Swansea claimed their most memorable cup triumph in recent memory against Forest, coming back from 2-0 down to shock the Premier League club thanks to two goals in stoppage time.
Alan Sheehan’s side had no time to celebrate, however, with a tricky league trip to Birmingham City to come on Saturday (12:30 BST).
The likelihood is that Idah will be back among the substitutes at St Andrew’s given the form of Zan Vipotnik, who came off the bench against Forest to score his fifth goal in his past five Swansea appearances.
“That’s the best problem to have,” Idah said.
“Zan has been in fine form and hopefully that continues.
“We all want to get to the Premier League and we are all in it together. I think the competition we have in every position is brilliant. If we are all pushing each other, that’s a good start.”
EXCLUSIVE: Stand-up comic Maisie Adam is taking on the new series of Channel 4’s Taskmaster – but admits that it wasn’t always plain sailing in an exclusive chat with The Mirror
Taskmaster star Maisie Adam has revealed that she struggled with her outfit throughout filming the show(Image: Channel 4)
Given her chilled on-stage persona, you might think stand-up comic Maisie Adam never gets flustered. But she discovered a much angrier side to herself on Taskmaster.
The 8 Out O f 10 Cats star felt like a competition winner when she joined the cast of the hit Channel 4 series, alongside Unforgotten ’s Sanjeev Bhaskar, Inside No. 9 ’s Reece Shearsmith and comedians Ania Magliano and Phil Ellis. But she admits the show brought out some “deep-rooted anger” that she took out on hosts Greg Davies and Alex Horne.
“It’s really fun going into the tasks at the time, but I was so shocked at how stressed I got with each one,” she confesses. “I didn’t realise I was such a panicky person.
Ania Magliano, Maisie Adam and Phil Ellis taking on a Taskmaster challenge(Image: Channel 4)
“I was very quick to blame Alex and his silly little clipboard and quite quick to get personal with him. I would also protest to Greg if I thought he’d been unfair with the points-awarding.
“I know I can be competitive but competitiveness mixed with a total lack of ability is a dangerous mix to have exposed to you with a mirror held up.”
Maisie credits her husband Michael Dobinson, who works in the tech world, for keeping her grounded. The pair got married in 2023, shortly before she took part in that year’s Soccer Aid.
“He’s very supportive and likes to watch stuff that I’ve been on, but it’s really nice that he isn’t in comedy. If you’re both in it, it can sometimes be a bit of a bubble. You forget there’s a real world out there,” she admits.
“Comedy is quite a self-absorbed job. It’s always about you, whether you’re funny or not. It’s quite a validation-seeking profession. I would worry that if I was with somebody who was also in comedy, we’d end up asking each other for feedback.”
Maisie is more than happy not to talk about her work when she’s at home with Michael.
“I guess some people really enjoy being able to both relate to the same frustrations and highs and lows of their job, but some, like me, can’t imagine anything worse than discussing it when you’re in your own home,” she says.
“There’s comedian Maisie and there’s Maisie at home. I quite like getting home and turning off Maisie the comedian and just being a football-obsessed normal person.”
Maisie Adam, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Alex Horne, Greg Davies, Phil Ellis, Ania Magliano and Reece Shearsmith on Taskmaster(Image: Channel 4)
Maisie has been on TV panels with comedy greats and has interviewed football legends on her Big Kick Energy podcast, but Taskmaster gave her the chance to finally spend time with her childhood hero: host Greg Davies.
“My mum and dad took me to see Greg when I was 14 at our local theatre,” she says. “He had this bit about a student who got locked in a storage cupboard from when he was a teacher. It was the first time I’d seen live stand-up comedy where I’d been literally bent double and my ribs hurt from laughing. Tears were streaming down my face.
“If you’d told that person that 15 years later she’d be on Taskmaster with him, that would have blown her mind. I couldn’t bring myself to fangirl over him on set – I didn’t want him to feel awkward, so I played it cool.”
But it was hard to stay nonchalant when dealing with wardrobe malfunctions throughout the series.
“My plan was to be like Sandy from Grease – she does whatever it takes to come out on top. She changes herself and takes up smoking to win the top prize. In that case it’s a man, which doesn’t reflect well any more.
“The difficulty was, I didn’t blow the budget when it came to getting the outfit. It was cheap and synthetic, so I slipped on everything because of the cheap shoes – and the flammable leggings would catch on everything.”
As a result, Maisie’s trousers regularly fell down on the show. “It was mortifying and it got progressively more humiliating and, dare I say, depressing as the studio records went on,” she cringes.
“This was going to be a common theme – flashing my underwear thanks to a pair of synthetic leggings on the biggest comedy show I’ve been waiting years to be booked on. That’s probably my number one regret.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Wednesday pulled back the reins as allegations swirled about the Clippers circumventing the salary cap by orchestrating an endorsement deal for star forward Kawhi Leonard.
Silver, speaking to the media after a previously scheduled meeting of all 30 team owners in New York, said an NBA investigation would need to uncover clear evidence that the Clippers violated rules for owner Steve Ballmer to be punished.
“The burden is on the league if we are going to discipline a team, an owner, a player or any constituent members of the league,” Silver said. “I think, as with any process that requires a fundamental sense of fairness, the burden should be on the party that is, in essence, bringing those charges. …
“I think as a matter of fundamental fairness, I would be reluctant to act if there was sort of a mere appearance of impropriety.”
The Clippers and Ballmer are under league investigation after it was alleged last week on the podcast of Pablo Torre that Leonard was paid $28 million for a do-nothing endorsement role by Aspiration, a sustainability firm that had agreed to a $330-million sponsorship deal with the Clippers and had offered $1 billion for naming rights to the arena that instead became the Intuit Dome.
Aspiration turned out to be a fraudulent company, and co-founder Joseph Sanberg has agreed to plead guilty to defrauding multiple investors and lenders.
Silver said he would hesitate to take action against the Clippers if even a shred of doubt about the situation remains following the investigation, which will be conducted by a law firm experienced in probing wrongdoing by sports franchises, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen and Katz.
“Bringing in a firm that specializes in internal investigations adds a level of expertise and creates separation between the league and the investigation of a team,” said Michael McCann, a sports law expert and a visiting professor at Harvard. “The investigators have a background in prosecutorial work, insight into what documents to request and questions to ask.”
McCann and other legal experts said the investigation would center on whether Ballmer’s $50-million investment into Aspiration was a quid pro quo for the firm to turn around and give Leonard $28 million in cash and $20 million in Aspiration stock to essentially do nothing.
Ballmer is embarrassed by the allegations and about his apparent infatuation with Aspiration — which entered into a $330-million sponsorship arrangement with the Clippers and was nearly awarded naming rights to what became the Intuit Dome, only to be revealed as a fraudulent company run by scam artists.
McCann said the investigation would need to uncover concrete evidence that Ballmer or someone else representing the Clippers directed Aspiration to make the deal with Leonard. The only evidence presented on Torre’s podcast was hearsay — an audio clip of an anonymous former Aspiration employee saying that someone else in the company told them the endorsement deal “was to circumvent the salary cap, LOL. There was lots of LOL when things were shared.”
LOL typically is used in written communication, so if the allegation was made in an email or text, the next step for investigators would be to interview the person who wrote it and determine whether Ballmer was involved.
The investigation presumably will examine all of this. Silver tends to be methodical when conducting a probe and is expected to act on what can be proved, not on the perception of wrongdoing. But he also is charged with protecting and growing franchise values. Anything that could damage the integrity of the league would be a huge concern to him and team owners.
“Silver has quite a few very interesting relationships to protect and to nurture: other owners, his corporate sponsors, the media networks that are distributing the content,” said David Carter, a USC professor of sports business and principal of the Sports Business Group. “Everybody attached to the league is interested in getting to the bottom of this. So he has to balance different stakeholder interests and he is very good at doing that.
“So I have a feeling he will — working with the law firm — get to the bottom of it and then decide to what extent if any punishment is warranted. He’ll do that with the intent of making sure he’s protecting the interests of the other owners.”
Leonard joined the Clippers in July 2019 on a three-year, $103-million contract after leading the Toronto Raptors to the NBA title. The 6-foot-7 forward from Moreno Valley signed a four-year, $176.3-million extension in 2021, when Aspiration made its sponsorship deal with the Clippers and Ballmer invested and became a minority owner in the company.
After signing a three-year, $153-million extension a year ago, Leonard will have been paid or is under contract for $375 million in career salary over 14 years with three teams.
The NBA looked into allegations that the Clippers paid Leonard or his representative and uncle, Dennis Robertson, a side deal when he first joined the team in 2019. No wrongdoing was found, although this week the Toronto Star reported that Robertson made demands of the Raptors in 2019 “that line up almost perfectly with what Leonard reportedly got from Aspiration.”
The Star reported that Robertson demanded $10 million a year in sponsorship income but that Leonard didn’t want to do anything for the money. The Raptors rejected the demand, and Leonard signed with the Clippers.
Should the Clippers be found guilty of circumventing the salary cap, they could be forced to forfeit draft picks and be fined heavily. Ballmer and other team executives could be suspended, and perhaps Leonard’s contract could be voided.
Silver will proceed carefully.
“The goal of a full investigation is to find out if there really was impropriety,” he said. “In a public-facing sport, the public at times reaches conclusions that later turn out to be completely false. I’d want anyone else in the situation Mr. Ballmer is in now, or Kawhi Leonard for that matter, to be treated the same way I would want to be treated if people were making allegations against me.”
San Diego Padres pitcher Jason Adam is out for the season after he ruptured a quad tendon Monday when planting his left foot while trying to field a comebacker.
Now we know what can tilt a pennant race between two teams whose performance has been roughly even with a month to go before the playoffs.
An injury is never celebrated, but it can prompt a feeling of relief, which is probably the Dodgers’ unspoken reaction.
Adam, you see, is untouchable when pitching against the Dodgers. He has never given up a run to them in 15 appearances dating back to 2019.
A 6-foot-3, right-handed reliever with a funky, short-armed delivery, Adam hasn’t been scored on in six appearances against the Dodgers this season, five appearances last season — including three in the National League Division Series — two more in 2023 and two in 2019.
Dodgers hitters are seven for 51 (.137) with one double, two walks and 16 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings against Adam, who usually pitches the seventh or eighth inning, although he does have 24 career saves.
Adam is tough for anyone to hit, despite being particularly dominant against Los Angeles. Acquired by the Padres from the Tampa Bay Rays at the 2024 trade deadline, he is 11-4 with a 1.37 earned-run average in 92 appearances since then.
Now, though, he is sidelined until 2026, and the Padres recognize that the loss is profound.
“When that happens, you focus on the big picture, his health, what it means to the team,” Padres outfielder Gavin Sheets told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “It definitely puts a dark cloud over the day for all of us.”
The Padres — like the Dodgers — have lost key players to injury. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts is on the injured list with a fracture in his left foot. All-Star right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. pulled his right hamstring Sunday and did not play Monday.
General manager A.J. Preller fortified the roster at the trading deadline, and Adam told him after the injury Monday that he was grateful for the addition of dynamic reliever Mason Miller.
“I told A.J., I’m really glad he went out and got Mason,” Adam told reporters. “I’m excited to cheer those guys on.
“Knowing this group, the mental toughness they have, the skill, there is everything in this clubhouse to win the World Series. You want to be a part of that…. That’s the hardest part.”
The Dodgers figured they had tilted the bullpen balance in their direction when they signed Padres closer Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72-million free-agent contract during the offseason.
But Scott has been disappointing, posting a 4.44 ERA with eight blown saves for the Dodgers, including giving up a three-run home run Sunday.
Miller, meanwhile, has a 1.64 ERA in 11 appearances with the Padres. All he could think about Monday was his teammate Adam.
“Really heartbreaking…. obviously, it sucks losing him, not only for what he does on the mound but the type of person he is,” Miller said.
Coronation Street viewers saw Aadi Alahan, played by Adam Hussain, leaving Weatherfield on Tuesday night, though it’s already been teased that he could return in the future
Former Coronation Street cast member Adam Hussain has opened up about his departure from the show and teased that he could return in the future. His character, Aadi Alahan, was seen leaving Weatherfield earlier this week.
The actor, 24, had joined the cast of the ITV show in 2020, taking over the role from Zennon Ditchett. Adam announced earlier this year that he had decided to leave Corrie after five years, with his on-screen departure from the soap having then aired on Tuesday night.
His character, Aadi, whose recent storylines had included one centred on drink spiking, was seen heading off to embark on a new life in India. He was bid farewell by loved ones including his twin sister Asha Alahan (played by Tanisha Gorey) and their father Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin).
Adam Hussain, who played Aadi Alahan on Coronation Street, has spoken about his departure from the ITV show(Image: Adam Hussain/Instagram)
Following the episode, a message from Adam was shared with fans through the show’s Instagram account. He said in the video that he had “grown” as an actor whilst in the cast and teased that he wasn’t saying “goodbye forever”.
Adam said: “I just want to say thank you so much to everyone for watching Aadi on Corrie over the years. Y’know, these past five years have been so educational and such an experience. I’ve made friends that will last a lifetime.
“I’ve grown, not just as an actor, but as a person as well. But I just want to say that it’s not goodbye forever – more like a see you later. And if you want to keep watching me, then I will be around in other stuff, so keep your eyes peeled.”
He opened up further about his departure in an interview with The Mirror. Adam explained that he felt that it was the “right time” to leave Corrie, saying that he wanted to “spread his wings” and try other roles.
The actor, pictured with co-star Jimmi Harkishin, has teased that he could return in the future(Image: ITV)
Adam told us: “I am going to be 25 in October, and I felt it was the right time to leave. It was my decision, and the producers were so understanding. I want to spread my wings a little, go out in the big world and see what else I can do.
“I am really excited as I’ve got a new role in a horror feature film. I can’t say too much yet, but I am looking forward to it. I feel lucky as I’ve also been to lots of other auditions since I finished filming my Corrie scenes in June, and I’ve filmed a part in a short film, Spice For Life, too. We are sending it off to film festivals at the moment. It’s an exploration of cultures coming together.”
The actor shared that relief over Aadi having not been killed off on the show, which means there’s a possibility of the character returning in the future. Adam said: “It’s very relieving to know I can always return whenever I want to.”
He said: “They’ve told me the door will always be left open if I ever want to come back.” Asked if he think he will ever return, he teased in the recent interview: “Never say never! But I do hope Aadi does get a second chance in India.”
Coronation Street continues tomorrow night from 8pm on ITV and ITVX.
EXCLUSIVE: The 25-year-old actor, who plays the son of shopkeeper Dev, Aadi Alahan, left the soap on Wednesday night – but says it was his decision to ‘spread his wings’ and play other characters
21:15, 27 Aug 2025Updated 21:20, 27 Aug 2025
Adam Hussain has now left Coronation Street, but admits it was his decision
After an emotional farewell last night as his character, Aadi Alahan, left Coronation Street’s famous cobbles to start a new life in India, actor Adam Hussain reveals it was his decision to quit.
Having joined Corrie in April 2020 as Dev and Sunita’s son, Aadi, Adam took over from Zennon Ditchett, who had left Weatherfield to concentrate on his A-levels. Prior to that, Aadi and his twin sister Asha were played by triplets Hannah, Harris and Ria Ahmed.
But after five years, the actor says he decided to leave to “spread his wings” and play other characters. And his brave move has clearly proved to be a good one as Adam reveals today he has already bagged himself a role in a new feature film, overseen by award-winning horror director Richard Stanley.
Adam joined Coronation Street in 2020
In his only newspaper interview talking about his departure, the actor, 24, tells the Mirror: “My life has changed for the better since I joined Corrie and it has been such an honour to be part of the amazing cast.
“I joined during the Covid pandemic, which was a weird and surreal time to take on a new character. I’ve loved playing Aadi, I have made good friends on the set, and I am going to miss Corrie dearly.
“But I am going to be 25 in October, and I felt it was the right time to leave. It was my decision, and the producers were so understanding.
“I want to spread my wings a little, go out in the big world and see what else I can do. I am really excited as I’ve got a new role in a horror feature film. I can’t say too much yet, but I am looking forward to it.
There were emotional scenes on the Cobbles as Aadi left to live in India
“I feel lucky as I’ve also been to lots of other auditions since I finished filming my Corrie scenes in June, and I’ve filmed a part in a short film, Spice For Life, too. We are sending it off to film festivals at the moment. It’s an exploration of cultures coming together.”
He is, however, glad Corrie bosses decided not to kill Aadi off. “It’s very relieving to know I can always return whenever I want to,” smiles Adam. “And they’ve told me the door will always be left open if I ever want to come back. My friends on set were gutted when I first told them, but they also understood. They now have high aspirations about what I am going to get up to in the coming years!”
Over the past few weeks, Aadi’s life has spiralled out of control as he turned to booze to get over the guilt of Lauren accidentally drinking his laced drink and the stress of running a business.
It was his dad, Dev, who told him to go and start a fresh life in India with his cousin, Vikram. Initially, Aadi was opposed to the idea, but eventually he came to the realisation that it was the perfect chance to wipe the slate clean.
Aadi’s decision came after he was questioned by police regarding a drug mix-up at a party
“He has been really struggling financially with keeping the business running,” explains the star. “But his life spiralled because he also felt so guilty about what happened to Lauren. He started drinking a lot. At first, Aadi was distraught that his dad wanted to send him away, but he knew eventually it was the right decision to get away and have a fresh start.”
Adam says he had mixed emotions filming his final scenes. “It was both scary and exciting,” he adds. “I had a whole mix of emotions because I did get very nostalgic. I also knew it was the right decision to go.”
But thankfully, he says he didn’t fall to pieces shooting the emotional farewell scenes. “I actually had to use a tear stick for when Aadi started crying,” he reveals. “It’s been fun to film this storyline and I also think it has been good to show business owners who are struggling that they aren’t alone. It can be really tough running a business, as Aadi found.”
Admitting he has grown up a lot during his time on Corrie, Adam says he is particularly proud to have been involved in some gritty storylines. From being shot at while protecting his fiancée, Kelly Neelan, and accidentally letting Lauren Bolton drink LCD to having an affair with married woman Courtney Vance and staging a fake robbery at the corner shop, the actor says he has loved the many twists and turns his character has faced.
“I was 20 when I joined Corrie and I’ve learnt so much,” he says. “I still feel like a kid at heart but I am older now and these five years have flown by. It seems like only yesterday I was arriving on set for the first time to play Aadi. I’ve grown in confidence and I’ve learnt so much about how it works on a soap set as well as the industry as a whole.”
Adam says one of his favourite plotlines was a car explosion in 2021 that saw him fight for his life
He picks out a car explosion in 2021 that saw Aadi fight for his life as one of his favourite plotlines. He also loved filming scenes a year later with Millie Gibson, who played Aadi’s fiancée, Kelly. She had been kidnapped by her dad’s criminal associates and was about to be shot. But loved-up Aadi jumped in to save her and took the bullet. Thankfully, the gunshot missed vital organs, but he was then left distraught when Kelly decided to leave Weatherfield for good.
“Aadi got shot trying to protect Kelly,” he recalls fondly. “It was such an honour and pleasure to work alongside Millie. We used Hollywood-style equipment, which was exciting. It was also great fun filming the car explosion stunt in the countryside.
“Filming in the pandemic was also obviously a surreal time, too. We had to keep a seven-metre distance with only two people in each scene at a time, which made filming quite difficult.
“But it’s been fun playing Aadi. I like how he enjoys playing the hero, but he has a flawed side as well. I love his awkwardness!” He also admits he is going to miss Jimmi Harkishin, who plays his on-screen dad, terribly. “I find Jimmi so funny,” he says. “He took me under his wing and showed me the ropes. I learned a lot from him, and he became my second dad – my work dad.
“I’ve kept the ‘golf ball’ set Dev gave Aadi when he asked him to be his best man as a memento. It’s in a chest at home, along with other mementoes from all my other acting jobs.
“I grew up watching Corrie and it’s been so surreal to be able to say I’ve been part of the cast. I have to pinch myself sometimes!” Both his charity shop worker mum, Nora, and dad, Azark, a retired hospitality worker, are very supportive of his decision to leave and have even let him move back in with them in Manchester.
Aadi and Courtney shared a passionate kiss in September 2023
Adam – one of four siblings – says they’ve always encouraged him to follow his dreams. “I got into acting when I was in secondary school. I was a quiet child and getting up on the stage was therapeutic for me. It helped me come out of my shell. Mum and Dad are so proud and we watched last night’s scenes together at home.”
After dropping out of college to attend an acting class run by his now-agent Darren Gordon, Adam landed several TV roles including playing Josh Nubhai in ITV’s The Bay for two seasons. He also starred in Absentia and No Man’s Land.
Adam, who is single, says he hopes to one day travel the world with his job. “I’ve already travelled quite a lot before I took on the Corrie role,” he explains. “I would love to travel everywhere, especially America. I want to get into films and the feature film I’ve been signed up to do is a great stepping stone.
“I am single at the moment. I want to concentrate on my work.” However, he stresses he’s not about to change careers. One newspaper report suggested he was working for his family tailoring business in between roles. “My brother-in-law owns a tailor,” he explains. “So, every now and again I go and help out!”
As for whether he thinks he will ever return to Corrie’s cobbles in the future and the actor smiles as he stresses: “Never say never! But I do hope Aadi does get a second chance in India. He is going to live with his rich aunt, so you never know, he might turn out to be the new Prince of Mumbai!”
– Coronation Street runs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1. Episodes can also be downloaded on ITVX.
Speaking to the Special Forces staff on the show, an emotional Adam explains how he was diagnosed with depression.
He struggles to get his words out before saying: “One of them was with my partner…and…we, erm lost something…when it was really close to getting there a second time and telling everyone.”
As the tears fall, the staff clarify that he’s talking about a miscarriage and Adam nods.
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He adds: “I think I was proud of the fact that I was excited for it, which I didn’t think I ever would be.
“And when it got taken away, and it was 10 times worse for her, I think it hit us like a tonne of bricks.
“We just really, really went to a bit of a bad place. And to be honest, in front of her I pretended I was cool, and pretended I was absolutely fine.”
Later in the episode, the tears flow again as the celebrities are tasked with reading out their ‘death letters’, which they were asked to write to their loved ones.
As Adam stands up to read his out, he pays tribute to Laura and how much he is thinking of her, before saying: “The last few months have been really tough, but nowhere near as tough as you.
Adam continues to read: “We lost a baby recently” but then starts to sob, as his co-stars look just as emotional, not knowing what he had been through until that moment.
Laura Woods gives birth to first child with Adam Collard as couple reveal sweet name in adorable post
He says: “I wish I had one more night to give you the world’s biggest cuddle. Love you always, Adam.”
Conor Benn then goes over to give Adam a cuddle, who sheds more tears as he is consoled over his loss.
In a piece to camera, Adam praised Laura, saying: “I’d say I’m pretty closed off as a person and she definitely helped me to open up.”
MISCARRIAGE is generally the death of an unborn baby in the first 24 weeks – approximately six months – of pregnancy.
Miscarriages may not be spoken about a lot but they are very common. Baby loss charity Tommy’s estimates there are at least 250,000 per year in the UK and that one in every five pregnancies ends in miscarriage.
It may not be clear why a miscarriage happens but they are rarely caused by anything done by the mother or father. Usually the embryo has a random genetic defect that means it cannot develop properly.
Most women can go on to successfully have healthy babies in the future.
The NHS says most miscarriages cannot be prevented but avoiding smoking, alcohol and drugs while pregnant can reduce the risk.
Some of the other most common reasons for a pregnancy to fail in the first 24 weeks are ectopic pregnancy and molar pregnancy.
Ectopic pregnancy is where a fertilised egg implants somewhere outside of the womb, usually in a fallopian tube. It cannot survive and grow there so either dies naturally or must be terminated.
Molar pregnancy is rarer but happens when a fertilised egg and/or placenta does not develop properly at the start of a pregnancy. There is no single reason why it happens and cannot be prevented, though it may be more common in very young or old mothers.
A baby who dies after 24 weeks is considered a stillbirth.
Source: NHS
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Adam is very emotional as he speaks about what they went through
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The couple welcomed son Leo in January following their previous heartacheCredit: Instagram
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 4 with all episodes available to plus members on Channel4.com
Peaty took a break from swimming after winning silver in the 100m breaststroke at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
He previously took an extended break from sport in 2023 to prioritise his mental health after experiencing a “major, major burnout”.
However, while “the athlete in my head” is missing not competing at the ongoing World Championships in Singapore, Peaty has a clear plan for his return to competition and is training “a lot smarter” as an older athlete.
“I made the call in January or February, when I started to get back into training, that this Worlds wouldn’t be for me because it would be too rushed,” Peaty said.
“I want to be at the [2026] Commonwealth Games. I want to be at the Europeans next year. I’m never going to take my spot for granted – just because I’ve got a world record doesn’t mean I’m going to be there, it’s ridiculous. I’ve got to earn those places, which excites me.
“I did some race prep before I came out here to see where I’m at and we’re in a good place for October World Cups in America and Canada.”
On his training, he added: “If you’d told me 10 years ago I’d be doing a pilates session this morning, I would have said ‘no way’.
“I look back on certain camps and I was chasing numbers, I needed the outputs, the validation. But I wasn’t swimming the smartest in my head in terms of recovery, mental health and the warning signs of what burnout looks like.
“[Now] it’s what I decide. This block [in Los Angeles], I know it’s a holiday so I’m just going to see how I feel. When I get back into England I’m ramping up for the Commonwealth Games – 4km sessions, 4.5km – and that gives me the best results.”
Adam Lambert sits on a rickety wooden chair just outside the main chapel at the Hollywood United Methodist Church on a break from rehearsing the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
Dressed in beige shorts and a vest with matching mid-calf boots, Lambert wears his trademark glitter eye makeup with thick black liner. He’s calm and collected, content to spend his lunch break chatting, even though the rehearsal schedule is a breakneck nine days total. He chalks up his easygoing demeanor to the high-wattage professionalism of the cast, and his familiarity with the music.
Lambert first heard the soundtrack on one of his dad’s vinyl records when he was about 10 years old.
“I’ve always wanted to do that musical. I’ve always wanted to play Judas,” he says with a smile. “And when they told me Cynthia [Erivo] was interested, I was like, ‘Wow, this is gonna be crazy.’”
Lambert, a fan-favorite “American Idol” runner-up who began performing with Queen in 2011, plays Judas to Erivo’s Jesus in the Hollywood Bowl production directed by Tony-winning choreographer Sergio Trujillo.
Josh Gad, who portrays King Herod, calls the cast “the musical theater version of the Avengers.” He’s referring to Erivo and Lambert, in addition to Phillipa Soo as Mary Magdalene, Milo Manheim as Peter, Raúl Esparza as Pontius Pilate, Tyrone Huntley as Simon and Brian Justin Crum as Annas. The sold-out show runs from Friday to Sunday.
Tyrone Huntley performs as Simon during a rehearsal of “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the Hollywood United Methodist Church in Los Angeles.
(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)
Judging from the ongoing commentaryand controversy over the casting on social media, a queer, Black, female actor playing Jesus and a gay actor portraying Judas feel like a revelation to fans grappling with mounting concerns about civil rights in America. Over the last six months, the Trump administration has curtailed diversity, equity and inclusion programs and attempted to roll back key legal protections for certain members of the LGBTQ+ community.
“The challenge for the audience of seeing a female Black Jesus is so exciting. And we all feel the excitement,” says Lambert, adding that the show doesn’t change lyrics or pronouns. “Maybe it doesn’t have to do with male or female. I don’t really know if it matters what gender Jesus was, because it was about the teachings and the love and the connection to faith. So shouldn’t it transcend gender?”
Power — who has it and who doesn’t — has emerged as a defining narrative in 2025. That was also the case 2,000 years ago when Pontius Pilate ordered the crucifixion of Jesus, who posed a serious threat to the religious and political primacy of the Pharisees, the Herodians and the Romans. The 1971 musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice imagines the final days of Jesus’ life, including his agony, before he ultimately accepts his fate.
Gad is keenly aware of the notion of power as historic through-line as he approaches his titular number, “Herod’s Song,” in which the King of Judea coyly mocks Jesus before taking a frightening turn into true menace.
“This is a man who’s so insecure he can’t afford to let Jesus out of his chains in order to actually face him without the help of soldiers around him,” Gad says. “My hope is that I’m getting to bring one of the greatest hypocrites to life in a way that will both make people laugh and also make them recognize that archetype.”
Brian Grohl, left, Josh Gad, Adam Lambert and Sergio Trujillo are bringing “Jesus Christ Superstar” to the Hollywood Bowl.
(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)
The musical was first released as a concept album in 1970 and played at the Hollywood Bowl in 1971, before debuting on Broadway later that year. During its run, protests outside the stage door were commonplace, and although the musical has reached the pinnacle of success over the years, it has remained controversial.
Big summer musicals have been a staple of the Hollywood Bowl since 2000, but the shows went dark due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. With the exception of “Kinky Boots” in 2022, “Jesus Christ Superstar” is the first of what Bowl leaders hope will be an annual resumption of the beloved programming.
“We wanted to make sure that when we came back, it was the most spectacular thing we could do,” says Meghan Umber, president of the Hollywood Bowl and chief programming officer at the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
“Jesus Christ Superstar,” was always at the top of the Bowl’s musical wishlist but wasn’t available until now, adds Brian Grohl, associate director of programming for the L.A. Phil.
“The number of titles that can sustain three nights at the Hollywood Bowl is a narrowed-down list already,” Grohl said, so securing the title resulted in a lot of jumping and shouting around the office. And when it came to who would play Jesus, Umber and Grohl both say Erivo topped the list. Her “yes” made all the others follow.
Adam Lambert performs Saturday during a rehearsal of “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)
Gad calls Erivo — who was not present at a recent rehearsal because of a previous engagement — a “generational talent.” And he’s far from alone. Talk to anyone on the cast or crew and they will immediately hold forth on her extraordinary gifts.
“I see the hand of God in her,” Trujillo says reverently. “Even now, me being in the room with her, I hear it and I see it, and it is transcendent.”
Trujillo decided to go back to the musical’s roots as a concept album and is staging the show as a bare-bones rock concert. Instead of elaborate scenic design, there are black road boxes, microphones and cords. Even the costumes are contemporary with nods to their lineage. A rhythm band will play onstage and a 37-piece orchestra will perform behind a giant LED screen that will create the illusion that the musicians are hovering in the sky above the action.
Keeping the show in the present and infusing it with the raw energy of youth culture was crucial to Trujillo’s vision, he says, adding that in the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll, the musical “reflects the turbulent political times that we’re living in.”
“As I set up each one of the characters, they’re at a microphone singing and then they take the microphone and they step into the scene. I always want to remind the audience that we are in a concert, but we’re also telling the story,” says Trujillo. “Every single person understands the opportunity that we all have to take this monumental story, this monumental score, and to do it justice. So everyone is coming at it with such goodwill and so much joy.”
At a Saturday rehearsal in the church gym, Trujillo’s words ring true. The ensemble cast of more than 20 talented dancers and singers, in sweats and hoodies, run through “What’s the Buzz.” Gad watches and cheers from a table on the sidelines next to conductor and musical director Stephen Oremus, who smiles and nods his head with the beat.
“If you need me to stand in for Jesus, I’ll do it,” Gad jokes.
Phillipa Soo, who plays Mary Magdalene, sings a heartfelt rendition of “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.”
(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)
Lambert mesmerizes the assembled crew and onlookers with a potent rendition of “Heaven on Their Minds” and Soo brings tears with a heartfelt performance of “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.”
“The more time I spend with this musical, the more brilliant I understand it to be,” says Manheim during a brief break. The 24-year-old, who‘s gained a tween following after playing Zed in Disney Channel’s “Zombies” franchise, is part of the youth cohort Trujillo wanted to cast. He wasn’t as familiar with the score as the older cast members — which is part of the point.
“It’s cross-generational,” says Trujillo of the show. “This is the gift that you give to your children and then it just gets passed on.”
Dystopian drama “Severance” captured the imagination of overworked Americans when it depicted an employee revolt against an oppressive corporation. Now the series and its lead, Adam Scott, are being recognized by the Television Academy. On Tuesday, Scott was nominated for lead actor in a drama for his role as Mark Scout in the dark, sci-fi thriller.
The Apple TV+ series is the most nominated show this year, landing 27 nods for its second season, including for drama series. In Scott’s category, the competition features actors previously nominated for Emmys, including Sterling K. Brown for “Paradise,” Gary Oldman for “Slow Horses,” Pedro Pascal for “The Last of Us” and Noah Wyle for “The Pitt.”
In the series, Scott‘s Mark S. is a macrodata refinement manager employed by the biotechnology corporation Lumon Industries. In order to work in the highly secretive complex, the mild-mannered manager and his co-workers have undergone a “severance procedure.” Their brains have been surgically altered, dividing their work life and home life into separate consciousnesses which are described by the company as “innies” and “outies.” The trouble begins when the line between realms starts to blur.
Show creator Dan Erickson, executive producer and primary director Ben Stiller were also nominated, as were Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, Zach Cherry, John Turturro, Patricia Arquette and Gwendoline Christie in the acting categories. Scott, who is also an executive producer on the show, spoke with The Times about the recognition, the series and how he separates himself from his work.
“Severance” has broken through in a way that I don’t think anyone expected when it first arrived in 2022. It’s a smart, heady show that requires some brain power. Now Season 2 leads the Emmy nominations.
The feeling is incredible. I just am always sort of at a default position of nothing’s going to happen, and I need to be braced for disappointment. I think that’s a healthy disposition for a career in show business, and then I’ll be delightfully surprised if anything goes in a different direction. I try not to read any of the stuff, the prognosticating. I stay away from it and keep it out of my head as much as possible, and then something like this [nomination] is just a pure delight.
I love the idea that you block out the hype and conjecture around the show. It’s a form of self-severance.
It’s true. I’ve been at this for 30 years now so I think that I’ve found ways to keep myself healthy, as much as possible, anyway. For me, that’s just trying to sever myself from anything beyond keeping my head down and trying to do the best work possible.
Clearly it’s a tactic that’s paid off, for you and your fellow cast mates.
I’m so honored for our show to be recognized and to be on a list with everyone else — Britt and Tramell. Zach and John and Patricia and Merritt [Wever] and Gwendoline. And Ben and Jessica [Lee Gagné] and Dan. His wonderful script is being recognized. We work so hard on the show, every single one of us. It’s a team effort, as any show is, but our show takes a lot of time. So getting recognized for that hard work is really gratifying,
And there’s something redeeming about such a smart show breaking through in such stupid times.
[Laughs] Thank you. “Severance” is sort of this intangible thing, so we work really hard to make it happen. While we’re making the show and while Dan and the writers are putting it together, there’s sort of this invisible third rail. You’re not sure exactly what it is, but when it feels right, it’s like OK, there’s our show. It’s a specific feeling, a specific tone that we’re seeking out and sometimes it takes a while to zero in and find it.
It’s an original story that Dan came up with and it’s very weird. For something this weird to be recognized is really gratifying because we were surprised when anyone watched. We didn’t know if it would be a tiny audience. We thought maybe it’s too weird, so when it broadened out popularity-wise, it was a huge surprise and a really lovely one.
Just such an opportunity comes in Kobe on Saturday, as Wales look to level the series in their final game of the season.
Wales are aiming to ensure they do not go a full international campaign without a win after suffering nine defeats in 2024-25.
“At the moment we’re in this big losing streak but that one win will give them a bit of confidence to kick on,” said Jones.
“It’s the last week of the season, which is always tough, but there’s a carrot at the end of it.
“They’ve got five weeks off after this now, so they’ve put everything into this last game and hopefully we’ll get the result we want.”
While the players get five weeks off, Jones will be straight back to the day job at Harlequins on Monday morning after having had two stints with Wales during the Six Nations and summer tour.
Jones was brought into the Wales set-up by Warren Gatland, who then left his role after defeat against Italy in Rome in February, with Matt Sherratt taking over as interim head coach.
Jones was retained for the summer tour, with his Harlequins head coach Danny Wilson also brought in on a temporary basis to look after the forwards.
Despite all the trauma, with six defeats and no wins so far while he has been involved, Jones has no regrets about his international return, after playing his final game for Wales in 2014.
“I’ve loved it, it’s been brilliant,” said Jones.
“It’s been just over a decade since I last played for Wales and I loved representing my country.
“Playing for them for 11 years changed my life. The chance to represent them as a coach has been just as special.
“It’s been frustrating. It’s been pretty strange with Gats bringing me in where I had god knows how many questions over whether we get on anymore.
“Next thing he’s gone, so that was strange.
“I have enjoyed it but then I just get straight back into it with Harlequins on Monday and I might be a bit jet-lagged.”
Tired, maybe, but Jones will hope he has the memory of that long-awaited Wales win to give him a boost.
The road to elected office can be long and winding and is not always paved with the best of intentions.
Some politicians — think of the Kennedys, or the Bush family — are born to the trade. Others are borne by tragedy.
Former Santa Barbara Rep. Lois Capps succeeded her husband when he fell dead of a heart attack. Former New York Rep. Carolyn McCarthy was spurred to run when her husband was killed and her son gravely wounded in a mass shooting on the Long Island Rail Road.
Typically, though, the ascension is more methodical, one rung after the next, often with a pinch of right-place, right-time fortune thrown in for good measure.
Lately that bit of luck has visited itself upon Adam B. Schiff, in the form of Russian meddling and a president who hurls tweets like poison thunderbolts.
Schiff is the nine-term Democratic congressman from Southern California, representing parts of Los Angeles and several communities, including Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena, skirting the nearby mountains. Mild in mien and nondescript in appearance, Schiff was perhaps best known, until recently, for prevailing in 2000 in what was then the costliest House race in U.S. history.
(Irresistible fact: Adam’s wife is named Eve.)
Everything changed when Congress launched its probe into Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential campaign. As the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, one of several tasked with the inquiry, Schiff has emerged as a leading voice — calm, measured, deliberate — and one of the most prominent faces of the investigation.
This, naturally, drew the attention and ire of the president and tweeter-in-chief, who singled out the former federal prosecutor for his very own ad hominem insult: “Sleazy Adam Schiff.”
Sleazy Adam Schiff, the totally biased Congressman looking into “Russia,” spends all of his time on television pushing the Dem loss excuse!
Schiff, who has never been associated with the slightest whiff of scandal, responded in the purse-lipped tone of more sorrow than anger. “With respect Mr. President,” he tweeted in reply, “the problem is how often you watch TV, and that your comments and actions are beneath the dignity of the office.”
With respect Mr. President, the problem is how often you watch TV, and that your comments and actions are beneath the dignity of the office. https://t.co/NvZydYbnyW
“It felt a bit like Bill Murray in ‘Ghostbusters,’” Schiff said days later. “Like I’d just been slimed.”
Politically, this amounts to pure gold.
With well over a dozen members of Congress crowding the Southern California media market and TV stations having close to zero interest in politics, about the only way for a Washington lawmaker to get attention is participating in a high-speed car chase, ideally in prime time with a Kardashian riding shotgun.
It is one reason the area’s congressional lawmakers have a decades-long, unblemished record of futility when it comes to seeking prominent state office.
By contrast, Schiff has become, if not quite a household name, a hero to an important segment of the electorate — namely activist Democrats. He received a rapturous welcome at the state party convention in May as though, in the words of Times political writer Cathleen Decker, the nerd who headed the Calculus Club had just been crowned homecoming king.
“It’s certainly a role I was neither expecting nor particularly wanting,” Schiff said of his newfound political celebrity. “This role is very against type for me. I didn’t have this kind of relationship with the last Republican president and I didn’t expect to have it with a new president.”
There’s just one problem, from an electoral standpoint: At the moment there’s nowhere beyond the House of Representatives for Schiff to go.
He’s shown no interest in joining the crowded 2018 race for governor. And the most logical step, a bid for U.S. Senate, is thwarted unless incumbent Democrat Dianne Feinstein, who is weighing a sixth run next year, unexpectedly decides to stand aside.
Schiff emphatically ruled out a primary challenge. “If she runs for reelection,” he said, he would be “solidly behind her.”
At age 57, Schiff can wait. But if the Senate seat were to suddenly come available, he’d start the race in an enviable spot.
“Every California Democrat’s favorite parlor game is wondering whether Feinstein will seek another term,” said Dan Schnur, a longtime student of state politics who teaches at USC. “If she decides to run again, this is largely an irrelevant discussion. But if she doesn’t, Schiff moves from being an afterthought to potential front-runner.”
He would hardly be a shoo-in. Schiff would face all the hurdles confronting any Southern California member of Congress trying to make the broad leap to the Senate: the mountainous fundraising requirement, the difficulty of launching from a small geographic base and, not least, the built-in bias many Northern Californians have against voting for any politician from (ugh!) the L.A. area.
But if Schiff got elected to the Senate, he may want to tamp down his natural inclination and send flowers or some other token of appreciation to the president. Even though it is hardly his intent, Trump would have done a good deal to make it possible.
Former England midfielder Adam Lallana has retired from playing at the age of 37.
Lallana, who won 34 caps for his country, returned to Southampton last season after making his name in his first spell there.
He joined Liverpool from Saints for £25m in 2014 and went on to win the Premier League and Champions League.
“As I call time on my playing career, I do so with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and pride,” Lallana said on his social media accounts., external
“Southampton… the place where it all started, and fittingly where it ends. It’s the club I ultimately owe everything to.”
Lallana came through Southampton’s academy before making his debut for the first team as an 18-year-old in 2006.
He went on to feature more than 250 times for Saints and was part of the squad that won back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League.
Lallana was captain when he left for Anfield during a summer where he also played for England at the 2014 World Cup.
After winning the Champions League with Liverpool in 2019 and the league title the following campaign, Lallana joined Brighton before returning to St Mary’s in 2024.
He only made five starts as Saints were relegated to the Championship.
“I’m proud of the playing career I’ve had and have no regrets about any of it,” Lallana added.
“I embrace all the highs and all the lows as they’ve shaped me into who I am.
“To everyone who made the journey so special, the staff at each club and organisation, the managers and coaches, my teammates, and of course the supporters — thank you.
“But most of all, to my own team… my family. My wife Emily, our amazing sons, my mum, dad and sister, thank you for putting up with me and being in my corner through it all.
The Englishman, born to a Albanian father and a British-Yemeni mother, became hooked on the sport when his mum brought him to a boxing gym aged five.
“I was doing loads of sports at the time. But when I started sparring at about nine I just fell in love with it,” he says.
“The first time I got punched I thought ‘I have to get him back’. I used to get angry when I’d get hit. You have to learn to take one and land two in a minute.”
Maca caught the eye of Matchroom because of his remarkable amateur record. He has seven titles in the junior ranks, including five national titles.
He also won a silver medal at the IBA World Junior Championships representing Albania in 2023.
While he was earmarked to be a potential Olympian, he has long had his sights on linking up with Hearn – even cornering him at an event with fellow future Matchroom fighter and heavyweight Leo Atang.
“We didn’t get ringside [tickets] back then,” Maca jokes. “We spoke to Eddie and said we wanted to sign with him one day. He said, ‘come to me when you’re a bit older, boys’. And now here we are.”
Like Maca, Atang will make his professional bow as an 18-year-old. He fights on Jack Catterall’s undercard in Manchester in July.
Countryfile star Adam Henson has opened up about the support he has from family and friends and how, over the years, he has faced some challenges while running the farm
Adam Henson, known from BBC’s Countryfile, has candidly spoken out about the hurdles he’s encountered in both his professional and personal spheres.
While not on screen, Adam is hard at work managing his family farm in the Cotswolds, a legacy started by his father Joe back in 1971.
During an intimate chat with Reach PLC, Adam shared insight into the critical support provided by loved ones and friends, admitting that steering the farm has indeed presented numerous obstacles over time.
Further delving into his private life, Adam disclosed the tough period following his wife Charlie’s cancer diagnosis.
Adam conveyed his natural optimism, saying: “My characteristics are that I am an upbeat person, and I have got an incredibly supportive family, wife and children and people around me.,” reports Gloucestershire Live.
Speaking of his professional dealings, he said: “And within the business, I have got a business partner who I was at Agricultural College with and he is one of my closest friends and what we do is surround ourselves with people that are excellent within their own role in the business. Whether that is a manager or a farm manager, and we work really closely with the team and we are all very honest and open with one another.
Adam is on his farm in the Cotswolds
“I have had some very difficult times in my life, both in business and personally. My wife was very ill a few years ago, my parents dying, and I lost a nephew.”
Sharing on how he’s coped with these trials, he noted: “We have gone through foot and mouth challenges, Covid, and we have had some tough times, but I’ve never had poor mental health because I’ve had that fantastic support system around me.”
In an emotional disclosure, Adam and his wife previously opened up about the tremendous impact that the cancer diagnosis had on their lives.
Back in 2021, the couple were confronted with the news they had been fearing when Charlie was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Adam and hsi wife Charlie(Image: (Image: Getty))
Charlie confided to the Daily Mirror, expressing the shock they felt: “It was both barrels,” as she recounted the moment a significant tumour was discovered on her pancreas. “We knew people who’d died of pancreatic cancer, and I absolutely felt this was going to be the end of my life.”
Adam shared his own turmoil: “I felt physically sick,” while Charlie recalled the overwhelming confirmation of their worries, saying: “Our darkest fears were confirmed. Adam had to practically carry me down the corridor. My legs were like jelly.”
The couple sought help from one of the nation’s top specialists, leading to Charlie being slated for a risky surgery, with the outcome hanging in the balance.
Adam has faced some tought times on the farm(Image: BBC)
On the day, Adam described the emotionally charged atmosphere: “There were a lot of tears and a lot of emotion in the room.”
The family then travelled to London for Charlie’s painstaking procedure, during which she prepared for the worst by penning final letters to Adam, their kids, and her siblings.
However, two years on from those heart-wrenching times, Charlie has made steps towards normality, working part-time and living in anticipation of her six-monthly scans.
Things got heated between Elizabeth Banks and Jessica Biel last summer. Sweat was poured. Scores were settled. Justin Timberlake even got involved.
The intense showdowns occurred on a New York City padel court when the women had days off from filming their new Prime Video limited series, “The Better Sister,” now streaming. Squaring off in the increasingly popular racquet sport, the actors, along with Biel’s husband, Timberlake, and Banks’ husband, Max Handelman, “had a blast kicking each other’s asses,” Biel said.
Back on “The Better Sister” set, Banks and Biel were happy to play on the same team. There, they both served as stars and executive producers, and they praised the collaborative, ego-free environment overseen by showrunners Olivia Milch and Regina Corrado. (Though their competitive streak did continue with between-takes Bananagrams.)
“This was a group of, frankly, a lot of moms, who were like, ‘We don’t have time for nonsense. We want our crew home to have dinner with their families,’ ” Banks said. “There was a lot of mutual respect going on, but then we all demanded the best from each other.”
The eight-episode whodunit, adapted from the 2019 novel by Alafair Burke, is a twisty, Shakespearean tale: Two estranged sisters, the glamorous, successful Chloe (Biel) and the recovering addict Nicky (Banks), are thrust back together when Chloe’s husband, Adam (Corey Stoll) — who used to be Nicky’s husband — is murdered. When Nicky and Adam’s son, Ethan (Maxwell Acee Donovan) — who was raised by Chloe and Adam — is arrested for the crime, the sisters must untangle a web of family secrets and betrayal. Yeah, it’s complicated.
Elizabeth Banks, top, and Jessica Biel in a scene from “The Better Sister.”
(Jojo Whilden / Prime Video)
“So many shows I’ve written on are about muscular, macho men doing violent things to each other,” said Corrado, whose past work includes “Sons of Anarchy” and “Deadwood.” “But I think the scariest thing is women in this space and the intimate damage we can do to each other, particularly as sisters.”
While Biel, 43, and Banks, 51, both rose to prominence as actors, they’ve been increasingly expanding their resumes behind the camera. Over the past decade, Banks has directed films, including “Cocaine Bear,” “Pitch Perfect 2” and the 2019 “Charlie’s Angels” reboot, and produced numerous projects under her and Handelman’s Brownstone Productions banner.
Biel has likewise segued into producing with her company, Iron Ocean, which backed the psychological thriller series “Cruel Summer,” “The Sinner” and “Candy,” the latter two in which she also starred. (Biel is also in early development on a reboot of “7th Heaven,” the ‘90s series on which she got her start as the rebellious Mary Camden, though she won’t reprise her role.)
For Biel, those recent thriller projects, along with “The Better Sister,” speak to what she finds “endlessly interesting.” “Why do humans do the things that they do?” she said. “When you’re pressed up against the wall and you’re fighting for your life or to keep your kids safe, what would you do? How far would you go?”
In a joint video interview, Banks and Biel discussed making “The Better Sister” and their decades of experience that led them here. These are edited excerpts from the conversation, which includes a few spoilers.
What initially attracted you to “The Better Sister” and your specific roles?
Biel: I first read for the Nicky part, and I was definitely interested in it. Then, a couple days later, I got the call saying, “They want you for Chloe.” When I heard that Elizabeth was talking to them about Nicky, I was like, oh, yes. This makes more sense to me now. I’ve also heard for a million years that we look like sisters.
Banks: I had never heard a bad word about Jessica Biel in the industry. She was known as kind, generous, talented, a great collaborator, easy to be around. And I thought, well, that sounds easy and fun. Craig Gillespie, who directed our pilot, got on with me and said, “I want you to be a mess, Banks. It needs more humor, and you’ll be funny.” He sold me on this messy Nicky, in contrast to Jessica, and I thought that sounded like a great idea all across the board.
“I love that I got to reset my career, and I’ve been able to do it multiple times,” said Elizabeth Banks, who has starred in comedies and dramas onscreen.
(Annie Noelker / For The Times)
Elizabeth, as an actor, you’ve received the most recognition for your comedic roles, but you’ve been focused lately on quieter, dramatic parts. Is that a direction you’d always hoped to go in?
Banks: It’s interesting. I started my career in a lot of dramas. Man, I remember making “Seabiscuit.” It was nominated for seven Academy Awards. It was very serious fare, and I was put in that [dramatic] box early on. It honestly took making “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” to even clue people in that I was funny. Like, I knew I was. I thought I was going to come in and do rom-coms, but when I started making films, it wasn’t a skill that was asked of me. I love that I got to reset my career, and I’ve been able to do it multiple times.
The very title of this series, “The Better Sister,” pits these two women against each other. How have you seen that comparison game play out in your own experiences in this industry?
Biel: You’re constantly compared. At least back in the day, it felt like people were trying to keep women away from each other. You’d sit in an audition room, and there would be this energy because your agents and managers would have made you feel like these women are your competition. There really was a feeling of ”you are against everybody, and everybody is against you.” I feel like that’s changed so much, but this industry is cutthroat. I have a lot of real experience in feeling less than, feeling judged, feeling like the industry has been putting their thumb on top of you, and you have to fight, fight, fight for every opportunity.
Banks: I had a similar experience coming up as an ingénue. There’s a scarcity mentality, like there’s only so many roles. Now we have all of this incredible data, like what the Geena Davis Institute has collected, about women’s roles in Hollywood. At some point, I just looked around and thought, the numbers are against me. The very first film I ever made [“Wet Hot American Summer”] was with Paul Rudd and Bradley Cooper, and they went on to play superheroes. I’m never going to get that, especially once I got over a certain age. You start to understand that it’s systemic, and it is a numbers game. You can keep playing that game, or you can do what so many incredible women have done before me, which is create your own opportunities.
I know that we are encouraging the next generation because I made a movie with them called “Bottoms.” Emma Seligman, Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri, they’re doing it now. They’re going to make their own stuff, and it’s incredible. I think the industry has changed because women changed it. I just want to make sure that we have actually learned the lessons, and we are creating the opportunities.
Biel: I really do hope it is different and better and more fair and more loving because, man, it was hard.
One of the big themes in this show is trust. This idea of, can we trust our family? Can we trust our partners? Can we trust the police? Can we trust our memories? Did working on this show make you question anything about your own realities?
Banks: My father served in Vietnam, and we never talked about it when I was a kid. Vietnam vets suffered when they came back. America was not interested in them. What does that do to people’s psyches that had served their country and now they’re being spit at? This brought up a lot of those notions for me about how little you actually know your parents when you’re a child and how the layers come out the older you get.
I was the older sister, and I was able to protect my younger sister from the version of my father that I knew. He didn’t give that version to her because he and my mom had learned a lesson about what was going on with him. I’m 11 years older than my brother. He did not get the same version of my parents that I did.
“Where I parallel a little bit in Chloe’s world is this weird, naive trust of police,” Jessica Biel said about her character. “It’s interesting watching Elizabeth in the scenes where she’s expressing Nicky’s feelings about, ‘Don’t trust these people. Don’t give them anything.’ ”
(Annie Noelker / For The Times)
Biel: Where I parallel a little bit in Chloe’s world is this weird, naive trust of police. It’s interesting watching Elizabeth in the scenes where she’s expressing Nicky’s feelings about, “Don’t trust these people. Don’t give them anything.” I was wondering if I have those same thoughts that Chloe does, where I would just offer up information that I shouldn’t because I trust that they’re here to protect me. Would I be in a situation where I would not be taking care of myself or my family members because I felt obligated to almost please this police department who is supposed to help me?
So, [I was] trying to understand that system a little bit better, alongside all the questions you have about your parents and what version you got as a child. My brother and I are three years apart, but I was working when I was really young, and he wasn’t. He was at home. I basically abandoned him. But I was so self-absorbed, I didn’t think about it in that way. I just was doing what was my passion. I know he had a very different experience in our family than I did. I feel nervous to talk to him about it sometimes because I have guilt around that. He was in my shadow, and I left him.
Spoilers for the final episodes — we ultimately learn that Nicky killed Adam, and that reveal puts everything we’ve seen her do thus far in a different light. Elizabeth, what went into playing a character who’s keeping a huge secret from everyone, including the audience, for so long?
Banks: Look, I literally say right after he gets arrested, “Tell them it was me. I’ll say I did it.” But nobody’s going to believe her. I was actually always thinking about “Presumed Innocent,” the original [film], where she knows all along that she can make him free. Ethan’s not going to jail. Nicky was willing and ready every minute of this entire series to offer herself up and say, “I’m going to jail for this. I did it.” I think she almost expects that it’s where her life is supposed to go — but she also can’t let Adam win. So, there is a lot of strategy going on for Nicky. She’s playing chess, and she’s playing the long game, and poor Chloe is not in on any of it.
Chloe then ends up framing Adam’s boss for the murder in the finale. Jessica, how did you feel about that decision and the motivations around it?
Biel: It felt to me that it was what had to happen. Because once it’s revealed that Adam set Nicky up and pushed those drugs on her, and she’s not this horrific mom, her son was not in danger — that realization for Chloe is just like — oh, my God — everything that she has done has been in vain. She ruined her sister’s life. She’s taken over being the mother of this child. For what? It’s all a lie. So, when all of that comes out, that is the moment where she is 100% loyal to Nicky. They are officially in it together. Now she has to protect Nicky in order to protect Ethan, and to do that, we need somebody to take the blame for this because we are all culpable. Everybody is playing their part, and nobody is innocent.
Elizabeth Banks and Maxwell Acee Donovan, who plays her son Ethan in the series.
(Jojo Whilden / Prime Video)
There’s a line in the show to the effect of, “Nothing ever really disappears,” whether that’s because of the stories that people tell about us or the permanence of the internet. Is there a story or project that’s followed you around that you wish would go away?
Biel: I’m sure you could dig up some stuff about me, and I would probably be like, “Oh, yeah, that wasn’t the best choice.” But you have to fall on your face, look like an idiot, sound like an idiot and get back up and go, “All right, won’t do that again.” I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t stumble around a little bit. I don’t want to be stumbling around too much anymore at this age.
On the flip side, what past chapter of your life are you the most proud of?
Banks: I really am proud that I was able to use the opportunity that came during “The Hunger Games,” where I had this guaranteed work with these big movies. I started my family then, and I started my directing career then, and it was because I wasn’t out there shaking it trying to make a living. It was a real gift to have some security for a hot minute because it allowed me to look around and go, is this what I really want? What are my priorities? What opportunities can I pursue while I have this security? I’m proud that I took advantage of it.
Biel: I think back in my early 20s, taking the opportunity to start my little [production] company [with co-founder Michelle Purple], which was dumb and small and lame for like 10 years. We didn’t make anything, and it was a disaster. But we hustled, I took control and said I’m going to start making headway to make things for me. I’m not going to just sit and wait for a phone call from my agents, which is what I had been told to do. I started procuring material and working with writers and learning how to develop them. Now, my little company is making some stuff, which is cool.
Neither of you come from industry families. Did you feel like outsiders stepping into that world?
Banks: I still feel like an outsider.
Biel: I was going to say the same thing!
Banks: I know my worth, and I know what I’ve earned, so I don’t have impostor syndrome anymore. But I do feel like there’s a party in Hollywood that I’m not necessarily on the inside of. It keeps me scrappy, to be honest.
Biel: It also keeps you from getting lost in the sauce. You’re not paying so much attention to everybody else or what you’re not getting. It’s a good mindset to be in because you just focus on what you’re doing. When I’m outputting creatively, that’s what fuels me. The joy is in doing it.
He played a major role in the BBC soap’s 40th anniversary episodes when his wife Cindy’s Christmas Day attacker was revealed.
They couple were reunited after Adam’s hiatus from the soap in 2021.
When he returned to Albert Square last year, Ian was reunited with his presumed dead wife Cindy (Michelle Collins), who was revealed to have been in witness protection.
Throughout his long tenure in Walford, Ian has been married six times to five women and had two failed engagements.
He has also fathered three children and acted as a father figure to much younger half-brother, Ben Mitchell.
Countryfile’s Adam Henson has opened up on the ‘difficult times’ he has faced away from the BBC show
Countryfile’s Adam Henson has candidly shared his struggles with “difficult times” and family woes.
Behind the scenes, Adam tends to a Cotswolds farm founded by his father Joe in 1971, where he’s faced hard choices and significant losses.
Adam, despite a robust circle of support, stresses the need to highlight mental health concerns within the farming community.
In an exclusive chat with Reach PLC, Adam confessed: “My characteristics are that I am an upbeat person, and I have got an incredibly supportive family, wife and children and people around me.”
On the professional front, he divulged: “And within the business, I have got a business partner who I was at Agricultural College with, and he is one of my closest friends, and what we do is surround ourselves with people that are excellent within their own role in the business”, reports Wales Online.
Adam Henson’s wife Charlie was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer(Image: (Image: Getty))
He added about his team dynamics: “Whether that is a manager or a farm manager, we work really closely with the team, and we are all very honest and open with one another.”
Reflecting on some particularly tough periods, Adam revealed: “I have had some very difficult times in my life, both in business and personally. My wife was very ill a few years ago, my parents dying, and I lost a nephew.
“We have gone through foot and mouth challenges, Covid, and we have had some tough times, but I’ve never had poor mental health because I’ve had that fantastic support system around me.”
Adam Henson suffered an unfortunate bee blunder at his farm on Sunday’s episode of Countryfile(Image: BBC)
Adam is well-known for sharing the ups and downs of his farming life in Gloucestershire with his social media audience.
In one of his latest online updates, Adam shared a touching moment from the farm. In the post, he jubilantly declares, “We’ve just had another new arrival on the farm. One of our Gloucester cows has given birth.”
The footage then reveals the heartwarming scene of the cow alongside her newborn calf as Adam appreciatively says, “There she is. That’s Holly and her beautiful little calf.”
Concluding his heartfelt post, Adam praises the efforts of the cow with an affectionate: “What a clever girl.”
Adam says he’s never had bad mental health thanks to his support system(Image: BBC)
Admirers flocked to the comments section, with one person expressing their awe by stating “Just beautiful,” while another kept it brief with the word, “Lovely.”
The charming newborn also attracted warm sentiments, with someone calling it a “Sweet baby”.
Countryfile airs Sundays at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Adam Sandler has no crocodile tears for “Happy Gilmore” co-star Morris the alligator — he has fond jokes instead.
The “Punch-Drunk Love” actor and comedian on Wednesday shared a playful tribute honoring his reptilian co-star who died Sunday of old age at a gator farm in southern Colorado. In the tribute, shared to Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), Sandler remembered the alligator’s time on the set of his quirky 1996 golf comedy.
“We are all gonna miss you. You could be hard on directors, make-up artists, costumers — really anyone with arms or legs,” Sandler captioned a movie still featuring himself and Morris, “but I know you did it for the ultimate good of the film.”
Jay Young, the owner and operator of Colorado Gator Farm, announced Morris’s death in an emotional video shared to Facebook. “He started acting strange about a week ago. He wasn’t lunging at us and wasn’t taking food,” Young said, stroking the reptile’s head.
“I know it’s strange to people that we get so attached to an alligator, to all of our animals,” Young added. “He had a happy time here, and he died of old age.”
In “Happy Gilmore,” Sandler’s unlikely golf star confronts the feisty gator played by Morris after a golf ball lands in his toothy jaws. After an unsuccessful attempt, Happy dives into the golf course pond where he pummels the reptile and retrieves the ball.
Morris was best known for “Happy Gilmore,” but also appeared in numerous screen projects including “Interview with the Vampire,” “Dr. Dolittle 2” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” before he retired in 2006. He was found as an illegal pet in the backyard of a Los Angeles home and sent to the Colorado Gator Farm.
In his tribute, Sandler said he learned a “powerful lesson” from Morris on the set of their film after he refused to “come out of your trailer” without the bait of 40 heads of lettuce: “Never compromise your art.” The “Wedding Singer” and “50 First Dates” star also reminisced on totally real encounters with the gator including sharing a candy bar.
“You let me have the bigger half,” he joked. “But that’s who you were.”
According to Sandler, Morris was a Hollywood veteran with classy habits. The “Uncut Gems” star joked that the alligator, despite his character’s death in the first film, sent the “Happy Gilmore” team a “fruit basket and [a] hilarious note” ahead of the long-anticipated sequel, which premieres in July.
“I will miss the sound of your tail sliding through the tall grass, your cold, bumpy skin, but, most of all, I will miss your infectious laugh,” Sandler concluded his eulogy. “Thanks to Mr. Young for taking care of you all these years, and vaya con dios, old friend.”
Colorado Gator Farm announced on Monday that it decided to preserve Morris’ body via taxidermy “so that he can continue to scare children for years to come.”
“It’s what he would have wanted,” the farm said on Facebook.
