SHOW BIZ

Casualty is set to air a gripping double-bill as the BBC medical drama celebrates its 40th anniversary with an explosive incident.

Casualty fans are in for a treat during the landmark anniversary.

Over the years, BBC fans have seen the team at Holby Hospital face a range of intense situations, from helicopter crashes, horrific stabbings and bomb explosions.

However, it looks as though the upcoming double-bill episodes could top them all as one star from the medical drama has spoken about the gripping scenes ahead.

As Casualty is set to mark its 40th anniversary in September, the programme has given viewers a glimpse at what’s to come with a trailer earlier this month.

It features a huge explosion, a multitude of injuries, tears, police and two favourites in an ambulance crash, reports the Daily Star.

Actress Melanie Hill, who takes on the role of Siobhan McKenzie in the BBC drama, spoke to the Screen Time team at Reachplc about the upcoming episodes.

While saying the scenes are ‘always chaotic’, the actress confessed she thinks the instalments are the ‘most ambitious’ that have been seen in the history of Casualty.

Melanie explained that not only is there an influx of people who are injured and needing to be seen to, but there are personal stories surrounding the doctors and nurses who work at the hospital.

A synopsis for the upcoming episodes teases that ‘impossible life-or-death’ decisions are forced onto the beloved characters as their courage, resilience and leadership will be tested.

While Dylan (William Beck) is set to face a personal tragedy of his own, Stevie (Elinor Lawless) and Flynn (Olly Rix) find themselves fighting for survival in a race against time.”

With the trailer dropping earlier this month, devoted fans were quick to share their reactions to the tantalising preview, with many fearing the worst was yet to come.

One person said, “I wonder which paramedic is driving the ambulance; it looks like Indie.” Another added: “This is going to be one intense watch, peak TV incoming.”

While someone else commented: “Sounds awful, but as long as Dylan is ok, I will be SO upset if they kill him off, he’s been my fav for SO long!!” As another added: “If anyone dies, I will be crying unapologetically.”

Casualty’s special double-bill will air on Saturday, 5 September 2026, on BBC iPlayer and BBC One

Fans of reality singing contests will be thrilled to learn that plans are reportedly in motion to revive The X Factor in the UK – after the show last aired on ITV back in 2019

The X Factor is set to make a return to the UK, it was claimed tonight. A report has suggested that the iconic talent show could be revived by ITV as soon as next year – after being off the air for nearly seven years.

The long-running singing competition originally aired from 2004 until 2019 and threw a number of unknown acts into the international spotlight – as well as boosting the profiles of the roster of judges. At it’s peak, The X Factor pulled in huge audiences just shy of 20 million viewers.

And TV stars were made out of music producer Sharon Osbourne, boy band fanatic Louis Walsh, Girls Aloud star Cheryl Tweedy, and music mogul Simon Cowell. The show made stars out of Leona Lewis, One Direction and Little Mix – and was a cash cow for ITV.

However, by 2019, interest in the series had waned and the show was axed following a celebrity version of the series that struggled to attract more than 3 million viewers.

Now broadcast bosses are reportedly mulling bringing back the previous hit show – and in a shock move, it appears that 66-year-old Cowell might not be heavily involved and the panel of judges will consist of younger music experts.

It is reported that the network is keen to have a hit after sinking millions into fresh TV formats, including Graham Norton’s The Neighbhourhood and Stephen ­Mangan’s The Fortune Hotel, which underperformed.

A source told The Sun: “Rather than creating more flop formats they have the opportunity to give The X Factor, a sure-fire hit, a modern makeover.

“They can explore a younger, fresher panel, with new faces and have Cowell behind the scenes. The plan is for the show’s return to take on a new life and be updated to envelop social media generation.

“ITV has shown with programmes like Love Island and I’m A Celebrity . . . that social media is where they can inject massive viewing figures. The X Factor was one of the most iconic shows in TV history and created dozens of stars and household names who are still riding high today.”

The source went on to claim that Talkback Thames, which produced the series, was in talks with ITV bosses about bringing the show back – and that those involved as keen for the series to be a success again. The Mirror has contacted representatives at ITV and Talkback Thames for comment.

Simon Cowell has previously expressed enthusiasm over the concept of the X Factor being exhumed by TV bosses in the UK. The show currently exists in a number of European countries – including Malta and Hungary.

He told the Tales from the Celebrity Trenches podcast: “Yeah, we talk about it a lot. Do you bring it back as X Factor or do you bring it back as the Z Factor?

“There’s still no question, the power of TV in terms of getting people to know an artist. It’s so important if you’re not writing your own material. The truth is there’s something about being on a big screen. You hear about these artists who break online, but so rarely.

“Truth is, I guess, thank God, people like being on TV.”

ITV has enjoyed some success in reviving former TV shows after they were off the air for a relatively short time. The channel brought back Big Brother in 2023 – just five years after it had been axed by Channel 5. The show pulled in it’s highest ratings in a decade when revived – attracting over 2.5 million viewers when it aired on ITV2.

However, ratings had dropped to less than one million by the time the 2025 season aired. The show is set to return next month for the fourth season in the ITV run – which will be the 23rd season of the show since it first aired back in the year 2000.

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An aspiring Los Angeles-area rapper was arrested on Wednesday and charged in connection with a multimillion-dollar check-cashing scheme, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Ada William Obayuwana of Quartz Hill, who goes by “ColdheartedAC” and “AC,” and two others were charged in a 25-count federal grand jury indictment alleging that they illegally possessed more than 50 stolen U.S. Treasury checks and hundreds of other checks belonging to individuals and businesses worth more than $8.1 million, then cashed or attempted to cash them at lenders throughout Southern California.

Albert Tai Vu, of Westminster, and Cassandra Marie Murrillo, of San Diego, are the other two defendants charged in the case.

According to the indictment, between April 2022 and December 2023, the trio obtained the stolen checks, some containing tax refunds and veterans’ and Social Security Administration benefits, then forged endorsements or modified names and addresses to steal the money.

The trio is accused of opening bank accounts to receive the money. They also used business documents to impersonate the identities of the victims connected to the stolen checks and deposited the money into bank and credit union accounts across Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties, the indictment says.

During this period, Obayuwana allegedly tried to cash at least three Treasury tax refund checks worth $382,109 and was successful in cashing one, withdrawing $229,109, federal authorities allege.

In December 2023, Obayuwana “possessed in his car in Oceanside more than 100 stolen or fraudulent checks, cumulatively worth more than $6.1 million,” states the indictment. Among the checks were 48 stolen Treasury checks worth some $2,555,417 in tax refunds, veterans’ benefits,and Social Security benefits.

Obayuwana was able to cash eight of them worth about $1.7 million, according to federal investigators.

Vu tried to cash at least six Treasury checks totaling $2.15 million and successfully cashed two tax fund refunds worth $772,159, the indictment says. He also allegedly cashed a pair of cashier’s checks, each valued at $250,000, at an Anaheim bank and used money from one to buy a Range Rover and the second to pay Murillo.

Murillo is accused of trying to cash at least two checks worth $60,193, successfully cashing one for $31,405.

Following his arrest, Obayuwana remains in federal custody. He is charged with nine counts of bank fraud and faces three counts of delivering stolen Treasury checks and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Vu, who was arrested Thursday, is charged with five counts of delivering stolen Treasury checks, four counts of money laundering and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

Murillo, who is expected to surrender to federal authorities in Los Angeles on Monday, is charged with an additional count of delivering stolen Treasury checks.

ABBY Lee Miller showed off her incredible figure in a black swimsuit as she enjoyed a trip away this week.

The Dance Moms star, 60, was soaking up the sun in Long Island, New York, and took to Instagram to share snaps from the trip with her fans.

Staying at the four-star Hotel Indigo, Abby beamed for the camera as she took a dip in the pool in a black one-piece swimsuit.

She matched the swimwear with statement gold jewellery and had her brunette tresses styled into a bouncy blowdry.

Sipping on a mocktail, Abby posed for several poolside shots.

She later added a butter yellow beach coverup over her bathing suit while relaxing by the pool.

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Abby captioned her post: “Couldn’t have asked for a better spot to stay while I was on Long Island this summer! 🌊☀️

“@indigoeastend was not only beautiful, but the perfect place to relax and enjoy all the amenities, from the pool to their fabulous restaurant, @bistro72, with a gorgeous sunset view! Top of the pyramid👏🏼👏🏼“.

Abby has been using a wheelchair since 2018, when she underwent spinal surgery and battled Burkitt lymphoma – a rare form of cancer.

Before her health woes, the TV star and dance instructor dropped from a size 24 to a size 16 and has been looking incredible over recent years since becoming cancer-free in 2019.

Abby rose to fame in 2011 when Dance Moms hit screens as the strict dance coach and leading personality of the show.

The series, which launched the careers of stars such as JoJo Siwa, was centred around the young girls who were members of the Abby Lee Dance Company and their mothers, who were also in competition with each other.

MICHAEL Jackson’s daughter Paris has released a moving song tribute on his 68th birthday with the icon’s voice on track.

The singer’s personal new song entitled The Breeze appears to include a private recording featuring the voice of her father.

In the emotional audio, Michael can be heard telling his daughter: “Love you, Paris. I love you, Paris!” 

A young Paris is then heard sweetly replying: “I love you.”

Released as a double single on Michael’s birthday, Paris, 28, wrote and recorded two songs which displayed her relationship with him.

She explained on her social account that she is so proud of both tracks and said “It’s not a tribute. It’s not a commemoration.

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“It’s not a demonstration of any kind. It is a letter. It is a poem of the sonic variety.

“It is my honest experience – with love, loss, and para-social relationships vs a personal one.”

Fans flocked to comment and one wrote: “I love both tracks. Beautiful work.

Another added: “Daddy’s little girl.”

“Oh no, I’m not going to be able to listen,” said another fan.

A fourth wrote: “My eyes are red from crying so much I can’t this is so beautifullll.”

A fifth added: “I’m crying too!”

Paris is the only daughter of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe.

Her legendary father died in June 2009 of cardiac arrest after a doctor prescribed him various medications to help him sleep.

Paris has been open about missing her father and shared a never-before-seen clip of him – 11 years after his tragic death.

Recently, Paris was spotted on an outing with Hayden Karchmer in Los Angeles, which sparked rumours she has officially moved on from her ex-fiancé.

Imagine a Saturday night “spectacular,” under the stars at the Hollywood Bowl, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic performing as fireworks explode in the night sky — for $10?

Not a pipe dream.

The L.A. Phil has taken a major step in expanding its accessibility. The organization announced this week that it will offer Los Angeles County residents with active Medi-Cal or EBT cards $10 tickets to L.A. Phil performances at the Hollywood Bowl starting with the 2027 season.

It will offer at least 100 of these tickets at each of the orchestra’s Hollywood Bowl concerts. Tickets will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. The L.A. Phil didn’t say exactly how eligible residents could secure such tickets. It plans to announce that process in Spring 2027 before the season starts.

L.A. Phil Vice President of Community and Government Engagement, Cynthia Fuentes, said in an interview that the organization has been “prioritizing accessibility for a very long time.”

“When you create accessibility programs, they have to be very intentional,” Fuentes said. “Folks are really struggling to make ends meet right now, and for us, it’s so important not only that we create great music on our stages, but that people can afford to see it. Your income levels shouldn’t dictate whether you have access to the arts or not.”

The $10 ticket announcement is the latest move towards making L.A. Phil events more accessible at a time when tickets to see the orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl are, on average, about $48, Fuentes said.

The L.A. Phil has been offering discounted tickets since the 1970s. It now offers more than 50,000 $1 Hollywood Bowl tickets annually — some seats open to the general public and others given out by the L.A. Phil in partnership with the L.A. County Board of Supervisors and L.A. County Parks, to low-income students, senior centers and others in need.

Last year the L.A. Phil boosted the numbers of its $1 tickets from 36,000 to 55,000. It also distributes tens of thousands of free tickets to non-profit organizations through a program called Community Concert Connections.

The L.A. Phil debuted its new accessibility program at the Ford during the venue’s 2026 season. The program is still active at the Ford.

“That was our pilot program for the L.A. Phil, with the intention of implementing it at the Hollywood Bowl,” Fuentes said. “When we started looking into EBT cardholder tickets, [we realized] it happens in a lot of museums but not a lot at performance arts organizations. Partly because it’s a ticketed structure with assigned seats and it’s a more controlled environment. We wanted to build the infrastructure of how you execute it on the back end. The Ford was an incredible way to start the process — do it on a smaller scale, look at what works and then be able to scale up to the bowl.”

The L.A. Phil is in a period of transition. Daniel Harding will step in as the L.A. Phil’s new Music Director, replacing Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, starting with the 2027–2028 season. He’ll oversee orchestral programming at Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. Newly appointed Creative Director Esa-Pekka Salonen begins his tenure at the start of the 2026/27 concert season in early October. He’ll conduct and curate subscription concerts and multidisciplinary projects. Anna Handler will serve as conductor in residence for the next three years starting with the 2026/27 season.

“But Gustavo will be back every summer to do a suite of concerts at the Hollywood Bowl and also in December of this year at Walt Disney Concert Hall,” Fuentes said. “He’ll continue to have a presence with the L.A. Phil.”

Operating the Hollywood Bowl is a partnership between the L.A. Phil and the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes the Hollywood Bowl, said in a statement that the L.A. Phil has been “a trailblazer in the arts” for more than a century. Their new accessibility initiative, she said, is “that same spirit of innovation and partnership.”

“The Hollywood Bowl is one of Los Angeles County’s most cherished public assets,” Barger said, “and every resident should have the opportunity to experience the joy, inspiration, and sense of community that it offers.”

Several other L.A. area cultural institutions offer EBT card holders free or deeply discounted admission, including: the Huntington, in San Marino, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the Autry Museum of the American West and LACMA.

“But there’s no other L.A. County facility, for performing arts, that we found in our research that had an EBT Program,” Fuentes added. “Part of our goal is to take our findings to the field to share so that other performing arts non-profits follow, especially L.A. County-based [ones], so we can ensure we’re creating accessibility for everyone in the county.”

Fuentes pointed to her own upbringing to illustrate the importance of accessibility programs in the arts.

“I grew up in South Central with working-class parents that had three kids,” she said. “When you don’t have disposable income, you don’t have opportunities [to see arts performances]. Everyone should have the opportunity to go to a show and share a communal experience around music without the fear of not having enough to make your rent or mortgage.”

Vigil is back on the BBC after a three-year hiatus with another complex case to crack.

BBC’s Vigil season three airs tonight but it’s going to look very different from the first two series.

Since BBC fans last saw DCI Amy Silva (played by Suranne Jones) and DI Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie), they have built a life together, welcoming their young son but it doesn’t take long before a new case lands on their laps.

The second series saw Amy travel to the Middle East following a drone attack but this time around, it’s Kirsten who is investigating a case in far colder temperatures.

After a British officer on an undercover special forces mission is fatally shot abroad, it’s up to Kirsten, as well as Amy back home, to find out what really happened.

As the countdown begins until its debut, here’s all there is to know about the filming locations for Vigil season three.

BBC Vigil season 3 filming locations

BBC Vigil season three is primarily set in Svalbard in the Arctic Circle which is where the series was also filmed.

Svalbard is part of Norway and a remote Arctic archipelago situated between mainland Norway and the North Pole.

Its largest island Spitsbergen is the home of its largest settlement Longyearbyen which has a population of around 2,600.

Describing the experience to the BBC, actress Suranne Jones shared: “Rose [Leslie] and I felt like we were just on top of the world because we went to places that tourists don’t normally visit since we were filming in such remote locations.

“There were reindeer outside the breakfast room every morning, we got to drive the snow buggies, and we really had to layer up.”

While most of the action takes place in Svalbard, this wasn’t BBC Vigil season three’s only filming location.

When Amy and Kirsten aren’t abroad investigating murder cases, they are at home in Scotland where Vigil is also shot.

The cast and crew were also seen filming extensively in and around Glasgow in areas including the West End and West Princes Street.

Vigil season three premieres on Sunday, August 30, at 9pm, on BBC One.

Tom Cruise is set to film a sequel to his 1990 NASCAR hit “Days of Thunder’ with Anne Hathaway, both actors announced in a video posted Saturday on social media.

The Paramount Pictures movie with Cruise reprising his role as NASCAR driver Cole Trickle and Hathaway playing a team owner and engineer will be filmed in IMAX and is expected to be released in the summer of 2028.

Jonathan Levine, whose credits include “Warm Bodies” and “Long Shot,” is directing, and Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper are producing along with Cruise.

The original film, which earned $157.9 million worldwide at the box office, was directed by the late Tony Scott and starred Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes, John C. Reilly and Nicole Kidman, who met Cruise during filming in 1989. The couple married in 1990 and divorced in 2001.

The sequel movie will see Cruise and Bruckheimer join forces again on another legacy sequel after their work on 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, which came out 36 years after the original blockbuster and grossed $1.5 billion.

Hathaway, who won a best supporting actress Oscar in 2013 for her role in “Les Misérables,” currently stars in the epic drama “The Odyssey,” one of a string of big films including “The Devil Wears Prada 2” the actress starred in this year.

CHANTELLE Houghton says she still has a friendship with her ex Preston, two decades after their Big Brother romance.

The reality star was sent into Celebrity Big Brother in 2006 to trick her famous housemates into thinking she too was a star, and ended up falling in love with singer Preston.

They married later that year, but were divorced after ten months.

Now, Chantelle says that despite their failed union, she and Preston – real name Samuel Dylan Murray Preston – keep in touch to this day.

“We still message every now and then. I think he’s engaged to someone now,” said the star.

She continued to Betway: “We’re still friendly, there’s no bad blood. We didn’t have an awful falling out. Obviously, there were problems and a bit of animosity at the time, but no, I genuinely wish him well.

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“We’ve been through so much together that no one else will really understand. That friendship still matters.

“It’s good memories, and it’s something we did once in our lives. It was just a great experience.”

Whilst her relationship with Preston was very public, Chantelle has gone the opposite direction when it comes to her current relationship.

The star revealed she was in a relationship earlier this year, but didn’t divulge on who with.

Last month, it was revealed her man was local garden center owner Westley O’Bryan.

But she says the relationship will be kept private for now.

“Right now, I’m not sure whether I want to go public with my new man or keep it just for me. I’m living in the moment. I want to tell the world how amazing he is, of course I do, but for now, I’m keeping it to myself,” explained Chantelle.

Fred Sirieix was left in tears after a luxury hotel surprised him with a touching gesture featuring his beloved children

A touching gesture left Fred Sirieix in tears.

The First Dates star was given an unexpected Father’s Day surprise during filming for his new travel series. He became emotional when staff at a luxury hotel in Singapore arranged a personal gesture for him while he was filming Fred’s Ultimate Hotels, which is set to air on Monday (August 31st).

Fred was staying at the iconic Raffles Hotel Singapore, one of the city’s most famous landmarks, when the hotel team decided to mark Father’s Day in a very special way.

Speaking about the moment, Fred admitted he was completely caught off guard when he returned to his room and discovered a surprise waiting for him.

“I arrived there on Father’s Day on the 21st of June,” he explained. “My concierge picked some pictures off the internet of my kids. They used AI to mock up a card to say happy Father’s Day. ‘We love you’, blah, blah, blah, and he put it in my room.”

The thoughtful gesture proved too much for Fred, who admitted he immediately became emotional. “Wow. Oh my God, I knew my kids are everything for me and I just saw that card there,” he said. “It was just on Father’s Day. I cried.”

Fred has two children with his former partner Alessandra Spendolini – daughter Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, a professional Team GB diver who won a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and was named the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2020, and son Lucien, who stays away from the spotlight.

The emotional moment came during Fred’s stay at Raffles, which is one of Singapore’s best-known hotels and has become synonymous with the city since opening its doors in the 19th century.

The hotel is famed for its colonial architecture, luxurious suites and its connection to the Singapore Sling cocktail, which was created at its Long Bar.

It has 115 suites spread across nine categories, with no standard hotel rooms, while its Presidential Suite costs around £12,000 per night.

During his time in Singapore, Fred also took part in a number of experiences as part of the new series. His adventures included a sidecar tour, a visit to the city’s Botanic Gardens and a trip to a hawker centre, where he explored Singapore’s famous food culture.

He also learned Tai Chi from a master at Raffles before heading out on a yacht experience around Sentosa. The Botanic Gardens provided another glimpse into Singapore’s unique landscape, with the city being one of the few places in the world where primary rainforest can be found within its city limits.

The trip forms part of Fred’s Ultimate Hotels, in which the television personality explores some of the world’s most remarkable hotels while getting to know the destinations and cultures surrounding them.

But despite the luxury and extraordinary experiences on offer, it was the simple Father’s Day gesture that left the biggest impression on Fred.

Fred’s Ultimate Hotels airs on Monday, August 31 at 8pm on Channel 4.

Sammy and Jonathan were one of a number of couples whose romantic journeys were never shown on the Netflix show

Love Is Blind UK’s third season saw a record number of engagements – but only a handful were shown.

The Netflix reality dating show sees 30 singles sent on a string of blind dates in the show’s pods which are designed to prevent the contestants from ever seeing each other. The only way they can meet a potential partner face to face is if they accept a marriage proposal from them.

An unprecedented number of contestants became engaged during the latest season – 14 to be precise – though just six of those love stories were shown to viewers at home.

The show’s executive producer, Nazleen Karim, previously addressed why they cut some couples on the programme but kept following others. She explained: “When there are more engagements than we can physically follow, we have to make difficult editorial choices. We’re looking for a range of different relationship journeys and stories that together capture the full experience of the experiment.

“Not being selected isn’t a reflection of the strength of a relationship – many couples continue exploring their connection once they leave the pods.”

Now, one couple who were cut from the show revealed what happened to them afterwards, and the remarkable journey they have been on since.

Tech recruiter Jonathan, 32, and wellbeing coach and entrepreneur Sammy, 31, found a connection in the pods and became engaged, but their dates, nor that all-important proposal, were ever shown.

In a tell-all Instagram post, Sammy recounted that she asked a producer to give Jonathan her number after they were told they would not be continuing on the programme, and the pair continued to date in the real world.

Since leaving the show in August last year, they have jetted off on holiday together, met each other’s families, got a dog together named Poddy in homage to the show, and remain engaged to this day. Sammy also revealed the devastating news that the pair had suffered a silent miscarriage in June.

“We lost our baby to a silent miscarriage and honestly, we really struggled,” she shared. “Grieving whilst still living on opposite sides of the country was one of the hardest things we’ve had to face together.”

While she admitted the pair were still navigating the loss, Sammy revealed their love story still endured. She added: “We didn’t get picked to continue on Love Is Blind. At the time, that felt like the end of our story. Turns out, it was the beginning of the best bit.

“No cameras. No experiment. No guarantees. We just kept choosing each other, and now you’re finally in on the secret.”

Love Is Blind UK series three is now streaming on Netflix. A reunion special will air tomorrow night (August 30) at 9pm.

HOLLY Hagan has voiced some fears after her sister’s drug death as she warned Reading and Leeds festival-goers to “please be careful.”

The Geordie Shore star’s sibling tragically passed away last October just before her 20th birthday.

Taking to Instagram, Holly shared: “I haven’t stopped thinking about the fact that someone might not make it back from the festivals.

“When I see people’s videos walking into the camp grounds so happy for the weekend’s of their lives.

“I just think I hope to God you all make it home.

“On average 5 people a year die during UK festivals and the vast majority of those deaths are MDMA related.

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“Nobody thinks it’ll happen to them until it does.

“I know my sister’s death won’t be the last of this nature and it’s such a gut wrenching thought that other families will have to go through what we have.

“Please be careful. Look after your friends and don’t show off. It’s not worth the risk.”

Holly previously revealed that her world stopped spinning when she woke up one day to a whole load of missed calls and discovered Darci had collapsed on a night out and been rushed to hospital.

At just 19, she’d taken an accidental drug overdose and suffered two cardiac arrests.

Two days later, Darci died of organ failure with her family all around her.

In an emotional statement, Holly wrote: “It is with immeasurable grief and sadness that our baby girl, my baby sister Darci Rose passed away peacefully holding my hand surrounded by family and her best friends.

“She was never in any pain. The last four days have been something I hope no family ever has to go through.

“We are traumatised in every sense of the word.”

It came after The Sun revealed that Holly’s famous friends were doing everything they could to help after Darcy’s passing.

Earlier this year, Holly revealed that she talks to Darci through a medium, and that she’ll tell son about her sister’s tragic drug death.

Apple TV, the streaming service known for series such as “Ted Lasso” and “Severance,” is raising its prices, effective immediately.

A monthly subscription will cost $14.99, up $2. The annual plan climbs by $20 to $119.99. This marks the tech giant’s fourth price bump in the last four years.

Other Apple bundle plans are seeing price increases as well. Apple One’s individual plan, which includes access to Apple Music, Apple Arcade, cloud storage and other features, is going up $2 to $21.95 per month.

The Cupertino-based tech giant does not offer an ad-tier, unlike some of its competitors that use ad-supported subscriptions as a lower-cost option for consumers.

Apple TV is the latest streamer to increase prices. The industry has sought to bolster bottom lines against the rising cost of programming.

Earlier this month, Peacock bumped its pricing, ahead of the new NBA and NFL season. The NBCUniversal-owned streaming service’s ad-tier will now cost $12.99 monthly, up from $10.99, while its most expansive plan will be $19.99 per month, up $3.

ESPN is also raising its streaming prices in September. The Disney-owned sports giant’s unlimited plan will rise from $29.99 to $31.99 a month. The annual cost is also rising — from $299.99 to $319.99.

Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube Premium also hiked prices earlier this year.

Apple TV+ launched in 2019 at $4.99 a month and was a low-cost perk for Apple users. The tech company still offers a free three-month trial to customers who purchase a new Apple device.

Over the last several years, Apple TV has sought to distinguish itself from competitors by offering premium, original series. It’s home to over 300 original movies and TV shows, including “Ted Lasso,” which returned for its fourth season earlier this month. Many of its shows have also attracted award show attention. Last year, Seth Rogen’s “The Studio” took home 13 Emmys. This year, the streamer’s shows “Widow’s Bay” and “Pluribus” are up for 19 and 18 awards, respectively.

Apple TV also recently secured the rights to Formula One races in the U.S, and offers Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer games.

Kehlani has rescheduled the two concerts she had to postpone because of illness.

On Thursday, the “Folded” singer announced new dates for her Camden, N.J., and Columbia, Md., shows on Instagram. The Camden show, which was originally scheduled for Aug. 26, will now happen on Sept. 5. The Columbia show will follow on Sept. 6. The latter had previously been scheduled for Aug. 27.

The two stops on Kehlani’s self-titled world tour had to be postponed after the two-time Grammy winner needed to seek treatment at a hospital for pain that prevented her from being able to swallow.

“[A]fter two off days feeling completely normal.. ive been up all night unable to swallow & in so much pain,” Kehlani wrote in a social media post Wednesday. “[I] just left the hospital & am not cleared to sing for the next two shows. i’m so sorry.”

In the since-deleted Instagram post (which is still available on Facebook), the “Nights Like This” singer expressed her frustration that she wasn’t able to perform as planned.

It “breaks my heart to have to ever do this,” Kehlani wrote. “i do everything i’m supposed to do to ensure my health stays up to par & it still isn’t guaranteed.”

The “After Hours” singer kicked off the North American leg of her world tour in support of her self-titled album in Minneapolis earlier this month. She is scheduled for back-to-back Southern California stops at the Viejas Arena in San Diego and the Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Sept. 23 and 24, respectively.

Hollywood A-listers are more comfortable than ever with cloning their voice and likeness to create a new stream of income, despite the threat of viewer backlash to artificial intelligence.

Sunny Hostin of the popular daily talk show “The View” has licensed her image and likeness to AI production studio Fountain 0, which will make film adaptations of her novels.

“To be able to bring my novels to life in movie and TV form, and actually have my image inserted in the productions, so that audiences can relate to me through my stories beyond my role as an author, is incredibly exciting to me,” Hostin said in a statement.

“AI can give me a way to both more fully develop, and more fully immerse myself in, IP I have developed,” she said.

The Overton window for acceptable AI use in Hollywood continues to widen as Hollywood actors, television hosts, and influencers embrace cloning with protections and compensation. As high-quality synthetic re-creations become cheap and accessible, cloning has become a more desirable option for studios struggling with runaway production costs.

Audiences will be subject to more AI content on the big screen that’s indistinguishable from real human performances.

Fountain 0 is the producer behind “Dreams of Violets,” a fully AI-generated film inspired by anti-government protests in Tehran. The 75-minute drama was made with a budget of $2,000 without a cast or a crew, and was the first fully AI-generated film accepted at the Tribeca Film Festival.

“We are incredibly gratified that Sunny is willing to be the talent pioneer willing to step out and take advantage of this new form of creative expression,” said Ash Koosha, co-founder and CEO of Fountain 0, in a release.

The production company will be releasing its second fully AI-generated film, “Odysseus: The Fall,” later this year. The film uses the likeness of many people, including the film’s creator Koosha, who stars as Odysseus.

Fountain 0’s executive chariman told CNBC that the film is designed to ride the buzz around Christopher Nolan’s ‘’The Odyssey” and give people the opportunity to compare the height of human filmmaking with AI filmmaking.

Proponents of AI argue that it allows writers and creators to take on blockbuster-scale films without financial constraints. Many creators oppose AI because it could replace humans and was built using the unauthorized scraping of creative works used to train generative AI video and image models.

Online reactions to news of Hostin’s cloning were fierce.

“Basically, no film studio wants to give her the budget to turn her books into a movie with real actors, so she’s resorting to AI studios,” wrote one person on Reddit.

Hollywood has fought hard for protections from AI in the prolonged writers’ and actors’ strikes of 2023. SAG-AFTRA, the union representing about 160,000 actors and other performers, has been demanding informed consent, fair compensation, more control and transparency over the use of digital replicas.

The latest agreement, signed in June, introduced limits on studios’ use of digital replicas. The contract requires studios to notify actors before using their voices to create a replica. After a project is complete, actors must sign off and be paid the equivalent of an in-person performance if their replica is used.

Additionally, studios need to pay residuals to digital replicas used in reruns, and replicas cannot be used during a strike.

Hiring fully AI-generated characters such as Tilly Norwood, created without hiring a human performer, is not impossible but comes with a very high threshold for use under the 2026 union contract. Producers must notify the union in advance and prove the AI character brings “significant additional value” to the role.

Still, a fissure remains between those actors who stay morally opposed to cloning, and those who embrace this new reality.

ElevenLabs’ voice marketplace features clones of dozens of personalities — including actress Judy Garland, physicist Richard Feynman and popular characters such as Mr. Potato Head for creators to legally license and get compensated for their use.

This has created a contentious ecosystem in which A-listers are gaining millions from cloning with safeguards and building a new stream of passive income from their intellectual property, while early-career actors complain that their likenesses are being misappropriated and opportunities are being driven away. A massive lobbying effort is underway to institute a uniform standard for protecting an individual’s voice and likeness as property rights.

Kelvin and Liz Fletcher share the highs and lows of farming on Fletcher’s Family Farm

Kelvin and Liz Fletcher shared fears for their Cheshire farm following a heartbreaking loss.

The couple shares the highs and lows of farming in their ITV series, Fletcher’s Family Farm. However, in the latest repeat episode, Kelvin and Liz faced a setback. They also bid a bittersweet farewell to their beloved alpacas as they needed to make space on the farm.

Kelvin Fletcher and Liz welcomed vet Angelica to the farm for a health check on their flock following the death of their beloved pet lamb, Aga.

“It kind of looks a bit chaotic, but this is the smoothest it’s ever happened,” Liz shared when referring to them rounding up the sheep.

Kelvin noted, “We’re improving. It just shows we are improving. With the ewes and lambs separated, it’s time for a not-so-pleasant job of the season.”

“Put your hand up if you want a poo bag,” Kelvin shouted to his kids, who seemed more than enthusiastic about picking up sheep poo.

The former soap star went on to share his fears, “To try to prevent losing any lambs, vet Angelica will take the poo samples collected today for testing so we can treat any early signs of infection.”

She explained to Kelvin, “As they grow up, they build some kind of immunity, but lambs are naive to them, and worms are everywhere at pasture, so we need to make sure that they have a good level of exposure when they’re young, which means that they will build up their immune response, but at the same time, the burden is not too high and make them sick. “

Sharing their previous loss, he continued, “We’re taking a belt and braces approach this year, as through the winter worms were a real problem and proved to be fatal for a couple of our lambs, including our beloved Aga. Aga was an orphan lamb, whom we fell in love with, but later lost to a worm infection.”

With all the samples collected, vet Angelica went back to the lab to test the sheep poo.

Luckily for the Fletcher family, the results came back all clear, as he informed viewers, “Angelica has been back in touch with the good news that the worm count isn’t dangerous, but as advised, we still treat them.

“It’s not the easiest job to do, but such an important one, and this time it was such a great team effort. Right, so now it’s that simple chase and getting them back out, back out in the pasture. “

Fletcher’s Family Farm is available to watch on ITVX.

The former BBC child star is leading a completely different life away from the spotlight

The Queen’s Nose star Victoria Shalet looks almost unrecognisable over 30 years since she rose to fame.

Fans of the nineties show will remember the actress playing Harmony in the children’s programme, which was based on Dick King-Smith’s novel of the same name.

It followed Harmony, a 12-year-old who was gifted a magical 50p coin by her uncle Ginger. The coin had powers to grant wishes when Queen Elizabeth II’s nose was rubbed.

Leading actress Victoria starred on the show from its debut in 1995 until season four, when the story took a new direction without her character.

But her career didn’t end there, Victoria went on to appear in TV shows like The Quest and Midsomer Murders.

The London-born performer also had memorable movie roles in the 1995 horror Haunted and 2003 drama Eroica. But even Victoria’s biggest fans would struggle to recognise the actress now, almost 15 years since her last role.

The 44-year-old is now a psychotherapist for individuals and couples, working in areas including abuse, grief and child-related issues.

Victoria recalls her past life on her website, writing: “Before becoming a psychotherapist, I spent over two decades working as an actor in film, television, theatre, and radio.

“This immersive experience of observing and portraying the human condition deepened my curiosity about why we do what we do—and how our internal world shapes our behaviour and relationships.”

She has previously opened up about leaving the industry, confessing that she simply lost her spark for performing.

Speaking to Glamour, she explained: “From the age of six, I was acting, but I got to my early twenties and realised my heart just wasn’t in it.

“Then I had some therapy myself and it really did make me re-evaluate what I wanted from life. I did a foundation year in counselling and knew I wanted to take it further.”

Victoria went on to describe the moment everything changed, sharing: “The crunch came when I was accepted onto a training course that would qualify me to be a therapist.

“On the same day, I got a call-back from an audition to be a regular in Holby City. When I didn’t get the part, I saw it as a sign that I had to give up acting altogether to do the three-year course. I had to make a choice and I’ve never regretted it.”

Old episodes of The Queen’s Nose are currently available to watch on YouTube

THEY’VE spent years dodging questions and dishing out the classic “never say never” when asked about a reunion for The Saturdays.

Now it looks like Frankie Bridge and Rochelle Humes might have finally found a way to make everyone happy – and The Sun can exclusively reveal when and how.

There are always rumours that the girl group – who went on hiatus in 2014 – will perform at Mighty Hoopla festival and we can reveal Frankie and Rochelle, both 37, are closer than ever to making it happen. 

Earlier this year This Morning host Rochelle revealed her son Blake, five, is desperate to see his mum on stage and just this month Loose Women panellist Frankie confirmed she would be up for the LBGTQ pop bonanza, saying “the gays deserve it”. 

A well-placed insider said: “It’s getting to the point now where Frankie and Rochelle are close to saying yes just so everyone stops asking them about it. 

“A Saturdays set at Mighty Hoopla would go down a storm and but looks like that’s about as much as they’d be prepared to commit to.

“Offers have been made, there have been talks and – while it’s far from confirmed – for the first time it looks like everyone is keeping an open mind.” 

The Saturdays line-up also included Vanessa White, Una Healy and Mollie King and when asked about their decision to go their separate ways more than a decade ago, Rochelle recently told Jamie Laing on his Good Company podcast that it came down to money. 

She said: “For a period of [time], music artists were making money touring. 

“The tours and the brand deals were where you would make your money. The records weren’t for us.

“So we’d be the face of a shampoo and all have our own scent – that’s where we’d make our money. Those brand deals were really important to us and so was the touring.”

Meanwhile Frankie has repeatedly stated in recent years that she feels “too old” to be a pop star, firmly telling OK! Magazine previously: “I don’t think it will happen.” 

So it is no surprise that it’s Frankie and Rochelle, who first shot to fame as members of S Club Juniors in 2001, are the ones calling the shots on if and when a Saturdays comeback takes place – and they’ve made their conditions clear. 

Our insider added: “Frankie and Rochelle have been pop stars since they were 12 so they’re comfortable with that chapter being closed now. 

“If they say yes to a reunion gig, they’ve made it clear they’re not interested in recording new music or going on the road again. Their families come first.”

In a stark contrast to the attitudes of Frankie and Rochelle, Una, 44, has been championing a full-scale return for The Saturdays pretty much since they announced their hiatus. 

But she’s not had it easy. Speaking to Patrick Kielty on The Late Late Show previously, Una confirmed that The Saturdays had made a pact that they would only reunite if all five members were on board – and she was having trouble convincing everyone. 

She said: “They all went very quiet on me. I put it out there to them [in their WhatsApp group chat], when Girls Aloud were back together [in 2023], I was like, ‘we should be doing it again’. 

“There was just silence. I thought to myself, ‘tumbleweed’. So I sent a gif of tumbleweed into the group chat and there were still tumbleweeds. They didn’t even do a little laughing emoji back. That was a bit, ‘ouch’. You know?”

We’re told that, for now at least, Una is taking what she can get – and pinning her hopes on the Mighty Hoopla coming off.

“Just to have everyone nearly on the same page for a one-off gig is more than Una expected to happen,” our source said.

“But they all know that one performance will never be enough for her and it won’t be long until she’s back to her old tricks in the group chat.”

Watch this space.

Emmerdale spoilers for autumn and beyond will see one married couple tested, possible prison for Charity Dingle and the truth about baby Leyla is finally exposed

It’s a busy autumn on Emmerdale, with soap producer Sophie Roper hinting at some big twists on the way.

New spoilers, from a chat with the Mirror and other press, give away some big moments. From baby Leyla’s parentage being revealed, to Charity Dingle and Mack Boyd’s marriage being tested once more, there’s plenty ahead.

Sophie also discussed what’s ahead for Serena Sugden, suggesting she planned to re-establish the family as a whole – so hopefully that means more scenes with Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle too. Sophie teased Sarah’s future too, and whether her killer secret might come out.

Not so long ago, Sarah accidentally killed villain Dr Todd. But it seems there’s more turmoil ahead for her! Here’s what Sophie had to say about the coming weeks and months ahead on Emmerdale.

Sarah’s future sealed

Sophie spilled: “Through the course of this story we see the consequences of what Sarah has done, and we’ll look at that from a legal standpoint. We’ll also look at that from, how she’ll view herself and actually how she struggles to confront that trauma and how she struggles to deal with that.

“It’s not a simple story of justice by any means, and it’s complicated of course as many people might say it’s the justice that Todd deserved, and it opens all of that debate as well, but that’s something we’ll look at and we’ll explore through the course of the story.

“Through soap we will always try to find that there’s consequences, those things that you might lose as a result of doing something wrong, as the soap gods would call it. But I think this story is one that is driven by truth, it’s driven by emotion, I think we’ll ground it in family and life and everything that Sarah has to face.

“But absolutely there will be some legal consequences to this as we go through, that will take on lots of different twists and turns, so I think as you watch and you see the story unfold, we do skew expectations. There will be unexpected developments in this story that hopefully keep it engaging and it exciting as we go through.”

New scenes for the Sugdens

Sophie teased: “Serena’s a really fantastic new character within the show, and I think we’re absolutely re-establishing our wonderful clans and the Sugdens being a huge part of the show and the rural community that we enjoy and celebrate on the show.

“Serena also has a police background, so it was really interesting to include her in this dynamic with Sarah and Charity. I think as well, it’s three incredibly strong women all holding their own in how you deal with this impossible situation that presents.

“She is an incredibly moral character, Serena, and I think there’s a lot of trust between these three women that we potentially will go on to test as the story develops, but she’s a brilliant addition to all of this material and it absolutely embeds her in the Sugden clan and embeds her in that relationship of course between Sarah and Serena, as Sugdens.”

Mack and Charity future

Teasing if Charity’s marriage with Mack Boyd will survive all the drama, Sophie said: “I would say it will test them! This is a relationship where I feel Mack often is the one that’s having to respond to potentially bad decisions that his wife has made.

“They’re an incredibly strong couple, and we will fight for them to find a way through it, because I think for everything that Charity’s been through, for everything that they’ve done to one another, you know, it’s been a really kind of dramatic marriage and a dramatic relationship and they’ve faced a lot.

“But I think where they’re at their best is when they unite to overcome things together. I think we’ll test them, but overall it would be great to see them overcome that.”

Baby Leyla secret revealed

On whether Sarah and Charity will be able to move past the truth about baby Leyla, with her actually being Charity’s daughter not Sarah’s, Sophie said: “It’s going to test them.

“This is the ultimate betrayal, and this is a relationship and a dynamic where they are so important in each other’s lives, and there’s so much trust and love and respect that ultimately, I think it will test both of those characters in ways that we’ve never seen before.”

Sarah actress Katie Hill added: “It’ll just destroy her whole world. Charity’s given her the best gift she ever could have asked for, so for that to be taken away from her, it’ll definitely cause issues with their relationship.”

Charity’s prison fate teased

Sophie appeared to confirm that Charity wouldn’t be in prison for long. Asked about Charity and Sadie King scenes, with Sadie returning soon, Sophie teased: “They will be living in the same village, so I guess stay tuned and see whether there’s old histories reignited there.”

So “living in the same village” means Charity will be there, right? So does this confirm Charity will be staying put? Or does Charity go to prison after Sadie’s arrival?

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok, Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.

J. Cole’s concert in Sacramento was canceled Thursday, following the death of a crew member.

The tour stop at Golden 1 Center was nixed after a member of the rapper‘s crew was involved in a deadly crash earlier that day.

The venue and concert promoter Live Nation shared the news on social media.

“Following the tragic passing of a member of the touring crew in a trucking accident this morning, J. Cole’s performance at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento tonight, August 27, has been canceled,” the statement read. “Our thoughts are with the crew member’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”

According to the Sacramento Bee, California Highway Patrol said that around 6 a.m., a touring member driving a big rig crashed on Interstate 5 in Yolo County, when the semitruck drifted onto the right shoulder and tried to return to the road off southbound I-5 and overturned south of Zamora. The crew member died at the scene, according to police.

Per the outlet, the big rig was transporting touring equipment from Tuesday night’s Seattle show.

The Yolo County Coroner’s Office told the Sacramento Bee that the driver was identified as Jarlath Parkinson, 66, of Jackson, S.C.

The exact cause of the crash is unknown. “May have been a distraction or fell asleep. Unfortunately, the solo occupant did not survive the crash,” Sgt. David Barker of the California Highway Patrol said.

Parkinson, who went by “Chip,” shared his adventures as an entertainment specialist truck driver on social media. His wife, Regina, posted a photo of the two on Friday morning with the caption, “The love of my life.” Parkinson leaves behind three children and three grandchildren.

According to Live Nation, concertgoers who purchased their tickets through Ticketmaster can expect an automatic refund while those who bought tickets through third-party resellers were told to contact their point of purchase.

J. Cole’s tour is in support of his seventh album, “The Fall-Off,” and he’s slated to play Oakland for a two-night run over the weekend. The show will come to Los Angeles and Inglewood for four shows next week.

Representatives for J. Cole did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.

The star is a mainstay on British screens now but was just at the start of the their career in the costume drama

One of the stars of Silent Witness looks worlds away from their role on the BBC crime drama in these images from their first big screen role.

The star was just starting out at the time they landed a part in BBC’s iconic 1995 Pride and Prejudice adaptation with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. Emilia Clarke took on the role of Mr Darcy’s younger sibling Georgiana Darcy in Jane Austen’s cherished romantic classic.

The role saw her character Georgiana making friends with Ehle’s witty Elizabeth Bennet, who was the object of her brother’s affections. The role was just the beginning of an impressive career that saw Fox going on to feature in the BBC’s 1999 Charles Dickens adaptation of David Copperfield, Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased), and Oscar-winning film The Pianist with Adrien Brody.

The BBC’s 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice is still considered by many to be the most faithful screen adaptation of the literary classic. However, Netflix will be hoping to steal this crown when it launches its version of Pride and Prejudice starring Emma Corrin and Jack Lowden.

Fox spoke last year on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast about starring in Pride and Prejudice. She explained how she had “tiny, weeny, weeny part in it” in the Regency series.

She went on to admit that she’d never actually seen Pride and Prejudice, despite starring in the series because she was at university at the time, studying at St Catherine’s College, Oxford.

Nonetheless, Fox said she still had plans to watch Pride and Prejudice at some point. She praised the cast of the drama, which also includes David Bamber, House of Cards actress Susannah Harker, Gavin and Stacey star Alison Steadman and Jonathan Creek’s Julia Sawalha.

Fox hails from an acting dynasty, with her brother being White House Farm and House of the Dragon star Freddie Fox. Meanwhile, her actor parents are Joanna David and Edward Fox.

Her uncle is The Remains of the Day actor James Fox and her cousins are Lewis star Laurence Fox, Sanditon’s Jack Fox, and Lydia Fox. The star has been portraying forensic pathologist Dr Nikki Alexander in BBC series Silent Witness since 2004 after taking over as the show’s lead from Amanda Burton.

Despite being busy on Silent Witness, Fox has managed to squeeze in other projects, such as Legend Has It, Signora Volpe, The Trial of Christine Keeler, and Delicious. She is next going to be featuring in the forthcoming season of Silent Witness, which will be out in 2027.

Pride and Prejudice is streaming on U and BBC iPlayer now