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EastEnders fans are worried about Letitia Dean after her character Sharon Watts was written out during Tuesday night’s episode just weeks after making a much-anticipated comeback
EastEnders fans worried for Sharon star EastEnders fans worried for Sharon star Letitia Dean as exit confirmed as exit confirmed(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)
EastEnders fans are worried about Letitia Dean after her character Sharon Watts was written out during Tuesday night’s episode. The actress, 57, has been on the BBC soap on a sporadic basis since 1985 and whilst her latest stint has lasted more than 14 years in total, the star has only appeared in a handful of episodes this year, prompting some viewers to worry about her well-being in real life.
Towards the end of last month, Sharon headed back to Walford after spending some time in America visiting her sister Michelle and missed the much-anticipated return of Zoe Slater during her time away. Once she had got home, she was shocked to learn that Zoe had given birth to her twins during her time away from Albert Square, and agreed to help her son down when she told Sharon that her late husband Dennis was the father, which was a lie.
Fans instantly took to social media to speculate on what was going on, given that the iconic character has only been seen nine times since her return.
One fan wrote: “I hope Letitia Dean’s alright. Before she came back it was said she had lots coming up and now she’s left again after only a month onscreen. Makes me think it was a last minute exit,” whilst another said: “I really hope Letitia Dean is ok she’s only just back and Sharon is gone again let’s no speculate about her real like person business but let’s hope she’s ok and back soon x”
A third said: “i hope letitia dean is ok… sharon’s exit around the time of matins death and her subsequent exit again now r really peculiar in terms of plot direction… not like being nosey or anything just hope she’s ok” (sic)
A fourth added: “What on EARTH is going on with Sharon Watts. She completed 9 episodes since coming back after a 5 month break and she’s gone again in another hastily written exit. Worried for her.” Sharing in the concern, another fan said: “I genuinely hand on heart really hope she’s okay! It’s so sad to not see her on screen.”
After one of the twins died, Zoe left the other behind and lied to Sharon about their father in the hopes that she would provide cash to help her track the child down. However, in tonight’s episode of EastEnders, Kat (Jessie Wallace) revealed the truth to Sharon’s sister Vicki, resulting in a furious clash.
Now, fans are convinced that there’s a much sadder reason behind Zoe’s cruel methods for finding her long-lost child, and that it could result in the recently returned character leaving the Square for good. Taking to X, some fans speculated that Zoe may be desperate to find the child as she’s secretly suffering with a life-limiting illness.
“I think there’s more to Zoe’s state of mind than meets the eye. I don’t think she can get out of this one #Eastenders,” one viewer wrote on social media.
Another replied: “Yeah imagine if Zoe has had some sort of secret diagnosis before returning to Walford. Not cancer but maybe some other health condition.
This may explain why she’s so eager to find her son after all these years because deep down she knows she may not have much time left #EastEnders.”
After watching Zoe look for a cat throughout the episode, another fan said: “You saw earlier in her scenes with the Cat and her reactions that something looked off with Zoe. #Eastenders.”
Others were bewildered with Zoe’s unhinged behaviour, with another writing: “Why is Zoe so obsessed with this cat??? # EastEnders.” A fifth said: “Zoe is a MESS #EastEnders.” Another tweeted: “Zoe is all types of messed up #EastEnders.”
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
ACTRESS Keira Knightly has revealed that she’s a Nepo Baby but despite family connections the star has insisted that you ‘still have to deliver’.
Keira, 40, sat down to speak on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast and made the shock confession about her family life.
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Keira Knightly has revealed that she’s a Nepo BabyCredit: PADespite her family connections the star has insisted that you ‘still have to deliver’ (pictured: Will Knightley, Sharman Macdonald and James Righton)Credit: GettyKeira Knightley mother Sharman MacDonald is a famous playwrightCredit: ReutersKeira sat down to speak on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum Happy Baby podcastCredit: Happy Mum, Happy Baby
The actress is the child of TV star Will Knightley and her playwright mother Sharman Macdonald.
Keira has put down her Nepo Baby status to being within a family of ‘jobbing creatives’.
On the pod Keira was asked by Giovanna “if the whole Nepo Baby thing annoyed” her.
Giovanna continued: “I think it’s a really difficult subject when you’ve got parents who are working and they’re jobbing creatives. You know but you still have to deliver. You still have to have a talent.”
Keira replied: “I don’t know about annoyed, I think I am a Nepo Baby.
“I mean my first proper agent was because she was my mum’s best mate, and she’s still my agent today. So, I mean, I think it is true that there are connections that are made, and it’s true that within creative families, you know, a lot of the actors I know, it is generational.
“And I think partly that is because it is a lifestyle; it’s a way of life that is quite other from a 9-to-5 job.”
She was then asked: “So, do you think it’s more a case, that we have to change our view of how we perceive even the word ?”
“Well I don’t know about that. I think it’s a similar thing to quite often builders, I was doing a lot of work on my house recently, and it’s a family of builders,” Keira quipped.
“You know, building companies go through generations. Doctors tend to go through generations. You get a lot of lawyers, I think you grow up in a particular environment, and if you like the environment you grew up in you will gravitate towards that environment.
Giovanna added: “Though you don’t see a doctor whose dad’s a doctor and go, “Nepo Baby”.
“No, you don’t. I mean, but look, the entertainment industry is very loud, the noise around the entertainment industry and I think you know that going into it.
Speaking about her two children, whom she shares with musician James Righton, she added: “If my children, neither of them are showing any interest whatsoever, but if that’s what they choose to do, then that’s what they’ll have to deal with. And I’m sure they’ll have an answer to it.
“Ultimately, with every job, no matter what it is, you might have help through the door, which is not nothing. But unless you bring the goods, you’re going to be chucked out very quickly.”
The Hollywood star began acting as a child on television.
She made her breakthrough into films with the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham, and achieved international fame in 2003 after playing Elizabeth Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean film series.
Her portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet in the 2005 romantic drama film Pride & Prejudice earned her critical acclaim.
She later became known for her roles as the heroines of other such period dramas as Atonement (2007), A Dangerous Method (2011) and Anna Karenina (2012).
One of Keira’s breakout roles was in the football film Bend It Like BeckhamCredit: AlamyKeira achieved international fame in 2003 after playing Elizabeth Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean film seriesCredit: AlamyHer latest hit role sees her play journalist turned detective in the Netflix drama The Woman In Cabin 10Credit: Getty
For the first two games of the World Series, the average viewership in Japan was almost as high as in the United States, despite a population one-third that of the U.S., and the average viewership in Canada was 10 times greater than it was last year.
The average in the three countries, through two games: 30.5 million, MLB said Tuesday. The average for the World Series last year: 28.6 million.
The Game 1 audience for those three countries: 32.6 million, the highest for an MLB game in the U.S., Canada and Japan combined since Game 7 of the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Guardians.
When the Dodgers and Yankees played in last year’s World Series — a clash of the two biggest markets in the United States — the average game attracted 15.8 million viewers in the U.S. For the first two games of this year’s World Series, the average game attracted 12.5 million viewers on Fox platforms, so Canadian markets are not included.
However, even without a U.S. team to oppose the Dodgers, Fox said this year’s ratings are better than any other World Series since the pandemic, besides last year’s.
This year’s NBA Finals — a small-market matchup between Oklahoma City and Indiana — attracted a U.S. average of 10.3 million viewers.
This year’s World Series features Japan’s team — the team of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki — against Canada’s lone major league team. The average viewership in Japan: 10.7 million, despite the games starting there at 9 a.m.
The average viewership of last year’s World Series in Canada: 720,000. That number through two games this year: 7.2 million. The U.S. population is 10 times greater than that of Canada.
Celebrity Traitors stars Kate Garraway and Tom Daley have opened up about their experiences on the BBC show – as the Good Morning Britain star opens up about how healing it was for her
Tom Daley and Kate Garraway were two of the biggest names to sign up for the latest series(Image: ITV)
Celebrity Traitors has kept us on the edge of our seats for weeks with backstabbing, betrayal and Traitor like ways. However, it was quite the healing experience for Kate Garraway.
Kate tragically lost her husband Derek Draper following a lengthy health battle and was instantly launched into being a single mum to their beloved children Darcey and Billy. Whilst many would find Celebrity Traitors difficult and mentally draining, Kate actually found it therapeutic and said it really gave her time to slow down and think.
Speaking about the show, Kate said: “The process was fun, intense and eye-opening. It was a rollercoaster. It was also a wonderful time to do some thinking of my own.
“No phones, access to the internet or live TV were allowed, and my wonderful sister-in-law was with the kids. So I could distract myself from the worries of the past few years and immerse myself in game play but also take stock and let my mind wander and dream about the next chapter of my life.”
Kate is adamant to keep Derek a huge part of her and the kids’ life despite his tragic death. Speaking to Prima, Kate added: “As a family, we think about Derek and I think about him all the time.
“We’ve ended up with this strange conversation that takes place where Derek’s almost there. So, if Darcey is asking to do something or suggesting something, I’ll say, ‘What do you reckon Dad would think about that?’ And she’ll say, ‘Well, I think Dad would think this. But actually, I think he’s wrong because of this.’ I quite like that because it feels as though he’s still constantly involved.”
Olympic diver Tom Daley had a much shorter stint on the show but in the time off screen, he was able to focus on his other passion in life – knitting. He explained: “Yeah, any time I was in the hotel I was just knitting, knitting, knitting.
“You get your phone taken off you, you can’t talk to anyone, you’re just in your room, so I was very glad I had knitting because I think lots of people were bored. We wanted to do a knitting lesson in our downtime, but we never quite got around to it.”
His son Robbie is a huge fan of the show. He told Radio Times: “Robbie is a huge fan of The Traitors, and the boys spent some time on the Game of Wool set. Phoenix is only two! He’s definitely not into it [knitting] yet. He likes grabbing the wool, then running away with it and unravelling everything. Robbie, to be fair, has made a hat with a knitting loom machine and has crocheted a chain.”
The December 2025 issue of Prima is on sale today and Tom’s full interview is available in the new edition of Radio Times.
Chris Evans might need some new superhero gear for his next gig. Perhaps a supercharged stroller?
The Marvel alum, 44, and his wife, Portuguese actor Alba Baptista, 28, on Friday welcomed their first child together in Evans’ home state of Massachusetts, People reported Tuesday. The couple named their newborn daughter Alma Grace Baptista Evans, according to the outlet.
Representatives for Evans and Baptista did not reply immediately Tuesday to The Times’ request for comment.
Evans and Baptista, who began dating around 2021, wed in 2023 in a pair of ceremonies in Cape Cod and Portugal, Evans explained amid much fanfare during a panel that year at New York Comic Con. The couple’s East Coast nuptials were attended by Evans’ fellow Marvel legends Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) and Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Page Six reported at the time.
During the Comic Con panel, Evans called the festivities “wonderful and beautiful,” but said that he and his belle were happy to be winding down after the whole ordeal.
“Planning a wedding, it’s a lot,” he said. “For those of you who are married, you know, it takes a lot out of you, but now that we’re through that, we’ve just kinda been enjoying life and gearing up for autumn, my favorite season. It’s like the best time of year right now. … Now we’re just relaxing and enjoying life and reflecting.”
Evans last year confided about his aspirations toward fatherhood to “Access Hollywood,” saying he “absolutely” hoped to be a “superhero dad” like his “Red One” co-star Dwayne Johnson.
“The title of ‘dad’ is an exciting one,” the actor said.
Since passing Captain America’s shield to Anthony Mackie in 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” Evans has flexed his creative muscles with high(er) brow indies including Celine Song’s buzzy romance “Materialists” and Ethan Coen’s dark detective comedy “Honey Don’t.”
But despite intel from the source himself, Marvel die-hards aren’t buying that Evans’ time with the franchise has come to a close. They’ll know once and for all come December, when “Avengers: Doomsday” hits theaters.
Baptista for her part has tacked several film credits onto to her resume since Netflix canceled her cult-favorite series “Warrior Nun” in 2022. She is notably slated to appear in A24’s upcoming film “Mother Mary,” which will feature original songs by Charli XCX and Jack Antonoff and an ensemble cast including FKA Twigs and Hunter Schafer of “Euphoria” fame.
Micah Balfour is set to leave EastEnders after just 18 months of playing the role of Junior Knight on the BBC soap and is said to have been left ‘gutted’ by the decision
HOWARD Stern’s top staffers are asking around for new jobs at SiriusXM, as they believe the show will be canceled in December.
The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal the private conversations being had at the streaming radio provider, as Stern‘s $100 million contract – which has yet to be renewed – inches closer to an end.
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Howard Stern’s staffers have been asking around for jobs as the shock jock’s contract comes to an endCredit: GettyStern’s staffers are starting to look for new jobs (here in studio with Jennifer Lopez earlier this month)Credit: Getty
An eyewitness at SiriusXM’s offices this week claimed they overheard Stern show radio personality Fred Norris pitching himself for a new gig.
“Fred was walking with another guy at Sirius and said to him, ‘Let me know, because I don’t know what’s going to happen come January, I might be looking for a job,’” the eyewitness claimed.
“After conversations with [Stern show producer] Gary Dell’Abate and others, it sounds like they aren’t expecting to re-sign with Sirius,” the insider said.
The U.S. Sun reached out to the Howard Stern show for comment.
INSIDE STERN & SIRIUS’ NEGOTIATIONS
Stern has notably been broadcasting from his sprawling Hamptons home since the pandemic, with some occasional exceptions.
As The U.S. Sun was the first to exclusively report, the 71-year-old shock jock and his superiors at SiriusXM were not expected to find common ground when his $100 million-a-year contract concludes this year.
In August, sources informed The U.S. Sun that Stern’s SiriusXM program seemed to be facing cancellation.
The satellite broadcaster was unlikely to meet Stern’s financial demands when his current five-year contract expires.
An insider revealed, “Stern’s contract is up in the fall, and while Sirius is planning to make him an offer, they don’t intend for him to take it.
“Sirius and Stern are never going to agree on the money he is going to want. It’s no longer worth the investment.”
The source also noted at the time that SiriusXM was expected to pursue a separate agreement to maintain control of Stern’s extensive show archive.
“But as far as him coming back to doing the show, there’s no way they can keep paying his salary,” they clarified.
Referencing the difficulties within the media sector, the insider remarked, “After you saw what happened with Stephen Colbert, it’s like they just can’t afford to keep him going.”
STERN FINALLY RESPONDS
In September, Stern addressed The U.S. Sun’s report about 45 minutes into his show.
The shock jock had been on an extended summer break, after he blamed a cold for missing the prior week’s show, despite SiriusXM heavily promoting his return and that he would address the speculation that his show was done for.
Far into his return to the air, Stern addressed The U.S. Sun’s report that his show was headed for cancellation this year.
“Here’s the truth. Sirius XM and my team have been talking about how we go forward in the future,” he stated.
“They’ve approached me, they’ve sat down with me, like they normally do, and they’re fantastic.”
Stern recounted that SiriusXM executives asked him, “Howard, would you stay? Under what conditions do you want to stay? How often do you want to do a show?”
“And you know, we’ve been talking. We’ve been talking,” he added, confirming that a contract for him to continue had not yet been signed.
The radio icon then read directly from The U.S. Sun’s initial report, appearing to validate its accuracy.
He quoted, “Stern’s contract is up in the fall and while Sirius is planning to make him an offer, they don’t intend for him to take it,” before adding, “Which is weird. Well, fine, whatever. I might not have, but now I have to take it.”
Howard Stern’s Career
Howard Stern has had a prolific radio career, but he’s also had success in film, books and TV.
Stern’s love affair with radio began when he was a student at Boston University, where he worked at the school’s radio station before graduating in 1976.
After college, he had a series of on-air jobs in Hartford, Connecticut, Detroit, Michigan and then Washington D.C., where he met his eventual sidekick Robin Quivers.
It was in D.C. where Stern began honing his shock jock schtick.
They were fired and the pair landed at WNBC in New York City in 1982.
In a few short years at WNBC, Stern butted heads with management and was ultimately axed.
The duo joined WXRK-FM in New York in 1985 and they were there until 2004 when they joined SiriusXM.
Howard has been at SiriusXM since, with his contracts estimated to be between $80 million and a $100 million a year over the last two decades.
He also starred in and was the executive producer of his autobiography and blockbuster movie Private Parts, which debuted in 1997.
He’s also authored several books and was a judge on America’s Got Talent for three seasons.
-By Jessica Finn, Exclusives and Investigations
SIRIUSXM EXECS WEIGH IN
A week before Stern’s belated return, SiriusXM’s Chief Content Officer, Scott Greenstein, commented at a conference.
He said that while they would “love for Stern to stay,” nothing was confirmed at that point.
“It certainly has to make sense, but we feel pretty good that we’ve done this before,” he said, concluding, “We’ll see where it goes.”
Meanwhile, SiriusXM CEO Jennifer Witz also verified they had not finalized a deal with Stern yet, but added she was “confident [they would] get to the right place” with the radio icon.
Fred Norris, a long standing talent on the Stern show, was overheard asking someone about job leads at SiriusXM this weekCredit: GettyGary Dell’Abate (with Stern and Bruce Springsteen) has been among staffers who have hinted internally to the likelihood the show will not be renewedCredit: GettyStern has largely broadcast from his Hamptons estate since the pandemicCredit: Google Earth
Septuagenarian TV star Kelsey Grammer is still growing his family, most recently with the arrival of his newest child.
The beloved “Cheers” and “Frasier” actor, who turned 70 in February, is now a father of eight. Grammer announced he and wife Kayte Walsh welcomed their fourth child together during his appearance on the “Pod Meets World” podcast.”
We just had our fourth one, it just became eight kids,” he said during the podcast episode, published Monday. “Christopher, that’s [who] just joined the family.”
The Emmy-winning TV veteran said his newest son arrived “three days” before the episode taped and joked with podcast hosts Rider Strong, Danielle Fishel and Will Friedle that he has “clusters” of children of different ages.
Grammer and Walsh, 46, married in 2011 and also share a teenage daughter and two sons. People reported in June that the couple was expecting a child again, publishing photos of the two taking a stroll through London.
The five-time Emmy winner has been married four times. Before Walsh, he was married to dancer-model Camille Donatacci. He was also briefly married to Leigh-Anne Csuhany, and dance instructor Doreen Alderman before that. His seven other children, the eldest being actor Spencer Grammer, hail from those previous relationships.
The sitcom star became a grandfather in October 2011, when his son Spencer welcomed a son with ex-husband James Hesketh.
In the past, Grammer has been open about the “beauty of being an older dad.” He told the Guardian in 2018 that raising children later in life he feels fortunate to “get a chance to kinda try it again. That’s been a real gift.”
The actor announced the arrival of his eighth child while promoting his book “Karen: A Brother Remembers,” released in May, about the brutal murder of his sister at age 18 and his lifelong battle with grief. During the episode, Fishel asked the actor how much his children knew about his late sister.
He explained his older children have varying degrees of knowledge about his sister, while his younger kids will have to wait to learn more and read his book. “Some of the stuff is too brutal, they don’t really need to be exposed to that yet,” he said.
Throughout the podcast episode, Grammer also recalled the proceedings in his sister’s case and learning how to process the loss while delivering laughs on TV.
“I didn’t walk around talking about it a lot, it’s been with me since the day it happened,” he said.
The popular murder mystery series will undergo a huge format change for its highly anticipated sixth season
17:02, 28 Oct 2025Updated 17:25, 28 Oct 2025
Only Murders in the Building is headed to London to film the sixth season of Hulu and Disney+’s hugely popular crime comedy.
The hit series starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez has just wrapped up its fifth season with another jaw-dropping finale.
This time, the podcasting trio have been investigating the mysterious murder of the Arconia’s beloved doorman Lester (played by Teddy Coluca) they suspect is connected to the New York mob.
Meanwhile, a rival trio of powerful billionaires, portrayed by season guest stars Christoph Waltz, Logan Lerman and Renée Zellweger, quickly become their prime suspects when they arrive to sabotage their detective work.
With the fifth season coming to an end with another show-stopping finale this Tuesday (28th October), countless fans are already itching for the next instalment, which has now been officially confirmed.
Disney+ and Hulu have also confirmed that Only Murders is eyeing a change of scenery next time as the series is heading to London.
This is the first time the trio will venture out of the United States as part of their investigations, which rarely leave New York.
Season four saw them vacate the confines of the Arconia to head to Hollywood, California, though season six will be at least partially set on a whole new continent.
Spoilers won’t be revealed here, but fans may discover a hint towards Charles, Oliver and Mabel’s next case in the recently released finale.
This is the biggest shake-up to the series yet, as all five seasons of Only Murders so far have revolved around murders in their iconic apartment block.
Whatever awaits in season six, the series is expected to continue to prove a monster hit for Hulu as an army of fans have already devoured the latest episode.
Viewers have already been singing the episode’s praises on X, where one user posted: “What a finale!!! I can’t say everything cuz of spoilers but this is what Television is all about.”
“What a season finale, what a cliffhanger,” another shared. “I didn’t see that coming, can’t wait to see season 6.”
Someone else teased: “That last scene of the Only Murders in the Building finale?! I literally gasped when they revealed who’s the victim next season.”
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Disney+ now starts at £5.99 per month, but members can get 12 months for the price of 10 by paying for a year upfront on the ad-free Standard or Premium plans.
And a final fan exclaimed: “A perfect season finale! I love this show so damn much!
“Definitely the best show on @hulu without a doubt! I really appreciate the team’s commitment to releasing each season every year.”
Stay tuned to find out if more details about the show’s sixth season are revealed soon.
Only Murders in the Building is available to stream on Disney+.
Kelsey Grammer has just welcomed a fourth baby with wife Kayte, 24 years his juniorCredit: GettyThe actor is best-known for appearing in Cheers and FrasierCredit: RexKelsey now has eight children in total with four different womenCredit: Getty
The daughter of Bristol City footballer Alan Walsh and 24 years his junior, she tamed the “wild man of American comedy”, who had long battled drug and alcohol addiction.
She gave him the one thing he was missing – cosy domesticity – after endless family heartache including his sister being raped and murdered, two half brothers dying in a freak accident and his estranged dad being gunned down when he was just 13.
The couple already had a brood of three – Faith, 13, Gabriel, 10, and Auden James, eight – prior to Kelsey announcing “we’ve just had our fourth” on yesterday’s episode of Pod Meets World.
New arrival Christopher, born on Friday, takes the actor’s baby tally to eight with four different mums.
And a source told the Mail he’s “thrilled to finally have time to fully enjoy being a father all over again… [and] embracing the hands-on parenting he missed in the past”.
There’s no doubt Kayte put an end to Kelsey’s turbulent years in the wilderness, which were plagued with tragedy, heartache and more faux pas than his pompous, gaffe-prone character Dr Frasier Crane.
Yet their romance got off to a bumpy start – as the actor was still married to ex-Playboy pin-up and future Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Camille Meyer.
Kelsey would later claim his third-wife only “married me because I was Frasier”. At his peak, he raked in more than £1million per episode for the show, which ran for 11 seasons.
He also described their marriage, which spanned 14 years until 2011, as being “so broken” that they “had not had sex in a decade” and claimed she asked for a divorce the day of his mother’s funeral in 2008.
For a long time Kelsey knew the relationship was on the rocks, admitting it was “over as soon as it began” yet he stayed with her as a “self-imposed sentence”, mainly out of stubbornness and for the sake of their two children, Mason, 24, and Jude, 21.
He met Kayte in 2009 as she showed him to his seat on a Virgin Atlantic Upper Class flight from Los Angeles to London, where he was due to appear in a play.
She claimed it was “love at first sight” – dismissing the much-joked about claim of cabin crew being on the “lookout” for wealthy suitors – and noticed “this golden glow around him”.
They chatted about music, England and life at the plane’s bar before he slipped her his number and told her the hotel he was staying at.
Kayte was “blown away by how lovely he was” but uncertain and “indecisive” about whether to call him.
She told the Mail: “I said, ‘God, if I’m meant to call him, I want a sign.’ I looked out the bus window and saw a sign reading, ‘Frasier Suites’. I was like, ‘OK, that’s not enough.’
I was her big brother, I was supposed to protect her – I could not. I have never gotten over it… It very nearly destroyed me
Kelsey Grammer
“Four minutes later, we passed an art store called Crane and a few moments later, we drove past the hotel where he was staying.”
Secret mistress
Two days later they went for a coffee, where he confided he was “in a situation he wasn’t happy in and I needed to be patient”. She claimed they spent months only kissing and holding hands.
It wasn’t long before Camille discovered Kelsey’s mistress. Allegedly when she arrived at the couple’s New York apartment to be told by the doorman ‘Mrs Grammer’ was already inside.
Fire and fury followed. The former Playboy bunny claimed she was dumped by text, sniped about his bedroom skill and made another lurid claim he liked to dress in women’s clothes.
At the time Kelsey responded: “Never been a cross-dresser but I have been very sexually adventurous. I’m not ashamed of anything I’ve done in the bedroom.”
Kelsey accused his ex Camille, now on reality TV show Real Housewives, of being fame hungryCredit: GettyHe was married to Camille when he met KayteCredit: Getty – ContributorKelsey and Kayte welcomed their first child a year after getting married in 2011Credit: Getty – Contributor
He considered the slings to be “pathetic” attempts to remain famous – yet as a “parting gift” to give her a new direction, he helped to secure her a spot on Real Housewives and even appeared in a single episode.
The couple married just 15 days after Kelsey’s £30million divorce from Camille was finalised in February 2011. It followed a stern demand before Kayte accepted his proposal.
She recalled: “Because he’s been married so many times before I said, ‘You have to marry me more times.’ I’m his fourth wife, so I said, ‘You have to marry me at least five times.’”
Lavish nuptials followed – the first was New York, followed by an Elvis officiated Viva Las Vegas do, another at their LA home and the final, an especially romantic service in Giverny, France.
The last was inspired by Kayte’s favourite artwork Monet’s Bridge Over a Pond of Lilies. He took her to the bridge the painter used, got down on one knee and proposed.
She recalled: “It was a complete shock. Kelsey had arranged everything with the Mayor so we got to say our vows in French. It was lovely.”
Serial killer slayed sister
The romance with Kayte has undoubtedly given Kelsey the peace and stability he has lacked throughout his turbulent life.
He was born to parents Sally, a dancer, and Allen, a coffee shop owner, in Saint Thomas, US Virgin Islands, but raised in New Jersey by his mum after they divorced when he was two.
At the age of 12, his grandad died of cancer and the following year his estranged dad was murdered during a wave of racial violence after Martin Luther King’s assassination in 1968.
Seven years later, his younger sister Karen, 18, was kidnapped, raped and murdered by serial killer Freddie Glenn, who killed three women.
Glenn, now 68, who Kelsey remarkably forgave many later years, was sentenced to die in the gas chamber only for the death penalty to be scrapped.
“I was her big brother, I was supposed to protect her – I could not,” he said at the murderer’s 2009 parole hearing. “I have never gotten over it… It very nearly destroyed me.”
And just five years after losing Karen, two of his half-brothers were killed in a freak scuba diving accident.
Kelsey Grammer Sister KarenCredit: Youtube
Unsurprisingly, that amount of trauma caused unbridled chaos in his personal life – with him stating they were “the catalyst that got me into a really big problem for at least the next 15 years”.
‘Chaos, insanity, mayhem’
He consistently battled cocaine and alcohol abuse – especially while filming Frasier and Cheers – and was known for being difficult to work with, one colleague described him as “one of the biggest jerks” he had ever met.
Kelsey was described as “oozing” onto set with “glazed over eyes, half asleep, going through whatever he was going through” yet when the director yelled ‘Action’, he was “pitch perfect”.
Because he’s been married so many times before I said, ‘You have to marry me more times’…You have to marry me at least five times
Kayte Grammer
He was regularly in trouble with the law too. Kelsey was charged at least four times for crimes including cocaine possession, drink driving and violating parole conditions.
The crimes, which spanned 1988 to 1996, resulted in 30 days jail time, more than 300 hours of community service, 90-day house arrest, fines in the thousands and a 30-day court mandated rehab stint.
His relationships weren’t going well either. Kelsey’s first marriage to dance instructor Doreen Alderman lasted eight years until 1990, despite their relationship being over after less than 12 months. They share a daughter Spencer.
Dance teacher Doreen Alderman was his first wifeCredit: GettyGreer Grammer with her mum, Barrie BucknerCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Two years later Kelsey had a second child, Greer, who later appeared on MTV show Awkward, with make-up stylist Barrie Buckner.
He married former stripper Leigh-Anne Csuhany, who was three months pregnant, seven months after that. But their romance wouldn’t last.
Kelsey filed for an annulment and evicted her from his home, alleging she was physically abusive to him.
He claimed she once fired a gun at him and even on their wedding day, he was seen sporting a black eye from one of her violent attacks.
In his autobiography, Kelsey claimed she convinced him he was “nothing, unattractive, untalented, undeserving of love and incapable of being loved by anyone but her” to ensure he would never leave.
“She’d spit in my face, slap me, punch me, kick me, break glasses over my head, break windows, tear up pictures of my loved ones, threaten to kill me or herself,” he wrote.
Shortly after the split, Leigh-Anne tried to kill herself. She suffered a miscarriage.
Kelsey evicted second wife Leigh-Anne Csuhany from his homeCredit: GettyThe star also had a fling with glamour model Tammi AlexanderCredit: News Uk
Kelsey had a string of short-lived flings after, including with Playboy model Tammi Alexander, before his third marriage to fellow top-shelf mag pin-up Camille.
Five weddings
Ultimately, it has been with Kayte where he has finally found happiness. But that contentment could have easily been derailed due to the tragedies they have faced as a couple.
Two of their pregnancies ended in miscarriage and Faith’s unborn sibling died in utero. Heartbreakingly, this often requires a mum to undergo labour to birth the deceased child.
Kayte admitted it was “devastating” for them but the blows further strengthened their relationship. Each baby has reminded them “life is a miracle” and to count their blessings.
There was the other part of me that wanted to surrender to it and go, ‘Let it mess you up a little bit. Let it hurt.
Kelsey Grammer
His ever expanding brood has also given him a second chance at parenting, after admitting he took his eye off the ball with the older kids.
He said: “I have neglected a couple of the kids in my life, especially the first two,” he said. “I’m trying to make up for a little of it now. I’m still their dad, so you can always have [a] chance to show up.”
With a stable, loving home Kelsey’s addiction issues appear to have been kept at bay – despite in 2016 admitting he stopped attending AA because he likes to “enjoy a drink”.
It’s known he was sober for years after his 1996 car crash while under the influence, which resulted in him being sent to rehab by the courts.
Previously, Kelsey’s calling toward “chaos, insanity, mayhem” was spurred on by “running away from uncomfortable feelings” and being unable to “forgive myself” for his sister’s death.
Kelsey with third wife Camille and Spencer, the daughter from his first marriageCredit: GettyKelsey is trying to be a better dad to his kids after ‘neglecting’ the older ones, including Greer, picturedCredit: GettyKelsey also shares Mason and Jude with CamilleCredit: Getty
He acknowledges having “a self-destructive part of me” that encouraged his addiction, which worsened his health and contributed to a near-fatal heart attack in 2008.
Kelsey added: “I always had something in the back of my head saying, ‘Okay. That’s enough now. Cut it out. You know why you’re doing this.’
“But there was the other part of me that wanted to surrender to it and go, ‘Let it mess you up a little bit. Let it hurt.’”
But now thanks to Kayte, he lives a calmer life – when not changing nappies at 5am – and previously she said their “favourite place is our sofa”.
There they snuggle up, eat popcorn while watching films and eventually fall asleep in each other’s arms. It’s a far cry from the decades of debauchery before.
Kayte says: “As a general rule I try to operate from love. I always wanted to find a family and the love of my life. That was my dream. I feel blessed.”
No doubt Kelsey feels it’s he who has been blessed, after finding the woman who saved his life and drastically changed his future for the better.
LONDON — Actor Prunella Scales, best known as acid-tongued Sybil Fawlty in the classic British sitcom “Fawlty Towers,” has died, her children said Tuesday. She was 93 and had lived with dementia for many years.
Scales’ sons, Samuel and Joseph West, said she died “peacefully at home in London” on Monday.
“Although dementia forced her retirement from a remarkable acting career of nearly 70 years, she continued to live at home,” her sons said. “She was watching ‘Fawlty Towers’ the day before she died.”
Scales’ career included early roles in a 1952 television version of “Pride and Prejudice” and the 1954 film comedy “Hobson’s Choice,” followed by her TV breakthrough starring opposite Richard Briers in “Marriage Lines,” a popular 1960s sitcom about a newlywed couple.
Cleese remembered Scales as “a really wonderful comic actress” and “a very sweet lady.”
“I’ve recently been watching a number of clips of ‘Fawlty Towers’ whilst researching a book,” Cleese said in a statement. “Scene after scene she was absolutely perfect.”
Scales also starred as the small-town social powerhouse Elizabeth Mapp in “Mapp & Lucia,” a 1985 TV adaptation of E.F. Benson’s 1930s series of comic novels.
Later roles included Queen Elizabeth II in “A Question of Attribution,” Alan Bennett’s stage and TV drama about the queen’s art adviser, Anthony Blunt, who was also a Soviet spy. Scales played another British monarch in the one-woman stage show “An Evening with Queen Victoria.”
Scales was a versatile stage performer whose theater roles ranged from Shakespeare’s comedies to the morphine-addicted matriarch Mary Tyrone in a 1991 production of Eugene O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.”
But she remained best known for “Fawlty Towers.” In 2006, Scales was guest of honor at the reopening of the Gleneagles Hotel in the English seaside resort of Torquay, the establishment whose memorably rude owner had inspired Cleese to create Basil Fawlty after a stay there in the 1970s.
Scales was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2013. Between 2014 and 2019, she and her husband, actor Timothy West, explored waterways in Britain and abroad in the gentle travel show “Great Canal Journeys.” The program was praised for the way it honestly depicted Scales’ dementia.
West, her husband of 61 years, died in November 2024. Scales is survived by her sons, stepdaughter Juliet West, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Grantchester star Robson Green has said he ‘burst into tears’ as he shared details of the final days of filming the last ever series of the ITV crime drama
Grantchester star Robson Green revealed there’s only five days left of filming the last ever series of the hit ITV show(Image: ITV)
Grantchester favourite Robson Green has revealed there are just five days of filming remaining on the final ever series of the beloved ITV drama.
The announcement came over the summer that the crime series would be drawing to a close after its 11th run.
The popular ITV programme features Robson, 60, as Detective Inspector Geordie Keating, whose character teams up with vicar Alphy Kottaram, portrayed by Rishi Nair, to crack cases in the Cambridgeshire village.
The series draws inspiration from James Runcie’s literary works.
During Tuesday’s This Morning appearance, Robson, who has been busy with another venture exploring the globe’s finest walking routes, spoke about Grantchester’s conclusion, reports Wales Online.
The performer, who has starred in the programme since its 2014 debut, revealed to presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary: “We’re filming the final series, I’ve got five days left, I finish next Tuesday!”
Speaking about his Grantchester colleagues both past and present, he continued: “That’s the saddest thing about it all, I’m going to miss that family of wonderful people, I’ve got so many wonderful memories.
“If you watch Grantchester, I play a character Inspector Keating, and I wear this one suit. A brown suit. In every scene, in every episode, and every series and I hung it up for the last time on Friday.”
Discussing the poignant moment, Robson confessed: “I burst into tears!”
It comes as Robson, reflecting on the show’s conclusion, said during the summer: “From the very beginning, I have had the incredible fortune to be part of this extraordinary team of talented, passionate, and dedicated individuals who have become more than colleagues. They have become family.
“I have made friendships forged through shared laughter, challenges, and triumphs.
“The bonds we’ve formed extend far beyond the camera lens, and I know that they will endure long after the final scene within the Grantchester world has been filmed.
“Thank you to everyone who has been part of this incredible journey.
“Emma Kingsman Lloyd and Daisy Coulam…. from that very first day you gave me the extraordinary opportunity to be part of this experience..
“It has been an honour to share in the magic of Grantchester, and I am forever grateful for the memories, the friendships, and the love that this journey has given me. I hope I made you proud.”
This Morning continues on weekdays at 10am on ITV and ITV X.
ANOTHER TikTok trend has taken off, this time featuring a combo of iconic tracks from different genres and eras.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Beez in the Trap trend, which is clocking up tens of millions of views and spawning hundreds of thousands of videos.
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One of the songs is a 2012 banger by Nicki MinajCredit: GettyThe other is a 4 Non Blondes hit from over two decades agoCredit: Getty
The original songs fuelling this trend come from different genres and eras – Nicki Minaj’s 2012 hip hop single Beez in the Trap and 4 Non Blondes’ 1993 alternative rock hit What’s Up.
Beez in the Trap, featuring rapper 2 Chainz, was released on May 29, 2012 as a single from her second studio album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.
Minaj said the phrase “I beez in the trap” means she’s always making money, as she explained on the Graham Norton Show when the song came out.
During the interview, Minaj clarified that “beez” is slang for “I am always” and “the trap” refers to any place where money is made.
The other single, 4 Non Blondes’ What’s Up, was released on June 11, 1993 and went on to become one of the decade’s definitive rock anthems.
Written and sung by Linda Perry, the song’s rallying chorus of “what’s going on?” became ingrained in pop culture.
The mashup has brought both songs new attention on social media.
The clips usually begin with someone lip-syncing the opening line from What’s Up over the beat of Minaj’s track.
The focus then swaps to another participant, who delivers Minaj’s razor-sharp hook.
As of November 28, 2025, the trend has seen over 600,000 TikTok videos created.
It has been embraced by both of the original artists, with 4 Non Blondes’ Linda Perry telling Rolling Stone it is “ridiculous in all the best ways”.
Other major celebs taking part in the trend include rapper Ice Spice with PinkPanthress and Quen Blackwell, while Jennifer Lopez and former 4 Non Blondes singer Linda Perry – who sang the vocal on the original – have joined in on the fun.
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Last year the prolific and gifted Zadie Smith stumbled into controversy with the publication of “Shibboleth” in the New Yorker. She purportedly approached the white-hot Gaza demonstrations with the nuance and complexity they deserved and yet derided pro-Palestinian students at Columbia University as “cynical and unworthy,” stirring up a hornets’ nest among her young fans, who expressed their anger on various internet platforms. The controversy gained traction because of Smith’s record of championing the marginalized, citing theorists like Frantz Fanon while targeting empires and the omnipresent patriarchy. That she singled out one group of activists, many Jewish, at the very moment Arab toddlers were being blown apart by U.S.-funded bombs raised doubts about her touted values. Her conclusion was startling, her tone defiant: “Put me wherever you want: misguided socialist, toothless humanist, naïve novelist, useful idiot, apologist, denier, ally, contrarian, collaborator, traitor, inexcusable coward.” The lady doth protest too much?
“Shibboleth” appears in “Dead and Alive,” Smith’s collection of previously published essays, in which she assumes most if not all those roles she attributes to herself. Fanon is here as well, amid an array of artists and authors such as Joan Didion, Toni Morrison, and Philip Roth. Smith is arguing for the necessity of vigorous criticism and often makes her case. The book’s finest pieces wrangle, in elegant prose, with humanity’s contradictions; the weaker ones indulge in name-dropping, footnotes and op-ed invective.
Zadie Smith
(Ben Bailey-Smith)
“The Muse at Her Easel,” in the opening section, probes the relationship between English painter Lucian Freud and his model, Celia Paul, also a painter, via a review of her memoir. (Paul is the mother of one of 12 children he fathered outside of marriage.) Smith’s sly trick here is a bit of Freud-play: Lucian seen through the prism of his grandfather Sigmund, the family romance on steroids. Celia revolves around the artist here much as she did when he was alive, vulnerable and reflective, a moon to his sun. It’s both a restrained and overwrought essay, a cryptic tale of sexual politics, like her fellow Brit Rachel Cusk’s novel, “Second Place,” but one that urges us to think hard about abuses in the service of “museography.”
Smith brings an empathic eye to other artists, from the allegorical Toyin Ojih Odutola to the subversive Kara Walker. And she shines a bright light on numerous writers who have inspired her, particularly in remembrances of Didion (whose influence we sense throughout “Dead and Alive”) and the great Hilary Mantel. Her pieces on two books, “Black England” and “Black Manhattan,” excavate hidden histories of Black resistance and the painful compromises brokered to move forward. Her tone in “Fascinated to Presume: In Defense of Fiction” is elegiac, as though smartphones have killed off the craft; yet it’s also a manifesto of sorts, and a declaration of her own aesthetics. “Belief in a novel is, for me, a by-product of a certain kind of sentence,” Smith observes. “Familiarity, kinship, and compassion will play their part, but if the sentences don’t speak to me, nothing else will.” Amen, sister.
Her forays into social commentary are more problematic. She’s strong on the weird population kink known as Gen X, squeezed between the larger boomers and millennials, and the switchback road we traveled to marriage and parenthood: “We all still dressed like teenagers, though, and in the minds of the popular culture were ‘slackers,’ suffering from some form of delayed development, possibly the sad consequences of missing such key adulting experiences as a good war or a stock market crash,” Smith asserts. “We felt history belonged to other people: that we lived in the time of no time.” She’s persuasive when she remains within her comfort zone, opining on race, gender and, occasionally, class. Not so much when she ventures into technology. In “Some Notes on Mediated Time,” she broods at length on the destabilizing effects of the internet, social media and the algorithm silos that shape our present. It’s tough to parse irony from self-congratulation. “I have to say how immensely grateful I am that the work I have been so fortunate to do these last twenty years — writing books — has also gifted me the opportunity, the privilege, of devoting the time of my one human life to an algorithm. To keep almost all of it, selfishly, outrageously, for myself, my friends, my colleagues, my family,” Smith writes. “There are memes I will never know. Whole Twitter meltdowns I never witnessed. Hashtags I will forever remain ignorant about.” Which raises the question: Why lament a social paradigm shift if you haven’t bothered with it in the first place? Something isn’t right. Elsewhere in the essay she claims that social media is “excellent for building brands and businesses and attracting customers.” Could the same be said of a disingenuous essayist?
She comes across as preaching to her peers rather than seeking converts, a whiff of Oxbridge elitism. Hence references to Derrida, Dickinson, Knausgaard, Borges, shout-outs to Booker laureates “Salman” (Rushdie) and “Ian” (McEwan). This level of self-regard in a writer and thinker as justifiably exalted as Smith may explain why our nation is turning on reading: aristocracies breed resentment among the proles. Then Smith steps into the muck of global conflicts. The moral bothsidesism found in “Shibboleth” splits the baby; she does herself no favors with Solomonic pronouncements and Pontius Pilate-like self-exoneration. (Elsewhere she indicts Trump and Netanyahu while neglecting the money and media that empower them.)
“Dead and Alive” does what it was designed to do: It gathers the author’s criticism, literary obituaries, a university address and an interview with a Spanish journal between two covers. The execution falters. Smith’s provocations are often stunning; her prose is thrillingly strident; but her fiction better captures the messiness of public and private selves at war with each other.
Cain is a book critic and the author of a memoir, “This Boy’s Faith: Notes From a Southern Baptist Upbringing.” He lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Timothy West died last November and now his wife Prunella Scales has tragically passed away. The pair spoke fondly of one another in their final ever interview
11:40, 28 Oct 2025Updated 11:40, 28 Oct 2025
Timothy West and Prunella Scales in a BBC Breakfast interview in 2023(Image: BBC)
Prunella Scales and Timothy West spoke of their deep love for another in their final interview together. The EastEnders actor revealed that he had spotted a potential sign of his wife Prunella’s dementia years before her diagnosis was confirmed.
In November, it was confirmed that Timothy – known for his roles in shows like EastEnders – had died at the age of 90. Prunella’s death was announced today, just months after her husband’s sad passing.
In what is believed to be one of his last interviews, conducted in 2023, Timothy opened up about his wife Prunella’s battle with dementia. The couple appeared on BBC Breakfast for an interview together, in what would be their last appearance on TV.
Prunella, who is most recognised for her role as Sybil Fawlty in the classic sitcom Fawlty Towers, received her dementia diagnosis in 2014. However, Timothy suggested that he first noticed signs of the condition as early as 2001.
Reflecting on the moment he first observed his wife’s decline, he shared: “I came to see a play that Pru was doing in Greenwich. I went to see the first night and it was good, much enjoyed by the audience, and then I went to see it again a bit later on and I thought ‘Pru’s not … it’s strange. She’s not totally with it.'”
Despite these early signs, her official dementia diagnosis didn’t come until over a decade later. Timothy recalled: “We went to see a specialist who just said ‘I’m sorry this is just something that happens to you when you get older’. It’s not going to get any easier but you can cope with it. We manage.”
Despite the tough landscape they found themselves in, Prunella said: “I have got to know him better and better and better.”
Timothy added: “I know that things are going to change a little bit, but it has been a long time and we have managed pretty well really. I don’t think we ever think ‘oh no.'”
Prunella then shared: “I have been asked to live the rest of my life with somebody I respect very much and agree with a lot of things and argue with about a lot of things quite happily.”
During a chat with the BBC, which was conducted prior to the launch of Timothy’s book, he was questioned about his wife Prunella’s vascular dementia diagnosis. He said that “somehow” they have “coped” over the years.
“Pru doesn’t really think about it,” he added. Timothy and Pru have been husband and wife since 1963. The couple have two sons together, actors Samuel West and Joseph West. Their family also includes Timothy’s daughter Juliet West from a previous marriage.
DISCREET and “not blatant”, with a stranger and with mandatory payment – those were the strict rules set by Lily Allen that allegedly allowed her husband of four years to cheat.
Lily Allen has claimed she had an arrangement with David Harbour that allowed him to cheat during their marriageCredit: GettyBut she claims he broke that rule by having a fling with costume designer Natalie Tippett (right)Credit: GettyThe mum-of-two has been showing David what he’s missing posting racy snaps and getting a boob jobCredit: instagram/lilyallen
It’s the moniker she gave to costume designer and single mum Natalie Tippett, 34, who allegedly cheated with the American, 50, despite suggesting she had given him a ‘hall pass’ to sleep with sex workers.
Fuming in lyrics, which she says are a “mixture of fact and fiction”, Lily says: “We had an arrangement; Be discreet and don’t be blatant; And there had to be payment; It had to be with strangers; But you’re not a stranger, Madeline, Madeline, Madeline, Madeline.”
Unsurprisingly, it’s Lily’s anti-monogamy stance that has raised the eyebrows of listeners but these types of ‘arrangements’ are far from unusual in the world of celebrity.
Behavioural psychologist Jo Hemmings tells The Sun some are tempted due to working away for long periods of time and feeling unable to satisfy each other sexually or emotionally.
However, she cautions: “No matter how many boundaries or rules you put in place, what happens when it becomes more than just sex and your partner falls in love?”
“There are so, so many obstacles with these types of relationships,” Jo tells us. “And it’s interesting that Lily had this very specific boundary.
“She set it because there would be very little danger of her husband falling in love with one of these girls or having an emotional relationship when it’s purely sexual and transactional.
“It sort of sounds modern, grown-up and pre-emptive, deciding you’re in an open relationship and acknowledging what’s going on rather than being ‘cheated on’ but it rarely works.
“There is nearly always one person who is secretly less comfortable with the idea than they say they are and there’s a big difference between ‘theoretical acceptance’ and actual acceptance.
Lily and David tied the knot in Las Vegas in 2020 with an Elvis impersonator officiating itCredit: Instagram
“When the gossip starts and the press finds out, when it happens on repeat and the public starts to judge their relationship it can get really, really tough.
“And some ‘open relationships’ are less genuine than one might think, some say they are in one to protect themselves. It can be deflective in a lot of cases.
“I think a lot of celebrities are pre-empting scrutiny and that way if their partner is seen snogging the face off someone at a bar, they are one step ahead of the game.”
As Jo highlights, Lily is far from the only celebrity to be stung after opening the sexual floodgates in her relationship – with many ending in divorce, as we reveal.
Will & Jada Pinkett Smith
The aftermath of this ill-fated ‘arrangement’ resulted in the most explosive moment ever seen at the Oscars, which led to Will Smith being banned for 10 years and scrutinised across the globe.
In 2022, the Fresh Prince star slapped Chris Rock after he made a joke about his wife of 28 years Jada Pinkett-Smith’s alopecia, comparing her to a buzz-cut character from the film GI Jane.
Yet the origin of Will’s anger is said to have stemmed from the public ridicule and humiliation he suffered after Jada admitted to an affair two years previously.
Describing it as an “entanglement”, she spoke of a fling with August Alsina, a rapper 21 years her junior, who was a friend of their son Jaden, during a separation from Will.
Later Will apologised for his Oscars attack, stating: “I was gone. That was a rage that had been bottled [up] for a really long time… What I would say is that you just never know what somebody’s going through.”
Rumours of the Smiths having an open marriage had circulated for more than a decade and even when Jada denied it in a 2013 Huffington Post interview, her cryptic response prompted more questions.
Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s relationship had long been speculated aboutCredit: GettyThe Men In Black actor slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, supposedly due to humiliation related to Jada’s ‘entanglement’Credit: Reuters
She said: “I’ve always told Will, ‘You can do whatever you want as long as you can look at yourself in the mirror and be okay.’”
Later Jada posted a lengthy rant on Facebook questioning if loving someone meant “owning them” and if it should “operate as enslavement”.
She concluded: “Will and I BOTH can do WHATEVER we want, because we TRUST each other to do so. This does NOT mean we have an open relationship…this means we have a GROWN one.”
Jo says for some celebrities being part of a ‘power couple’ can lead to more sexually flexible relationships, as it appeared to be with the Smiths, but it rarely works.
She tells us for some it can be a “way of protecting themselves” ahead of an affair being discovered or a way to have “a feeling of control, by agreeing on the terms” of what can and can’t be done.
“It can be hard to fulfil your partner’s emotional and physical needs when you’re half way across the world and flings may seem like a ‘harmless release’,” Jo says.
“And it’s easy for celebrities to go into these agreements with good intentions but you cannot predict how you or your partner will feel when it happens.
“There are so many opportunities in the chaos of celebrity life for boundaries to be overstepped and so almost inevitably it will go wrong at some point.
“Even if both partners feel they are on the same page and in 100 per cent agreement, most couples aren’t. One partner always wants it more than the other and the other may not be able to accept what happened.”
Michelle Visage & David Case
Michelle Visage opened up on her arrangement with husband David CaseCredit: PABut she seems a little less happy at the thought of David (middle) having flings
Former Strictly star Michelle Visage set sparks flying away from the stage when she claimed cheating makes her marriage “stronger” – but she’s not exactly thrilled by his flings.
She told the Origins With Cush Jumbo podcast that her actor hubby David Case experiences ‘compersion’, which is considered to be ‘the opposite of jealousy’.
It’s a term often used in the polyamorous community to describe a partner feeling joy that their romantic partner had an exciting experience with another person.
“We live openly, so he would get off knowing that I was so happy and no matter what it is that I do, and I’m not just talking sexually,” Michelle said last year.
“Whatever it is, I don’t know if I have compersion in me to be really excited if he’s doing something with another woman but I know that it exists and he is 100% that.”
While Michelle claimed it was something that “works for us” and “what makes us stronger”, Jo says it can still be problematic.
She warns it’s risky when meddling with “the intimacy of a relationship” despite the couple claiming to be “fully transparent and trusting one another”.
Demi Moore & Ashton Kutcher
Demi Moore regretted having threesomes with Ashton KutcherCredit: Rex Features
When Ghost actress Demi Moore shacked up with Ashton Kutcher, 21 years her junior, she wanted to “show him how great and fun I could be” – especially when it came to sex.
“I put him first, so when he expressed his fantasy of bringing a third person into our bed, I didn’t say no,” she admitted in her 2019 memoir Inside Out.
But her two ménages à trois, left Demi feeling “flooded with shame” and realising it was a “mistake”. Worse still, Ashton later told her it encouraged him to have affairs.
She claimed the That 70s Show actor told her the threesomes “blurred the lines” of their romance and “to some extent, justified what he’d done”.
It referred to at least three flings, including one on a San Diego stag do and another with a pal of her eldest daughter, that doomed their six-year marriage by November 2011.
Jo says she sees issues like what happened with Demi and Ashton “a lot” in counselling – where one partner is “willing to please” because their partner “wants it so badly” and fears losing them.
“But it can have devastating consequences for the relationship,” she says. “Maybe not immediately but some struggle because they can’t unseen what they have seen or what their partner has done.
“Some aren’t even able to recall seeing their husband having sex with another woman, because it’s so brutal for them. Many prefer to turn blind eye, not see or not join in.
“Even if they think they want it at the time, sometimes threesomes can be the last straw for a couple or for any agreed infidelity.”
Ethan Hawke & Ryan Shawhughes
Ethan Hawke, who’s married to Ryan Shawhughes, believes monogamy is outdatedCredit: Getty
Ethan Hawke’s marriage to Uma Thurman was marked by rumours of cheating, which he strenuously denied, yet after their 2003 split he made it clear he strongly believes in polyamory.
After getting together with their former nanny Ryan Shawhughes, he argued that most people have “a childish view of monogamy and fidelity”, suggesting it as an outdated concept.
“To act all indignant, that your world has been rocked because your lover wasn’t faithful to you, is a little bit like acting rocked that your hair went grey,” Ethan told HuffPost in 2013.
It’s unclear how open the relationship with Ryan is but he encouraged speculation by stating “neither she nor I know what shape the future will come in” and justified extramarital flings.
“Sexual fidelity can’t be the whole thing you hang your relationship on,” he added. “If you really love somebody you want them to grow, but you don’t get to define how that happens. They do.”
Shirley MacLaine & Steve Parker
Hollywood star Shirley MacLaine and her husband Steve Parker practised an open marriage for nearly three decadesCredit: Getty
It started back in 1954 due to her producer husband, Steve Parker, predominantly working in Japan while she was in America and she admitted “no one understood it” apart from them.
She added: “I would say better to stay friends and we don’t have enough time to talk about the sexuality of all. I was very open about all of that and so was he.”
Despite declaring extra-marital flings “the basis for a long-lasting marriage”, the couple divorced in 1982 but remained friends.
Jo says these types of arrangements can be more common among celebrities due to them maintaining long-distance relationships because of work projects, however it’s very risky.
“While it may feel like a safety net, it can erode trust and intimacy and instead of enjoying the ‘freedom and liberation’ they anticipate, they can feel like they are being replaced.
“You can put in a world of boundaries and rules to but what happens when your partner falls in love with someone else? When it becomes more than just sex, you’re in trouble. Your relationship is effectively over.”
Bella Thorne & Tana Mongeau
Bella Thorne was seeing two people at the same time – including Tana MongeauCredit: Rex FeaturesThe other person in the relationship was Mod SunCredit: Getty
For just over a year, Dirty Sexy Money actress Bella Thorne celebrated her open relationship with musician Mod Sun and YouTuber Tana Mongeau in loving posts online .
In 2019, she told the Gay Times: “We joke around about poly[amorous], but we aren’t in the sense that we don’t put a word, a box or label too many things. It is what it is.”
Bella even claimed that she didn’t think anybody could “really understand the bonds” she shared with Mod and Tana, only for their three-way romance to end just months later.
It all came tumbling down after what Mod – real name Derek Smith – described as a “very, very public incident” that led him to end their “toxic” relationship.
Bella later slammed Tana on X – formerly Twitter – for breaking “girl code” after she was seen on a date with Mod.
Tana later got engaged to boxer Jake Paul and had a legally non-binding wedding to the influencer-turned-fighter in late 2019.
They too had an open relationship but she revealed it heavily contributed to them splitting up because she felt compelled to “green-light everything” to make him happy, even though it was “killing” her.
Mo’Nique & Sidney Hicks
Mo’Nique and Sidney Hicks have been in a relationship since they were teenagersCredit: Getty
Precious actress Mo’Nique put an end to her open relationship with her husband and manager Sidney Hicks after fearing it would lead to them breaking up.
She first spoke about them having hall passes to cheat back in 2010, claiming “I don’t want to be owned anymore… [or] have ownership over anyone”.
Declaring her “beautiful” open relationship “my idea”, Mo’Nique said: “If sex happens with another person, that’s not a deal breaker for us.
“That’s not something where we’ll have to say, ‘Oh God, we’ve got to go to divorce court because you cheated on me,’ because we don’t cheat.”
However by 2023, Mo’Nique, who had been with Sidney since she was 16, changed her tune saying she wanted monogamy. She said it was down to recognising the strength of their relationship and his love for her “at my worst”.
She added: “I didn’t want to sacrifice that just for a lay. So I grew out of that.”
Exactly a year after the Eaton fire broke out, musicians are banding together once more for an upcoming benefit show, called A Concert for Altadena.
As a way to both raise funds and bring the community together, the night is set to include performances from musicians like Jackson Browne, Dawes & Friends, Aloe Blacc, Jenny Lewis, Everclear, Stephen Stills, Mandy Moore, Judith Hill, Brad Paisley, Ozomatli, Brandon Flowers of the Killers and more.
Many of the featured acts have ties to Los Angeles and Altadena specifically, like Dawes, an indie band from Altadena who notably sang a lively rendition of “I Love L.A.” at this year’s Grammys ceremony. Moore, who is also performing, similarly lost their homes in the fire.
“I’ve seen firsthand how music can mobilize people for good. This concert brings together artists, fans, and neighbors for something bigger than all of us — recovery, hope, and rebuilding lives,” said Grammy winner Eric Krasno. The guitarist, who also lived in Altadena, helped organize the event and is set to perform.
Even behind the scenes, people like Kevin Lyman, who founded the Vans Warped Tour and is a longtime Altadena resident, is working as the event’s lead producer.
“Music has always been a force for community. With this event, we’re not just putting on a show — we’re helping Altadena rebuild homes, restore businesses, and heal hearts. This night is about unity and purpose,” said Lyman.
All of the proceeds from the show will go to the Pasadena Community Foundation’s Eaton Fire Relief & Recovery Fund, which helps provide resources to families impacted, and the Altadena Builds Back Foundation, which focuses on the long-term recovery of housing in the neighborhood.
‘Fully loaded’ devices are being used to stream paid for content including football – full list of UK areas targets most recently
08:32, 28 Oct 2025Updated 08:32, 28 Oct 2025
People who are using firesticks to stream paid for content illegally could be targeted in raids(Image: Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The Federation Against Copyright Theft has issued warnings that it is cracking down on people using ‘dodgy’ or ‘fully loaded’ Firesticks to illegally stream sport and paid for content. It carries out raids and also monitors digital sellers of the devices in order to target suppliers.
The practice is increasingly widespread – and the most recent raids carried out in the country by FACT have been across the UK. Working with police the clampdown spanned locations across the UK, including London, Cheshire, Kent, Sussex, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, the East and West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Northumbria, and North Yorkshire.
FACT, in collaboration with police services are intensifying efforts to disrupt and dismantle piracy operations across the country by targeting suppliers who are selling unauthorised access to premium content, including film, television and live sports.
The most recent reported two-week enforcement operation saw FACT and police targeting 30 suppliers of illegal IPTV services. These individuals were visited in person and issued cease-and-desist warnings by post, instructing them to cease illegal activities immediately or face potential criminal prosecution.
As part of the enforcement action, South Wales Police arrested a 42-year-old man from Newport who was suspected of involvement in illegal IPTV operations, including the sale of illicit Firesticks. FACT and South Wales Police seized several digital devices, including Firesticks, which are now undergoing forensic examination. Additionally, FACT issued a number of takedown requests to social media platforms and online marketplaces, further disrupting illegal IPTV activity.
FACT warned that courts are increasingly imposing severe penalties for illegal streaming operations, ‘particularly those who do not heed warnings’. It said private prosecution undertaken by the Premier League resulted a 29-year-old from Liverpool, receiving a three-year and four-month prison sentence for selling and using illicit Firesticks.
The body often targets the month of November because a lot of the Firesticks are sold at this time of year. Kieron Sharp, CEO FACT said: “Our cease-and-desist measures are not just warnings—they are the first step toward holding offenders accountable. Many who ignored these notices in the past are now facing arrest and criminal charges. We strongly advise anyone involved in these activities to stop immediately.
“If you’re supplying or using illicit streaming devices or illegal IPTV subscriptions, take this as a clear warning: you are breaking the law and risk facing serious consequences.
“We will continue working with police to track down and shut down these illegal operations. The police across the UK have been unstinting in their efforts to tackle this criminality and we are grateful for their assistance.
“To those using illegal streaming services, the message is that you’re not just committing a crime; you are putting yourself at risk. These services often expose users to malware, scams, and data theft, with no recourse when things go wrong. The safest, smartest and only choice is to stick to legitimate providers for your entertainment.”
FACT gets intelligence from Crimestoppers from anonymous reports from the public and works with sports rights holders and broadcast partners, including The Premier League, Sky, TNT Sports and Virgin Media, to investigate and prosecute those involved in intellectual property crimes. Digital piracy undermines the rights of broadcasters and content creators by providing users unauthorised access to premium content without proper compensation.
Illegal streaming exposes your home to criminals, granting them access to data stored on your network, including banking details and sensitive personal information. Additionally, it can introduce malware, which can further compromise your security. Learn more about the dangers of illegal streaming at BeStreamWise.
COMEDIAN Steve Coogan will pay substantial damages to a university boss for portraying him as a film’s sexist bully.
The actor, 60, co-wrote and starred in 2022’s The Lost King, about the quest to uncover the remains of Richard III.
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Last year, a judge found Coogan and two production companies ‘knowingly misrepresented facts’ in in The Lost King, starring Sally Hawkins and Harry LloydRichard Taylor, chief operating officer at Loughborough University, sued for libel after being characterised as ‘smug, unduly dismissive and patronising’Credit: PA
Richard Taylor was part of the Leicester University team which located the grave of the king — often portrayed as having a hunched back — beneath a car park in the city.
Yesterday, lawyers for Mr Taylor told London’s High Court the parties had settled out of court and that he was being paid “substantial damages”.
Producers will also make changes to the film.
Mr Taylor called it vindication after “a long and gruelling battle”.
Mrs Justice Collins Rice said: “These were momentous historical events and finding yourself represented in a feature film about them must be an unsettling experience, even in the best of circumstances.
“I hope that this very clear statement and the settlement… will help Mr Taylor put this particular experience behind him. ”
Coogan, his production company Baby Cow, and Pathe Productions were not represented in court and did not attend.
However, the star said he was consulting lawyers over remarks made by Mr Taylor — and insisted of his film: “It is the story I wanted to tell, and I am happy I did.”
Richard Taylor was part of the Leicester University team which located the grave of the king — often portrayed as having a hunched back — beneath a car park in the cityCredit: AP:Associated Press