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Shock moment man URINATES on altar at St Peter’s Basilica in front of worshippers & tourists in alarming security breach

TOURISTS were left stunned as a man brazenly urinated on a Vatican altar during Holy Mass – in full view of hundreds of worshippers.

The shocking act of desecration unfolded inside St Peter’s Basilica on Friday morning.

A man in a light grey outfit with his pants down is being restrained by another man in a dark suit in front of an altar, with his privates pixelated.

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A man brazenly urinated on a Vatican altar during Holy MassCredit: X
Man urinating on an altar at St. Peter's Basilica while being restrained by another man.

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This happened in full view of hundreds of worshippers inside St Peter’s BasilicaCredit: X

The unidentified man climbed the steps of the Altar of Confession – one of the most sacred spots in Catholicism, where the pope himself traditionally celebrates mass.

Once at then top, he dropped his trousers to his ankles and began urinating over the holy site, according to Corriere della Sera.

The disgusting scene took place during the 9am Holy Mass where stunned visitors looked on in disbelief.

Security officers raced towards the man as the crowd gasped.

Cops grabbed him and dragged him away from the altar as he finished his vile act.

But before they could escort him out, the man bent down so he could pull up his jeans – flashing his bare backside to the horrified onlookers.

The clip, filmed by shocked tourists, has since gone viral online.

“That is absolutely shocking and deeply disrespectful,” wrote one viewer.

“This is vile,” said another.

“There is definitely not enough security here,” a third person added.

It remains unclear whether Pope Leo XIV was present at the time.

The Vatican has not yet released an official statement.

But according to reports, the Pope was “shocked” when he heard what had happened.

The Altar of Confession sits directly beneath Michelangelo’s dome and is considered one of the holiest places in the catholic world.

It’s where the pope often celebrates major masses – and where, in April, Pope Francis was laid in response for public viewing before his funeral.

Because of its significance, the Altar has repeatedly been targeted by intruders in recent years.

In February, a man climbed onto the same altar and knocked six candelabras to the floor.

In February, a man climbed onto the same altar and knocked six candelabras to the floor.

In June 2023, a naked Polish man leapt onto the altar during Mass.

He didn’t speak or cause further damage, but he had the words “Save children of Ukraine” scrawled across his back.

Following that stunt, the Vatican held a penitential rite to cleanse the grounds – a ceremony required under canon law to restore sanctity after desecration.

Friday’s incident has sparked renewed questions about security inside one of the world’s most sacred and most visited churches.

St Peter’s Basilica attracts millions of visitors each year, with tourists often crowding the altar area to witness the grandeur of Vatican ceremonies.

Authorities have not said whether the man has been arrested or charged.

The Vatican’s Holy See Press Office is yet to comment publicly.

The shocking desecration comes amid a wider crackdown on tourists and foreign visitors in Italy.

Earlier this year, the Italian government tightened citizenship laws, making it far harder for Australians and other foreigners to get passports by descent.

In Venice, officials doubled the entry fee for day-trippers and expanded the days it applies.

Last year, two unruly tourists caused outrage after stripping off and swimming in front of a cemetery.

They were spotted by commuters leaving their clothes on the banks of the San Michele Cemetery before plunging into the water.

The Isola di San Michele is home to both a cemetery and a church, and is the burial site of several famous figures, including Russian-born composer Igor Stravinsky.

The repeated stunts and security breaches at major religious sites have raised concerns about how well such locations are being protected.

Friday’s stunt – carried out at the heart of the Vatican – is likely to intensify calls for a security overhaul.

Security guards apprehending a man who urinated on an altar at St. Peter's Basilica.

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The disgusting scene took place during the 9am Holy MassCredit: X
Vile desecration: Man urinates on altar at Vatican City’s St. Peter’s Basilica during Holy Mass, , A man urinated on a Vatican altar during a holy mass as hundreds of tourists looked on in disgust ...

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The Vatican has not yet released an official statement

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‘SNL’ recap: Amy Poehler hosts and returns to ‘Weekend Update’

After last week’s worrisome Season 51 debut with Bad Bunny, it seemed like a 50/50 chance on whether the second episode of the season with guest host and beloved “Saturday Night Live” alum Amy Poehler would turn things around. Would the writing feel sharper and less obvious in the hands of a veteran sketch performer?

Poehler, host of the popular podcast “Good Hang,” made all the right moves and may have even overextended herself, appearing in almost every sketch, including the cold open and “Weekend Update” for a joke-off. You could (and should) give Poehler lots of credit for her boundless energy, which lifted weaker sketches, like one about a menopausal mom who goes goth and one where Poehler and Bowen Yang are the composers of the “Severance” opening theme (the joke is that their theme songs always start with a “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”-like rap as their first draft).

But Poehler also benefited from much stronger sketch premises compared to last week’s, from a beautifully performed sketch about a TV psychic, Miss Lycus, who rushes everyone because she has a hard out at 7 p.m., to a spot-on parody of Netflix’s “The Hunting Wives, with a guest appearance from Poehler’s “Parks & Recreation” co-star Aubrey Plaza. The writing afforded Poehler with big, broad characters, like a CEO giving birth during a meeting with her employees, the matriarch in a family of jerks called The Rudemans and an elderly lawyer who interrupts a TV commercial to one-up other lawyers on the basis of having the most experience.

Poehler also got a little help from some long-time friends and alums, including Tina Fey, appearing as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in the cold open, and Seth Meyers, returning to the “Weekend Update” desk with Poehler and Fey.

Maybe podcasting has allowed Poehler to store some stage energy to burst-fire on “SNL”; she put in a great performance for a solid episode overall.

Musical guests Role Model performed “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out,” with a surprise appearance from Charli XCX as Sally, and “Some Protector.” Before the close, “SNL” memorialized Diane Keaton, whose death was announced Saturday, in a title card. She never hosted “Saturday Night Live” but was portrayed on the show multiple times.

The cold open this week parodied Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi’s contentious meeting this week with the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Poehler appeared as Bondi and responded to questions from Democratic senators with a series of withering insults she described as “roast-style burns I have on this piece of paper.” After mocking them and avoiding questions about the indictment of James Comey and the Jeffrey Epstein files, Bondi makes way for Noem (Fey, returning to “SNL” cold open politics), who joins in the mocking, telling one senator, “That makes me laugh more than the end of ‘Old Yeller.’ ” After being reminded that a dog gets shot at the end of that film, she responds, “Dogs don’t just get shot. Heroes shoot them.” While the first half of the cold open was shaky, with insults that weren’t landing despite Poehler’s forceful delivery, Fey’s appearance livened things up and ended strong with a call-and-response between Fey and Poehler that made fun of ICE recruitment ads. “Do you take supplements that you bought at a gas station?” Noem asked, “buckle up and slap on some Oakleys, big boy, and welcome to ICE!”

Poehler’s monologue was sweet, wistful and self-deprecating. “I found my first love here,” she said, “being famous.” She went on to describe her life now, saying, “I am a podcaster. If that’s not a recession indicator, I don’t know what is.” She also pointed out that this episode marked the actual 50-year anniversary of “SNL,” which first aired on Oct. 11, 1975. “Just like (host) George Carlin, I am extremely high,” she said. Poehler poked fun at AI actors who’ve been in the news and might want to take her job. “You’ll never be able to write a joke, and I am willing to do full frontal, but nobody’s asked me, OK?” she concluded defiantly.

Best sketch of the night: The thigh squeezes are bigger in Texas, too

It may be a little late to the party (the show came out in July), but this mock trailer for Netflix’s “The Hunting Wives” hits all the right notes with Poehler as frequently topless Margo and Chloe Fineman as Sophie (Malin Ackerman and Brittany Snow, respectively, on the series). The trailer promises that as the women get hornier and drunker, thighs will be squeezed and guns will be drawn. Aubrey Plaza appears as a new wife from California and soon she’s being caressed by all the other women in the cast as they make mimosas. A few great lines from this one: “It’s like ‘Call Me By Your Name’ for women who shop at Bass Pro Shop,” and “Don’t watch it on a plane.”

Pohler’s character in the Psychic Talk Show sketch was very funny, but the sketch about one-upping lawyers edges it out only because it goes to some extremely weird and dumb places for much longer than needed and incorporates what looked like the entire cast. What starts as a basic personal injury lawyer commercial explaining how the firm has 50 years of combined experience ends up including long-living turtles, Sarah Sherman as a vampire attorney named Dracu-Law, and an ageless tree, Yggdrasil (Yang), who once represented Zeus.

‘Weekend Update’ winner: Someday, that 13-pound baby is going to watch this

On a packed “Weekend Update,” Sherman debuted over-caffeinated Long Islander Rhonda LaCenzo, who rails against New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. And Marcello Hernández and Jane Wickline returned as a seemingly mismatched couple discussing their Halloween plans. But it was an epic joke-off featuring past “Update” anchors Poehler, Fey and Meyers facing off against current ones Colin Jost and Michael Che to make fun of the birth of a nearly 13-pound baby born in Tennessee. “It was so big that he slapped the doctor on his ass!” Poehler began. Some of the better jokes: “The woman zipped around the room like a deflated balloon.” “Did she give birth or did it drive out?” “The baby’s name is AHHHHH!” Poehler rounded out the contest by declaring, “The record was for loosest vagina and the previous held… by me!”

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Strictly’s Tom Skinner’s ‘devastated’ wife reveals she kicked him out after affair

Prior to his first appearance on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, Tom Skinner revealed he had a two-week “fling” behind his wife Sinead’s back, just weeks after their wedding.

Thomas Skinner’s wife has revealed that after his affair, she kicked him out of their family home. He made headlines for all of the wrong reasons prior to his short stint on Strictly Come Dancing after admitting to having a “fling” behind his wife Sinead’s back, and now Tom‘s other half has revealed exactly what happened when he came clean about the affair to her.

One week before his first appearance on the BBC One show, The Apprentice star, 34, confessed to a “two-week fling” with a beauty clinic boss and said, “it was the biggest mistake of my life.”

Speaking about her husband’s infidelity for the first time, Sinead admitted she kicked him out of the family home after being left devastated by the news. She explained: “When he first told me what had happened, I made him leave. I was devastated.

“I will never forget Thomas telling me. I remember thinking, ‘I never thought this would happen to me’. It was one of the worst days of my life. I only told one friend, nobody else.”

READ MORE: Strictly Come Dancing results leaked and fans ‘wasn’t expecting’ who’s in bottom twoREAD MORE: Strictly star Stefan Dennis’ wife details ‘frantic call’ after health scare

Sinead added to The Sun: “But we eventually worked it out. I just knew how much I love him and I wanted to work it out. He made a mistake. It was a tough time. One of his friends had just died.”

She explained that the cheating was in the past for them and they are now “stronger than ever”. Despite his scandal, Sinead admits that the couple are stronger than ever and have gone on to welcome their twin daughters together. But it was his stint on Strictly which brought the cheating to light. “It has been hell,” she revealed.

The mum-of-three went on to explain that it’s been “horrendous” having to re-live that chapter all over again, especially since the pair had put it behind them in an effort to start again.

Back in September, the BBC star said that he had a two-week fling with Amy-Lucy Rourke, 35, and “it is the biggest mistake of my life.” He continued: “I met her in a pub. She was a single mum. We chatted on the phone, and she offered me some kind of cosmetic slimming treatments.”

He told The Sun: “It was nothing more than that. It was the one time; it was a mistake. I woke up feeling absolutely terrible about it. I felt so guilty. I told my wife. I let her down in that brief moment of madness where I wasn’t thinking, where I didn’t appreciate what I had. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

However, just days after he went public with the affair, Amy came forward and claimed he had told her she was the “love of his life” and the fling had actually been three months long.

She claimed to the Daily Mail: “We were originally friends, but with his sweet-talking and his lies, he made me believe we were in love. He would stand in the mirror with me and say, ‘Look, we’ll be Mr and Mrs Skinner’. That is actually traumatising to me.

“You don’t say that to someone when you’re already happily married. I fell in love with him, but Thomas is nothing but a liar and a cheat.” Thomas and Sinead first met at a bar in London in 2018 and got engaged two years later. The fling occurred shortly after their wedding in May 2022, when they were already parents to their son, now four years old.

The pair also now have identical twin daughters who are two years old. Tom and his Strictly partner Amy Dowden were the first to be eliminated from this year’s show after landing in the bottom two with Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova. All four judges unanimously decided to save Chris over Tom.

During his exit interview with Tess Daly, he gushed: “Thank you, Amy – sorry that we haven’t done too good, ’cause you’re a different class.

“I’ve never danced before and my stay was short, but Amy’s amazing. It’s been great fun and I’ve enjoyed it. I can’t really dance that well but I’ve had fun!”

Strictly Come Dancing continues on Sunday night at 7:15pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .



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Big Brother stars break the rules in unaired live stream moment – as another is left fuming and tensions boil over

TWO BIG Brother stars seemingly broke the rules in an unaired live stream moment.

A television news and fan account on X has revealed that two of the housemates broke Big Brother‘s rules by using code names to talk about who they wanted booted out next.

Housemates watch a deliberation on Big Brother.

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Some Big Brother housemates were caught using a code name for a fellow co-starCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Big Brother stars in a colorful room, some standing, some seated, engaged in conversation.

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There was an eviction on Friday nightCredit: ITV

One of the biggest rules in the Big Brother house is talking about nominations.

In a livestream which aired this weekend, Sam and Nancy were the two housemates to break the rules.

Using code names, the pair said that one of their fellow co-stars was “fake” while using a code name to describe her.

The TV news and fan account said on X: “So I’m just catching up on what’s gone down on the first hour of live streaming…

Read More about Big Brother

“Sam and Nancy broke the rules using code names, and they said they want Jenny evicted next, and that she’s fake – all of which Big Brother read back to the house.

“Jenny has then been left ‘so angry’ that she cried, and that she knew she’d get nominated if the house is split in two or something.

“Also Tate was involved in a convo with Nancy slagging off Jenny and Nancy got caught lying about it literally on the live stream????

“And to top it off, Elsa is jealous that Jenny confided in Marcus about it all.”

Fans reacted to the revelation, with one saying: “First and only time I want Jenny to face eviction. She would be iconic in the secret room.”

Another added: “Jenny is a threat, that’s my only explanation for the Jenny slander.”

Big Brother host Will Best takes subtle dig at axed contestant George ahead of eviction – did you spot it?

While a third said: “I don’t understand why contestants break the rules. The rules were explained to them. If they’ve seen past seasons they know housemates get in trouble for rule breaking.”

And a fourth penned: “Ew nancy is so bitter, why is she being like this ??”

This comes after three housemates – Richard, Elsa and Cameron B – faced possible elimination in Friday’s episode.

Cameron B ultimately became the third housemate to be evicted this series.

The 25-year-old from Bolton entered the House on Day Two, alongside three other newcomers.

Axed star George Gilbert, 23, had also been on the chopping block before his shock exit.

The Sun revealed how the parish councillor was removed after ‘unacceptable language and behaviour’.

Sources told The Sun that George left his co-stars horrified after making offensive comments which could be interpreted as antisemitic and was immediately called to the Diary Room and ejected from the house. 

“Everyone was absolutely disgusted,” an insider said.

“Nobody could believe what he said – he was clearly out to shock people.”

AJ Odudu and Will Best hosting the Big Brother TV show.

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Cameron B was evicted from the house on FridayCredit: Shutterstock Editorial

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Diane Keaton, ‘A complete original’: Celebrities react to her death

Diane Keaton, the actor who made film history — and won an Oscar — as the title character in Woody Allen’s beloved 1977 romantic comedy “Annie Hall,” died Saturday. She was 79. Tributes poured in from those who worked with and admired Keaton, including Bette Midler, Kate Hudson, Steve Martin and Josh Gad.

Here are some notable social media posts:

For the record:

8:42 p.m. Oct. 11, 2025An earlier version of this article incorrectly cited films in which Diane Keaton co-starred with actors Kate Hudson, Rosie O’Donnell, Octavia Spencer and Elizabeth Banks. These actors did not co-star in the listed films with Keaton.

Bette Midler, the actor, singer and comedian who starred with Keaton and Goldie Hawn in the 1996 comedy “The First Wives Club,” about three divorced women who seek revenge on their ex-husbands: “The brilliant, beautiful, extraordinary Diane Keaton has died. I cannot tell you how unbearably sad this makes me. She was hilarious, a complete original, and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected from such a star. What you saw was who she was …oh, la, lala!”

Kate Hudson: “We love you so much Diane ❤️🕊️”

Steve Martin, who co-starred as Keaton’s husband in the “Father of the Bride films, reposted an exchange between Keaton and Martin Short:

Short: “Who’s sexier, me or Steve Martin?

Keaton: “I mean, you’re both idiots.”

Martin then commented on the post: “Don’t know who first posted this, but it sums up our delightful relationship with Diane.”

Josh Gad: “What a monumental loss. Diane Keaton in many ways defined my love of movies. From Annie Hall to the Godfather films, from First Wives Club to Baby Boom, from Father of the Bride to Something’s Gotta Give, here resume was nothing short of iconic and hall of fame worthy. I was very fortunate to work with her many years ago on an unproduced HBO pilot and what I found was one of the most humble, ruthlessly funny, and unbelievably talented human beings I’ve ever come across. In many ways, this year will be defined by the loss of a Hollywood we will never again see. There simply are no replacements for a Gene Hackman or a Robert Redford or a Diane Keaton. They were the mavericks who helped redefine movies for a generation. … My heart goes out to Diane’s entire family during this impossible moment. RIP”

Kimberly Williams-Paisley, the actor, author and director who played Keaton’s daughter in the “Father of the Bride films: “Diane, working with you will always be one of the highlights of my life. You are one of a kind, and it was thrilling to be in your orbit for a time. Thank you for your kindness, your generosity, your talent, and above all, your laughter. 🙏🏻🕊️💔❤️❤️❤️”

Rosie O’Donnell: “oh this breaks my heart – love to her children- what style what grace – she will be missed #ripdianekeaton

Octavia Spencer: “Today we lost a true original. @diane_keaton wasn’t just an actress: she was a force. a woman who showed us that being yourself is the most powerful thing you can be. From Annie Hall to Something’s Gotta Give, she made every role unforgettable. But beyond the screen, she brought joy, laughter, and style that was all her own… Thank you, Diane, for reminding us that authenticity never goes out of fashion.”

Elizabeth Banks: “She was beloved in her industry. Every one of us idolizes her. Her influence on culture, fashion, art and women can’t be overstated. She was a delight. I am proud I have a career that allowed me to meet her and breathe her air.”

Viola Davis: “No!! No!!! No!! God, not yet, NO!!! Man… you defined womanhood. The pathos, humor, levity, your ever-present youthfulness and vulnerability — you tattooed your SOUL into every role, making it impossible to imagine anyone else inhabiting them. You were undeniably, unapologetically YOU!!! Loved you. Man… rest well. God bless your family, and I know angels are flying you home”



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Antiques Roadshow’s highest-ever valued item and it will shock you

One item taken onto the BBC show was valued at ‘well over a million pounds’

Antiques Roadshow regularly wows viewers as hopeful guests discover whether they are sitting on fortunes.

Over the years the BBC favourite has served up plenty of big surprises, from disappointments as people are told that heirlooms they thought might be valuable are higher in sentimental value than pounds, to delight as people discover that knick-knacks from their attics could be worth thousands.

For a lucky few, their visit to the long-running programme proves to be potentially life-changing, with some items reaching the one million pound mark.

In 2008 a maquette of the Angel of the North by Antony Gormley was taken on the show, which is hosted by Fiona Bruce. It ended up being valued at £1 million, becoming the first ever item in Antiques Roadshow’s history to be valued that high.

Then in 2018 another treasure reached the same lofty seven-figure height, when a Faberge flower taken on to the programme was also priced at £1 million.

However, the highest-valued item ever on the show was actually worth even more than a million pounds.

What is the highest-valued item ever on the Antiques Roadshow?

In an episode in 2016, silver expert Alastair Dickenson was asked to appraise an actual FA Cup.

The huge silver trophy was taken onto the television show by presenter Gabby Logan and Leeds United’s former manager and 1972 FA Cup winner Eddie Gray.

It turned out that cup had been made in 1911, although Dickenson felt the fact that it was engraved with a pattern of grapes and vines suggested it might “have been used as a wine cooler or a champagne cooler”.

“I’m sure it’s had plenty of champagne inside over the years,” Gabby agreed, as the TV star laughed: “More than you and I could possibly think of, I think!”

After Dickenson outlined the cup’s history and how it was likely to have been made in Yorkshire, Gabby asked him: “Is it possible to put a value on something like that, with all that history that you’ve just described?”

The expert replied: “This is probably, along with maybe the Wimbledon Trophy, the most famous cup in the country.

“So, I think, quite comfortably, this has got to be worth well over a million pounds.”

“The highest value piece of silver I have ever valued on the Antiques Roadshow,” he added, as Gabby exclaimed: “Wow!”

Antiques Roadshow airs on BBC One at 8pm on Sunday October 12.

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Virgo weekly horoscope: What your star sign has in store for October 12 – 18

OUR much-loved astrologer Meg sadly died in 2023 but her column will be kept alive by her friend and protégé Maggie Innes.

Read on to see what’s written in the stars for you today.

VIRGO

AUG 24 – SEPT 22

🔵 Read our horoscopes live blog for the latest readings

a virgo sign that is on a brown background

Familiar work patterns are fine – but this week you need more, and Pluto is there to provide it. 

You have the ideas, and the courage, to break with tradition and suggest some new ways forward. 

Do use this while it’s hot. 

As for love, all the values a couple share can be tested, but come through tougher. 

Single?  Your soulmate could rock a role in the world of finance.  

AUTUMN LOVE FORECAST: What does Venus have in store for Virgo over the next three months?

OCTOBER: Maybe two people are not operating on the same system of values – this could threaten long-term bliss.

What your zodiac sign says about your home decor

This is your month to get this reviewed, and revised. 

It’s important to Virgo that morals are in line. 

Single? You may see the same face once a week all October – then suddenly click.  

NOVEMBER: Experimenting with love-talk can open up a whole new side of passion – this is a great month to start, with Venus softening and spicing up your communication sector.   

DECEMBER: An instant feeling of safety and security around someone is your strongest sign of love compatibility in December – this bond is worth pursuing, even if there are obstacles in the way. 

A family Christmas celebration can lead to two new members

Fabulous is the home of horoscopes, with weekly updates on what’s in store for your star sign as well as daily predictions.

You can also use our series of guides to find out everything from which star sign to hook up with for the steamiest sex to what it’s like to live your life totally by your horoscope.

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Diane Keaton’s 10 most important films

Diane Keaton, who died Saturday at 79, is one of cinema’s most legendary actors. She played some of the most recognizable roles of the late 20th century, and blazed a trail for generations of women to come. Here’s a list of Keaton’s 10 most important films, presented in alphabetical order. We’ll leave the ranking to her devoted fans.

‘Annie Hall’

Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in a scene from the movie "Annie Hall" from MGM / UA Home Video.

Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in a scene from the movie “Annie Hall” from MGM / UA Home Video.

(MGM / UA Home Video)

Keaton’s role in Woody Allen’s 1977 romantic comedy was written just for her. Her portrayal of the feisty, eccentric, charming title character would define Keaton as an actor for the rest of her career. Her signature bowler hat and ties became a fashion staple, and fans still can’t think of the song “Seems Like Old Times” without sobbing. The film about the bittersweet nature of lost love was a critical success, and Keaton won her only Academy Award for her work in it.

‘Crimes of the Heart’

Keaton plays Lenny McGrath — the oldest of three sisters — in this 1986 black comedy also starring Diane Lange and Sissy Spacek. The actresses are at the height of their powers in the film, which finds a trio of siblings reuniting at their family home in Mississippi after Babe (Spacek) shoots, and seriously injures, her abusive husband. Spacek won a Golden Globe for her work, and was nominated for an Oscar, but Keaton shines as the less ostentatious of the sisters — an unassuming, terminally single woman who believes a shrunken ovary is the reason for her failure to launch.

‘The Godfather’ parts I and II

Keaton plays Kay Adams Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s epic crime family trilogy. As Michael Corleone’s second wife, and the mother of his children, Kay is one of the few fully realized women in the films. Many fans love Keaton’s performance in the second film best because Kay is the only one to stand up to Michael. When the ruthless mafia boss confronts her about an abortion she has had, Kay lets loose and confronts him about his vicious nature and many lies, vowing to never bring another Corleone into the world.

‘Looking for Mr. Goodbar’

Richard Gere and Diane Keaton in a scene from the 1977 movie, "Looking For Mr. Goodbar."

Richard Gere, left, and Diane Keaton in a scene from the 1977 movie, “Looking For Mr. Goodbar.”

(Paramount / Getty Images)

This 1977 crime drama written and directed by Richard Brooks is perhaps Keaton’s most tragic film. She plays a lonely schoolteacher named Theresa Dunn who engages in increasingly risky behavior with strangers in pursuit of love. The film also stars Richard Gere as a controlling, abusive, drug-addicted boyfriend in his first major role. Keaton’s sorrow and desperation in this dark, gritty movie is palpable, making this a defining and heartbreaking part of her ouvré.

‘Manhattan’

Mary Wilke (Diane Keaton) and Isaac Davis (Woody Allen) in the shadow of the Queensborough Bridge in the movie "Manhattan."

Mary Wilke (Diane Keaton) and Isaac Davis (Woody Allen) in the shadow of the Queensborough Bridge in the movie “Manhattan.”

(United Artists)

This 1979 Woody Allen film is now one of the director’s most controversial due to its subject matter. Allen stars as a 42-year-old comedy writer who dates a 17-year-old girl, but ends up falling in love with his best friend’s mistress. Keaton plays that mistress, Mary Wilkie, and her depiction of the witty, wry, journalist with a robust social calendar and strong opinions that she never hesitates to express, is among her most seminal performances.

‘Marvin’s Room’

Keaton stars alongside Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro and a young Leonardo DiCaprio in this 1996 family drama. Keaton was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of Bessie Lee, a woman who has been caring for years for her bedridden father when she is diagnosed with leukemia. She turns to her estranged sister, Lee, for help finding a bone marrow transplant match — an endeavor that finds the family once again under the same roof. The tender story of loss and redemption showed that Keaton had staying power decades into her career.

‘Radio Days’

This nostalgic, charmer of a dramedy written and directed by Woody Allen takes place in Rockaway Beach in the 1930s and ‘40s during the golden age of radio. Keaton is part of an ensemble cast in a film filled with vignettes, and she appears in what is essentially a cameo as a New Year’s Eve singer. Wearing a a long-sleeved white dress with her hair pulled back in a bow, she sings a lovely rendition of Cole Porter’s “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To,” proving that when you’re a star of her caliber, you can shine no matter how small the role.

‘Reds’

Warren Beatty co-wrote, produced and directed this historical drama about John Reed, a journalist who chronicled Russia’s 1917 October Revolution. Keaton plays Louise Bryant, a married journalist and suffragist who leaves her husband to move to Greenwich Village with Reed where she becomes part of a robust group of artists and activists, including playwright Eugene O’Neil (Jack Nicholson). The 195-minute film opened to critical acclaim and was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, including best picture. Keaton received her second nomination for best actress but ultimately did not win.

‘Sleeper’

Keaton plays Luna Schlosser, a poet from the 22nd century, in Woody Allen’s 1973 madcap science fiction comedy about a jazz musician named Miles Monroe who owns the Happy Carrot health-food store before being cryogenically frozen for 200 years. Miles wakes in 2173 after being clandestinely revived by a group of rebels and is later delivered — disguised as a robot — into Luna’s home. Hilarious bickering ensues when Luna discovers Miles’ true identity, but she ultimately comes around to his cause. Keaton’s fabulous feathery silver outfits, her ability to utter lines like, “it’s pure keen,” with a straight face, and her substantial use of the “orgasmatron” made the role an instant classic.

‘Something’s Gotta Give’

Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson in the Columbia Pictures romantic comedy movie, "Something's Gotta Give."

Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson in the Columbia Pictures romantic comedy movie, “Something’s Gotta Give.”

(Bob Marshak/Columbia Pictures)

Keaton again paired with Jack Nicholson in this 2003 romantic comedy about a pair of mismatched professionals who fall in love in late middle age despite their best efforts to the contrary. The stars have the undeniable chemistry of two acting legends whose work appears absolutely effortless at this stage in their careers. The film was not a critical home run, but Keaton fans think of it as one of her best later roles.

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Netflix viewers told ‘cancel your plans’ to binge ‘best’ show

Viewers can’t stop talking about the new series on Netflix with some saying it’s the ‘best’ in a long time

The Netflix series fans can’t stop raving about is set in the tough, unpredictable world of the 1990s US Marine Corp, when being gay in the military was still illegal.

It follows Cameron Cope (played by Miles Heizer ) – who is keeping his sexuality hidden – and his best friend Ray McAffey (Liam Oh), the son of a decorated Marine, as they join a diverse group of recruits.

The ensemble go through boot camp forming alliances and unlikely bonds as they are pushed to the limits.

Boots is an eight-part comedy drama that focuses on friendship, resilience, and finding your place in the world.

Based on Greg Cope White’s memoir The Pink Marine, viewers are already advising others to cancel their plans and stay home to binge it.

The series may have only been out for a matter of days but it’s already in the number seven spot on Netflix.

One viewer reviewed: “Boots on Netflix??? I’m OBSESSED. The best show in a while.”

While another added: “Boots on Netflix is phenomenal. Binged it in one day, and couldn’t stop. Max Parker absolutely *crushed* it as Sullivan and I’d watch an entire season just about his journey.”

A third begged for more episodes, writing: “I binged the entirety of Boots today on Netflix. Absolutely in love. It’s like Orange is the New Black, but 90’s military. I need season 2 nowwww.”

Another continued: “If you’re looking for something to watch this weekend, I highly recommend Boots on @Netflix, starring the wonderful actor Miles Hezier. I unashamedly binged all episodes in one sitting.#Boots.”

Someone else shared: “I just finished #boots and I LOVED IT <3 so fun but also dramatic and the characters are interesting! I think it’s not gonna get renewed but i hope i’m wrong!!”

Thankfully, the cast are hopeful the series will be renewed. Speaking to Radio Times, lead actor Miles shared: “It would be interesting to see him navigating that, especially in this military world.

“That would be cool. But like Max said, there’s so many different directions and so many things I would love to see. But just for fun, I’d like to see a little romance.”

Co-star Liam added: “He ends the season in this interesting spot of really questioning the path that he’s been on for the first time since he was a kid.

“I would like to see him continue to interrogate the choices that he’s made in his life, or the choices that he hasn’t made, that have been made for him by his father, by this sense of duty that he has.”

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Chelsea vs Liverpool legends LIVE RESULT: Reaction as icon nets winner, Costa involved in bust-up, Hazard & Terry star

Liverpool ace injured on international duty

Away from the legends game, news broke earlier today that Ibrahima Konate has pulled out the France squad.

The centre-back has a right quadriceps injury and has been receiving “treatment and following protocol” since joining up with his international team-mates.

Kalou’s new venture

Salomon Kalou has a surprising way of keeping busy in retirement.

The Ivory Coast star played in the match today, which means he had some time off from running his chocolate company Oume.

Kalou hopes to see it on the shelves of UK shops soon.

Garden of Eden

Roberto Di Matteo was delighted to be reunited with icon Eden Hazard this afternoon.

The former boss said: “He was a special player. I think from the first minute he wore the Chelsea shirt, everybody fell in love with him.

“You could see the talent he had, even though he was only 19 back then. 

“He showed his capabilities and his qualities over the years and had a very successful stint here with us. 

“Thank you to him that he came today and showed again some of his qualities.

“I think the people absolutely loved seeing him on the pitch for Chelsea today.”

‘Connected for life’

Roberto Di Matteo spoke about his iconic Chelsea squad which won the 2012 Champions League as he returned to the dugout today.

Di Matteo said: “When you win a competition, a trophy, it connects you for the rest of your life.

“Every time we get together, it’s a great feeling and a lot of emotions to see these players again that managed to lift the trophy with the big ears!

“They always turn up when we call them for these sort of games.

“They love to come back and put the blue shirt on.

“We’ve created a lot of memories for the players and for the supporters as well.

“Overall, it’s a wonderful day today to see all these guys again. I wish them all good health.”

Friends again?

Diego Costa has just took to Instagram to post this snap alongside his rival Martin Skrtel.

The tough guys appear to be mates… for now!

Hazard’s return

Fans were delighted to see Eden Hazard glide across the pitch one again.”

One supporter said: “Eden Hazard is not just a footballer, he’s an entertainer!”

A second reacted: “Hazard strolling around on the Stamford Bridge turf. I’m not crying, you are.”

A third wrote: “He’s been superb, Diego Costa has been a menace to the Liverpool back line….these guys still got it in them.”

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Review: Chappell Roan was born to do this

A Grammy Award for best new artist. Four top 10 hits since September 2024. Sold-out gigs packed with admirers in pink cowgirl hats wherever she goes.

At 27, Chappell Roan has unquestionably become one of pop’s new queens. But let it never be said that this powerhouse singer and songwriter rules without mercy.

As her band vamped on the intro to her song “Hot to Go!” on Friday night, Roan surveyed the tens of thousands spread across the leafy grounds surrounding the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

“We’re gonna teach you a dance,” she said, though few in the audience probably needed the lesson at this point in Roan’s ascent. For more than a year, social media has been awash in video clips of Roan’s fans doing a “Y.M.C.A.”-like routine in time to the frenzied chorus of “Hot to Go!”

But wait a minute: “There’s a dad in the crowd that’s not doing it,” Roan reported with practiced disbelief. The band stopped playing. “There’s a dad that’s not doing it,” she repeated — less incredulous than reproving now.

“But he looks really, really nice, so I’m not gonna do anything about it.”

Chappell Roan performs at the Rose Bowl on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.

Roan’s show Friday was the first of two in Pasadena to wrap a brief U.S. tour.

(Brian Feinzimer/For The Times)

Friday’s show, which Roan said was the biggest headlining date she’d ever played, was the first of two at Brookside at the Rose Bowl to conclude a brief run of U.S. concerts she’s calling Visions of Damsels & Other Dangerous Things. The performances in New York, Kansas City and Pasadena can be seen as something of a victory lap after the slow-building success of her 2023 debut album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” which beyond “Hot to Go!” has spun off numerous other hits including “My Kink Is Karma” and the inescapable “Pink Pony Club.”

That last song, which has more than a billion streams on Spotify and YouTube, documents a young queer woman’s sexual awakening at a West Hollywood gay club; Roan’s music sets thoughts of pleasure, heartache and self-discovery against a gloriously theatrical blend of synth-pop, disco, glam rock and old-fashioned torch balladry.

Having spent this past summer on the European festival circuit, she’s said that Visions of Damsels represents “the chance to do something special before going away to write the next album”; the mini-tour also keeps her in the conversation as nominations are being decided for next year’s Grammys, where she’s likely to vie for record and song of the year with “The Subway,” one of a handful of singles she’s released since “Midwest Princess.”

Yet as clearly as it showcased her natural star quality — the stage was designed like a gothic castle with various staircases for Roan to descend dramatically — this was really a demonstration of the intimate bond she’s forged with her fans, many of whom came to the show dressed in one of the singer’s signature looks: harlequin, majorette, prom queen, construction worker.

An hour or so into her 90-minute set, Roan sat in a giant throne with a toy creature she called her tour pet and recalled her move to Los Angeles nearly a decade ago from small-town Missouri.

“I had a really, really tough time the first five years,” she said, adding that she’d lived in Altadena when she first arrived. (In a bit of now-infamous Chappell Roan lore, she was dropped by Atlantic Records in 2020 after the label decided “Pink Pony Club” was not a hit.) She talked about how much she loves this city — “F— ICE forever,” she said at one point to huge applause — but bemoaned the “weird professionalism” she can feel when she’s onstage in L.A.

“I know there’s a lot of people in the music and film industry here, and I don’t want you to think about that,” she said. “Don’t f—ing talk about it. Don’t talk about work here. I just want you to feel like you did when you were a kid — when you were 13 and free.” She laughed.

“I’m just gonna shut up — I’m so dumb,” she said. Then she sang the lovelorn “Coffee” like someone confessing her greatest fear.

Chappell Roan performs at the Rose Bowl on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.

Roan said Friday’s show was the biggest headlining date she’d ever played.

(Brian Feinzimer/For The Times)

Though the castle set was impressively detailed, Roan’s production was relatively low-key by modern pop standards; she had no dancers and no special guests and wore just one costume that she kept removing pieces from to end up in a kind of two-piece dragon-skin bikini.

But that’s because at a Chappell Roan show, Chappell Roan is the show: a fearsomely talented purveyor of feeling and attitude whose campy sense of humor only heightens the exquisite melancholy of her music.

Her singing was immaculate yet hot-blooded, bolstered by a killer band that remade songs like “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Red Wine Supernova” as slashing ’80s-style rock; Roan covered Heart’s “Barracuda” with enough strutting imperiousness to compete with Nancy Wilson’s iconic guitar riff.

“The Giver” was a stomping glitter-country hoedown, “Naked in Manhattan” a naughty electro-pop romp. For “Picture You,” which is about longing to know a lover’s secrets, Roan serenaded a blond wig plopped atop a mic stand — a bit of absurdist theater she played completely straight.

The heart of the concert was the stunning one-two punch of “Casual” into “The Subway,” Roan’s most grandly emotional ballads, in which her voice soared with what seemed like total effortlessness.

After that is when the singer noticed that kindly dad shirking his duties in “Hot to Go!” Maybe the poor guy was just too dazzled to take part.

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Vicky Pattison reveals negative impact Strictly Come Dancing is having on her sex life

Vicky Pattison has explained why her husband, Ercan Ramadan, is desperate for her to be booted from Strictly Come Dancing – and the impact the show is having on their married life

Vicky Pattison says husband Ercan Ramadan secretly hopes she gets the Strictly boot – so he can see more of his wife again. She says the couple have barely been together since she started on the BBC show as she trains for 14 hours a day – and it’s taken its toll on their sex life.

“After a full day doing the Charleston the last thing you feel like is going home to do the Mattress Mambo,” I’m A Celebrity winner Vicky laughed.

“He’s having to be a bit patient at the moment. I think he’s the only person in my inner circle who is secretly hoping I get booted out. He’s my number one supporter though. I am really lucky but he’s probably hoping he gets sex soon.”

READ MORE: Vicky Pattison suffers chipped tooth and cut face in chaotic Strictly Come Dancing weekREAD MORE: Strictly’s Dianne Buswell breaks silence as Stefan Dennis pulls out of live show

Vicky, 37, admits she’s been miffed with Ercan, 32, this week after he jetted off on holiday without her. “He’s actually in the dog house at the moment,” she admitted. “Obviously I love my husband but he’s been on holiday to see his family.

“We had this trip booked and then I got Strictly so I told him to go because all I’ve been doing is rehearsing, coming home knackered, whinging and going to bed. I told him to go away because he deserved a break putting up with me.

“So he went and I’ve been coming home to an empty house. He’s not there. The dogs are in day care because I’m working 14-hours a day. I’m coming home alone and it’s dark and cold.

“You need that normality coming home to your lovely partner or your dogs when you are out of your comfort zone, scared, lonely, working hard. It’s been really hard without him but he’s back now.”

Dancing the Charleston to A Little Party Never Killed Nobody from The Great Gatsby, Vicky and partner Kai Widd have been getting lots of good luck messages from their celeb pals.

Angela Rippon, who danced with Kai last year, sent her best wishes to the pair. “We did have a call from Angela,” said Kai, 30. “She gave Vicky some words of advice.”

“She’s wicked for an older bird,” said Vicky. Kai continued: “I made it to Blackpool with Angela and I hope to think Vicky and I can go further. Vicky is what Strictly is all about. No dance experience. Starting from scratch. We have such a great relationship.”

Vicky has been open about her struggles with anxiety but say Kai has been amazing at settling her nerves.

“He does say this really lovely thing to me each week, he says: ‘It’s just me and you dancing’, and that helps because I get in my head. Everything I’ve learnt in the week just goes out of me head. I’m thinking about the judges, the audience, the people at home, all the things that are out of my control. So he’s a really good egg like that.”

It’s been a tough week for the pair, as they battled illness. Vicky also suffered a chipped tooth and a cut to the face after having a fall in rehearsals practising a “spicy lift”.

Undeterred, Vicky ploughed on and is eyeing up her best score yet this weekend, with a cheeky plan to try and get it. “I’ve been flirting with Anton (Du Beke),” she revealed. “I just want a seven and I’ve been flirting with him but he’s not bothered.”

Watch the Strictly results tonight at 7.15pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.



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Eagle-eyed Strictly fans left baffled after spotting live show shake up

EAGLE-EYED Strictly fans have been left baffled after spotting a live show shake up.

Tonight’s show was the Musicals Week special with Wicked star Cynthia Erivo acting as a guest mentor.

Contestants and professional dancers gathered on the stage for "Strictly Come Dancing: Movies" night.

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Eagle-eyed Strictly fans have been left baffled after spotting a live show shake up
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu performing during a dress rehearsal for "Strictly Come Dancing."

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Karen Carney was supposed to perform fourth during Musicals WeekCredit: PA
A blurred image of a performance order sheet for "Strictly," dated Saturday, October 11, 2025.

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The running order was shared online ahead of the show

Before the show started, pro dancer Julian Caillon shared a blurry picture of the running order.

But as the show got underway, Strictly viewers noticed that Karen Carney was moved from the fourth slot in the line up.

The former footballer was dancing a Cha Cha Cha to She’s a Lady from Miss Congeniality with her pro partner Carlos Gu.

She was supposed to perform after YouTube star George Clarke, but he was followed by Drag Race star La Voix instead.

The eagle-eyed viewers immediately took to X to question the change, with one writing: “I wonder why they changed order with Karen and Carlos and they weren’t in Clauditorium.

“Maybe some wardrobe problem.”

Another added: “why did we skip karen and carlos in the running order.”

In the end, Karen and Carlos performed seventh and scored 25 points.

However, things went a bit awry when it came to the scores, as Motsi Mabuse almost missed her cue.

Craig Revel Horwood started things off with a disappointing 4.

As he delivered it, Motsi seemed completely surprised as she cried ‘Oh no’, before turning to the back of the desk and scrambling around.

She managed to grab her seven paddle in the nick of time and gave her score.

At the end of the night, Karen found herself in the bottom half of the leaderboard, joint third from bottom with Vicky Pattison.

Meanwhile, former Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope topped the leaderboard after receiving the first 10 of the series – from Motsi – for his Paso Doble.

Karen Carney and Carlos Gu dancing during the dress rehearsal for Strictly Come Dancing.

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Karen ended up performing seventh in the running orderCredit: PA

Strictly airs Saturdays on BBC One and iPlayer.

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Diane Keaton, film legend, fashion trendsetter and champion of L.A.’s past, dead at 79

Diane Keaton, the actress who starred in some of the biggest movies of the last half-century, including the “Godfather” and “Annie Hall,” while serving as a style trend-setter and a champion of Los Angeles’ past, has died. She was 79.

Her death was first reported by People and confirmed by The New York Times.

In an extraordinary run during the 1970s when she was dominant, her career spanned the high points of American cinema: Francis Ford Coppola’s mafia saga and several of Woody Allen’s urbane comedies, climaxing in an Oscar win for her culture-changing turn as the title character in 1977’s “Annie Hall.” Keaton’s catchphrase, “Well, la-di-dah,” became iconic.

Over her career, she received four Oscar nominations for lead actress, winning for “Annie Hall.”

Born in Southern California, Keaton achieved fame in the 1970s through her frequent collaborations with Woody Allen and Francis Ford Coppola. She appeared in three “Godfather” movies as well as eight Allen films. Her star turn as Annie Hall earned her critical raves and made her a fashion icon of the era with Annie’s fedora hats, vests, ties and baggy pants. The Times once called her look “fluttery, vulnerable, almost unbearably adorable.”

“Annie’s style was Diane’s style — very eclectic,” designer Ralph Lauren said in a 1978 story in Vogue, soon after the movie came out. “She had a style that was all her own. Annie Hall was pure Diane Keaton.”

She was often asked if she got tired of the notoriety “Annie Hall” brought her, including the magazine covers, think pieces and fashion homages.

“No, I’m not. Everything is because of ‘Annie Hall’ with Woody. He has a great ear for women’s voices. I’m so grateful to him; he really gave me an opportunity that changed my life,” she told The Times in 2012. “I’m never disappointed about people talking to me about ‘Annie Hall.’ But I will say, a lot of people don’t know ‘Annie Hall’ exists, and that’s just the way it goes — goodbye! It’s bittersweet.”

She managed to capture the cultural zeitgeist in later films. In 1987, she played a successful businesswoman who upends her life to care for a relative’s baby in “Baby Boom.” In 2003, she won acclaim in “Something’s Gotta Give” for playing a successful writer navigating with romance in her 50s.

Keaton also got Oscar nominations for “Reds” (1982), “Marvin’s Room” (1996) and “Something’s Gotta Give.”

Keaton was a patron of the L.A. arts scene and also gained note as a champion of architecture preservation, remaking grand homes across the region. In collaboration with the Los Angeles Public Library, she edited a book of tabloid photos called “Local News” that ran in the Los Angeles Herald-Express.

In a 2018 interview with The Times, she said she felt privileged to still be working.

“I know what I am by now,” she said. “I know how old I am. I know what my limitations are and what I can and can’t do. So if something appeals to me, I’m definitely going to go for it.”

Later in life, Keaton became a major voice in architecture preservation.

She grew up Santa Ana during the post World War II housing boom in the 1950s and told The Times in an interviews she loved going to open houses with her father

“My father took me to see model homes, which I thought were palaces,” Keaton said.

She began buying and fixing up landmark homes around L.A., especially those of the Spanish colonial style.

“You have to get to know a house and try to keep its integrity. I try to honor the architect,” she said. “I love to go into an empty house. You look at the house and start to feel what it might need.”

“There are so many house treasures, unsung gems, all over Los Angeles,” she said.

Explaining how she came to edit the book of L.A. tabloid photos, Keaton told The Times the L.A. city library came up to her at a swap meet.

The librarian said, ‘There’s these files in the basement of the Central Library’ — the most beautiful building. I took a look. There are books and books to be made out of those images. This is a brilliant archive.”

In recent years, Keaton had become a hit on Instagram, posting photos of architecture, fashion and more. In an interview in 2019, she said she was still very active, eager to work and try new things but was also thinking more about her mortality.

“Of course, you think about it. How can you not?” she said. “I mean, I’m 73. How long do you live? It’s really important what those years are like.”

Keaton death brought tribute across Hollywood and beyond.

“She was a very special person and an incredibly gifted actor, who made each of her roles unforgettable. Her light will continue to shine through the art she leaves behind. Godspeed,” said Nancy Sinatra.

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Strictly Come Dancing week three leaderboard in full as first 10 of the series awarded

Tonight, fans watched on as the Strictly Come Dancing celebrities and pros took to the dance floor for week 3, here’s who topped the board in Movie Week

Tonight, the celebrities and professionals on took to the dance floor for the third time this series, in Strictly Come Dancing‘s Movie Week.

Last week, the show lost its first couple, Thomas Skinner and Amy Dowden, and tomorrow night, one more couple will be leaving the competition.

Last night, it was revealed that Stefan Dennis would be withdrawing from tonight’s live show due to illness. However, due to show rules, himself and his partner Dianne Buswell will be given a bye through to next week.

READ MORE: Strictly It Takes Two chaos as Fleur East forced to apologise for star swearing on airREAD MORE: Strictly’s Chris Robshaw ‘laughed at on the dance floor’ as he makes emotional admission

Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin – 8 9 9 9 = 35

Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova – 4 6 6 6 = 22

George Clarke and Alexis Warr – 6 8 9 8 = 31

La Voix and Aljaz Skorjanec – 7 7 7 7 = 28

Ross King and Jowita Przystał – 4 5 5 5 = 19

Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon – 7 7 6 6 = 26

Karen Carney and Carlos Gu – 4 7 7 7 = 25

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Lauren Oakley – 7 7 6 8 = 28

Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington – 5 7 6 7 = 25

Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola – 6 7 7 7 = 27

Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe – 7 8 7 8 = 30

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer 8 8 8 8 = 32

Lewis Cope and Katya Jones – 9 10 9 9 = 37

Lewis impressed the judges the most this week, scoring the first 10 of the series – landing at the top of the leaderboard. Unfortunately, it was bad news for Ross and Jowita who placed at the bottom.

However, the game isn’t over yet. Although the judges scores do count, so do the public, so you still have a chance to help to save your favourite couple.

This year, there are two huge changes to the voting. Phone votes have been scrapped, meaning viewers can only vote online for their favourite couple.

Elsewhere, there has been a change in terms of how the judges make their decision in Sunday night’s dance off. At the end of the first live show, hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly announced a huge shake-up to the show after 7 years – the power is no longer in Shirley Ballas‘ hands.

For the last seven years, head judge Shirley has been responsible for the gruelling decision of choosing which couple in the bottom two should leave if the votes are tied after the dance off.

However, now it’s been announced that the power is going to be shared between the four judges, with a different judge holding the power each week.

“This changes everything!” exclaimed former Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison, as Lorraine star Ross King added: “I just can’t believe it!”

Strictly Come Dancing continues next Saturday on BBC One. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat ,Instagram ,Twitter , Facebook ,YouTube and Threads .



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World Grand Prix Darts 2025 LIVE RESULTS: Semi-finals on NOW as Luke Littler and Humphries look to set up final clash

Littler wants £1m Saudi nine-darter

Darts is heading to Saudi Arabia for the first time on January 19 and 20 next year.

When the snooker headed to the kingdom, entertainment chief Turki Alalshikh added a golden ball to the table to open up the possibility of a 167 super-maximum and a £1milion reward for players that achieve it.

Littler is hoping a new lucrative concept is added to darts like rewarding a nine-darter with a massive cheque.

Littler a ‘different animal’

Luke Littler’s semi-final opponent Jonny Clayton knows how big his task is tonight.

The Welshman said: “An honest answer is you have to be scared of him.

“The two Lukes, they’re both pushing the bar and the rest of us are following.

“Gezzy’s been putting in some awesome performances, and we’re all trying to keep up.

“But Luke [Littler] is the hottest player on the planet right now.

“He’s class, the world can see it. He’s a different animal.

“But we can all play darts. My first game on stage against Luke, I beat him. So you never know.”

Van Gerwen the inspiration

Danny Noppert is trying to emulate his compatriot Michael van Gerwen.

Ahead of his semi-final against Luke Humphries tonight, the world No13 revealed his admiration for MVG.

He said: “I try to be as good as Michael. But of course he’s the best player there’s ever been. I try to be like him, but not yet.”

Van Gerwen suffered a shock defeat to Dirk van Duijvenbode is round one.

De Decker responds to ‘boring’ claim

Luke Littler was not challenged in his round two victory over Mike De Decker and claimed the clash was “boring”.

The world champion said: “Mike didn’t play his best there and I just had to play along.

“It was a bit boring at times, obviously I expected something from the reigning champion, but he just couldn’t get those doubles to get him going on the scoring most of the time.

De Decker has now responded, saying: “That he found the match ‘boring’? Well, if that’s what he thinks… Good for him. That’s his opinion.”

Littler ‘definitely beatable’

Defending champion Mike De Decker was knocked out in the second round 3-0 by Luke Littler.

The Belgian struggled to land doubles at the start and it allowed The Nuke to cruise to a routine win.

Reflecting on his performance, De Decker said: “I was incredibly disappointed. Look at my average. After the second set, I saw on the screen that I’d thrown 8 out of 42 doubles or something.

“It doesn’t matter who you’re playing against. That way, you’ll have problems against anyone.

“It was just a bad match for me. He wasn’t great either, but it just didn’t fly.

“Those doubles just wouldn’t work. When you do that with this format it becomes difficult.

De Decker went on to add: “So Littler was definitely beatable. Everyone’s always beatable, sometimes it’s just harder than others.”

Rollercoaster of emotions

Luke Littler felt every emotion during last night’s quarter-final clash with Gerwyn Price.

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Greil Marcus on ‘Mystery Train’s’ 50th anniversary

When it was first published in 1975, “Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock ‘n’ Roll Music” was immediately recognized as something new. In six taut, probing, far-ranging essays about certain popular or otherwise forgotten musicians, author Greil Marcus cracked open a world of sojourners, tricksters, killers and confidence men — the lost subterranean underlife of America as inflected in the music itself.

“Mystery Train” was a landmark in cultural criticism that took on Rock ‘n’ Roll as a subject of intellectual inquiry. In 2011, Time magazine named “Mystery Train” one of the 100 greatest nonfiction books of all time. For the book’s 50th anniversary, a new edition has been published, with a wealth of new writing from Marcus that brings his book up to date.

On a recent Zoom call, I chatted with him on the 50th anniversary of his book about its lasting impact, the anxiety of influence and the staying power of criticism.

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✍️ Author Chat

Book jacket of "Mystery Train" by Greil Marcus.

Book jacket of “Mystery Train” by Greil Marcus.

(Penguin Random House)

Congrats on 50 years of “Mystery Train.” Could you have possibly imagined that it would still have a life in 2025 when you wrote it in 1975?

For this book to have this kind of a life, you can’t predict it. I had a miserable time writing it. I’d never written a book before. I rented a room at a house near our little apartment, and just stayed there all day, trying to write or not trying to write, as the case may be. I didn’t have any hopes or ambitions for it. I just wanted it to look good.

This is the thickest edition of “Mystery Train” yet. Your “Notes and Discographies” section, where you update the reader on new books and recordings about the artists, among other things, is longer than the original text of the book.

That’s what’s kept the book alive. I mean, I still think the original chapters read well. I’m glad they came out the way they did, but for me, they opened up a continuing story, and that has sort of kept me on the beat so that I obsessively would follow every permutation that I could and write them in the notes section.

“Mystery Train” changed the way popular music was written about. Who were your literary antecedents?

Edmund Wilson, Pauline Kael, D.H. Lawrence’s critical studies. Hemingway’s short stories, just as a way to learn how to try to write. There was another book that was important to me, Michael Gray’s “Song and Dance Man,” which was a rigorous examination of Bob Dylan’s music. It was totally intimidating. His knowledge of blues, novels, poetry — I thought there’s no way I can write something as good as this. So I started doing a lot more reading, and listening more widely.

For many readers of the book, it was the first time they came across artists like Robert Johnson or Harmonica Frank. How did you discover these artists?

I was an editor at Rolling Stone magazine in 1969 when the Altamont disaster happened, when people were killed at a free Rolling Stones concert. It was an evil, awful day. I was drained and disgusted with what rock ‘n’ roll had become, and I didn’t want to listen to that music anymore. I found myself in this little record store in Berkeley, and I saw an album by Robert Johnson that had a song called “Four Until Late” that Eric Clapton’s band Cream had covered, so I took it home and played it, and that was just a revelation to me. It led me into another world. It became the bedrock of “Mystery Train.”

Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger signs autographs for fans at the Altamont Race Track

Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger signs autographs at Altamont Speedway. Later, on Dec. 6, the Stones gave a concert where one fan was stabbed to death by a Hell’s Angel.

(Associated Press)

Your book explores how certain myths transfer across vastly disparate cultures. Had you read the great mythologist Joseph Campbell prior to writing the book?

I read a lot of Joseph Campbell in graduate school. Probably a half-dozen of his books. In some ways they cover the same territory as “Mystery Train.” Campbell makes the argument that myths persist, they don’t even need to be cultivated. They cultivate us, and they are passed on in almost invisible ways. That really struck a chord with me when reading Campbell’s work.

You’re very good at explaining what music sounds like. Are you influenced by fiction at all?

I’d say fiction is part of my work. One of the books that hovered over me when I was writing “Mystery Train” was “The Great Gatsby.” Certain lines, they sang out.

What is the purpose of criticism?

My next book is about Bryan Ferry, the leader of the band Roxy Music. Now, you listen to a song like Roxy Music’s “More Than This” and you say, what makes this so great? How did that happen? What is going on here? That’s what criticism is, just wrestling with your response to something. That thing where someone has captured a moment so completely that you sort of fall back in awe. That’s what I’ve been doing my whole life as a writer. There is this urge to, not exactly take possession of something, but to become a part of it to some small degree.

Your book plumbs the murky depths, exploring the mysterious dream life of America as transmuted through certain music. Are there any mysteries left for you?

Oh, yes, absolutely. I remember when I met Bob Dylan in 1997. He was getting an award, the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, and I was to give a talk. We met and he asked what I was working on. I had just published a book called “Invisible Republic,” about his “Basement Tapes.” He said, “You should write a sequel to that. You only just scratched the surface.” Now, I’m not saying I did a bad job. He said that to me because certain music has infinite depth. So, yes, there are certainly more mysteries to think about.

📰 The Week(s) in Books

“Thomas Pynchon’s secret 20th century is at last complete,” writes David Kipen.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Valerie Castallanos Clark loves Jade Chang’s new novel, “What a Time to Be Alive,” calling it “equal parts love letter to Los Angeles, narrative about being a first-generation Asian American, exploration of grief and love and a found-family novel featuring an adoptee that doesn’t put reunion as the emotional climax.”

With “Shadow Ticket,” Thomas Pynchon has delivered a late-career gem, according to David Kipen: “Dark as a vampire’s pocket, light-fingered as a jewel thief, ‘Shadow Ticket’ capers across the page with breezy, baggy-pants assurance — and then pauses on its way down the fire escape just long enough to crack your heart open.”

Finally, Cerys Davies chats with Mychal Threets about his new gig as host of the long-running TV show “Reading Rainbow.”

📖 Bookstore Faves

A look through a large glass window into a bookstore

Stories Books & Cafe is on Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park.

(Claudia Colodro)

Ever since it opened its doors in 2008, Stories Books & Cafe has been a community cornerstone. A snug yet carefully curated store, with loads of obscurantist art books and choice indie press titles, Stories also has a cafe tucked in the back that is always bustling. Owner Claudia Colodro runs the store as a creative cooperative with her five co-workers. I talked to the team about the shop on Sunset.

What’s selling right now?

“Mother Mary Comes to Me” by Arundhati Roy, “Martyr!” by Kaveh Akbar, and Thomas Pynchon’s “Shadow Ticket” are a few of our recent big sellers.

Stories is small, yet I always see titles in there I don’t see anywhere else.

Stories prides itself on its painstaking curation, influenced by every employee’s area of expertise. Much like the community we have garnered, Stories leans toward the eclectic, esoteric and even fringe. Over our 17 years in existence, Stories has been a bookstore that loves our local authors and independent publishers, and encourages readers to come in with an open mind more than a predetermined list.

Remarkably, you have endured in a neighborhood that has seen a lot of store closures, post-COVID.

In a world predominantly automatized and authoritative, we like our people and books to be a countermeasure to the mainstream creature comforts — in hopes to push people out of the path of least resistance and into the unseen abundance.

Stories Books & Cafe is at 1716 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles.

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Roman Kemp’s mum fuming over ‘stupid’ view of son – ‘it’s ridiculous’

Shirlie Kemp talks about being married to a rockstar and mum to Roman Kemp and Harleymoon – and the real reason she refuses to take part in Strictly Come Dancing

She toured with Wham!, had two Top 10 hits, married a Spandau Ballet superstar and appeared in a Spice Girls video — but Shirlie Kemp never wanted to be famous. Shirlie, 63, who grew up with four siblings on a London council estate, has had such a wild life and career, you’d be forgiven for thinking it must have been planned and executed with military precision.

“It just felt like destiny, like everything happens for a reason,” says Shirlie, who started singing backing vocals for Wham! during an early romance with Andrew Ridgeley before forming pop duo Pepsi & Shirlie when they split. “I was where I was at that time… As I get older, I realise, ‘Wow, my life felt like it was actually mapped out for me.’ There is that saying ‘God laughs at your plans,’ which I really love. For me, I just see space and I don’t know what’s going to come in but I’m always attracting the positive.”

READ MORE: Strictly’s Alex Kingston reveals secret cancer battle and diagnosis after haemorrhaging on stageREAD MORE: Strictly star Thomas Skinner’s twins rushed to hospital after suffering fits in scary ordeal

Touring the world and performing to millions is miles away from the life Shirlie expected. “I was told you leave school, get a job, get married and then have kids,” she explains. “But in my heart I knew there was so much out there. I’ve never put limits on myself.”

Shirlie and Martin married in St Lucia in 1988. After their daughter Harleymoon was born in 1989, followed by Roman in 1993, Shirlie retreated from the public gaze. “I lived in baseball caps and sunglasses when I was younger,” she admits. “Then after I had children, I backed out of it. I didn’t go anywhere to be seen. I just wanted to be a mum and devote myself to my children.”

Even when Martin swapped Spandau Ballet for EastEnders in 1998, Shirlie stayed out of the limelight. And these days Martin and Shirlie’s children are eclipsing their fame. Roman is a successful documentary maker, TV presenter and DJ, while Harleymoon is a singer-songwriter, who recently duetted on stage with Ronan Keating.

Last month, Roman, 32, and Harleymoon, 36, were announced as contestants on Celebrity Race Across The World. Shirlie is thrilled by her children’s success but can’t stand hearing them called “nepo babies”, a derogatory term that suggests all their success is only thanks to their parentage. “I really hate the ‘nepo baby’ thing, which is so ridiculous,” says Shirlie.

“It’s such a stupid saying. It’s like farmers, are they called the ‘nepo baby farmers’? I have so many friends whose sons have gone into business with the dad because the dad wants them to take over that family business. With my kids, it was in their DNA. Harley’s been singing and songwriting since I can remember. And Roman, when he was about three or four years old, we called him Roman the Showman. He would watch Frank Sinatra and next minute he was doing a show for us.”

Watching her children grow up, Shirlie knew they had what it takes to thrive in the entertainment industry. But despite her instincts, she decided to let them carve their own path. “I actually thought they should go to stage school,” says Shirlie. “I would love to have gone to a drama school. But then we thought, ‘No, we don’t want them to go down that route.’ So I purposely did not put them into any type of drama school. But they’ve taken that route and they’re not after it for the fame, they’re after it because that’s their joy area. That’s what they can do and they can do it really well. It just comes naturally.”

Roman is currently spearheading a new campaign called Together Against Suicide in partnership with the Premier League. It follows his 2021 BBC documentary Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency, which saw him shine a light on the mental health crisis affecting young men after his friend Joe Lyons took his own life.

Shirlie is incredibly proud of her son’s work. “I was in Marks & Spencer and this young lady came up to me and she said, ‘Roman’s documentary was so powerful. My brother committed suicide. I wish he could have seen something like that.’ And I stood there crying and holding her, because you realise that if there is just one person you can save, that’s enough. So I am proud of him for doing that. It’s the heaviest of topics, but it has to be done.”

Like her son, Shirlie doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects and she’s proactive about her wellbeing and mental health, making sure she lifts weights, plays tennis and regularly socialises with friends. “As you get older it’s a necessity because there is that saying, ‘Use it or lose it.’ Well, that’s true! You get muscle waste, you get aches and pains. And also for your mental health, for your brain health. Tennis is great for hands and eye brain coordination, which is also preventative. So I look at everything I’m doing now as a preventative [measure], but I wish I knew this when I was younger. I just thought, ‘Keep fit, then you can fit into the dress you want to wear,’ not realising the real goodness that it was doing.”

As part of her effort to stay healthy, Shirlie has just taken Bupa’s Medication Check DNA test, to help us understand which medicines are more likely to work, and which might not. And the results shocked her. “I’ve always said that prevention is half the cure,” says Shirlie. “So when Bupa approached, I put my hand up straight away. Shirlie swabbed her mouth and sent her DNA back where it was analysed before a GP talked her through her results, which revealed that anti-inflammatory tablets were not suitable for her. “When I was younger I had endometriosis, and excruciating pain,” shares Shirlie. “The doctor prescribed anti-inflammatory tablets. So I took them constantly for the pain. Now I know I have to find an alternative.”

With good fitness and a can-do attitude, Shirlie sounds like the perfect candidate for Strictly Come Dancing. She could even do a quickstep to Heartache, Pepsi & Shirlie’s biggest hit. However, Shirlie isn’t keen. “I couldn’t take the pressure,” she admits. “I love going to the supermarket, going to the gym and being out. I would hate, ‘Oh, you’re off Strictly!’ I’ve done what I did, and now I’m enjoying everything.”

“Shirlie Kemp in partnership with Bupa – learn more about their genomics products and Medication Check here

* Join The Mirror’s WhatsApp Community or follow us on Google News , Flipboard , Apple News, TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads – or visit The Mirror homepage.



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Victoria Beckham’s daughter Harper is set to follow in her mum’s footsteps as she makes huge business move

VICTORIA Beckham’s daughter Harper is set to follow in her footsteps and become a beauty entrepreneur.

It comes after the fashion designer, 51, hinted that 14-year-old Harper could become the next Kylie Jenner.

Victoria Beckham and Harper Seven sitting on a green velvet couch.

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The 14-year-old could become the next Kylie JennerCredit: instagram/victoriabeckham
Harper Beckham in a pink and white dress and Victoria Beckham in a black dress.

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Harper has been increasingly popping up on her mum’s social media feedCredit: Instagram

Earlier this month the HIKU BY Harper, the proposed name for the skincare and beauty brand, was filed under two trademark applications by the business Victoria incorporated for Harper, H7B Limited, matching the teenager’s full name, Harper Seven Beckham.

A source said: “Harper loves fashion and make-up and has already started doing make-up tutorials. 

“The plan is to create a brand aimed at the younger market, taking inspiration for pop culture and Korean beauty.

The Beckhams are incredibly encouraging parents when it comes to their kids’ talents and exploring their hobbies and business ideas.  They’re a very entrepreneurial family.”

Harper has been increasingly popping up on mum Victoria’s Instagram feed and even set up her own account earlier this year.

Victoria said: “Harper is going to be one of two things. She’s either going to be a beauty mogul or she’s going to be a stand-up. She is hilarious.”

Last year Harper, who has been stepping out in custom-made dresses by her mother’s VB label, spoke publicly for the first time to present Victoria with a prestigious award for entrepreneurship, on behalf of Harper’s Bazaar magazine at its annual Women of the Year event.

She said: “I’m so nervous. Especially as tonight’s a school night. Hopefully this isn’t going to get me in trouble.

“My amazing mummy has built an incredible business from the ground up and has shown me the value of working hard.

“But above all, she’s taught me to always be kind and, even though she has a million things to do, she rarely misses school.”

Victoria Beckham left in tears as David shares emotional video after Netflix doc launch

Harper is still being made to do her homework in addition to her online make-up tutorials alongside her mum.

Victoria chooses to lead by example, instilling a work ethic into each of her four children.

While eldest son Brooklyn, 26, is forging a career with his own hot sauce company Stateside, former footballer Romeo is successfully modelling.

She told The Sun: “I mean, I feel sorry for these kids that are considered nepo-babies.

“The kids are simply the kids of their parents.

“It’s not their fault. Give them a chance.

“What matters is that people are good and kind.

“It is fine to be ambitious, but it is more important to be kind.”

Hiku by Harper makeup company logo.

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Hiku By Harper is the proposed name for the skincare and beauty brandCredit: hiku
Victoria and Harper Beckham outdoors.

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Victoria and David instil a good work ethic into each of her four childrenCredit: Instagram @victoriabeckham
Victoria Beckham and Harper Beckham posing outdoors at night, surrounded by candles.

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Victoria says she ‘feels sorry’ for kids that are considered ‘nepo-babies’Credit: instagram/victoriabeckham
Victoria Beckham and Harper Beckham together.

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The youngster could turn a business into the next huge beauty brandCredit: Instagram/@victoriabeckham

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At beautifully weird Cento Raw Bar in L.A., flamboyance meets fish dip

The cantina on Tatooine in the first “Star Wars” film. A Greek taverna on a layover in Miami. A mermaid’s womb. Every friend I take to, or even ask about, Cento Raw Bar and its fantastical design has a knee-jerk one-liner at the ready.

The wildest new bar in Los Angeles

Walk into the West Adams space adjoined by an awning to Cento Pasta Bar — both conceived by chef Avner Levi — and the first sight of the curving walls will spin anyone’s mind. They look plastered with a mixture of stucco and meringue, smeared like a frosted cake in progress, that’s meant to evoke the shimmer and shifting light of a Mediterranean cave. A three-sided seafoam-green bar anchors the room, girded by tall white chairs with metal backs patterned in a snail’s spiral. Details fill every corner: rounded, sculptural pillars and pedestals; a blue-tile floor mosaic resembling a pond; pendant sconces in shapes that remind me of the “energy dome” hats worn by the band Devo in the 1980s.

A mosaic moment in the dining room of Cento Raw Bar.

A mosaic moment in the dining room of Cento Raw Bar.

(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)

The effect leans more toward trippy than transportive. As one stop during a night out for a drink and a stopgap plate of seafood or two, I’m into it.

Idiosyncrasy is welcome right now

Maybe in another era I would gawk once and move on. But in times like Los Angeles is living through, in a half-decade that has begat one trial and horror after another, the operators of new restaurants, particularly those in the highest-rent districts, tend to default to conservative choices. Menus full of comforts familiar to whatever cuisine is being served. Atmospheres easily described as “pleasant.” The decisions are so understandable, and given a particular neighborhood or desired audience perhaps it pays off economically. Familiarity is a priority to many diners. Hospitality workers deserve stable incomes.

Culturally, though? The restaurant pros who can’t stomach the status quo, who go regionally specific or deeply personal or brazenly imaginative, are the forces who inspire cities toward creative rebellion. Thinking about this, I found an article from 2011 by former Times critic S. Irene Virbila about the year’s restaurant openings. The nation was burrowing out of the Great Recession at the time, but the roster of emerging talents mentioned by Virbila would wind up shaping the 2010s as the decade that landed Los Angeles on the global culinary map: names like Bryant Ng, Josef Centeno, Nyesha Arrington, Michael Voltaggio, Steve Samson and Zach Pollack.

She also pointed out Ludo Lefebvre, who in 2011 was still in pop-up mode before launching his defining restaurants Trois Mec (felled by the pandemic) and Petit Trois. Maybe it’s a sign that this week Lefebvre came full-circle with a new occasional pop-up series he’s calling Éphémère.

Point is, we could use more extreme individualism in restaurants right now. I appreciate the obsessiveness from designer Brandon Miradi, who has the title of “creative director” at Cento Raw Bar and who counts Vespertine, Somni, the Bazaar at SLS Beverly Hills and Frieze Art Fair as previous projects. Note the spiraling ends of the silverware, matching the chairs, and the ways napkins too are rolled into a tight coil. He managed to find colored glassware in geometries that register at once as retro and postmodern.

Guests sit around the bar at Cento Raw Bar, an all-white restaurant and bar

Cento Raw Bar, the sibling cocktail and seafood bar to chef Avner Levi’s pasta restaurant, features an all-white interior.

(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)

Maybe no surprise, but the TikTok-magnetic vibes keep the bar full of young, beautiful groups — Angelenos or visitors modeling their best L.A. looks, who can say. In June, about a month after the place opened, a friend and I were sitting at one of the low tables and she pointed over to the bar: The women seated in the high stools all came in wearing stilettos that were now dangling half off their feet. Panning this shoe moment could have been a montage sequence during a Carrie Bradshaw voiceover in an early season of “Sex and the City.”

What to eat and drink

Perhaps to fully center or to balance Miradi’s visual extravaganza, the food and drink options are quite straightforward. A few cocktails do wink right into the camera, among them a play on a Screwdriver made with SunnyD (which the menu calls “Sunny Delight,” the branding name I also remember from my Gen-X childhood). Most are mainstays: a classic escapist piña colada, a spicy margarita, an Aperol situation spiked with mezcal. The bartenders listen kindly when I request they stir my dry gin martini well.

A martini at the bar of Cento Raw Bar.

A martini at the bar of Cento Raw Bar.

(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)

Seafood towers, served on undulating green-glass plates designed by Miradi, are stylish and modest in size and arrive as two levels for $83 or three levels for $97.

A buddy and I recently split the smaller one, neatly polishing off a handful of tiny, briny oysters along with scallops served in their shells, some bouncy shrimp and a couple meaty lobster claws. We had shown up to Pizzeria Sei without a reservation — because scoring one at a prime hour is maddening, and so I take my chances as a walk-in — and were told the wait was an hour and 15 minutes. Cento Raw Bar was a 12-minute drive away, ideal for one round of drinks and pre-dinner shellfish.

On another occasion, I might skip the pricey tower and order a plate of hamachi crudo (dotted with stone fruit during the summer season) and a dip of smoked cod with bagel chips. I’ve found more substantial plates, such as ridged mafaldine tangled in lobster sauce, in need of spice and acid.

Fish dip topped with trout roe, ringed with a circle of crostini, at Cento Raw Bar.

Fish dip topped with trout roe at Cento Raw Bar in West Adams.

(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)

Desserts riffing on a Hostess cake or an ube cheesecake spangled with prismatic bits of flavored gelatins? Fun, but I’ve had my share of outlandish décor and cocktail nibbles — exactly what I came for.

4919 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 795-0330, cento.group

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