SHOW BIZ

Patton Oswalt is an avid reader. When he thinks about his ideal Sunday in the Valley, where he has lived for more than a decade, bookstores come up more than a few times, particularly ones like the neighborhood staple the Iliad, which encourages patrons to sit and read for hours.

Currently, the 57-year-old comedian says he is rereading Mo Daviau’s 2016 time-travel/rock-nerd novel “Every Anxious Wave,” the plot to which he “truly can’t describe,” adding: “It’s about, especially for me, how does Gen X grow old? And how do they try to dodge growing old? It’s pretty f— brilliant. Imagine a day just killing two or three hours in the Iliad just reading it. Oh, it’s the best.”

In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.

Not that Oswalt always has time to sprawl out with a novel. Like any touring comedian of his caliber, he admits that his schedule is constantly in flux. Not only did he spend last summer and fall promoting his 10th stand-up hour, “Black Coffee and Ice Water” (out now on Audible), but he is constantly at work on new material. On June 9, he’s launching “Tea & Scotch” on YouTube, which delves into more observational comedy subjects such as ghost-seeing cats, AI paranoia and parenting a teenager. (Oswalt tells The Times that his daughter usually does her own thing on weekends, but sometimes they’ll journey to Burbank and hit the vintage shops on Magnolia, followed by poke for lunch.)

When he’s not earmarking time in his perfect Sunday for reading, Oswalt also delights in frequenting Valley small businesses that fully embrace the indie and oddball. “I like where the Valley’s going. I like how its residents are aging,” says Oswalt. “Because they’re aging into weirdness rather than safety, which is what I will always go for. Instead of just, ‘I want the nice, reliable chain restaurant, the nice, big book chain,’ I prefer smaller shops that take risks. They’re more quirky, an actual person works here, and the imperfections are what makes it amazing.”

Below, Oswalt shares his ideal Sunday in L.A., which sometimes begins later than he’d like it to.

7 a.m.: Enjoy a quiet breakfast at home

I try to be an early riser. Today I got up at 8:30, but a great day for me is getting up at 7, because I have that hour of quiet to have my breakfast, sip some tea, do some reading, and then start my day.

But it’s hard to have a lot of those mornings in a row, because unfortunately, I also have those nights where I’m just, like, lying awake thinking. I have those crash-out days where I’m like, “Sleep until noon today! Need it! Gotta catch up.” Anyone who says that they consistently wake up at 7 a.m., for the most part, they’re probably lying.

9 a.m.: Morning coffee with a side of people watching

What’s critical about the Valley, especially Studio City, is a lot of hipsters who have aged out of Los Feliz and Silver Lake have all moved here, and they brought the good sushi, the good bookstores and the good coffee with them. So, my perfect Sunday starts at the Studio City Farmers Market. You do this kind of roaming breakfast. Where they do the farmers market, there’s an amazing tamale stand that does these chicken and green chile tamales. You get one of those, and then you go over to Joan’s on Third, and you get yourself a really strong cup of coffee, because Joan’s is right there, part of the farmers market.

It’s almost like Joan’s is the motor on a sailboat. If you can’t find the food that you like roaming around the farmers market, you can hop into Joan’s and grab something, but that’s where the good coffee is. Then you get a thing of berries from one of the sellers, and you sit. There are musicians everywhere, and it is a really good opportunity to not start your day looking at a screen and instead actually look at beautiful and flawed and imperfect and awesome people moving around and interacting. For a comedian or writer, that is gold.

11 a.m.: Worm into a book

From there, I would go up to the Last Bookstore, which just opened a location on Lankershim Boulevard in NoHo. It’s a work in progress; you can see the beginnings of the cool building that they’re doing on the interior. It’s almost like when you watch the Talking Heads’ “Stop Making Sense” and you see them assemble the stage as the concert goes on. It’s kind of amazing. So I always drop by there and spend way too much money on a book.

1 p.m.: Catch a matinee (and a matcha)

One of my favorite things is to see a movie in the afternoon. The Laemmle NoHo 7 on Lankershim is my little ’90s throwback Sunset 5, but in the Valley. They show very cool first-run indie movies, and then they will just randomly throw in [a classic], “Oh yeah, we’re showing ‘Jules and Jim.’” I just check my Fandango, to see what they’re showing in the afternoon, then I go see a movie.

I don’t really eat lunch these days, but across the street from the NoHo 7 is a place called Horror Vibes Coffee. It’s all based around horror movies. It’s weirdly popular. All these goth kids go in there, and they make really good matchas. So I’ll go in there, I’ll get a matcha, and then take that into the movie theater, see a flick. The Laemmle NoHo 7 does make really good chicken nuggets, and they do make a really, really bad for you — but delicious — bagel dog. Listen, a bagel dog with a recent indie movie? That’s mwah. [Gestures a chef’s kiss.]

4 p.m.: Head back to the bookstore

When I’m done at the movies, I will take whatever book I’ve gotten and go back down to the Last Bookstore and just sit and read. Or if you really want to go goblin-mode reading, you go to the Iliad Bookshop on Cahuenga. They encourage you just to go in there, sit, read. There are store cats everywhere that are hanging around, and the store kitties are very friendly. The Iliad has these big, overstuffed couches and chairs with blown springs. You are encouraged to sit and lounge and read. They have no problem with you doing that. A big thing for me now is having two to three uninterrupted hours of just reading. No phone, no nothing. Don’t gotta go anywhere. Don’t do anything. [Editor’s note: The Iliad is closed Sundays.]

6 p.m.: Sit down for some sushi

I’m very spoiled living in the Valley, because I live near amazing sushi. If I really want to splurge out and have what I think is the best sushi in the Valley, then I visit Sushi Tomoki, which is on Cahuenga. I just cannot rave about this place enough. They have a black cod sushi, and the black cod is slightly seared. It’s not cold, but it’s not totally cooked. There is something about cold rice and then this slightly seared, slightly burned black cod. The flavor is so perfect, I love it.

Right now, in the Valley, I’m kind of spoiled for good restaurants. There’s OyBar on Moorpark that I could go to. I go there right at 5. Otherwise there’s a line. I go right when they open. And then there’s a place called Wood & Water, further up Ventura, kind of closer to Sherman Oaks. That place is just solid, good. Everything on the menu is great, great wine list, you know. But the word is out — it’s getting crowded. Not to be a snot rag, but I go to Wood & Water so much that they kind of know me there, and they can usually get me a table. Not that I’m a big celeb, it’s just I go there a lot because their food is so good.

Once you’re my age, when I hear, “You gotta wait in line”… like, that’s why I’ve never been to Sqirl. Because I know I can’t do that, man. If I’m gonna stand in line, I’m gonna go to All Time, but I’ll just get there when they open. I can’t do lines anymore. You can do it when you’re 20, but I just want my g— breakfast.

8 p.m.: Take an outdoor stroll, then return to your book

After dinner, if it’s summertime in the Valley, I just walk through my neighborhood. There’s really good hills and stuff to go for, like, a nice nighttime walk after dinner. Or, because I’m such a freaking bookworm, I go home and sit on my big, comfy couch and just read some more until I fall asleep. There’s nothing wrong with double-dipping — you don’t have to read just once during the day. You can go back and forth.

When Brian Grazer has an idea for a movie, he now starts with a chatbot. The co-founder of Imagine Entertainment — the company behind “A Beautiful Mind,” “Apollo 13” and “Liar Liar” — said he sits down with Anthropic’s AI assistant, Claude, to rough out a story before handing it to a writer.

“You can build the whole thing into an outline. You still need a screenwriter. I always believe you need a screenwriter,” Grazer said during a keynote at UCLA’s Entertainment Symposium on Thursday. What once could have taken up to a year, he said, now takes him about a week — but the human writer stays.

That balance — AI as an accelerant rather than a replacement — captures where much of Hollywood has landed in practice. Amazon MGM, Lionsgate, Netflix and Disney have all made major investments in the technology. The sharper question at the symposium, which drew many of the industry’s top lawyers and dealmakers to the Westwood campus, was not whether to use AI but how: who authorizes it, how far it goes and who gets paid.

For the companies building the tools, the answer increasingly comes from the client. Studios, production companies and distributors regularly approach Promise, a generative AI company, to bring AI into their productions, and each arrives with its own usage guidelines, said the company’s president, Jamie Byrne. Those rules govern which AI models Promise may use and what protections apply — effectively letting each client decide how heavily AI figures into the work.

“It comes down to a risk appetite,” Byrne said during a panel on AI. “We know that there’s talent that are staunchly against it. We know that there are many who are okay with it.”

He framed adoption as a competitive necessity: “Every time there’s a technology change, certain studios or production companies rise. Others fall, and it’s usually the ones that are not leaning into the new tool.”

Ron Howard, also of Imagine Entertainment, argued the limits will ultimately be set elsewhere — by viewers. “Sure, it’s about efficiencies and budgets, but more than anything, audiences are going to tell us where those restrictions are,” he said. He expects AI-generated content to settle into its own subgenre over time, with audiences signaling what they will accept.

The most contested ground is labor, where consent has become the dividing line. The emergence of synthetic performers such as Tilly Norwood has made AI a central issue in SAG-AFTRA’s contract. The union’s most recent agreement draws a clear line between authorized digital replicas, which use a performer’s likeness with their consent, and fully synthetic creations.

Talent agencies are organizing around the same principle. In recent years, Creative Artists Agency began digitally scanning clients into what it calls the CAA Vault, building a replica of a client’s image, likeness and voice while leaving the talent in complete control of how it is used.

That control is beginning to carry real value, said Tammy Brandt, CAA’s deputy general counsel, who said she is seeing more deals that involve digital likeness. Hollywood has been slow to work out how to monetize these replicas, she said, but once it does, audiences will start to encounter them more often.

“You have to lean into the technology and understand what it can do, and honestly, how you can make money, work with talent and with creative assets in a way that the user is interested in,” Brandt said. “There’s a little bit of trial and error as you go with that.”

There’s something delightful about plays about grand divas in crisis.

The prima donna in extremis in Pearl Cleage’s “Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous,” which is having its Los Angeles premiere at the Geffen Playhouse, has an air of Bette Davis extravagance to her. When Anna Campbell (Charlayne Woodard) struts around her elegant hotel suite in Atlanta, she can’t resist delivering one of Davis’ signature lines: “What a dump!”

She’s not at all dissatisfied with the accommodations. She’s just frustrated that the weather isn’t cooperating with her upcoming outdoor performance and agitated that this might be a bad omen for her big American comeback.

More than 30 years ago, Anna and her manager and trusted companion, Betsy Samson (a formidable Denise Burse), fled to Europe on the heels of a highbrow scandal. Anna made waves when she performed “Naked Wilson,” a protest piece that had her delivering male monologues from August Wilson’s plays while standing stark naked before a divided audience.

The idea was to call attention to the way women have been de-centered in the male canon, but some felt it was sacrilege to subject Wilson’s work to a feminist stunt. Acting opportunities dried up, and Anna high-tailed it to Amsterdam, where her histrionic grandeur was put to good use in European classics.

Charlayne Woodard in “Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous” at Geffen Playhouse.

(Jeff Lorch)

Woodard brings Anna to life with a smokey voice, a statuesque presence and an arch demeanor. When her arms are in flamboyant motion, she leaves the impression of a seductive windmill that might slice you to bits if you come too close.

The sumptuous production, directed by LaTanya Richardson Jackson with solidarity for Cleage’s characters, provides a marvelous showcase for Woodward to slink around on Beowulf Boritt’s glamorous five-star set in costume designer Emilio Sosa’s inspired Pucci-esque outfits. Her Anna doesn’t do much but give attitude. Ah, but what delicious attitude she gives!

Cleage’s play, it must be said, is hamstrung with exposition. More time is devoted to setting up the dramatic situation than to activating it. Author of “Blues for an Alabama Sky,” a 1995 abortion drama still ahead of its time, Cleage is telling a backstage story that’s clearly close to home. She’s also spinning an intergenerational tale of Black women groping past their initial distrust to a deeper understanding of what they have in common.

The intentions are noble and the themes are handled with admirable complexity, but the writing is sluggish. The plot is like an old car whose engine just refuses to start on a cold winter morning.

Anna has returned to Atlanta to headline a festival that is rebooting her “Naked Wilson” piece. She’s worried about disrobing at her age, but it turns out that she’s only being honored for her work. A much younger and far less experienced performer has been cast in the part that made her a cause célèbre.

Denise Burse, from left, Deborah Joy Winans, Charlayne Woodard and Olivia Washington in “Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous” at Geffen Playhouse.

(Jeff Lorch)

Precious Watson (Olivia Washington), who goes by Pete, has not only never performed in a Wilson play but she’s never even seen one on stage. She’s a stripper whose only real dramatic experience has come from the adult entertainment industry. (Don’t call her a porn star, not because she’s ashamed of the films she made but because she’s too modest about her screen credits.)

Anna, her hauteur hardening like a protective shell, is aghast. She’s also fearful about her future. She’s run out of money, and this festival was to have launched her return to the U.S.

Betty, whose fate is tied to Anna’s, has been dangling the prospect of a national tour. But when Kate Hughes (an appealingly grounded Deborah Joy Winans), the producer of the festival, hears of this idea, she thinks it’s completely unrealistic.

“I love Anna,” she tells Betty. “ I’m honoring Anna, but there just isn’t an audience for the kind of presentation you’re talking about.”

Time marches on, and one era’s sensational renegade becomes a footnote in the next. But Anna can’t believe that all she holds sacred — study, discipline, seriousness, commitment — is of little value in the social media world.

Deborah Joy Winans, left, and Denise Burse in “Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous” at Geffen Playhouse.

(Jeff Lorch)

Pete (whom Washington plays with impressive self-possession) doesn’t seem at all bothered about what she doesn’t know. Anna keeps prefacing her remarks with the words “no offense,” but Pete can’t help being offended by her pointed disdain. Their standoff energizes the play, but this jolt of momentum comes a little too late.

“Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous” is not just the title. It’s also a plot summary. The gorgeous part is the richness of Cleage’s characters, radiantly realized by all four actors under Jackson’s warm direction.

Cleage gives the women plenty of substance, though her novelistic mode — more telling than showing — deprives her drama of style. The elegant staging tries to compensate, but the performers have to rely a little too heavily on their own charms to make up the difference in a play that swerves unexpectedly at the end into a cutesy fairy tale.

ASHLEY Cain was secretly sacked from a BBC job last year for being ‘drunk on set’.

The star, 35, has come under-fire this week after historic tweets were exposed in which Ashley made degrading comments about women and suggested blurring the lines of consent during sex in worrying messages.

The posts were made by Ashley between 2013 and 2015 after he first rose to fame in footballing and his appearances on MTV show Ex On The Beach.

The Guardian has compiled a range of messages, posts and concerns relating to Ashley’s behaviour in the past – which has since led to him being dropped by the BBC.

Last night, the publication detailed new allegations that Ashley was secretly sacked from filming a BBC documentary in June of last year for being ‘drunk on set’.

The TV personality, who had already begun to work with the BBC on their documenary series, Into The Danger Zone, had been picked to host, Sin City: The Real Las Vegas.

VETTING FAILURE

Ashley Cain’s show axed by BBC after ‘unacceptable’ posts about women

TWEET SHAME

Ashley Cain under fire as posts calling women ‘s**ts’ & sex video row resurface

He was flown out to Nevada to film the show but concerns were raised about his conduct.

Appearing to be drunk during filming of the show, the production was suspended and Ashley was ultimately dropped from the project.

Another presenter was then chosen to front the programme instead.

Nonetheless, the incident went largely ignored as Ashley returned to filming with the BBC earlier this year for the second series of his Into The Danger Zone series.

However, following The Guardian’s reports, that series has now been axed and won’t be making it to air.

The BBC revealed they had no plans to work with Ashley again in the future after admitting that their “vetting” process before hiring talent had “failed”.

A BBC spokesperson told The Sun:  “The posts by Ashley Cain, albeit from many years ago, are completely unacceptable.”

“The BBC has clear requirements around vetting and social media checks, which are undertaken by the production company. In this instance, the process clearly failed and we are investigating why. We are continuing to strengthen our processes to ensure everyone working for, and on behalf of, the BBC meets our values and standards.”

“We have no plans to broadcast the new series of ‘Into the Danger Zone’, and no future projects with Ashley Cain.”

The Sun has contacted a representative for Ashley Cain for comment.

Ashley’s comments and behaviour – which largely took place over 10 years ago – first began to emerge after he took part in the very succesful first series of MTV show Ex On The Beach which propelled him to national fame.

Derogatory terms allegedly written in 2014 and 2015 include “sl**s”, “b***hes” and “psychos”, while he said he’d like to “choke slam” and “spit in the face” of Love Island star Jessica Hayes while commenting on the ITV2 reality show.

The Guardian reports that other misogynistic tweets saw him say he wanted to “talcum powder pimp slap these b***es already!” while watching a Channel 4 documentary and demean women by writing: “I DO NOT.. I repeat I DO NOT think EVERY girl is a slag! There are some absolute PHENOMENAL women out there.. They’re just a rare commodity.”

In 2015, Cain was accused of recording Rachel Roftis, 33, during sex and sharing clips to Snapchat without her consent — something he strongly denied.

The pair met at a club in Bexleyheath before spending the night together in a hotel.

Roftis told The Guardian she “screamed” at Cain when she realised the footage had been shared publicly and the incident has “massively affected her relationships with men. She doesn’t trust anybody really now.”

The notoriety from the posts, which saw Cain brand himself the “Snapchat King” and rack up 60,000 views, led to an appearance on short-lived ITV Daytime show O’Brien where he boasted of being a “play boy” and sleeping with 15 girls a week.

Of his attitude towards women, he said: “If you are a lady, I respect you. But if you don’t respect yourself, how can you expect me to respect you?”

For whatever reason, I never reviewed the first season of “Sugar,” which I’d stopped watching before its late-season big reveal — the detective (Colin Farrell as John Sugar) is an alien. Had that happened earlier in the story I might have hung on, but strictly as a production, I’d found its brand of neo-noir to be mannered, gimmicky, obvious, overdirected (by Fernando Meirelles, the Brazilian director of the fine “City of Men”) and, as you may have surmised, off-putting.

This is by way of announcing that the second season arrives Friday on Apple TV and that I like it very much. The stylistic eccentricities have been dialed back, including the use of old Hollywood film clips to reflect the action and possibly the thoughts of its main character, a cinephile from space, who is both practicing and enacting the work of a private detective. He reads American Cinematographer; he takes the Paramount studio tour, then takes it again.

One might navigate the new season without having watched the first, though at least reading an online synopsis. Sam Catlin (“Preacher”) has taken over as showrunner from series creator Mark Protosevich; the tone is lighter, the plot less perverse. Under new director of photography Marshall Adams, the camerawork, formerly too quirky by half — a mishmash of lenses and film stocks and canted angles — has settled down, as has the editing, enhancing the story by letting it breathe and staying out of the way of Farrell’s singular performance — the series’ distinguishing feature and warm heart.

For all his influences, Det. Sugar is the one character who can’t easily be traced back to an earlier model. As detectives go, he’s unusually sweet, optimistic, diplomatic, willing to give a villain a way out, closer to the Man Who Fell to Earth than to Sam Spade. He loves animals, and they love him.

Farrell, who also narrates in a soft voice, often wears a look of shy incomprehension, as if a beat behind in translating the world around him, a stranger in a strange land.

Using his mild telekinetic powers, Det. John Sugar (Colin Farrell) makes a tennis ball float in the air, to the delight of some dogs in “Sugar.”

(Apple TV)

As aliens go, he is also something of a lightweight, demonstrating some mild telekinetic abilities (making a tennis ball float to entertain a pack of dogs, stirring the ice cubes in his drink) and the ability to speak any language, which underscores his empathetic nature. He makes friends with cab drivers, tour guides and security guards; as an “immigrant,” he appreciates immigrants. He’ll do the dishes for a woman too grief-stricken to attend to them, explain to a man who hates his own name that it’s a reference to Bogart’s character in “Casablanca” and a sign of his mother’s love. He can drink as much alcohol as he likes — his metabolism keeps him from getting drunk — which makes him indefatigable company in a bar, but he is horribly allergic to cinnamon. Remember that, if you’re ever forced to defend yourself from an ET.

Where classic noir detectives tend to be middle-class sorts a job or two ahead of losing their office, Sugar has a lot of money, whether saved up from earlier high-priced cases — his Season 1 client is a rich old man ripped from “The Big Sleep” — or piped down from space. He wears expensive suits, lives in a bungalow in a high-end Los Angeles hotel but also buys a house in the Hollywood Hills because its view allows him to spy on a dodgy character from Season 1; and drives a Nassau Blue 1966 convertible Corvette that he blithely parks in bad neighborhoods with the top down. When the car actually is stolen in this season’s opening episode, it brings him into contact with Val (Sasha Calle, Supergirl in “The Flash” movie), a spunky, punky petty criminal who negotiates its return and whom Sugar makes his assistant; I wouldn’t say Calle is underused, but I would have liked to see more of her.

Sugar came to Earth as part of a group of “thousands,” mixing among humans incognito just to observe them, for benign alien reasons, like Starship Enterprise on its five-year mission. (We get a flashback to Sugar’s first days on Earth, before he acquired the suits and the car and settled on a profession.) At the end of Season 1, their cover being blown, and humans being famously weird when it comes to extraterrestrials — you’ve seen the movies — they return home en masse, except for Sugar. He’s still working a missing persons case of his own, looking for his sister, hopefully alive, somewhere on the planet. And he’s becoming more of an Earthman — the dangers of assimilation are a specific Season 1 plot point. On top of that, like a lot of people, he just loves L.A.

Laura Donnelly as flirtatious Charlotte in “Sugar.”

(Jason LaVeris / Apple TV)

And then there’s Charlotte (Laura Donnelly), whom he meets in the bar of his hotel; it doesn’t take a degree in postwar genre fiction to recognize that there may be something fishy, perhaps “fatale,” about her. But like Sugar, we’re content to put that question off as long as possible, in the hopes that maybe this relationship will be as uncomplicated as we’d like it to be, and a tonic for Sugar’s loneliness. (He no longer has his dog, even.) He regularly gets on the subspace shortwave looking for any others of his kind left on Earth.

The new season will get around to that question, though the alien and earthly plot lines are kept on separate tracks. Most of the time “Sugar” functions as a straightforward compelling detective story, as the protagonist hunts for Ji Moon (Raymond Lee), the missing junkie brother of Danny Moon (Jin Ha), a talented young Korean American prizefighter on the first rung of the ladder to success. (Sugar is working pro bono, not needing the money but very much needing something to do.) It brings him into the orbit of drug dealers and crooked police officers and through an array of Southland locations, including the Beverly Center — finally, a good use for that place — Koreatown, the Vista Theater and the Huntington Gardens.

While there’s nothing particularly novel about that plot, it pulls you along, and the series as a whole is orchestrated to make one care about the characters and worry over their fates. Vivid minor characters — there are pro turns from Shea Whigham, Laura San Giacomo and Mireille Enos — make the story live. All in all, a good meal that leaves no bitter aftertaste.

Welsh TV presenter Gethin Jones has opened up about his love life over the years

Gethin Jones is a much-loved Welsh TV presenter.

The 48-year-old played rugby union while studying at Manchester Metropolitan University and, upon graduating, kicked off his television career on Welsh language channel S4C, where he hosted children’s shows including Popty, Mas Draw and Uned 5.

In 2005, Gethin became the 31st presenter of the BBC’s beloved children’s programme Blue Peter. Then in 2020, he took on the role of host on the BBC’s weekday magazine show Morning Live, which is broadcast from studios in Salford.

He regularly appears on the programme alongside Helen Skelton, Michelle Ackerley, Gaby Roslin, and Janette Manrara.

That’s not all, as Gethin has also featured on Celebrity MasterChef, comedy drama Stella, and even took to the Strictly Come Dancing dance floor during season 5. What may come as a surprise to some fans is that Gethin once had a very well-known ex-fiancée, so here’s everything you need to know about the star’s romantic history, reports Wales Online.

Who is Gethin Jones’ famous ex-fiancée?

Gethin had a serious romance with Welsh opera singer Katherine Jenkins after the pair first crossed paths in 2007, while he was competing on Strictly.

The couple announced their engagement in February 2011. However, by December of that same year, both confirmed they had decided to part ways.

Reflecting on the break-up, Gethin previously opened up on Tom Bryant’s Outdoors in Mind podcast, saying: “I was engaged and then breaking up, afterwards, or even during that period, it was just awful… I definitely had a bad bout of depression during that time.” He continued: “It was horrible… a lot of what I read about myself wasn’t right.”

Gethin notably sought counselling in a bid to work through his emotions, explaining: “I saw someone, I had therapy for a couple of years and I still do my homework on that.”

Katherine has since moved on with American painter Andrew Levitas, with the pair tying the knot in 2014 and going on to have two children together.

Past romances and rumours

Three years after his separation from Katherine, Gethin enjoyed a brief romance with former TOWIE star Lucy Mecklenburgh. The pair reportedly began dating in August 2014 after crossing paths at a Give Me Sport event.

Lucy later confirmed the relationship was short-lived, saying: “We went out a few times a while ago but it was bad timing for both of us.”

Gethin also dated model Katja Zwara in 2017, and was rumoured to have been linked to First Dates waitress Cici Coleman – though neither have confirmed a relationship.

There has also been considerable speculation in recent years surrounding a potential romance between Gethin and his Morning Live co-star Helen Skelton, though both have firmly denied they are dating.

When addressing the speculation in December 2025, Helen moved to quash the rumours, saying: “We just work together, we are not together. No, no, no. We are just work friends. They printed pictures of us at work and that we’re together because we are at work together.”

Speaking candidly about his friendship with Helen last year, Gethin revealed to The Sun: “We are very supportive of each other, we like to look out for each other. I think that’s fair to say on and off camera. You sometimes could get… you might need a little pep talk every now and then. Because she’s very passionate.”

Morning Live airs weekdays on BBC One at 9.30am

This period drama has been hailed a “flawless masterpiece” by fans and it’s free to watch

A lavish period drama set in the North East of England is perfect for fans of Downton Abbey.

Television viewers are being encouraged to watch this visually breathtaking series, which was filmed on location at Lambton Castle in County Durham.

The Paradise is a British costume drama adapted from Émile Zola’s 1883 novel, Au Bonheur des Dames. While Zola’s original work focused on retelling the tale of Aristide Boucicaut, the Bellême-born founder of Le Bon Marché, the series instead transfers the story to the North East of England.

It centres on an “intoxicating love story” unfolding within England’s first department store during the 1870s.

The series made its debut on BBC One in 2012, before crossing the Atlantic to American audiences the following year. A second series subsequently aired in 2013, reports Chronicle Live.

The opening season begins in 1875, charting the lives, romances and ambitions of those who worked, shopped and traded in and around England’s first department store. The proprietor of The Paradise is widower John Moray, a former draper’s boy at Emersons, the modest shop that flourished under his stewardship into The Paradise itself.

Into this world arrives Denise Lovett, a young woman hailing from the small Scottish town of Peebles, whose uncle Edmund is among the local shopkeepers desperately fighting to stay afloat.

Denise secures a position at The Paradise and swiftly catches Moray’s eye as a rising talent, much to the irritation of Miss Audrey, the formidable head of ladies’ fashion, and fellow shopgirl Clara.

Joanna Vanderham leads the cast as Denise Lovett, with Emun Elliott portraying John Moray. The ensemble further includes Peter Wight, Matthew McNulty, David Hayman, Sarah Lancashire, Sonya Cassidy, Stephen Wight, and Elaine Cassidy.

Viewers can now lose themselves in all things retail, as all 16 episodes of The Paradise are available to stream without charge on U.

Fans have expressed their admiration for the drama across numerous social media channels, with one IMDb reviewer declaring: “This was a thoroughly delightful series to watch. Stunning costumes and scenery. Outstanding performances. Flawless masterpiece.”

Another proclaimed: “The best ever!! Just as good as Downton Abbey,” while a third stated: “Absolutely captivated by the brilliance of Denise and the charm of Mr Murray.”

One viewer remarked: “The Paradise is just that! An amazing show which captivates you very quickly and has you thinking constantly,” with another revealing: “My wife and I have enjoyed other period shows such as Downton Abbey, Bridgerton, and The Gilded Age, and I think it’s better than all of them.”

A sixth enthusiast reinforced this view, declaring: “One of the most underrated shows. It compels you to binge watch! It’s a stand out series. So flawless.”

Another fan concurred, stating: “Better than Mr Selfridge,” while someone else observed: “Impeccably cast, extremely handsome, predictably soapy and a trifle slow moving, it’s another first-rate costume drama.”

The Paradise is streaming for free on U

LEE Andrews has shared wild new claims about his gunpoint arrest as he insisted it was the “most horrific place” he ever seen.

Katie Price’s husband claimed earlier this week that he had been “captured at gunpoint” and “slapped around” during his ordeal before his wife saved him.

Lee was released from Dubai’s notorious Al Awir prison on Friday and he has now shared a new account of what happened on social media.

The self-proclaimed businessman claimed: “I will say it one more time, the national guard who took me in the beginning, they had guns and they don’t register you as being arrested.

“They can just take you and hold you, which is what happened.

“Anywhere in the world you go to an airport, they have guns patrolling the boarder and they took me and not in the best way either.

“It wasn’t the best experience and from there they held me in state security, so I was transfered to a jail, which was the worst f***ing horrendous place I’ve ever seen and then into a mainstream.”

Earlier today, Lee hit out at Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid for mocking him on yesterday’s show.

Calling for her to be sacked after she “rolled her eyes” at him live on air, Lee has even vowed to sit down with the host on live TV.

Taking to Instagram, Lee hit back as he said: “What is Susanna Reid rolling her eyes at?

“I’m not gonna comment on that, because obviously I’ll get onto the sofa with Katie at some point and we’ll thrash it out.

“And she can be as forthcoming as she likes.”

He then claimed Susanna is “prejudging” him unfairly.

“But to actually judge me without any evidence, calling me a conman, she should lose her job for that,” he fumed, calling for her axe from the breakfast programme.

Lee continued to say that she had “no solid evidence other than an ex coming forward”.

After being banged up and “missing” for seven weeks, Lee was released from Dubai’s notorious Al Awir prison on Friday.

Katie quickly jetted back to Dubai from the UK over the weekend to see her other half and they shared an emotional reunion on Sunday evening.

Upon his return to social media, Lee claimed he was “captured at gunpoint” before being accused of spying.

Despite Lee’s espionage claims, it was widely speculated that he was actually locked up for fraud.

GRAMMY-NOMINATED producer Tay Keith has been found dead in Nashville.

Brytavious Chambers, 29, better known as Tay Keith, was found dead in his apartment earlier today.

Police said his body was discovered while officers were performing a welfare check at his home.

Investigators say there was no evidence of foul play, but the exact cause of death has yet to be determined.

In a post on social media, Metro Nashville PD wrote: “No foul play is suspected in the death of Brytavious Chambers, 29, also known as the Grammy nominated record producer Tay Keith.

“He was found dead in his Martin St apt this afternoon by officers performing a welfare check.

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“His death is unclassified pending autopsy results.”

Throughout his career Keith worked with a wide range of music artists, including Beyoncé, Travis Scott and Drake.

The Memphis hitmaker enjoyed huge success on the Billboard Hot 100, earning 11 top 10 hits and four No.1 records.

He was also the mastermind behind Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” and Drake’s “First Person Shooter”.

Keith currently holds the record for the most No.1s on the Hot R&B / Hip-Hop songs chart this decade – with six.

His work even earned him a coveted Grammy nomination in 2019.

In the aftermath of his death, tributes for the producer have poured in.

Artist and childhood friend Blocboy JB shared photos of the pair as teenagers with the caption: “Damn Cuz You Just Hurt Me Bad.”

He also posted a video of their call history, writing: “We talked everyday yeen tell me you was leaving.”

Fellow Memphis producer Hitkidd also expressed his disbelief, posting a picture of the pair on Instagram.

The caption said: “I ain’t even got the words, we been doing this since 2010.”

Born on September 20, 1996, Keith stated making music when he 14.

He later received a bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University.

Signed to a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music, he was also a member of BMI.

MYLES Smith reveals he was physically abused by his father in his heartbreaking debut album My Mess, My Heart, My Life. 

The Luton-born star, who was raised by his mother Deborah, recalls his difficult childhood in emotional tracks My Mess and Grandma’s House. 

Not since Lewis Capaldi’s astonishing 2019 album Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent have I heard a more impressive and honest debut record, with Myles pouring his truth into the 15-track album. 

Created over the past three years, as Myles’ career went stellar thanks to his 2024 runaway hit Stargazing, the star takes his fans back to his beginnings. 

Lead track My Mess reduced me to tears as Myles regaled his relationship with his father against a backdrop of an upbeat, acoustic guitar. 

He sings, “I was born into a fractured family, where a word can start a war. 

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“Lost my tongue, when I spoke my peace, yeah he grabbed my shirt and he bruised my cheek. 

“Sad a man had to go toe to toe with a boy thirteen.” 

Emotion-packed Grandma’s House, where Myles, 28, recalls finding his safe space as his mum Deborah worked to make ends meet, is packed with emotion and reflection. 

On the track he sings: “Take me back to my Grandma’s place. 

“I was 7 years old when I learnt how to cook, and 10 when I started to sing. 

“Oh she’d bring me to church, and she’d cover my ears, when my Dad would scream horrible things.” 

Myles’ signature acoustic guitar underpins every track, with Hate You untangling the realities of navigating love and Sertraline seeing Myles exploring mental health and complexities surrounding it. 

This is an album for the brokenhearted and the hopeful, with the beautifully worded Lifetime and the dreamy vocals on Heaven – which is my favourite song on the record – seemingly bringing Myles’ the happy ending he’s been searching for. 

Over the past two years, Myles has grown in prominence – winning the Brit Awards Rising Star gong as well as earning an Ivor Novello Award for Stargazing. 

To date Myles has amassed over 4.7billion streams worldwide and is one of our country’s most exciting new stars. 

Opening up about the record, Myles said the album was born out of “therapy notes, old memories, relationships, insecurities, heartbreaks, mistakes and all the moments that shaped me.” 

The latter half of the album moves towards a positive note, with Nice To Meet You and Gold showing Myles coming out on the other side. 

Myles said: “It was important to end the album, and particularly this project on a high. 

“I feel like I always try to mirror my music with my live shows and my live shows are always about taking people on an emotional journey and then sending you home happy. 

“It is that sense of hope which lingers on as Gold closes the album. 

“Even though I may appear miserable for a lot of this album, I genuinely always walk with hope and I walk with joy at the end of the day.” 

Heaven, mark my words, will become a live show staple for Myles, who with My Mess, My Heart, My Life has more than proven he can hold up against the greats when it comes to writing songs about love and loss. 

★★★★★

Lotts of stars at V&A

It was all-white on the night for Maya Jama and Pixie Lott as they stood out in these dresses at the V&A Museum’s summer party.

They were joined at the bash by model Leomie Anderson, in an open white suit with gold jewellery, Ellie Goulding sporting a blazer dress, and Sir Mick Jagger with his fiancee Melanie Hamrick.

Once inside the museum, in London’s South Kensington, guests got the chance to schmooze around the exhibits, while Jessie Ware sang live in a sequin gown.

With tickets flying for her autumn tour, they were lucky to see her.

But access to the fundraiser, for those who did pay, cost £3,999. That is one expensive night out.

KAISER CHIEFS frontman Ricky Wilson will play Teen Angel in Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical.   

The show is being put on by Secret Cinema from July to September at Evolution London in Battersea Park. 

Ricky, left, said: “At school I was in Grease. I was not yet the pop sensation I am today and I only really wanted to do it because I fancied the girl who played Frenchie,  

“I was Doody, so this is my chance to show everyone I should’ve got a bigger part.  

“I don’t believe anyone from that production is now a professional singer – so in short, I win.” 

Sian’s up for toy techover

You will hear some surprisingly familiar voices in Toy Story 5 if you head to the cinema this weekend – as Capital Breakfast’s Jordan North and Sian Welby have landed roles.

They voice a garden gnome and inflatable flamingo in the long-awaited Pixar sequel, and mum-of-one Sian has high hopes for its impact.

Speaking about the film, which is about tech replacing toys, Sian, right, said: “I do think it’s going to start a massive conversation about screen time.

“It made me want to smash every bit of tech in my house and just get out in the grass and play all the games that I did growing up.

“I think a lot of us are going to watch it and feel guilt. It’s sad we have to grow up so fast because there’s so much magic when you’re younger.”

Best-selling novel One Day is coming to the West End as a musical.

The David Nicholls love story – which has previously been adapted for both the big and small screen – will premiere at London’s Garrick Theatre on November 17, following shows in Edinburgh earlier this year.

Tissues and jazz hands at the ready.

MNEK is back in reverse

MNEK is returning with his first album in eight years.

The singer has today released the single Reverse!!, which samples Lethal Bizzle’s Pow! (Forward) and will be on his Bulldozer record this autumn.

Also out now is Jax Jones’ Pulling Me Back, Tiny Habits’ Anything He Was featuring Matty Healy from The 1975 and Grow Down by Luca George.

Ahead of his opening night in Jesus Christ Super-star in London, Sam Ryder has released What’s The Buzz.

And to support England’s World Cup efforts, Kerry Katona has re-recorded Atomic Kitten’s Whole Again as Home Again to raise cash for kids in care.

She said: “Even if you think it’s s***, please download it so we can give back.”

ITV series Fletchers’ Family Farm has been a hit with viewers since it launched in 2023

Fletchers’ Family Farm fans have declared they “can’t wait” after the stars posted an adorable video confirming what lies ahead for the show.

Former Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher’s programme – which chronicles him, his wife Liz and their children on their Peak District farm – has proven enormously popular with audiences since its 2023 debut. And earlier this month, ITV announced it had commissioned two further series, reports the Liverpool Echo.

The Fletchers have now posted a clip on Instagram featuring their daughter Marnie revealing the announcement. The nine-year-old was spotted calling enthusiastically to her dad, who was occupied feeding the sheep.

“I’ve got some news!” she shouted, but Kelvin said he couldn’t hear her.

She then attempted to inform little brother Milo, who was riding his toy bike, before calling out to her mum Liz and twin brothers Mateusz and Maximus, who are four. “What did she say?” they asked each other.

Marnie then declared: “Guys! The Fletchers are back. Series five and six, let’s go!”

Viewers were delighted by the clip, which was posted on Instagram with the caption: “WE ARE BACK! Who’s excited?!”

“Love this!” commented one individual, while another wrote: “Absolutely love this show, always lifts me up, such a lovely family.”

Another described the programme as “one of the best things on TV”.

“Excellent news,” remarked someone else, while another fan exclaimed: “Fletchers are BACK let’s gooooooooooooooooo.”

“Great news!” observed another viewer, as one admitted: “I’m that excited I almost peed my pants.”

“Wonderful wonderful news and amazing family,” gushed one delighted viewer, while another declared it was the “best show” on television.

Kelvin, who is widely recognised for his portrayal of Andy Sugden in ITV’s Emmerdale, first chronicled his agricultural journey in Kelvin’s Big Farming Adventure, before he and Liz went on to star in Fletchers’ Family Farm together.

The show has proven to be a hit with audiences keen to follow the family’s escapades on their 120-acre farm, and has now run for four successful series.

Reacting to the confirmation of two further series, Kelvin and Liz said: “We’re delighted to be returning for series five and six. What started as a simple desire to share our family’s journey has grown into something far bigger than we ever imagined.”

Fletchers’ Family Farm airs on ITV.

TOY STORY 5

(PG) 102 minutes

★★★★☆

IT’S more than 30 years since the first Toy Story film changed the way we look at the contents of an old toy box.

And it might seem that after four films — and a pretty dire Buzz Lightyear spin-off in 2022 — that the story of toys could have been packed up and put in the loft for ever.

But, no. There’s always room for another play.

And Woody, Buzz and their motley crew realise there’s a new enemy sucking the imagination out of their beloved children’s minds: Technology.

The film focuses on good old rootin’-tootin’ Cowgirl Jessie (voiced by Joan Cusack), who is favoured by her owner, Bonnie.

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The kid loves nothing more than playing games where Jessie and Buzz Lightyear get hitched.

Sadly, the neighbourhood kids don’t want to join in with Bonnie. In fact, they laugh at her suggestions.

When Jessie goes on a mission to persuade them otherwise, she watches as they all sit staring at devices, like little zombies.

“That’s not playing!” she exclaims. “They’re not even looking up.”

In a misguided act of kindness, Bonnie’s parents buy her a Lilypad (Greta Lee) — a kid-friendly tablet that she can use to “connect” with other children. And, as you can imagine, this does the opposite.

Bonnie becomes addicted to the screen, while shunning her toys, losing her imagination and getting cyber-bullied by the girls in her class.

So, it becomes Jessie and the crew’s job to get her away from the screen and the misery it brings. Which, as any parent will know, is a near impossible task.

There is also another story running alongside it involving a shipment of new Buzz Lightyears trying to find their way to a star.

At the same time, Woody has to be brought into the pack as he’s living on the outside with the rebellious Bo Peep.

The brilliant dynamic between competitive pals Woody and Buzz is hugely missed here — as is Randy Newman’s superb theme tune, You’ve Got A Friend In Me.

This time, Taylor Swift’s original song, I Knew It, I Knew You, is played at the credits.

And Jessie’s relentless energy also becomes a little grating.

However, it’s great to see the gang back together on the big screen, and this outing has enough entertainment and imagination to make sure you won’t check your phone throughout.

EFFI O BLAENAU

(15) 90mins

★★★★★

THIS hard-hitting drama is adapted from Gary Owen’s one-woman play Iphigenia In Splott, which transforms his doomed Greek tragedy character into a working-class woman.

Effi (Leisa Gwenllian) has a bleak life, spending her days drinking vodka from a mug with her mates and eating Pot Noodles in a grim house in the Welsh valleys.

Her joy comes from club nights in Llandudno, where she meets handsome soldier Lee (Tom Rhys Harries) and the pair have a passionate one-night stand.

After he ghosts her, Effi discovers she’s pregnant.

But in the poorly maintained hospital in the poverty-stricken area, an NHS maternity care horror story then changes her life forever.

This Welsh-language film is a breathtaking work by director Marc Evans.

It strikes the perfect balance of grit and heart to make the subject matter compelling.

Gwenllian’s performance as the unpredictable and broken Effi is a masterclass in how to make an initially unlikeable character be- come someone you want to throw your arms around and care for.

FAMILIAR TOUCH

(12) 90mins

★★★☆☆

IN her debut feature film, director Sarah Friedland brings to life a moving story about a woman with dementia who is placed in a retirement community.

We meet clever, stylish Ruth (Kathleen Chalfant) as she’s making a delicious meal with immaculate precision. Yet at one point, she pops a piece of toast on to the dish-drying rack.

Her son then arrives – whose name she needs a reminder of – and she wonders about his profession and acts as though they may be on a date.

But he is there to take her to an assisted-living home.

Ruth has significant short-term memory loss, though she can still reel off the recipes with precision.

She enters with little protest, apart from telling the carer, in front of her son, that she never wanted children.

Chalfant’s performance is brilliant and has none of the clichés of the elderly.

Ruth is still a sassy, flirty woman who really knows her own mind even though it is betraying her.

This gentle film has a slow pace and the long, silent scenes often ask a lot of the audience – and there’s no rush in unravelling the story.

But its subtle characterisation makes it compelling and somehow uplifting.

AFTER years of “neglecting” Europe and the UK, Aussie duo Empire Of The Sun return for three sold-out nights at London’s Alexandra Palace next week, proof they are making up for lost time. 

“The Empire surges on,” says singer Luke Steele in a quiet moment away from the tour.  

“Empire still feels as intense as ever. It’s like being in a vortex. It’s like Lord Of The Rings when they put the ring on, or when you’re surfing and you’re caught in the wave. Being on this tour is always like that.  

“We’ve changed a few things and added a few new songs, and suddenly it changes the ripples of everything else.” 

Nearly 20 years after track Walking On A Dream first introduced Empire Of The Sun’s fantastical universe, Steele and non-touring band member Nick Littlemore are bigger than ever. 

“It’s incredible because these are our biggest shows and it’s the biggest following we’ve had,” says Steele proudly on a video call. 

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“It’s exploded in a completely different way, to a whole new generation who are my son and my daughter’s age.  

“My daughter Sunny is about to turn 18 and Walking On A Dream came out the week she was born. Nearly 20 years later, it has hit that next generation and it is so reinvigorating. I’m running into kids who are 15 asking, ‘Who’s this new band?’.  

“A lot of people have been asking about the band’s outfits — they’re fascinated by the fashion. 

“But for so many people, they just hear the songs on the radio or at a party and don’t even know what the band looks like. They’re just captivated by the melodies.” 

Steele is in Budapest to perform, and he has just got back from a scooter ride around the city’s sights on a rare day off. 

The pair have survived near burnout and band tensions, but Steele says the music always pulled him back and now he feels the healthiest and sharpest he has ever been. 

“We always had great shows in the UK, but it felt like we’d lost a bit of steam by not touring there frequently. Then the pandemic was tough — five years not being able to tour and stuff — so maybe now we’re making up for lost time.” 

Last summer’s sold-out Labyrinth On The Thames show at Greenwich’s Old Royal Naval College was Empire Of The Sun’s first London performance in more than six years. 

“That was special. It was amazing,” Steele says. “So it’s great we are coming back to the UK — to London and also Cardiff and Halifax — which I am told is right at the top of the UK but not as far as Scotland.” His music is better than his geography. 

Empire’s return has meant more than just filling venues. It is about the band’s influence on the fans, who have found their own lives reflected in the songs. 

“The music is so important. It’s important for us, for our sanity, but it’s amazing what the records have been doing to people,” he says. “I feel a bit more like a conduit now. I’ve been handed these keys, and it’s like, what are you going to do with them? What doors are going to open?” 

“I have to harness that power of influence in a clever, natural way. 

“Coming back with the new show and writing new records post-pandemic, it feels like the songs need to have new revelations and new messages in this crazy world.” 

Steele reckons part of the success of Empire Of The Sun’s performances has been down to his live band, which includes former Gomez guitarist Ian Ball and drummer Olly Peacock.  

“They are the greatest players — really seasoned musicians, which is incredible to have,” says Steele. “People with experience are worth everything in touring. Ian is my right-hand man. The one and only.  

“You rehearse for three months, then you get up in front of 80,000 people and suddenly my in-ear pack goes down, or the pedalboard dies. Ian is so calm. He just mooches over, cool as a cucumber, sorts it out and comes back before I’ve even noticed.”  

Steele says having a great team behind him means he can execute the ideas he has been inspired by. 

“There are quite a few songs from Ask That God in the set.  

“We always play the hits, like We Are The People and Alive, because that’s important for people’s memory, and then there are a couple of throwbacks from the earlier records. 

“It’s about trying to fit it all in without it becoming an exhausting meal for people.  

“The first show probably had too many songs — like eating that last chicken wing at the Chinese buffet, where you walk out thinking you’ve had too much. It’s a fine line. 

“I don’t like those shows where bands play for three-and-a-half hours. I want to see a concert, get blown away, and go and put my pyjamas on. You don’t want to lose people.” 

Almost two years into the Ask That God tour, Steele is still pushing the show forward. 

He says: “It’s so exciting and exhilarating, and then there are the fans who mean so much. 

“It always sounds so cliched to me, to talk about ‘the fans’ but as I’ve got older and seen their dedication they become like your friends. It’s more than someone buying an album. The music seeps into their lives. 

“The other day I met this girl who showed me a video of her three-year-old kid dancing to one of our songs. It’s amazing to be so far away from home and see how much the music touches people.  

“We played Poland recently and this girl had spent months making these elaborate Salvador Dali and Escher-style collage illustrations for each song. She printed them all in a book and had written a personal note at the end. 

“People really go on the journey with us, so I’m pretty thankful.” 

Being away for long periods from his own family in Australia is what hits Steele the hardest. 

“I’m not really going home until Christmas. We go from here to the American tour and it just keeps going, but they’re all coming out to the UK shows. 

“I find it hard. I go through different stages of exhaustion and depression, excitement and exhilaration. It’s like a wave.  

“I feel quite fragile because I’m so emotional. Being on the road is a real vortex. And when you get home it’s not easy — this pipe burst in the front bathroom of my new house I bought in Perth, and 700,000 litres of water flooded the whole house.  

“When I came back from tour in January from Miami, it was just like a swimming pool, so everything’s been gutted now. It’s just all concrete, so we’re in a rental for a while — we’re pretty much homeless now.” 

After living in the US then New Zealand, Steele moved back to Perth to be closer to his family. 

Steele, who was living in America during Donald Trump’s first presidency, says the country’s extremes fed into his songwriting. 

“I had to go because I was writing so many aggressive songs. Now I’m back where I grew up and it’s been awesome,” he says.  

“I haven’t lived there for 20 years, so it’s a perfect amount of time to get over the regret, you know? 

“And it’s been good to be the hometown hero.  

“Walking On A Dream became the soundtrack for Tourism Western Australia’s global campaign and it is even named after that song.  

“There’s also a music room at my school named after the family. It feels kind of cool to be given the keys to the city, where it all started.” 

Steele lost his dad, blues musician Rick Steele, last year and he recently paid tribute to him with a night of blues. 

“It was the one-year memorial and it was awesome to come back together, remember him and play the blues. The blues club he belonged to is stronger than ever, which is great. 

“I didn’t want him to pass away and then the club to fall over. His legacy moves on, and we’re about to do a grant the Steele family has started — the Rick Steele Music Grant. 

“We’ve also got a plaque on a park bench just down the road from his house, where he lived his whole life. He used to go there most mornings, get a coffee and sit on that bench. I think he’d think that was pretty cool. He’s got his own bench there.” 

For Steele, that sense of legacy, home and survival has fed back into the music. 

“It’s a good spot to be, because I feel the sharpest I’ve ever been and the healthiest. I got rid of all of that garbage, all the drugs and alcohol, years ago.  

“It was music that helped me to heal by writing every song and playing, recording and mixing it myself.  

“Music is still such a powerful phenomenon and medium. It’s a healer. It brings renewal, hope and vision.  

“Music was always the vessel, even after I said the band was done and went off to write a solo record.” 

That sense of purpose also seems to have softened the creative tension between Steele and Littlemore.  

They have not always seen eye to eye, but time, distance and their separate lives have made the partnership easier to understand. It’s like a marriage that works because both know when to step away. 

“I think Nick and I have been good at that,” he says.  

“We probably spend more time apart than together and, when we come together, it’s quite focused on the job at hand.” 

After side projects — Littlemore is the frontman of electronic trio PNAU — and an eight-year gap between third album, Two Vines, and the release of 2024’s Ask That God, time apart now seems to be part of how Empire Of The Sun have survived.

Steele says: “When we came back, it was like, OK, we’re older now — what are we actually talking about? What’s the real meaning? So we’re trying to bring more of that into the show and the theatrics.  

“But I think now we can sit back and soak in the fruits of our labour a bit.  

“For a while, you’re just trying to hold on to it, because you spend your whole life trying to get to a point where people are actually listening. 

“Now we have people’s attention, we have to treat that with respect and not take it for granted. 

“I haven’t spoken to Nick for a while, but we’ll probably start talking more now we are about 45 songs into the new record and trying to finish a huge batch of songs. It’s definitely going to be a little bit more edgy.  

“We’ve been working with different producers and in Hawaii, LA and Sweden. Each territory brings different colours.  

“Working with these different people, from different places gives you beautiful ingredients.” 

But before new music arrives, there is the small matter of shows in Halifax, Cardiff and three sold-out nights at Alexandra Palace. 

It is surely a pinnacle moment, which Empire Of The Sun have been building towards for nearly 20 years. 

“We’re going all out on that,” he insists.  

“They’re going to be massive shows.” 

The classic Chicano film “Zoot Suit” is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year in style.

The Golden Globe-nominated movie, featuring a lead performance by Edward James Olmos, was based on a stage play penned by legendary screenwriter and director Luis Valdez, who drew inspiration from a pamphlet about the 1942 Sleepy Lagoon murder case and the riots that it sparked.

On Thursday it was announced that the flick will be screened at The Ford amphitheater on July 8 to honor its notable benchmark and enduring legacy. The special screening will include a conversation with Valdez, Olmos and actor-educator Cristina Frías, who will discuss the movie’s production, influence and place in the L.A. film canon.

“‘Zoot Suit’ changed the way our stories could be seen on screen,” Olmos said in a statement. “It gave voice to a history that many people had never been taught and showed the beauty, strength and complexity of the Chicano experience. Forty-five years later, the film continues to inspire because it is about more than one moment in time. It is about identity, dignity and the responsibility we have to remember where we come from.”

The screening will also feature a vintage car show put on by the Pachuco Car Club, which will showcase the rides reminiscent of the time period shown in the movie.

In June 1943, L.A. was engulfed in the lawlessness and violence that became known as the Zoot Suit Riots. The name is misleading because it suggests that the zoot suiters — the young Mexican, Black and Filipino men and boys who wore the flamboyant outfits — were the perpetrators.

In fact, they were the victims.

The attacks by servicemen and white Angelenos on zoot suiters, derided as “gamin dandies” in The Times, were driven by prejudice and the anti-immigrant attitudes of the era. The roots of the unrest can be traced to events that occurred more than a year earlier — such as the incarceration of Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor, as well as the murder of a young man, which was later known as the Sleepy Lagoon murder case.

In his 1981 review of the film, The Times’ former film critic Kevin Thomas praised Valdez’s direction and the strength of the cast.

“Valdez has captured well many of the elements of the era that contributed to the fate of the Sleepy Lagoon defendants — the sensationalist press, the feverish patriotism of wartime and the rampant bigotry directed at all minorities,” Thomas wrote. “At the same time, Valdez makes clear that various people outside the Mexican-American community helped in the struggle to mount an appeal for the Sleepy Lagoon defendants. And he questions the entire validity of the switch-bladed, cynical pachuco mystique as [Daniel Valdez’s] Henry comes to realize that El Pachuco [Olmos] is at once his best friend — and worst enemy.”

The original 1979 Broadway run of the “Zoot Suit” play catapulted Olmos to the national stage and led to him getting a Tony nomination for best featured actor in a play.

“It was a monumental moment in time, and we captured lightning in a bottle,” Olmos told The Times in 2023. “Not only did it change the course of Latinos in theater but it touched the very soul of the culture. It was catching the voice of the pachuco.”

SUPERMODEL Irina Shayk runs rings around her rivals in a swimsuit held together by gold bands. 

She also wore gold hoop earrings in a shoot for Spanish department store El Corte Ingles and showed off her wild side in a tiger-print bikini. 

Russian Irina, 40, is mum to nine-year-old Lea — whose dad is Hollywood actor Bradley Cooper. 

She has become one of the modern modelling industry’s greats after being discovered in her small Russian hometown of Yemanzhelinsk. 

Irina, whose full name is Irina Valeryevna Irinahlislamova, received international recognition when she became the first Russian model to appear on the cover of the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. 

As a child, she pursued her love of music while her mum Olga worked two jobs to provide for the family.

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While she was training at a beauty school, Irina was noticed by a model talent scout.

In 2004, she won the Miss Chalyabinsk contest, which propelled her into the fashion industry.

She has become a runway staple, working with prestigious fashion houses worldwide.

It’s no surprise that Irina has become the model with the 8th biggest social media presence, as she’s graced numerous magazine front covers, including GQ.

The stunning star has also been ranked first in the 50 Hottest Russian Women list, which was compiled by Complex magazine.

When she’s not busy walking the catwalk or filming, Irina gets stuck in with charity work.

Irina has been heavily involved with the construction of a maternity ward in her hometown, Yemanzhelinsk, as well as helping to renovate the children’s section.

Spider-Man fans have been waiting years for this moment and now it’s almost here

Marvel fans have all said the same thing after an iconic character’s long awaited return in the upcoming Spider-Man film.

Just this week, an exciting trailer was released for Spider-Man Brand New Day, which will premier in cinemas on July 31. It has been teased: “The world may have forgotten Peter Parker, but he hasn’t forgotten them.”

The latest instalment takes place shortly after the events of No Way Home – the fourth of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man movies as it follows Peter Parker (Tom Holland) in a world that no longer remembers who he is.

In the clip, it appears that trouble is just around the corner though, as Spider-Man can be heard saying: “What is happening to me?

“I’m losing my mind. I am totally out of control. I’ve got to fix whatever this is right now.”

However, there is one iconic character that has stolen the show as fans were delighted to see the return of Mark Ruffalo – but more excitingly in his savage Hulk form.

The exciting trailer shows Peter seeking out DR Bruce Banner as he says: “You found a way of suppressing mutating DNA right?”

Dr Banner then replied: “If you see me with this off, then run”, showing him the device that prevents him from mutating into the Hulk. However, later scenes show his transformation into the green mutation, right in front of Spider-Man who states: “I didn’t know you could get that big.”

Seeing savage Hulk return is a delight to Marvel fans who have not seen the character in the MCU for quite some time, somewhat completing Banner’s character arc.

But now, it appears the raging monster has made a return as the trailer teases a tense head to head. Commenting on YouTube, one person wrote: “Seeing Hulk back to his normal self genuinely made me happy.”

Another penned: “no dude literally like hulk back in the original form is like breathing nice fresh air!”

A third added: “I have friends who have had two kids since I’ve been waiting for the real hulk to come back.”

A fourth replied: “Spider-Man is depressed, Hulk is angry and Punisher is itching to tell us something… PEAK.”

A fifth echoed: “Love how Spidey did not know Hulk’s true size. He has only ever encountered Professor Hulk, not OG Savage Hulk. About time we got him back!”

One person said: “Ladies and Gentlemen, It has 8 years 1 month and 22 days since we saw Hulk. Now we’re back Baby!!”

Another commented: “Normal hulk has came .This is what every Marvel fan was wishing for.”

Spider-Man Brand New Day lands in cinemas on July 31

Coronation Street’s Cilla Battersby-Brown star Wendi Peters has joined a new star-studded BBC detective series

A new BBC detective series sees two Coronation Street favourites join the cast.

The Hairdresser Mysteries, created by Jim Cartwright, has issued a first look at the nostalgic 1970s set crime drama and confirmed its star-studded cast.

A synopsis for the upcoming six-part show teases: “The Hairdresser Mysteries is an original, homegrown drama and a nostalgic nod to the 70’s which sees a high-end hairdresser, Lily Petal (Sally Phillips), opt out of the competitive city scene to buy a small village hairdressers at the top of a cobbled street.

“Everyone tells their hairdresser everything and soon she becomes the hub of her new village’s secrets and revelations. Using her own brand of uncannily developed hairdressing intuitive, empathy and understanding, Lily begins to solve the mysteries of the village.”

Coronation Street legend Wendi Peters will play Gloria Crudd in the series, who is another newcomer to the village hoping to make a fresh start with her ice cream parlour but soon finds her old life catching up with her.

Wendi, 58, is best known for playing Cilla Battersby-Brown in Coronation Street from 2003 to 2007, she returned to the cobbles once again in 2014.

In a first look of the new series, Wendi looks worlds away from Cilla as her character Gloria has a pastel pink copper coloured curly beehive hairdo adorned with jewellery pieces.

However, Wendi isn’t the only Coronation Street star in the new series as she is joined by fellow Weatherfield favourite Charlotte Jordan who is playing Clary Coombs – Lily’s ‘bright and analytical assistant and the Watson to her Shear-lock Holmes’.

Charlotte, 32, is best known for playing Daisy Midgeley on the cobbles from 2020 to 2025, where her character was involved in several huge storylines including the hard-hitting acid attack plot.

Joining the two Coronation Street favourites is Bridget Jones’ Diary legend Sally Phillips who plays the lead character, hairdresser Lily Petal, who opts out of the competitive city scene to buy a small village hairdressing salon at the top of a cobbled street.

You star Ben Castle-Gibb will play PC Adam Watson – an eager young copper in the local village who falls head-over-heels for salon assistant Clary.

Meanwhile, Ackley Bridge star Sunetra Sarker will play Wincey Evans – the village’s local chit-chatter with a reputation as a known gossip, while Clive Rowe plays Lonnie – the flamboyant manager of the local charity shop, and Holby City star Guy Henry plays Race Runard – the local village’s eccentric antiques dealer with a penchant for priceless teacup and saucer sets.

The Hairdresser Mysteries comes to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this July.

JAMES Bourne is made of sterner stuff. The Busted rocker stepped back from the public eye in September after falling ill and ten weeks ago told his fans was awaiting major surgery to extend his life.

And now, James tells me he’s used his time to finish a project which has been 13 years in the offing – and on July 1 will release new album Murder At The Gates, which he created for a brand new musical with legendary American playwright Steven Sater.

“I didn’t want my health to stop me from promoting this project because I’ve put 13 years of my life into it,” James tells me from his home in the UK.

“There was a fear of not finishing it. But I knew I had to finish it and give this to the people. “There’s like a few people that have been waiting for it. There are hardcore fans who show to up for everything – and I have been speaking about this for a long time.

“It feels so good to now have this as a finished product. And it’s the first album I’ve ever produced. So I’m proud of it.”

James, who has racked up eight top ten singles including four No1s with Busted, pulled out of the McFly V Busted tour last September citing his health.

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But rather than wallowing, James threw himself into the 13-track album – which features big name screen stars, including Stranger Things actor Gaten Matarazzo, on vocals.

“This album definitely has a different feeling to all the others,” James explains.

“With everything going on with my health, I have been given the gift of time.

“I was given a lot of time back when I wasn’t touring. It was like turning a negative into a positive. It was such a shame to have to drop out from the tour, because I love touring so much.

“But  you have to turn negative into positive. They’re the conversations I’ve had with my closest friends.

“I wanted to take the time I’d been given and deliver this album.”

James’s last musical, Loserville, earned an Olivier nomination back in 2013 and when he was tapped up by Steven, who earned a Grammy and a Tony award for his cult-hit musical Spring Awakening, he jumped at the chance to get involved.

“Musicals are a very difficult thing to do well and to do properly and to develop properly,” James explains.

“And this one’s been developed on the highest level with the most talented people.

“Steven was looking for a composer and that is when Loserville was in the West End.

“He invited me to his place and I knew immediately how I would do it.

“I’d never done a project where someone else did the words because he’s a lyricist.

“But as I was reading the lyrics, I could hear the music. And we partnered on the project.

“To work on this with someone on Steven’s level has been a dream.”

Of the score he’s created, James adds: “I knew I wanted it to be a very solid piano vocal score to begin with and I knew I wanted it to be orchestral but with a rock band at the heart of it.

“But I don’t think it is a rock musical in the way that rock musicals are presented.

“Rock musicals like We Will Rock You or Rock of Ages tend to veer more towards classic rock and this isn’t what Murder At The Gates is.

“I think a big part of what sold Steven’s show Spring Awakening so well was how contemporary the score was.

“The music is very customised. This is tailormade for Steven’s words and the world that he imagined and the characters that he imagined

“The score had to represent that world, you know.”

James adds: “We wrote about 50 songs for the show and whittled it down to 13.

“Some are old, some have been rewritten, some are completely new.

“It’s a long process that you can’t complete unless there’s a lot of passion involved.

“With songwriting in the pop world, you can blag it. Go into the room with a producer you’ve never met before and come out with something amazing.

“But if you don’t get anything great, you’ve not lost much. With a project like this, it’s a life commitment.”

James admits all of his spare time since 2013 has been dedicated to this project, with him missing dates on the McBusted tours with One Direction in 2014 and 2015 to get his teeth into it.

After stepping back from their tour last September, James was able to focus fully on getting the project finished – and spent time flying from his home in the US to New York to record the tracks.

“We’ve got amazing people like Gaten on board, he was definitely one of the top people on our list,” James explains.

“It was a total cherry picking situation. Steven has so much recognition from Spring Awakening – he’s like a rock star in his own right. He is a genius.

“All of the people who sang on it were busy, many of them were on Broadway so I would fly to New York for each vocal.”

And like all the best projects, James had kept his cards close to his chest – with not even his Busted bandmates Matt Willis and Charlie Simpson hearing the finished product.

“They might have heard something a very long time ago when we were doing promo for one of our tours,” James explains. “But apart from that, I haven’t played it for anyone.

“Even the actors who have done workshops with us over the past decade haven’t heard it.”

Once the record is released, Steven will get to work with James in getting the production green lit.

And James admits he is excited to see what comes of the project.

“We don’t have an opening night yet for the show but we’ve got the album and we’re saying, ‘This is a great representative of what the show is,’”James explains.

“There are still some bonus tracks to come later on. I’m just incredibly proud of it.

“When you do these projects, you strive to create things that can be timeless in a way.

“Classic musicals go on for years and years, and we’ve definitely been really striving to create something amazing.

“When I make albums with Busted, you’re making music for yourself to perform.

“With a project like this, you’re giving something to the community. This show is original, memorable and I don’t think there’s another show like it.

“I just can’t wait for people to hear it, then see it.”

LEE Andrews says he has undergone a “reinvention” by getting a fresh haircut.

Katie Price’s husband was released from Dubai’s notorious Al Awir prison on Friday with what appeared to be a fuller head of hair.

After allegations he had used a filter on his video, Lee shared new footage of himself in the barber’s chair.

The former glamour model’s controversial husband said: So this is when you try to reinvent yourself..

A wet through messy look. We’re getting there, guys. Slowly, slowly getting there.

“Not too bad is it? Massive reinvention. Love it.”

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He then thanked his hairdresser for the cut.

Lee added: “It seems to be a bit on the pineapple side, but I don’t mind. It seems to do the job. I’ll play around with it a bit, making take it back or forward.

“Good job, isn’t it? Looking like an Abercrombie model.”

Lee’s hair stole attention when he returned to social media for the first time since leaving prison.

Many were convinced it was AI or a filter had been used to create a fuller head of hair.

Since then, a Dubai-based trichologist from Hair Repair Club claimed to The Sun that Lee had visited his salon on Monday to enquire about a permanent wig. 

He declined their services when he was told he would require a patch test and “colour matching” before being able to purchase.

GREG James has confirmed his Radio 1 show return and revealed that he’s ‘exhausted’ as he shared an update on his dad’s recent open heart surgeries.

The radio star, 40, was missing from the Radio 1 Breakfast, which airs weekdays from 7am to 10:30am, on Wednesday and Thursday (18 June 2026).

Greg took to his Instagram story this morning to reveal the heart-breaking reason why – and admitted that he’s “in no fit state” because his father Alan Milward has undergone heart surgery.

Then this afternoon, he decided to give his 1.3m followers on the social media platform an update.

Sharing a selfie from a sauna, Greg wrote: “Hello from the sauna! I felt daft updating on all of this but because it was such a loud part of the comic relief challenge, I feel like it’s nice to be honest about it all.

“Just to say, my dad is responsive, just about conscious and being looked after amazingly.

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“Obviously, after two open heart surgeries in three months, he’s not out of the woods by a long way, but we’re hopeful he’ll be fixed and we can all just get on with life.

“Which is what I’m gonna try and do.

“I won’t keep updating on here about it all as quite frankly, we’re all exhausted by it and it’s going to be a long road to recovery.”

He then went on to share exactly when he’ll be back on the radio – and fans don’t have long to wait.

Greg continued: “I’ve wanted to make sure my mum is OK so it’s been nice to spend loads of time with her and my big sis, but I’m back to the show tomorrow and I can’t wait.

“Thank you again for the most amazing load of messages.

“It’s genuinely very comforting.”

It comes after Greg told fans yesterday: “Hello from my mum’s garden! I wasn’t on the breakfast show today as my dad was in for another go at heart surgery (it’s been a wild few months and I didn’t want to bore you with it all). 

“But here we are. Back to square one. Waiting for news and staying distracted and keeping calm by making water features. 

“All being well, back on tomorrow morning.”

However Greg later revealed Alan’s surgery took “much longer” than they’d expected so he would be taking another day off. 

He said: “What a great day! An absolute hoot in ICU. 

“Surgery was much longer than everyone hoped. Big up my mum and my big sis. And the surgeons. And the NHS. What a gang. We’ve all gone mad. 

“Real talk, surgery went ok but he’s far from out of the woods so I’m gonna take it easy tomorrow and hopefully back on Friday. 

“Plus, I’m in no fit state to be on the radio. I mean, look at me, I’m posting photos from intensive care ffs. Thank you for your lovely messages.”

In March Greg had to cancel his show and rush home after Alan suffered a stroke during a planned heart operation.

He later opened up about his dad’s struggles during his 1,000km tandem bike ride for Red Nose Day.

Undertaking the mammoth task just a week after Alan’s stroke, Greg got emotional talking about the man he calls “Big Al”.

He said: “I feel elated. I feel a bit overwhelmed by all these people who just turned up out of nowhere. I just burst into tears as I was going up to Blaenavon. It was all a bit much.

“Just thought about… I just thought about everything. Just thought about my dad, thought about my mum. It got way too much. It’s so silly. It must have been the altitude.”

DISGRACED actor John Alford’s cause of death has been revealed after he was found dead in his prison cell just weeks after being caged for sexually assaulting two teenagers.

The disgraced actor died less than three months into the sentence at Category C HMP on March 13 this year – and now the cause of his death has been revealed.

John Alford – who played Robbie Wright in the BBC series Grange Hill – was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting two teenage girls, 14 and 15.

The victims had been at a pub before heading to the home of a pal whose dad had been drinking with Alford, real name John Shannon.

The paedophile bought £250 worth of food, booze and cigarettes from a petrol station, including vodka the girls drank later, a trial at St Albans crown court was told. Once left alone with the girls, Alford had sex with the younger girl in a garden and a toilet.

The trial heard he asked her “Do you want this babe?” to which she answered “No”. He assaulted the other teen twice while she was “dozing off” on the sofa.

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Following the horror, The older girl said Alford “destroyed my mental wellbeing”. The other said the assault “affected me and my family in every way”.

The disgraced TV star made his mark on BBC school drama Grange Hill in the 1980s and found fame as fireman Billy Ray in London’s Burning in the 1990s before his fall from grace.

Grange Hill ran for 30 years until 2008 and launched the careers of several famous faces we know today. It covered major issues from drug use to teen pregnancy, HIV and knife crime.

The show’s characters became some of the most recognisable faces on TV, but where are the actors who played its young stars now? From sex assault scandal to star who traded acting for a very ordinary job, fate has dealt the former stars varied hands.

John Alford – Robbie Wright

Towards the end of his Grange Hill stint, Alford later admitted he was drinking up to 18 bottles of beer and nine spirits shots a night.

But he went on to earn a new army of fans as fireman Ray in London’s Burning from 1993 to 1998. However, this didn’t last long either, as John was sacked two years later after he was convicted for supplying cocaine and cannabis. He served six weeks of a nine-month sentence in 1999.

But this wasn’t his only encounter with the law. Back in 2019 John pleaded guilty to smashing a windscreen in a bin lorry ‘hijacking’ and resisting arrest. A hearing at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court heard how a refuse worker spotted the shamed TV star who had broken into the Veolia lorry while it did its morning rounds near his home in Holloway, North London.

Police attended and noted that John was seemingly under the influence as he began resisting arrest. First, John argued with attending officers Police Constables Darren Baker and Miranda Narcin and claimed he was trying to stop the vehicle rolling back, but they all fell to the ground as he resisted their attempts to restrain him, Irish Mirror reported at the time.

The sick predator, who had been in a psychiatric hospital before his September 2025 trial, was found dead in his prison cell earlier in March. The provisional cause of death for Alford has now been publicly recorded as ischaemic heart disease following an inquest opening.

George Armstrong – Alan Humphries

He starred as Alan from the first episode of Grange Hill in 1978 until Series five in 1982.

Among Armstrong’s other roles was that of PC Driscoll in The Bill in 1989. He later gave up acting and became a theatre manager at a public school.

Unfortunately, the former TV star passed away in 2023 following a “long battle with leukaemia“. His former co-stars paid tribute to the actor, describing him as a “true legend”.

Lee Whitlock – Bevis Loveday

Alan’s sad death came just months after the passing of Lee Whitlock, who played Bevis Loveday in series 16 in 1993, in February.

Prior to that, Lee launched his career in the popular TV series Shine On Harvey Moon as Stanley Moon in the 1980s.

London-born Lee, who died aged 54, went on to appear alongside some of the biggest names in the movie industry – Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter – in the 2007 film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Other film credits included Wish You Were Here, Jack the Giant Slayer, Cassandra’s Dream and Wild Bill. Lee also had cameos in Casualty, EastEnders, Lovejoy, Boon, The Bill, London’s Burning and Solider, Solider.  

Paula-Ann Bland – Claire Scott

One of the show’s most iconic characters, Claire – played by Paula-Ann Bland – was a child of overprotective parents. Following the trailblazing drama series, Paula, now 54, continued her acting career and portrayed Kelly Brice in Only Fools and Horses, as well as Sylvie in Vanity Fair.

The mother-of-two, who posed topless for lads’ magazine Mayfair, also moved to Los Angeles for a time before returning to London to set up a publicity firm.

Despite finding enormous success, Paula’s life was thrown upside down after she found out she had stage three triple-negative breast cancer in 2018.

In an interview in the Sunday Express at the time, Paula revealed: “When you hear the word cancer, you can’t hear anything else, everything else becomes just white noise.”

The actress, who was considered the British Kylie Minogue thanks to her version of The Locomotion, lost part of her breast during her procedure.

She added: “I understand it had to be done to save my life and this is better than the worst scenario of a double mastectomy and removal of the ovaries. But the procedure still leaves you without an important part of your identity as a woman.”

Terry Sue-Patt – Benny Green

Benny Green, played by Terry Sue-Patt, made his screen debut when Grange Hill premiered in 1978. “There weren’t many black actors about on TV at that time. I had a great time, getting time off school to play football. It was a bit of a dream come ”true”, really,” he told the Daily Mirror.

After his tenure at the London school ended in 1982, Terry went on to star in Channel 4 comedy Desmond’s, set in a Peckham barbershop, and also the 1989 film The Firm. Tragically, Terry was found dead at his London home in 2015 at the age of 50.

The family of the actor released a statement revealing his struggle with personal challenges before his passing. Police feared his body may have lain there for a month before it was found.

John Holmes – Luke ‘Gonch’ Gardener 

Luke ‘Gonch’ Gardener was portrayed by John Holmes, who starred in the show for four years from 1985 before wisely deciding to return to education.

He committed himself to his studies at the University Of East Anglia, where he served as president of the student union for several years.

As reported by The Express, John, who is now 56, left the acting world to manage a casino.

Susan Tully – Suzanne Ross

Susan Tully, known for her role as Michelle Fowler in EastEnders, began her acting career as Suzanne Ross in the BBC series.

The 58-year-old has since applied her talents behind the camera as a successful television director of shows including Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, Lark Rise To Candleford and Getting On.

Millions have watched her work as a director on episodes of Line Of Duty, as well as of EastEnders and the ITV thriller Too Close.

Lee MacDonald – Samuel ‘Zammo’ McGuire

The class clown was at the centre of one of the most talked about storylines on the series when his character developed a dangerous heroin addiction in the mid-80s.

Lee, now 55, tried his hand at professional boxing after leaving the show, but a car accident in the early 90s left him unable to return to the ring.

He had been running a locksmiths and key-cutting business since retiring from telly, but in 2019 he made a surprise comeback 32 years after playing Zammo by joining EastEnders.

In 2020, he got engaged to his long-term partner, Jess. Just three years later, in 2023, the former child star broke down in tears when he feared he had cancer. But although he was given the all-clear, Lee was then diagnosed with a pre-cancerous spot called keratosis after noticing another mark on his face last year.

After leaving Grange Hill, Lee used sunbeds to feel more confident, but regrets using them following his diagnosis.

He explained: “Without a shadow of a doubt, if I look back now, obviously, because of my complaints, I wish I’d never, ever gone near them if I knew now what I knew, then I would not have touched them. I would not not go near them.”

Michelle Herbert – Trisha Yates

Trisha Yates’ Michelle Herbert left the series in 1982, concluding five memorable series. Moving her life to Dundee in the 90s, the mother-of-two and her husband manage All Glass and Glazing business.

But like many other former Grange Hill alumni, she has had her share of obstacles. While she was in a hotel room, during a family holiday in Rome, Michelle spotted a small dimple on her breast in May, 2015.

She was subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo a mastectomy – but luckily, the 61-year-old has since received the all-clear.

Following the ordeal, Michelle has been adamant on raising public awareness around the lesser-known symptoms of breast cancer, urging women to check for dimples.

Erkan Mustafa – Roland ‘Roly’ Browning

Fans of the series all adored Roland, didn’t they?

Roland was the lovable character who, despite horrific bullying, eventually found the strength to confront his tormentors after enduring years of abuse.

Post-Grange Hill, Erkan Mustafa, 56, appeared in the holiday favourite Blackadder’s Christmas Carol and later captivated music fans as a host on E4 Music. he starred in Lenny Henry’s 90s sitcom Chef! and Blackadder and also made appearances on Soccer AM and Celebrity Juice.

Sean Maguire – Terence ‘Tegs’

Sean Maguire was only 11 when he joined the cast of one of the most famous schools on TV. He later starred as Aidan Brosnan in EastEnders and also had roles in The Bill, crime series Scott and Bailey, and Holby City.

In the 90s, Sean moved away from acting to kick-start his pop career with two albums and an impressive eight singles that broke into the Top 30. His venture into film, however, wasn’t as successful, with his movie, Meet the Spartans, winning a meagre 2.8-star rating on IMBd.

Undeterred by this hiccup, Sean rebounded when he secured the role of Robin Hood in the American TV series Once Upon a Time. Sean, now 50, married police officer Tanya Flynn in 2012 and they have two sons, as well as a daughter. They now live in the US where the former child star has become a citizen.

Simone Hyams – Caroline ‘Calley’ Donnington

Simone appeared in the first episode of Grange Hill and played the role of Calley in Grange Hill.

In 1991, Simone, now 54, landed a role in the film Dirty Weekend, but it wasn’t released until two years later because it was deemed too violent.

She then went on to star in The Bill before shifting careers to become a corporate events manager for Virgin.

Todd Carty – Peter ‘Tucker’ Jenkins

Todd was just 14 when he joined the BBC cast and went on to be one of the show’s most famous faces.

He was so popular as the lovable rogue Tucker that he got his own successful spin-off series, Tucker’s Luck, for three years. After Grange Hill, Todd played Mark Fowler in EastEnders until 2003 before joining The Bill as evil Gabriel.

Todd, now 62, also famously appeared on Dancing On Ice in 2009 where he became an internet sensation in 2009 after losing control and skating out of the studio.

Since then, he has featured in a range of TV shows, including the comedy A Touch of Cloth, Celebrity 5 Go Caravanning, and the short film The Drive.