Ashley

THE identity of Safiyya Vorajee’s boyfriend has been unmasked.

The ex of Ashley Cain revealed she was in a new relationship earlier today on Instagram but did not give away the identity of the mystery man.

But now, he has been uncovered to be a popular Dutch social media influencer..

Virgil Sint Jago appears to have won the heart of Safiyya who has publicly remained single since her split from Ashley and the tragic passing of their daughter, Azaliya.

Safiyya is understood to have met Virgil in Bali on holiday and is now in the throes of a new romance with him.

As well as being an influencer and online creator, Virgil is also a personal trainer and specialises in helping older women lose weight.

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His social media is littered with plenty of shirtless pics as well as being packed full of his impressive fitness content.

Glam Safiyya first began to hint at the romance a few weeks ago before sharing a cosy selfie with Virgil earlier today.

The 38-year-old took to social media to share a sweet tribute to her new romance alongside a snap of them together. 

Safiyya wrote: “Happy the universe changed my direction from Thailand to Bali.

“In a world that’s so big we met exactly where we were meant to feel so happy.

“God always gets the timing right. Trust in him always. The most magical connection when you feel it in your soul.”

Safiyya also opened up about her trip to Bali and told followers she’s entering a new chapter of her life.

She said: “There’s something so magical here that has healed parts of my soul I didn’t even realise were still hurting.

“I’ve grown so much. My nervous system has finally experienced what real calm feels like. I’ve let my guard down, allowed myself to be vulnerable, and in doing that, I’ve found friendships and connections that have changed me forever.”

Safiyya and ex-boyfriend Ashley Cain were left devastated in 2021 when Azaylia died at eight-months-old following a battle with leukaemia.

It comes weeks after Ashley, who is also dad so sons Alyias, two, and Atlas, one, from different relationships, was dropped by the BBC over historic social media posts which allegedly showed him making degrading comments about women.

The Ex on the Beach star’s Twitter posts made in 2011 and 2013 are said to have referenced extreme sex acts and appeared to make light of consent.

He reportedly used offensive, sexualised and aggressive language about women.

Diversity’s Ashley Banjo expresses concern for future dance stars amid rising costs and program cuts

Next generation of dance stars are being priced out the industry, study reveals.

The next generation of dance stars is being priced out of following in the footsteps of Shirley Ballas, Darcey Bussell and Ashley Banjo, according to a study.

Industry data from ONS revealed the number of people working as dancers and choreographers has fallen by 32 per cent since 2019.

While a separate poll of 2,000 adults found 68 per cent of Brits said dance is an important part of British culture, yet six in 10 believe the next generation of dance talent is being priced out of the industry.

And 55 per cent think only those from wealthier backgrounds can realistically pursue a career in dance.

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The research was commissioned by The Sky Foundation to mark the launch of the Julia Rausing Sky Arts Bursaries, a new programme providing funding, mentoring and industry support to 20 dance-makers across the UK.

The broadcaster also teamed up with Ashley Banjo MBE, the frontman of the group Diversity, to support the campaign.

Commenting on the poll, the choreographer said: “Dance opened so many doors for me growing up.

“I was lucky my Mum ran a dance school, so I was surrounded by dance from an early age and had access to opportunities that helped shape my future.

“But opportunities are becoming harder to access today, particularly for people who don’t come from an affluent background.

“Creative potential should never be determined by a family’s finances, yet these findings suggest cost is becoming an increasingly significant barrier to pursuing a career in dance.

“That’s a real concern, because talent exists everywhere – and we can’t afford to lose the next generation of dance artists and what they’ll contribute to our culture.”

The study also found 45 per cent feel the UK is missing out on dance talent which could contribute to culture, creative industries and the arts sector.

Participants believe this is due to families not being able to afford the costs of travel, equipment and competitions (63 per cent) and some young people not being able to afford creative careers (57 per cent).

Meanwhile, 67 per cent believe talent is being overlooked because they live in parts of the country with fewer creative pathways.

In total, 80 per cent believe those from less affluent backgrounds face more barriers to pursuing careers in dance.

Just six per cent believe they are on a truly even keel when it comes to making it in the industry according to the OnePoll.com data.

And only 29 per cent believe there are enough opportunities for young people to dance in their area.

This rises to 39 per cent for Londoners yet falls as low as 19 per cent for people of Yorkshire and the Humber – the lowest of any region.

Choreographers, dance-makers and artists have been encouraged to sign up to the bursary on the Julia Rausing Sky Arts Bursaries website.

Phil Edgar-Jones, trustee of the foundation and executive director of unscripted content at Sky, said: “Dance is one of Britain’s great creative strengths. It’s an artform that brings people together, tells powerful stories and reflects the diversity of communities across the UK.

“With public funding under pressure, many dance artists increasingly rely on the support of dance organisations, charities and funders to develop their careers.

“That’s why initiatives like this are so important.”

Ashley Banjo added: “No young person should feel that a career in dance is out of reach because they can’t afford lessons, travel or competitions, or because there aren’t enough opportunities close to home.

“Talent can come from anywhere, and your background shouldn’t determine your future.”

ASHLEY Cain has spoken out for the first time since he was axed by the BBC after allegedly making degrading comments about women online.

The reality TV star penned an apology on Instagram, addressing “language I used many years ago that I am not proud of”.

The 35-year-old was dropped by the Beeb last week after historic social media posts came to light which were deemed “offensive” to women.

His BBC Three documentary Into The Danger Zone has been shelved for its second season.

In response to a disastrous day as he was dropped by his management, Cain took to Instagram to address the controversy.

“You may have seen a recent article concerning language I used many years ago that I am not proud of.

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“I don’t deny it. I don’t excuse it. And I certainly don’t condone it,” he began.

Cain blamed the loss of his football career as one of the factors which caused him to feel “lost, frustrated and unsure of where my life was heading”.

He went on: “The reality is that growth doesn’t happen overnight. It happens through experience.

“Through mistakes. Through hardship. Through being forced to look in the mirror and ask yourself whether you’re willing to become better.”

Yesterday, the Daily Mail reported that Ashley had been dropped as a client by his management company Off Limits amid recent events.

“Ashley has been dropped by Off Limits, who also represent stars such as Jimmy Bullard, Jesy Nelson and Harry Redknapp,” an insider told the publication.

“They have a roster of talent who are household names, they don’t want to be associated with him after the vile posts came to light.

“Ashley is now pretty much blacklisted in the industry, and it’s doubtful he will ever be on television again.”

Ashley no longer appears on Off Limits website as a listed client.

The Ex on the Beach star’s Twitter posts made in 2011 and 2013 are said to have referenced extreme sex acts and appeared to make light of consent.

He reportedly used offensive, sexualised and aggressive language about women.

Derogatory terms allegedly written in 2014 and 2015 include “sl**s”, “b***hes” and “psychos”.

He also said he’d like to “choke slam” and “spit in the face” of Love Island star Jessica Hayes while commenting on the ITV2 reality show.

Cain’s apology post said he has learnt lessons from fatherhood over the past decade.

His daughter Azaylia Cain sadly died in 2021 of a rare form of acute myeloid leukaemia.

She was just eight months old when she died after a battle with the aggressive disease.

“Losing my daughter changed me forever,” Cain wrote.

“Since then, I have dedicated my life to trying to honour my daughter’s legacy and help others wherever I can.”

The reality star added: “I cannot change what I said over a decade ago. What I can do is take responsibility for it.

“What I can do is continue striving every day to be a good father, a good human and a positive force in the lives of others.”

Cain’s shock slurs sit uncomfortably alongside his more recent work as a BBC presenter exploring masculinity and gangs in dangerous locations around the world.

A BBC spokesperson said: “We are very clear we expect the highest standards of behaviour from everyone who works with or for the BBC.

“When allegations are brought to our attention we take them seriously. We will consider this information carefully and do not intend to comment further at this stage.”

The BBC were reportedly unaware of the offensive content prior to recruiting Cain as a host.

Dad-of-three Cain was a professional footballer at the time of his oldest offensive tweets.

Following contracts at Coventry City and non-league Barwell, he was forced to retire from the game in 2014 due to the effects of a serious achilles injury.

He turned to reality TV and starred in the first series of Ex on the Beach. More recently he appeared on Celebrity SAS, The Real Full Monty and Celebrity MasterChef.

Cain was left devastated in 2021 when his daughter Azaylia died from leukemia aged just eight months.

He set up The Azaylia Foundation in her name and has tackled gruelling endurance challenges to raise money and awareness.

ASHLEY Cain has been dealt a fresh blow following his BBC axe after allegedly making degrading comments about women online.

Historic social media posts by the reality TV star, 35, that have been deemed ‘offensive’ to women came to light last week and resulted in him being dropped by the Beeb – with the second series of his BBC Three documentary Into The Danger Zone now shelved.

The Daily Mail reports that Ashley has now been dropped as a client by his management company Off Limits amid recent events.

“Ashley has been dropped by Off Limits, who also represent stars such as Jimmy Bullard, Jesy Nelson and Harry Redknapp,” an insider told the publication.

“They have a roster of talent who are household names, they don’t want to be associated with him after the vile posts came to light.

“Ashley is now pretty much blacklisted in the industry, and it’s doubtful he will ever be on television again.”

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The Sun has reached out to Off Limits and Ashley Cain for comment.

Ashley no longer appears on Off Limits website as a listed client.

The Ex on the Beach star’s Twitter posts made in 2011 and 2013 are said to have referenced extreme sex acts and appeared to make light of consent.

He reportedly used offensive, sexualised and aggressive language about women.

Despite this, series one of Ashley Cain: Into the Danger Zone aired in April 2025.

It followed his journey to the world’s most dangerous places, interviewing young men who live on the fringes of society.

Filming for a second series took place earlier this year however, it will no longer air following The Guardian‘s report accusing Ashley of writing derogatory terms in 2014 and 2015 including “sl**s”, “b***hes” and “psychos”.

The newspaper also revealed Ashley was secretly sacked from a BBC job last year for being “drunk on set”.

After the success of his documentary, he was picked to host, Sin City: The Real Las Vegas.

Ashley was flown out to Nevada to film the show but concerns were raised about his conduct.

Appearing to be drunk during filming of the show, the production was suspended and Ashley was ultimately dropped from the project and replaced by another presenter.

Despite this, the incident went largely ignored as Ashley returned to filming with the BBC earlier this year for the second series of his Into The Danger Zone series.

A BBC spokesperson told The Sun:  “The posts by Ashley Cain, albeit from many years ago, are completely unacceptable.”

“The BBC has clear requirements around vetting and social media checks, which are undertaken by the production company.

“In this instance, the process clearly failed and we are investigating why.

“We are continuing to strengthen our processes to ensure everyone working for, and on behalf of, the BBC meets our values and standards.

“We have no plans to broadcast the new series of ‘Into the Danger Zone’, and no future projects with Ashley Cain.”

ASHLEY Cain’s axed BBC documentary is still available to watch on iPlayer.

The reality TV star, 35, came under fire this week after historic tweets were exposed, in which the reality star allegedly made degrading comments about women.

The second series of Ashley Cain: Into The Danger Zone, which was filmed earlier this year, will not air on the BBC – yet the first series remains on the channel’s catch-up service.

It’s after the BBC acknowledged that its vetting process had “clearly failed”.

The Twitter posts made in 2011 and 2013 are said to have referenced extreme sex acts and appeared to make light of consent.

He reportedly used offensive, sexualised and aggressive language about women.

VETTING FAILURE

Ashley Cain’s show axed by BBC after ‘unacceptable’ posts about women

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BBC launching investigation into Ashley Cain ‘failings’ after his show is axed

Despite this, series one of Ashley Cain: Into the Danger Zone aired in April 2025.

It followed his journey to the world’s most dangerous places, interviewing young men who live on the fringes of society.

Filming for a second series took place earlier this year however, it will no longer air following The Guardian‘s report accusing Ashley of writing derogatory terms in 2014 and 2015 including “sl**s”, “b***hes” and “psychos”.

The newspaper also revealed Ashley was secretly sacked from a BBC job last year for being “drunk on set”.

After the success of his documentary, he was picked to host, Sin City: The Real Las Vegas.

Ashley was flown out to Nevada to film the show but concerns were raised about his conduct.

Appearing to be drunk during filming of the show, the production was suspended and Ashley was ultimately dropped from the project and replaced by another presenter.

Despite this, the incident went largely ignored as Ashley returned to filming with the BBC earlier this year for the second series of his Into The Danger Zone series.

A BBC spokesperson told The Sun:  “The posts by Ashley Cain, albeit from many years ago, are completely unacceptable.”

“The BBC has clear requirements around vetting and social media checks, which are undertaken by the production company.

“In this instance, the process clearly failed and we are investigating why.

“We are continuing to strengthen our processes to ensure everyone working for, and on behalf of, the BBC meets our values and standards.

“We have no plans to broadcast the new series of ‘Into the Danger Zone’, and no future projects with Ashley Cain.”

ASHLEY Cain was secretly sacked from a BBC job last year for being ‘drunk on set’.

The star, 35, has come under-fire this week after historic tweets were exposed in which Ashley made degrading comments about women and suggested blurring the lines of consent during sex in worrying messages.

The posts were made by Ashley between 2013 and 2015 after he first rose to fame in footballing and his appearances on MTV show Ex On The Beach.

The Guardian has compiled a range of messages, posts and concerns relating to Ashley’s behaviour in the past – which has since led to him being dropped by the BBC.

Last night, the publication detailed new allegations that Ashley was secretly sacked from filming a BBC documentary in June of last year for being ‘drunk on set’.

The TV personality, who had already begun to work with the BBC on their documenary series, Into The Danger Zone, had been picked to host, Sin City: The Real Las Vegas.

VETTING FAILURE

Ashley Cain’s show axed by BBC after ‘unacceptable’ posts about women

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He was flown out to Nevada to film the show but concerns were raised about his conduct.

Appearing to be drunk during filming of the show, the production was suspended and Ashley was ultimately dropped from the project.

Another presenter was then chosen to front the programme instead.

Nonetheless, the incident went largely ignored as Ashley returned to filming with the BBC earlier this year for the second series of his Into The Danger Zone series.

However, following The Guardian’s reports, that series has now been axed and won’t be making it to air.

The BBC revealed they had no plans to work with Ashley again in the future after admitting that their “vetting” process before hiring talent had “failed”.

A BBC spokesperson told The Sun:  “The posts by Ashley Cain, albeit from many years ago, are completely unacceptable.”

“The BBC has clear requirements around vetting and social media checks, which are undertaken by the production company. In this instance, the process clearly failed and we are investigating why. We are continuing to strengthen our processes to ensure everyone working for, and on behalf of, the BBC meets our values and standards.”

“We have no plans to broadcast the new series of ‘Into the Danger Zone’, and no future projects with Ashley Cain.”

The Sun has contacted a representative for Ashley Cain for comment.

Ashley’s comments and behaviour – which largely took place over 10 years ago – first began to emerge after he took part in the very succesful first series of MTV show Ex On The Beach which propelled him to national fame.

Derogatory terms allegedly written in 2014 and 2015 include “sl**s”, “b***hes” and “psychos”, while he said he’d like to “choke slam” and “spit in the face” of Love Island star Jessica Hayes while commenting on the ITV2 reality show.

The Guardian reports that other misogynistic tweets saw him say he wanted to “talcum powder pimp slap these b***es already!” while watching a Channel 4 documentary and demean women by writing: “I DO NOT.. I repeat I DO NOT think EVERY girl is a slag! There are some absolute PHENOMENAL women out there.. They’re just a rare commodity.”

In 2015, Cain was accused of recording Rachel Roftis, 33, during sex and sharing clips to Snapchat without her consent — something he strongly denied.

The pair met at a club in Bexleyheath before spending the night together in a hotel.

Roftis told The Guardian she “screamed” at Cain when she realised the footage had been shared publicly and the incident has “massively affected her relationships with men. She doesn’t trust anybody really now.”

The notoriety from the posts, which saw Cain brand himself the “Snapchat King” and rack up 60,000 views, led to an appearance on short-lived ITV Daytime show O’Brien where he boasted of being a “play boy” and sleeping with 15 girls a week.

Of his attitude towards women, he said: “If you are a lady, I respect you. But if you don’t respect yourself, how can you expect me to respect you?”

TV presenter Ashley Cain has been accused of using sexual and misogynistic language to describe women in a series of historical social media posts and now the BBC has spoken out on the matter

The BBC says it is taking accusations that presenter Ashley Cain used explicit sexual and misogynistic language to describe women online in historical social media posts “very seriously”.

The broadcaster is thought to be unaware of the remarks prior to an investigation led by The Guardian which claimed the TV personality frequently referred to women on X, formerly Twitter, using abusive terms and sexualised language, including “sl*gs”, “sl*ts” and “psychos”.

A BBC spokesperson said: “We are very clear we expect the highest standards of behaviour from everyone who works with or for the BBC. “When allegations are brought to our attention we take them seriously. We will consider this information carefully and do not intend to comment further at this stage.”

The former Coventry City football player, 35, is best known for fronting the BBC Three documentary series Ashley Cain: Into The Danger Zone where he explores issues affecting young men born into a life of criminality.

The newspaper reported on Wednesday that before Cain worked for the national broadcaster he was a prolific user of social media. In 2014, in response to a since-deleted tweet he perceived to be homophobic, Cain is accused of telling a woman online that she should “go and choke on a c*** you sl**”.

Cain’s X account appears to have been removed from the platform. The broadcaster is understood to have asked the independent production companies that hired Cain to review the social media checks conducted at the time.

Cain appeared last year on the BBC’s spin off cooking programme, Celebrity MasterChef. Transmission details of Into The Danger Zone series two are yet to be announced.

The star also gained respect from the public following the tragic death of his daughter Azaylia, Ashley and his then-partner, Azaylia’s mum Safiyya Vorajee, documented their extraordinary efforts to try and save her life – including raising £1.5 million to fly her to Singapore for specialist treatment.

But sadly, the child died on April 25, 2021. Ashley and his former partner went on to form The Azaylia Foundation, which supports families dealing with childhood cancer.

Five years on from the devastating day of the youngster’s funeral, dad Ashley shared an Instagram post. Alongside solemn images from the funeral, Ashley wrote: “Today I cried for the first time in a long time. As soon as I turned into the cemetery and saw her resting place, I couldn’t control the emotions that had obviously built up inside me.

“The truth is, I cannot believe it has been 5 years since we laid her to rest, and I still can’t seem to accept it. “But my time spent with her today was peaceful, it was beautiful, and it was one of those moments where time stood still… where I could reminisce about all that she was, and every moment I was privileged and blessed enough to spend with her.”

He went on: “May you continue to rest in eternal paradise my princess, and until we meet again… I will love you with the entirety of my heart, forever and always.”

The Mirror has contacted Ashley’s representatives for comment.

“The Listeners,” which premieres Friday on Starz, began unusually as a story written by Jordan Tannahill as the basis of Missy Mazzoli‘s 2022 opera, also called “The Listeners” (libretto by Royce Vavrek), which he turned into a 2021 novel, which became a 2024 BBC television series, also written by Tannahill. Starz has cut its original four episodes into five, which means that they end in odd places, but given its controlled, glacial pace, shorter might be better.

Tannahill’s inspiration is an unexplained phenomenon reported in the real world — though exactly how real it is is open to interpretation — generally called “the hum,” where people experience a low but persistent background noise inaudible to others. (It isn’t tinnitus, or any diagnosable medical condition.) One such sufferer is Claire (Rebecca Hall), a high school literature teacher with a husband, Paul (Prasanna Puwanarajah) and a teenage daughter, Ashley (Mia Tharia), with whom she gets along well. We begin on an up note, Claire and Ashley singing along to Richard and Linda Thompson’s “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight” as they drive to school (she also has Nick Drake on her phone). And then the 1970s British folk rock gives way to a less pleasant auditory landscape, as the hum appears, bringing on headaches and nosebleeds and affecting her concentration and mood, her work and family.

Any condition can be isolating from those who don’t share it, and Claire gets some relief when she’s approached by a student, Kyle (Ollie West), who also hears it. They go investigating possible sources of the sound — wind turbines, a radio telescope — and wind up eventually at something like a support group for hum-hearers run by Omar (Amr Waked) and Jo (Gayle Rankin). There is some sketchiness in their past, including a changed identity, and they like to keep the group on a tight rein, but the breathing exercises and visualizations seem pretty standard, and more benign than, say Scientology, and the suggestion that one may tame an affliction by embracing it is pretty reasonable. Claire’s mistake here is not to get a signed parental permission slip, as it were, or enlist a chaperone, and her growing closeness with Kyle (not romantic, not sexual we are assured) will cause them trouble, cost Claire her job and mess up her marriage. She makes some insufficiently careful decisions, but those around her tend to overreact. This is very much a story about listening and not listening.

Directed by Janicza Bravo and photographed with great intention by Jody Lee Lipes, it has the studied look and tempo of a 20th-century art film. (It is always great to look at.) I was reminded of Antonioni’s “Red Desert” and Bergman’s “Persona,” psychological studies of women going to pieces, but also, thematically, of Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” with its characters driven to what looks like madness by private bulletins from the ether, pushing them away from family and toward others who are getting the same message. No aliens here — not a spoiler — though I might have liked that ending more than this, which in its own way seems to drop from space.

You can look for metaphors and social comment here — there are references to conspiracy theories and industrial noise pollution and such — but it seems to me to operate most effectively as a beautifully rendered mood piece and character study, and, certainly in the case of Hall, whose story this is, a platform for some exquisitely subtle acting.

In her early 20s, Ashley Padilla moved from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, hoping to make a living in comedy. She was taking classes at the Groundlings when an acting exercise forever changed her.

“The teacher said, ‘All right, everyone try to get my attention.’ Everyone starts going crazy,” recalls Padilla, imitating the manic movements her classmates incorporated to be as noticeable as possible. “I just stood in the back like a quiet little freak. I didn’t try to do anything. And she went, ‘I’m just staring at Ashley.’”

Padilla, now 33, is sitting in the restaurant at the 1 Hotel on Sunset, dressed in an elegant white blazer and long skirt, a long way both mentally and professionally from that aspiring performer struggling to find her creative voice. But that lesson remains close to her heart.

“I think about it all the time: You don’t have to be so loud. It actually is more powerful if you’re a little slower.”

Currently in her second season as a featured player on “Saturday Night Live,” Padilla, who sports an ebullient manner and warm smile, has become a fan favorite by exploring how much humor (and tension) you can derive from stillness. Her best sketches, including “Mom Confession,” in which a MAGA mother finally, begrudgingly, admits to her liberal kids that maybe Trump hasn’t been a great president, sparkle because of how expertly she builds suspense regarding where the setup is going.

Ashley Padilla, right, with castmates Tommy Brennan and Jane Wickline in the “SNL” sketch “Mom Confession.”

(Will Heath/NBC)

“I really want to be able to stop and take that pause at the beginning [of a sketch], which are the quickest things to cut because you’re trying to save time: ‘Let’s get rid of when you enter,’” she says. “What roots me as an actor is a little breath. Before we get to the jokes, let the audience see me live in it for a second. I think I’ve proven that [those pauses are] not going to suck the air out of the room. It’s actually going to assist in the blowup that we’re waiting for.”

When Padilla lived in L.A., she adored her Los Feliz neighborhood, so on this late April afternoon she confesses to some disorientation at doing press on the Westside. Still, memories keep creeping up unexpectedly. “I’ll see a coffee shop, and you remember how you were feeling: ‘Will I ever make it?’”

There were encouraging moments that kept her going. One dispiriting day, she was on Melrose Avenue walking to the Groundlings. “In my head I went, ‘Will I ever be on television?’ Just then, a car passes with the girl rolling down the window going, ‘I’ve seen you perform! You’re going to be on television!’ It’s literally like someone answered my cry inside and went, ‘Calm down, it’s going to be OK.’”

Optimism came through other channels too, such as her job as Diane Keaton’s assistant, eventually co-creating her 2024 book “Fashion First.” Padilla adored the late actor and filmmaker, grateful for her endless sense of wonder, which inspired Padilla to see the world differently.

“She would stare at a tree: ‘Look at the way the sun goes through the branches,’” Padilla says, marveling. “I have a voicemail that I listen to whenever I’m feeling a little sad or I miss her — she’s just like, ‘Hey, Ash, how are you doing? I’m just checking in.’ And she stops and goes, ‘The blue sky. Wow.’ And I’m just like, ‘You are someone we all want to be around.’ It’s why she is so massive in people’s lives.”

Before ‘SNL,’ Padilla had stints at the Groundlings and as Diane Keaton’s assistant.

(Sela Shiloni / For The Times)

Since girlhood, Padilla has loved to write, which was valuable once she joined the Groundlings, doing seven shows a week. “You don’t get onstage unless you write your own stuff,” she says. Her viral “SNL” sketch “Haircut” — in which Padilla goes to dinner with friends, disturbing them with her atrocious haircut — was created at Groundlings, where it killed. But pitching it at “SNL” revealed the differences between the stage and live television.

“‘Haircut’ started as a ‘[Weekend] Update’ [feature], and I was unwilling to get rid of some stuff in there because I knew it worked at Groundlings,” she recalls. Padilla credits her frequent “SNL” co-writers Alison Gates and Kent Sublette for helping her understand the program’s rhythms. “They made it punchier and snappier. I definitely need the other writers — they make it so much better. At the Groundlings, there’s no camera cuts, there’s no time limit — you can mosey and do behavioral stuff. But [‘SNL’ sketches] need to look good on television. These writers are so good — they’ll say a joke that I go, ‘You’ve just said everything I was trying to do in a whole page.’”

Padilla’s peculiar but grounded characters may make you wait to see what they have in store, but she isn’t wasting any time. Last summer, wanting to distract herself from wondering whether she’d be asked back to “SNL,” Padilla wrote a screenplay, which is now being backed by Oscar-winning “Moonlight” producer Adele Romanski. Padilla won’t say much about the project, but you can bet she included a part for herself.

“It’s like, ‘I want to be on television? OK, write your sketches. I want to be in movies? I wrote a movie,”’ she explains. “I don’t want to wait around for someone to give me a role. I hope I get to work with great people, but I also want to control my own career — and my own happiness as well. I want to be creative all the time.”

Mandy Moore shared her take on the drama swirling around her celebrity mommy group, months after fellow child actor Ashley Tisdale shaded the bunch in scathing essay last winter.

The “This Is Us” star and mother of three, during a recent appearance on Andy Cohen’s Sirius XM show “Radio Andy,” said she found the former “Suite Life of Zack & Cody” star’s article “very upsetting” and that it shocked both herself and fellow mommy group member Hilary Duff. “We have both grown up in this business and had people dissect who we are and the choices we make and all of that,” Moore, 42, told the Bravo host, “but this was something altogether different and decidedly way more upsetting … because it just cuts to the core.”

In December, New York magazine published “High School Musical” star Tisdale French’s essay for its “It’s Been a Year” series. The actor’s piece, titled “Breaking Up With My Toxic Mom Group,” accused other group members of snubbing Tisdale French from various gatherings and group chats. “‘This is too high school for me and I don’t want to take part in it anymore,’” Tisdale French, who shares two children with composer Christopher French, recalled texting the group.

As Tisdale French’s essay sparked speculation online about the identity of the group members, Duff’s husband Matthew Koma appeared to confirm his wife’s membership in a since-expired Instagram story post throwing the shade right back at Tisdale French.

For Moore, married to musician Taylor Goldsmith, kindness is “the most important thing” in her life, as is creating a legacy of kindness, she told Cohen. She said that she finds “anyone even insinuating that might not be the case” to be “very upsetting.” Moore said she is a “huge proponent” of addressing conflict head-on via face-to-face communication.

“‘I wouldn’t have handled the situation this way,’” she recalled feeling about the essay. Moore did not mention Tisdale French by name.

Moore said she also felt the scandalous essay “perpetuates this silly trope that women can’t be supportive of one another” and that women, specifically mothers, are “inherently petty” and committed to “one-up each other.”

“I have not felt that one iota since becoming a parent,” Moore said, adding she has formed “meaningful relationships” with other parents. She further stressed the importance of parents finding their community wherever they can.

Duff, 38, addressed the mommy group drama with The Times in February, telling pop music critic Mikael Wood that “this is not new for me” and she felt the situation was “escalated by the talking heads on TikTok that need clickbait.” Amid the social media chatter, Duff said her family is her focus.

”Knowing that I get to open up the back doors and play soccer as a family and take a hot tub and go get our chicken eggs — that’s the purpose of life,” she said. “On the days when crazy s— happens, I go home and quiet the noise.”