Idris takes a £5m bite from Apple
IDRIS Elba is set for a big Apple – the tech giant will pay him almost £5million to make TV shows.
The star of BBC’s Luther is said to be signing a twoyear deal.
Idris, 47, will make shows and films for the streaming service.
It is a major move by Apple, which has just aired a major Tom Hanks movie exclusively and has the rights to Jennifer Aniston’s drama The Morning Show.
And the deal is a massive coup for Hackney-born actor Elba.
An insider told us: “Streaming giants like Apple TV Plus have the cash and they want to get the best in the business on their books.
“Landing a heavyweight multi-talent like Idris, who is not just an actor but a producer, director and musician, is a coup.
“He’s universally liked, popular, extremely talented, versatile and will bring in the viewers globally. For both parties it’s a win-win situation.”
SOAP star Gemma Oaten has hit out at TikTok for promoting fasting diets to youngsters. Adverts on the video platform promise to help you lose weight by not eating.
Models are seen claiming it will “curb cravings” and “get your body in top form”.
Almost a third of TikTok’s users are under 17 and experts want the ads removed over fears fasting could cause them lifelong damage. Former Emmerdale star Gemma, who suffered with anorexia from the age of 10, said: “TikTok and every social media platform has a duty of care and these adverts go against everything I stand for.
“I really do feel they should be taken down if they can’t monitor who sees them.
“The price they may be gaining from these endorsements is nothing compared to the price they are putting on our children and the vulnerable.” Gemma, 36, dedicates her time to helping people with eating disorders as the patron of her family’s charity SEED.
She said: “The medical risk of children attempting to fast because they see these ads could be catastrophic.
“An eating disorder can’t be trivialised.
“It’s a serious and life-threatening mental health illness that has the highest mortality rate of any mental health illness.
“I know, I nearly died four times.”
Gemma added: “An eating disorder begins with the individual and their own circumstances… not because they see a fasting app.
“However, these adverts do encourage dangerous behaviour and aid an already struggling sufferer of an eating disorder.”
Experts at the National Centre for Eating Disorders are concerned over the long-term effects that promoting fasting could have on the young.
Director Deanne Jade said: “We should stop trying to convince people fasting is a good idea.
“It’s a form of self-harm. We know that fasting is particularly dangerous for young people. It can have severe side effects such as bone loss, effects on the brain and a risk of developing an eating disorder.”
A petition called on TikTok to remove the adverts.
After we contacted app bosses about the issues raised, all those for fasting services without a medical disclaimer were pulled.
The platform says it has a criteria for any diet and fitness ads and aims to only promote fasting services to adult users.