SHOW BIZ

OLIVIA Attwood undergoes treatment whilst showing off risqué bum snap as she prepares for bikini season.

The stunning TV star, 35, is topping up her curves with a bum enhancing regimen amid her high-profile romance with Pete Wicks.

Taking to her Instagram Stories Olivia shared a body pic of herself hooked up to a machine at a clinic. 

The reality beauty was snapped face down as the daring bum pic revealed her covered in wires undergoing a treatment known as Truflex.

The non-invasive procedure acts as a muscle stimulant which aims to strengthen, tone, and firm the glutes.

Olivia added the caption: “We are not f****** around this season.”

READ MORE ON OLIVIA ATTWOOD

CRYPTIC LIV

Olivia Attwood hints at trouble in paradise with Pete Wicks in cryptic post

YACHT THE HELL

Olivia Attwood and Pete Wicks snubbed from KISS Ibiza trip

In additional text alongside the risque snap, she penned: “Truflex at @sadaf_jaffari I have had better results with this than emsculpt personally depends on your goal x”

In another one of her recent social media posts Olivia had appeared to have undergone an eye treatment with a mirror selfie showing noticeable swelling around her eyes. 

The photo dump which also showed Olivia appearing downcast in several snaps which had sparked worry with fans that there could be trouble in her relationship.

Looking downcast in one photo, Olivia pouted and didn’t look very impressed.

The images that followed were of her dogs, with a snap being of her taking a selfie in an elevator.

It also included a pic of Olivia beaming whilst getting her hair and makeup done. 

The photos had left people alarmed by the lack of Pete appearing in the post, despite the pair dating for a while now.

But it seemed all was to be good in paradise as eagle-eyed fans spotted a sign that all might be well between the pair.

One person seemed to spot Pete’s dog in one of the snaps.

“Yay to Rodney. Was hoping to spot some subtle Pete hints and also wondered if the dogs are mates with eachother! (So invested),” one person penned.

While another added: “Yes Rodney!!!!!!!”

And a third penned: “Hard launching Rodney!”

“Stitch, Lola & Rodney,” penned another, spelling out how Olivia’s pups Stitch and Lola, were now pally with Pete’s dog Rodney.

In Deborah Levy’s new novel “My Year in Paris With Gertrude Stein,” the celebrated British author turns her keen observational and critical eye toward Stein, a writer that Levy feels has been criminally redacted from the canon of modernist masters that emerged at the turn of the 20th century. “My Year in Paris With Gertrude Stein,” however, is anything but a dry-as-dust revisionist treatise.

Levy couches her thoughts on Stein’s life and work within the story of three women in contemporary Paris, including Levy’s fictive avatar as the narrator, grappling with her own notions of identity as she writes about Stein and her partner Alice B. Toklas. I spoke with Levy about Stein, Toklas and Picasso.

✍️ Author Chat

Have you always had an abiding interest in Gertrude Stein?

She has always been lurking there for a number of reasons. When I was studying modernist literature, I was pointed to all the usual suspects — T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, Beckett, Joyce. But no one ever pointed to Gertrude Stein. She was absent in Britain, anyway. I’m not sure it’s the same in America.

I feel like in America she certainly is not frequently cited among that pantheon of modernist writers that you just mentioned.

I thought her most commercial work, “The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas,” was quite enchanting. But when you start to dig into her other writing, you find this mixture of very obtuse, very violent work, and some brilliant work.

You write in the book that you sometimes don’t understand Stein, but this doesn’t diminish your enjoyment of her work.

The thing about avant-garde writers is that they either crash or they triumph. For readers, it’s either someone popping a vein at the new and strange, or someone over-praising the work. And I thought, well I’m allowed to have mixed emotions about Stein’s writing. Sometimes she is totally brilliant, and sometimes less so.

Author Deborah Levy

(Sheila Burnett)

You also celebrate Stein and Toklas’ fierce individuality, which runs counter to the usual narratives about female authors during this time.

Well, female writers are supposed to suffer or commit suicide. And the glorious thing about Stein and Alice is that the art of living was very important to them. Travel, conversation, or driving around. This really appeals to me. You know, Stein would have a roast chicken leg in one hand and one hand on the steering wheel, with the dogs in the back.

I feel like Stein’s legacy as a writer has been occluded by her renown as a collector of the greatest modern art of the century, most notably Picasso before he became Picasso. She is remembered more for collecting others’ art than for her own art.

If you’re going to collect this bold, daring art of your own time, and you’re buying it cheap, because it’s being mocked, you have to know how to defend it. Stein wasn’t an art historian. She studied psychology with William James and then studied medicine at Johns Hopkins. Through her conversations with Picasso and others, she really began to acquire the apparatus to defend the work, and that fascinated me.

You write that Stein wanted to kill the 19th century with her work by dismantling and then reassembling language.

She was going to write through continuous present tense. She got rid of commas so she could hurtle through time and make her thoughts move forward. No question marks, because it was self-evident to her when someone was asking a question in her writing. She really was a pioneer.

Her prose reads like Beckett’s, decades before his novels were published.

The critic Roland Barthes wrote that all writing has some kind of behavior. A lot of avant-garde writing behaves like Stein, but she wasn’t imitating any other thing. She made something new for her century.

(This Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

📰 The Week(s) in Books

Book jacket for “Marilyn and Her Books: The Literary Life of Marilyn Monroe” by Gail Crowther

(Los Angeles Times illustration; book jacket from Galley Books)

Marilyn Monroe was an avid reader who traveled with her treasured library of books wherever she lived. Yet, the stubborn image of Monroe as a literary dilettante remains. Now Gail Crowther has written “Marilyn and Her Books” which sets out to debunk that misconception of the screen legend. Crowther’s sharp account is both the story of Monroe’s library and “what we’ve projected upon Monroe when we’re asked to consider that she had one,” writes Mark Athitakis.

As Cuba struggles with a faltering economy and President Trump’s saber-rattling overtures, Ada Ferrer’s timely new memoir “Keeper of My Kin” “argues that the grand narratives of exile and revolution are, at their core, made up of private reckonings with irretrievable consequences,” writes Mariella Rudi.

When Eagle Rock’s Read Books was threatened with a massive rent hike from its landlord, co-owners Jeremy and Debbie Kaplan rallied the community around the fight for tenant’s rights and started an activist organization called Save North East Los Angeles Shops. “Commercial landlords [have] unbelievably unrealistic expectations of rent, and a small business can only sell a T-shirt or a hamburger or a service for what the market will bear,” neighborhood preservationist Aaron Peskin told Emily St. Martin.

Finally, Swan Huntley found a novel way to put off writing her next book: She hiked to every Erewhon store in Los Angeles.

📖 Bookstore Faves

A Good Used Book’s beautiful interior

(A Good Used Book)

Jenny Yang and Chris Capizzi started A Good Used Book in 2017 by selling secondhand titles at local flea markets and the Grand Central Market downtown. Seven years later, after a brief COVID blowback, the pair opened their own storefront in Historic Filipinotown. Now, A Good Used Book has blossomed into a vital community space featuring a vast selection of previously loved books across all genres. The store also hosts pop-up markets on the weekends, with more events scheduled in the coming year. I spoke with Capizzi about his store.

Who are your customers?

Our customer base is pretty broad. We’re selective about the books we carry, but we want anyone to be able to find themselves somewhere in the shop, whether you’re just getting back into reading or you’re the kind of person who already has strong opinions about translations. And we try not to take ourselves too seriously, so even though we may have critical theory, we also have “Choose Your Own Adventure.”

How do you pick inventory? Is there any emphasis on any particular genres that might be popular?

We definitely do the work to find books, but honestly a lot of the time the books seem to find us. In terms of what we carry, we focus mostly on classic, modern and contemporary fiction, but we love genre fiction too, like sci-fi, crime and horror. And a big part of what makes the store feel like us are our nonfiction and culture sections — humanities, sciences, film, music, fashion and design. Anything for that curious person who just wants to go a little deeper.

I know the store is about much more than books. Can you tell me about some of the other community events you guys organize?

During the week we’re all about the books. Every Sunday we host the Every Sunday Funday Market that features two food pop-ups out front, one savory and one sweet, and four or five local vendors and artists inside. We rotate vendors selling and making ceramics, jewelry, Japanese retro radios, soaps and candles, zines and prints, and even Persian perfumes. And we always have drinks going out of our vintage Coleman cooler, too. It’s a lot of things happening at once, but it adds up to a pretty easy, fun Sunday afternoon.

A Good Used Book is located at 307 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles.

(Please note: The Times may earn a commission through links to Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores.)

OLIVIA Attwood has hinted at trouble in paradise amid her romance with Pete Wicks – but fans appeared to spot something rather promising hidden within the snaps.

The stunning TV star shared a rather cryptic post where she appeared downcast in several snaps, pouting and looking moody.

Taking to Instagram on Saturday, Olivia, 35, shared a series of images with a caption that read: “Staying out of trouble,” complete with two angel emojis.

The first photo within the dump saw Olivia beaming while getting her hair and makeup done.

Looking more downcast in the next photo, Olivia pouted and didn’t look very impressed.

The images that followed were of her dogs, with another snap being of her taking a selfie in an elevator.

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More hair and makeup snaps followed, with another photo of her dog also thrilling fans.

The former Love Island star also showed off some impressive designer items within the slew of snaps.

Liv showed off a Birkin bag by Hermes, as well as a beautiful pink Chanel bag.

The 16th offering from the photo dump saw Liv snap a mirror selfie where her eyes appeared puffy and again, she pouted and looked downcast.

But despite some people alarmed by the lack of Pete appearing in the post, others spotted a sign that all might be well between the pair.

One person seemed to spot Pete’s dog in one of the snaps.

“Yay to Rodney. Was hoping to spot some subtle Pete hints and also wondered if the dogs are mates with eachother! (So invested),” one person penned.

While another added: “Yes Rodney!!!!!!!”

And a third penned: “Hard launching Rodney!”

“Stitch, Lola & Rodney,” penned another, spelling out how Olivia’s pups Stitch and Lola, were now pally with Pete’s dog Rodney.

Olivia split from husband Bradley back in January following a “breach of trust” on his part.

She then moved out of the marital home and into her own apartment in London, and has since been romantically linked to pal and radio co-host Pete.

Just the other week, eagle-eyed fans spotted a very clear sign Pete Wicks was with her on a recent luxury getaway.

The pair added fuel to the fire… literally, by sharing near-identical snaps from near-identical getaways.

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday night, Olivia shared a photo dump of a very plush stay at Estelle Manor – the same place Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton headed on a secret date weekend.

Among the photos Liv shared were snaps of her rescue dogs, stunning selfies, gym workout pics, and a close up snap of a rustic fireplace.

Fans were quick to spot how not long before Liv’s dump, Pete had shared a slew of snaps himself, with one of the photos being of the exact same fireplace.

Fans rushed to the comments section to speculate that Olivia and Pete had spent time together at the stunning manor house.

“I love the subtle you & Pete posting pics of the same fire. I love you two xxx,” penned one person.

The talked-about pair reportedly begun their relationship at the Brit Awards on February 28.

A source close to the pair told us at the time that they were “dating and enjoying their time together.”

Their apparent romance heated up last month as they jetted off to St Tropez for a cosy holiday.

He was also spotted at her intimate birthday dinner earlier this month as they soft launched their relationship.

A Delaware Court of Chancery judge delivered a blow to wrestling impresario Vince McMahon and other World Wrestling Entertainment officials earlier this week.

Judge J. Travis Laster, vice chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery, issued sanctions for “spoliation of evidence” in the shareholder lawsuit over the 2023 merger between Ultimate Fighting Championship and WWE.

Laster ruled on Tuesday that WWE executives destroyed evidence by using the auto-delete setting on the messaging app Signal, enabling potentially relevant communications to be deleted.

The ruling means the court will operate under the assumption that five potentially damaging statements are true while allowing the defendants to rebut them.

The statements, according to the ruling, include that McMahon’s decision on the merger was “influenced” by Endeavor Executive Chairman Ari Emanuel’s “promise” to provide him with a continued role at the company and to indemnify him and provide legal support as federal investigators were looking into claims of alleged sexual misconduct.

McMahon pursued a deal with Endeavor in 2022 before WWE initiated its strategic review process, and both McMahon and then-WWE President Nick Khan worked with The Raine Group, a strategic financial advisor, “to steer the process to Endeavor and away from other potential bidders,” the ruling states.

In September 2023, entertainment giant Endeavor, the parent company of UFC, acquired WWE and merged the two sports entities to form a new, publicly traded company, TKO Group Holdings, in a deal worth $21.4 billion.

A month later, a group of shareholders filed suit against McMahon and other company officials in Delaware Chancery Court, claiming McMahon orchestrated a “sham sale process.”

Representatives for McMahon, WWE and TKO were not immediately available for comment.

According to the suit, McMahon, WWE’s controlling shareholder, turned down higher offers and excluded other bidders who would have ousted him and instead chose a deal that favored Endeavor’s Emanuel, a “close friend and longtime ally,” enabling McMahon to continue running WWE and shielding him from federal investigations related to a raft of sexual misconduct claims.

The complaint also alleges that the $21.4-billion deal undervalued the company and was “far below the offers” WWE’s board could have received from other interested parties had they “made any effort to negotiate in good faith.”

The litigation is related to the 2022 investigation by WWE’s board that found that McMahon made at least $14.6 million in payments between 2006 and 2022 for “alleged misconduct.” McMahon has denied claims of misconduct.

The settlements were made to women, including WWE employees, who alleged that McMahon initiated unwanted sexual contact and coerced women into performing sexual acts on him. In one case, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, a woman claimed that McMahon sent her unsolicited nude photos of himself.

McMahon’s alleged misconduct became the subject of ongoing investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice.

“I am confident that the government’s investigation will be resolved without any findings of wrongdoing,” McMahon said in a statement to The Times in 2023.

Last January, the SEC announced it had settled charges against McMahon alleging he had violated federal securities laws by failing to disclose a pair of settlement agreements to WWE worth $10.5 million.

McMahon agreed to pay more than $1.7 million in a civil penalty and in reimbursement to WWE, without admitting or denying the agency’s findings. Federal prosecutors also have dropped their criminal investigation.

In January 2024, McMahon resigned as executive chairman of the board of TKO Group, one day after a former WWE employee, Janel Grant, sued the company, McMahon and former head of talent relations John Laurinaitis, alleging sexual assault, trafficking and emotional abuse.

Grant claimed that McMahon agreed to pay her $3 million in exchange for her silence.

The shareholder trial is set to begin on June 8. McMahon, Emanuel, Khan, TKO President Mark Shapiro, and WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque are expected to testify.

An ‘outstanding’ and ‘clever’ detective series is now streaming for free and it boasts an 89% Rotten Tomatoes score

Death in Paradise fans looking for their next detective series need look no further.

New Zealand-set show, The Brokenwood Mysteries, has been likened to Midsomer Murders and it is currently on UK screens as the crime drama’s 12th season airs.

Viewers can catch up from series one on Channel 4 and U&DRAMA with new episodes airing on Mondays at 8pm on the latter channel.

The Brokenwood Mysteries sees the “seemingly quiet town of Brokenwood slowly being riddled with murders” and it is up to Detective Mike Shepherd, played by Neill Rea, to get to the bottom of the crimes.

Other characters include Detective Kristin Sims, played by Fern Sutherland, Detective Constable Sam Breen, played by Nic Sampson, Dr. Gina Kadinsky, played by Cristina Ionda, and Detective Constable Daniel Chalmers played by Jarod Rawiri.

The show was first released in 2014 and its currently airing its 12th season. The detective series has received rave reviews and boasts an impressive 89% Rotten Tomatoes score with many viewers claiming it is “better than Death in Paradise”.

One person said: “If you like a great mystery, well written with lots of twists and turns as well as colorful characters populating a simply stunning locale, I can confidently recommend you visit the quirky world of Brokenwood.”

A different viewer put: “I really enjoy this series and agree with the positive reviews I’ve read” while another show watcher added: “I was pleasantly surprised, the lead actors were excellent and supporting cast very good in my opinion.”

Another fan commented: “I have given The Broken Wood Mysteries a 9 out of 10. For me this is extremely rare, it’s not often something catches my attention and keeps it, as well as Broken Wood does.”

They added: “BUT the Broken Wood Mysteries in my humble opinion, Is That Good!. To Conclude, Wonderful Trio of exceptionally good Actors!, Delightful Script Writing (quality writing), wonderful Scenery which shows delightfully the beauty of New Zealand. ALL IN ALL, A very deserved 9 out of 10.”

Elsewhere, a different viewer wrote: “I look forward to future episodes of this refreshing NZ ‘whodunnit’, which for me rates better than Midsomer, definitely better than Death in Paradise, but perhaps not quite as good as Lewis, Frost, or the Swedish version of Wallander. Well done NZ!”

Meanwhile, another fan added: “Came across this well done series from the “you may like ” section and was pleasantly entertained.

“The show built the characters quickly and the result was a wonderful mix of personalities with a nice mix of serious and humour ,especially from Fern and Neill. The Medical Examiner is like someone everyone knows, and the banter between all the cast is the strongest part of the show.”

While a different viewer wrote: “Outstanding Kiwi police series, reminiscent of some British country police dramas. The cast work well together and over the 11 seasons we see a development in the characters. If you like country music you’ll love the soundtrack.”

The Brokenwood Mysteries series one to 11 are available to watch on Channel 4 and U&DRAMA now. Season 12 airs on Mondays at 8pm on U&DRAMA with episodes also available to watch on Channel 4.

KATIE Price put on an on eye-popping display in a tiny bikini as she stripped off in the heatwave.

Katie, 48, who used to go by her alter-ego name Jordan, looked like she was going back to her pin-up roots as she put all of her husband in jail drama behind her.

The mum-of-five, who is still waiting for her hubby Lee Andrews, 43, to be released from a Dubai jail, seemed happy and relaxed as she soaked up the sun.

Looking every inch her former glamour model self, Katie squeezed the giant boobs that made her famous into a red and white bikini.

The star shared two pics of herself in the tiny two-piece on Snapchat.

In the first snap, Katie was stood in front of mirror in the bikini, with her tiny pins on display.

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The next pic looked like she was about to burst out of the top, as she sunbathed in her garden.

Revealing that she was feeling happy that the sun was out, Katie told her fans: “The good thing about being here is it is just me, the swimming pool, the animals, no people, so I can walk around naked if I want, and I love it!”

The relaxing time in the sun comes after a VERY turbulent few weeks for the star due to ongoing speculation surrounding her relationship with her husband.

After going “missing” for two weeks, Lee was found at Dubai’s Al Awir jail after Katie received a phone call from him.

She said: “It was very rushed, but he said the authorities out there thought he was a spy.”

Relieved Katie added: “I told him how worried I’d been and that I loved him.”

The panicked wife raised the alarm on May 13, telling fans Lee had been “kidnapped” and taken to a “black site” after being “arrested”.

But in an update this week, she said Lee had told her he was detained on suspicion of spying, and is being held at Dubai’s Al Awir prison.

Katie’s contact with her husband came after his dad Peter texted her to explain his whereabouts.

She told fans: “I have found him. He is alive, and he is OK. I told him how worried I had been and told him I loved him.

“It was very rushed, but he said the authorities out there thought he was a spy. I don’t know much more than that right now.”

Lee, who lives full-time in Dubai, is believed to have been arrested on May 14.

The Sun, however, understands he has been detained over claims relating to a private civil matter.

Authorities have confirmed to us he was NOT held over spying charges.

He is due for release on Monday, but must pay a four-figure fine.

Karen Hauer has spoken for the first time in length about her emotional exit from Strictly Come Dancing after 14 years on the BBC show

Karen Hauer’s exit from Strictly Come Dancing after 14 years on the show, in the midst of a dramatic shake-up for the 2026 series, stunned fans. But in an exclusive interview, in which she talks about her shock departure for the first time, she says she’s ready for whatever’s next.

The pro dancer, 44, felt like part of the furniture on the BBC show. She was the longest-serving female professional, having graced the famous dance floor with stars including Mark Wright and Jamie Laing – reaching the final with both – and the late Hairy Biker Dave Myers, who she once said was her most “cherished” partnership. So it’s not surprising that the announcement in March that she was quitting evoked some strong feelings.

“It was very emotional, but it did feel like I was ready to get my teeth stuck into other projects and continue evolving. I learned so much from every single celebrity that I came across,” she tells us, with a warm smile. “It’s always about growth. It was a beautiful decision that came from a good place in my heart.”

The Venezuelan-American, who is a Latin dance specialist and World Mambo Champion, decided to keep her decision quiet from everyone, including her fellow pros, except her very closest pals, as she knew they would try to convince her to stay.

“I didn’t say anything because I know it would have been hard for them to digest and they’d have been like, ‘No, definitely no, not you,” she laughs. “I kept it within my tightest circle. But you know what? When I announced it, I’ve never felt such an outpouring of love. So many people were reaching out to me, and just being so kind.”

Karen’s exit is one of many ahead of the new series, with hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman stepping down and a string of other pros waving goodbye to the show, including Gorka Márquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas. Meanwhile, Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe are set to shake things up as the show’s new hosts.

Karen, who moved to the countryside near Preston, Lancashire in 2025 for a quieter life, after years of calling London home, believes Strictly will continue to evolve. “Even before I was on the show, when we saw Bruce Forsyth leave and then Len Goodman, it’s always got bigger and better – that’s the beauty of it,” she says. “Now, there’s new energy coming in. The next generation is only going to lift it even more.”

Karen is excited, she says, to see where the dramatically changed team takes the show. “I’ll be watching, 100%. And I know I’ll miss the people – the camera crew, hair and make-up, the costume ladies, our runners, the producers that make the show work.”

She’ll also miss her fellow pros, with whom she admits, she took on a protective, maternal role. “Ah, my professional dancers – my kids!” she says fondly. “I felt like I was a mother goose and everybody was always so beautiful backstage. I’ll miss the dance floor when it was all quiet and there was nobody around and we were all rehearsing with no lights. Just us there.”

She adds, a little wistfully, “Strictly will always be my home, you know? I will always have a deep connection to it, no matter what.”

After so long on one show, no one would blame Karen for wanting to take a break to recharge her batteries. But no, she’s jumping headfirst into a new project – and that’s just the way she likes it.

Karen will be touring the UK this summer in a revival of feel-good comedy Stepping Out, which follows a group of seemingly mismatched amateur tap dancers as they prepare for a charity gala performance. She will play Mavis, the group’s teacher – a role last played in 2017 by Tamzin Outhwaite, and by the legendary Liza Minnelli in the 1991 film version.

When she thinks of all the famous faces she’s put through their dancing paces, Karen says it feels tailor-made for her. “It just fell into my lap at exactly the right time, after closing a massive chapter of my life with Strictly,” she says. “The fact that Mavis is a dance teacher, dealing with so many different personalities and stories just resonated with me so much.”

It’s not the star’s first brush with the stage. Over the years she’s had acclaimed stints in the West End and on Broadway. “I’ve always loved theatre,” she says. “I mean, live TV and stage shows are equally nerve-wracking, but when you’re on TV, it’s a one-hit wonder because you don’t get to repeat, you just have to perform and leave it there. In theatre, you evolve each time within the character.”

“When you’re doing a show like Strictly, there’s a certain part of you that you protect,” she adds. “It’s okay to hold back certain things about yourself, to protect yourself in a way. That’s completely okay. I think that’s how you need to be to be able to function. Acting is a completely different demon.”

Karen clearly has boundless energy as she will also be joining fellow Strictly pro Nikita Kuzmin on his Burn The Floor extravaganza, Supernova. The brainchild of Strictly’s director of choreography Jason Gilkison, she says it will always hold a special place in her heart as she was the principal female dancer in the original Broadway cast and toured the world with the ground-breaking show.

“I turned into the performer I was always meant to be because of Jason and Burn The Floor. He gave me that confidence, that belief in myself,” she tells us. “Nikita’s energy and charisma is just… beyond. I did not see it coming, so it was really nice to be asked. It’s almost like going home again.”

Away from work, Karen – who split from her third husband in 2023 – found love again two years ago with former rugby coach Simon Davidson. Smiling, she says her favourite thing to do when she’s not working is spend quality time with her handsome other half – and their four adorable rescue dogs.

“I have an amazing support network of friends, my family, my dogs, my partner at home,” she says. “He just turned 40, I’m 44, and there’s a different mindset when it comes to that stage of life – the enjoyment of life and making sure we’re taking care of each other.

“Our lives are very chaotic and we both travel a lot, so when we get back together, we have that total peace at home with our dogs. Just enjoying the little things in life is really important for both of us.”

Karen is the first to admit she’s had a rollercoaster love life. She was married to her ex-dance partner Matthew Hauer for nine years and went on to wed Strictly’s Kevin Clifton, who she then split from in 2018. She tied the knot with fitness professional Jordan Wyn-Jones in 2022, but they called it a day just 16 months later.

“I’ve definitely had my ups and downs in relationships,” she says softly. “But I think this one’s definitely an up for me, and for him as well. I think we can sense our emotions and our energy very quickly as well. We’re very aware of what makes the other tick.”

Her relationship advice? “It’s important to communicate with each another on even the smallest things. Life is too good to be hung up on little things.”

A year and a half ago, Karen decided to stop drinking alcohol, which, she says, has been transformative. “It’s completely changed my emotional state and boosted my energy levels. I’ve made so many little tweaks for self-improvement, from the inside.”

Her social media is full of posts about fitness, and Simon is even hoping to convince her to sign up to gruelling fitness competition Hyrox one day.

As for what the future may hold, Karen says, “The world’s my oyster. I don’t want to be afraid to try new things, so anything that comes my way, I’ll go for it. Because what’s the worst thing that can happen?”

With a new chapter beginning, what would Karen tell her 30-year-old self on the first day of her Strictly journey? She flashes a huge grin. “Strap in, put the seat belt on, you’re gonna fly!”

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“Pressure,” the new World War II movie from director Anthony Maras and writer David Haig, is a hyperfocused look at the days leading up to D-day with a special focus on the weather. It’s a one-setting thriller that unspools in the pressure-cooker environment of General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s war room at an English country estate. The movie works backward from a famous 1961 Eisenhower quip to JFK that attributed his success in Normandy, France, to the Allies having “better meteorologists than the Germans.”

If you’re skeptical about how exciting a movie about the weather on D-day might be, “Pressure” takes that as a creative challenge, an argumentative stance from which to start. For the next hour and 40 minutes, Maras and co-writer Haig, who also wrote the 2014 play from which the film is adapted, explain to us exactly how important the meteorologists of D-day were, beginning with the disastrous D-day rehearsal Exercise Tiger.

With the weather app at our fingertips these days, it can be hard to imagine just how difficult it was to forecast the weather in the 1940s, especially in Northern Europe. That was the predicament facing Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) just 72 hours before the planned D-day launch of June 5, 1944. But we know that D-day happened on June 6, so the arrival at that date is part of the film’s narrative intrigue.

After a devastating glimpse of Exercise Tiger, red blood mixing with blue ocean waves and white sandy beaches, we’re quickly introduced to our protagonist, Group Capt. Chief Meteorologist James Stagg (Andrew Scott), in his cozy home with his pregnant wife before he’s swept into critical war planning.

He’s stern, terse and no-nonsense. Stagg is the kind of person who wants to be correct more than he wants to be liked and he insists on a careful collection of live data, using weather balloons, phone calls and mathematical charting. His foil is Col. Irving Krick (Chris Messina), a charming American meteorologist and Eisenhower’s chosen weather guru, a yes man who relies on selective historical data and a persuasive speaker whose approach rankles the fastidious Stagg. Eisenhower instructs the two men to come to an agreement and “Pressure” follows the ups and downs of their working relationship over the course of several days.

The movie becomes a two-hander between Scott’s Stagg and Fraser’s Eisenhower, the former convinced that a storm on June 5 will make conditions less than ideal, the latter raging at the uncertainty while simultaneously attempting to placate a phalanx of military personnel. The troops are requisitioned, the destroyers in place, the full moon just right, the secrecy of the invasion delicate. Fraser’s explosive performance underlines the immensity of the stakes, balancing every precarious element of this enormous mission.

Maras, who is known for another terrific one-setting thriller based on a true story, 2018’s “Hotel Mumbai,” both directs and edits and his films are put together like precision clockwork: propulsive and relentless, the pace italicized by Volker Bertelmann’s scores. “Pressure” is skillfully directed, sweeping us into this world with a kind of addictive immediacy, and is also beautifully lensed by cinematographer Jamie Ramsay. Maras and Ramsay make the wise choice to shoot the film with richly saturated color instead of the usual grayish, desaturated look often assigned to period pieces set in this era. It’s not gritty and harsh, but rather stunning and lovely — an eerie contrast to the terror and bloodshed of the day itself.

While Fraser delivers an external performance as the tough American general, Scott offers a restrained, mostly tamped-down depiction of the repressed and methodical Stagg. But when he finally bursts with a cathartic eleventh-hour speech about the inaccuracy of Krick’s historical forecast, Eisenhower listens. Scott, as seen in “All of Us Strangers” and “Blue Moon,” is so good at this kind of acting, processing every emotion internally but allowing just enough to show to let the audience into his character’s emotional state. It’s wildly compelling to watch.

In a quiet conversation with Eisenhower’s close confidant and aide, Kay Summersby (Kerry Condon), she jokes that weathermen are boring. Stagg reminds her that the weather itself isn’t. Weather feeds us, it can destroy us — it rules our existence, he says. “People ask, ‘When will the wind stop blowing?’ No one ever asks, ‘Why does the wind blow? What is the wind?,’ ” revealing himself as a sort of philosophical poet of the weather. His forecast was the crucial edge in D-day and the volatility of the weather is increasingly relevant in our lives, especially with our changing climate.

Boring? Never. Thrilling and history-making? Indeed.

Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.

“House of the Dragon” Season 3 will see Rhaenyra Targaryen take back King’s Landing — but the war is far from over.

HBO on Friday released the final trailer for the upcoming season of its epic fantasy, which teases brutal battles, many dragons and the Targaryen queen returning to the capital of the Seven Kingdoms to claim the Iron Throne.

“I see you have been merciful,” Alicent Hightower (played by Olivia Cooke) says to her childhood friend (Emma D’Arcy) in the clip. “But the crown is a weight that crushes. You’ll do things that spell death for all involved.”

And if the trailer is any indication, there will be a lot of bloodshed in Season 3.

The second season of “House of the Dragon” left off with Rhaenyra and Alicent plotting for the former to take King’s Landing with minimal resistance in exchange for the latter’s freedom. Unfortunately, Alicent’s promised tribute — her son King Aegon II — has fled his castle so things won’t go exactly as planned.

After a slowburn of a second season, a higher octane Season 3 will kick off with the highly anticipated Battle of the Gullet, a fight at sea that is regarded as one of the bloodiest and most violent clashes in the history of Westeros. “House of the Dragon” showrunner Ryan Condal recently told Entertainment Weekly that the premiere is “arguably the craziest episode of television ever made.”

The new trailer shows that everyone will be reeling in the aftermath. According to the footage, what awaits Rhaenyra during her reign are fearful subjects, conniving enemies, sleepless nights and plenty of anguish.

“In a war, all suffer,” Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) says in the trailer.

“House of the Dragon” Season 3 will premiere June 21.

ELLA Bright left fans absolutely stunned when she revealed her ‘real’ voice on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

The Off Campus actress, 19, has seen huge success in her role as college junior Hannah Wells on the new YA series, where she speaks in an American accent.

However, both Kelly and viewers were left absolutely stunned by what her day-to-day speaking voice actually sounds like.

Bringing it up with Ella, a surprised Kelly said: “Your accent is f*****g throwing me. It’s throwing me, it’s crazy.

“It’s weird. I was doing research on you last night because you were coming on and I was like, ‘Oh my God, she’s British.’

“Because I only saw the clips from Off Campus so I was like, ‘Wait, what?’

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“You do such a great American accent!”

Fans watching the clip felt the same way and commented about it on TikTok.

One user said: “I didn’t know she was British. Wow.”

A second shared: “I’m loving that raspy voice.”

A third added: “Insane insane insane.”

Season 1 of Off Campus debuted earlier this month, corresponding to the first book in Elle Kennedy’s viral series, The Deal, released in 2015.

It follows aspiring film composer Hannah as she pretends to date cocky Briar U hockey captain Garrett Graham to win the attention of her real crush, Justin Kohl (Josh Heuston).

Ella’s on-screen partner, Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli), is 28 years old and also plays the role of a college student.

It’s caused a stir among fans because Ella is actually only 19 years old.

She is the youngest among her co-stars, who range from their mid to late twenties.

Emmerdale fans were left divided when the identity of the arsonist was finally revealed on the latest episode of the long-running ITV soap, especially as a potential production blunder confirmed it weeks ago

Emmerdale fans were left divided when the identity of the arsonist was finally revealed on the latest episode of the long-running ITV soap. For weeks now, viewers of the Yorkshire-based serial have been left guessing after a mysterious hooded figure was seen pouring petrol on Robert Sugden’s farm and setting it alight, with names such as Kammy Hadiq and Graham Foster thrown around as potential suspects.

It was all revealed in the final Emmerdale of the week, but even then, viewers had to wait until just before the credits rolled. Joe Tate (Ned Porteous), Robert, and Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) had spent the day trying to figure out who was the culprit, along with Graham.

At the end of the day, Aaron explained to Robert: “Graham reckons he nearly caught someone today – the arsonist. Well, not nearly caught them, actually. He’s been keeping an eye on the place since Joe thought it was me and Robert starting the fires. Just someone in a dark hoodie, which is pretty much everyone we know.”

As he was talking, the final scene of the episode saw teenager Kyle Winchester (Huey Quinn) walking up to the scene of the crime with a can of petrol and starting the fire.

Fans were quick to react to the revelation, with one writing: “Kyle Dingle needs some serious psychological help first murder then arsonist, what’s next serial killer?!” and another said: “Surely Kyle needs some punishment now. Him offending and the Dingles covering for him is not going to end well.”

Taking to X, another said: “OMG IT WAS KYLE ALL ALONG,” and another wrote: “Omg it’s Kyle,” as they emblazoned their comment with a shocked-face emoji. However, others claimed that the twist was “predictable”, especially given a potential mishap that happened in production.

As with fellow ITV soap Coronation Street, the credits roll with the cast listed in order of appearance and Kyle Winchester was the character noted at the top, and therefore suggested to be the person in the opening scene way back when the mystery was first teased. This opening scene was the hooded fire starter, therefore suggesting even then that it was Kyle.

One said: “#Emmerdale it was so obvious it was Kyle [eye roll emoji] It was as obvious as living in No1 Obvious St, Obvious Cresent in Obvious Town in the country of Fucking Obvious OB3 1OS,” whilst another said: “Oh really… would never have guessed him to be the fire starter.”

A third wrote: “So not only is Kyle a killer for murdering Al – he’s now an arsonist, As much as I’m loving another big story for Kyle and Huey Quinn is brilliant – this almost felt too predictable especially with the early spoiler last week in the end credits. #Emmerdale”

A fourth said: “I really wasn’t expecting Kyle to be the fire starter, it was so unexpected even when a lot of viewers called it weeks ago and #Emmerdale were so excited to tell us they totally didn’t credit Kyle in an episode where we only saw his figure.”

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

ANGELINA Jolie’s ex Jonny Lee Miller has found love once more.

The 53-year-old is romancing a 27-year-old Pilates teacher with the couple having enjoyed a sun-soaked holiday together.

Actor Jonny was married to Angelina in the late 90s for three years before the pair’s split.

But now, according to the Mail, he has been secretly loved-up once again for almost a year.

The publication reports that Jonny and glam Manuela Diago have been dating since June 2025.

Earlier this month, he shared a loved-up snap of them on Instagram as they attended a pal’s wedding.

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Angelina’s ex has had his eye on his new flame for some time – liking her social media content as far back as October 2024.

In addition, several of her snaps seem to be taken in Jonny’s New York abode.

The couple also holidayed in Malta in March – two months before news of their romance became public.

The Sun has reached out to Jonny for comment.

Jonny’s best-known romance was with Angelina.

They married in 1996 but split 18 months later and went on to formally divorce.

Despite splitting, they have remained relatively close and even sparked romantic reunion rumours in 2021.

That year, they were spotted on several outings together.

Around the time, there were reports he had also begun to bond with two of her sons – Pax and Knox.

Meanwhile, between 2008 and 2018, Jonny was married to Michele Hicks and the pair have a 17-year-old son, Buster.

MADONNA has revealed the celebrity who was the “best sex of her life” – and he’s very famous.

The Vogue singer, 67, teamed up with LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr for a new video promoting her upcoming album, Confessions II.

In a sneak peek obtained by Page Six, fashion designer Raul Lopez asked the Queen of Pop to name the “best d*** down” she has ever experienced.

“I’m only going to name dead people,” replied Madonna.

She then covered her mouth and whispered: “John Kennedy Jr.”

Raul added: “Everyone says his d*** was crazy and he was a good f***.”

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“Mmmhmm,” Madonna confirmed.

Raul continued: “You’re the third person I’ve heard say that.”

Madonna dated Kennedy in the late 1980s as her infamously turbulent marriage to Sean Penn was coming to an end.

Kennedy’s competition amongst late lovers include Jean-Michel Basquiat, Luke Perry and Tupac Shakur.

According to JFK Jr.: An Intimate Oral Biography, published in 2024 by RoseMarie Terenzio and Liz McNeil, the romance was short-lived and never developed into anything serious.

“Madonna was totally a fling. Nothing more. Barely a fling at that,” one of Kennedy’s close friends says in the book.

According to the biography, Kennedy was dating actress Christina Haag when he met Madonna, while the pop star was married to Sean Penn.

Meanwhile, the Queen of Pop has royal standards when it comes to travel as we revealed that the hitmaker brought her own private chef on a British Airways flight last month.

It was a busy week in music.

The announcement Wednesday of a concert series honoring the country’s 250th anniversary prompted a swift reaction, and it wasn’t from zealous fans. Within hours of the lineup reveal, multiple music acts slated to play the Great American State Fair declared they were dropping out of the 16-day event after discovering it was part of an initiative out of the Trump White House.

Young MC, Morris Day and Martina McBride were among those who said they would not perform at the concert series scheduled for June and July on the National Mall.

“I have informed my agents that I will not be performing at the Freedom 250 event,” “Bust a Move” rapper Young MC, a.k.a. Marvin Young, posted Wednesday. “The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event.”

Day, frontman of the Prince-affiliated funk/soul group Time, also bowed out. He simply wrote, “It’s a No for Me.”

And country singer McBride described the opportunity as “misleading” in a post on Thursday.

Acts who announced they would not take part in the event were still listed as part of the lineup on Freedom 250’s website as of Friday morning. Described on the website as a “World Fair-style celebration of America’’s [sic] 250th birthday…,” the organization positions itself as “non-partisan” but “working together with the White House Task Force 250.”

The organization also says that it acts as “the official public-private partnership that connects, aligns, and amplifies national and local efforts to deliver the defining presidential moments of this anniversary year.”

I’ll give you a minute to parse that jumble of words …

Meanwhile, another major music concert with more transparent political leanings was announced on Wednesday. Trump critics Bruce Springsteen and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello revealed they’re launching a Power to the People festival set for Oct. 3 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md. And as of Friday, no one had dropped off its roster.

Springsteen and Morello are slated to headline, as are the Foo Fighters, Brittany Howard, Joan Baez and Dave Matthews.

Morello, who is currently on tour with Springsteen, announced the festival on-stage at Nationals Park on Wednesday night. “The Power to the People festival is about freedom, justice, equality and rock and roll,” he said. “It’s about the power everyday human beings have when they come together through music, art, community and action. We’re honored to bring this incredible lineup to the D.C. area for a day that celebrates the spirit of activism, creativity and hope.”

Springsteen was more direct in his indictment of the White House and the fight to preserve democracy. “This American tragedy can only be stopped by the American people: you. There is no one coming to save us. We’ve got to do it ourselves,” said Springsteen on Wednesday during the sold-out tour stop in Washington, D.C. “So join us and let’s fight for the America that we love. Do you hear me, Washington?”

Power to the People is scheduled a month before the November midterms, and includes Dropkick Murphys, Jack Black, Serj Tankian, Cypress Hill, Killer Mike, Taylor Momsen and the Linda Lindas. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the organizations VoteRiders, whose mission is to eliminate ID barriers to the ballot box so eligible voters can cast a ballot, and HeadCount, who help register voters at concerts, festivals, sports and community events.

Artists who had committed to playing the Freedom 250, Great American State Fair — or just pick a name already — and who swiftly dropped out when they saw it was touched by Trump, were busy this week distancing themselves from the event.

“Our music has always been our voice and we choose not to publicly affiliate with any single political party,” the Commodores said in a statement on social media.

Poison frontman Bret Michaels and ‘80s sensation Milli Vanilli were also among the acts who announced they would not be playing the event. (New incarnation of) Milli Vanilli singer Jodie Rocco said the group had not been asked to perform, despite being announced in the lineup.

Artists who still appear to be part of the lineup for the curiously titled national state fair are rapper Flo-Rida and 1980s MTV staples C+C Music Factory and Vanilla Ice. The last appeared at Trump’s New Year’s Eve party at Mar-a-Lago.

Freedom 250 was reminded this week that artists have freedom too. To do or not.

Coronation Street scenes that aired on Friday night’s episode have suggested that Jodie Ramsey may not be the person behind the anonymous trolling about Daniel Osbourne

Coronation Street has seemingly confirmed that Jodie Ramsey is not behind the anonymous trolling that is ruining Daniel Osbourne’s life on the ITV soap.

The teacher has been played by Rob Mallard for over a decade and his latest drama has seen him trying to come to terms with the fact his ex-girlfriend Megan turned out to be a paedophile who had been abusing teenager Will Driscoll.

To make matters worse, an anonymous social media known only as Truthteller has been spreading malicious lies online about him, claiming that he is as bad as Megan. What he doesn’t know is that Shona Platt’s long-list sister Jodie , who broke into his flat and now looks set to become his girlfriend, was the one behind it all. But there was another twist in store as, with the abusive messages having suddenly stopped and the account wiped, Daniel, Jodie and the family went for a meal at the Bistro.

But almost as soon as they sat down, a new account, creatively named Truthteller2, popped up. Exasperated, Jodie said: “What?! How has that happened? and then said: “It must be someone else. Why would the Truthteller become their own sequel?” but Tracy suggested: “Well, maybe to hide their own identity…”

The latest nasty message was claiming Daniel should have Bertie taken off him, and it had come through just moments before, so he suggested it could be someone who was sitting in the restaurant with them all at that very moment. With Jodie having ruled herself out of being beind the new account, this means that, by Daniel’s way of thinking, it could’ve been Tracy, or Adam Barlow, Alya Nazir or Leanne Battersby.

Viewers of the ITV soap will also know that Sam Blakeman, who was the first to suspect Megan’s relationship with Will, has been experiencing hallucinations as he deals with the trauma caused by his threatening teacher. But following the scenes that aired on Friday night, fans think that it could be someone else entirely.

Taking to X, one fan said: “Jodie is definitely going to pay someone else to play Truthteller to ensure the heat is off her?” whilst another said: “Well, it can’t be our Jodie trolling Daniel. She’s sitting next to him.”

But others are still convinced that Jodie is still the one pulling the strings. One fan said: “Jodie using the name truth teller is pretty funny since I don’t think she’d tell the truth about anything unless there was something in it for her & living under Daniel’s roof doesn’t stop her,”

Taking to Reddit, another said: “I assume that Jodie is a psychopath. I actually knew (past tense) a woman with psychopathic traits who tore up 2 family/friend groups, and caused permanent damage to some friendships. She was outed in the end, but not before the damage was done. I assume this is where they’re going with Jodie.”

Another said: “I am genuinely just impatiently waiting for Jodie to be exposed. It’s driving me nuts. Can’t wait for the “the IP address is coming from INSIDE your house!?” moment.

They have to go down psychopath route surely because most of her behaviour is totally nonsensical but always manipulative and self interested. She seems to want to keep Daniel weak so he needs her? Idk. Can’t wait for David to have his “told you so” moment too.”

Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and is available to stream from 7am on ITV X.

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After eating a lot of fast food, some of it on roller coasters, YouTuber Allen Ferrell has been banned by Six Flags from all of its amusement parks nationwide. For life.

McDonald’s chicken nuggets were apparently an ultra-processed food item too far for the folks at Six Flags’ Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio.

“This guest has been banned from all Six Flags parks for life,” a Cedar Point spokesman explained in an email Thursday to Cleveland TV station WKYC. “Safety is a cornerstone of our business and we have zero tolerance for inappropriate and unsafe behavior.”

Zero tolerance for inappropriate behavior? Zero? Where’s the fun in that?

“Our ride safety policy strictly prohibits all loose articles on rides, including food which can become a choking hazard,” the spokesperson continued.

“I had no idea that eating a 10-piece chicken nugget on a roller coaster would be a national headline, but here we are,” Ferrell told Fox 8 News in Cleveland.

He said he gets the park’s point with the ban, even though he’s been going there since he was a kid and is a huge fan of the operation.

“I understand. And we kind of worked it out,” he told Fox 8 News. “They just don’t want other people getting hurt on the ride. But me personally, it was a really fun challenge.”

Ferrell’s shtick on social media is accepting challenges from his followers and then taping himself attempting to do what they propose. Eat a McDonald’s Big Mac inside a Burger King. Throw a plunger at a Target sign. Bowl blindfolded until he gets a strike.

“If anyone asks,” Ferrell tells one apparently bored ride operator in the video that documented this particular coaster crime, “I do not have chicken nuggets in my underwear.”

Ferrell decided to try the challenge on the park’s Millennium Force ride, a “looming giant amongst a park full of them,” a coaster that was “designed for the purpose of proving bigger is better.” A roller coaster that when it was created in 2000 “demanded an all-new category just to classify its one of a kind nature,” giving rise to the “giga-coaster.” According to Cedar Point, as all of this verbiage is, Millennium Force “shoots riders over hills, past lagoons and through tunnels, all at unthinkable speeds.”

The ride actually tops out at 93 mph, a speed often thought about on freeways in the Los Angeles area when traffic is going 8 mph. It’s quite thinkable to eat fast food in a car in L.A. But it turns out what was really unthinkable was Ferrell getting all 10 nuggets down the hatch before the Six Flags ride was over.

In the video, which had almost 800,000 views on YouTube as of Friday afternoon, he morphs from happy snacking dude to dude moaning in discomfort, struggling to shove nuggets in his mouth while unintentionally applying dipping sauce to his face via G-force.

“Oh, I failed,” Ferrell says, wiping off the face-sauce as the coaster pulls up to the platform and someone in line blurts, “Are those chicken nuggets?”

Turns out he snarfed seven of them, he confesses to the two guys in front of him in the coaster car. Ferrell said later that he was glad to be in the back row because it meant nobody behind him got sauced.

That said, watching the sweet-and-sour sauce flying in slow motion is actually quite amusing. But eating nuggets that have been in one’s underwear?

The perma-ban sounds like the least of his problems.

OSCAR winner Marcia Lucas has died from cancer aged 80.

Known as the secret weapon and unsung hero of Star Wars, Marcia died at her holiday home in Rancho Mirage, California.

The ex-wife of George Lucas, Marcia was best known for editing Star Wars and Return of the Jedi.

Marcia died on Wednesday evening, her family said.

In an emotional statement, they called the filmmaker a “trailblazer”.

A family member said: “Marcia was a force.”

“A true trailblazer for women in film and one of the most influential editors in cinematic history; she helped redefine what film editing could be and paved the way for generations of women who followed.”

She won an Academy Award in 1977 for Best Film Editing.

In 1969 she married George Lucas, who she had met while working on the documentary Journey to the Pacific.

Raised in North Hollywood, Marcia met her future husband while they were working as assistants for editor Verna Fields.

The success of D-day, a pivotal moment in World War II, partially hinged on the weather forecast. The Allied invasion of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, was planned for months as the American and British forces held practice operations in England.

Enormous efforts were made to mislead the Germans about what was coming. The operation was originally scheduled for June 5 but the day before, James Stagg, a meteorologist and group captain in the Royal Air Force, advised the American commander, Dwight D. Eisenhower, to wait for better conditions.

This lesser-known decision is the premise of “Pressure,” a new movie from filmmaker Anthony Maras. It’s an adaptation of David Haig’s play of the same name, in which the playwright himself portrayed Stagg. Haig, who co-wrote the “Pressure” screenplay with Maras, compares it to “The Imitation Game.”

“Some of these heroes who affect history from the sidelines just stay in the sidelines until somebody does research, discovers them lurking and finds they are so quietly heroic that it’s irresistible as a story,” Haig says, speaking via Zoom from London.

Haig began writing a version of the script shortly after the play debuted at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh in May 2014. It moved to the West End in 2018, and opened in North America at Toronto’s Royal Alexandra Theatre in 2023. Maras came onboard after making his 2018 film “Hotel Mumbai,” also based on a true story.

“When I first read the play and the script, I was bowled over by how, with this one decision, so many lives were changed,” Maras says, on a video call from Los Angeles. “Not just the lives of the men on the beach but throughout the Allied world. When you think of a war story, you think of men and now women on the field, but there is so much more to it behind the scenes.”

The film expands Haig’s play and includes additional characters and sequences, including the actual D-day invasion. It stars Andrew Scott as Stagg, Brendan Fraser as Eisenhower, Kerry Condon as Eisenhower’s secretary Kay Summersby, Chris Messina as U.S. Air Force meteorologist Irving P. Krick and Damian Lewis as senior British army officer Bernard Montgomery.

Both Haig and Maras strove to be as historically accurate as possible, even including archival footage from the war. “It is inevitably heightened, as any stage play or film is,” Haig says. “But it is very true.”

“It is absolutely as true as we could get it within the confines of a two-hour runtime,” Maras adds. “We took great lengths to try and be as accurate to the history but also to the deeper story as possible.”

Here’s what is true and what is dramatized in “Pressure.”

The importance of the weather

Brendan Fraser, left, and Andrew Scott in the movie “Pressure.”

(Alex Bailey / Focus Features / StudioCanal)

D-day, secretly known as Operation Overlord, was timed based on several factors, including the weather, the tides and the moonlight. Because the assault was multipronged, with Allied forces coming by sea, land and air, they required good visibility at night and a high tide to ensure less distances between the boats and the defending Germans.

“There were hundreds of meters between low tide and high tide,” Maras says. “So depending on where the boats landed, you either had 50 meters until you made it to the dunes and then the bunkers, or you had to make it 300 meters if it was low tide.”

A clear forecast with low winds and no rain was essential.

“The landing craft were antiquated and flat-bottomed,” Haig says, “and if they had gone on May 5 with the storms that Stagg anticipated coming in with the jet stream, those landing craft would have capsized. The war wouldn’t have been lost, although we do posit that it might have been in the film. In reality, failure would have elongated [the war] and caused countless extra deaths.”

To shoot “Pressure,” the filmmakers used real charts and meteorological instruments. The production design team re-created the famous D-day map from the Allied headquarters in Southwark House. The real one was made in two pieces by separate manufacturers to ensure secrecy.

“When you see that map, it’s a little bit mismatched and our team re-created that,” Maras says. “We got the paper they used to draw the maps from the same mill they used for those maps 80 years ago. A lot of effort was put into the minutiae that adds to the accuracy.”

Exercise Tiger

The film opens with a depiction of an Allied training operation called Exercise Tiger, which took place over several months on England’s Slapton Sands. Because many of the soldiers were young and untested, the Allied leaders wanted to prepare them for the sights and sounds of battle.

“They did a whole series of exercises to try and get together a full-scale dress rehearsal of what D-day would be,” Maras says.

These rehearsals, still widely unknown and spanning from late 1943 through April 1944, involved dangerous friendly fire and suffered from serious coordination errors, resulting in the real-life deaths of at least 700 American and British soldiers.

“That was an absolute disaster and yet we remember D-day as one of the great military triumphs in history,” Haig says.

Maras wanted the film to begin with this moment to emphasize the headspace of the Allied leaders.

“How do you establish what the true consequences of failure are for a story like this?” Maras says. “When we’re in the war room with all of those commanders and officers, they know what the implications of their words mean because they’ve seen it. They’ve lived it. The image of the blood in the water and the young men in that water was to tattoo in the audience’s brain that if these commanders mess up, this could happen again.”

Eisenhower, in particular, felt the magnitude of D-day. “He wrote two letters on the eve of D-day: what happens in success and what happens in failure,” Maras says. “He was sleeping two hours a night. He was a nervous wreck.”

Stagg vs. Krick

In the film, Scott’s Stagg arrives at Southwark House from Dunstable four days before D-day is planned. He is confronted by the American meteorologist Krick, who disagrees with him about the potentially disastrous forecast. Krick believes sun and calm seas are on the horizon thanks to historical analogue charts, but Stagg, using more comprehensive prediction methods, thinks a major storm is coming.

“In actuality, Stagg came onboard in about November 1943 and got to Southwark House a few months earlier,” Maras says. “His transfer came a few months earlier, not a few days earlier. The contours of the relationships between Stagg and Krick and the others are accurate, but they took place in a more compressed timeline.”

Both Stagg and Krick have recounted their version of events in various books, both claiming they were right about the weather. Although Haig and Maras imagine their dialogue and how these conflicts may have played out, the conflicts were real.

“They both adhered to their own meteorological vision,” Haig says, explaining the differences in prediction models from continent to continent. “In the United States, Krick’s system of weather forecasting was viable. If you come to the U.K., you can’t rely on the weather for more than five minutes, so that method doesn’t apply.”

Adds Maras, “They thought, ‘The weather is going to be good. We should hold our nerve and go.’ There was a rhetorically violent disagreement between him and the others.”

In the film, Krick claims that he has never inaccurately predicted the weather ahead of a battle, using his successes in North Africa as evidence. This was technically true.

“He was very good at his job within the context of certain geographical landscapes,” Haig says. “He didn’t make a mistake in North Africa. When Eisenhower challenges Stagg, he says, ‘This man never got it wrong.’ And he didn’t. In the whole of the North African campaign, Krick was spot on.”

After Stagg convinces the leaders to postpone D-day, he is vindicated by a deluge of rain that arrives while everyone is attending church at Southwark House on June 5. There was a church on site, although this moment in the film was dramatized.

“Whether it began raining precisely at that moment I have my doubts,” Haig says. “But it has the framework of truth.”

Ike and Kay

Andrew Scott and Kerry Condon in the movie “Pressure.”

(Alex Bailey / Focus Features / StudioCanal)

Kay Summersby had been an ambulance driver during the Blitz. The film hints at a less-than-professional relationship between Eisenhower and his personal secretary. She was certainly with Eisenhower at Southwark House, although there is less evidence that she had any kind of association with Stagg.

“The biggest fictional thing I did with both the play and the film was to join the third point of the triangle so you’ve got Stagg, Eisenhower and Kay,” Haig says. “The link between Stagg and Kay historically would be tenuous.”

There are differing opinions about Eisenhower and Kay’s relationship. “We know that they were extremely close and they shared a trustful bond,” Maras says. “There are many photos of them together. She was definitely a big force in Ike’s life at that time, and we wanted to pay respect to that.”

“Whatever one’s interpretation of the relationships that she inhabits within the story, her influence was substantial,” Haig adds.

After seeing Peter Jackson’s 2018 World War I documentary “They Shall Not Grow Old,” Maras had the idea to use colorized archival footage in “Pressure.”

“In the D-day sequence at the end, there are various real-life shots of the soldiers landing on the beaches,” Maras says. “We were able to cut between the archival [material] and our footage to increase the scope. And it wasn’t just to get the scale. Yes, we have shots of massive flotillas and ships and trucks, but sometimes it was just for a glance of a soldier where you can see death in his eyes.”

The team ultimately acquired more than 50 hours of archival footage. They hired research editors to go through it and, after a few days, Maras asked if any of the editors could recommend additional crew to help.

Then a man named James Stagg showed up to work. “Stagg’s grandson, 80 years later, walked into our offices and helped edit the archival movie footage that we put in his grandfather’s film,” Maras says.

Stagg’s wife

Andrew Scott in the movie “Pressure.”

(Alex Bailey / Focus Features / StudioCanal)

The play doesn’t include scenes with Stagg’s wife, Elizabeth, but Haig purposefully bookends the film with the couple together. “When he arrives at Southwark House as a terse, brusque, tricky man, you’ve already experienced his level of affection with his wife and that’s really important contextually,” Haig says. “You’re waiting for the end when he goes back to see her and the baby.”

At the time when Stagg went to Southwark House, his wife was pregnant. Stagg was not allowed to make phone calls to her because of the secrecy surrounding D-day. In reality, the hospital where she gave birth was not bombed, as it is in the movie.

“The bombing of the hospital was more reflective of the times that Stagg and his wife had gone through in the lead up to D-day,” Maras says. “That element is to encapsulate that Stagg was fearing for his wife. As he walks down this corridor, he is faced with: Is she alive? Is she dead?”

Truth to power

Ultimately, Stagg tells a room full of military leaders that they have to pause on D-day because of the weather — a truthful inclusion. It was important to Maras to emphasize how he stood up to power.

“Here’s a protagonist who’s not afraid to speak his mind and has the courage to get up in front of a room full of the most powerful military on Earth at that point and tell them something they don’t want to hear,” Maras says.

“When Eisenhower was passing on the baton of leadership at the inauguration for JFK, JFK asked, ‘What gave you the edge on D-day?’ Eisenhower said, ‘We had better meteorologists than the Germans.’ He had the wisdom to trust in the experts. It’s worth heeding that lesson from history.”

Some are calling the controversy over Olivia Rodrigo’s recent outfit choices babydoll-dress-gate, Olivia Rodrigo calls it “weird.”

The dress debacle kicked up in early May when Rodrigo released the music video for “Drop Dead,” in which she runs through the Palace of Versailles wearing a pink-and-blue ruffled babydoll set while singing about the intensity of a crush. Then on May 8, she wore a cottage-core pink-and-white floral babydoll dress with knee-high Dr. Martens during a live performance in Barcelona.

Rodrigo was drawing from subversive feminist and punk fashion of yore, but internet critics were quick to slam the “deja vu” singer, saying the ensemble was sexualizing child-like imagery. In an hour-and-a-half interview with the New York Times Popcast that dropped on Thursday, Rodrigo staunchly defended the dress and called the criticism disturbing.

“I have worn outfits that are maybe revealing on stage, like I’ve been on stage in a sparkly bra and little shorts — which is my right — that’s fun,” she said. “I felt cool and comfortable in that, and that wasn’t inappropriate, but me fully covered up in a dress that people deemed to be, like, childlike was inappropriate, and I think it shows how we really normalize pedophilia in our culture.”

Rodrigo further decried the criticism as rhetoric that girls are fed from a young age, “which is ‘don’t wear that, because then a man is going to sexualize your body, and it’s your fault’ — it’s so weird.”

Rodrigo said she didn’t think she looked “sexy” in the babydoll dress; she was going for a cool look à la Kathleen Hannah or like Courtney Love, musicians whom the pop star said are her heroes. Love appeared to defend Rodrigo on social media by resharing posts defending the singer-songwriter in since-expired Instagram stories.

“I just think if we start dressing in a way that’s like, ‘Oh, I don’t want some f— freak to think that I am sexy like a baby’ or some crazy thing like that, I think it’s losing the plot a little bit,” she said. “I’m very protective of younger women and girls, and I don’t ever want them to be fed that rhetoric. You shouldn’t be responsible for some guy sexualizing you in a way that was never your intention.”

Rodrigo’s third studio album, “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love,” which features hit singles “Drop Dead” and “The Cure,” will be released June 12.

THEY are already two of the most in-demand Brits in ­entertainment – her selling out stadiums globally and him a front-runner to be the next James Bond.

But one week today, superstar Dua Lipa and her movie star fiancé ­Callum Turner will say “I do” at a lavish ceremony in Sicily, cementing themselves as our most high-profile power ­couple since Posh and Becks.

The Sun can reveal that showbiz pals including singers Charli XCX and Tove Lo are on the guestlist, with friends and family due to fly out on Thursday for three days of celebrations.

There are even whispers that Sir Elton John, who Dua collaborated with on the 2021 song Cold Heart, could perform.

An insider said: “Dua and Callum are both ecstatic that they’re finally getting married. They’re head over heels for each other.

“The original plan was for an ­intimate wedding, but it is now going to be a ­massive, luxurious affair across three days.

“She attended Charli’s wedding in Sicily last year and was really inspired to push the boat out for her own Italian celebrations.

“They have rented out multiple huge venues for the multi-event extravaganza, although the exact details are being kept under wraps due to security concerns, as fans are desperate to catch a glimpse of them.

“The couple have been doing daily workouts at stylish members’ club 180 House in London to prepare for their big day and Dua has been ­telling friends she cannot wait to walk down the aisle.

“It’s going to be a true fairytale ­wedding.”

As well as proving their love for each other, the ceremony will strengthen their position as showbiz A-listers, with the pair expected to bank hundreds of millions between them in the next two years.

Callum will be back on screens this summer in the rom-com One Night Only, but James Bond is the starring role he has his eye on, with the bookies ranking him as favourite to land the part.

There have been ­whispers they could both be involved in 007’s next outing, with Dua said to be in consideration to record the Bond theme, something she has said she has wanted to do for years.

While Callum has been building his acting career, his wife-to-be has been working on her business empire.

As well as making her highly-­anticipated fourth studio album with top producer Mark Ronson — who has been invited to the wedding — she is in the midst of launching her Dua By AB skincare line, which is forecast to become a major money-spinner.

She has also just become a global brand ambassador for Nespresso alongside George Clooney and is expanding her ­editorial and cultural platform ­Service95.

And just this week, she announced a new partnership with Google Maps to share her top travel tips.

Holiday-loving Dua knows all about those, having been on a string of getaways including, in the past month, a visit to Copenhagen with Callum and a holiday to Ibiza with more than 20 pals for her hen do.

Among the friends who joined her was fashion designer Simon Porte Jacquemus, the man behind the label Jacquemus, who is believed to have created at least one of the dresses she will wear for her wedding ­celebrations.

Dua previously wore a sheer white dress designed by him when she attended his wedding to partner Marco Maestri in 2022.

The Sun first revealed Callum had popped the question to New Rules singer Dua in December 2024 after just a year of dating, and she ­confirmed the news in an interview with British Vogue last June.

Dua, who completed her 81-date, £100million-grossing Radical Optimism Tour in December, said at the time: “I want to finish my tour — Callum’s shooting, so we’re just ­enjoying this period.

“I’ve never been someone who’s really thought about a wedding, or dreamt about what kind of bride I would be. All of a sudden I’m like, ‘Oh, what would I wear?’.

“This decision to grow old together, to see a life and just be best friends forever — it’s a really special feeling.”

The singer also revealed Callum had her engagement ring made ­especially for her, after discussing it with her sister Rina, who is expected to be a bridesmaid along with her best friends.

Dua said: “It’s very exciting. I’m obsessed with it. It’s so me. It’s nice to know the person that you’re going to spend the rest of your life with knows you very well.”

But while their white ­wedding is shaping up to be one of the most spectacular in recent showbiz ­memory, they have some competition.

This summer will see a slew of celebrity services, with superstar ­Taylor Swift set to tie the knot with American football star Travis Kelce a month later on July 3.

That wedding is already one of the most talked-about events of the year, with the nuptials of America’s favourite couple potentially even competing with the 250th anniversary Independence Day celebrations the following day.

Selena Gomez, Gigi Hadid and Cara Delevingne are among the many stars who have been invited to the wedding, which is set to take place at a highly secure venue in New York City.

Security is so tight for the big day that guests have been warned they will not be informed of the exact location until hours before the ceremony.

But as the hottest ticket in town, some guests have this week fumed about their “no ring, no bring” policy, after one ­person claimed they had been invited, but told they could not bring a “plus one”.

The anonymous guest told one newspaper: “What am I supposed to do? Go alone? That is so awkward.”

Taylor and Travis started dating in 2023, shortly after the end of Taylor’s whirlwind month-long romance with The 1975 rocker Matty Healy, who she is now racing to beat up the aisle.

He is also engaged after finding love with model and musician Gabbriette Bechtel, and they are set to tie the knot in July, too.

Unlike Taylor, they have opted to do so on the other side of the country in ­California, where his bride is from. The couple have already spent more than £100,000 on flights for their friends and family to travel over from the UK.

Charli XCX has also been invited to their wedding after marrying Matty’s bandmate, drummer George Daniel.

And Matty’s mum, Loose Women star Denise Welch, has revealed she is relieved it is Gabbriette and not Taylor her son is marrying.

Last July, she said: “Obviously, on pain of death can I talk about that episode, but being her mother-in-law is a role I am glad that I lost.

“Not that I have anything against her at all. It was just — it was tricky.

“She . . . listen, you’re not allowed to say anything, and then she writes a whole album about it.

“Matty has taken it all in ­completely good grace. He’s very happy with his amazing fiancée Gabbriette, who is ­gorgeous. So, we’ve moved on.”

They aren’t the only exes who could both be saying “I do” this year.

Miley Cyrus got engaged to her musician boyfriend Maxx Morando at the end of last year and is believed to be planning an intimate wedding.

Meanwhile, actor Liam Hemsworth, who split from Miley in 2019 after less than a year of ­marriage, got down on one knee for his model partner Gabriella Brooks last September.

So while wedding bells will be ringing out at ridiculously opulent and over-the-top ceremonies this summer, you can bet their showbiz exes will be keeping an eye on whose was better.

It’s hard to believe we’re approaching the end of May and the midpoint of the year, which means some of our favorite shows have come to a close, including “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” which aired its final episode on CBS last week. Our critics and columnists weighed in on Colbert’s tenure as host of “The Late Show” over the years, writing about why he was the risky but right choice to host, his faith and his next chapter. And “Hacks,” starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, dropped its series finale on HBO Max last night. Times culture columnist Mary McNamara and television critic Robert Lloyd took a moment to discuss the course of the show after five seasons, the characters and why they found the finale satisfying.

While those series have come to an end, a new television show, Prime Video’s “Spider-Noir,” arrived this week with a different take on a beloved superhero, Spider-Man. “Spider-Noir” stars Nicolas Cage as Ben Reilly and his alter ego the Spider. Writer Carlos Aguilar spoke to Cage and co-star Lamorne Morris about their spin on the comic book-based characters they portray, and this week, Karen Rodriguez, who plays Ben’s secretary Janet Ruiz on the show, stopped by Guest Spot to talk about her character, working with the ensemble cast and how she gets a nice prize at the end of the season (be warned, a few spoilers ahead).

Also in this week’s Screen Gab, our writers recommend a trio of newly arrived second seasons and a collection of films based on Homer’s “The Odyssey” that will get you in the mood for Christopher Nolan’s epic arriving later this summer. Vacation screen time can’t come soon enough. — Maira Garcia

Turn on

Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times

Asif Ali, Poorna Jagannathan and Saagar Shaikh in Season 2 of “Deli Boys.”

(Sandy Morris / Disney)

Season 2 of “The Four Seasons” (Netflix), “Patience” (PBS) and “Deli Boys” (Hulu)

There is a season, goes the song, and there is sometimes a second season. Here’s your chance to turn (turn, turn) on your TV to three fine, finally returning series. Tina Fey’s “The Four Seasons” demonstrates there’s still life in this bumpy midlife friend-com about couples (in flux) who vacation together four times a year because apparently there are people who can afford to do that. (On this year’s itinerary: the Catskills, the Jersey Shore and Italy.) It stars Fey, Colman Domingo, Will Forte and others, and even a little bit of Steve Carell, though his character died at the end of Season 1. (Flashbacks, baby.) “Patience,” a charming British mystery, airing here as part of PBS’ “Masterpiece,” stars charismatic autistic actor Ella Maisy Purvis as a neurodivergent amateur detective, assisting the police in York, England. This season replaces Laura Fraser’s finally understanding detective investigator Bea Metcalf with Frankie Monroe (Jessica Hynes), a less sympathetic successor, but Mark Benton (whom you may know from Britbox’s “Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators,” or should) as Calvin Baxter is happily still around as the boss. Abdullah Saeed’s hectic, hilarious “Deli Boys” retails the further misadventures of brothers Mir (Asif Ali) and Raj (Saagar Shaikh), who last season stumbled unaware into their late father’s drug business, fronted by a chain of convenience stores. New to the show this season are Fred Armisen as a casino owner, Andrew Rannells as a district attorney and Kumail Nanjiani as the lawyer for the brothers’ Lucky Auntie (Poorna Jagannathan, majestic). — Robert Lloyd

John Turturro, left, Tim Blake Nelson and George Clooney in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”

(Melinda Sue Gordon / Universal Pictures)

Odysseys (Criterion Channel)

All hail original IP, which is great and all, but sometimes a 3,000-year-old story sticks around for a reason. Homer crystallized the impulse to return home after a long time away from all that is familiar. We’ll watch Matt Damon make that journey in Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” hitting theaters July 17, but until then, Criterion builds anticipation with some of the most notable homeward journeys. Martin Scorsese achieves a kind of cosmic misfortune with 1985’s “After Hours,” in which Griffin Dunne’s yuppie only wants to escape Soho and go back to his apartment after a late-night date gone sour. You can bop to the Coens’ tuneful “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” a faithful Homeric translation, then check out the Preston Sturges satire “Sullivan’s Travels,” which inspired the Coens’ title. But don’t let David Lynch’s “The Straight Story” pass you by: It was the least name-checked of his films when the director died last year, but it’s one of his most gentle and improbable triumphs, about a road trip via lawn tractor to a dying brother. — Joshua Rothkopf

Guest spot

A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching

Janet Ruiz (Karen Rodriguez) in “Spider-Noir.”

(Aaron Epstein / Prime)

Being exceptionally competent at your job is a superhero power — so says this editor. In “Spider-Noir,” Rodriguez plays Janet, a secretary to private investigator Ben Reilly, a.k.a. the Spider. But Janet is not just someone who sits behind the desk answering phones and filing paperwork. She’s as much a gumshoe as Reilly, walking into a police station with poise and ease to sweet-talk the officer into giving her crucial information on an investigation (all it takes is a good sandwich). Her ability to ask the right questions and find answers puts her on equal ground with Reilly and his best friend Robbie Robertson, the investigative journalist played by Morris, leading her to a rightful promotion at the end of series. Don’t you love it when good old-fashioned hard work gets you ahead?

While Rodriguez has been busy lately with her breakout role in “Spider-Noir,” she has also been at work on “The Hunting Wives,” Netflix’s hit drama in which she plays Deputy Wanda Salazar and is slated to return later this year. The actor spoke to us about going toe to toe with Cage, why she loved working with her various cast mates and what she’s watching now. — M.G.

“Spider-Noir” is a comic book adaption, but it’s also a take on classic noir films. How did you prepare for your role as Janet given the mix of genres?

I had a little more freedom because Janet is strictly based on the Girl Friday archetype from classic noir. So I first started with the scripts. Oren [Uziel]’s vision for Janet was very precise in the writing, and from that arc I wanted to figure out why this particular woman in this particular world and what does she offer the environment that no one else can. Then I delved into “The Maltese Falcon” (Janet was based off of Effie Perine), “Double Indemnity,” “His Girl Friday,” among others. And then I mixed it all in with Nick’s take on Ben Reilly because so much of who Janet is absolutely informed by who Ben is.

Janet is very no-nonsense, especially with Ben, even though he’s her boss. What was it like “managing up” and playing off of Nick’s acting? Have you ever dealt with a boss like that in real life?

Well, I think that what’s great about Janet is that she is no-nonsense but she also has a killer sense of humor and wit. I think it makes her someone who’s very skilled at getting what she wants, a little sugar with the medicine. Nick is the ultimate scene partner — so prepared, so playful and most importantly, unpredictable. For Janet, Ben’s antics are her obstacle in the scene and Nick always made sure Ben gave Janet plenty of obstacles. All I had to do was know Janet is the boss and the voice of reason, then listen and respond to him. We had a great time keeping each other on our toes and I’m so grateful to have had that experience with him. No, I haven’t had a boss like that!

Janet shares a lot of scenes with different characters, like Robbie (Morris), Lonnie (Abraham Popoola) or even Frankie (Cary Christopher), the little boy who’s friendly with Ben. She is very good at connecting with people. How was it creating a rapport with so many different cast mates and was there a scene or moment that stood out to you?

Thank you for saying that! Her ability to connect with people is one of my favorite parts about her. And oh, I loved it. The ensemble acting of it all thrills me. It allows me to explore different facets of the character and it’s just fun to collide with different actors. And this particular cast made it so joyful — they’re all mega-talented but also super-focused and hardworking. We just wanted to make the best show we could.

A moment that stood out to me … I loved seeing Janet’s superpower in the scene with Lonnie, how her kindness and ability to make people feel seen makes her a powerful player in this world. And Abraham Popoola is just magnificent so it was a really fun day on set with him and Lamorne.

In the end Janet and Ben become partners. Was that inevitable given her skills?

I would like to think so! And I think Janet would too! But it still made me cry when I read the episode and when I saw the office door sign with both their names. I think for Janet, too — despite knowing she’s worth it, it is still momentous to have Ben give her her due.

Along with “Spider-Noir,” you’ll be back on “The Hunting Wives” for Season 2 later this year. Anything you can tease about what Wanda Salazar might be up to?

You know Maple Brook is going to give her plenty to do! She’s definitely going to have her hands full this season. And I’m excited because I think fans are in for some shocking moments!

What have you watched recently that you are recommending to everyone you know?

“Ponies” [Peacock]. Oh, and I’ve been watching “The Comeback” [HBO Max], Season 1-3. Lisa Kudrow forever.

What’s your go-to comfort watch, the movie or TV show you go back to again and again?

“The Office” [Peacock]. “Bridget Jones’s Diary” [YouTube, Paramount+]. “Pride and Prejudice,” 2005 vibes [Britbox, Prime Video].

ICYMI

Must-read stories you might have missed

Hello! I’m Mark Olsen. Welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies.

Both made by 20-something directors who emerged from the world of YouTube, the horror movies “Obsession” and “Backrooms” are dominating the conversation. They could come to represent a pivotal moment for how Hollywood engages with young talent and audiences alike.

I saw Curry Barker’s “Obsession” this week at a packed holiday matinee and Kane Parsons’ “Backrooms” is on track for a huge opening weekend — maybe the largest in A24’s history. The fact that audiences are responding to these films is exciting and one has to hope that Hollywood takes the right message from their successes: to give young filmmakers the space to create the projects they want to make, rather than shoehorn them into preconceived notions of what people want. Audiences right now seem to be proving themselves to be adventuresome when given the opportunity to try something new.

Marilyn at 100

Marilyn Monroe in the 1953 classic “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”

(Academy Museum)

When Marilyn Monroe’s death was first reported in The Times on Aug. 6, 1962, the news read, “Marilyn Monroe, a troubled beauty who failed to find happiness as Hollywood’s brightest star, was discovered dead in her Brentwood home of an apparent overdose of sleeping pills.”

That intertwining of the glamour and sex appeal of her public persona with an air of doomed tragedy would permanently attach itself to her image, making her one of the most unforgettable stars Hollywood has ever created.

Monday marks the 100th anniversary of Monroe’s birth in L.A.’s Boyle Heights, where she was born Norma Jeane Mortenson. In celebration of Monroe’s centennial, the Academy Museum will open a new exhibition on Sunday, “Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon,” featuring hundreds of objects including personal materials never before displayed and a number of her most memorable costumes.

The museum will also launch a 17-film series spotlighting Monroe’s remarkable career, including her versatile talent as both a comedian and a more dramatic performer. Highlights include the 1953 thriller “Niagara,” 1950’s backstage drama “All About Eve” in a new 35mm print with an introduction from journalist Lorraine Nicholson and 1955’s “The Seven Year Itch” with writer Kim Morgan introducing. Elsewhere, “Some Like It Hot” from 1959 and Monroe’s final completed film, “The Misfits,” will both show in 4K.

On Sunday, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” will play in the Academy’s David Geffen Theater in 4K. There are also other Monroe screenings and events around the city, including multiple shows of “Gentlemen” at the Gardena Cinema on Saturday.

Marilyn Monroe and photographer Bruno Bernard backstage at the Hollywood Bowl in 1953.

(Bernard of Hollywood Foundation Archive)

Authors Mark A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller have collaborated on a new book, “The Marilyn Monroe Century: From Norma Jeane to Icon — A Story in Photographs.” The culmination of a seven-year-long research process, the book unearths original negatives of pictures of Monroe taken by Miller’s grandfather, acclaimed photographer Bruno Bernard. Bernard, who died in 1987, shot with her before she had even adopted the name Marilyn Monroe and took the best-known images of her, standing on a subway grate with her white dress billowing up while in production on “The Seven Year Itch.”

“One of the stories I’m trying to tell with a lot of these pictures is to counter the narrative that Marilyn didn’t have agency in the creation of her persona,” says Miller in a recent Zoom call from a room at the Chateau Marmont. “The truth is she was very much instrumental in constructing her image. And Bruno was a big part of that. Photographers at that time were not only the photographer — they were the best friend, the therapist, the agent, the stylist. I think it’s really important to have context for these pictures because this kind of history gets lost.”

The book does a remarkable job of providing additional atmosphere around images that might already be familiar, giving a fuller sense of what was going on both inside and outside of the frame. The notorious subway-grate scene was actually shot twice, first in New York and again in Los Angeles.

“I think what I’ve been trying to do is not rewrite the narrative, but thread [Bruno] correctly back into the stitching of Marilyn’s mythology,” Miller says. “He is one of the only photographers who deeply knew both Norma Jeane and Marilyn. I know everyone says they know the ‘real Marilyn,’ but he was part of the construction with her to create that.”

The joy of sadness with ‘Bleak Week’

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Brady Corbet in the movie “Mysterious Skin.”

(Tartan Films)

“Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair” has become the signature program of the American Cinematheque, expanding beyond its L.A. footprint for editions at other theaters not just around the country but around the world. Turning sadness, depression and defeat into group activities to be enjoyed together has been an ingenious masterstroke of programming.

Now in its fifth edition, this year’s highlight will be a series with Isabelle Huppert, who will be present for screenings of such downbeat fare as “The Piano Teacher,” “Le Cérémonie,” Violètte Noziere,” “Elle,” “Time of the Wolf” and “Heaven’s Gate.”

Filmmaker Ari Aster will also be present for a complete retrospective of his four features. Other guests include Denis Villeneuve with “Incendies,” Allen Hughes with “Dead Presidents,” Al Pacino with “The Godfather Part II,” Gregg Araki with “Mysterious Skin,” Robert Englund with “Buster and Billie,” Werner Herzog with “Heart of Glass” and Theresa Russell with “Bad Timing.”

I will be introducing the U.S. theatrical premiere of a 4K restoration of Carlos Saura’s 1966 “The Hunt” and moderating Q&As with filmmaker Richard Kelly for the 20th anniversary of the Cannes cut of “Southland Tales” and actor Haley Joel Osment for a 25th anniversary 35mm screening of “A.I. Artificial Intelligence.” And The Times’ Joshua Rothkopf will moderate a Q&A with Aster for “Eddington,” while Amy Nicholson will talk to Aster for “Midsommar.”

UCLA’s Festival of Preservation

Leslie Uggams in 1972’s “Black Girl.”

(UCLA Film & Television Archive)

The UCLA Festival of Preservation is one of the city’s most-longstanding and venerated events for film lovers, celebrating revered classics and rediscovered obscurities alike. This year’s edition, the 22nd, opens with the West Coast premiere of a new restoration of Ossie Davis’ 1972 “Black Girl,” an adaptation of J.E. Franklin’s successful play about thee generations of Black women.

Jose Luis Ruiz’s groundbreaking 1975 documentary on Latino immigrants, “The Unwanted,” will have a restoration world premiere. The restoration of Budd Boetticher’s 1955 melodrama “The Magnificent Matador,” starring Anthony Quinn and Maureen O’Hara, brings back the film’s stunning look in Cinemascope and Eastmancolor.

Andre de Toth’s 1948 thriller “Pitfall,” starring Dick Powell and Lisbeth Scott, will have a world premiere restoration. The series concludes with De Toth’s stylish romantic drama “The Other Love” from 1947 starring Barbara Stanwyck. The restoration reinstitutes the original ending of the film unseen by audiences since the 1940s.

Former Times critic Keneth Turan has made his own picks for what not to miss.

A tender coming-of-age romance

Vincent Spano and Rosanna Arquette in the movie “Baby, It’s You.”

(Paramount Pictures)

Produced by Amy Robinson and Griffin Dunne between their work on Joan Micklin Silver’s “Chilly Scenes of Winter” and Martin Scorsese’s “After Hours,” the 1983 movie “Baby It’s You” captures a number of rising talents at just the right moment. Only the third feature written and directed by John Sayles (and still his only movie made at a Hollywood studio), the film is a particularly smart take on the coming-of-age romance, with a sharp sense of time and place. It’s even shot by cinematographer Michael Ballhaus, fresh off his collaborations with Rainer Werner Fassbinder but before his long collaboration with Scorsese.

Set in late-1960s New Jersey, the story involves a good-girl high schooler preparing for college (Rosanna Arquette, who lights up the screen) who falls for a bad boy with few future prospects (Vincent Spano). The film will show on Wednesday in a 4K restoration at the Academy Museum with Arquette and Spano both scheduled to attend.

In a 1983 Times review, Shelia Benson said the film “explores questions of class and unequal opportunity with humor and tender insight,” adding that Spano and Arquette “together conjure up every improbable, love-struck couple who ever dazzled us ordinary mortals in the halls or at the senior prom.”

New this week

• Kane Parson’s horror film “Backrooms” stars Renate Reinsve and Chiwetel Ejiofor in an adaptation of Parson’s own popular YouTube videos. As Amy Nicholson wrote, “Given that backdrop, ‘Backrooms’ would be one of the year’s most significant releases even if the movie itself was merely fine. But it’s better than fine — it’s a work of honest-to-goodness art.”
• Katie Walsh reviews the crime thriller “Tuner,” starring Leo Woodall as a piano tuner who gets in over his head with the wrong people. The film is the fiction feature debut from Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Daniel Roher.
• The latest music-themed film from Irish writer-director John Carney, “Power Ballad” is about a failed-to-launch songwriter (Paul Rudd) trying to get credit for the tune he co-wrote with a boy band star (Nick Jonas). Amy Nicholson reviews.