TV

The Bella Twins Return to the Ring Despite Nikki's ''Roller-Coaster'' of Emotions Over John Cena Breakup on Total Bellas. Relationships are hard to do! John Cena and Nikki Bella just can't seem to quit each other! The couple called off their wedding, but things aren't that clear cut, and on this week's episode of Total Bellas, the pair is having a little bit of trouble cutting ties with each other. Nikki is back in Orlando, which means she'll be staying at the home she once shared with the love of her life. Luckily, he's not there, but he did leave a sweet note for her with flowers. "For me to watch you grow into something so beautiful and amazing... for making me feel a part of all these moments," he thanked her in the card. Nikki and Brie Bella decide to have a little pow wow, which unfortunately just brought a lot of sad feelings to the surface for Nikki. Like the reminder that the last time she was in Orlando, she got engaged to John. So it's safe to say this trip is a little bitter sweet. "His presence is so strong here, so it's kind of hard to focus to focus on rumble but that's why I'm here," Nikki shared about being in the house. At least she has some other things to focus on. She's in town to train with her sister, who is a little bit nervous about Royal Rumble. Ever since giving birth, Brie has been a little uncomfortable in her skin, and is not thrilled about having to wear her new gear which doesn't show off her stomach. Of course she knows deep down that she's still fierce and fabulous Brie, but it is still a hard thing to go through for her. "Even though I'm really excited for the royal rumble. One thing that is really sticking out in my mind is that I don't really look like Brie Bella before I was pregnant," she revealed. "My whole career I've showed my stomach. I'm really nervous because I feel like the fans won't recognize me." She had nothing to fear, because Brie Mode and Fearless Nikki were out in full form and absolutely killed the event! Brie found a whole new confidence she never knew she had. "After the rumble, I'm just so inspired now for all my fans for making me feel really, really good in my mom body...I love my body no matter what," she explained. While they both had a great time at Royal Rumble, Nikki was still dealing with all of the drama with John and wasn't feeling completely herself. "Because of all the John stuff I feel like I've been on such an emotional roller-coaster and today has been double that," she shared. "It's so hard. I'm going to be a part of this major historic moment, but I can't help but have all this John stuff on my mind," Nikki revealed. While it was an incredible night for the Bella twins and women in WWE history, it is hard to enjoy it when she knows she has to go it alone. But at least she has her twin sis to help lean on. She and John may not be together now, but Nikki she needs to get back to figuring out who she is and what she wants. Girl power! Watch a brand-new episode of Total Bellas Sunday at 9 p.m., on E! (Eonline)

BBC, ITV, Channel 4 to Invest $165M in Britain's Freeview Amid Rise of Netflix, Amazon. Media regulator Ofcom has highlighted challenges from new players and called for more industry collaboration to boost public service broadcasting content in Britain. U.K. broadcast giants BBC, ITV and Channel 4 said Monday that they have signed a new five-year agreement to invest $165 million (125 million) to "accelerate" British digital terrestrial TV platform Freeview's transition to "a fully hybrid platform, providing the best in free-to-view live and on-demand TV." Their Digital UK joint venture with network operator Arqiva, which is behind the service, will look to build on the success of Freeview Play, a free-to-view connected TV service and take on subscription streaming video giants like Netflix and Amazon with a mobile app and "improvements in content discoverability and navigation." Since launching in 2015, more than 3.5 million Freeview Play products have been sold in the U.K. from such brands as Panasonic, LG, Sony and Toshiba, accounting for 60 percent of smart TV sales in Britain, according to Freeview. Around 19 million homes watch Freeview on either the main or a secondary TV set. "The new investment will help Freeview exploit the trend towards 'cord cutting' as viewers build their own 'skinny bundles,' combining free-to-view TV with low-cost streaming services," it said. The mobile app, which will enable viewers to access live and on-demand content on smartphones and tablets, is set to launch later this year. The company is also planning to launch a restart functionality, "allowing viewers switching on mid-way through a program to watch from the start using catch-up links built into the Freeview Play TV guide." Among the planned improved navigation plans is a voice search option. "The agreement to invest in developing Freeview as a fully hybrid platform reflects the continuing strength of linear TV but also the growth of on-demand viewing," the partners said. "[U.K. media regulator] Ofcom recently highlighted challenges created by new players, such as Netflix and Amazon, calling for more industry collaboration to maintain the prominence of public service broadcasting content on connected TV interfaces." Jonathan Thompson, CEO of Digital UK, said: "As the U.K.'s TV landscape becomes increasingly impacted by global players, this new commitment from our shareholders is a major boost for U.K. viewers. Building on this spirit of collaboration, we will not only safeguard free-to-view TV but reinvent it for a new age of viewing." (Hollywood Reporter)

Former Producer on 'No Reservations' Recalls Working With Anthony Bourdain. "As much as he was a chef, I believe he was a writer first... And he was the most curious, gracious, grateful traveler I have ever met," recalls Myleeta Aga who worked on the first three seasons of the Travel Channel show. Myleeta Aga served as executive producer on the Travel Channel's Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations when the show launched in 2005. Recalling the first time she met Anthony Bourdain, who died June 8 at the age of 61, Aga tells The Hollywood Reporter, "The first thing that struck me was how tall he was. And reserved. Tony was always polite and engaged when you first met him. Not at all intimidating." While Singapore-based Aga worked more with Bourdain's longtime producers Chris Collins and Lydia Tenaglia, she "realized early that Tony had a very firm sense of what he would do and what he was less comfortable with. He was a real traveler. Not a host travelling to earn an income. And he would not be manipulated into anything for the "sake of TV." It had to be real. And so much of my role was to enable that." The show had a successful launch and Aga says that the first three seasons, during which she oversaw production, led the Travel Channel's ratings while picking up a number of Emmys. The show's first Emmy nomination was for an episode filmed in Beirut. Aga recalls that during filming, Collins called her one day late in the evening to inform her that Bourdain and the crew "had got stuck in a situation that involved gun fire and the city was in lock down. The next two days were very tense. Tony and the crew were holed up in a hotel, unsure of how or when they could get out, and Beirut was hostile." Aga, now a senior vp and GM, South East Asia and India, BBC Worldwide, adds, "I remember from those days Tony being much more concerned about his crew than anything else. He was strident and vocal - "Get them the fuck out." When they got back, we had to convince Tony to use the footage filmed to tell their story. He didn't want to exploit the situation. He didn't. The Beirut episode was poignant and compellingly honest." In another instance, Aga says that for one episode a sponsor wanted Bourdain to feature their car. He offered to do so only if they could smash the car. As Aga explains, "He wasn't going to endorse anything just like that. He didn't suffer fools. He didn't hold back barbs." The car was finally used without getting damaged. "As much as he was a chef, I believe he was a writer first, who wrote easily with insight, humor and his characteristic turn of phrase," says Aga, adding, "And he was the most curious, gracious, grateful traveler I have ever met." (Hollywood Reporter)

Owner of Vietnamese Noodle Shop Where Bourdain Ate With Obama Shares Sadness at Chef's Death. "[Anthony] was a nice, friendly and folksy person," said the owner of the Hanoi restaurant. "He praised our bun cha dish and its fish-sauce broth, he loved Vietnamese food." The owner of a Hanoi noodle shop where Anthony Bourdain slurped down "bun cha" and sipped cold beer with Barack Obama has shared her shock and sorrow over the world-traveling celebrity chef's death. "I was surprised and sad when I heard about [Bourdain]," Nguyen Thi Nga told AFP news agency in Hanoi. Her restaurant, Bun Cha Huong Lien, became a popular tourist destination in the Vietnamese capital after Bourdain dined there with then-President Obama for an episode of his Emmy-winning CNN food and travel show, Parts Unknown. "He was a nice, friendly and folksy person," Nga said. "He praised our bun cha dish and its fish-sauce broth, he loved Vietnamese food," she added. Vietnam was one of Bourdain's most beloved travel destinations. He also visited the country for two episodes of his earlier Travel Channel show No Reservations, calling it "one of his favorite places on earth." He once said he would like to relocate to Vietnam to write when he retires. In 2016, Bourdain brought Obama to Nga's simple shop in Hanoi's leafy Old Quarter. The pair famously sat on plastic stools and shared a $6 meal of pork noodles, fried spring rolls and cheap local beer. The table where the duo sat and ate, complete with dinner set and empty beer bottles, was later encased in glass and placed on permanent display in the restaurant. "The customers love it; many take photos next to the table," Nga told the BBC earlier this year. "For us, it is a nice memory that we will cherish forever," she added. Obama tweeted a tribute to Bourdain on Friday, sharing a picture of their meal together, which he had squeezed in during an official state visit to Hanoi near the end of his presidency. Bourdain was found dead in a hotel room in France on Friday of an apparent suicide. (Hollywood Reporter)