SHOW BIZ

Stay up-to-date with the latest entertainment news from around the world. Get exclusive insights into celebrity gossip, red carpet events, movie premieres, music releases, and more.Stream TV Online Read more at: https://hotdog.com/tv/stream/

The 12-plus movies and TV shows we’re watching this Thanksgiving weekend

Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who needs zone-out time while spending the holiday with family.

Whether you’re planning to get lazy on the couch together to alleviate your food coma, need to escape the latest round of anxiety-inducing conversation at the dinner table, or just want a streaming companion while feasting on leftovers in the days that follow the holiday, this special Thanksgiving edition of The Times’ weekly guide to at-home viewing has you covered. Just be warned: You must provide your own stretchy waistbands.

Below, find 12ish films and TV shows released this year that our pop culture experts at The Times are looking forward to catching up on this weekend. Gobble, gobble.

“Being Eddie” (Netflix)

A black and white photo of three men gathered around a table

A still of Eddie Murphy with his brothers, Vernon Lynch Jr. and Charlie Murphy, in Netflix’s “Being Eddie.”

(Eddie Murphy / Netflix)

For anyone who came of age in the ’80s inhaling comedy, Netflix’s new Eddie Murphy documentary hits a very particular nostalgia vein. Murphy wasn’t just another comedian; he was part of the glue that held Gen X together, the soundtrack to sleepovers, school hallways, summer camps and every half-rewound tape in the house. You passed around VHS copies of “Delirious” and “Raw,” their very pre-PC bits the kind of thing you quoted under your breath in class. You watched “48 Hrs.,” “Trading Places,” “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Coming to America” on a loop, and you mimicked his “Saturday Night Live” creations — Gumby, Mr. Robinson, Buckwheat — on playgrounds, at bus stops, anywhere kids gathered long enough to goof off. Murphy’s magnetism, timing and swagger helped turn him into a new kind of Black Hollywood superstar, and even with the inevitable peaks (“Shrek,” “The Nutty Professor,” “Bowfinger,” “Dreamgirls”) and valleys (“The Adventures of Pluto Nash,” “Norbit”), he carried that stardom across decades. This is more of a victory-lap retrospective than a warts-and-all documentary, and now 64, the famously private Murphy has never been one to reveal much anyway. But when I spoke with him nearly a decade ago while he was promoting the drama “Mr. Church” — candid, funny and strikingly self-aware about fame and longevity — it was a reminder that when he does open the door a bit, he can be as compelling offstage as on. If even a bit of that Murphy turns up here, “Being Eddie” might give us something we rarely get: Eddie talking like Eddie. — Josh Rottenberg

“Eddington” (HBO Max)

Two men confront each other on the side of a street.

Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal in a scene from “Eddington.”

(A24)

Few films are as purpose-built to start arguments within a family as Ari Aster’s “Eddington.” (And even if you already saw the movie when it was released earlier in the year, it bears repeat viewing, especially in the context of the holidays.) Part contemporary Western, part social satire, the film will bring out PTSD vibes for its heightened, tense reenactment of the very specific mania of the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The mayor (Pedro Pascal) and sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) of a small New Mexico town find themselves at odds over a variety of issues, as a tech company’s push to build a data center in the area looms over everything. If you think your weird relative has some strange ideas about the way the world works, fire up “Eddington” to really put them through their paces, as the film’s “everybody’s wrong” mindset is designed to expose the madness within us all. — Mark Olsen

“Nouvelle Vague” (Netflix), Directed by Jacques Rozier collection (The Criterion Channel)

A black and white photo of a young woman, seated in the backseat of a car, with her face resting in the palm of her hands.

Zoey Deutch as actress Jean Seberg in “Nouvelle Vague.”

(Photo from Netflix)

I’m not one for biopics, but as a person who owns “Slacker” on Blu-ray and has worn out a 1998 special issue of Cahiers du Cinéma focusing on the French New Wave, I was excited by the notion of Richard Linklater, the most European of American directors, re-creating the creation of Jean-Luc Godard’s 1960 breakthrough film “Breathless.” Appropriately presented in French, in period black-and-white and in the 4:3 aspect ratio, with look-alike stand-ins for Godard (Guillaume Marbeck) and stars Jean Seberg (Zoey Deutch) and Jean-Paul Belmondo (Aubry Dullin), “Nouvelle Vague” looks like a cinephile’s dream. I’ll watch it as a curtain raiser for my continuing exploration of the Criterion Channel’s celebration of director Jacques Rozier, whose long-form fictional films feel like cinéma vérité and whose 1963 “Paparazzi” documents the making of Godard’s “Contempt” and the news photographers fighting to get a shot of Brigitte Bardot. — Robert Lloyd

“KPop Demon Hunters” (Netflix)

A still photo of three animated women, each extending one arm, sing against a yellow and green lit backdrop.

Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation’s hit movie “KPop Demon Hunters” has gained a massive following since it was released in June.

(Netflix)

Is this the weekend I finally watch? That would be smart. I’ve already been berated by several scowling tweens, not to mention a few Oscar prognosticators, serene in their conviction that Netflix’s massive viral hit will leave the ceremony golden. Four of the animated movie’s earworms have cracked the Billboard Top 10 at the same time, a feat that could make a Gibb brother green with envy. In preparation for voting in some critics’ organizations, I’ll stream the movie at home, though I’m already wishing I’d gone to one of the film’s many sing-along screenings, just to feel the phenomenon firsthand. If you no longer recognize me on the other side, call it an occupational hazard. I’m done hiding, now I’m shining, like I’m born to be. — Joshua Rothkopf

“Billy Joel: And So It Goes” (HBO Max)

A black and white photo of a musician, cigarette hanging from his mouth, at a piano under the glow of a spotlight

Billy Joel in concert circa 1977 as seen in “Billy Joel: And So It Goes.”

(HBO)

I have caught a few bits and pieces of this documentary while flipping channels, and always quickly switch it off. I’ve been a huge Billy Joel fan since “The Stranger” album and have seen him in concert a few times, including the show when he ripped up the Los Angeles Times’ review by music critic Robert Hilburn. The documentary is two parts and nearly five hours long, so I was determined to give it my full attention. Billy Joel is one of pop music’s treasures, and the ups and downs of his personal life should make for fascinating viewing. The bonus will be diving into the 155-track (!!!) playlist on Spotify that is a companion to the documentary. (HBO Max) — Greg Braxton

“Pluribus” (Apple TV)

A  blonde woman in a yellow jacket with a fearful expression

Rhea Seehorn in “Pluribus.”

(Apple TV+)

Rhea Seehorn as a cranky, cynical, misanthropic writer who remains mysteriously immune, and super-angry, when an alien-generated RNA virus turns the world into one huge seemingly calm and helpful collective consciousness? Sign me right up. As Robert Lloyd points out in his excellent review, the hive mind is the most terrifying of all the sci-fi premises. The universal niceness that results here also seems very much at odds with it being a melting pot of all human experience so I can’t wait to see what creator Vince Gilligan (“Breaking Bad”) is going to do with that. But early glimpses of Seehorn’s Carol fighting for her, and humanity’s, right to be prickly and pissed off promises all kinds of insights into the difference between empathy and sedation, not to mention a fabulous chance to watch Seehorn shine as one of many women on TV today who are willing to state the obvious even when it appears no one is listening. — Mary McNamara

“Paradise” (Hulu, Disney +)

Two men sit facing each other inside a fictional oval office

James Marsden and Sterling K. Brown in a scene from “Paradise.”

(Brian Roedel / Disney)

This Hulu drama caught my attention when it hit the streamer early this year, but at the time, I was already knee-deep in theories about Lumon as I dove into the second season of “Severance.” I couldn’t handle a political conspiracy thriller on top of that. Created by Dan Fogelman (“This Is Us,” “Crazy, Stupid, Love”), the series stars Sterling K. Brown as Xavier Collins, a secret service agent accused of killing the president, Cal Bradford (James Marsden). The murder and the search for the true killer unfold inside an underground community after a massive catastrophe threatens the extinction of the human race. So, that’s obviously a lot. But I’m never one to turn down a series that keeps you guessing — and my colleague Robert Lloyd confirmed in his review that this one does just that. I’ve also had enough people whose taste I trust recommend “Paradise” to me that I think it’s time to tune in. And it’s getting a second season that’s expected to arrive sometime in 2026. If anything, I’m just curious to see Fogelman’s take on this genre. Plus, I’ll watch anything Marsden or Brown are in. — Kaitlyn Huamani

“Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake” (HBO Max)

Two animated characters dressed in costumes stand beside an animated cat.

A still from Season 2 of “Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake.”

(HBO)

What’s Friendsgiving if not a time to reconnect with longtime pals who you might not get to see as often as you like? That’s why I’ll be spending my long weekend catching up on Season 2 of “Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake.” This spinoff of the acclaimed Cartoon Network series features gender-swapped versions of beloved Adventure Time characters — Finn and Jake — who are endearing in their own right. The first season of the show involved Fionna, a young woman with an unfulfilling job living paycheck to paycheck along with her pet cat, Cake, discovering that her world was an unauthorized creation of a cosmic entity. The pair then set off on a magical, multiversal journey to save it. There’s admittedly quite a bit of “Adventure Time” lore involved, but yearning for a fantastic escape from the daily stresses of a fairly mundane life is pretty relatable even if you aren’t personally acquainted with recovering ice wizards. The show is charming and weird and all about friendship — a cozy comfort I am definitely looking forward to getting wrapped up in again. — Tracy Brown

“Companion” (HBO Max, Prime Video)

A young woman pushes a cart at a grocery store.

Sophie Thatcher in the sci-fi thriller “Companion.”

(Warner Bros. Pictures)

The poster for “Companion” put me off due to a personal jinx: I don’t trust horror movies where the heroine has perfect hair. Usually, I dodge some dreck. But all year long, people have elbowed me to catch up with Drew Hancock’s debut about a nervous beauty (“Yellowjackets’” Sophie Thatcher) stuck in a vacation house with her newish boyfriend (Jack Quaid) and his cruel and snobby best pals. Produced by Zach Cregger of “Barbarian” and “Weapons,” it’s apparently an energetic, empathetic thriller packed with twists. If you like watching movies blank (as I do), don’t Google it. Spoilers abound. But “Companion” is streaming, and has been on every in-flight entertainment system I’ve come across since May. Assuming it lives up to the buzz, I may have to rewire my own codes. — Amy Nicholson

“All Her Fault” (Peacock)

 A woman in a black turtleneck kneels near a woman sitting with her feet up on a couch.

In the series, Dakota Fanning and Sarah Snook play working mothers Jenny and Marissa.

(Peacock)

Upper-class mess is my favorite genre of TV. So I’ve been desperate to dig into this series that people in my orbit promise is one of this year’s most addicting shows. Based on a novel by Andrea Mara, the psychological thriller stars Sarah Snook as a mom who goes to pick up her son from a play date, only to be greeted by a stranger who claims there is no one there by that name. Uh, what? Twists and turns ensue from there in this deep dive of what it’s like being a working mother. Spoiler alert: It apparently gives a striking portrayal of male ego and incompetence, and how that shapes the lives of women around them. Gee, wonder what that’s like. The series also stars Dakota Fanning, Jake Lacy and Jay Ellis. — Yvonne Villarreal

“The Chair Company” (HBO Max)

A man holds a cellphone sideways near his ear as he sits on a chair in a dark room.

Tim Robinson stars in HBO’s “The Chair Company.”

(Sarah Shatz / HBO)

Have you ever been slighted at work? Did you ever think it was part of a conspiracy to take you down? If the answer is no, you might be a normal person and this show may not be for you. But if you’ve ever wondered if something small could be much bigger, and if you get some sick satisfaction from going down rabbit holes on the internet to find answers to your questions, then this show is for you. “The Chair Company” is the latest series to come from comedic writers Zach Kanin and Tim Robinson, who stars as Ron, a man who becomes obsessed with reaching the manufacturer of the office chair he unexpectedly broke, leading him down a bizarre path involving an empty warehouse, a giant red ball and Jeeps. With the finale airing Sunday, it’s the perfect time to catch up on the show (episodes are only a half hour each). It’s already been renewed for a second season, which makes me wonder if we’ll get to the bottom of Ron’s mystery or if the chair will be pulled out from under us. — Maira Garcia

Source link

BBC’s Call The Midwife Christmas special in chaos as filming hit by typhoon

The cast spent two weeks in the former British colony to film the storyline involving harrowing scenes of death and destruction but also of love and hope

The Call the Midwife Christmas specials were nearly thrown off course by a force 10 typhoon during filming in Hong Kong. But while the cast were ordered to stay in their hotel rooms and not venture out for two days, the filming was completed and now viewers will have not one but two specials on BBC1, airing on Christmas Day ad Boxing Day.

In the plot, half of the Nonnatus House medics make a mercy dash to Hong Kong after the mission building collapses, causing fatalities and leaving the orphans and expectant mothers with nowhere to go.

There is further danger when the nuns have a run-in with gun-toting gangsters and are threatened by a triad leader who steals the keys to the new building they have just secured for the mission.

READ MORE: Best TV to watch this Christmas – 15 shows you won’t want to miss

Jenny Agutter, who has played head nun Sister Julienne since the series launched in 2012, said that filming in Hong Kong was hampered by a typhoon so severe they were ordered to stay inside their hotel rooms and not leave.

“The winds became really bad on the Saturday night, when we weren’t working but we were told to be careful because it was going to get bad. In the early hours of the morning, it really was stronger. On Sunday, they said not to open the curtains of the hotel in case anything hit the window. But we were facing the water so there was little chance. Of course, I had a jolly good look outside because it was rather amazing seeing all the water whipped up.”

Jenny, 72, said that the Christmas special felt “quite epic” for being set in two locations many thousands of miles apart. “Hong Kong is a very peculiar, complex place. It’s no longer cosy because in many ways, not unlike we are today with the changes that are happening, it feels a little dangerous. What makes it easier is this community that are cohesive and are actually supportive.”

Annabelle Apsion, who plays Poplar’s Mayor and haberdasher Violet Buckle, said the storm was thrilling. “Our hotel looked out over the sea and you could see things going down the streets, it was exciting. I was in Hong Kong 35 years ago for Soldier, Soldier so it was amazing to go back all these years later. It was boiling hot so we had fans on us all the time because otherwise the perspiration would have shown on camera.”

Cliff Parisi, who plays her husband Fred, said he hadn’t been keen to fly half way around the world – but was glad when he did. “Hong Kong was extraordinary, a real eye opener. I’ve never been that far east before. I’ve always wanted to go but I don’t like flying long-haul. Of course, I went because it was work. But I got there, and we had the most fabulous time.”

“I do my own research so I became very immersed in the world of Chinese-Hong Kong organised crime,” Heidi, 63, explained. “I had to make up names of gangsters and gangs and when I handed the script over to our Triad advisor – which we’ve never had before – I got the message back that the names I’d chosen were so realistic that I’d have to change them or we’d all be in trouble. I was quite pleased with myself.”

Next year will see the hugely popular series take a break, while a prequel set in 1939 is made, featuring young versions of Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter), the late Sister Evangeline (Pam Ferris) and Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt).

But ahead of that comes the dramatic two-part Christmas special followed by and the 15th series set in Poplar, where the year has reached 1971.

At Christmas, the younger nurses left behind in London make the most of their freedom by throwing a party in Nonnatus House involving cocktails, cross-dressing and a cramped game of sardines.

Helen George, who plays Trixie Aylward, said she didn’t mind not going to Hong Kong. “I get to wear an angel costume to the carnvial. It’s probably the favourite costume I’ve ever worn. It’s got a 1970s twist. It’s a beautiful white coat with a fur trim and angel wings coming out of the back, and then these really cool glittery stars. For me, it was a lot of fun dressing up.”

But Laura Main, who plays Shelagh Turner, said she had loved every second of filming abroad. “It was just a life highlight, if I’m honest. All the places I’ve been over the past 15 years – South Africa, the Outer Hebrides, and now Hong Kong. What this show has allowed me to be part of is just amazing and I’m so grateful for it.”

– Call the Midwife, BBC1, Christmas Day and Boxing Day

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



Source link

American Pie & Scrubs star Tara Reid calls cops fearing her drink was spiked in hotel bar sparking horror hospital dash

AMERICAN Pie star Tara Reid told police she was drugged at a Chicago hotel bar – ending in a hospital dash with the star in a concerning state.

Distressing footage shows the actress, 50, looking unwell as she sits in a wheelchair, before being stretchered out by paramedics on Saturday night.

Footage from Saturday night shows Tara Reid being helped into a wheelchair, unable to standCredit: BackGrid
She slips forward out of the chair onto the floor at one pointCredit: BackGrid
Reid was later seen being wheeled out of the hotel on a stretcher by paramedicsCredit: BackGrid
Tara Reid at Vegan Fashion Week in 2023Credit: Getty

The Rosemont Public Safety Department confirmed on Tuesday that the actress had filed a report.

Reid has vowed she is willing to prosecute anyone involved.

The 90s film pin-up said the night was a “big blur”, but insisted she had only had one drink before being taken ill.

Speaking to TMZ Live on Tuesday, she recounted leaving her drink in the hotel bar to go for a smoke, and returning to find a napkin covering it that hadn’t been there when she left it.

IN VOGUE

Vogue Williams on THOSE marriage rumours & top I’m A Celeb moment she’s shunning


TELL ALL

MAFS UK cast spill juicy behind-the-scenes secrets from the show

She said: “And then I drank my drink, and without even finishing my drink, I just passed out. And before I knew it, I was in the hospital eight hours later.”

The person who filmed the episode told the publication that Reid was yelling: “You don’t know who I am. I am famous. I’m an actress,” before medics arrived.

Tara was allegedly told by hospital doctors that she had been drugged, though said no tests were undertaken to determine what the drug was or her blood alcohol level.

She continued: “It was all kind of vague. It was all like very blurry, do you know what I mean? I can’t even explain it because I don’t even know what happened.”

When she came around, Tara left hospital with her agent and went straight to a signing before heading home.

A representative for the star said: “Tara Reid has filed a police report after an incident in which she believes her drink was tampered with.

“She is cooperating fully with the investigation. Tara is recovering and asks for privacy during this traumatic time.

“She also urges everyone to be careful, watch your drinks and never leave them unattended, as this can happen to anyone. She will not be making further comments at this stage.”

At one moment, Reid suddenly tries to stand upCredit: BackGrid
A number of people were attempting to assist the starCredit: BackGrid

Tara’s screen career began in the 90s with small roles in the soap opera Days of Our Lives and teen sitcom Saved by the Bell: The New Class.

In 1998 she appeared in slasher flick Urban Legend, teen drama Cruel Intentions and cult hit crime comedy The Big Lebowski.

But it was as sexy virgin Vicky in American Pie and its sequels that really made her famous.

Tara’s career stalled in the mid-2000s with a string of critical and commercial flops including Josie and the Pussycats, Van Wilder and Alone in the Dark, for which she received a Razzie Award nomination for Worst Actress.

Tara Reid starring in American Pie in 1999Credit: Alamy
Reid has filed a police report alleging she was drugged in a Chicago hotel barCredit: Splash

To make matters worse, she suffered two botched plastic surgery procedures in 2004, including breast implants and a body contouring procedure meant to give her a six-pack.

She later said she’d asked the surgeon for B cups, but he gave her Cs, and told US Weekly: “My stomach became the most ripply, bulgy thing. I had a hernia, this huge bump next to my belly button.

“As a result, I couldn’t wear a bikini. I lost a lot of work.”

She swapped the big screen for reality TV appearing in travel show Taradise and Celebrity Big Brother in the UK.

LAVALEY VIEW

Huge volcanic eruption sends ash 6 miles high & poisonous gas toward villages


TRAITORS CHAOS

Bombshell evidence that proves Traitors star ISN’T dad to Charlotte’s baby

In 2023 she appeared in Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test and was cruelly body-shamed over her slim figure.

She hit back in the Los Angeles Inquisitor, “So stop it. Leave me alone. Pick on me again on something else, but not on those two things. It’s not right.”

Source link

Bangkok court issues an arrest warrant for Thai co-owner of Miss Universe pageant

A court in Thailand said Wednesday that it has issued an arrest warrant for a co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization in connection with a fraud case.

Jakkaphong “Anne” Jakrajutatip was charged with fraud then released on bail in 2023. She failed to appear as required in a Bangkok court on Tuesday. Since she did not notify the court about her absence, she was deemed to be a flight risk, according to a statement from the Bangkok South District Court.

The court rescheduled the hearing for Dec. 26.

According to the court’s statement, Jakkaphong and her company, JKN Global Group Public Co. Ltd., were sued for allegedly defrauding Raweewat Maschamadol in selling him the company’s corporate bonds in 2023. Raweewat says the investment caused him to lose $930,362.

Financially troubled JKN defaulted on payments to investors beginning in 2023 and began debt rehabilitation procedures with the Central Bankruptcy Court in 2024. The company says it has debts totaling about $93 million.

JKN acquired the rights to the Miss Universe pageant from IMG Worldwide LLC in 2022. In 2023, it sold 50% of its Miss Universe shares to Legacy Holding Group USA, which is owned by a Mexican businessman, Raúl Rocha Cantú.

Jakkaphong resigned from all of the company’s positions in June after being accused by Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission of falsifying the company’s 2023 financial statements. She remains its largest shareholder.

Her whereabouts remain unclear. She did not appear at the 74th Miss Universe competition, which was held in Bangkok earlier this month.

This year’s competition was marred by various problems, including a sharp-tongued scolding by a Thai organizer of Fátima Bosch Fernández of Mexico, who was crowned Miss Universe 2025 on Nov. 19. Two judges reportedly dropped out, with one suggesting that there was an element of rigging to the contest. Separately, Thai police investigated allegations that publicity for the event included illegal promotion of online casinos.

On Monday, JKN denied rumors that Jakkaphong had liquidated the company’s assets and fled the country, but there has been no immediate reaction regarding the arrest warrant. She could not be reached for comment.

Jakkaphong is a well-known celebrity in Thailand who has starred in reality shows and is outspoken about her identity as a transgender woman.

Saksornchai writes for the Associated Press.

Source link

Spartacus: House of Ashur release date, cast, trailer and episode count

Spartacus has been missing from our screens for 12 years but now a new bloody era is on the horizon

Spartacus: House of Ashur is on the way, breathing new life into the unforgettable violent period drama.

The long-awaited series is going to be set in an unfamiliar world as not only does cunning Ashur (played by Nick Tarabay) survive his horrific series three death, he thrives.

Brought to life on MGM+ and Starz in the US, Spartacus: House of Ashur comes 12 years after the original Spartacus series came to an end.

As the wait is almost over for the iconic show to return, here’s everything there is to know about watching Spartacus: House of Ashur.

When will Spartacus: House of Ashur premiere?

There is just a matter of days left before the drama’s big debut with Spartacus: House of Ashur starting on Friday, December 5, on Starz in the US and Saturday, December 6 on MGM+ in the UK.

Those in the UK can get access to MGM+, which also features the Power franchise and Outlander, via an add-on subscription within Prime Video

The show’s confirmed release has been a long time coming with news of the spin-off first being announced back in 2023.

Spartacus: House of Ashur episode count and release schedule

Spartacus: House of Ashur is going to consist of 10 episodes with only the first two instalments dropping on December 5 and December 6. From this point on, a single episode is going to be released on the same days every week, continuing to bring this epic story to life.

And as long as there are no delays to the schedule, this means that the grand finale is going to be out on Friday, January 30, in the US and Saturday, January 31, in the UK. But fans are going to have to stay tuned in to find out how it all plays out.

Spartacus: House of Ashur cast

Actor Nick Tarabay will be reprising his devious role of Ashur from the original Spartacus series for his own spin-off House of Ashur. As this is an alternate reality, he will be joined by an abundance of new faces including Outlander icon Graham McTavis as Korris.

Other new cast members include Tenika Davis as Achillia, Jamaica Vaughn as Hilara, Ivana Baquero as Messia and Jordi Webber as Tarchon.

The only other original star to briefly join Tarabay in House of Ashur is actress Lucy Lawless as Lucretia. An early released clip has teased her appearing in the underworld where she once again comes face to face with Ashur.

Julius Caesar will be portrayed by actor Jackson Gallagher, a role which had previously been taken on by actor Todd Lascance. It was planned that Lascance would reprise the role but wasn’t able to due to scheduling conflicts with NCIS Sydney.

What is Spartacus: House of Ashur about?

As previously mentioned, Spartacus: House of Ashur is a spin-off from the original Spartacus drama which will be set in an alternate reality. It delves into what could have happened if Ashur hadn’t been decapitated on Mount Vesuvius 12 years ago.

Instead, Ashur has been gifted the gladiator school which had once been owned by Batiatus (John Hannah) as a reward for helping the Romans kill Spartacus and ending the slave rebellion. While Ashur may have been given all that he desired, will he truly be happy with his second chance?

Spartacus: House of Ashur will premiere on Friday, December 5, on Starz in the US and Saturday, December 6, on MGM+ in the UK.

Source link

Love Island Australia star makes ‘absolute filth’ sex confession that leaves co-star in tears

LOVE Island Australia beauty Gabby broke down in tears after her partner Jotham had a “filthy” sex chat with a villa rival.

The brunette stunner, who allegedly has the biggest boobs in the show’s history, couldn’t believe her ears when she walked in on Jotham excitedly reacting to Mia’s high sex drive.

Love Island Australia’s Gabby broke down in tears over a raunchy villa chatCredit: 9NOW
She branded her co-stars’ conversation ‘filth’Credit: 9NOW
Jotham didn’t realise what he’d done wrongCredit: 9NOW

After waiting for around 30 minutes for her man to appear, Gabby heard his voice booming from inside the villa and tiptoed up the stairs to investigate.

Her eyes soon popped as she heard Mia say: “My sex drive is insane. The guy that I would see, if I was in a situationship, we’d have sex like five times a day.”

Laughing, Jotham replies: “Milk that man dry. Mumma ain’t finished.”

Despite their horniness, the pair agreed that neither would have sex in the villa.

STAR’S ORDEAL

Love Island star MUGGED in LA as he chases thieves and sends warning to fans


WHAT A WOMAN

Love Island star becomes a dad for as girlfriend is rushed to hospital

Having overheard the whole chat, Gabby said to camera: “The conversation is just absolute filth.

“I just thought Jotham would shut down that sort of conversation and walk out.”

She later broke down in tears over Jotham’s response to Mia’s confession, saying: “I actually see a relationship with him, and I feel that’s not being reciprocated.

“And that’s why all of this is really hurting me.”

Viewers sided with her, with one writing on Instagram: “Not the biggest fan of Gabby but I do think for the first time, she has a point.”

A second said: “I love Gabby so much.”

A third posted: “Idc Gabby is right for this, I would feel some type of way about my man speaking about s** with two girls, especially one that has shown she has an interest in him.”

Mia said she wants sex five times a dayCredit: 9NOW
Gabby said she felt Jotham wasn’t reciprocating her feelingsCredit: 9NOW

Source link

Ethan Hawke pulls double duty in the awards race

It’s awards season crunch time, in the sense that I’m crunching in as much work as I can before a Thanksgiving respite — including a guide to some of the highlights from this week’s issue of The Envelope, covered by my profile of Renate Reinsve.

Whether it’s while you smell turkey legs being turned into gravy (i.e., if you’re me as I write this) or as you’re lounging around over the holiday weekend, I hope you’ll dive into the great stories below. And be sure to take a breather from the mayhem in the process. It’s a marathon, not a sprint!

Digital Cover: Ethan Hawke

The Envelope digital cover featuring Ethan Hawke

(Victoria Will / For The Times)

In the years since the Golden Age of TV, it’s not been uncommon for actors to vie for major awards on both the big and small screens at once. But few in recent memory have done so in such distinct projects as Ethan Hawke in “Blue Moon” and “The Lowdown”: One is a chamber drama about the last days of legendary songwriter Lorenz Hart, the other a noirish tale of a hangdog journalist.

It’s a reflection of the actor’s voracious appetite for the unexpected (see also: “Black Phone 2”), which he reveals that some in Hollywood once found “irritating.”

“Generally, people are more comfortable when they know exactly what you are and what your thing is, and if you keep changing your thing it’s confusing,” he tells writer Emily Zemler. “But it’s always been interesting to me to do different things. It makes acting really exciting to me to keep shaking it up. Each thing has its own geometry and math, and that keeps you really engaged.”

Eva Victor on ‘Sorry, Baby’

Eva Victor, writer, director and star of A24's acclaimed indie "Sorry, Baby," in Los Angeles.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

One of my favorite films of the year, “Sorry, Baby” works on many levels — as a campus satire, a portrait of a friendship, a slice of small-town life. And as writer-director-star Eva Victor writes in a new essay on the film, it took all of those other levels to make the film’s deepest, darkest level possible.

“There was a time in my life when I was looking for a film about going through a trauma that held my hand while I was watching it,” Victor notes, contrasting “Sorry, Baby” with films that depict similar subjects with violent imagery. “I needed the film to care for me, the person who’d been through the difficult thing. I didn’t need a film that existed to teach people how bad it is to go through a bad thing, I needed a film that existed to make me feel less alone.”

How ‘F1’ became a part of F1

A scene from "F1."

As an avowed fan of Formula One, from docuseries “Drive to Survive” to scripted miniseries “Senna,” what fascinated me most watching Apple TV’s summer blockbuster “F1” was the delicate logistical dance it must’ve required to shoot a major theatrical film at actual races on the actual F1 circuit. Maybe that’s my stressed-out editor brain at work, but I asked Nate Rogers to dig into the question.

He reports back that even with legendary racer Lewis Hamilton and Apple on board, the film had to prove “that they could set up at an event like the fabled British Grand Prix at Silverstone and not cause a pileup.”

“We had to rehearse the blocking and staging for about two weeks with a stopwatch … to prove to them that we could actually shoot a scene and get off the track before the race started,” director Joseph Kosinski tells Rogers.

I can recognize a tough deadline when I see one.

Additional highlights from our Nov. 25 issue

Source link

I’m A Celebrity stars Aitch and Shona McGarty’s jungle romance backed by pals

Aitch’s budding jungle romance with EastEnders star Shona McGarty on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! has been backed by friends of the rapper while he is Down Under

Aitch and Shona McGarty could make a “nice couple”, the rapper’s close pal and manager has said. Via Culpan delivered her verdict on the rumoured potential romance between the rapper and EastEnders actress as she landed at Brisbane Airport today.

Asked if they would make a nice couple, Via said: “They’re both nice people. I’m not sure but yeah! I don’t know.” But she added: “I personally think it’s more of a brother-sister relationship.”

She praised Aitch’s efforts in the jungle, saying: “He’s smashed it, he’s done so well. He was scared about the eating trials but he’s smashed it.”

READ MORE: I’m A Celeb Shona McGarty’s romance with Aitch: 7 things you need to knowREAD MORE: I’m a Celeb fans all saying the same thing about Shona McGarty and Aitch

Her comments come after Shona’s sister Camilla flew in yesterday and also spoke about Aitch. She said: “He is a nice guy…I would definitely have him around for Christmas.”

Aitch confessed his feelings about Shona to Angry Ginge at the end of last week, admitting: “I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for Shona, me.”

It led to Ant and Dec saying they were desperate for a jungle romance this year on the show. But Camilla said that she needed to see more evidence that romance is actually blossoming.

She added: “I don’t know if I see it romantically…it might just be a brother and sister relationship but I don’t know…I don’t think we have seen enough to make a definite decision on it.”

Shona broke up with her musician fiancé, David Bracken, earlier this year. Insiders say the split is amicable, and he recently wished her all the best for the jungle on social media.

Aitch is also single after splitting with Lois Cottam before going into the Jungle. Dec previously said he was shell-shocked by Aitch’s comments when watching the scenes shortly before they aired, on Friday night.

He said: “This came completely out of the blue this morning.” Ant added: “It’s been a while since we’ve had a proper romance on this show. We’d love to see it….we would celebrate it.”

When Aitch told his close friend Ginge about his feelings, the Twitch streamer replied: “I think she’s really nice, if that’s what you mean, yeah?” Keeping things low-key, Aitch commented: “Yeah, that’s what I mean…”

As soon as scene aired, fans have taken to social media, with one saying: Aitch and Shona have chem… Just saying. #ImACeleb.” A second added: “Aitch and Shona would make a lovely couple! #ImaCeleb.” “#ImACeleb I definitely can see Aitch and Shona together,” penned a third.

“The Aitch and Shona friendship #imaceleb,” tweeted another. Before a sixth went on to pen: “Even aitch feeling the spark we all see with Shona #ImACeleb.”

I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! continues tonight at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

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



Source link

Freddy Brazier flashes huge smile as he is seen for the first time since split from pregnant girlfriend

FREDDY Brazier flashed a huge smile as he was spotted for the first time since splitting from his pregnant girlfriend.

The 21-year-old father-to-be dumped his girlfriend Holly Swinburn, who is carrying his first child, after the pair’s tumultuous on-and-off relationship ended in a row involving his dog.

Freddy Brazier flashed a big smile on first outing after his split from his pregnant girlfriendCredit: BackGrid
The 21-year-old father-to-be dumped his girlfriend Holly Swinburn over a row involving his dogCredit: Alamy

Freddy appeared to put his fresh heartbreak behind him as he enjoyed a night out at Claridges Christmas party on Tuesday.

The model was seen wearing a grey shirt and trousers co-ord, and with what appeared to be a mink scarf around his neck.

He looked in good spirits as he was snapped heading into the venue.

Freddy is reported to have dumped Holly before she “tried to take his dog from him” in a row, the Daily Mail has revealed.

READ MORE ON FREDDY BRAZIER

SHOCK SPLIT

Freddy Brazier SPLITS from pregnant girlfriend a day after dad Jeff’s break up


HEALING JOURNEY

Freddy Brazier ‘tried to end it all’ in ‘manic episode’ two years ago

Sources close to Holly told the Daily Mail that Freddy is struggling with the idea of co-parenting with Holly.

A source told the outlet: “The pair have been arguing a lot recently.

“Having a baby so young is a lot to deal with. Both are quite flighty characters.”

They added how Freddy had feared he was not the father, but has since done a paternity test which confirmed that he is.

The couple revealed they were expecting a child together just last month.

The pair looked loved-up as they posed together at The Pride of Britain Awards at London’s Grosvenor Hotel when she debuted her bump on the red carpet.

The baby is due in the New Year.

The news of Freddy’s heartache comes just mere hours after his father Jeff Brazier was revealed to have split from wife Kate Dwyer after seven years.

Jeff, 46, whose Big Brother ex Jade Goody died of cancer in 2009, ditched his ring, as did PR guru Kate, 35.

Sources said they grew apart after “a year of hell” involving issues with Freddy.

At the weekend Jeff hinted his marriage was over in online posts.

He shared a snap of the view from his new home and wrote: “I’ve escaped back to the countryside.”

He spoke of “living in calm” and “a transitional time in all our lives”.

Yesterday he was not wearing his wedding ring as he reported for ITV’s Good Morning Britain from Reykjavik in Iceland.

A source said PR guru Kate moved out of the marital home three weeks ago and has returned to her apartment in Hackney.

She spent the weekend in Las Vegas for the US Grand Prix.

A source said of Jeff and Kate: “It’s been an incredibly stressful year for all of them.

“It’s been one thing after another.

“The pressure they’re under has exposed the weaknesses in their marriage and it’s become too much.

LAVALEY VIEW

Huge volcanic eruption sends ash 6 miles high & poisonous gas toward villages


TRAITORS CHAOS

Bombshell evidence that proves Traitors star ISN’T dad to Charlotte’s baby

“Kate has told friends she’s had enough.

“She left three weeks ago and is now living in an apartment in London.”

Freddy’s dad Jeff Brazier has split from wife Kate Dwyer after seven years of marriageCredit: Instagram

Source link

‘Zootopia’ was a major hit in China. Will its sequel do as well?

At the Beijing premiere of “Zootopia 2” last week, Walt Disney Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer Jared Bush encountered a wall filled with letters from people throughout China, all writing about what the original 2016 animated movie meant to them.

They highlighted the optimism of rabbit cop Judy Hopps and how they wanted to emulate her sunny outlook. They cited the unlikely friendship between Judy and her partner in crime, a fox named Nick Wilde, as hope that they could find common ground with different family members. It was a display Bush didn’t see at any other premiere.

“It’s more than just a story,” said Bush, who wrote and directed “Zootopia 2,” directing alongside Byron Howard. “A lot of the time, these characters have helped people through difficult moments of their life. They have a lot of love for these characters.”

To this day, the original “Zootopia” ranks as China’s highest-grossing Hollywood animated film, with a total box office haul there of $236 million. Marketing ahead of the new film has included promotions with 10 brands, as well as displays throughout the country, including in Shenzhen, Chengdu and Beijing.

But over the years, the China market for U.S.-made films has changed dramatically, leading to questions about whether “Zootopia,” which heads to theaters Wednesday, and its loyal following can break through the more difficult landscape that American movies face there today.

Once seen as a major — and lucrative — destination for big Hollywood blockbusters, the country now has a more robust local film industry that’s pumping out strong competitors. The fraying geopolitical relationship between the U.S. and China also hasn’t helped, nor has the increasing trend of younger audiences watching short-form content on their phones.

“It’s important to the industry that both ‘Zootopia’ and ‘Avatar’ work,” said Andrew Cripps, head of theatrical distribution for Walt Disney Studios, referring to the upcoming James Cameron-directed “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” “The overall industry needs some success at year-end, and I think this would be a tremendous sign of confidence in the marketplace.”

China was once seen as a gold mine for certain films — namely, big studio movies — that could get approval from its government for release.

A decade ago, Hollywood movies would regularly haul in more than $100 million at the Chinese box office, with massive blockbusters like 2015’s “Furious 7” and 2014’s “Transformers: Age of Extinction” drawing north of $300 million each. Some films with softer domestic debuts could count on China to supersize their box-office returns, like 2016’s “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter,” which grossed nearly $160 million in China alone, but just $26.8 million in the U.S. and Canada.

In 2016, the domestic Chinese film business saw a significant slowdown in box-office growth. As a result, revenue from imported films — largely those from the U.S., such as Universal Pictures’ “Warcraft” and Disney-owned Marvel Studios’ “Captain America: Civil War” — increased by 10.9%, said Ying Zhu, author of “Hollywood in China: Behind the Scenes of the World’s Largest Movie Market.”

Those foreign films accounted for 41.7% of the total market share at the time, up from 38.4% in 2015, she wrote in an email. To help boost year-end revenue, Chinese regulators even relaxed the so-called blackout on imported films during December, which was traditionally saved for local movies.

“Zootopia” opened in China to just $22 million at the box office, but momentum grew in subsequent weeks. Though a movie from the U.S. typically got a four-week run in China, Chinese regulators made an exception and added two extra weeks, said Bush, who co-directed and co-wrote the 2016 film.

“‘Zootopia’ was somewhat of a real surprise to us here in China,” he said on a video call from Beijing while on the film’s publicity tour. “We didn’t know that it was going to turn into this phenomenon here.”

Known in China as “Crazy Animal City,” the film’s dynamic between lead characters Nick and Judy and their imperfect but caring relationship appealed to Chinese audiences, as did Judy’s backstory of moving from a small town in the countryside to a major metropolis, Bush said. Animated films have also long been popular in the market.

After the film’s success, Disney built the “Zootopia”-themed land in Shanghai Disneyland, which opened in 2023 and is the only such land in any Disney park. The studio recently held the movie’s Shanghai premiere at the themed land, as crowds of fans (both there and in Beijing) dressed up as characters from the film, including lesser-known ones like Fru Fru the shrew and Officer Clauhauser, a pop culture-obsessed cheetah.

But since 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, China has pulled back from its embrace of Hollywood films, particularly as its political relationship with the U.S. has chilled.

Earlier this year, China planned to reduce the number of Hollywood films it allows into the country, amid tariff tensions with the U.S. At the same time, China’s homegrown film industry has matured, leading to more locally-produced movies at the box office. A notable success was the animated hit “Ne Zha 2,” which raked in almost $2.2 billion worldwide, $1.8 billion of which was in China.

And similar to the U.S., the Chinese film market has also been dented by the growth of short-form content and increasing popularity of watching entertainment on phones and tablets, keeping theatergoers at home.

That’s all meant a less reliable haul for U.S. films. So far this year, the top-grossing American film in China was Universal’s “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” which brought in $79 million — a far cry from the massive returns some U.S. movies once commanded. The last Disney film that was released in China and made more than $100 million was 2024’s “Alien: Romulus.”

But there are still niches that appeal to Chinese audiences, including family movies, big blockbusters laden with special effects and animated franchises. Cripps said he was “cautiously optimistic” about the film’s reception in China, because of the franchise recognition and the themed land in Shanghai.

“Given what’s happened over the last two to three years, it’s hard to get overly excited until you see some actual data,” he said. “But certainly, it feels good going into it.”

Source link

Heated Good Morning Britain budget chat interrupted as breaking news stirs up ‘awful memories’

A discussion about the budget was rapidly descending into an argument when Susanna Reid was forced to interrupt Good Morning Britain to reveal some devastating news

Good Morning Britain‘s Susanna Reid was forced to interrupt a heated discussion about the budget as heartbreaking news came in. The ITV morning show host said the news brought back “awful memories”.

Susanna and the shows’ guests were talking about the “smorgasbord” of tax rises expected in the budget and the presenter seemed to be getting irate about the vague language being used to discuss it, frustratingly calling it all “semantics”.

But she soon had to stop the discussion to reveal some breaking news. “We’ve got some news coming out of Hong Kong,” she started. “Where a fire is engulfing a residential building.”

READ MORE: Good Morning Britain live broadcast halted as Susanna Reid shares ‘awful’ newsREAD MORE: Good Morning Britain’s Susanna Reid rushes to comfort grieving guest live on air

As live footage came in of the building burning, Susanna found the fire difficult to talk about. “Wow, goodness me, these are live pictures. They bring back awful memories don’t they?”

She couldn’t help drawing parallels between the Hong Kong fire, where several people are trapped inside, and the tragedy at Grenfell Tower in 2017.

The fire at Grenfell resulted in 72 deaths and a public inquiry was started to establish what happened and how such a disaster can be prevented in the future.

The inquiry, which only ended in February this year, found that there was a chain of failures across government and the private sector led to Grenfell Tower becoming a death trap in the event of a fire, as the cladding and insulation were failed fire safety tests.

Susanna described “plumes of grey smoke” coming out of the Hong Kong building and said local fire departments were “battling” to put out the fire and save the people inside.

Kevin Maguire, who was on the show to talk about the budget, said: “You’ve just got to hope that there are lots of exits and that the outside windows have been fitted properly so unlike Grenfell, the fire can’t go outside.”

After the Grenfell fire, it was found that the fire was able to move more easily between the interior and exterior of the building as the windows’ surrounds were made of materials that were less resistant to the heat. The windows themselves were an insufficient size when they were refurbished, necessitating larger surrounds.

Good Morning Britain soon turned back to talk about the budget. Andrew Pierce said he thought Rachel Reeves would be sacked after the budget.

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



Source link

New twist in Adam Peaty saga as it emerges Netflix FILMED his engagement party ‘where relations started to go downhill’

THE road to Adam Peaty and Holly Ramsay’s wedding has been anything but smooth, with a family feud overshadowing their upcoming nuptials.

But I hear fans will soon see the couple in happier times, as their engagement do last December was filmed by Netflix for her chef dad, Gordon’s, docuseries.

Holly Ramsay shared snaps from her engagement party alongside fiancé Adam Peaty and her famous parents Gordon and TanaCredit: Instagram
The couple were joined by their friends and family to celebrate their engagementCredit: Instagram
Adam Peaty and Holly Ramsay share a kiss at their engagement partyCredit: Instagram/@hollyramsayy

They celebrated with friends and family, including Adam’s mum Caroline, who is not invited to their wedding in Bath next month as they are now estranged.

But the scenes are still expected to be part of Being Gordon Ramsay, which sees the chef juggling his personal life with opening five new London restaurants.

A source said: “Adam’s family were at the engagement party, when relations were much better.

“Things went downhill from there.

bad blood

Adam Peaty’s mum takes fresh swipe at son & Holly after new wedding invite shock


TAKING SIDES

The real reason Adam Peaty’s sister Bethany survived the cull amid family feud

“His mum was unhappy some of the family weren’t there and confronted Gordon at the event.

“Guests were made to sign non-disclosure agreements and hand in phones as the party was filmed.”

So many people I know are desperate to find out what really caused the fallout.

The show is due to hit Netflix in February, and I’m sure viewers will be glued to their screens . . . 

Holly’s dad, TV chef Gordon RamsayCredit: Getty
Holly and Adam were set up by Holly’s sister Tillie Ramsay, who competed alongside Adam on Strcitly Come Dancing in 2021Credit: Instagram
The couple have been dating since 2021Credit: Instagram
Holly Ramsay announced their engagement in September after three years of datingCredit: hollyramsayy/Instagram

PUP IS PINKY SPICE

Mel B in a cropped blazer, mini skirt and towering knee-high boots as she clutches her tiny dog CookieCredit: Getty
Kerry Katona was also there and was snapped snogging her boyfriend Paolo MargaglioneCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Ekin-Su Culculoglu looked fabulous in a white dressCredit: Shutterstock Editorial

MEL B was radiant on the red carpet at The Beauty Awards, but I have a feeling her pet pooch is even more pampered than she is.

The Spice Girls star looked trendy in a cropped blazer, mini skirt and towering knee-high boots as she clutched her tiny dog Cookie as she arrived at the bash in London.

And she had clearly pushed the boat out to prepare her pup for the glitz and glamour of the evening, by dying the fur on her head pink.

Kerry Katona was also there and was snapped snogging her boyfriend Paolo Margaglione, who she met on Celebs Go Dating, while Ekin-Su Culculoglu looked fabulous in a white dress.

WHAT A HORROR, SCARLETT

Scarlett Johansson is set to feature in the next Exorcist filmCredit: Getty

PREPARE for a scare, as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Scarlett Johansson, will feature in the next Exorcist film.

She has joined the horror franchise for the upcoming movie, once again coming from writer and director Mike Flanagan.

He said: “Scarlett is a brilliant actress whose captivating performances always feel grounded and real, from genre films to summer blockbusters, and I couldn’t be happier to have her join this Exorcist film.”

The last film, 2023’s The Exorcist: Believer, had an underwhelming reception, but the hope is that having Scarlett on board will breathe new life into the franchise relaunch.

She certainly has form with relaunches, having been part of Jurassic World Rebirth earlier this year, which made $869million.

WICKED WEEKEND AT BOX OFFICE

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s hard work has paid offCredit: Splash

ARIANA GRANDE and Cynthia Erivo’s hard work has paid off, because Wicked: For Good managed to conjure up magical box office takings at the weekend.

The movie raked in £17.8million in just three days, making it the biggest opening weekend in the UK since Margot Robbie‘s Barbie in 2023, which took £18.5m.

The figure is 30 per cent higher than the first Wicked film – which came out last November – and the highest ever opening for a stage musical adaptation.

Now it faces a fight to become the biggest film of the year, with hopes it will surpass Jack Black’s A Minecraft Movie, which has taken £56.4million in the UK since its release in March.

But there could well be more of Ariana’s Galinda on screens if fans get their way.

Wicked author Gregory Maguire has announced he is working on a prequel story about the character’s early life called Galinda: A Charmed Childhood, which will be published by HarperCollins next September.

That’s on top of his Elphaba prequel Elphie, which came out earlier this year.

Quizzed on the prospect of more films in the saga, director Jon M. Chu said: “Who knows? But that was never part of the equation. And I just finished this! I know Universal would want to do it, but that’s hard.”

OLLY ON PULL AT ALBUM BASH

Bizarre’s Jack behind the bar with Olly Murs at The Birdcage in Bethnal GreenCredit: Daisy Dickinson

OLLY MURS hosted the launch of album Knees Up at his favourite East London boozer.

And Bizarre’s Jack couldn’t resist getting behind the bar with him at The Birdcage in Bethnal Green to see who could pull the best pint.

While Olly declared his one a “thing of beauty”, Jack’s was a disaster – despite having worked at his local Spoons.

At The Birdcage, in Bethnal Green, Olly said: “We have spent a lot of time in this pub so it’s only fitting we have the launch of the album here with a quiz, games, karaoke, cake and darts.

“There’s always a moment to be a lad, right? And that’s what this album is about – I’m going back to my roots.”


COUNTRY music superstar Zach Bryan is ready to take the UK by storm with a series of massive shows here next summer.

The American singer will perform at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium on June 12, Edinburgh’s Murrayfield on June 14 and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on June 16 and 17.

Tickets go on sale next Friday at 10am.


WITH three No1 albums to his name, Dave has conquered the world of music and now he’s hoping to make you giggle, too.

The rapper, who went very serious on his latest hit record The Boy Who Played The Harp, has revealed he now wants to become a comedian.

In a new interview with The Face, Dave said: “I’m trying to get into stand-up comedy and one of my sketches is that I don’t know how to whistle.

“I’m inherently shy and introverted.”

Sometimes, that can make for the funniest people.

But when Dave’s not making music in the studio or writing gags, he is trying to create positive change in London – via social media.

He said he regularly sends messages directly to London mayor Sadiq Khan, suggesting how he can improve the capital.

Dave said: “I’m telling him: ‘Yo, this is what I think is going on’.

“Not everyone’s going to have a direct line to Sadiq Khan, but you can put a message out to your MP.”


OASIS have said “there will now be a pause for a period of reflection” after completing their reunion tour – but it sounds like Liam Gallagher is ready to go again.

When asked what he wants for Christmas, Liam said on X: “A European tour”.

He added: “There’s loads more classics we need to play for you when we go out again.”

LAVALEY VIEW

Huge volcanic eruption sends ash 6 miles high & poisonous gas toward villages


TRAITORS CHAOS

Bombshell evidence that proves Traitors star ISN’T dad to Charlotte’s baby

But when one fan said they were convinced a new album was on the way, Liam replied: “It’s not, I honestly don’t see the point, it won’t be as good as the old stuff.

“I’m quite happy singing the old stuff I’m not 1 of those w*****s that need to keep pushing it forward or sideways or backwards in some cases. Nostalgia forever.”


Source link

Robert Irwin, like sis Bindi, wins ‘DWTS,’ so crocodiles aren’t his only claim to fame

A new “Dancing With the Stars” champion has been crowned. After weeks of themed choreography revolving around TikTok, Disney films and one-hit wonders, the winner of Season 34 is (insert dramatic pause) Robert Irwin and Witney Carson.

Crikey!

Irwin, an Aussie wildlife conservationist and son of the late “Crocodile Hunter,” Steve Irwin, joins sister Bindi as a winner of the Mirrorball trophy. Bindi Irwin won the trophy during Season 21 of “DWTS,” in 2015.

Season 34 came down to social media personalities Alix Earle and Dylan Efron, actor Elaine Hendrix, and gymnast and UCLA senior Jordan Chiles. Tuesday night’s finale consisted of three rounds of dance. First was the judges’ choice round, followed by the instant dance challenge — in which the style of dance and the song are kept secret from performers until just before they take the stage — and then the freestyle round. With Carson, Irwin earned a perfect score in the instant dance portion of the show.

The season’s winner was determined by a combination of the judges’ votes and those from the public.

Irwin, 21, and Carson, 32, scored an aggregated score from the judges of 29 points. Earle finished second, with Chiles coming in third place, followed by Efron and Hendrix.

Ahead of the finale, Carson revealed on her TikTok that both she and Irwin were dealing with injuries.

“We’re kind of falling apart right now,” the pro dancer said. “My body is feeling it right now, Robert’s body is feeling it right now.”

During a clip from their rehearsals shown before his first dance of the night, a quickstep to Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl,” Irwin said he feared Carson might need to have a Plan B for the challenging choreography.

“If I push any harder, my body is going to break,” he said.

Irwin dealt with rib pain throughout the night. After his instant dance performance, a cha-cha to DNCE’s “Cake by the Ocean,” he acknowledged the toll the competition had taken.

“I catch crocodiles, and a crocodile has never managed to screw up my ribs like that,” he said. “Dancing is hard.”



Source link

Celebrity MasterChef’s Michelle Heaton ‘absolutely gutted’ after major blunder

Liberty X singer Michelle Heaton had a kitchen disaster during the latest episode of Celebrity MasterChef.

Michelle Heaton admitted she was “absolutely gutted” after completely burning her dish on Celebrity MasterChef.

The Liberty X star is amongst the celebrities battling it out on the latest series of the BBC show, alongside Love Island’s Chris Hughes, writer Dawn O’Porter, soul icon Jaki Graham and actor Jamie Lomas.

She was creating a halloumi burger with sweet chilli jam and sweet potato fries when disaster struck. The singer left her sweet potatoes in the oven too long and discovered they had burnt to a crisp when she checked on them.

She let out a gasp as she retrieved the charred chips, before burying her face in her hands, reports Wales Online.

“Oh, no!” she cried out. “I actually can’t believe it. Burned my sweet potato fries.”

Dawn had been granted an additional 10 minutes cooking time after triumphing in an earlier taste challenge, and witnessing Michelle’s mishap, she offered to share it with her.

“Can I gift it?” she asked. But judge Grace Dent informed her: “I am sorry, but you can’t.”

Michelle refused to surrender and swiftly prepared some tiny sweet potato cubes to present instead.

She declared that she would simply have to “hope for the best” during judging, confessing: “I am absolutely gutted.”

“You had a bit of a disaster,” judge John Torode observed as she presented her creation.

“I had a massive one,” she acknowledged, though he reassured her: “You picked yourself up and you went and sorted it out. That’s what MasterChef is all about, Michelle. Good on you.”

The singer received some positive feedback for her dish in the end, with John commenting that the halloumi was “cooked really nicely”. However, he felt her brioche bun was “on the edge of too sweet”.

Reflecting on her performance, Michelle said she had been feeling tearful after the mistake.

But she went on: “I am feeling OK considering I had a massive disaster.

“I was about to cry, but I didn’t, because I usually do. And I just ploughed on. And I’m really, really happy that I did, because I learned something about myself.”

Celebrity MasterChef airs on BBC One.

Source link

Jessie J slams ‘beast’ Hollywood star ex in savage new track on return to music after breast cancer battle

JESSIE J has taken a leaf out of Jennifer Lopez’s book and taken aim at her Hollywood ex on her new music.

Earlier this year, J-Lo slammed Ben Affleck on track Wreckage of You after her marriage to the actor broke down.

Jessie J has taken aim at ex Channing Tatum in her new musicCredit: Getty
The pair dated from 2018 to 2020Credit: Getty

Now Jessie has let rip at Channing Tatum, who she dated from 2018 to 2020, on her album Don’t Tease Me With A Good Time, which is out on Friday.

On the not-so-subtle track Threw It Away, Jessie brands a former flame a “beast”.

She sings: “I put my heart out on the table, that’s when it got uncomfortable. But oh that karma is gonna come one day, ’cause I gave you my love and you threw it away.”

She later adds: “Don’t you dare rewrite the story. I’m the beauty, you’re the beast.”

WHO SHE IS

Inside Jessie J’s journey back to health after cancer battle before Kate hug


CANCER FIGHT

Princess Kate & Jessie J hug as they bond over brave cancer battles

‘I’m better person’

Taking to the stage at an exclusive listening party for the album in West London, Jessie did not mention the Magic Mike star by name.

But she left little doubt among fans who the track is about.

She said: “This next song I wrote in 2020 with Ryan Tedder, and you can figure out who I was dating.”

After taking time out over the summer to undergo treatment for breast cancer, Jessie is working at full pace.

Opening up about her health battle, Jessie said: “I’m grateful for the lessons and grateful for the connectivity it’s given me with so many people having cancer.

“And I’ve been a better parent, I’ve been a better person.”

Earlier this year, J-Lo slammed Ben Affleck on track Wreckage of YouCredit: Getty

Source link

‘My Undesirable Friends’ review: Crackdown on Russian media, told in real time

p]:text-cms-story-body-color-text clearfix”>

Great documentaries are sometimes lucky accidents, the product of being at the right place at the right time and then having the wherewithal to produce something extraordinary out of those unlikely circumstances. When director Julia Loktev traveled to Russia in October 2021, all she wanted was to chronicle a handful of smart, dogged journalists trying to tell the truth who, for their trouble, had been branded foreign agents by Vladimir Putin’s vindictive government. She didn’t know she would be arriving mere months before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But thanks to a quirk of coincidence, she ended up having a front-row seat to history.

She made the most of it: Running five-and-a-half hours without a minute wasted, “My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow” takes us inside TV Rain, one of Russia’s last independent television channels. Divided into five chapters, the documentary begins as Loktev, who was born in the former Soviet Union before leaving when she was 9, returns to her homeland armed with an iPhone to shadow veteran TV Rain reporter and host Anna Nemzer. Over the next four months, a period that ended shortly after the invasion began, Loktev embedded herself not just with Nemzer (who is credited as the film’s co-director) but several other journalists as they fear being arrested for their reporting.

Loktev hasn’t completed a film since 2011’s “The Loneliest Planet,” which starred Gael García Bernal and Hani Furstenberg as soon-to-be-wed lovers backpacking through the Georgian countryside, their seemingly close bond shattered after a harrowing encounter. In that movie and her previous feature, 2006’s “Day Night Day Night,” a spare procedural about a nameless suicide bomber in New York, Loktev explored the mysteries of human behavior under pressure. But with “My Undesirable Friends,” she takes that fascination to a new level, introducing viewers to a group of compelling subjects, many of them women in their 20s, who open up in front of her camera while hanging out at TV Rain, their apartments or in cafes, candidly processing their country’s terrifying descent into authoritarianism in real time.

These intrepid journalists couldn’t foresee the invasion that was coming, nor the brutal local crackdown on free speech in its wake, but Loktev makes those dire certainties clear from the start, solemnly intoning in voice-over, “The world you’re about to see no longer exists.” Since its premiere at last year’s New York Film Festival, “My Undesirable Friends” has been compared to a horror movie and a political thriller but perhaps more accurately, it’s a disaster film — one in which you know the characters so intimately that, when the awful event finally occurs, you care deeply about the outcome. (“My Undesirable Friends” bears the subtitle “Part I” because Loktev has nearly finished a second installment, which catches up with the women after they fled Russia.)

In its avoidance of interviews with experts or historians, the documentary offers a kind of personal scrapbook of Loktev’s subjects, showing what everyday life is like in an oppressive society: strikingly banal with a constant background hum of paranoia. Each woman comes into empathetic focus. Nemzer, who is a little older than her colleagues, balances her demanding job with marriage and motherhood. Meanwhile, her younger co-worker Ksenia Mironova keeps diligently filing stories despite her fiancé, journalist Ivan Safronov, being imprisoned for more than a year. (He would subsequently be sentenced to 22 years.) Investigative reporter Alesya Marokhovskaya has a girlfriend, whose face we never see, and eventually details grim memories of a violent childhood. And then there’s Marokhovskaya’s best friend and partner Irina Dolinina, who combats anxiety while her politically unconscious mother harangues her about not being able to find a man now that she’s been labeled a foreign agent.

The stress and uncertainty of these conversations is palpable but, remarkably, so is a spiky sense of humor. When a co-worker is temporarily locked up, Mironova cracks jokes outside his prison while awaiting his release. The journalists wear their foreign-agent designation as a badge of honor, mocking the comically lengthy disclaimer text they’re forced to run with their broadcasts, a pitch-black coping mechanism to make sense of their tense, surreal moment.

“My Undesirable Friends” captures dark times with some of the funniest people you’d ever hope to have as sisters-in-arms. Defiant, emotional and life-affirming, the film presents us with endearing patriots who love their country but hate its leaders, sucking us into a riveting tale with a powerful undertow.

The audience anticipates the frightening future that awaits these journalists, which makes their relentless advocacy all the more moving. If our 20s are a period of unbridled optimism — a hopefulness that slowly gets beaten out of us as we grow older — “My Undesirable Friends” stands as a touching display of the resilience of youth. There is nothing naive about these women who came of age during Putin’s cruel regime, but they nonetheless believe they can change things. While Loktev rarely inserts herself into this epic, we feel her admiration from behind the camera. The film inspires while it challenges: What were any of us doing at that age that was comparably heroic or meaningful? What are we doing now?

Those questions should stick in the craw of Americans who watch this masterwork. Loktev has made a movie about Russia but its themes spread far beyond that country’s borders. During a year in which the worst-case scenarios of a second Trump presidency have come to fruition, “My Undesirable Friends” contains plenty of echoes with our national news. The canceling of comedy shows, the baseless imprisonment of innocent people, the rampant transphobia: The Putin playbook is now this country’s day-to-day. Some may wish to avoid Loktev’s film because of those despairing parallels. But that’s only more reason to embrace “My Undesirable Friends.” Loktev didn’t set out to be a witness to history, but what she’s emerged with is an indispensable record and a rallying cry.

‘My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow’

In Russian, with subtitles

Not rated

Running time: 5 hours, 24 minutes

Playing: Opens Friday, Nov. 28 at Laemmle Royal

Source link

I’m a Celeb fans all saying the same thing about Shona McGarty and Aitch

Shona McGarty’s family appeared to give Aitch their seal of approval amid romance chatter as the pair arrived for I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in Australia

Eagle-eyed I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! fans spotted a subtle clue they believe a jungle romance is on the cards.

Tuesday night’s show opened with Aitch play fighting with Lisa Riley in the camp, scenes witnessed by former EastEnders star Shona McGarty. Viewers noticed the actress even lick her lips as Aitch, a rapper, stood topless in front of her.

Shona, 34, also shot a playful glance toward Aitch as she watched him and Lisa argue, catching him mid–muscle flex. We reported this week chatter of a potential Jungle romance between Shona and the 25-year-old musician, speculation of which her family appeared to approve.

And I’m a Celeb viewers also appeared to back the romance, with many taking to social media during last night’s episode and into this morning. One posted: “Shona, we see you checking out Aitch there.” Another shared: “OMG Shona is licking her lips at Aitch topless. Did anyone else see?”

READ MORE: Celebrity MasterChef’s Michelle Heaton ‘absolutely gutted’ after major blunderREAD MORE: I’m A Celeb ‘feud erupts between two huge stars and threatens All Stars final’

A third commented: “Shona licking her lips when Aitch is topless is no coincidence.” Another wrote: “Were my eyes deceiving me when I saw Shona then making faces at Aitch when he was flexing at Lisa? Haha” And a further fan said: “Not Shona licking her lips at aitch’s sight ahahha.”

Shona, who played Whitney Dean in EastEnders for 15 years, broke up with her musician fiancé, David Bracken, earlier this year. Insiders say the split is amicable, and he recently wished her all the best for the jungle on social media platforms.

Aitch is also single after splitting with Lois Cottam before going into the Jungle. Dec previously said he was shell-shocked by Aitch’s comments when watching the scenes shortly before they aired, on Friday night.

READ MORE: I’m A Celebrity’s Angry Ginge admits ‘it gets on top of you’ as tensions rise

And, after arriving at Brisbane Airport, the actress’ sister Camila delivered her verdict on the rapper. She said: “He is a nice guy…I would definitely have him around for Christmas.” Aitch confessed his feelings about Shona to Angry Ginge at the end of last week, admitting: “I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for Shona, me.”

Aitch, real name Harrison Armstrong, sparked hopes of a jungle romance on last Friday’s episode. The star, from Manchester, took a dip in the Aussie camp’s creek, and said: “I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for Shona, me.”

His pal and co-star Angry Ginge replied: “I think she’s really nice, if that’s what you mean, yeah…” Aitch said: “Yeah, that’s what I mean.” Ginge responded: “Yeah, she is.”

Source link

Busty Kim Kardashian wows in luxury Alexander McQueen gown as she takes late night dip at Rio beach

REALITY TV star Kim Kardashian takes wet-look fashion to a whole new level.

The 45-year-old went for a night-time dip in a haute-couture dress by the late Alexander McQueen.

Kim Kardashian went for a night-time dip in a haute-couture dress by the late Alexander McQueenCredit: Tomás Herold/@tomasherold
Kim was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to promote her Hulu drama All’s FairCredit: Tomás Herold/@tomasherold

But the gown, first modelled in 2003, appeared far from waterproof.

Seeing the photo on Instagram, sister Khloe said: “You are such a freak for being in that water at night. Are you well?”

Kim was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to promote her Hulu drama All’s Fair.

Last month, The Sun revealed the reality star had brought out a Skims ‘Panties’ advent calendar which included 25 “luxury” pairs.

READ MORE ON KIM KARDASHIAN

SHOCK CONFESSION

Kim Kardashian shocks fans as she vows to quit showbiz and ‘give up Kim K’

The price had raised eyebrows, setting shoppers back an eye-watering £476 ($450).

The lingerie advent calendar featured a cheeky image on the front, with the panties hidden behind 25 doors in the luxe packaging.

While many websites gave shoppers a sneak peek of what they can expect concealed inside, the Skims offering left it a complete surprise.

What we did know is there would be 25 styles across signature fabrics, including Fits Everybody, Cotton Jersey, Stretch Lace, and Ultra Fine Mesh.

The description on the Skims website read: “A limited-edition luxury: unwrap something special every day. 

“This premium advent calendar is filled with surprise panties to treat yourself all month long-because every day deserves a little SKIMS.”

The gown was first modelled in 2003Credit: Getty
Fashion designer Alexander McQueenCredit: Getty

Source link

50 Cent’s Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs documentary gets a Netflix release date

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s documentary about Sean Combs finally has a release date.

Netflix announced Tuesday that it would release “Sean Combs: The Reckoning,” a four-part docuseries about the disgraced mogul directed by Alexandria Stapleton, on Dec. 2. Jackson, who serves as an executive producer, first revealed he was working on a documentary about Combs and his alleged abuses nearly two years ago.

The synopsis describes the series as a “staggering examination of the media mogul, music legend, and convicted offender” and touts that it will feature “explosive, never-before-seen materials, including exclusive interviews with those formerly in [Combs’] orbit,” such as “his former associates, childhood friends, artists, and employees.”

“Born with an insatiable drive for stardom and a knack for spotting talent, Combs made a quick ascent through the ranks of the music industry with Bad Boy Entertainment and was crucial in bringing hip-hop to the pop masses and launching the careers of dozens of generation-defining artists like The Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Jodeci, and Danity Kane,” reads the synopsis. “But along the way … something darker began to color his ambitions.”

In July, Combs was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution after a seven-week federal criminal trial in New York. He was cleared of the more serious charges related to racketeering and sex trafficking. The former rapper is serving a four-year sentence.

Jackson, who had long feuded with Combs, often took to social media to troll the Bad Boy Entertainment founder as the various allegations against him mounted and even through the criminal trial’s aftermath.

But the “In Da Club” rapper, whose work in TV also includes serving as executive producer on Starz’s crime thriller “Power,” told Netflix’s Tudum that he’s “been committed to real storytelling for years through G-Unit Film and Television.”

“I’m grateful to everyone who came forward and trusted us with their stories, and proud to have Alexandria Stapleton as the director on the project to bring this important story to the screen,” he said.

Two other documentaries about Combs were released earlier this year: Peacock’s “Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy” and Investigation Discovery’s “The Fall of Diddy.”

Source link

Kelly Osbourne shares Sharon’s concerned reaction to Jack on I’m A Celebrity

Kelly Osbourne took to social media to show her mum Sharon watching Jack compete in the I’m A Celebrity camp and Mrs O could barely watch as he took on Drown The Hatch

Sharon Osbourne looked concerned by son Jack’s actions on I’m A Celebrity. The reality TV star was a late signing for the hit ITV show but has been impressing viewers with his actions – and campmates with his cooking.

But it was his first solo Bushtucker Trial that left his mum looking nervous. As she sat beside his sister Kelly to take in the latest events, Sharon appeared to be concerned by his lack of breathing in the underwater activity.

With the camera facing towards them, Kelly said: “Watching I’m A Celebrity and they cut to commercials at the most poignant bit. I was holding my breath, and I realised half way through the first commercial I was still holding my breath.

READ MORE: Denise Welch branded ‘iconic’ by Loose Women co-star after huge career moveREAD MORE: I’m A Celeb ‘feud erupts between two huge stars and threatens All Stars final’

“I mean come on he’s in a chamber of water and he only has two minutes.” Sharon then chimes in: “With lobsters and toads..” “Come on, we need to know what’s happening,” Kelly went on.

She then praised her brother’s rapid completion on the first chamber as he held his breath for 26 seconds. Gasping, Kelly was clearly proud of her brother and stared at Sharon as she too looked shocked at his efforts.

More gasps followed from the pair in chamber three as the tense music played in the background. As Kelly shouted out “Yes Jackie,” with a huge grin, she was once again surprised at how long her brother could stay under water.

But the next chamber seemed to bring more fear to the pair. Kelly turned the camera onto her mum who had her head in her hands as he went for the final stars.

As the eels entered his chamber, Mrs O nervously hit her daughter as she could barely watch on. And as he came up for air his mum looked worried for her son.

But she punched the air as he completed the task with a clean sweep of 12 stars. And as Jack said he “absolutely smashed it” Kelly couldn’t help but say yeah you did”.

She also seemed to love Aitch’s new nickname for her brother after he called him J-Aquaman”. She later told her followers who weren’t in England of his feat. And she added she thought she was more nervous at the task than he was, saying she is so proud of him.

“He did f***ing amazing,” she gushed. She went on to say Aitch’s title for her brother will be also sticking when he gets home from the show.

I’m A Celebrity 2025 airs every night at 9PM on ITV1 and ITVX.

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



Source link