Phone Hacking

Just after watching Sex, Lies & Gagging Orders On Bbc iPlayer. The show was very well explored and informed people about the schemes with footballers and just general people. There was a discussion based on phone hacking and I want to know what people's thoughts are on the topic is phone hacking right or wrong? 

To be honest, I am torn between the two because of the obvious reasons of it being wrong however we all want to know more about celebrities and what they get up to,we can do this in magazines and using the internet but sometimes it is not enough.

When the news came out about phone hacking, celebrities that people look up to were exposed for example,  Ryan Giggs. Ryan Giggs was set out to be a loving, caring family man playing extremely well for Manchester United in the past 21 years despite keeping an astonishing secret, he was cheating on his wife for 8 years with his brothers wife(Natasha Giggs). The phone hacking scheme here highlighted details of the affair that Natasha & Ryan were ashamed of. In this case I think that it was good that their phones were hacked because if that didn't happen then would Ryan or Natasha have confessed about the affair?

On the other hand I think that phone hacking is an invasion of ones personal privacy and goes against what people can and cant do. For a celebrity, of course they will be in the limelight and talked about but now it's like they can't have a general conversation with someone without that being recorded and used in an article for the paper. Although sometimes invading someone's privacy will reveal information that could help other people find out what happened to them for instance a death but people's emotions are played with and that is a dangerous thing.

Superinjuctions I myself is not familiar with the terms of a superinjuction but I think it is rather selfish for a celebrity to cast one on someone else just so people won't be aware of the antics they have been up too. Also it leaves the person on the receiving end very fragile because they are the one that will have to deal with the aftermath, the verbal abuse of the public and answer difficult questions.
Personally I think people should THINK before they ACT. It is easier said than done but it is better than doing something that they will live to regret later on in life. 

Tony Harrison

A man with wisdom talks about life in the 80's and the government today. 

 What was it like growing up in the 80's? 

Was quite tough I would say. I lived in a mining town in the north east called Seaham. We went through the miners strike which put my parents through a lot. They had no money and I had to eat meals from big dining halls, very basic food but it was free. I never liked school, hated it. Again quite a tough school. I never got physically bullied but lots of verbal bullying apart from the last two years at school when it stopped. I was very, very, shy and quiet at school and underachieved in my GCSE'S. 

 What would be your ultimate job and why? 
Ideally I would not need to work. I always wondered about being a photojournalist capturing big world events in all sorts of countries. Very dangerous job but would be amazing to do it well and experience history at first hand. 

 How do you think life has changed for teenagers from now to when you grew up? 

The most obvious change is the technology. We used to play mostly outside - football, cricket on the park and even hide and seek and tag when really young. Nowadays it seems to be more about video games and the huge choice of TV channels. It's not a change for the better as less exercise creates an unhealthier society. Some things are harder for kids now - more expectations to achieve at school and university. And it costs much more to study at Uni, however there are less guarantees of a good job even with a degree. The media are tougher on kids now.

If you could have one wish right now what would it be? 

It has to be the ultimate wish which can never happen - world peace, no poverty, no killing, everyone getting on. On a more realistic level I'd like to live in a nice house, probably in North Yorkshire, maybe Whitby or the Yorkshire Dales area.

What was it about Lisa that caught your eye? 

I met Lisa online so it's harder to answer. It was one of those things really... a gut feeling from chatting. After a few months we met up at the Sunderland Airshow and got on really well. After that we took turns visiting each other and after another few months I moved to Rutland to live with Lisa.

What do you think the government can change to decrease crimes from the youth? 
I think younger people today feel like the government don't care about their generation. The government is quick to preach to the youth but slow to praise them or help them. That is no excuse for the recent riots though. I think spend less money on foreign wars that don't help our country and invest in youth projects and facilities would be a good idea.

 Do you think if you were rich you would be living a different lifestyle and have a different personality and why? 

Very much so on the lifestyle. I would travel abroad a lot, visiting as many different countries as possible to experience their cultures, historic sites and food. I would make sure my family and friends shared my wealth first of all. What good is money if you can't share the happiness from it? I would like to think my personality wouldn't change but money can change a lot of people so I'd have to see how it affected me.

 How do you unwind on a day off? 

Generally I'm very lazy. Unwinding for me usually means not having to do anything. I like to have a few drinks, watch TV, use twitter and play computer games.

 What things annoy you? 

Religion and oil causing wars and needless death and destruction. The way the US and UK think they can control the rest of the world and always take the moral high ground. Ignorance, greed, selfishness, people who make out they are someone that they're not. On twitter I get annoyed by people who 'call out' someone that unfollows them and those who expect lots of attention but don't give the same back.

 What toys did you used to play with? 

I remember the Star Wars figures and millennium falcon most of all. Star Wars was huge around  that time. Also board games like Cluedo, Hungry Hippos, Snakes and Ladders, Guess Who. Top Trumps card games. There weren't as many toys around in those days compared to now and it was mainly outdoor sports I spent my time on. 

If you have any questions I'm sure Tony will be more than happy to answer them. Follow him on Twitter @tonyhson. 

Stefan Booth Interview

Talking sword fights, friendship & being able to fly.

How old were you when you knew you wanted to be an actor or did you want to be something else? 
Always had desire to entertain, put shows on in my garden much  amusent of my family. Usually involved dragons, sword fights and gory endings. 

As a teenager how did you overcome the pressures of your peers? 
By being strong willed and believing in what I wanted to achieve no matter how far away that seemed at the time. I figured concentrating on things that made me primarily happy then it didn't matter so much what was said against me. Sport played a big part of my younger years and that motivation hasn't left me. It carried through into everything else I think. The basic answer though is that I never followed other people. Ever. I would rather be a loner than a sheep. Any day. As a result I have some incredibly solid life long friends that I've known since I was very young. 

How have the public responded to Greg? 
Public have been lovely about Greg. It's funny to think he is public property. 

How did you meet your wife? 
On set. In Mauritius about 10 years ago.

What has been the highlight of your career so far? 
I think there are a few. But off hand. Wiping out spectacularly with my partner Kritina Lenko at a full house at the Manchester MEN arena on the Dancing On Ice tour. I've never had a standing ovation like that before from 'x' thousand people yelling out but the noise was deafening wonderful and made all the more amusing given that I was on my arse in hysterics at the time. 

Comparing playing Greg in EastEnders to Jamie in Hollyoaks which role was more challenging and why? 
Every job is different. Jamie took more time on set. I was there all the time. I enjoyed the risks they took on Hollyoaks ie prep-ping me to do stunts and generally getting stuck in. 

What is it like having young children with your career? 
Chaos. Beautiful Chaos. 

Do you have any regrets in life if so why? 
No regrets. Some things haven't gone the way I expected but that's what life is and it would be foolish to fight that. 

If you could have any superpower in the world what would it be and why? 
To fly. Wouldn't that be great? Save a fortune on easy jet! Don't expect a serious answer to that one. Be great to throw bolts of lightening too. 

What inspires you to carry on? 
I'm doing something I love. I wouldn't have chosen this otherwise. Certainly didn't aim for fame- that is only leant to you. Is never yours. My mothers belief in me, my wife's hugs at the end of a crap day. my children's future.