BFI Southbank runs until December 30. See the programme and buy tickes on bfi.org.uk

Imagine travelling around the world playing gigs, DJing on the radio five times a week and regularly popping up on telly. A brutal schedule to contemplate, but Trevor Nelson manages it in real life. How does he find any time to stay fit?

How would you rate your fitness on a scale of one to 10?

I’m a seven. I think that five means you look decent in clothes and you can run for a bus and not embarrass yourself. A seven means you’re not a specimen, you’re just reasonably fit. There are guys I’d call a seven who are really hench, but they can’t move, they have no cardio.

How important is health and fitness to you?

I’ve built a gym at home so I don’t have to go to public gyms. I’ve got a kinesis machine, a cross trainer and a rowing machine. I do that about three times a week, and as a bonus I had a Pilates teacher come round for me and my Mrs. The regime has stopped though, because I got a 13mm tear in my rotator cuff – I could make it a lot more exciting but I just slipped in the bath…

RECOMMENDED: Rowing Machine Workouts

What do you do to motivate yourself?

I have to psychologically motivate myself because I’m not going to the gym, I’m at home. Some people say, “If it’s at home, I’d be on it every day,” but the opposite happens. I remember seeing Missy Elliot doing a tour of her house on Cribs, and she had a full-on gym. She walks past and it’s like, “Here’s a room I never use.” I understand because when you’re going out to the gym, you take the first steps towards it and you’re committed. At home you can be really lazy.

What will you never do again?

The guy who trained Dereck Chisora [Don Charles] is a mate of mine and 10 years ago he invited me to his gym to try some boxing training – it was insane. There were pros around me so I was spurred on to push myself to the limit. I was shattered the first time I did it, but I felt euphoric. I went once a week and was in the shape of my life. Then I got in the ring and he hit me. I really didn’t like it! I have ultimate respect for boxers, but I’d never do it again.

RECOMMENDED: The Only Running Music You’ll Ever Need with Trevor Nelson

How is your fitness fingerprint unique to you and your career?

It’s awful. DJs do everything wrong when it comes to keeping fit: we stand in awkward positions, deafen ourselves, travel all the time, then it’s like, “Do you want a drink?” You end up doing all the wrong things, and then to top it all off, you don’t sleep. You do see some super-fit DJs, but they are pretty boring guys. You have to get the balance right, you don’t want to be a dullard.

Trevor Nelson Club Classics is out on November 4 through Universal Music On Demand with the album tour happening across the UK

Photograph: Olivia Hemingway

What’s your most impressive personal best?

I wanted to be a 100m sprinter when I was growing up. I can still run pretty fast, I’m 51 now and I smoke twenty Marlboros a day, but I’ve still got that pace. Even in my early forties I was still bowling past my son’s mates, who were in their twenties. I was going to get the world record for the fastest 100m – that was my thing. I did end up getting in the Guinness Book of Records, but it was for saying “cocksucker” a lot – it wasn’t as I’d imagined it, but it was better than nothing. It’s still a record.

I also always win the father’s race at school, I take it far too seriously. A couple of years ago I went to my son’s last year at primary school and I was going to go out in a blaze of glory. We were all lined up and it was in the bag, it is every year. Then suddenly the teacher pulls out this bucket and we had to put little sandbags between our knees, which was a bit of a curveball. The whistle went, everyone jumped and I waddled like a geisha and came last. So that was fucking annoying.

Have you ever pulled a muscle in less than heroic circumstances?

I’ve had my nose broken by my son in the back garden going for a header. It was a beautiful summer’s day, he was about 14 and I’d just shoved him into a rosebush. He was complaining and my famous last words were “No pain, no gain, son.” The ball went in the air, he flicked his head back and completely smashed my nose to pieces.

Have you ever secretly impressed yourself with a feat of strength?

There was a scene in Matilda The Musical (I played Mr Wormwood) where Matilda sticks a hat on my head with super glue. I had to come on stage and struggle to get it off and it was the only scene where I couldn't get a laugh in previews.

One night I went for something more extreme and tried to wrench the hat off by jerking my head up and down really violently about 15 times. It got a massive laugh so I stuck with it for four months despite it hurting like fuck. I ended up displacing a vertebra – that's how addictive getting a laugh is.

I’d been bashing myself about for 47 years by that point so it was the straw that broke the camel's neck, effectively. I’ve got a titanium bolt in my neck now, which I'm very proud of, but I don’t let off alarms at airports which is disappointing. I used to be of this rather foolish ethos that if you don’t put yourself in A&E then you haven’t worked hard enough. But I’ve mellowed somewhat, now...

I had a mate back at college in Nottingham in the ’80s who was going out with a witch. When she first laid eyes on me, she told me that in a former life I had been a leading light in an ancient tribe of Egyptian ascetics who achieved through pain and self harm. I think she might have been right because most of the decent stuff I’ve ever done has left me scarred in some way or another.

What’s your position on kale?

Can you smoke it? I don’t really have an opinion on it. It’s weird how these things happen like that – suddenly aloe vera is in everything and nobody’s ever fucking heard of it the year before. The same with pulled pork, it’s everywhere. I was on the Southbank with my little boy and we ate at a stall with pulled pork baps. The server felt really generous, but you couldn’t see the bun in the polystyrene container, it looked like a rhino had shat in the box. And it kind of put me off it.

Actually, talking about rhinos shitting in boxes – we were coming back from the theatre and we saw a guy shitting on the tube. He looked a bit like Jack Nicholson in The Shining – he took his trousers down and shat like a rhino – you know when it comes out like a brown hose, it goes vertical and then archs, it was fucking horrendous. A Saturday night in London.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Well I guess it’s cigarettes – I still fucking love them. I’ve discovered vaping too, so now I can smoke indoors and outdoors. I go for banana and mint, two different bottles and you mix it up three to one – it freshens your breath and you get one of your five a day. Vaping is just a dream for smokers, it means you can smoke in the bath, putting the kids to bed, at the synagogue, wherever you want. I did give up normal cigarettes for a while but now I’m hammering them both.

What’s the longest you have gone without alcohol in the name of good health?

Seven years, it is now. Prior to that it was 35 years solid, so I did my time but the party’s over...

If you could look like Arnie in his prime tomorrow, would you?

No, I like looking a bit skanky really. I drive this really fucking horrendous £400 Honda Civic which is still going even though it’s kicked to shit. I’ve scratched “c**t” down the side, and I just like it because it reflects who I am. The thought of driving around in a status vehicle, I just find it repulsive, those wanker wagons.

I was in the Tesco car park a few years ago and my wife opened the door and it brushed against this massive tinted 4X4 thing. There was no mark there but this woman came out and she was really looking for something – I said “Look, calm down,” I got my keys out, scratched all the way down my door and said “Shall we call it quits?” She did not know what the fuck had just happened. It just didn’t compute and we just left her there open-mouthed.

Have you ever ‘let yourself go’ at any point in your life?

Well certainly visually yeah, but I’m still thin. And I’m a squatter, I don’t really sit on chairs, I just squat, so I squat on tube platforms and people give me money, which is a nice little sideline. I used to have really long hair and a really long beard – I can’t remember what I grew it for, but I had it for five years. I invented the top-knot, that was Thoros (from Game Of Thrones), you’ve got me to thank for that. Vanity just goes from your life when you have a beard, there’s no point looking in a mirror because you’re just some bearded fucker. It was a revelation, it was wonderful – then suddenly the beard goes and you get all vain again. But as long as my wife fancies me I couldn’t give a shit…

Paul stars in The Comedian’s Guide To Survival, out in cinemas and on digital from October 28, and on DVD from October 31, courtesy of Signature Entertainment. Download on iTunes or pre-order the DVD on amazon.co.uk

Train To Busan

Horror has a long and varied history of putting bad things on trains: a knife-wielding maniac in Terror Train; werewolves in Howl; Vinnie Jones with a meat pulveriser in The Midnight Meat Train; hell, many of you live your own personal train-based horror movie every morning on the Tube. This time it’s zombies, in this fantastic South Korean horror movie. The story follows a selfish business man who has to accompany his daughter on a long trip to see her mother, only things go a tad south when a zombie outbreak occurs (both on and off the train).

It’s a ridiculously breakneck flick that, quite like the titular train, hardly ever stops for a rest. It’s also relentlessly harrowing – you’re never quite sure which of your favourite characters are going to get it in the neck next; nobody is ever safe. Plus, in case you’re in desperate need of it, there’s a load of that “social commentary” stuff thrown in there among all the carnage, so it’s a clever zombie movie, like they used to make.

Of course, you can always ignore that and just enjoy the screeching maniacs flying about killing everyone – nobody will blame you. In cinemas October 28

Ouija: Origin Of Evil

The original Ouija was the epitome of teen cash-in horror (Hasbro produced it, after all), but the reins on this prequel have been handed over to Mike Flanagan, who helmed the brilliantly tense Hush (check it out on Netflix). The movie is set in 1965, and follows a family whose daughter starts acting strangely after playing with a ouija board. Basically, “strangely” means having white eyes and climbing up the walls; symptoms which most parents will recognise as displayed when their child eats too much Haribo. Both scenarios are terrifying, and both occur on Halloween, so you’re in for a fright either way. In cinemas now

Tales Of Halloween

The horror anthology film is not as popular as it once was – classics like Creepshow and Tales From The Crypt haven’t really been beaten by modern attempts (although V/H/S and Trick ’R Treat are both pretty darn good). So here’s to the latest one – Tales Of Halloween, which consists of 10 interlocking tales all directed by established horror directors like Neil Marshall (The Descent), Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II) and Lucky McKee (May). Quality varies, as it always does with this type of film, but it harkens back to the short, sharp shock style of ’50s pulpy horror comics. There’s lots of blood and guts, too, for those of you who like that sort of thing. On Blu-ray and DVD now

The Neighbour

This joins the ranks of other dodgy neighbour movies (Rear Window, Fright Night), only it switches things up, as both residents are hardly model citizens. And one is far worse than the other, but there won’t be any spoilers here. This thriller starts off as one thing, before transforming into a terrifyingly different beast. It’s taut, violent and distressing: perfect Halloween viewing. Invite your neighbour over to watch it and keep winking at them – that’ll stir things up. On DVD October 31

The Neon Demon

Nicolas Winding Refn is known for his darkly controversial films, which are often packed full of OTT and shocking grue. His latest film, The Neon Demon, is potentially his most disgusting yet, and also his closest to an out-and-out horror film. It starts off innocently enough, as a young model moves to LA to pursue her dreams, but by the time the ridiculous climax comes it’s descended into full-on, psychedelic shock tactics. Your tolerance of this will depend on your verdicts on Refn’s previous films, as it’s all very “throw everything at the wall”, but there’s a lot to like. The journey is far better than the destination, but that’s not necessarily a huge problem. On Blu-ray and DVD October 31

It turns out that being scared is good for you. Yes, good. Of course, a large chunk of you may need convincing on that point, as watching a horror movie is many people’s idea of (and cause of) a nightmare. Researchers at Coventry University carried out some creepy research, by taking blood samples from volunteers before, during and after either sitting on their own in silence, or after watching a horror film.

The lot that watched the fright flick had a higher level of white blood cells afterwards which normally happens when the body responds to an infection, but it’s all linked to survival – the body fears death and takes measures to ensure it stays alive. Natalie Riddell, an immunologist at University College London, says it’s all about the “fight-or-flight” response, which releases adrenaline in the scaredy-cats.

You also might lose some weight, too. A study at the University Of Westminster discovered that watching horror movies burns 113 calories on average per viewing. Who needs the gym?

RECOMMENDED: New Halloween Horror Movies to Scare the Bejeezus Out of You This Weekend

A horror movie is all well and good, but what if you really want to shake off the excess weight? Thorpe Park Fright Nights have the perfect Halloween workout for you – they’ve introduced a new live-action maze called Platform 15, a terrifying experience aboard the Sleeper Express train, which never made it to its final destination. It joins other mazes like The Cabin In The Woods, The Blair Witch Project, Saw Alive, Big Top and Containment and will just about scare your skin into the sun.

This year, they’ve got Zombie Boy on board to up the ante – you’ll recognise him from Lady Gaga’s Born This Way music video or Keanu Reeves’ 47 Ronin. He’s coated head-to-toe in tattoos to make him seem like a living skeleton. He told Coach that: “It’s going to be fantastic working with the Thorpe Park team to make Fright Nights 2016 the most terrifying event series to date. We have got some surprises in store for guests which will make your skin crawl.” You may be used to seeing zombies on your commuter train every day, but not quite like this...

Each maze includes an wholly unpleasant selection of frights and jump-scares, so not only are you going to brown your pants through utter fear, you’ll also be running for your life, which everyone knows is a tried and tested way of torching the calories. And if you’re unlucky, there’s always the chance of losing a chunk of weight rather quickly through another embarrassing method, but let’s hope that doesn’t happen.

Fright Nights 2016 runs 10am–10pm through 31st October and is rated PG 13. From £30. Buy tickets on thorpepark.com.

The influence that Skream has had on the evolution of electronic music is ridiculous, and as an artist, he’s constantly evolving and switching genres. But with such a stronghold over the dance music scene, does his schedule permit any sort of appearance in the fitness arena?

How would you rate your fitness on a scale of one to 10?

I’d say one, just because I’m breathing. I shattered my shin and have just started walking again. I dance a lot, in various places around the world – I tell everyone I’ve got a history in contemporary dance. I also used to play football, but I stopped when I started making music. Half my team went professional, like Jason Puncheon and Liam Fontaine, but it was around the time I discovered other means of fun. Everyone was so serious and you’d end up having fights just because you messed up, so I was like “I can’t be arsed with this.” The other path looked more fun anyway.

How important is health and fitness to you?

I’ve got a little one, so I guess I should start caring. The gut is there and I remember my dad saying to me “Keep an eye on it because when you get to 30 and it happens, you can’t get rid of it.”

What do you do to motivate yourself?

Having a little one is definitely motivation because as bleak as it is, you want to live as long as possible, and burning it at both ends for 15 years isn’t the best way of doing it. I’ve also noticed myself getting out of breath a lot easier – I smoke as well. Let’s change my first answer to minus one…

Do you count a gig as a workout?

I sweat a lot, so surely it’s got to be doing something right. I’m tapping my foot a lot, so I’ve got great calves – well, one great calf and one gammy leg. If you ever do a feature on right calves, I’m your man.

What will you never do again?

All of it? I used to hate football training – you’d be at school all day and then you’d have to go and do training. I hated the bleep test – I don’t get the point. It’s just someone’s fitter than you are, that’s all it is. They keep making the bleep, you don’t.

How is your fitness fingerprint unique to you and your career?

You booze a lot. I don’t drink half as much as I did when I was 18 – drinking vodka straight from the bottle, the thought of it now makes me feel sick. You’re always out to entertain and I’ve always been obsessed with people and making them feel comfortable, so it’s generally “Let’s have a drink!” You constantly go places and you’re someone’s guest so they want to throw it all out for you, and that means giving you a shitload of booze – it’s a party world. I’m still up on Monday ready to do anything though. I’m winning.

Skream is currently on his European tour and plays London October 28. Tickets available at skreamizm.com.

What’s your most impressive personal best?

A while ago I got pretty muscly quite quickly for a film called 10,000 BC – it was just me and a trainer really, the whole diet thing – eating all this grilled stuff and going to the gym every day. I didn’t really keep up with it – I play sports, but to be honest, the gym annoys me. I just quit my gym last week, because I wasn’t going in at all.

Have you ever pulled a muscle in less-than-heroic circumstances?

No, actually, I’ve been pretty lucky – touch wood – with pulling muscles. I can’t really think of any time I’ve properly done it. I’ve gone over on my ankle before – that was the worst thing that happened. I was playing basketball and on the first lay-up I immediately twisted my ankle. Although filming Ordinary Lies was quite physical in the end, and I did actually bash myself quite a lot during the fight scenes. Now you’ve asked me that, though, it’s probably going to happen. I’m going to run to catch a bus and my whole leg’s going to seize up…

Have you ever had a mishap on a yoga mat?

No, but I do a bit of yoga now and then – it’s a full body workout but it’s not strenuous. It’s tension and muscle conditioning, but with balance and stretching, all that stuff – you feel like your whole body is getting something out of it. It actually makes you feel better in your joints than going and lifting a load of weights every day. That might make your arms bigger, but it’s not so good for your body. 

Is it possible to stay in shape with zero work?

I’m quite thin, and I drink a lot of coffee! I’m kind of tall and gangly, so it’s hard for me to put on weight – I’m known as a bad gainer, but that’s the shape of my body. Today everyone thinks about getting the perfect body, but what are you going to do? You’re going to work out at the gym for months then get hit by a bus – it could end up being a pointless waste of time.

RECOMMENDED: Ectomorph, Endomorph and Mesomorph: How to Train For Your Body Type

What is your guilty pleasure?

Probably cider. There’s this brand called Westons, which you can get from the supermarket, and it’s ridiculously strong. Every so often, if I find myself grabbing one of those, I’m like “Oh no…” It’s actually too strong really, but that’s why it’s a guilty pleasure.

What’s the longest you have gone without alcohol in the name of good health?

It’s never really happened. Ever. It’s not a great thing, but probably the only New Year’s resolution I’ve kept to, was when I decided I didn’t want to eat from any more of those gross fried chicken shops – any of them, they’re all shitty. And I managed to stick to that, which is not that much of a feat, but it is something. I don’t miss it at all, because they actually are disgusting, and bad for you – you never need to go to one of those places, ever.

What food would you not give up for a million quid?

I’m quite into savoury pancakes, so that vibe would have to stay…

Have you ever “let yourself go” at any point in your life?

I was kind of chubby when I was a kid and then I got tall and that was kind of it. There have been stages – I might be heading into one now actually, so I should probably get back into the yoga flex. I can see which way it’s heading and I’ll nip it in the bud and start playing badminton or whatever. But never really have I gone “Oh God, look at me!” You can normally see it coming.

If you could be a professional at any sport, what would it be?

It would be football. Just like 90% of men my age. Football, football, football! It’s a bit of a risky one for an actor though, because it gets a bit heated and before you know it you’ve hurt yourself somehow, so you’re limping around for a month. It’s difficult to do auditions and jobs if you’re incapacitated, so I’m a bit scared of it, I find. A kickaround is one thing but a match suddenly gets a bit different. I know actors who do play so maybe it’s just me, but they tend to play each other, so they’re in the same boat, going “Ooh, I don’t want to get hurt!”

Season two of Ordinary Lies can be seen on BBC One

Which excuse for not going to the gym/working out are you most ashamed of?

On tour I can find any excuse. Sleep is very important, so you can always justify not working out, because of the show. At home the main excuse is Game Of Thrones. I don’t want to see any spoilers, so if I’m being sensible about it, I should watch it instead of going to the gym. 

What’s your most impressive personal best?

That would’ve been in year eight – I think I still hold the 75m hurdles record at my old school. That could be a complete lie – I haven’t been checking back, but that was my first and only sporting accolade. I was like “I’m at the top of the game here, a record-breaking hurdler at this age.” After that, my hurdle game wasn’t quite up to standard and I couldn’t jump as well as before, so I don’t hurdle any more unfortunately…

How do you avoid the lure of the service station pasty?

There’s no way of completely avoiding them. One of my biggest vices is Greggs on tour – it’s so delicious and so cheap. You’re spending a couple of quid and you can get five sausage and bean melts and they go down an absolute treat. The trick is not to do it every day. It’s worth googling somewhere relatively healthy to stop at, somewhere that isn’t a chain – a lot of places are quite good at the whole no-carb alternative thing.

Have you ever pulled a muscle in less-than-heroic circumstances?

We went out the other night and I fell over. I got absolutely tanked and I’ve got a mental bruise up my whole arm – I shouldn’t be falling over at this age. It’s always my elbow that I land on, and it’s not one of those things you notice as using every day, until yesterday when I thought “Oh, I haven’t really done anything fitness-wise on tour,” so I tried to do a press-up and failed miserably – my elbow couldn’t even support my left arm.

Who’s the Arnie of the band?

I got my head start by not really doing any work at university and just going to the gym every day – somehow I’ve maintained it without going to the gym too much. Simon (Delaney – guitar) got hench a year ago – he just decided to take on this brutal diet. We didn’t realise at first and then one tour he just turned up in the tiniest vest and shorts and we were like “F**king hell what have you been doing? Where the hell have you been?” We’ve always been quite health conscious as a band compared to other bands.

What’s the worst type of gym behaviour?

The most commonplace annoying gym behaviour is people on their phones sat on a bench. But I think the worst gym behaviour – and also the most hilarious because it doesn’t happen that often – is fighting over a bench. A month ago there were these two huge, next-level meatheads – they must have been on ’roids – and one of them left to grab a weight, but came back to find another guy using the bench. It just kicked off – they were shouting and screaming at each other in this gym, everyone was looking and it was super awkward...

Have you ever “let yourself go” at any point in your life?

No, not really. I’ve always been alright, although I think I went a little bit overboard when I was at university – you’ve got a lot of time on your hands and you’re hitting the gym, but you’re drinking a lot. Back then you don’t really care about it, but you look back and think “Wow, you were packing a few pounds.” But now I’m on stage and burning calories, just from performing and jumping around, getting sweaty – that keeps you fit on tour.

What’s the longest you have gone without alcohol in the name of good health?

Not long. Probably a week, which isn’t anything to shout about, but it’s not terrible. I’ve never been someone to cut anything out of my diet completely. The thing with touring is just the beers: on the rider, before you go onstage, during the set, loads afterwards. So the reason I got so destroyed the other night was I thought “Right, I’m not going to drink any beer,” so I had juice and vodka. The venue owner basically poured half a litre of vodka into my orange juice…

Don Broco play the O2 Arena on October 31, their new single Everybody is out now

What the heck did we do on our rest days before the convenience of on-demand services? We can just about recall spending entire afternoons dedicated to recovery/doing absolutely nothing after hobbling to the local video rental store, but that’s not really an option now. As for daytime TV – we want to rest our muscles, not our brain cells.

Netflix and Amazon Prime have a lot of stuff, but don’t forget about your other options. One of the best is Sky Q – the new offering which includes more than 350 box sets across any number of devices online and off. Here are seven shows that caught our eye.

The Night Of

What is it? This eight-part nail-biter from HBO zeroes in on a single devastating evening in the life of Naz, a do-good college student who meets a girl, goes back to her flat and wakes up to find her brutally murdered. But if Naz didn’t do it, who did? Herein lies the tension, by the absolute bucket-load, as the blanks are slowly filled in.

Why watch it? More gripping than an Alien face-hugger, the first episode had us stood up on our sofa, palms on cheeks, screaming and pleading at the TV.

Isn’t that the guy from… Nightcrawler? Sure is. It’s Brit actor Riz Ahmed up there in the driving seat, giving a career-best performance as the prime suspect.

Running time: Six hours 40 mins, or around the time it takes to escape from London to Penzance by train for some autumnal surfing action.

The Wire

What is it? A major player. A boss-level boxset that sits up there with other series gods like The Sopranos and Breaking Bad and has people saying, “What do you mean you’ve never seen it?” when you admit it’s evaded your eyes until now. You’ve been missing out on a gritty, intense look into the bloody corruption that surrounds the sprawling illegal drug trade in Baltimore.

Why watch it? It’s unique in that it manages to build a picture of a city through a vast array of perspectives, including drug dealers, cops, corrupt politicians and impoverished schools.

Isn’t that the guy from… all the Bond rumours, Ibiza DJ sets, high-street fashion collaborations and Luther? Idris “Big Driis” Elba gets all hardcore gangster for his breakout role as Stringer Bell.

Running time: A hefty 2½ days. Almost the total time it takes your legs to recover from Tuesday night five-a-side.

House

What is it? Everyone, meet Gregory House, the doctor you both really do and really don’t want to meet for a check-up. On the one hand, his crippling physical pain does nothing to appease his acerbic, brutally honest personality. But on the other, guy’s a genius. Eight seasons of solving medical conundrums and saving lives ensues.

Why watch it? Oh, only because it was the most watched TV-show in the world at its peak.

Isn’t that the guy from… Blackadder?! Yep, Hugh Laurie became the highest-paid TV drama actor in the USA with this series, raking in a cool $400,000 per episode. There’s eight series to lap up here. Eight. Laurie did all right out of this.

Running time: Five days, nine hours, 48 minutes. The minimum amount of time it takes for your trainers to un-stink after completing a Tough Mudder.

Oz

What is it? Mega-violent and gruesome is what it is. Really. Take a look inside US maximum security prison Oswald State Penitentiary and thank your lucky stars you’re a law-abiding citizen and not a big bad crim, because it’s naaasty in there.

Why watch it? It’s a landmark show. It’s the drama that started it all for HBO back in 1997, and blew the minds of viewers and reviewers with it’s shockingly dark and bloody scenes (although now these may seem pretty commonplace). You owe it to your Game Of Thrones obsession to pay some it some respect.

Isn’t that the guy from… Whiplash? Uh-huh, that’s Oscar winner JK Simmons assuming the role of dirtbag neo-Nazi inmate Vernon Schillinger, one of the nastiest villains of all time.

Running time: Two days nine hours, or around the time it takes to comfortably sit down again after a reaching new distances on your road bike.

Mid-Morning Matters with Alan Partridge

What is it? The return of everyone’s favourite totally oblivious North Norfolk Radio presenter, failed television broadcaster, devout Rover enthusiast, catchphrase master and funeral ruiner.

Why watch it? It’s Alan Partridge. You really don’t need any more convincing, do you?

Isn’t that the guy from… Aside from the obvious? Armando Iannucci is in the writing seat again. He’s the comedy hero that created the likes of The Thick Of It and The Day Today.

Running time: Nine hours, or the time it sometimes shamefully takes us to actually get out the door for a Saturday morning run.

Father Ted

What is it? A dealbreaker show – by which we mean if anyone ever tells you that they don’t enjoy it, remove them from your life immediately. This dual-national treasure, following the madcap existence of priests on the remote Craggy Island, is literally never not funny.

Why watch it? For Father Jack and his iconic and obscene boozed-up expletives? For Father Dougal and his IQ-of-a-butternut-squash stupidity? For the endlessly frustrating and tortured existence of Father Ted? For the range of brilliantly bizarre holy men that enter the lives of all three of them? Enough to be getting on with there, don’t you think?

Isn’t that the guy from… You name it. Father Ted turned out to be a great proving ground for Irish comedians. You’ll catch glimpses of Tommy Tiernan, Graham Norton, Ed Byrne and Jason Byrne all cutting their teeth here.

Running time: Nine hours 36 minutes, almost the exact time to drive from London to Fort William in Scotland for a weekend-winning trek up Ben Nevis.

Twin Peaks

What is it? A superb slice of surrealism from master of the weird, director David Lynch. An FBI agent finds himself in small-town America to investigate the murder of a high-school girl, and pretty soon things get a little, er, odd.

Why watch it? There’s a new series on the way, a full 25 years since the first two aired. Swot up now so you don’t get left behind at the office watercooler.

Isn’t that the guy from… two of Lynch’s cinematic cult classics, Dune and Blue Velvet? Kyle MacLachlan’s the name you’re looking for, and his lead role here is his defining one.

Running time: It’s 23 hours, or enough to make more than two weeks of your 30-minute commute suck that little bit less.

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RECOMMENDED: More Competitions

George Best was one of the most gifted footballers the world as ever seen, but his story took a tragic turn as he struggled with fame and alcohol. A new biopic telling his story, George Best: All By Himself, premieres at the London Film Festival at BFI this week and Coach has six pairs of tickets to give away to the 6pm screening on Friday 15th October.

It couldn’t be easier to enter. Just tweet your answer to the question below, including @coachmag and #GeorgeBestMovie in your tweet.

The competition runs from 3pm on Monday 10th October until 12pm on Wednesday 12th October. The six winners will be drawn at random and contacted by Coach by direct message over Twitter. Make sure you follow @coachmag so we can message you if you win.

Good luck!

Competition Specific Terms and Conditions

We set out below the specific terms and conditions (the "Specific Terms") applicable to the competition named below (the "Competition"). These Specific Terms are subject to our General Terms and Conditions, which can be accessed here and which together with these Specific Terms constitute the agreement between you and us in relation to the Competition.

Competition Win Two Tickets to See the World Premiere of George Best: All By Himself at BFI at 6pm on Friday 14th October 2016.

Promoter Dennis Publishing Limited

Competition opening and closing dates and times Opens 3pm on Monday 10th October 2016; closes 12pm on Wednesday 12th October 2016.

Entry restrictions UK residents only. 18 years old, or older, only.

Routes of entry Entries must be submitted on Twitter. All entries must include the answer to the competition question (What was the name of the first professional team George Best played for?), as well as "@coachmag" and "#GeorgeBestMovie". Winners will be drawn at random from correct entries.

Prize(s) Six pairs of tickets to the screening of George Best: All By Himself at BFI at 6pm on Friday 14th October 2016. Six winners. One pair of tickets per winner.

Prize provider BFI (British Film Institute).

What’s your most impressive personal best?

I can type the alphabet in under two seconds, but that doesn’t take much fitness. I used to play rugby – I played at Wembley once. My school was part of a Hackney Youth Rugby tournament, and I got tackle of the match – I got this huge guy, and was like “Fuck yes!” Then in the same match, don’t ask me how, I managed to hit myself in the face with my own studs.

Is the stuntman an actor’s best friend?

I like doing my own stunts whenever I can, but in this film there was mainly just a lot of running and swimming, and I can do that anyway! It wasn’t like Ender’s Game where there was a whole training protocol both for the wire work as well as the military training – it wasn’t nearly that intense in terms of physical exertion. The swimming was harder though – we’d go underwater with divers and they’d have the tanks or hand you the respirator, but you couldn’t have a mask on so you just had to open your eyes and try your best to look comfortable.

Have you ever pulled a muscle in less-than-heroic circumstances?

I’m pretty sure I’ve pulled a muscle in my jaw, just eating – it’s embarrassing because you can’t actually finish the food you’ve got in your mouth…

Which excuse for not going to the gym or working out are you most ashamed of?

I never have a good excuse, it’s always just that I can’t be arsed. I used to go but I stopped because I’m not a real gym person. Some people get a pump out of going, but it’s just like torture, I don’t get it at all. Riding my bike around is probably the most exercise I get.

So you couldn’t be the next Thor?

For a role, if they sorted it out, got me a personal trainer and made it as easy as possible so I didn’t have to motivate myself to go to the gym, then yeah, I’d do that. I’m just waiting for that movie I guess…

What’s your position on kale?

I love it. I get some delivered to me every week. Only joking, but I’ve just moved out of home and I’m starting to do my own thing and sort my own space out, so I’ve cooked it for myself. My dad also makes a really rich kale dish – it’s a surprising vegetable.

How often do you take selfies in the gym?

I don’t, and I don’t see that many to be honest – when I do, it’s like “Fair enough mate, good on you, each to their own.” I’ll take a selfie of me sat at my computer with a Nutella bagel in my hand, playing a game of Fallout.

What’s the most extreme thing you’ve done in the name of good health or fitness?

I was a vegetarian for 12 years, but that wasn’t my choice, that was my mum. Then I thought “I can’t do this any more,” and had a KFC. I’m not really a fit person to be honest, I’m a bit of a slob and I’d rather just chill out on my sofa and play games. I go to the park for a picnic, not a run.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Staying at home for the evening and eating junk food and watching TV. I think that’s most people’s guilty pleasure, but I seem to have a habit of indulging that guilty pleasure most days. But there’s nothing wrong with that.

What’s the longest you’ve gone without alcohol in the name of good health?

Whenever I go to America it’s pretty tricky. I was filming there last year and – I don’t know if I should be saying this – I was in Albuquerque and you had to be 21 to drink. I had some mates out there and they stocked me up for the entire trip, filled up my fridge with all these spirits and mixers – I was there for nine weeks and I couldn’t finish it all. Honestly I’m not a big drinker though, I just like a cold beer on a hot day.

Have you ever vaped?

I’ve tried it, and it tastes quite nice. If I started smoking would I vape? I probably would for health reasons, and I know a lot of people that vape. You look like a bit of a nonce, but at least you’re not going to die early…