Thursday 26 November 2009

Are you a good dog, Churchill? Oh, yes!

:: This video originally appeared on the Express & Star website on 26th November 2009 ::



He may not have much to say for himself but Churchill the Dog was a big hit when he popped into the Express & Star offices in Wolverhampton – Oh yes!

The two-foot high star, who made a name for himself on television insurance adverts, took time out from his busy winter schedule to meet our video journalist Nicky Butler.

The nodding dog, famed for his “Oh no, Oh yes” sayings, was in the city to turn on the Christmas lights.

Cinders will be going to the ball - with help from Niki

:: This article originally appeared in the Tamworth Herald on November 26th 2009 ::

It's panto time at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre - with Polesworth singing sensation Niki Evans taking a starring role in the show.

Oh, yes she is!

Niki is performing as the Fairy Godmother in the Grand's festive production of Cinderella. She'll be joined on stage by Neighbours star Stefan Dennis as Dandini and Danielle York as Cinderella, as well as appearances from panto favourites The Krankies and Churchill the dog (oh, yes, yes, yes, yes).

Cinderella will be jam-packed with special effects, stunning costumes and, with a little help from the Amazing Flying Pegasus, she will go to the ball!

Leading the cast, Stefan Dennis is well known for playing the role of Paul Robinson in the Australian soap opera Neighbours. Stefan joined the original cast of Neighbours in 1985 and played Paul until 1992. He was invited to rejoin Neighbours for the 20th anniversary of the show and has remained a regular character ever since. Stefan has also featured in UK television shows including Dream Team, River City, The Bill and Casualty.

Much-loved singer and actress Niki Evans came fourth in the 2007 series of The X Factor and has gone on to perform with John Barrowman at Birmingham's Symphony Hall, Jasper Carrott's Christmas Rock With Laughter at the NEC, and has made countless appearances on TV including LK Today and ITV's This Morning with Phillip Schofield and Fern Britton.

Niki has recently finished a year in the West End as Mrs Johnstone in Willy Russell's Blood Brothers. Niki's new single I Feel Love has been released and her album will follow this winter.

- Nicki Robinson

Friday 20 November 2009

Oh yes Niki is in panto!

:: This interview first appeared in the Birmingham Mail on 20th November 2009 ::

X Factor star Niki Evans is learning to fly for her first panto.

She didn't believe it herself when she was told that, as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, she was to be hoisted above the stage of the Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton.

"This could be my first and last panto if I get stuck up there!" she laughs. "I'll be screaming 'get me down!' I really don't like heights, so that's the bit I'm not looking forward to. But it's lovely wearing big dresses and waving a wand. I feel like my own fairy godmother has granted me my wish, to be able to relax at home with my family at Christmas."

Last year Niki, who shot to fame on The X Factor in 2007, was appearing as Mrs Johnstone in the Wedt End production of Blood Brothers. That meant she had the leave the Midlands' festivities halfway through to head back down to London. But working closer to home means she can spend the whole day with her husband Darren and their teenage sons in Polesworth, near Tamworth.

"They call me Mrs. Christmas in the village," says Niki, who turns 37 next month and is appearing alongside Stefan Dennis from Neighbours and The Krankies. "It's my favourite time of year. I decorate my house like Blackpool Illuminations and I've just bought my turkey and made my first set of mince pies. I've already bought all my presents and wrapped them while listening to White Christmas."

"I made my Christmas cake last month and will be adding more brandy to it, and this year I think I might make a gingerbread house. The best present I could have is to be at home with the kids, to see them open their presents and not have to rush off."

"I hated having to work in London while I was in Blood Brothers, I could only come home on Sundays. There were lots of tears. My family are so proud of me and wanted me to do it, but when my contract came to an end, I turned down the offer of another musical because they said 'come home, mum.' But Wolverhampton is only 40 minutes away, so it's perfect. Well, Birmingham would be even better but you can't have everything!"

They might not let her back to Birmingham if they knew how she nearly caused disaster at another panto: "When I was about seven, my mum took me and my friend to a panto in Birmingham. I can't remember which theatre. We went to the toilet halfway through and flooded the place," she says. "I was a mischevious little girl who stuck tissues in the sink and left the taps on. Mum nearly killed me and said she'd never take me anywhere ever again."

Next month Niki releases an album, By Request, and in February she embarks on a tour including Midlands venues like Dudley Town Hall and Solihull Arts Complex.

- Roz Laws

Sunday 15 November 2009

No woman over 25 will ever win, says ex-finalist Niki

:: This article originally appeared in the Sunday Mercury on 15th November 2009 ::

Danyl is out of tune. John and Edward are the worst contestants The X Factor has ever seen. And the show will NEVER be won by an older woman - especially if she has kids. Niki Evans, the Midlands singer who made it through the 2007 finals of the show, is not a fan of the current series.

The former dinner lady from Polesworth, near Tamworth, reckons X Factor is as sexist and ageist as ever. She first hit the headlines when she broke ranks and dared to criticise the show.

"I was slammed for being bitter," says the 36-year-old, who has gone on to carve out a musical career. "I said I would eat my hat if a woman over 25 ever wins The X Factor. But I was vinidcated when Simon didn't put any women through in his over 25 category."

"If you're a woman older than that, the show portrays you as if you're more like 95. They just don't want to know. It means that women over a certain age don't get a fair crack."

Niki reckons that men aged over 25 can get away with it more, but it's incredibly difficult for women. "That's especially the case of you carry a bit of weight or have kids," she says. "I was portrayed as a frumpy mum. What you are perceived as is not what you are."

She admits she has found it difficult to stomach some of the finalists' performances so far this year: "I'm not keen on Simon Cowell's favourite, Danyl," she admits. "I close my eyes to really listen to the acts. His voice isn't that good - he can't sing in tune and just shouts the one note he can hit. He murdered Purple Rain last week."

"And I've never seen anything as bad as the twins, John and Edward. It's like putting the Cheeky Girls through. They can't sing or dance, and it's making a joke of the competition."

Niki does, however, feel concerned about the growing 'Jedward' backlash, which has seen the twins subjected to a hate mail campaign. "It's not their fault," she explains. "They're only 18, and I worry about the effect on them. The only person who should be booed is Louis Walsh for putting them through in the first place."

So who does she think might win the competition? "Stacey and Joe both have nice voices, but I realy like Olly, who has a bit of everything," she says.

Although Leona Lewis and JLS have enjoyed huge success since they appeared on X Factor, Niki is one of the few X Factor finalists to make a good living out of singing after the contest. She spent a year in the West End in the lead role of Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers, and next month she's releasing an album and starring as the Fairy Godmother in the pantomime Cinderella at the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, alongside Stefan Dennis from Neighbours and The Krankies.

Fans will be seeing a little more of Niki than they did last year, when she underwent liposuction to have fat sucked from eight places, including her back, thighs, stomach and chin. She underwent the four-hour op for free to publicise the treatment - but now says it was a waste of time.

"I lost loads of weight after the liposuction and they told me it shouldn't come back quickly," she says. "That's a load of rubbish - because it does," says the singer who is married to printer Darren and has two teenage sons. "It's a quick fix. I can't afford to be like Sharon Osbourne and keep going back every six weeks or so. I went from a size 16 to a size 10, but I'm back up to 11 stone and a size 16 on top because of my big boobs! The trouble is, I like my food. If I want a cake, I'll have it. I don't want to be a lollipop head."

"I met my husband at the age of 16 and he's the only man I want to attract. He loves me as I am. At one stage I got to eight stone and he hated it, said it was like cuddling a bag of bones."

- Roz Laws

Saturday 14 November 2009

Panto date full circle for X-contender Niki

:: This interview originally appeared in the Express & Star on 14th November 2009 ::

From Black Country Working Men's Clubs to the West End and now Grand Theatre panto. Former X Factor finalist Niki Evans speaks to Maria Cusine.

"I remember getting a great reception when I used to sing in Sedgley Working Men's Club - but the bingo was the real star attraction of the night," laughs former dinner lady Niki Evans.

"I did a lot of pubs and clubs in and around Wolverhampton and I really enjoyed them. They are a good training ground for live singers and I had a loyal following which I won't forget," says the 36-year-old. That was almost 10 years ago, but Niki had started singing at a much earlier age.

"I've been singing for as long as I can remember. I remember when I was five or six, my dad put me on a table and I started singing 'What's Another Year' by Johnny Logan, and that was that. Singing is all I've ever wanted to do. For me, singing is like breathing," says the mother of two, who hails from Birmingham and now lives in Polesworth, Tamworth. But it wasn't until 2007 that Niki's singing dream started to come true.

Whilst working as a catering manager she auditioned for The X Factor just months after the death of her beloved father John. While sorting through his possessions, she found the apllication form he had intended for her. She may not have won the hit reality show, but she made the final four. Her appearance caught the eye of the likes of John Barrowman and West End impressario Bill Kenwright.

Soon after the series ended she was appearing with Barrowman at Brimingham Symphony Hall, taking to the NEC stage in Jasper Carrott's Christmas Rock With Laughter and for the past year has been the leading lady in West End musical Blood Brothers. And it's all down the The X Factor, says Niki.

"The X Factor gave me the boost to realise my dream. A lot of contestants can get left behind. The show gives you the tools you need but you really need tod o the work afterwards. It was an amazing experience but there were hard times, everyone is vulnerable and you're not the person in the editing suite. Ultimately it's a reality TV show with a few songs thrown in - everyone wants to know you and your story. It was an experience you can't buy, I met some fantastic people and I'll never forget it," she says.

And what is her verdict of this year's show?

"I think the new format is very Pop Idol when they all sing together and I think the audition stage is much easier now. But to be honest I think The X Factor has lost a bit of its own X Factor this year."

Niki's favourite contestant has already left the series: "Rachel was my favourite and I was disgusted when she was knocked out. I couldn't believe it as she had one of the best voices. And why is she out? Probably because she didn't have a story so no-one was interested in her."

She thinks Olly could sing his way to victory: "He's not got the best voice but he does have a bit of everything and manages to pull it off." But she gives the thumbs down to controversial twins John and Edward.

"Jedward shouldn't be in there - they are making a farce out of the whole thing. The X Factor should be about people who can sing. They can'ts ing and they can't dance. I think they are a sort of Cheeky Boys act. But I feel sorry for them, especially if they don't take off. They are going to be destroyed. I worry that they are being set up to fall down - and they'r eonly 18-year-old kids. They need to be looked after," she says.

"Simon Cowell is reaccting the way he does because he's thinking of the ratings. Whether you love or hate them you still tune in to see them. I've never ever seen such a bad act, but it's not their fault. I'm really starting to feel sorry for them - but I can't help laughing at them when I watch them and I feel guilty because I do find them funny," she adds.

As for Danyl, Niki says: "I don't think he's the best singer. He shouts every week. I really don't get where Simon is coming from with Danyl. But then if Simon said the grass was purple some people would think the grass is purple. He does nothing for me. People need to close their eyes when they listen to the voice."

Niki describes Joe as having the most natural voice: "I think he has the best original voice. It sounds natural and has a very musical theatre sound," she says. She thinks Jamie looks out of his comfort zone: "He makes me feel uncomfortable - and I don't think he looks comfortable. He comes across as a rocker, but I don't think he is really."

"Lloyd is a very young boy but he's already lost his voice. I think he's looking quite lost in the contest." Niki has praise for Stacey: "I picked her out when I first heard her. And I don't think she has reached her full potential."

Niki, who was in the over-25 category when she was in the show, says she doesn't think a woman over 25 will ever win: "Over 25s women are perceived as being 95, over 25s men are seen as gorgeous. We're seen as old grannies, but we are mature and have life experience."

After a 12-month stint as Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers, for which Niki received rave reviews, she is heading to Wolverhampton to star as the Fairy Godmother in the Grand Theatre's pantomime Cinderella.

"Singing's always been my first love, I wasn't really into musicals. But Blood Brothers was an opportunity I could not turn down, in fact I don't say no to anything," laughs the svelte star who looks super slim following liposuction last year.

"I was sucked, tucked and plucked but I didn't pay for it. I don't think I would pay for it. I've changed shape, but haven't really lost weight - I've still got my big boobs and big arms," she laughs.

Niki says she is thrilled to be taking to the stage in Wolverhampton: "I'm really pleased to be here and it's great that I'll be able to go home every night. It will be great to be working so close to home. I've got Christmas Day off and I'll be doing the dinner for the family," adds Niki, who lives with husband Darren and sons Jonah, 12 and Morgan, 14.

Next month she also releases an album, By Request, and following the panto is embarking on a nationwide tour. So does she have her own Fairy Godmother? "I know it sounds really corny, but I'd have to say my dad. He died for my dream to be realised."

- Maria Cusine