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Catch up with all the latest news across the county with Kristin Hawthorne.
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00:31Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight Live on KMTV. I'm Kristen Hawthorne and here are your top stories on Thursday
00:38the 19th of March.
00:40Streeting steps into Canterbury. The Health Secretary announces a widening of vaccination programme.
00:45We're expanding the availability of the vaccine today too, so we'll expect to see more people coming through.
00:51Better a state of mind. Red Door Homes in Rochester offering to cover the cost of therapy for stressed staff.
00:57So we deal with lots of traumatic stuff. We might deal with people who are victims of domestic violence, people
01:03who are, again, going through a divorce, going through financial difficulties.
01:07So all of that stuff has an impact on the staff.
01:11And from the manosphere to movie manners. We'll be speaking to Chris Deasy on Louis Thoreau and Brit's biggest cinema
01:18gripes.
01:28Our top story this evening. Cases of meningitis will continue to increase.
01:33That's what the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care told reporters during his visit to the University of
01:38Kent, Canterbury campus today.
01:39It comes as day two of the vaccine rollout continues and the government widened the net of those who are
01:45eligible.
01:46But are they doing enough to protect people here in Kent?
01:49Chloe Brewster has been on the story all week and went down there to try and put that question to
01:54the Health Minister.
01:55The Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, has been at the University of Kent, Canterbury campus today.
02:00As hundreds of worried students received a vaccine to protect them against the meningitis outbreak that's currently ripping through our
02:07county.
02:08The visit coincided with the announcement that the jab is being offered to more people.
02:12All staff and students at the University of Kent, regardless of age, can now get the vaccine.
02:17Canterbury Christchurch students and pupils at a few select secondary schools will have it too.
02:22It's unclear if staff at these organisations will have the opportunity to have the vaccine, like their Uni of Kent
02:28counterparts.
02:29Anyone who's been to club chemistry since the 5th of March can also have it.
02:33If you went clubbing there, you're being urged to come forward.
02:35There are still a lot of unanswered questions about the rollout, but KMTV and Kent Online couldn't ask the minister,
02:41as local press was shut out from his visit, with only national media allowed in the building.
02:46However, he did have a few seconds on his way out and he said this.
02:50Yeah, I think we've seen a really, really brilliant response here.
02:54The way in which the NHS team has mobilised so quickly, they've done a great job.
02:58We're expanding the availability of the vaccine today too, so we'll expect to see more people coming through.
03:04We've got effective treatment through the antibiotics, an effective vaccination campaign.
03:08The risk here in Canterbury remains low and across the country, extremely low.
03:13So I hope people can take confidence and reassurance from that.
03:16The widening of the vaccine rollout begs the question, has an entire generation been let down by the government?
03:22While MENB vaccines began being offered to babies from 2015, teenagers off to university were never offered it,
03:29despite young adults being an at-risk group.
03:32That's why 40 MPs, including Canterbury's Rosie Duffield, are urging a catch-up vaccination programme for students.
03:39As a parent here in Canterbury myself, I know that year 13s are often at those clubs and mixed together,
03:45sometimes in the same groups as the uni students.
03:47I think it is important to educate year 13s, year 12s even, coming up to that age,
03:52and to vaccinate year 13s if we can possibly do that and roll it out.
03:55It is odd that we have that weird cut-off date, I'm not sure why, because it's not as if
04:00this has gone away.
04:01So I think we need to look at that very seriously.
04:04We need to look at the education of younger people.
04:07This is a fact of life, this disease is out there.
04:10We do need to equip young people to just have a normal life,
04:13especially people who have suffered from the lockdown and the sort of horrible impact that had on your social lives.
04:19So yeah, I'd like that to just be seen as a normal thing, that you get vaccinated and therefore you're
04:24a lot safer.
04:25The open letter by MPs read that no family should have to discover too late that protection was available,
04:31but not available to many on our NHS.
04:34The vaccine costs several hundred to buy on a pharmacy and is now sold out in several areas in Kent.
04:41As for the numbers, 1,500 have been vaccinated so far,
04:45and the total of confirmed and suspected cases on day five now is at 27.
04:50But by tomorrow morning, what will that number stand at?
04:53And will the Health Secretary have any clear answers about when this crisis will pass?
04:57Well, we hope he'll have the time to tell us if he ever returns to the county.
05:01Chloe Brewster for KMTV in Canterbury.
05:05Well, Chloe joins me now to tell me a little bit more about what it was like down there today
05:09as you were denied the opportunity to speak to West Streeting.
05:13Yes, so we knew that West Streeting was coming down just from intel that we had,
05:18but we had no idea what time he was coming, where he was actually coming to.
05:22It was a bit of an investigational moment trying to find out when he'd get there.
05:26When we did eventually find out, it was around 11-ish, I believe,
05:31and we got to campus and we immediately get to the sports hall
05:34and all of the press that were invited, obviously all inside, speaking to Streeting.
05:41We asked to get in, we spoke to the press officer there.
05:44He told us he'd get back to us and never did.
05:47I then followed that up later on, still never did.
05:49Me and my colleague Brad from Kent Online were stood outside for about two hours
05:53waiting for the opportunity to speak to West.
05:56When he did eventually leave, he sped right past us, did a statement at the end.
06:00We didn't have an opportunity to ask him a question.
06:03I think that's quite shocking considering the national media have been approaching us,
06:06asking for contacts to people and who best to speak to about what's going on in the county.
06:13But when it's a big name, we're not invited along to ask some questions
06:16for the people who are watching us every day.
06:20Well, there's also some MPs calling for the expansion of the vaccine rollout as well.
06:25Can you tell us a bit about that?
06:26Yeah, so Rosie Duffield, obviously, that we saw in my piece,
06:29but Sojan Joseph, Helen Whateley, as well as several others,
06:33are also calling for that expansion.
06:35They're urging the government to ensure that there's a review
06:37into how the vaccine is routinely rolled out,
06:41so whether that should be introduced back into secondary schools.
06:44Because, as I say in the piece, from 2015, many of us do not have...
06:482015, babies are being vaccinated against MNB,
06:50but the rest of us teenagers haven't been.
06:55They're also calling for universities across the country
06:57to introduce a catch-up programme
06:58so university students won't be at risk into the future.
07:02But that, again, is just in a letter at the moment,
07:03so that isn't confirmed by the government.
07:05They also want to improve awareness to students and families
07:08about how you can get this, things like sharing drinks, sharing vapes,
07:11and just being overall safe on a night out.
07:14All right, excellent.
07:16And we'll hear a bit more from you about that later on in the show.
07:18Thank you so much, Ploé.
07:21An inquest has ruled that a nine-year-old girl has drowned
07:24after falling into the River Thames at Gravesend.
07:28Luitse Pohn, also known as Bea,
07:30was playing on a jetty at Gordon Promenade
07:32when she fell into the water in May last year.
07:35A young boy, along with a member of the public and the girl's uncle,
07:38jumped in to try and rescue her.
07:40However, it was not until the following day that her body was discovered.
07:43Floral tributes were left at the scene
07:45with members of her family describing her as a beautiful angel
07:48who had her whole life ahead of her.
07:51There have since been calls for better safety measures
07:53and signage along the riverbank.
07:57A suspect has been charged after a stabbing on Mill Road in Gillingham,
08:01which led to an armed police response.
08:04Around 10 police cars and an ambulance were called to the area
08:07on Wednesday 19th March, shortly before 12pm.
08:11Both locals and students from the nearby college
08:13watched on and cheered as the 28-year-old suspect was arrested.
08:17Daniel Barrier of Mill Road has since been charged
08:20with causing grievous bodily harm with intent
08:22and possession of a bladed weapon in public.
08:25He was due to appear at Medway Magistrates Court earlier today.
08:28The teenage victim that was rushed to the hospital
08:30following the stabbing suffered injuries
08:32that are not thought to be life-threatening or life-changing.
08:36When was the last time you were stressed at work?
08:39Well, a Rochester estate agent is footing the bill
08:41for counselling to help their employees
08:43manage the difficulties of their job.
08:46Andy Wicking of Red Door Estates
08:47has noticed a marked change in his staff
08:49since he hired an on-site therapist.
08:52He urges the public to remember
08:53that they're frequently under a lot of pressure
08:55and they're human too,
08:57as Megan Shaw has been finding out.
08:59If I asked you to name a job so stressful
09:02a director has arranged for on-site counselling,
09:06you might think of a team of brain surgeons or firefighters.
09:10But for this estate agent in Rochester,
09:13it's become a non-negotiable.
09:16Obviously, as an estate agent,
09:17you're dealing with one of the most stressful things in life.
09:19Moving home, I think death and divorce are all up there.
09:23So from a day-to-day,
09:25if it's on the estate agent side,
09:27people moving house is extremely stressful
09:28because of the reasons they may be actually moving.
09:31So we deal with lots of traumatic stuff.
09:33We might deal with people
09:35who are victims of domestic violence,
09:37people who are, again, going through a divorce,
09:39going through financial difficulties.
09:41So all of that stuff has an impact on the staff.
09:44I mean, it's stuff we just have to deal with every single day.
09:47The managing director of Red Door
09:49employs 19 staff members
09:51across its two branches in the county.
09:53And each one has access to free drop-in sessions
09:57with a qualified therapist.
09:59I'm just part of the team, like you said.
10:03Some people I see more regularly.
10:06Some people like the routine
10:07and we've gone on a bit of a journey.
10:10Other people will just pop in.
10:13Some people say,
10:14oh, I haven't got anything to talk about.
10:16And then an hour later,
10:18they're still here.
10:19Yeah.
10:21It's really powerful.
10:22People underestimate the power of listening.
10:25Sharon has been working with Red Door for two years
10:28and knows only too well
10:30the kind of unique pressures
10:32an estate agent might be under,
10:34as well as the intense scrutiny
10:36that comes from being in the public eye.
10:38Red Door Homes recently experienced
10:41lots of negative criticism
10:42when one of their company cars
10:44was found parked on double yellow lines
10:46in Canterbury,
10:47except they had a permit to be there.
10:50That member of staff that drives that car
10:51said, I don't want to drive that car anymore.
10:54I don't want to drive it around town.
10:55Someone stopped and walked in front of their car
10:57and looked through the windscreen
10:58and somebody had threatened to burn the car,
11:01smash the car up,
11:02slash the tyre,
11:02all of this.
11:03And you go,
11:04that individual has to deal with that.
11:06And then we had to sit and go,
11:07how do I deal with that?
11:08I went to walk across Canterbury,
11:09across town,
11:10and someone said,
11:11I don't want to walk with you
11:12because I don't want to be associated with you
11:14because of the backlash on social media.
11:15So Whelan said,
11:17I put something out on social media
11:19and said,
11:19we are human beings as well.
11:21The counselling available here
11:22seems to have opened doors for the staff.
11:25Yet Andy's mission to the public
11:27to keep that same open mindset for his team
11:30does not yet seem to be over.
11:33Megan Shaw for CAME TV in Rochester.
11:36If you've been affected by anything
11:38we've talked about in the programme so far,
11:40you can head to the government website
11:42for more information.
11:43But now it's time for a quick break.
11:45But coming up,
11:46our reporter Megan Shaw
11:47will be joining us
11:48to tell us a bit more
11:49about what is deemed to be
11:51the worst prison in the country,
11:54not even the county.
11:55Well, all of that and more to come
11:56in just a few minutes.
11:57Bye-bye.
11:58covered again next time.
11:58Bye-bye.
11:59Bye-bye.
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15:21and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live here on KMTV. Now, a Kent prison has been named
15:26the worst prison in the country in a report that details inmates having nothing to do
15:30all day and frequent drug smuggling. HMP Swillside on Sheppey was visited early in December
15:362025 and a report published today described the prison as unsafe, risky and some of the
15:42conditions around the place being really poor. Megan Shaw joins me now to discuss this more.
15:47Tell me about this report, Megan. Absolutely. So, the Chief Inspector of
15:52Prisons, Charlie Taylor, he published a very quite damning report on HMP Swillside after
15:58inspection visits that took place throughout December. He mentioned lots of issues that
16:03were wrong with the prison, such as, as you mentioned there, poor opportunities for inmates
16:07to progress, a lot of them doing very long sentences, and inexperienced staff under lots
16:12of pressure. But, of course, Harry meant, sorry, Mr Taylor mentioned many issues. So,
16:17let's hear it from him here.
16:18It shows a prison that's in a, in a complete state. We, we found it was unsafe, risky. We
16:26found some of the conditions around the place were really poor. Staff prisoner relationships,
16:31despite staff really trying their best, were very strained, inexperienced staff, very experienced
16:37prisoners. The regime was terrible. And basically what that means is prisoners were locked up
16:42all day with almost nothing to do. Loads of drugs were getting into the prison as well. It was the
16:48worst scores I've given out since I've been Chief Inspector, which is, which is really pretty worrying.
16:54So, how important is HMP Swale site here in Kent then? Absolutely. So, the HMP Swale site is a category
17:01B men's prison. In East Church on the Isle of Sheppey, at the time of the inspections, it contained
17:07879 men. Category B, that's fairly high security. And, you know, there needs to be a level of control
17:13and authority from the staff. Although the report mentioned that that wasn't there, which obviously
17:18is a huge issue. So, most of these men are serving long or indeterminate sentences. So, it's really
17:24important now that these men serving these long sentences have the opportunity to kind of
17:28better themselves or rehabilitate. And unfortunately, as the report said, that just wasn't available.
17:34All right. Thank you, Megan.
17:37OK. A dating app fraudster has been sentenced to three years in prison at Canterbury Crown Court for
17:43conning men out of thousands of pounds. Thomas Gordon posed as a gay man on
17:48Tinder and Bumble while simultaneously in a heterosexual relationship and scammed three
17:54victims out of £30,000. Mr. Gordon left one man in crippling debt, bribing him out of more than
18:02£26,000 to fund his lifestyle. He was arrested in Folkestone and pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud
18:09by false representation in December 2025. Clare Campbell, Senior Crown Prosecutor at CPS, said
18:17romance fraud is a cruel crime that preys on the unique trust that exists in intimate relationships
18:23and shows real manipulation. Britain's biggest fish and chips chain is set to open up to the
18:32country's largest weatherspoons in Ramsgate. Papa's Fish and Chips, a 60-year-old family business with
18:39over 20 outlets, including the world's largest fish and chip shop in North Lincolnshire,
18:45is due to open a venue beside the Royal Pavilion. The fish and chip shop will offer both a restaurant
18:52and takeaway service and aims to open in time for the summer. In 2017, Papa's was voted Britain's best
19:00chippy in a BBC televised search with Michelin-starred chefs on the judging panel. A spokesman said,
19:07we look forward to serving the local community very soon.
19:11And now it's time to take a look at all the sports news from across the county with Tim Forster.
19:25First up, and Duels manager Gareth Ainsworth claims the future looks great in the face of tough results.
19:31Despite Tuesday's 2-0 loss to Swindon, their first defeat to the team since 1986,
19:36Ainsworth remained optimistic, claiming no one will outdo my positivity and my spirit.
19:41The Diels remain 16th in League Two and have now lost three games in a row to teams challenging for
19:46promotion. The team conceded five goals in their match against MK Dons last week,
19:50a result that Cambridge United repeated, and they've not had a victory since February.
19:55Chairman Brad Gallinson praised the fans support, despite the sticky patch the team are in at the
20:00moment. Gilligan will face off against Bristol Rovers at home this Saturday.
20:03Grosan Grammar School have now only been beaten in their quest for national glory in the final of
20:08the Continental Tyres School Cup. After finding themselves 15-0 down in the 24th minute against
20:14Hymers College, Grosan managed a strong comeback to claim 28 points. However, it was not enough to
20:19beat their opponent's lead of 32. Mark Robinson, the school's director of sport, expressed pride in
20:24his team's efforts, despite losing out in the final of the prestigious national rugby competition,
20:29describing the performance as an excellent fight back. Steve Granger, the RFU's executive director
20:34of rugby development, claims you are inevitably watching some stars of the future in these
20:39tournaments. And finally, Margate is set to play host to British Mini Golf Championships this weekend.
20:45The event, which is organised by the British Mini Golf Association, will be held at Strokes
20:50Adventure Golf on Westbrook Promenade and will consist of seven rounds over the course of the weekend.
20:55Westbrook have been hosting official tournaments by the BMGA for almost 20 years. In total, more than
21:0150 players are expected to take part, including 13-time British Women's Champion, Ruth Sturdy,
21:06and five-time World Crazy Golf Champion, Mark Chapman. In excess of £700, he's expected to be won
21:13with the awards ceremony on Sunday. And that's all we have time for with your sports news. We'll see you
21:18soon.
21:28And now don't forget you can keep up to date with all our latest stories across Kent by logging onto
21:33our website kmtv.co.uk. There you'll find all our reports, including this one, about Kent Wildlife Trust
21:41urging visitors not to get too close to the animals on its Hothfield Heathland site after TikTok showing a
21:48woman petting them went viral. So I went down to the reserve to see both the cows, the horses and
21:54some of the
21:54staff there to find out more. A typically quiet nature reserve in the Kent countryside has recently
22:01found itself in the spotlight. It's because of a recent TikTok video that went viral, showing the visitor
22:07petting one of the Highland cows. Since then, the site has seen hundreds of people hoping to do the same
22:13thing.
22:13But Kent Wildlife are urging people to rethink. Part of that video was her approaching the cows quite
22:19closely and at one instance sort of going to sort of pet them. And that isn't something that we advise.
22:28It's not part of our guidance around working with our livestock here. It is a public site. A lot of
22:32people
22:32use the site. But that TikTok went viral. And so we've seen a massive influx of people onto the site,
22:40especially at the weekends. Lots of families, lots of couples, lots of people coming to enjoy the Highland cows
22:46and take photos with them. So it all took off really because we obviously saw this video and we have
22:56also needed to sort of address how you interact with these animals on site safely. If you're coming to the
23:01Heathland to see the Highland cows, this is as far as you should be to get a picture. Otherwise, the
23:07animals
23:07can't get quite distressed and it can have negative impacts on their grazing. Disturbance is a massive
23:13issue. Obviously, it's great people come down to experience it. But when we get people coming off
23:19the pathways, we're potentially stressing not just our animals, but also the wildlife additionally present
23:26on the site. The cows, if they keep getting pressure, will try and leave as best they can. But when
23:34you've
23:34got 500 people across an area of Heath like this, there's not always places for them to hunker or hide.
23:42While the viral video has brought many people to the reserve, one family said a different post online
23:47encouraged them to keep their distance, showing the impact social media can have.
23:52We saw videos, was it Facebook or TikTok?
23:55We saw it on TikTok. Yeah, and Vicky loves Highland cows.
23:59So we thought we'd come down, yeah.
24:01And what did you think about the TikTok when she started stroking the car and everything?
24:06Oh, we didn't see that one. Yeah, so we didn't actually see that one, but we saw a post after
24:10that was just warning people not to get too close, which obviously is quite sensible.
24:14Yeah, stay away, don't touch them. Why do you think you wouldn't touch them?
24:19Well, they're wild animals, not to interrupt them, and obviously they can be dangerous as well.
24:24The trust says that you shouldn't pet or feed the animals, including the ponies that are also on site,
24:29because it can contaminate biodiversity in the area and cause an over-dependence on humans.
24:35While Kent Wildlife are pleased about the interest in the animals and the site,
24:39they hope that getting up close is a fleeting trend with no lasting beef.
24:44Kristen Hawthorne for KMTV, Ashford.
24:50Also in Ashford, a shop has lost its licence after a litre of vodka was sold to a 15-year
24:56-old girl.
24:57Side convenience store in Sir John Forge Avenue reportedly sold alcohol and vapes to the teenager,
25:03who is in care without any age checks.
25:06Concerns were raised after the girl later became seriously unwell, requiring hospital treatment.
25:12Kent Police urged that revoking the licence was the only proportionate measure after the blatant breach
25:18of the law to protect children and prevent further harm, despite arguments that it would cause the
25:23business to fold. Now we can see pictures of the convenience store there. The shop owner says
25:28has 21 days to appeal the decision.
25:32Now it's time to take a look at the weather forecast for the coming days,
25:36but I've got a feeling that it's going to stay clear, so let's take a look.
25:44A clear night across the county with temperatures ranging from 9 to 11 degrees,
25:50wind speeds 9 and 10. Then into tomorrow morning we've got ranges of 6 degrees to 9 degrees,
25:57warming up as we go from the west to the east of the county. Then we've got highs of 14
26:01degrees in
26:02Ashford and Dartford into the p.m. Wind speeds staying moderate, clear skies until Sunday and
26:09then we've got cloudy skies on Monday. Temperatures across the board of 13 degrees,
26:1310 degrees. So maybe a good one to plan your week on.
26:23Now it's time for another break, but coming up we'll be looking back at our top story this evening
26:29with Chloe Brewster bringing us the latest on the meningitis outbreak across Canterbury. She'll
26:43also bring us a report on how a day centre in Maidstone has been completely transformed. So
26:48we'll see you very shortly with all of that and more. Looking forward to it. Bye bye.
27:22Bye bye.
39:46£20,000 to transform this space in maidstone, complete with accessible toilets, improved
39:54catering facilities and increased capacity for social activities.
40:01This social value project was community led, it's supposed to improve the space and allow
40:06users of all areas to use the space. It's not only for Golden Homes customers, it's
40:11local residents so that it can use it to improve their lives and they can access the facilities.
40:18Golden Homes staff also use the space to run community groups as well and staff can operate
40:23from the space so that customers can come in and meet staff face to face, which we've
40:27found always to be beneficial. It's better than speaking over the phone sometimes.
40:30Maidstone Borough Council have also been involved in the project, witnessing its transformation.
40:37I think it's a great initiative, I mean it just goes to show what can be done when the
40:42community work together. It was social funds that Golden Homes managed to persuade the developers
40:48to pay some money, about 1% of the contract value and that's provided the funds for this
40:53great development, yes it's super.
40:55Well it's wonderful to see this new project and I've been in this place before the regeneration
41:02took place and the improvements and it's going to be a fantastic facility for the community
41:09to use and certainly an improvement from when I've seen it when it was a polling station and
41:16I'm sure that the local community will benefit greatly from being able to use such a wonderful
41:21facility.
41:22With this day centre now running better than ever, CNARC residents now have more than one
41:29thing to celebrate. Henry Luck for KNTV in Maidstone.
41:37And of course, if you've been affected by anything we've talked about so far in our programme,
41:42head to the government website for more information in regard to meningitis.
41:46But for now it's time for a quick break, but coming up we'll be joined by Kent film expert
41:50Chris Deasy to discuss how a new documentary has brought attention to red pill content.
41:56All of that and more to come in a few minutes time, see you then.
42:26.
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47:48You just feel that, yeah, you're being judged.
47:54The choir is open to seasoned pros and beginners alike, as they learn a new song almost every
48:00week.
48:01So I took this as an opportunity, so I took this as an opportunity, so I took this as
48:55a bit.
48:57Wind speeds lowering slightly, then into the PM we've got ranges of 10 to 14, 14 in Dartford, Royal Tunbridge
49:05Wells and Ashford.
49:06Then we have clear skies until Sunday, partly cloudy skies on Monday, 13 degrees across the board, maybe one for
49:14a good weekend.
49:22And joins me now in the studio is presenter of the Kent Film Club, Chris DC, here to talk about
49:30the hot topic of etiquette in the cinema and the controversial documentary of Louis Theroux Inside the Manosphere.
49:38So, Chris, we've kind of talked a little bit about the Manosphere, but this documentary has just been newly released
49:44on Netflix.
49:45It's got a lot of talk on social media at the moment. Tell me what you think about it, maybe
49:49so far, upon what you've seen and what you've heard.
49:52I find this so fascinating because there's this idea of, and I suppose you saw it with Trump in America
49:57as well, that question of who's enfranchised, who's disenfranchised, who feels that they are represented, whose voices are being heard.
50:06And then, in a way, sort of almost saying, and I think the film One Battle After Another, which did
50:10well at the Oscars, also touches on that.
50:12It's almost like saying left wing, right wing, where do you stand? Everyone has flaws, but let's almost try and
50:20make that into a conversation.
50:22It's also, I mean, I think Michael Moore started this off. Do you remember with Bowling for Columbine and a
50:28few years later with the documentary that came out just before, as it turned out, George W. Bush's re-election?
50:35And that whole, you know, Fahrenheit 9-1-1-1, and that question that really gets to the zeitgeist of
50:40where we stand, and how that will affect our vote.
50:44And the way that these days people will go, and on social media, often it says so much about people's
50:51characters, the online self versus what they're like offline, and people who go on social media and start acting in
50:59a very vicious way, in some cases, that you think, that's not the tame person at the office.
51:05So I think this is a very fascinating way of saying that, do we all have, you know, we used
51:10to use the expression of multiple hats, we all have different personas.
51:14And sometimes, it's like, you know, sometimes you might have a few drinks or something like that, and a different
51:18side of your personality will emerge.
51:20I think this really gets to the heart, and it's scary. I know women's groups have said, it's essential viewing,
51:25but there are very few voices, female voices heard in this.
51:28But what does that say about where we are today?
51:31And, you know, there's a lot of talk in it about the red pill, red pill content, which comes from
51:36The Matrix.
51:37So this has obviously been a theme that's started a long time ago, but seems maybe now with politics and
51:42things happening in the world, it's becoming more and more common.
51:45Tell me about when that started with The Matrix and what the first reactions to that were, maybe when it
51:49first came out.
51:50I remember, and I can even tell you the day I saw it, it was the, I think the 18th
51:55or the, or the 11th, 11th of June, 1999.
51:57And it's almost like in Sliding Doors, that's the same thing.
52:00You know, you take this pill, this will happen.
52:03You take the other coloured pill, something else will happen.
52:05And that is life.
52:07How many of us don't look back and think, what if, what if?
52:11But these documentaries are also very clever at really saying that some people don't actually necessarily have that reflective mode.
52:19Sometimes people just go all guns blazing and say, right, this is the way we should be.
52:24And often if we were perhaps a bit more reflective or self-critical, perhaps we could be a bit calmer.
52:29Maybe some people don't want calm.
52:32They want anger, because anger is what people will listen to.
52:35Yeah.
52:36And in terms of document, documentation and films, they hold a certain level of responsibility.
52:42Is it good or bad, do you think, to influence people through the use of films on maybe everyday issues
52:48or topical moments in politics?
52:49Well, one thing it's going to do, and Louis Theroux is brilliant at this with some of the documentaries he's
52:54made about people who later it turned out were even more ghastly than we may have thought they were eccentric.
53:02And, you know, the Jimmy Savile one is a good example.
53:04But what they tend to do is ask those really important questions about what makes people tick in a particular
53:13time and place.
53:14They get to that very heart of the sort of questions that are going to polarise us, the way that
53:21you pick people, often in the same communities, often in the same workplaces, against each other.
53:25And I think in that sense it's important.
53:27But also it's difficult viewing because, for me, that sort of polarisation is great to observe.
53:33But also, you know, it's just as when somebody says to me, which football team do you support or what's
53:39your view on this?
53:40Sometimes you think, hang on a minute, whatever answer I give in the eyes of some people will be the
53:44wrong one.
53:45Well, and now we've also got this other topic about film etiquette.
53:51Do you believe such a term exists and is there any proper way we should act in a movie theatre
53:55as a film expert?
53:56What would be your ideal way?
53:58Well, I literally practice what I preach because I go to the cinema all the time.
54:03Well, that's it.
54:03My fear and I walk, you know, I feel my heart pounding.
54:08What if somebody's in my seat and it has happened and somebody you walk into and often it might be
54:12an almost empty auditorium,
54:13but somebody's chosen the very seat where you're meant to be.
54:16And you then have to either find another seat, which is actually the worst thing you can do,
54:21because then you're taking somebody else's seat, potentially.
54:23Or people who walk in and they think, oh, there's no one sitting in front of me.
54:27I'll just put my coats in front of me.
54:29And then, of course, somebody's in the seat and they're like, well, hang on.
54:31But somebody's seat, you know, coat is draped over my seat.
54:35And the person reluctantly wants to remove them.
54:37There's all these things, people making noise, putting their phones on.
54:40I was at a cinema last night and a couple just arrived as the film was beginning.
54:44And because it was all dark, they put their light on.
54:46But for some reason, they seem to be illuminating the entire auditorium.
54:49And I was like blinded at one point.
54:51And I was just thinking, where is this coming from?
54:53Is the light being reflected?
54:54It's things like that.
54:55I wonder if people forget that they're not in their living rooms.
54:58I feel like almost a subject of Louis through here.
55:00You've got me animated on this.
55:02And it's very interesting.
55:03And there have been times, I'll be honest, I've gone to see a film a second time with a different
55:07audience,
55:08just because my view the first time was very much coloured by what I was witnessing in the auditorium.
55:14And I saw Jojo Rabbit one year, twice, one with a younger audience who were laughing.
55:19Some of the humour, which I found really uncomfortable, that I watched it with a much more civilised, older audience.
55:26And suddenly the irony of the film really came out.
55:30So we don't all have time to watch films multiple times.
55:33But I do think that watching the audience is as important sometimes as watching the film.
55:39So as an avid appreciator of films and going to the cinema, do you reckon that there should be something
55:43put in place
55:44to prevent people maybe ruining the film for others by talking too loud during it being on their phones,
55:50maybe eating loud crisps or something?
55:52Absolutely.
55:52I mean, staff come in.
55:53I mean, in some cinemas, I mean, sometimes it's actually over-extremely.
55:56They sometimes come in and they almost, like, stand in front of anyone.
55:59And they have a little device just to see if anybody is recording the film.
56:03And there have been occasions, like watching a horror film or in a quiet moment,
56:06and suddenly somebody appears.
56:07And once I actually jumped out of my seat, it was just a member of cinema staff.
56:09But to be fair, they're making sure that things are OK.
56:13And there are times when things like the lighting isn't, or the lights aren't dimmed,
56:16or actually I was at a cinema last week, the film didn't come on,
56:19and it turned out there was a problem with the print, and they had to reset it.
56:22So somebody had to go out and tell them.
56:23It's things like that, that you just need to have a dialogue.
56:27What you don't want – shall I tell you what the worst thing happened once?
56:30Somebody shouted at another person in the audience because they were making a lot of –
56:35had their phone on.
56:36And that disruption was worse than the disruption of the person with the phone.
56:39So don't police it yourself.
56:41OK. Well, I wish you the best in your future cinema.
56:44Hopefully that doesn't happen again.
56:46All right.
56:46You've been watching Kent Tonight Live here on KMTV.
56:48There's more news made just for you throughout the evening.
56:50We'll be back here at 8pm. See you then. Bye-bye.
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