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Si King returns to TV in his first solo series since co-star Dave Myers’ death in February 2024
Hairy Bikers star Si King is preparing to return to television screens with his first solo programme following the heartbreaking death of his close friend and co-presenter Dave Myers.
The new television venture, scheduled to broadcast on Channel 4 and markedly different from the duo’s previous culinary programmes, was initially announced during the summer months.
Dave tragically died from cancer in February 2024, at the age of 66. His passing brought an inevitable conclusion to the beloved television partnership’s time as the Hairy Bikers, with Si honouring Dave through a final programme entitled The Hairy Bikers: You’ll Never Ride Alone.
Previously, Si, 59, explained he would be departing from the “adventure-style” BBC programmes the duo had become renowned for. The broadcaster has now confirmed his fresh TV project, Britain’s Favourite Railway Stations with Si King, will launch next year on January 8.
Promo for the programme reveals it will feature “Si King, Siddy Holloway and Damion Burrows explore the extraordinary spaces that take us beyond catching a train to the hidden worlds where heritage, technology and community converge.”
Si, an avid railway enthusiast, will encounter the personnel who maintain the railway system’s smooth operation. The programme will also showcase Britain’s engineering achievements and a rail network comprising over 2,600 stations in its debut series for Channel 4.
Clemency Green, Senior Commissioning Editor at Channel 4, commented on the forthcoming series: “As the rail network turns 200 years old, this series will spotlight the best of our country’s engineering history in a different way.
“We’re honoured that Si will be presenting his first series for More4, and Yeti will no doubt deliver a captivating series that viewers will love to escape into.”
Anna Davies, Executive Producer at Yeti Television, added: “There’s something uniquely British about our love of railways – but usually it’s the trains, not the stations, that get the limelight.
“There are so many amazing stories to be uncovered in stations big and small, with unique characters who run them and incredible history, and Si is the perfect person to be taking us on that journey.”
Discussing future television projects following his time with the Hairy Bikers, Si previously reflected: “It would be different because you know that was Dave and I. He’s no longer with us, so no, it would have to be different. I would want it to be different.”
Embarking on a solo venture for the first time after two decades as part of a beloved partnership, Si has joined This Morning this year as a regular chef contributing to their cookery segments.
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Almost two years after the death of Hairy Bikers’ Dave Myers, Si King’s new solo project will hit screens in the New Year as he explores another of his passions
13:21, 28 Dec 2025Updated 13:21, 28 Dec 2025
Si King is about to fly solo with his own series (Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
The Hairy Bikers’ Si King is about to make his first big career move since the death of co-star Dave Myers.
Fans are set to see the TV star return to screens in a four-part railway adventure series Britain’s Favourite Railway Stations with Si King – and there’s not long to wait. The show, which will see the 58-year-old delve into the vast network of over 2,600 train stations across the UK, begins on January 8.
Since his co-star and best friend Dave’s death in 2024, Si has continued to honour his legacy, participating in a final Hairy Bikers program titled The Hairy Bikers: You’ll Never Walk Alone, which aired in December 2024. But now he has his own solo project.
In January, he joined ITV’s This Morning as a regular chef on their cooking segments. Now, almost two years after Dave’s death, the star will be fronting his own adventure series on Channel 4. He has his own show and fans can’t wait to see him help keep the timetables on track.
Produced by the Welsh company Yeti Television, a promo says viewers will see “Si King, Siddy Holloway and Damion Burrows explore the extraordinary spaces that take us beyond catching a train to the hidden worlds where heritage, technology and community converge.”
Clemency Green, Channel 4‘s senior commissioning editor for lifestyle, expressed excitement about the project: “As the rail network turns 200 years old, this series will spotlight the best of our country’s engineering history in a different way. We’re honoured Si will be presenting his first series for More4, and Yeti will no doubt deliver a captivating series that viewers will love to escape into.”
Si had a heartbreaking realisation almost two years after the death of his friend. The pair met in 1995 when they were both working on the set of The Gambling Man in 1995. They struck up a close friendship before making their name as television chefs thanks to their programmes that combined their love of food and motorcycles.
But tragedy struck in 2022 when Dave was diagnosed with cancer. He subsequently underwent chemotherapy but in February 2024, Dave died aged 66.
Speaking to The Times magazine earlier this month, Si admits he still misses his pal more than ever. He said: “When I was riding a bike the other day, I automatically looked behind me to see if Dave was there. I thought, ‘Where the bloody hell is he? Has he gone around that bend?’ Then I realised, ‘Oh no, of course he hasn’t.’”
Si admits he finds grief “very odd” and says he experienced a “huge mix of emotions” after losing Dave. He added: “It’s anger, frustration, sadness, disappointment. They come when you least expect them.”
Si, 59, describes the two as “great friends” and revealed he was “so close” to both his diagnosis and subsequent treatment. He believes the pair had a “fruitful and fulfilling time together” and prefers concentrating on highs of their friendship “rather than the loss”.
The TV presenter has also faced his own health battles during his life. In 2014 he suffered a brain aneurysm that he says left him needing to “lie down after making a cup of tea”.
Red Eye season 2 premieres on 1st January 2026, with Jing Lusi and Lesley Sharp returning alongside new lead Martin Compston for the gripping thriller
Martin Compston as RSO Brody in Red Eye series two(Image: ITV)
ITV is starting the year with a bang, bringing back its popular original thriller Red Eye. Creator Peter A Dowling and director Kieron Moore are teaming up again for a fresh story that once more puts DC Hana Li (Jing Lusi) and MI5 director-general Madeline Delaney (Lesley Sharp) in serious jeopardy.
The first series centred on the spine-chilling events on an extradition flight to China, where an alleged murderer was embroiled in a complicated international conspiracy.
This latest chapter builds on those global political tensions, splitting time between a besieged US Embassy in London and a rigged flight back to the English capital.
If you’re excited to tune into Red Eye season 2 on ITV1 and ITVX, read on for everything you need to know about the show’s return.
Red Eye season 2 release date
Red Eye season 2 is set to premiere on ITV1 at 9pm on Thursday, 1st January 2026 (New Year’s Day). All six episodes will also be available on ITVX from that date, allowing fans to binge-watch ahead.
Red Eye season 2 cast: New and returning
Red Eye season 2 welcomes back Jing Lusi as DC Hana Li, who spent the first series untangling a complex conspiracy on a dangerous flight to China.
Lesley Sharp is back in action as Madeline Delaney, now the director general of MI5, who finds herself in a precarious situation on an overseas flight in season 2, mirroring Hana’s ordeal from the first series.
Other familiar faces include Jemma Moore (Lockwood & Co.) reprising her role as Hana’s sister Jess, a fearless journalist, and Robert Gilbert (Bergerac) returning as her boss, Superintendent Simon O’Brian. Notably missing is Richard Armitage as Dr Matthew Nolan, with Line of Duty’s Martin Compston stepping in to fill his shoes as Lusi’s male co-lead, playing US Embassy security chief Clay Brody.
In summary, here’s an overview of the Red Eye season 2 cast:
Jing Lusi as Detective Hana Li
Lesley Sharp as Madeline Delaney
Martin Compston as Clay Brody
Jemma Moore as Jess Li
Robert Gilbert as Supt. Simon O’Brien
Cash Holland as Ruth Banks
Jonathan Aris as John Tennant
Steph Lacey as Megan Campbell
Nicholas Rowe as DSEC Alex Peterson
Trevor White as US Ambassador Ronald Tillman
Isaura Barbe-Brown as DCM Cece Redding
Danusia Samal as Captain Sarah Wright
Guy Williams as Air Marshal John Johnson
Red Eye season 2 plot: What is it about?
Red Eye season 2 once again divides its attention between another endangered flight and events unfolding on the ground, but this time around, Hana Li is grounded while Madeline Delaney is trapped thousands of feet in the air.
The synopsis reads: “Inside the US Embassy, the celebrations for a newly appointed US Ambassador to London are shattered when a call, threatening to blow a British plane out of the sky if anyone leaves, triggers an immediate embassy lockdown, trapping guests and staff inside.
“And that’s when the murders begin, landing Hana Li, as a British cop, in a political and jurisdictional nightmare. Compelled to join forces with the Head of Embassy Security, Clay Brody, played by Martin Compston, a former colleague who once screwed her over, Hana has to see her way past her distrust of him and focus on the investigation.
“Because this time it’s personal: The plane that will be blown up is a government jet, and Director General Madeline Delaney is onboard.”
Red Eye season 1 is available to stream on ITVX. Season 2 premieres on New Year’s Day 2026.
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ADAM Peaty’s dad Mark has broken cover and been seen for the first time since his son married Holly Ramsay yesterday.
The devastated dad and his wife Caroline were snubbed from the star-studded big day amid a bitter family feud.
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Adam Peaty’s dad Mark takes the dog for a walk a day after his son tied the knotCredit: Andy Kelvin / KelvinmediaAdam and Holly Ramsay said ‘I do’ inside Bath AbbeyCredit: SplashAdam with parents Caroline and Mark at the Rio Olympics in 2016Credit: Tim Stewart
We revealed that Adam allegedly told Mark he could only attend if he sat at the back of Bath Abbey, where the lavish celebration took place.
But Mark declined, finding the offer insulting, and remained at home 150 miles away as Adam tied the knot.
Today, he has been pictured walking his dog, worlds away from the glitz and glamour of his son’s big day.
Mark kicked on with his day-to-day duties, wearing an orange coat and beanie hat for the drizzly walk.
The family was split last month after Caroline was not included at Holly’s hen do at the swanky Soho Farmhouse, Oxfordshire, and was subsequently uninvited from the wedding.
Holly’s mum Tana and close pal Victoria Beckham were both in attendance at the girly get together near to the Beckhams’ country home.
Things escalated when Holly later called cops after Adam’s brother James allegedly made threats via text while Adam was on his stag do.
We reported last night how Adam had infuriated dad Mark with his church ultimatum.
It was in stark contrast to Adam’s sister Bethany, who was a maid of honour.
Our source said: “It was a difficult day for Caroline and Mark, so the family spent the evening together.
“Caroline got upset as soon as she saw the photographs from the wedding.
“For him to turn around and tell Beth that his dad could come and sit at the back of the church is awful.
“Mark was told he could sit behind plus-ones — who Adam has probably never even seen or spoken to.”
Meanwhile celeb guests like TV presenter Dan Walker, chef Marcus Wareing and the Beckhams arrived to much fanfare.
Adam reportedly received a stinging text from his estranged aunt Louise just moments before walking down the aisle, according to the Daily Mail.
She is said to have let him know her feelings with full force, telling him “shame on you both”.
Her text allegedly read: “I hope you never suffer the depth of pain you have put your mother through and despite it all she loves you still. Shame on you both. Shame.
“Remember on this, your happiest day, and on each anniversary of your happiest day, that you hurt your mum so deeply her soul screams.”
The sentiments were echoed by other family members, with Adam’s great aunt Janet, 73, telling the publication: “I just feel so sorry for Caroline.
“I can’t believe he’s done this to his mother who’s done so much for him from an early age. To be treated like this is not kind.”
Adam’s mum Caroline wasn’t invited to the big dayCredit: ShutterstockBethany Peaty, Adam’s sister, was a maid of honourCredit: Getty
The star’s swimming coach Melanie Marshall stepped in to deliver a reception speech, in place of his brothers.
Proud dad Gordon walked his daughter down the aisle. Mum Tana gave a reading.
Holly arrived nearly 30 minutes late, wearing a bridal cape over her Christmas-themed dress.
A large crowd of onlookers cheered the couple as they emerged before the pair were whisked off in a black Rolls-Royce to the reception at plush Kin House in Kington Langley, Wilts.
The maids of honour wore dresses designed by Victoria in red, while Tana wore a similar style dress in green.
Gordon Ramsay proudly walked his daughter down the aisleCredit: GettyGuest Dan Walker shared the order of serviceCredit: mrdanwalker / Instagram
Security was tight, with guests wearing wristbands embossed with H&A.
One invitee said: “It was a lovely day, but with the wristband it felt more like a hospital appointment.”
Guests were barred from taking snaps of the service.
Adam’s mum had intended to watch from the street, despite being disinvited, but decided against it.
Death in Paradise returns for a festive special episode tonight, with a guest cast set to join DI Mervin Wilson
Death in Paradise returns for a festive special(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Philippe Virapin)
Death in Paradise is gearing up for another festive special episode, ahead of welcoming a fresh series in 2026. The BBC programme has proved a massive success since it first hit our screens in 2011, with Ben Miller originally taking the lead detective role.
Don Gilet has stepped into Death in Paradise as the newest lead detective, DI Mervin Wilson, making his debut in the 2024 Christmas Special before headlining the complete Series 14 in early 2025, replacing Ralf Little.
Discussing his return to the role of Detective Inspector Mervin Wilson, Don Gilet shared with the BBC: “It felt good. Slightly daunting, but in a positive sense because you want to do the same again, if not better.
“I jokingly describe it as the second album. The first album went really well, but you can’t rest on your laurels and be complacent, there’s still more audience out there to win over. So, I went out to Guadeloupe with a renewed appetite. It was great to come back and reconnect with the characters and the actors,” reports the Express.
The BBC has now revealed what audiences can anticipate from the Christmas special, scheduled to broadcast tonight (December 28) on BBC One, featuring a new guest lineup appearing in this year’s standalone episode.
Death in Paradise Christmas special 2025 cast
DI Mervin Wilson- Don Gilet
Detective Sergeant Naomi Thomas- Shantol Jackson
Officer Sebastian Rose- Shaquille Ali-Yebuah
Catherine Bordey- Elizabeth Bourgine
Officer Darlene Curtis- Ginny Holder
Guest cast
Josie Lawrence (Outside Edge)
Kate Ashfield (Shaun of the Dead)
Pearl Mackie (Doctor Who)
James Baxter (Waterloo Road
Billy Harris (Ted Lasso)
Oriana Charles
Alix Serman
Death in Paradise Christmas special 2025 plot
The BBC has revealed a thrilling plot for the upcoming Christmas special of Death in Paradise. The office Christmas do takes a sinister twist when four colleagues wake up with pounding heads, only to find an unknown man shot dead in their villa’s pool.
DI Mervin Wilson and his squad manage to locate the murder weapon, but they’re left scratching their heads when they realise it was locked away in a drawer at the time of the shooting… and that drawer was thousands of miles from the crime scene, all the way back in Swindon. All the suspects insist they’ve never crossed paths with the deceased before.
As the team delves deeper into a tangled web of secrets and criminal activity, it becomes apparent they’ll need all the assistance they can muster to crack this perplexing case. Maybe a familiar face spending the festive season back in the UK could be persuaded to chip in.
Meanwhile, the Yuletide celebrations on Saint Marie are in full swing. The annual nativity is underway, and Mervin has a role to fill. But the DI has other matters preoccupying him.
A few months ago, he reached out to a brother he’d only recently discovered, but he’s yet to hear back. Can Mervin sort out his family issues and embrace the holiday cheer for the sake of his team and the island?
The Death in Paradise Christmas special airs Sunday, December 28 at 8:30pm on BBC One
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The academy has recognized “One Battle After Another” filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson’s prodigious talents with plenty of nominations over the years. But Oscar voters seem to have been waiting for frogs to rain from the sky to give him an award. The most successful film of his career could change that.
11
Anderson’s nominations total so far includes five for writing, three for directing and three for best picture, all without winning.
2-for-8
Anderson’s rough contemporary and fellow Angeleno, Quentin Tarantino, has received fewer nominations but won twice, both for writing.
28
Years between Anderson’s first nomination, for writing “Boogie Nights,” and finally winning an Oscar, if he does, in March.
26
Years between Martin Scorsese’s first nomination, for directing “Raging Bull,” and finally winning an Oscar, for directing “The Departed.”
3
Anderson’s directing, writing and best picture nominations for 2021’s “Licorice Pizza” suggest the academy understands he is overdue.
3/15/26
Anderson winning for “One Battle After Another” would not be a “makeup” victory but that rare instance of justice arriving via a career-highlight film.
9
Only nine performances from Anderson’s movies have been nominated to date, a total that fails to reflect his gifts as a director of actors (or love of ensemble casts).
1
Of those nine, only Daniel Day-Lewis won, for his lead performance in “There Will Be Blood.”
3
Cinematographer Robert Elswit’s statuette for “There Will Be Blood” and costume designer Mark Bridges’ prize for “Phantom Thread” bring the Oscar total for Anderson’s movies to three.
6
Leonardo DiCaprio (lead actor), Sean Penn (supporting actor) and Teyana Taylor (supporting actress), at least, look like locks for acting nominations for “One Battle After Another,” with Chase Infiniti (lead actress), Benicio Del Toro (supporting actor) and Regina Hall (supporting actress) also contenders.
EastEnders Executive Producer Ben Wadey has teased what BBC soap fans can expect in 2026, and in the fallout to Max Branning’s special flash forward episode on New Year’s Day
EastEnders Executive Producer Ben Wadey has teased what BBC soap fans can expect in 2026(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
If fans thought the end of EastEnders 2025 was dramatic, wait until they see what’s in store in 2026.
Executive Producer Ben Wadey has dropped huge hints at the storylines on the way, and the characters set to take centre stage. We already know Max Branning will be a key character, and the Brannings in general.
They feature in a flash forward episode this New Year’s Day, which pans into the same day in 2027. With details being kept under wraps, Ben teased the fallout of the episode.
What was also shared was the other big plots unfolding across the next 12 months, with Ben confirming the return of abusive teenager Joel Marshall. Linda Carter and Honey and Billy Mitchell also feature in new drama, as does Harry Mitchell, Ravi Gulati and Phil Mitchell.
Ben spilled of what fans can expect: “We’ve got lots ahead, lots of new stuff that I’m excited about. You may have seen we’ve just announced Ronni Ancona joining the show, which I am very, very excited about. I’m a huge fan of her work and she brings such a unique tone to it.
“I was really interested in just having a story that has a bit more kind of tragic comedy coming through it. She’s an old school friend of Linda’s and she’s called Bea. Bea arrives and her memory of Linda is very different to Linda’s memory of Linda.
“Bea is the sort of character who might attach herself onto people so she kind of comes in and gets to reacquaint herself with Linda. It’s also going to be a big story for some other characters.
Billy and Honey are going to be big in the new year and will be involved in that story as well, so it’s a story which, as a team, every time we watch it and read it we love it. We laugh and we cry and it’s really, really fun.
“Honey and Bea. After the misogyny story last year where we saw Joel was arrested, we’ve got his trial coming up so we’re gonna see Joel again as he faces the consequences of his actions. He’s pleading not guilty, and I think everyone’s struggling with why on Earth he’s put everyone through a trial.
“Vicki’s really going through the ringer of that, and Vicki, who wants to be committed so badly to Ross, but associates Ross now with everything that happened with Joel, her eye has been wandering slightly towards Zack.
“So we’ve got a big soapy love triangle in the mix of the new year. We’ve got a big story for Ravi going forward as he faces the consequences of his actions and all the awful things that he did in the previous few months, and what that starts to do to his psyche and his family.
“A revenge plot from Harry Mitchell kicks us off early in the new year, and the continuation of Phil and Nigel’s story. That beautiful episode, that will continue through and give us heart and warmth and just realism, and just gorgeous performances. Those relationships kind of see us through further into 2026.”
On the fallout to the flash forward, he went on: “You don’t have to wait an entire year to get all the answers, you’ll be getting answers from almost the episode after and then through every month, we’ll be giving you little bits. But also we twist a lot in that episode.
“Things are not as they seem so things that you will assume are going on there when you watch them in a year’s time will actually have quite a different light on them. But there’ll be lots of things within that episode that within the first few weeks and months, quite big answers you will start to get as an audience which I hope will be really satisfying that it kind of comes comes throughout the year.
“The plan is we’ll re-see elements of that [episode] which will make sense in the new light. There’ll be new scenes, there’ll be additional elements, so without giving too much away, it will be I think a very satisfying kind of coming together of two halves that I think will answer questions and be very satisfying to watch.”
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Books can be a refuge from (waves arms) all this, even when they take you deeper into the darkness of 2025. There is a grace in the relationship between book and reader, with nothing but your eyes and brain and the words on the page. Thank goodness for the hearts and minds of the authors who imagine and construct these worlds, who ask these rigorous questions, who spend their lives with words. It’s a pleasure to join with a couple of my fellow book critics in selecting some of our favorite books of the year. — Carolyn Kellogg
Our picks for this year’s best in arts and entertainment.
“Audition: A Novel” by Katie Kitamura
(Riverhead)
“Audition” By Katie Kitamura Riverhead: 208 pages, $28
This is one of those books the less explained the better. Kitamura is one of our most exacting novelists, with never a careless word. On its surface, “Audition” is about an actress, her husband and a young man in New York City. As you’d expect with this setup, the ideas of self, performance and identity are in the mix. Every observation, theater visit and glimpse into their apartment becomes quietly important. The marriage’s past spools out with such clarity that what they have for breakfast becomes ominous. Every relationship has secrets, but this one’s are transformative. Elements of this book that cannot be prized apart also cannot cohere. It’s an astonishing accomplishment of form and narrative. It’s a rare book that can surprise like this one does. And it’s a delight to read. — C.K.
“Flesh: A Novel” by David Szalay
(Scribner)
“Flesh” By David Szalay Scribner: 368 pages, $28.99
Emotionally stunted men aren’t particularly hard to find in fiction. But Istvan, the antihero of Szalay’s fifth novel, is an extreme and engrossing case. Born in poverty and surviving an adolescence of sexual violation, wartime PTSD and drug abuse, he enters early adulthood destined to be a casualty if not a menace. But a lucky chance gives him money and a relationship, until his failure to deal with past traumas catches up with him. This novel, winner of the Booker Prize, uses a blunt, clipped style to advantage, exposing Istvan as an exemplar of both toxic masculinity and hinting at what’s required to escape it. — Mark Athitakis
“Flashlight” by Susan Choi
(Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
“Flashlight” By Susan Choi Farrar, Straus & Giroux: 464 pages, $30 Should anyone think controlling metaphors are so 20th century, please pick up Choi’s new novel about family, exile and the different ways the titular humble tool works on literal, figurative, allegorical and visceral levels. When Louisa is 10, she and her Korean-born father go for a walk by the ocean; he’s carrying a flashlight to guide their footsteps. That night he disappears and Louisa is found half-dead in the surf; she has to shine a light onto her past in an effort to heal this loss. However, it’s her father’s past that signals this expansive book’s great theme of loneliness, even in the midst of other human beings. — Bethanne Patrick
“Shadow Ticket” by Thomas Pynchon
(Penguin Press)
“Shadow Ticket” By Thomas Pynchon Penguin Press: 304 pages, $30
That in this his 88th year Thomas Pynchon has published another novel, beginning in 1930s Milwaukee, of all places, packed full of punny names per usual, featuring a lug of a detective, successful with women who flirt as exquisitely as they dance or sing or grift, then shifting to Europe where it can be hard to sort out, from moment to moment, who’s in power, is more than anyone could have hoped for. “Shadow Ticket” is a detective novel that is also an anti-Nazi romp, with improbable motorcycles and flying machines. In The Times, critic David Kipen hailed Pynchon’s classic style as “Olympian, polymathic, erudite, antically funny, often beautiful, at times gross, at others incredibly romantic, never afraid to challenge or even confound.” This book is more accessible than “Gravity’s Rainbow,” more cheerful than “The Crying of Lot 49” and more political than “Inherent Vice.” It’s also still Pynchon, in all his goofy paranoiac glory. Rejoice. — C.K.
“The Director: A Novel” by Daniel Kehlmann
(S&S/Summit Books)
“The Director” By Daniel Kehlmann S&S/Summit Books: 352 pages, $28.99
Kehlmann’s stunning novel about Austrian filmmaker G.W. Pabst makes every reader a collaborator, at least about their level of comfort with fascism. The real-life Pabst, who returned to Europe after a disappointing sojourn in Hollywood, fell in readily with Hitler’s propaganda machine, to include directing “The White Hell of Pitz Palu” starring none other than future Third Reich filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl. History may never know precisely why Pabst played along, and Kehlmann uses this uncertainty to great effect, inventing scenes juxtaposing art versus propaganda, sleekly privileged Nazis against frail prisoners, and historical truth with the chaos of dementia. — B.P.
“The Last Supper: Art, Faith, Sex, and Controversy in the 1980s” by Paul Elie
Today’s culture wars didn’t start in the ‘80s, but Elie’s rich cultural history shows how the decade ushered them into the mainstream. Sinead O’Connor tore up a photo of the pope on live network TV, Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ” sparked protests, Salman Rushdie’s novel “The Satanic Verses” made him a literal target, and legislators fumed about public art. Religion sat at the center of all of these donnybrooks, and questions of culture and faith had real-world consequences: AIDS victims, especially in the demonized LGBTQ community, took their pleas to religious leaders on the streets and in the pews. It was a vibrant and dispiriting time, and Elie’s history is a sharp cross-cultural study that speaks to the present as well. — M.A.
“One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This” by Omar El Akkad
Novelist Omar El Akkad’s despair at the unfolding genocide in Palestine drove him to write this, his first nonfiction book. It’s part cry of anguish, part memoir that examines how the systems we enjoy in the western world are allowing Israel to perpetrate violence in Gaza in real time. The book poured out of El Akkad, though normally a slow writer: “I was writing quite furiously for months on end,” he told Dan Sheehan of Lithub. On Nov. 19, that furious outpouring won the National Book award in nonfiction. “It’s very difficult to think in celebratory terms about a book that was written in response to a genocide,” El Akkad said in his acceptance speech, refusing to let the reason for his book go unspoken. “It’s difficult to think in celebratory terms when I have spent two years seeing what shrapnel does to a child’s body. It is difficult to think in celebratory terms when I know that my tax money is doing this and that many of my elected representatives happily support it.” The book provides a vital moral questioning and point of connection. — C.K.
Perhaps this novel is really a thinly disguised memoir about the author’s mother — but what a brilliant disguise Gish Jen has concocted to give her Chinese-born mother, posthumously, a full voice that speaks to the pain of intergenerational misogyny and abuse. After the mother’s, Loo Shu-hsin’s, childhood story is told, her statements (in the U.S. she was known as Agnes) appear in boldface as stark counterpoint to her daughter’s searching questions. “Bad bad girl! Who says you can write a book like that? I laugh. That’s more like it.” Ultimately this novel-plus-memoir morphs into an artist’s origin story, one in which the artist understands that there is no creative work without origins, no matter how twisted their roots. — B.P.
Taylor is one of the most emotionally perceptive fiction writers working today, and his third novel, set in the New York art world, is his best. Its hero, Wyeth, is a Black painter anxious about being pegged as simply a Black painter; he’s exhausted with what he considers the easy pandering (and bad art) surrounding identity politics. But a budding romance and unusual restoration project prompts him to question his certainties. Covering high and low, the sexual and the intellectual, Taylor’s book is a New York social novel distinct from the swagger of “The Bonfire of the Vanities” or the fevered melodramas of “A Little Life.” — M.A.
“Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson” by Claire Hoffman
This marvelous biography of Aimee Semple McPherson reasserts her vital place in Los Angeles’ history. She was a celebrity, a brilliant performer, an inspiring preacher with a nationwide flock devoted to her writings and radio programs. She was, too, genuinely called to her Pentecostal Christianity, at least at first, which author Claire Hoffman writes about with great sensitivity. Her climb was slow and earned; she spent many years on the road, pitching tents and preaching to diverse audiences. Then to Los Angeles, where her grand church, the Angelus Temple, was built in Echo Park. In 1926, she vanished at Venice Beach and was thought to have drowned. She reappeared — after a memorial service attended by thousands — with stories of a dramatic kidnapping. It was a sensation. Reporters raced to find the kidnappers and, instead, turned up evidence of a tryst. Hoffman unspools the scandal, which included headline-grabbing trials, in page-turning detail. What she shows us is a woman whose spiritualism, stage presence and charisma propelled her into a place of celebrity and fame that became a trap. — C.K.
It’s 2119 when scholar Thomas Metcalfe sets out to find the sole copy of a poem, “A Corona for Vivien,” written by one Francis Blundy in 2014. Much of the speculation about the poem’s whereabouts centers on a dinner party that allows McEwan to flash his tail feathers in describing a late-capitalist tableau of quail and ceps, anchovies and red wine, high-minded conversation and low lamplight. Is it a spoiler to share that a tsunami has wiped out most of Europe, leaving scattered archipelagos as repositories of things once known? Definitely not, in light of who narrates the book’s second half. Don’t miss this, among the author’s best. — B.P.
“Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers” by Caroline Fraser
In the ‘70s and ‘80s, America was overpopulated with notorious serial killers like John Wayne Gacy, BTK and Ted Bundy. By the ‘90s, though, evidence of that brand of savagery declined. What happened? In “Murderland,” Pulitzer winner Caroline Fraser considers the theory that the derangement was tied to smelters that released mind-warping levels of arsenic and lead into the atmosphere until regulations kicked in. Braiding memoir, pop science and true crime, Fraser delivers a remarkable, persuasive narrative about how good-old-fashioned American values — manufacturing might, westward expansion, cheap leaded gas — turned into a literally toxic combination. — M.A.
“Stone Yard Devotional: A Novel” by Charlotte Wood
An atheist walks into a convent. … That’s not the start to a joke but the premise of this 2024 Booker Prize-shortlisted novel. The unnamed narrator leaves Sydney (husband, house, grievances) to live with a rural religious order. Even as she works alongside the nuns, worldly troubles rush in: The bones of a murdered nun are accompanied by famed climate activist Sister Helen Parry, disrupting the quiet. The narrator knows Sister Helen from schooldays and wonders whether our past actions affect our present circumstances, all while the women battle a rodent infestation that might not be out of place in a horror story. In other words, it’s riveting prose about how humans beat back despair. —B.P.
Prophète’s blunt, bracing novel concerns Cécé, a young Haitian woman whose world has fallen out from under her — she’s endured an absent, drug-addicted mother, a recently dead grandmother, and a slum life that leaves her with few options beyond prostitution. An unlikely escape hatch arrives in the form of Instagram, and as her posts about her Haitian life gain traction, she becomes a prize — and a target — for rival gangs. Cécé can be read as a portrait of contemporary Haiti, a parable about influencer culture or a distressing study of exploitation. However it’s read, Prophète’s vision is piercing and memorable. — M.A.
Take your AI-hallucinated definitions and send them in a rocket ship to Mars, baby! The Merriam-Webster dictionary is back in print in a new edition. In its first update since 2003, it’s added 5,000 new words, 20,000 new usage examples, and 1,000 new idioms and phrases (hello, “dad bod”). But that’s not the most important part, which is that this is a beautiful, solid, immutable printed book. It will never randomly serve up some flaky incorrect definition or reference. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary captures language in a moment, with the full history and understanding of the way it evolves. It was crafted by researchers and etymologists who love words (“comes from the Greek word etymon, meaning ‘literal meaning of a word according to its origin’ ”). The Merriam-Webster website is hugely popular — keep using it! — but an actual printed dictionary will never let you down, and be good for another 20 years. — C.K.
SINGER Susan Boyle treated Hollywood pal Timothée Chalamet to a rendition of happy birthday after he named her one of his greatest living Brits.
The chart-topper, 64, filmed the sweet Instagram video to mark the A-lister turning 30 yesterday which ended with her blowing him a kiss.
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Chart star Susan Boyle, 64, blows a kiss to new pal Timothée Chalamet after singing him happy birthdayTimothée and girlfriend Kylie Jenner at the Los Angeles premiere of latest hit Marty SupremeCredit: Getty ImagesTimothée hailed SuBo as one of his greatest living Britons for proving doubters wrong with her BGT debutCredit: AFP/Getty Images
She wore a blue hoodie he gifted her celebrating the release of his latest blockbuster Marty Supreme.
SuBo and Timothée — boyfriend of model and Keeping Up With The Kardashians star Kylie Jenner — struck up an unlikely friendship this month after he gushed about her iconic Britain’s Got Talent debut.
In the 23-second clip, she tells the Dune leading man: “Timothee have a wonderful 30th.
“All the best, love Susan.”
New Yorker Timothée began his career as a child actor but shot to fame after starring in coming-of-age film Call Me By Your Name.
Comedy Marty Supreme was released on Boxing Day and sees him play a table tennis champion determined to reach the top of the sport.
During an interview to promote the film, he named Susan, of Blackburn, West Lothian, one of his favourite Britons alongside David and Victoria Beckham and F1 hero Lewis Hamilton.
The actor hailed her for wowing Simon Cowell and the BGT judges with her performance of Les Miserables classic I Dreamed A Dream in 2009.
He was just a schoolboy when she blew them away with her incredible rendition before revealing she lived alone with her cat and had never been kissed.
Timothée said: “Who wasn’t moved by that? I remember that like it was yesterday.
“She dreamt bigger than all of us.”
Susan has since sold 20 million records — including two US No1s.
Wow, 2025 — in the race to dismantle civilization, you certainly outdid yourself. And it took some brilliant stand-ups this year to take our problems big and small and turn them into jokes that reminded us that what we’re going through isn’t so bad or at least offer solace that things could always be worse. The best comedy specials even found a way to bring humanity together. From arena-level acts to L.A.’s favorite local comics, these were our favorite comedy specials from 2025.
Frankie Quinones at Super Chief Art Gallery in Los Angeles.
(Ethan Benavidez/For The Times)
Frankie Quiñones, “Damn, That’s Crazy” (Hulu)
In his Hulu debut “Damn That’s Crazy,” comedy sketchmaster Frankie Quiñones, who earned viral fame for his Cholofit character, does all the heavy lifting as himself. And at certain points, he definitely gets heavy. Directed by Ali Wong, the special takes viewers on a journey of relationship baggage, pandemic-related sex addictions and unresolved family trauma over sexual abuse he endured when he was a child. Yet still — there are plenty of laughs along the way. It’s the type of thing that people will certainly label as brave, but only because it succeeds without trying to be. (Nate Jackson)
It’s easy to be fooled into thinking Andrew Schulz is living his best life when he’s in the spotlight. But the stand-up comic and successful podcaster has been through his own share of problems too, like his and his wife’s efforts to have a baby. It was an ordeal that inspired a refreshingly honest core of his latest hour titled, simply, “Life,” which focused on struggles with conception, IVF and new fatherhood. Though 2025 was a year when his name was often linked to the manosphere led by Joe Rogan, Schulz’s special puts less effort into shock humor and any alt-right political agendas (though there is a touch of that here and there) as he leads with his personal story that shows a side to him as a parent that makes it not just funny, but also a compelling watch. (N.J.)
Our picks for this year’s best in arts and entertainment.
Sebastian Maniscalco, “It Ain’t Right” (Hulu)
In his seventh special, “It Ain’t Right,” Sebastian Maniscalco continues his streak as the Michael Jordan of disgruntled dad humor. As an arena-level act, the 51-year-old Chicago-bred comic still has the rubber-limbed athleticism and animated bravado that allows every one of his punchlines to be seen from space (or at least the cheap seats). But the over-the-top exaggeration he’s known for is always rooted in humility and shame — as with any good Italian. The infirmities of getting older are also a key source of laughter in this new hour, from the struggle of putting on socks, going to bed with sleep apnea or taking his family to the zoo. Like the title of the special, a lot of the stress Maniscalco continues to put up with as a superstar comic doesn’t seem right, but thankfully it’s still funny. (N.J.)
Bill Burr, “Drop Dead Years” (Hulu)
No one detonates a room with honesty and irritation quite like Bill Burr, and his latest, “Drop Dead Years,” shows the comedian in his fully evolved form. His rants remain forever epic as he talks about outlawing war, freedom of kids’ speech, social acceptance, (not) thinking positive and fake political empathy. He even turns inward, questioning his own need to be likable and empathetic. Burr may joke that he’s a broken man, but as fans would expect, he pieces it together beautifully in this special. (Ali Lerman)
Jordan Jensen, “Take Me With You” (Netflix)
Jordan Jensen’s comedy is hard to categorize, just like the rest of her. And while that’s generally how we like our funny people — layered, nuanced, tortured — it tends to wreak havoc on the actual lives of the comics themselves. Not quite fitting in a box (even though she definitely knows how to build one) has been Jensen’s shtick since birth. She grew up in upstate New York, raised in a heavy-construction family that included three lesbian moms and a dad who died when she was young. Because of that unconventional background, she says her level of hormone-fueled boy craziness mixed with her rugged ability to swing a hammer basically turned her into “a gay man.” Somewhere in her teens she entered a “fat mall goth” phase that she’s never left, even after becoming a popular comedian worthy of a Netflix special. Combining her inner Hot Topic teen with freak-flag feminism and alpha-male energy, her style makes not fitting in feel like one of the coolest things you can do — because it is. (N.J.)
Atsuko Okatsuka
(Mary Ellen Matthews / Disney)
Atsuko Okatsuka, “Father” (Hulu)
There were a lot of specials that came out this year, but only one featured a perfectly coiffed bowl haircut, because only Atsuko Okatsuka could pull it off. In her latest for Hulu, “Father,” Okatsuka makes a great case for codependency as she talks about living a tandem life with her husband Ryan, their choice not to have kids, the downside to having “a story,” and she also pulls back the pompoms on the dark side of cheerleading. Okatsuka’s movements are just as witty as her words, her energy is infectious, and “Father” is as refreshingly unpredictable as she is. (A.L.)
In the pantheon of stand-up comedy’s living legends, few names carry more weight than Fluffy‘s. In “Legend of Fluffy,” which premiered on Netflix in January, the comedian born Gabriel Iglesias takes fans through a giant retrospective of his career in comedy while zooming in on certain aspects of life: dating as a newly single man, trying to age gracefully, and a robbery that happened at his former home in Long Beach. It’s the type of special that is loud (just like his Hawaiian shirts) but also contains a positive message about refusing to give up on your dreams even in the face of obstacles, doubt or a near-death experience on a private jet. (N.J.)
Marc Maron, “Panicked” (HBO)
The L.A. comedy scene’s favorite curmudgeon is still finding the will to propel himself forward, hurtling over one existential crisis after another. Many of them come out in his latest HBO special, “Panicked,” where he zooms in on the indignities of not only growing old but finding ways to care for an aging dad whom he describes as “newly demented.” Between bits about being unlucky in love, we see flashes of pain held over from the death of his partner Lynn Shelton. But that vulnerability one might ordinarily save for therapy comes out in the form of genius, nonsensical segues to bits about rat poop under his house, Hitler’s fashion choices, the saving power of Taylor Swift and more from Maron’s endearing, hopelessly twisted psyche. (N.J.)
Nate Jackson
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Nate Jackson, “Super Funny” (Netflix)
There’s a reason Nate Jackson’s debut Netflix special arrives during barbecue season. Perched on a stool under the spotlight at his shows, the comedian spends most of the evening delivering hospital-worthy third-degree burns to crowd members who want the smoke. Throughout his quick-witted hour of crowd work on “Super Funny,” Jackson finds a way to weave the stories of his random audience members together in a way that makes the whole show feel pre-planned. Meanwhile, even as Jackson is busy making fans the butt of his comedic freestyle, the person laughing the hardest in the crowd is usually the roastee. It’s the mark of good crowd work that’s not simply well done but, more important, done well. (N.J.)
Leanne Morgan, “Unspeakable Things” (Netflix)
Most comics are used to getting better with age but not necessarily bigger. Though she’s just turned 60 years old, one of comedian Leanne Morgan’s funniest jokes about herself is about just how big she’s gotten —not in terms of her career but her figure. It’s one of the first lines that escapes her mouth in her latest Netflix special, “Unspeakable Things.” But despite her jokes about not fitting into the typical Hollywood mold, it’s clear that Morgan’s life and career have certainly changed for the better since her hit 2023 Netflix debut, “I Am Every Woman.” As she grabbed the mic again for the streamer in 2025 — this time on a glitzy stage wearing a golden gown — her unvarnished style of storytelling shows us why she’s resonating with much of America. There’s just no substitute for a whip-smart Southern woman telling it like it is. (N.J.)
Iliza Shlesinger
(Marcus Ubungen / Los Angeles Times)
Iliza Shlesinger, “A Different Animal” (Prime Video)
Comedian Iliza Shlesinger takes the word “special” very seriously, and not just because she’s done a lot of them (seven). It’s because when she hits the stage, the goal is to leave a mark. In her latest, “A Different Animal,” Shlesinger dives into her evolution as a mother of two dealing with “mom brain” while proudly upholding her role as an elder millennial who can school Gen Z and Alpha newbies on what’s up with a mixture of wisdom, wit and wild animal noises. (N.J.)
Ralph Barbosa, “Planet Bosa” (Hulu)
Garnering nationwide buzz since his debut Netflix special “Cowabunga,” Ralph Barbosa has reached the top of his game in “Planet Bosa,” his latest hour on Hulu. Aside from getting more comfortable on stage, the 28-year-old exudes an energy in this new phase of his career that’s a welcome surprise from a guy whose packed schedule barely leaves time for sleep. The new special delves into his dating life, family woes as a young single dad and writing cleverly authentic jokes about the shocking ICE raids that have led to widespread detention and deportation of immigrants. (N.J.)
Jim Gaffigan, “Live From Old Forester” (YouTube)
Raise your glass to Jim Gaffigan for being THE pre-party for Thanksgiving with his latest offering, “Live From Old Forester: The Bourbon Set.” Dedicated to his love of the spirit, Gaffigan’s “passion project” is already at over 3 million views and is packed with bourbon history and facts, wacky bourbon names, and consumption stories that even someone who covets Fighting Cock over Blanton’s would connect with. And of course, between the mash bills and tasting notes, he still manages to slip in plenty of self-roasting. Gaffigan called this special “niche,” but the truth is, when he’s the symposiarch, “The Bourbon Set” is an oak barrel of straight-up laughs for the masses. (A.L.)
Steph Tolev
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Steph Tolev, “Filth Queen” (Netflix)
Blunt, unapologetic, insanely funny and owning the crown of “Filth Queen,” Steph Tolev knocked it out of the smutty park with her first Netflix special. Produced by Bill Burr and filmed at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, her show rips through bodily functions, dating gone wrong and, spoiler, the messy truths about women. Her energy is next level, her confidence is all I want for Christmas, and no matter your gender, or if you’re holding in gas or not, Tolev is giving everyone (except maybe your parents) permission to laugh at the good, the bad and the hairy. (A.L.)
Cristela Alonzo
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Cristela Alonzo, “Upper Classy”
In the third installment of the Texas comedian’s “Classy” trilogy (“Lower Classy” was in 2017, and “Middle Classy” in 2022), Alonzo definitely saved the most class for last. “Upper Classy,” her latest special, is by far her most vulnerable, which the comedian says is necessary, especially during this political moment when people like her are spoken about in the news, but not spoken to. She gives us her rags-to-riches story of growing up in an abandoned diner with her family, pairing that against her life now and enjoying the childhood she never had — and the ability to keep all her bills on autopay. After being taught to work hard in an immigrant household, Alonzo is learning how to live hard — and have fun — in her 40s (including taking swimming lessons). With her glow-up complete, Alonzo still makes it a point to rep her Mexican roots with pride. (N.J.)
Ali Siddiq, “Rugged” (YouTube)
Switching back and forth between high-energy and effortless cool, Ali Siddiq captivates as he shares (and acts out) insane family stories in “Rugged.” A master of storytelling, Siddiq talks about staying honest, teenagers and their antics, and getting mad about things that aren’t even happening, all while keeping each one of his bits hilarious to the end. Siddiq might not be the king in his own castle, but he’s certainly a king among comedians, and “Rugged” proved it this year. (Fun fact: Siddiq released two specials in 2025, the other being “My Two Sons,” which is equally as great and also on YouTube.) (A.L.)
Jim Norton, “Unconceivable” (YouTube)
Filmed at the Comedy Cellar in New York, Jim Norton’s newest hour, “Unconceivable,” explores everything from adjusting his life (and apartment) as a first-time husband to intimacy with his wife, Nikki, all while remaining brutally honest, dark and Norton to the core. Even listening to him explain the pressures and expectations that society places on strangers and their marriages — which should fully be serious — feels more like a comedy confessional rather than a set. He’s an industry veteran for good reason. His “Unconceivable” is as funny and as raw as it gets, proving once again that there’s no such thing as TMI when it’s delivered by the right comedian. (A.L.)
Jay Jurden, “Yes Ma’am” (Hulu)
In his first special, “Yes Ma’am, ”comedian and Mississippi native Jay Jurden burns verbal calories while showing the world why queer men from the South are often undefeated at being hilarious and relatable. Dependably lethal with his joke construction, Jurden’s every breath is laced with humor as he covers transphobia rules, emo rappers, traveling through blue dot cities, and fun stories with a dash of cuckoldry. His Southern background may have shaped his stories, but it’s Jurden’s hilarious and frank honesty that make “Yes Ma’am” a “hell yes, ma’am!” for 2025. And that million-dollar smile doesn’t hurt either. (A.L.)
Rosebud Baker
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Rosebud Baker, “The Mother Lode” (Netflix)
Life-altering in the sincerest sense of the word, “The Mother Lode” comedically chronicles Rosebud Baker’s journey into motherhood, in real time. Skilled at mining laughs from life’s toughest situations and with her internal dumpster fire front and center, Baker goes from resisting parenthood to IVF, miscarriages, discussing parenting styles and questioning her own identity. Filmed and edited superbly with the same version of a joke, pre- and post-pregnancy, Baker truly did hit the mother lode giving birth to this special that now gets to live with its other mama, Netflix. (A.L.)
Ken Flores, “LOL Live With Ken Flores”
This year, the comedy world lost one of its biggest up-and-coming voices with the death of Ken Flores at age 28. Migrating from the Chicago stand-up scene to L.A., the loud comic made his presence known with raw, street-wise style, a diamond grill that made crowds smile before he even told a joke. Weight-related humor aside, Flores was undoubtedly one of the heavies in the local stand-up scene, and this half-hour comic assault is a time capsule of what could have been with this rising talent who left us too soon. (N.J.)
Bert Kreisher
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Bert Kreischer, “Lucky” (Netflix)
Bert Kreischer resumes his shirtless razzle-dazzle and talent for hilarious, heartfelt storytelling in his special “Lucky,” inspired by his constant state of identifying the luck in his life. Most of that luck, let’s be honest, is actually the result of being married to his wife, LeAnn, who keeps him from going over the edge with his antics. If you’re into his brand of bare-chested misadventures, you will get plenty of that. But the heart of this latest hour doesn’t really show up until Kreischer’s moving tribute to his family’s dog, which will leave you laughing and crying right along with him. (N.J.)
Comedian CP, “Sunday After Six” (Veeps)
Chris Powell, a.k.a. Comedian CP, is a killer on the mic. Whether he’s hosting or headlining, comedy fans who’ve seen him perform know that his dragon-style delivery mixed with creative storytelling breathes fire onto any stage. His debut special, “Sunday After Six” puts all of his skills firmly on display in a way that will hopefully lead to our seeing more of him on the screen next year. (N.J.)
Trae Crowder, “Trash Daddy” (YouTube)
Don’t judge a comedian by his accent, especially if it’s Trae Crowder. Though the Tennessee-born comedian describes his voice as having more Southern twang than “a racist banjo,” it takes him less than two minutes onstage to show why he’s known as “the Liberal Redneck.” Whether it’s punchlines skewering white supremacists or viral video rants about the Trump era filmed from the front seat of his sun-damaged Jeep, Crowder’s brand of comedy is a mind-melting combination that never minces words about where he stands on major topics related to America. His latest special, “Trash Daddy” — released on YouTube via comedy platform 800 Pound Gorilla — swerves among jokes about politics, family and living life as a hick from the sticks while trying to raise California-bred children. (N.J.)
Phoebe Robinson, “I Don’t Want to Work Anymore” (YouTube) Phoebe Robinson’s new comedy special dismantles girl-boss culture, questioning whether financial independence and constant achievement actually lead to women’s happiness. “I Don’t Want to Work Anymore” tackles modern dating, aging and the exhausting pressure to constantly create content. The 41-year-old comedian now prioritizes rest, boundaries and authentic work over relentless productivity and the need for external validation. (N.J.)
Tim Dillon, “I’m Your Mother” (Netflix)
Taped at the Comedy Mothership in Austin, Texas, “I’m Your Mother” is Tim Dillon doing what he does best, showering us with the confidence of a man who’s absolutely done pretending things make sense. From America’s never-ending identity crisis and celebrity worship to his own royal worship and to what parenting seems like from his view, he breaks down the world’s nonsense with the energy of someone who’s seen some s— and isn’t impressed. “I’m Your Mother” isn’t guidance, it’s a verbal smackdown wrapped in laughter that’s unremorseful and so well written, Tim Dillon is now our mother. (A.L.)
Kathleen Madigan, “The Family Thread” (Prime Video)
Kathleen Madigan’s “The Family Thread” gifts us an hour built on the everyday chaos and wry Midwestern sensibility that define her comedy. From absurd family group texts to aging parents and small-town quirks that feel instantly recognizable, she never fails to turn the frustrations of life into sarcastically sharp punchlines. “The Family Thread” is a master class on why Madigan has kept people entertained for years with nothing more than honesty and outstanding storytelling. (A.L.)
Mike Vecchione, “Low Income White” (YouTube)
Making a second special funnier than the first is effortless for Mike Vecchione, and “Low Income White” serves as an even sharper follow-up to his debut special, “The Attractives,” both produced by Nate Bargatze. Vecchione’s deadpan style and constant misdirection are on full display as he talks about age gaps, magic doctors and the reality of marital vows, piling on joke after sarcastic joke. (A.L.)
Ian Edwards, “Untitled” (YouTube)
Ian Edwards fires off rapid-paced jokes throughout his latest special, “Untitled.” At the Comedy Store in La Jolla, Edwards’ comfort onstage (in a onesie, no less) is in plain view as he riffs on relationships, confusing albinos, problematic travel, rooting for the wrong side of current events, and the many layers of racism in green-bubble texts. “Untitled” is a straight shot into the mind of Ian Edwards, and if you’ve slept on this special, there’s still time to fix that. (A.L.)
Ryan Sickler, “Live & Alive” (YouTube)
Ryan Sickler turned thick blood into sweet wine this year with his new special “Live & Alive.” His trademark candor (and giggle) drives the hour as he plays tour guide through a traumatic hospital stay that nearly became his last — plenty of morbid humor to go around in this hour. His survival is his own setup and punchline as he pulls you into embarrassing bits at his own expense. And every twist and ridiculous turn leaves you grateful he’s still around to tell the story while being “Live & Alive.” (A.L.)
Chinedu Unaka, “LOL Live With Chinedu Unaka” (Hulu)
For over a decade, L.A.-bred comedian Chinedu Unaka’s passion-driven work as a special education teacher would become the day job that both funded his dream and gave him the tools to achieve it as he held the attention of kids with ADHD while making them learn while laughing. Coming at comedy from the lens of a charismatic instructor with a Nigerian American background, Unaka’s quick wit and dry humor about life, relationships and his immigrant parents are on full display in his latest special. (N.J.)
Cameron Esposito
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Cameron Esposito, “4 Pills” (DropOut)
A lot of comedy specials are made for us to sit and laugh at a comedian’s funny thoughts. In her latest special, Cameron Esposito wants to take things a step further by giving you a look inside her brain. As a person diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 40, her mind offers a lot to unpack. But the goal remains the same as any special: to laugh at something we feel like we’re not supposed to, only to realize we can relate to a person’s struggles more than we think. In her latest hour, “Four Pills,” Esposito has honed a fresh perspective on living with bipolar disorder that forced her to take her 20 years of stand-up to the next level by bringing fans into the deepest part of her world for the first time. (N.J.)
Samantha Hale, “Horror Nerd” (Apple TV/ Prime Video)
Only Samantha Hale, raised in Los Angeles on “Top Ramen and fear,” could make hair-raising terror this funny. Her long-running show, “Horror Nerd,” jumps from the Hollywood Improv stage to the screen as she nostalgically riffs on serial killers, the healing power of stabby movies, and turns genre obsessions, cult-classic fandom and online feedback into an unbroken chain of laugh-out-loud brilliance. No topic is too strange or scary as she turns her passions and life’s oddities into “Horror Nerd,” a must-watch for anyone who loves humor one (bloody) bite at a time. (A.L.)
Jiaoying Summers, “What Specie Are You?” (Hulu)
Jiaoying Summers is a single mom and a comedian, and somehow she killed it in her first stand-up hour, “What Specie Are You?” on Hulu. Summers swings from dating after divorce and discovering her identity as an immigrant, to choosing favorites between her kids and breaking down an “Asian hate system” that’s so deadpan it almost feels reasonable. Blaming her lack of a filter on her Chinese upbringing, she will have you dying laughing one minute and feeling personally attacked the next. And that works. (A.L.)
I can’t pretend that 2025 delivered a banner crop of theater productions. Many of the best shows on this list came from elsewhere. And a higher than usual percentage were seen at the Ahmanson Theatre, which had a remarkably good year — perhaps the best of any local theater.
It was so good, in fact, that I left off Michael Arden’s revival of “Parade.” My self-consciousness about the high number of touring productions persuaded me not to include “Shucked” at the Hollywood Pantages, which lightened the summer with its country bumpkin merriment. And I also omitted “Here There Are Blueberries” at the Wallis not because it wasn’t one of the best productions but because it was on my highlight reel of 2022, when this Tectonic Theatre Project play, conceived and directed by Moisés Kaufman, premiered at La Jolla Playhouse.
Our picks for this year’s best in arts and entertainment.
The highlight at the Mark Taper Forum this year was Jocelyn Bioh’s comedy “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding,” which was on its final touring stop. And one of the best musical nights I had all year was courtesy of a concert version of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s revival of “Fiddler on the Roof” in Yiddish at the Soraya.
Of course, L.A. had the theater world’s attention this summer when Cynthia Erivo headlined the Hollywood Bowl’s revival of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” a production that seemed to take over Instagram with the clobbering force of the movie campaign for “Wicked.” But my own pick for L.A. production of the year would be Jessica Kubzansky’s revival of “The Night of the Iguana.”
Kubzansky demonstrated by example what’s required. She and Tennessee Williams were an excellent match. But it’s not just about pairing the right director with the right author. It’s also about fielding a well-synchronized artistic company.
Too many locally grown productions (from our larger theaters especially) seem to leave out one of these elements. To judge by the results, the producing process seems top-down rather than organic. A few times this year at the bigger theaters it seemed as if the principal casting was an afterthought.
Co-productions can be a smart way to pool resources while spreading the risk. But they aren’t always the answer, as proved by the lackluster revival of “Noises Off” at the Geffen Playhouse, a co-production with Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company,
The best new dramatic work I saw anywhere this year was Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ “Purpose,” which deservedly won the Pulitzer Prize for drama and the Tony Award for best play. La Jolla Playhouse has announced that it will produce the West Coast premiere next year. I won’t hold my breath for an L.A. production. (Jackie Sibblies Drury’s “Fairview” is finally heading here next season, but I’m still waiting for countless AnnieBaker plays.) But at least Eboni Booth’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Primary Trust” is coming to the Taper in May.
The writer who made the biggest first impression on me is a.k. payne, author of “Furlough’s Paradise,” which was the best new play I saw in town all year. Plays that I saw in New York that deserve major productions in L.A. include Bess Wohl‘s “Liberation,” Kimberly Belflower‘s “John Proctor Is the Villain,” Samuel D. Hunter’s “Little Bear Ridge Road,” and, if any company is daring enough, Jordan Tannahill’s “Prince Faggot.”
I’m still thinking about Toni Servillo’s full-throated performance in “Tre modi per non morire: Baudelaire, Dante, i Greci,” adapted from works by Giuseppe Montesano. This solo show, which I saw at Milan’s Piccolo Teatro, offered a passionate defense of how great literature can teach us to live again.
The theater can and should be a sanctuary from the technology that is encroaching on what distinguishes us as human beings — our capacity to contemplate ourselves and others feelingly.
2025 definitely had its high points. But there seems to be a weakening of institutional resolve in the face of unrelenting economic, political and cultural pressures. Let’s pray for a renewal of determination to create the theater — and society — we deserve.
Herewith, in no particular order, are my Los Angeles theater highlights of 2025.
Kasey Mahaffy and CJ Eldred in “A Man of No Importance” at A Noise Within.
(Photo by Craig Schwartz)
“A Man of No Importance,” A Noise Within. This revival of a lesser known musical by Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens and Terrence McNally (the team behind “Ragtime”) was one of the unexpected treasures of 2025. A tale of a closeted Dublin bus driver with a passion for Oscar Wilde and a yen for amateur theatricals, the show featured a star performance from Kasey Mahaffy that was sublime in both its modesty and flamboyance. Julia Rodriguez-Elliott’s production gracefully depicted a world of ordinary folks looking at the aesthetic stars from their humdrum daily realities.
Claudia Logan, from left, Bisserat Tseggai, and Mia Ellis in “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” at the Mark Taper Forum.
(Javier Vasquez / Center Theatre Group)
“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding,” Mark Taper Forum. Jocelyn Bioh’s high-spirited ensemble comedy, vibrantly directed by Whitney White, took us inside the lives of the African immigrant women who work at a Harlem braiding salon. While working their fingers to the bone creating the most flamboyant hair designs, these characters reveal the great distances they’ve traveled, the courage that’s been required of them and the vulnerabilities they face in their increasingly hostile promised land.
Cynthia Erivo and Adam Lambert in “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the Hollywood Bowl.
(Farah Sosa)
“Jesus Christ Superstar,” Hollywood Bowl. Cynthia Erivo delivered a divinely inspired performance in this revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s 1971 musical, directed and choreographed with concert-like brio by Sergio Trujillo. Adam Lambert was the electric Judas to Erivo’s nuclear Jesus, and the energy they emitted was more than enough to power all of social media for a few days in August. This show didn’t just go viral — it went global pandemic.
Julanne Chidi Hill, from left, Dennis Dun, Jully Lee and Riley Shanahan in “The Night of the Iguana” at Boston Court Pasadena.
(Brian Hashimoto)
“The Night of the Iguana,”Boston Court Pasadena. Artistic director Jessica Kubzansky cut to the spiritual core of one of Tennessee Williams’ lesser major plays and made it seem on par with his masterpieces, “The Glass Menagerie” and “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Jully Lee was brilliant as Hannah, the itinerant painter who turns up with her 97-year-old poet father at a Mexican seaside inn that is like a refuge for the world’s strays. Julanne Chidi Hill, who played the lusty widow hotel proprietor, Maxine, and Riley Shanahan, who played Lawrence Shannon, the disgraced reverend on the lam from his misdeeds, helped bring the play’s lonely battle for redemption to blistering life.
DeWanda Wise, left, and Kacie Rogers in “Furlough’s Paradise” at the Geffen Playhouse.
(Jeff Lorch)
“Furlough’s Paradise,” Geffen Playhouse. This shape-shifting two-character drama by a.k. payne explores the politically loaded subject of identity through the relationship of two queer Black cousins, who grew up together but whose lives have diverged. Sade (DeWanda Wise) is on a three-day furlough from prison; Mina (Kacie Rogers), adrift in California, has returned home to connect with her roots. Together, they challenge each other’s understanding of the past and sense of possibility for the future. The drama, directed by Tinashe Kajese-Bolden and choreographed by Dell Howlett, routinely escaped the confined realism of the dramatic situation to find freedom in a realm of boundless lyricism.
Wesley Guimarães, left, and Jack Lancaster and in “Bacon” at Rogue Machine.
(Jeff Lorch)
“Bacon,”Rogue Machine Theatre at the Matrix’s Henry Murray Stage. This fierce two-hander by British playwright Sophie Swithinbank, about an abusive relationship between two teenage boys awakening to their sexuality, was all the more combustible for being performed in such an inescapable intimate space. Wesley Guimarães and Jack Lancaster brought out the contrasting natures of these characters who are drawn to each in ways neither can fully work out. The production, directed by Michael Matthews, incisively balanced the traumatic push and erotic pull.
Jennifer Babiak and Steven Skybell in “Fiddler on the Roof.”
(Luis Luque / Luque Photography)
“Fiddler on the Roof,” The Soraya. This fluidly staged concert version of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s acclaimed revival in Yiddish of this classic American musical brought a sharp-edged authenticity to the story of Tevye the milkman and his marriageable daughters navigating a treacherous world of pogroms and fraying tradition. Steven Skybell, magnificent in the role of the besieged patriarch, led a superb cast that brought a new understanding to an old chestnut through the force of Yiddish language and culture. The production, directed by Oscar- and Tony-winning actor Joel Grey, spoke as much to our own political and social turmoil as to that of the characters without ever having to press the point.
Rachel Simone Webb and the company of the North American tour of “& Juliet.”
(Matthew Murphy)
“& Juliet,”Ahmanson Theatre. This jukebox musical imagines with unstinting originality a scenario in which the doomed heroine of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” doesn’t die at the end of the play. Granted a theatrical second act, Juliet makes the rollicking most of it. The same could be said of this kinetically entertaining touring production. Tragedy was transformed not just into comedy but into a Max Martin dance party, replete with hits from the blockbuster Swedish producer that were made famous by such pop titans as Katy Perry, Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys.
Pragun Bhardwaj, from left, Taha Mandviwala and the national touring company of “Life of Pi.”
(Evan Zimmerman)
“Life of Pi,” Ahmanson Theatre. The most visually entrancing production of the year was also one of the most dramatically captivating. This adventure tale of a boy trying to survive a shipwreck with the help of his imagination and a few of the surviving animals of his family’s zoo translated into purely theatrical terms the fable-like enchantment of Yann Martel’s 2002 Booker Prize-winning novel. Lolita Chakrabarti’s smart adaptation rode the magic carpet of Max Webster’s staging, which had the most enchanting menagerie of puppets since “The Lion King.”
Cher Alvarez in “Paranormal Activity.”
(Kyle Flubacker)
“Paranormal Activity,” Ahmanson Theatre. This impeccably staged horror play by Levi Holloway succeeded in injecting maximum fear without theatergoers having to hate themselves in the morning. The characters, rendered with contemporary exactness by a first-rate cast, were so recognizable that they made the mysterious events unfolding around them terrifyingly plausible. The London house, ingeniously laid out by scenic designer Fly Davis, practically stole the show.
Rebekah Vardy has been rapped by fans over her booze brandCredit: GettyRebekah was inspired by footy icon husband Jamie’s love of mixing Skittles sweets into vodkaCredit: Getty
The £25 flavoured vodka — inspired by husband Jamie’s love of mixing Skittles sweets into the spirit — appears to still be on sale from the company’s website.
But disappointed fans told The Sun on Sunday they had waited months for bottles ordered in October that never arrived.
Eventually, they received an automated message saying their money would be refunded but were given no explanation for the delay or cancellation of the order.
When one customer tried to contact Sktl, they found the company’s main email address bounced back.
Another customer said: “I’m furious, it took two months to find out they weren’t going to deliver.”
Pals of Rebekah — whose husband moved from Leicester to Serie A side Cremonese this summer — revealed the mother of five has paused work on the drink brand to settle into life in Italy.
The source said: “There’s no problem with the brand; and it’s still something Rebekah wants to push on with.
“But, just for the moment, she’s had to take a breath – so she can focus on Italy and organising the family moving out and then getting settled in there.
“Once that’s all sorted, vodka will be back as one of her focuses!”
Vardy and Dennis Wise in an advert for the boozeCredit: SKTL
Former EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick cut a glum figure as he shared a new year message with his followers months after being axed from the long-running BBC soap
Jamie Borthwick was axed from EastEnders(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
It’s been a year to forget for Jamie Borthwick, and now the actor has shared a sad Christmas message. Months after being let go by EastEnders producers, Jamie, 31, has uploaded a sombre looking image and message.
He had played the part of Jay on the BBC soap since 2006. However, following a fallout amid Strictly chaos, Jamie found himself suspended by the soap. Three months later, he was axed, losing his role in September this year.
Now, in a rare social media update, Jamie has tried to look on the positive side of things – even if his picture appears to portray a different message. Taking to Instagram, he shared a picture of himself looking glum while wearing a paper Christmas hat.
The black-and-white image was accompanied with the words: “Wishing everybody a very merry Christmas and let’s hope for a slightly better 2026 for us all xx.” He added a peering face emoji and an emoji of a face giggling.
Jamie has largely remained off social media since his axing from the long-running soap. He had been suspended following footage being revealed in which he used a severely derogatory term.
He was heard using the offensive term for people with disabilities to describe Blackpool residents while filming Strictly in the seaside town. The BBC said at the time that his language, caught in a clip on a phone, was “entirely unacceptable and in no way reflects the values or standards we hold and expect”.
At the time, BBC Studios, which makes the soap, said: “We can confirm that Jamie Borthwick will not be returning to EastEnders. We do not comment on individual matters.”
Disability charity Scope said that Jamie should reflect on what he had said and urged him to educate himself. It added: “We hope he takes the opportunity to get to know the reality of disabled people’s lives.”
The star, who had played funeral home manager Jay Brown, was spotted after the decision looking downcast and unshaven. It is understood he was only told about the bosses’ decision days before news broke.
He had reportedly been set to return to set to recommence filming after the suspension. However, he was instead shown the door. with the BBC saying: “We are very clear on our expectations that inappropriate behaviour and language will not be tolerated.”
In June, Jamie said: “I am deeply sorry for any offence and upset my words and actions have caused. It is no excuse, but I did not fully understand the derogatory term I used and its meaning.
“That is on me completely. Now I am aware, I am deeply embarrassed to have used the term and directed it in the way I did. It was wrong.”
Here’s hoping that 2026 holds even more for Oasis.
MOMENT OF THE YEAR
POP star Katy Perry proved she was out of this world when she soared 62 miles above Earth in April.
The American singer went into space on Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket with an all-female crew, and promised that a song inspired by the trip was on its way.
Katy Perry proved she was out of this world when she soared 62 miles above Earth in AprilCredit: AFP
But critics branded her part in the mission “tone deaf” in light of the world’s economic struggles.
After both appeared in ITV’s I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here! in 2024, they were spotted together at a Brit Awards after-party in March – and married guitarist Danny was filmed kissing single Maura.
McFly singer Danny Jones and Love Island beauty Maura Higgins certainly had a rocky start to 2025Credit: The SunLuckily for Danny, his loyal wife, model Georgia, later forgave himCredit: Getty
Luckily for Danny, his loyal wife, model Georgia, later forgave him.
Hopefully he will be on his very best behaviour next year.
QUOTES OF THE YEAR
“I don’t know what a jacket potato is” – Kim Kardashian
“I last unloaded the dishwasher in 1997” – Robbie Williams
“I forgot how funny he was” – Noel Gallagher on brother Liam
“I didn’t have an absolute clue with these young people” – Denise Welch on stars at Charli XCX wedding
“You should think of your energy as if it’s expensive – not everyone can afford it” – Taylor Swift
“Who the f*** is Madeline?” – Lily Allen
SPLIT OF THE YEAR
LILY ALLEN proved that revenge is a dish best served cold – following her split from Stranger Things star David Harbour.
The British pop star laid bare her marriage breakdown through 14 tracks on her album West End Girl, which was released in October.
Lily Allen proved that revenge is a dish best served cold – following her split from Stranger Things star David HarbourCredit: GettyLily’s tell-all lyrics came after months of hints about her toxic split with American David last December, amid rumours she caught him cheatingCredit: Getty
Lily’s tell-all lyrics came after months of hints about her toxic split with American David last December, amid rumours she caught him cheating.
If the album is anything to go by, her West End Girl tour will be one to remember.
TOP 5 FILMS
Wicked: For Good Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy The Brutalist Sinners Snow White
TV TWIST OF THE YEAR
THE Celebrity Traitors was the year’s biggest TV show – with 12million viewers tuning in to watch Alan Carr win.
The comedian became the standout star of the series after “murdering” his best mate Paloma Faith – and having the worst poker face at the round tables.
The Celebrity Traitors was the year’s biggest TV show – with 12million viewers tuning in to watch Alan Carr winCredit: PA
Alan will be forever remembered as the best and worst Traitor in BBC history.
TOP 5 SINGLES
Man I Need, Olivia Dean XMAS, Kylie Minogue Ordinary, Alex Warren Midnight Sun, Zara Larsson IT Girl, Jade
COUPLE OF THE YEAR
TAYLOR SWIFT and Travis Kelce broke the internet in August when the announcement of their engagement scored 37million likes on Instagram.
In a joint post, US hitmaker Taylor was pictured surrounded by flowers, with her American football star boyfriend on one knee, and a cryptic caption quipped: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce broke the internet in August when the announcement of their engagement scored 37million likes on InstagramCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
The couple, below, first sparked rumour of a romance when Taylor was spotted watching a Kansas City Chiefs game in 2023.
If the engagement is anything to go by, this is going to be the wedding of the century.
TOP 5 ALBUMS
The Life Of A Showgirl, Taylor Swift
West End Girl, Lily Allen
Euro-Country, CMAT
Man’s Best Friend, Sabrina Carpenter
Mayhem, Lady Gaga
UNLIKELY NEW ROMANCE
HE is Britain’s most eligible pop star – so when Harry Styles stepped out with Catwoman Zoe Kravitz in Rome in August, fans went wild.
The As It Was singer was seen walking arm-in-arm with US actress Zoe through the streets of the Italian capital.
Harry Styles stepped out with Catwoman Zoe Kravitz in Rome in AugustCredit: InstagramHarry is Britain’s most eligible pop starCredit: GettyUS actress Zoe KravitzCredit: Getty
Could we see a diamond ring in the new year?
TOP 5 TV SERIES
Taylor Swift: The End Of An Era, Disney+
The White Lotus, Series 3, Sky Atlantic
The Death Of Bunny Munro, Sky Atlantic
The Summer I Turned Pretty, Series 3, Prime Video
Adolescence, Netflix
ARIANA GETS A GRANDE HOTEL
ARIANA GRANDE seems to be planning a Wicked time during her rumoured West End stint — including a £1million hotel stay.
I hear the US singer and actress, who is tipped to star in a revival of hit musical Sunday In The Park With George, has included accommodation at the 5H Mandarin Oriental among conditions for her potentially taking the role.
Ariana Grande seems to be planning a Wicked time during her rumoured West End stint — including a £1million hotel stayCredit: GettyA source said: ‘Ariana loves London and believes that the Mandarin Oriental has the city’s best views’Credit: Handout
Penthouses at the Hyde Park hotel start from £40,000 a night.
The three-bedroom suite is almost 5,000sq ft, with a walk-in wardrobe and grandstand private terrace.
If the play runs for six weeks, Ariana’s hotel bill would run to more than £1million.
Fans believe she is set to star in a revival of Stephen Sondheim’s 1984 musical Sunday In The Park With George at London’s Barbican Centre in 2027.
If so, she would line up alongside Jonathan Bailey, who played her Wicked character Glinda’s love interest.
A source said: “Ariana wants to stay at the Mandarin when she stars in the play.
“She really appreciates her downtime when she is working on productions and is a huge fan of the hotel.
“Ariana loves London and believes that the Mandarin Oriental has the city’s best views.”
Meanwhile she is nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Wicked: For Good at the Golden Globes in January.
She will then start her The Eternal Sunshine Tour in June, in Oakland, California, to support her album of the same name.
Sounds like she deserves some five-star R&R.
GET READY FOR A HARRY NEW YEAR
HARRY STYLES has given his most telling clue yet that he is preparing for a comeback.
He put on his YouTube channel a clip from his final Love On Tour gig, in 2023 in Italy – and the post was cryptically titled, “Forever, forever”, with text declaring: “We belong together.” He is at the piano, sparkling in gold.
Harry Styles has given his most telling clue yet that he is preparing for a comebackCredit: YouTube
It comes amid rumours of a fourth solo album – and a stage return.
The former One Direction star released his last album, Harry’s House, in 2022.
Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo have celebrated their first Christmas with baby ZiggyCredit: InstagramSophie shared a collection of pictures from ChristmasCredit: InstagramJamie was seen relaxing with baby Ziggy asleep on his chestCredit: InstagramSophie looked stunning as she cradled her sonCredit: Instagram
Naturally, this Christmas was set to be one to remember, with Sophie pulling out all the stops to make sure the holidays were extra special.
Proud husband Jamie shared a video of the effort Sophie went to for Christmas dinner, calling her “superwoman” on Instagram with an inside look at what she’d been getting up to.
He wrote on the video itself: “POV: your wife is three weeks pregnant and still creates a magical Christmas”.
Sophie was seen in the clip layout out the table before doing a dance for the camera, while other family members were beginning to dish out dinner in the kitchen.
Now, Sophie has given an even more intimate look at what their festive season has consisted off, sharing a string of photographs of both her and Jamie cuddled up to Ziggy.
Among them, the new family were seen posing in front of their Christmas tree, taking selfies in their hallway mirror, and posing with their entire family.
Others showed Jamie in dinosaur pyjamas with Ziggy asleep on his chest, the red and green decor around their house, and Sophie hard at work in the kitchen as she got dinner ready.
“Christmas 2025! The best yet ❤️” she wrote.
Fellow Made in Chelsea star Rosie Fortescue led the celebrations of the pair, writing: “Too divine for words ♥️♥️♥️”
Jedward added: “Awww beautiful here’s to the new adventure”, while influencer Holly-Evelyn added: “Absolutely stunning!! Merry Christmas and congratulations ❤️”
Their podcast – first called Nearly Weds before being renamed Newly Weds – was rebranded again to become Nearly Parents in celebration.
Both have been praised for being brutally honest with their experience as upcoming parents, with Sophie sharing her health ups and downs as well as their shared excitement and fear over what lies ahead.
Described online as the “UK’s leading postpartum wellness destination”, a single night in one of their locations costs a whopping £2k.
The hotel includes a spacious, salubrious, on-site nursery that’s run by top-of-the-line nurses, with massage therapists and beauty technicians on hand to treat mum.
Packages additionally include optional lessons in all areas of postpartum care, including daily educational group classes, a lactation consultant session, and incision aftercare.
The pair pulled out all the stops to make sure Christmas was perfectCredit: InstagramThe couple have shared all ups and downs of parentingCredit: InstagramZiggy was born in early DecemberCredit: InstagramThe pair had the entire family over to celebrate the big dayCredit: InstagramJamie praised Sophie as ‘superwoman’ for pulling Christmas togetherCredit: Instagram
ITV viewers took to social media to complain after watching Jamie Redknapp on the Christmas special of Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win on December 27
Bethany Whittingham and Karen Price Assistant Editor of Screen Time
22:27, 27 Dec 2025Updated 22:46, 27 Dec 2025
Ant and Dec hosted a celebrity Christmas special of Limitless Win
Viewers of ITV were left divided on Saturday night (December 27) as they settled in to watch the Christmas edition of Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win.
The festive episode saw two unsuspecting members of the audience receive a delightful shock when they were called up to take on the Limitless ladder alongside celebrity partners.
Throughout the programme, mother-of-two Brooke teamed up with Amanda Holden, but her journey ended prematurely after getting stuck on merely five questions.
In contrast, former soldier Nigel was matched with footballing icon Jamie Redknapp, and their partnership proved far more successful. Their performance was so impressive that the pair managed to nail three questions in a row with perfect accuracy.
Among the challenges they tackled was: “How many holes does a standard golf course have?” to which they correctly responded 18.
They also encountered the question: “How many mm wide is a standard Lindt Lindor chocolate truffle?” For this particular challenge, the duo opted to use their advantage card, submitting one response whilst Ant and Dec provided another, with the system removing whichever answer was furthest from the truth, reports the Express.
Jamie and Nigel put forward 32 as their response, whilst the presenting pair underestimated with 28, which turned out to be spot on.
Their third perfectly accurate answer came when asked “How many stripes does Where’s Wally have on his T-shirt?” correctly identifying the number as 10.
However, after the tense scenes aired, viewers took to social media in droves to voice their frustrations over the perceived ease of the show’s questions, with many labelling it a “fix”.
One disgruntled viewer wrote: “P*** easy questions, such a fix” while another echoed the sentiment, saying: “Come on chaps, they have got through with the equivalent of asking what comes after C in the alphabet.”
A third chimed in: “The golf course question was a bit of a gimmie,” and a fourth jested: “Three exact answers in a row! Woahhhhh! [laughing emoji]”.
Meanwhile, another fan quipped: “Happy Christmas, the next question is… what is your house number? [cry-laughing emoji].”
After achieving an impressive hat trick, the amy vet decided to cash out with an impressive £30,000 in the bank, which left the guest almost in tears. He couldn’t help but thank Jamie for his help throughout the nail-biting game, as they walked out arm in arm.
The festive special arrives just weeks before the new series returns next month, as part of a double recommission announced earlier this year. Since launching in 2022, Limitless Win has given away over an astonishing £3.5million and has been streamed 13million times, reaching over 25 million viewers.
Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win is on ITV1 and ITVX
**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**
Tony Hawk, the skateboarding legend synonymous with daring tricks and modern skate culture, over the weekend faced an experience “WAY outside” his comfort zone: performing in a ballet.
The San Diego native and “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” namesake, 57, made his ballet debut Saturday skating on stage for Golden State Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker.” During the one-of-a-kind showing at San Diego’s Civic Theatre, Hawk appeared in multiple scenes of the beloved holiday ballet, entertaining audiences with tricks while in costume.
“Sometimes you just have to say yes to things WAY outside your comfort zone, especially when your daughter thinks [it’s] funny,” he wrote Sunday in an Instagram post.
Golden State Ballet teased Hawk’s “Nutcracker” cameo on social media earlier this month, announcing, “he’s trying something completely new.”
“He’s supporting San Diego arts,” the original post read. “He’s making his daughter proud.”
“The Nutcracker” is a two-act ballet that follows a girl named Clara who receives a nutcracker doll for Christmas. When the toy magically comes to life, he defends Clara from the Mouse King and takes her on the journey of her dreams through the colorful land of sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy rules.
So how exactly does a pro skater fit in?
Hawk posted several photos and videos from his performance, including footage of his first cameo during the ballet’s opening number. The sports icon, donning a scarf and newsboy hat, disrupts the snowy scene outside of Clara’s home. He skates across the stage balancing on his board with both hands in the air as a police officer runs after him.
In the ballet’s second act, Hawk was not the only skater to take the stage. During the crowd-pleaser trepak, or Russian dance, Hawk and young skater Katelyn West joined a trio of dancers, launching themselves into the air off a quarter pipe. Like the dancers, both Hawk and West wore Russian-inspired fur hats, tunics and baggy red pants. The audience erupted in raucous applause.
Finally, Hawk and West rolled on stage for the show’s curtain call. Not too shabby, skater boy.
The Big Night of Musicals Christmas special aired on BBC One on Saturday night (December 27) with viewers spotting a vital detail
Bethany Whittingham and Karen Price Assistant Editor of Screen Time
20:54, 27 Dec 2025Updated 21:00, 27 Dec 2025
Jason Manford hosting Big Night of Musicals(Image: BBC)
Big Night of Musicals viewers were left scratching their heads after spotting a glaring detail during the festive BBC programme.
On Saturday night (December 27), Jason Manford presented what was billed as the Christmas compilation of this year’s finest stage musicals.
The show featured performances from the casts of Matilda, Mary Poppins, and Wicked, alongside numbers from cherished films such as Back to the Future, and tributes to music legends like Tina Turner.
However, within minutes of the broadcast beginning, sharp-eyed fans noticed a dead giveaway that this wasn’t actually a fresh compilation but rather a repeat.
Flocking to X – previously Twitter – numerous viewers highlighted that several audience members could be seen wearing face masks throughout the performances, reports the Express.
It wasn’t long before astute watchers realised this television round-up contained footage filmed during the coronavirus pandemic.
One viewer wrote: “When was the Tina Turner bit filmed if people are in masks?” whilst another questioned: “Erm… I’ve seen this exact performance before? ? ? Is this a repeat?”
A third viewer confirmed their suspicions, stating: “YUP… This entire this was a repeat.”
Nevertheless, despite the programme being a rerun from a previous year, many fans still relished the musical spectacular and flocked to social media to heap praise upon it.
One enthusiastic viewer wrote: “Loving Big Night of Musicals with @JasonManford, great that the schools and colleges have been shown too, not just established productions. I’m looking forward to next month even more now [musical notes emoji].”
Another fan concurred: “Really enjoying watching #BigNightOfMusicals on @BBCOne with @JasonManford,” while a third chimed in: “That was brilliant @JasonManford [green heart emoji]. Only problem is now I want to book to see Wicked, Matilda, and Mary Poppins again [crying emoji, laughing emoji].”
The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals is gearing up for its fifth dazzling instalment next month, featuring showstopping performances from West End smashes including Wicked, Miss Saigon, Jesus Christ Superstar and many more.
The show will once again be hosted by Jason Manford and will take place at Manchester’s AO Arena on 26 January 2026. Speaking about the upcoming extravaganza, Manford enthused: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be hosting The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals for the fifth year running.
“The 2026 line-up is phenomenal; some of the biggest shows in the world are coming together for one night only, and I can’t wait for audiences to experience it. This event is also a huge thank you to National Lottery players whose support keeps theatre alive and accessible.
“Without their contributions, so many productions, training programmes, and venue restorations simply wouldn’t be possible.”
For those unable to attend the event, the fifth instalment will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in Spring 2026.
A ping-pong ball at top speed travels over 70 miles an hour — so fast it could zip across Manhattan in less than two minutes. Director Josh Safdie’s hyperactive, head-spinning “Marty Supreme” keeps pace. Set in 1952 New York, this deranged caper races after a money-grubbing table tennis hustler (he prefers “professional athlete”) named Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) who argues like he plays, swatting away protests and annoying his adversaries to exhaustion.
Hounding his shoe-store co-worker to give him $700 from the safe, Marty hammers the poor sap with every trick he’s got — emotional pressure, physical violence, bribery, humiliation, revenge — until he hits one that wins. The high-strung kid is pure nerve and he looks like one, too; he’s the embodiment of a twitch. But with a paddle in his hands, Marty turns into Gene Kelly in “Singin’ in the Rain.” He could win a match swinging an umbrella.
The character’s inspiration is Marty Reisman, one of the so-called “bad boys of ping-pong,” according to a U.S. Table Tennis Assn. official in 1972, explaining why the rascal wasn’t invited to the USA versus China exhibition games referred to as “ping-pong diplomacy.” You may remember those matches from “Forrest Gump,” but Tom Hanks’ guileless sweetheart would never use the sport to smuggle gold bars out of Hong Kong, as the real Reisman once did.
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Reisman’s exploits, immortalized in his 1974 memoir “The Money Player,” are too outrageous to squeeze into one film, even for a chaos-feeding filmmaker such as Safdie, going solo after co-directing “Good Time” and “Uncut Gems” with his brother Benny. (A trilogy, maybe.) Reisman’s biography opened with him fleeing French-occupied Hanoi, Vietnam, the day before it fell to the Viet Minh and detoured to a meeting with the Pope in Rome before drunkenly landing a plane in Brazil. The book was optioned shortly after publication. He felt it should star Robert De Niro.
That movie never happened and Reisman died in 2012 at the age of 82, still insisting he deserved to bask in the spotlight. He’d be happy to see Safdie’s “Marty Supreme,” which time-travels audiences back seven decades to when American table tennis players were certain bright days were ahead.
As an athlete, Chalamet seems to have lost muscle for the role. Yet as funny as it is to see a guy this scrawny carry himself like Hercules, he leaps and strikes with conviction. His Marty yearns for prestige. Safdie even concocts a subplot in which he invents his signature orange ball solely so he can wear all-white like the posh jocks of Wimbledon. He starts the film desperate to fly to a tournament in London, in part to escape the walk-up apartment where he’s always squabbling with his mother (Fran Drescher) and uncle (Larry “Ratso” Sloman) and a nosy neighbor (Sandra Bernhard). Perilously, Marty’s secret lover (a simmering Odessa A’zion) lives with her jealous husband (Emory Cohen) in an apartment one floor below.
Marty and A’zion’s Rachel belong together, if only to quarantine their equally manipulative genes from the general population. Before the opening credits, the couple improvises a lie to get some privacy to mate. Cinematographer Darius Khondji sends the camera inside her body to see Marty’s most aggressive sperm wriggle to the finish line. Rachel’s egg becomes the moon; the moon becomes a ping-pong ball. Game on.
From this scene forward, Marty will dash around the city and the globe, chasing his dreams and out-running his parental responsibilities. Along the way, he trips over a gun-toting gangster named Ezra (Abel Ferrara), a faded movie star, Kay (Gwyneth Paltrow, sullen and aloof), and her callous husband Milton (“Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary), the chief executive of a pen corporation who thinks Marty can make him a mint in ping-pong-crazed Asia. O’Leary, a first-time actor, easily embodies the face of capitalism.
Flaunting that he can turn anyone into an actor, Safdie crowds his New York with bit parts played by big personalities: magician Penn Jillette, fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, basketball player George “The Iceman” Gervin, highwire artist Philippe Petit, playwright David Mamet, journalist Naomi Fry and grocery tycoon John Catsimatidis. The musician Tyler Okonma, better known as the Tyler, the Creator, is great in his feature film acting debut as Willy, Marty’s gambling wingman. He was previously seen onscreen getting electrocuted by a piano in “Jackass Forever.” Okonma brings that same energy here and it’s perfect.
Marty’s main foe — and personality opposite — is a Japanese player named Koto Endo (Koto Kawaguchi) who lost his hearing in the Tokyo airstrikes that happened seven years before and uses a deadly quiet foam-backed paddle. Marty’s friendliest rival, Béla (Géza Röhrig), survived Auschwitz, and in a jaw-dropper of a scene, shares a story of endurance that actually happened to the Polish player Alex Ehrlich. Imprisoned in the camps shortly after winning silver at the World Championships in 1939, Ehrlich was renowned for a record-breaking competitive volley that lasted over two hours, a back-and-forth so relentless that the referee quit with a sore neck. The rhythm of it could be a metronome for this movie’s plot — it whips us around to the point of delighted collapse.
The soundtrack is an unexpected backbeat of synth hits by Tears for Fears and New Order that bleeds into a Tangerine Dream-esque score by Daniel Lopatin — a startling choice for an era where people act like World War II happened yesterday. But to our modern ears, the music has its own vintage: It’s the sound of the greed-is-good 1980s, when movies rooted for ruthless strivers such as “Risky Business’” Tom Cruise, who opened a brothel in his parents’ bedroom.
Safdie’s script, co-written by Ronald Bronstein, is even structured like an ’80s movie that builds up to the big showdown, be it a ski race, a car-washing competition or a frat house decathlon à la “Revenge of the Nerds.” The catch is that Marty — not Endo — may be the bully who deserves to lose. How loudly are we willing to cheer for a callow guy who thinks of WWII as an opportunity for trash talk, boasting he’ll “drop a third bomb” on Endo’s fans? (In fairness, Tokyo promotes their rematch with a poster of Marty that looks uncomfortably close to antisemitic Nazi propaganda, a pointed choice by Safdie and the production designer Jack Fisk.)
Marty is convinced he’s a self-made success who doesn’t need anyone’s help; the people we see him squeeze and squash would disagree. He’s similar to Adam Sandler’s rapacious jeweler in “Uncut Gems,” except that scoundrel contained his damage to the Diamond District and people as shady as him. Safdie sends Marty out to bedevil the world, shipping him to Paris where he gets snippy with a maître d’ who doesn’t speak English and then to Cairo where he steals a chunk of the Great Pyramids.
Listening to a Japanese newsreel describe him as a villain referred to only as “the American,” you realize that “Marty Supreme” is more than a caricature of Reisman. It’s a biography of our national ego, with Marty brashly lecturing the British head of the International Table Tennis Assn. that a champion from the United States would boost the sport’s global reputation. After the commissioner makes this conceited Yank grovel, Marty simply replies: “It’s every man for himself where I come from.”
Like Marty, Chalamet was raised in New York City, and since he arrived on the scene, there’s never been a doubt he’ll win an Oscar. The only question is, when? To Chalamet’s credit, he’s doing it the hard way, avoiding sentimental pictures for pricklier roles about his own naked ambitions. For “A Complete Unknown,” he taught himself to play guitar like Bob Dylan while revealing that the bard was a rat, and in the even-better “Dune: Part Two,” played a naif radicalized into a galaxy-destroying messiah.
Here, Chalamet again fuses his personal drive into his performance, claiming that he spent seven years training to play ping-pong like Reisman, and unlike Tom Hanks in “Gump,” he’s doing his own stunts. Voters seem content to let the young talent dangle, trusting that he’ll continue flogging himself to make more great pictures like this.
The movie’s moxie makes it impossible not to get caught up in Marty’s crusade. We’re giddy even when he’s miserable. Performing with the Harlem Globetrotters in some of the most war-scarred, joy-desperate corners of the planet, his own shame prevents him from appreciating how much he’s entertaining the crowd. When you weigh his selfish desires against any other character’s needs, Marty is as hollow as a ping-pong ball. It really is all about his balls. Their embossing reads: “Marty Supreme — Made in America.”
‘Marty Supreme’
Rated: R, for language throughout, sexual content, some violent content/bloody images and nudity
Cynthia Erivo’s aggressively feathered Balenciaga at the “Wicked: For Good” New York premiere. Alexander Skarsgård’s Ludovic de Saint Sernin halter top and snug leather pants at the London premiere of the BDSM dramedy “Pillion.” Jacob Elordi’s Celine suit — in monster green, no less — at the Newport Beach Film Festival as the actor promoted “Frankenstein.”
If these recent outings haven’t convinced you that Hollywood is in its method dressing era, well, where in the Law Roach have you been?
From left: “Pillion’s” Alexander Skarsgård, “Marty Supreme’s” Timothée Chalamet and “Frankenstein’s” Jacob Elordi.
(Photos by Getty Images)
For those not familiar, method dressing is when stars wear looks on a press tour inspired by the movie they’re promoting. The practice has been around since the days of Old Hollywood, when actors like Audrey Hepburn, in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “Sabrina,” melded their star personas with their characters. More recently, Geena Davis and Gwyneth Paltrow channeled their projects with their premiere fits in the 1990s, and the casts of 2015’s “Cinderella” and 2018’s “Black Panther” did the same.
“Method dressing often becomes prologue to the film itself — it sets the tone and the context of the film and makes you curious about it,” says Ross Martin, president of marketing agency Known. “[But it’s also] a signal that the actor you like really is deeply invested in this film. They’re not just showing up, they’re actually embodying the character in the world of the film.”
‘Wicked’ stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
(Photos by Getty Images)
Martin cites Timothée Chalamet’s orange-hued campaign for “Marty Supreme” as a particularly skillful deployment of the trend. “If your favorite actor keeps showing up in the same way over and over again, that used to be rewarded,” he says. “Now there’s this pressure on Hollywood stars to define and then redefine themselves … [you] don’t want to see the same Chalamet that [you] just saw playing Bob Dylan. What you’re seeing is really modern marketing tools applied in very strategic ways to the traditional medium of films. It’s really necessary because 90% of the movies that are released don’t get the marketing dollars they need to launch. So this is innovation by necessity.”
Savvy stylists are also driving the red carpet cosplay. “Previously, stylists were responsible for making sure that stars appeared on trend,” says Raissa Bretaña, fashion historian and lecturer at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. “As they gained more prominence in the movie industry, it was less about making sure the stars were on trend and more about making sure the stars were setting the trends.”
Setting trends and creating meme-worthy, TikTok- and Instagram-friendly moments that often reach more eyeballs than the films themselves. An image of “a star wearing a beautiful gown isn’t enough anymore,” says Bretaña. “It is meant to engage with the algorithm. How do we get people talking more about this movie? How do we get more eyes on it by having a different manifestation of it in our real life?”
Indeed, during the “Challengers” press tour, online chatter peaked each time Zendaya stepped out in a new tennis-centric look. “I’m a storyteller, and the clothes are my words,” Zendaya’s stylist Law Roach recently said to Variety. As for his work with the actor on “Dune: Part Two” — including Thierry Mugler’s sartorial mic drop — Roach told Vogue the “looks served as an extension of the wardrobe from the movie; it was intentional and purposeful.”
Zendaya in outfits inspired by her movie “Challengers”
(Photos by Getty Images)
Pop culture commentator Blakely Thornton has been following method dressing closely, posting frequently on press tour fashions. “Maybe [Zendaya] walked so Cynthia and Ariana could run,” he says. “The stars are taking it upon themselves to be like, ‘I have to invest in myself in this capacity to get what I need out of it.’” It’s an important distinction, he notes, as film execs aren’t always footing the bill for stylists. “The studios are pretending that it’s not something they have to pay for when it’s something in the internet era you must require. Because if these people came out wearing a turtleneck to every premiere, you wouldn’t be happy.”
Enrique Melendez, the stylist behind Jenna Ortega’s viral red carpet looks for the “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” press tour, believes his work was key in boosting interest for new demographics. “Jenna being of a newer generation, wearing pieces and looks celebrating the original film had a whole new wave of young people researching the references and Easter eggs with their parents who understood exactly what they meant.”
Still, you can’t guarantee virality: There’s a fine line between a “Spider-Man” triumph and a “Madame Web” tragedy. Some of it can be attributed to an actor’s commitment, says Martin, contrasting Chalamet’s enthusiastic campaign with Dakota Johnson’s reluctant “Madame Web” tour. It also depends on the film itself. Bretaña says method dressing tends to work best with sci-fi or fantasy projects because of the inherent drama in their costuming.
She’s excited by an upcoming period film, Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of “Wuthering Heights,” starring on-theme veterans Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. “I think ‘Wuthering Heights’ will be our litmus test to see if method dressing will spill over into historically inspired garments,” says Bretaña. “In the past, whenever actors promoted period films, they try to look as contemporary as possible in order to distance themselves.”
Actors actually looking like themselves on the red carpet? Groundbreaking.
YouTube personality Adam the Woo, known for his videos about his travels and exploring theme parks and other pop culture destinations, has died.
The content creator, whose full name was David Adam Williams, was found dead Monday in his home in Celebration, Fla., the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to The Times. He was 51.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call at Williams’ home at 2:53 p.m. Monday after a “friend had borrowed a ladder and looked in the 3rd story window to see a male on a bed that was not moving,” a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “Upon entering the residence with Fire Rescue, the male was reported deceased.”
According to the statement, deputies had also been dispatched to the home earlier that afternoon for a well-being check where “[t]he residence was secured, [but] no contact was made with the adult male residing there.”
Adam the Woo described himself on his YouTube channel as “[a]n 80s pop culture nerd with a desire to travel and video what I see.” He posted more than 4,000 videos about his adventures at Disney and Universal theme parks, pop culture conventions, movie filming locations, abandoned cities and more across his two YouTube channels, which combined had more than 1 million subscribers.
The vlogger had shared a look at his Christmas decorations as well as the holiday festivities in his community in the latest video posted to his the Daily Woo channel on Sunday. As news of his death circulated on Tuesday, Adam the Woo’s fans shared tributes in the comments of his videos.
“I hope his friends and Family look back at all his videos and tell themselves he lived a life he dreamed of living,” one fan posted on his latest video. “He saw the world. He had so many friends and fans and was so loved.”
“It never felt like you were watching him. It always felt like you were there with him,” posted another. “We will forever be grateful for the journeys you took us on, Adam.”
Williams was last seen on Sunday “by the friend that looked into his window,” the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said. The investigation is ongoing and the medical examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Jamie Redknapp shared how dating pop star Louise Redknapp contributed to backlash as he reflected on the early days of his football career
Jamie Redknapp reflected on dating Louise Redknapp during his football career (Image: Karwai Tang, WireImagevia Getty Images)
Jamie Redknapp said dating Louise Redknapp contributed to him “getting a lot of stick” at the height of his football career. In 1991, the sportsman signed for Liverpool FC and made his debut in a UEFA Cup match that year aged just 18.
During his 11 years at the club, Jamie, 52, and several of his teammates were dubbed The Spice Boys because of their youth and high-profile lifestyles.
As part of this period, Liverpool won the Football League Cup (also known as the Coca-Cola Cup) in 1995 and it was around this time that Jamie met Louise, who was a member of Eternal.
Reflecting on his heyday, the father-of-two said he was determined to prove he had “the mental strength” to succeed after many doubted his abilities.
Jamie gained further attention at the time when press discovered he was dating singer Louise.
Speaking on the Making A Scene podcast, he reflected: “We won the Coca-Cola final which was the lead cup at the time. We had a very young team hence why we were called The Spice Boys.”
Avoiding naming his now ex-wife, he went on to explain to hosts David Walliams and Matt Lucas: “We got a lot of stick because I was dating a popstar, David James was modelling for Armani, John Barnes was just John Barnes, Jason McAteer [was there].”
Jamie and Louise, who share two sons, Charley, 21, and Beau, 17, were married for 20 years.
The former couple split in 2017, with the singer reportedly citing “unreasonable behaviour” in divorce proceedings at the time.
Fast forward several years and the pair have since moved on with new relationships.
Jamie was the first to do so, finding love with Swedish model Frida Andersson. The couple later married in 2021 while she was pregnant with their son Raphael, who is now four.
Before meeting Jamie, she was married to American hedge fund manager Jonathan Lourie, with whom she has four children.
When it came to telling his eldest son that Frida was pregnant, he recalled: “It didn’t go down that well with Charley, I’ve got to be honest.
“I went to pick him up at school and tell him Frida was pregnant [and] it went down like a lead balloon, if I’m honest.”
He added: “I got it, I totally understood it because his world had been turned upside down — you’re married, everything feels straightforward, and then you meet someone else and you get married again.”
As for Louise, she began dating businessman Drew Michael in 2023. The mother-of-two regularly shares updates about their relationship on social media, including attending Glastonbury Festival together last year.
Jamie appears on Ant and Dec’s Limitless Win tonight at 8pm on ITV. For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new Everything Gossip website.
