Having scored six goals from seven shots on target, Welbeck is on track to surpass the career-best 10 top-flight goals he scored last season.
Several different strikers have played second fiddle to Harry Kane in recent years, but none are currently enjoying the kind of purple patch Welbeck is.
“If you look at the forward options in Tuchel’s last squad there aren’t many obvious stand-ins for Harry Kane,” Alan Shearer told BBC Sport.
“Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen, Bukayo Saka aren’t going to fill that role and Ollie Watkins hasn’t been firing for Aston Villa, so any English striker scoring goals in the Premier League is going to be talked about.
“It’s seven years since Welbeck’s last cap and he’s 35 this month but Tuchel isn’t worried about the future. His only focus is the six weeks of the World Cup so there’s no reason why Welbeck couldn’t be involved if he keeps scoring and stays injury free.”
Injuries have disrupted much of Welbeck’s career and arguably prevented him from adding to his 42 England caps, but he now founds himself in the beneficial position of being able to contribute goals on the pitch and leadership off it.
“I’m loving it here at Brighton, I’ve been very important, integral, on and off the pitch,” added Welbeck.
“I’m enjoying the senior role as well, I know how important it was for me as a youngster coming through having senior members you can speak to, come to for advice, it helped me massively.
“It’s come full circle now, I’m there to pass on advice to youngsters and help those around me. It’s been pretty seamless slipping into this role.”
Welbeck recently told BBC Radio 5 Live that “the door is always open” with England.
He added: “I know that if I’m called upon then I’d love to do the job, but honestly it doesn’t come into my thinking at the moment. I’m just focused on Brighton, winning games and picking up points.”
While Welbeck has played down his chances, Onuoha, who has played against Welbeck in the past, believes he knows Tuchel will be interested in him.
“You almost talk about him like he has never played for England before. He has done that job before,” Onuoha said.
“With the profile he has, he could definitely suit Tuchel’s style as such. For someone to be in that form, he knows he is going to be part of the conversation.”
There were plenty of questions from the media pack for Thelwell.
Much has been made of the appointment of his son Robbie as head of recruitment, with fans unconvinced he is qualified for the role.
However, he defended and explained the decision to bring Thelwell Jnr to Ibrox.
“It’s always uncomfortable to hear and optically I think we all agreed when we made this step to appoint Robbie that he was going to be seen in a particular way,” Thelwell said.
“The reality of the situation is that we want to bring the very best talent here to Rangers.
“My view on Robbie’s career and situation is he didn’t need my help in football.
“He’s worked at Aston Villa as a senior scout, he then moved to Norwich City as head of scouting and then got promoted to player pathways manager.
“Before we recruited him, two Premier League clubs wanted to take him. What we did right at the start of the process was talk to Patrick, Andrew and [vice-chairman] Paraag Marathe about this situation.
“I was extremely transparent and I think Robbie probably went through a more rigorous process than anybody else who’s employed by this football club.
“What I do know is that he will work 25/8 to be successful in this football club and I’m looking forward to him proving that he’s going to be an excellent employee for Rangers.”
Thelwell also defended the signing of striker Youssef Chermiti, who arrived at Rangers for a reported initial fee of £8m, having failed to score in 24 appearances for Everton.
It was Thelwell who brought the Portuguese youth international to Merseyside from Sporting – again for big money in a £15m deal.
He was asked if he stands by his multi-million pound signing, who is yet to score in seven outings for the club.
“Yes, very much so,” Thelwell said. “I think Youssef Chermiti is a player who’s got huge potential.
“I’ve never doubted him in any way, shape or form. Again, I think Danny will help to get the best out of Youssef.
“It’s very early days for him, he’s a young talent and of course with young talents they sometimes take a little bit of time.
“But I’m certain over the course of his career here he’s going to prove that he’s a very, very good player.”
The word on Rohl is wholly positive, though. Players talk at length about his many strengths. Barry Bannan says he’s the best manager he’s ever played for.
It’s not the same, but he has operated successfully in a demanding regime before. In Sheffield, before he was appointed, the team was in the grip of the worst league start in more than 150 years.
He had an owner, Chansiri, who was, to put it kindly, eccentric. He had fans in uproar over all manner of things. He had players who were not only demoralised but also unpaid at times.
So, though Rohl is only 36, he’s had experience of football’s turbulence. He’s young, but he may not be wet behind the ears. You’d hope not, for his sake. Once a defender, he was invalided out of the game with an ACL injury at 21. It takes talent and drive to do the things he has done since then.
Every Rangers fan will know the outline of his story, the assistant manager positions he held at RB Leipzig, Southampton, Bayern Munich and Germany.
He has said before that he doesn’t do dogma and is not a slave to any one system. He’s flexible, be it 4-2-3-1, 3-4-3, 4-4-1-1 or any other formation. It would appear that he’s tried them all at one time or another depending on the challenge staring him in the face.
There’s enough testimony out there about the endless hours he put in at Sheffield Wednesday and the improvement he made to the players he had – Djeidi Gassama, now at Rangers, being one of many.
The fans liked and admired him. He kept Wednesday up when most people had abandoned all hope. He got them to 12th the following season with a side high on energy and togetherness despite Chansiri-inspired mayhem behind the scenes.
The supporters didn’t want him to leave at the end of his second season in July this year, but thought he was better off out of the basket case.
He cited financial issues and a total breakdown in communication with Chansiri as the reason for a mutually agreed contract termination.
Rohl says the scale of the challenge at Rangers is part of the appeal, which is what you would expect him to say, but fans have heard too much chat from too many managers to be comforted by fighting talk.
Win games and he can be as quiet as a Trappist monk. Don’t win games and the eloquence of the greatest orator will not save him. It was ever thus.
VICKY Pattison and Dani Dyer’s dad Danny have rallied around her after she was forced to quit Strictly Come Dancing due to injury.
Strictly contestant Vicky and actor Danny led the stars sharing messages of support on Instagram last night after the Love Islander broke the news of her exit.
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Vicky Pattison has thrown her support behind pal Dani Dyer after her devastating early exit from Strictly Come DancingCredit: Instagram/vickypattison
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Vicky posted a string of photos from behind the scenes on the BBC showCredit: Instagram/vickypattison
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Danny also showed his support on his daughter’s postCredit: Instagram
Mum-of-three Dani was due to perform in her first live show on Saturday night with professional partner Nikita Kuzmin, but said: “I had a fall on Friday in rehearsals and landed funny.
“I thought I had rolled my foot but it swelled up badly over the weekend and after an MRI scan yesterday, it turns out I have fractured my ankle.”
Dani, 29, continued: “Apparently doing the Quickstep on a fracture is not advisable and the doctors have said I am not allowed to dance, so I’ve had to pull out of the show.
“To say I’m heartbroken is the biggest understatement.
“I am so going to miss dancing with Nikita but will of course be watching closely and cheering all the couples on.”
Her dad left a broken-heart emoji beneath her post, and Vicky replied, saying: “Absolutely devastated for you Dani.
“I’m going to miss you so much… Love you loads x”
The ex-Geordie Shore star added a string of photos of them together in a separate post on her Instagram grid.
She revealed they formed a close bond during their time together on the show.
Vicky said: “I am absolutely gutted for you!! I have loved every minute of our little @bbcstrictly journey together and I’m devastated this is the end..
Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood reveals his surprising ‘favourite’ star ahead of tomorrow’s launch
“But I know you’ll be back next year with your incredible energy, amazing dance skills and beautiful soul… AND YOU’LL SMASH IT!!!
“I’m already peanut butter and jealous of whatever lucky sod gets to be your dressing room buddy… because you’re the best roomie ever.
“Love you mate and wishing you a speedy recovery… this series won’t be the same without you…”
Dani replied: “Going to miss you, love you millions.”
Just days ago Dani shared her nerves ahead of the live shows.
She said last week: “I’m absolutely petrified about dancing live on Saturday nights.”
Speaking to The Sun about her upcoming Strictly adventure, she was asked if her famous dad Danny Dyer was going to watch – and if he would get emotional.
The mum-of-three revealed: “He’s going to. He will try and keep it together. Him and my mum are making a little date day of it.
“They’re coming on the launch show together. They’re really excited.”
Asked whether she could persuade The Football Factory star to do Strictly in the future, she said: “When it [Strictly] was announced, someone said Dani Dyer is doing it – they thought it was my dad. It’s not Danny Dyer – it’s the other one.
Conservative MP Danny Kruger has become the first sitting Conservative MP to defect to Reform UK.
Kruger has been an MP since 2019, and sat on Tory leader Kemi Badenoch’s team as a shadow work and pensions minister.
“The Conservatives are over,” he told a press conference, sitting alongside Reform party leader Nigel Farage.
Kruger said he had been “honoured” to be asked to help Reform prepare for government, and said he hoped that Farage would be the next prime minister.
The East Wiltshire MP – who has said he would not be triggering a by-election – said the Conservatives were no longer the main party of opposition.
He said: “There have been moments when I have been very proud to belong to the Tory party”, but added: “The rule of our time in office was failure.
“Bigger government, social decline, lower wages, higher taxes and less of what ordinary people actually wanted.”
He added: “This is my tragic conclusion, the Conservative Party is over, over as a national party, over as the principal opposition to the left.”
Although he said he had “great regard” for Badenoch, he said the Tory party had a “toxic brand”, adding: “We have had a year of stasis and drift and the sham unity that comes from not doing anything bold or difficult or controversial.”
Describing his move leaving a party he has been a member of for 20 years as “personally painful”, he said his “mission” with Reform would be to “not just to overthrow the current system, it is to restore the system we need”.
Responding to the news of the defection, Badenoch said: “Danny has made his case very clear, that this is not about me.
“I can’t be distracted by that, and I’m not going to get blown off course by these sort of incidents.
“I know this is the sort of thing that is going to happen while a party is changing. I’m making sure people understand what Conservative values are.”
Kruger’s defection is damaging for Badenoch, not only as a Tory thinker and veteran, but also as the most significant among several from the party moving to Reform.
Speaking after the press conference, Kruger told the BBC he had come to the conclusion the Conservative Party remains “the same party that failed the people in the last government” and doesn’t have “any chance” of winning the next election.
A few weeks ago, Kruger said he agreed with Reform on many issues except public spending, telling MPs in July: “There is a problem: they would spend money like drunken sailors.”
Asked about his comment, Kruger said: “I think we’re all sober sailors now, I’m glad to say, because since I said that Reform have corrected their position on welfare spending.
“I was very concerned that we need to really reduce overall benefit spending… Nigel made clear he also wants to bring down overall benefit spending but he does want to support families with children.”
Kruger is the second sitting MP to join Reform UK. Lee Anderson, who was previously a Tory MP, sat as an independent before joining Reform in 2024.
Reform now have five MPs in the Commons, having seen two of their MPs elected in the 2024 general election, Rupert Lowe and James McMurdock, leave the party.
His previous jobs include serving as former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron’s speechwriter, penning the “hug a hoodie” speech, and as former political secretary to Boris Johnson when he was prime minister.
Kruger spoke in a 2022 Parliamentary debate about the US’s abortion ban and told MPs he disagreed that pregnant women had an “absolute right to bodily autonomy” and that he didn’t understand why the UK was “lecturing” the US.
In 2023, Kruger was one of the speakers at a National Conservatism Conference, an event organised by a right-wing think tank from the United States, and made comments about the role of conventional family values in society.
The evangelical Christian told delegates that marriages between men and women were “the only possible basis for a safe and successful society” and one that “wider society should recognise and reward”.
Rishi Sunak, the Conservative prime minister at the time, distanced himself from the remarks.
Kruger is the son of TV chef Prue Leith and an Old Etonian, who studied at Edinburgh and Oxford Universities before becoming a director at the Centre for Policy Studies.
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Nigel Farage can recruit as many failed Tories as he likes – it won’t change the fact that he has no plan for Britain.
“Britain deserves better than Reform’s Tory tribute act that would leave working people paying a very high price.”
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper labelled the Conservative Party “a shell of its former self” and said Badenoch had pushed lifelong Tories towards her party “in their droves”.
“Nigel Farage’s party is shapeshifting into the Conservatives in front of our very eyes,” she said.
“It is getting to the point where the only difference between them is just a slightly lighter shade of blue.”
Fernandes is not the only United player I look at and think he is a square peg in a round hole.
Luke Shaw has played in a back three before but he has spent the majority of his career as a dynamic left-back and it feels like he is being shoe-horned into a centre-back position under Amorim.
Again you can argue he should have the quality to adapt, and for Jeremy Doku to beat him so easily for the first goal was poor defending whether you are a left-back or a centre-half, but if any players are not completely comfortable in their roles, then it is going to affect the team.
For City’s second goal, again it was not down to the United system failing, more a mixture of things – and a multitude of individual mistakes.
Ugarte starts off on Foden but then follows the ball, like he did in the City move that led to their opener, and goes to press Nico O’Reilly, leaving Foden free.
From there it’s a knock-on effect.
Noussair Mazraoui comes out to Foden but can’t stop him playing a pass around the corner, Leny Yoro gets rolled by Jeremy Doku – the one player you know you don’t get tight to – then Shaw is not strong or fast enough to stop Erling Haaland.
Ultimately, most goals are down to a mistake somewhere but when players are comfortable in the system, and in the right position within it, they do the right things – and the errors don’t stack up like that.
After starting his career at Bournemouth, Ings was picked up by Burnley in August 2011.
He scored 21 goals in 40 Championship games to help the Clarets secure promotion and then 11 more in the Premier League, despite his team ultimately being relegated.
Ings’ displays though secured a £8million to move to Liverpool in June 2015.
That move also brought him his first England cap, but his stay at Anfield was dogged by knee injuries and after scoring four times in 25 games over three seasons he was loaned out to Southampton.
That saw him return to goalscoring form and brought a permanent move to St Mary’s Stadium in 2019-20, as well as a recall to the England squad after five years..
After bagging 46 goals in 100 games for the Saints Ings moved on to Aston Villa, where he scored 14 in 52 appearances, and then on to West Ham.
Danny Musovski scored a goal in each half and 18-year-old Snyder Brunell scored in his league debut as the Seattle Sounders cruised to a 4-0 victory over the Galaxy on Sunday night.
Seattle grabbed the lead in the 25th minute on an own goal by defender Julián Aude.
The Sounders took a 2-0 lead in the 37th minute on Musovski’s unassisted goal. He made it 3-0 in the 54th minute with another unassisted goal. Musovski has already scored a career-high eight times this season. He had five goals with LAFC as a rookie in 2020 and five for Real Salt Lake in 2023.
Brunell subbed in for Jesús Ferreira in the 73rd minute and scored in the 85th. Defender Álex Roldán notched his third assist of the season and the fourth of his career. Rookie Kalani Kossa-Rienzi collected his third assist.
Andrew Thomas finished with three saves for his first clean sheet in his seventh start of the season for Seattle. He had two shutouts in five starts last season.
Novak Micovic saved five shots for the Galaxy. He had three saves and Thomas wasn’t tested in the first half.
Seattle is unbeaten in its last seven league matches at 4-0-3 and is on a 10-match unbeaten streak across all competitions after winning all three matches in Leagues Cup play.
Seattle leads the all-time series 15-11-14 in league play and 21-18-14 across all competitions.
The Sounders travel to play Minnesota United on Saturday. The Galaxy head to Florida to play Inter Miami on Saturday.
Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl has left the crisis-hit Championship club by mutual consent.
The 36-year-old’s departure, less than two weeks before the season starts, is the latest development in a chaotic summer.
The Owls are under a number of embargoes because of financial issues, including players being paid late in both May and June, and owner Dejphon Chansiri is looking to sell the club.
Rohl had looked set to leave last month when he did not return to take pre-season training but eventually came back in early July.
The club have confirmed that coaches Sascha Lense, Chris Powell, Neil Thompson and Sal Bibbo have all also left and BBC Radio Sheffield understands that Henrik Pedersen, who took pre-season training before Rohl’s return, is likely to be named his successor.
He’s miles away from Albert Square and all the EastEnders drama, but Danny Dyer was still thrilled to be reunited with one of his former co-stars while filming for Mr Bigstuff.
Danny Dyer was reunited with several former EastEnders icon on the set of Mr Bigstuff – including a fan favourite
Nudity, fights and secret kisses – Danny Dyer doesn’t hold back in the second series of Mr Bigstuff. He even bumped into one of his former co-stars in EastEnders.
Danny Dyer‘s appearance in the first season has already earned him the 2025 TV Bafta for Male Performance in a Comedy Programme. Now, the show returns with Danny and creator Ryan Sampson as chalk-and-cheese brothers Lee and Glen – two blokes bound by blood but tested by secrets and deep-rooted dysfunction.
The emotions may be deep, but Mr Bigstuff doesn’t forget its slapstick roots. The stunts are back, and Danny has gone full throttle. “It’s very physical. It was a whole day of me having a tear-up,” he says, “I don’t mind that stuff, but it’s getting a bit more difficult as I get older.”
One brawl sees Lee square up to members of a working men’s club – and even Ryan couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Danny was very impressive, he’s like Errol Flynn when he gets going,” he says, “I’ve never seen anybody do that before. It’s really technical and knackering.”
Alongside the bruises and banter are a few familiar faces, with Taskmaster’s Fatiha El-Ghorri popping up again as Aysha, as well as EastEnders stars Alan Ford, who played Stevie Mitchell, and Linda Henry, aka Shirley Carter. “I love Linda,” says Danny, who starred as Shirley’s son Mick in the BBC soap. “I wanted more scenes with her.”
Danny Dyer is worlds away from The Queen Vic as he reprises his role in Mr Bigstuff, created by Ryan Sampson(Image: Mark Johnson)
Both actors were inspired by their own lives to nail the chaotic relationship. “They’re at each other’s throats, aren’t they?” says Ryan, 39. “I have siblings, and we sometimes tear strips off each other.”
Danny’s real-life brother Tony provided some inspiration for Glen and his character Lee. “We’re only 18 months apart but we’re so different, a little bit like Lee and Glen.
My brother hated football when he was a kid. His best friend was a girl and he loved playing with Barbies,” Danny, 47, recalls. “He was the bane of my life because being in an East London school, he was being bullied for it and I was fighting his battles a lot.
“He’s a straight man, but he wanted to play with dolls. There’s nothing wrong with that at all.” And then there were the games they played together.
“We used to play a game called Judo Mermaid. He was the mermaid so he would put my mum’s tights on his head and I was Judo. I’d turn up, a bit like Columbo, with a celery stick in my mouth, and solve crimes.”
But in Mr Bigstuff the laughs stop for Glen when his fiancée Kirsty – played by Harriet Webb – starts behaving strangely. She’s sitting on a secret that could destroy everything.
As fans will remember, Kirsty shared a stolen kiss with Lee at the end of series one. And she’s kept it to herself since. But in real life, Harriet admits she isn’t to be trusted with her own secrets.
“I’m very much an over-sharer,” she admits, “I once lied about how many sausages I’d eaten. Then immediately, after telling the lie, I revealed the truth.”
When a mystery blackmailer appears and threatens to spill the beans, silence becomes critical for her relationship with Glen. “Throughout series one, they told each other, ‘No more secrets,’” Harriet says.
The pair portray polar opposite brothers, Lee and Glen, torn apart by secrets – and Glen’s fiancee Kirsty, portrayed by Harriet Webb(Image: Sky / Mark Johnson)
“They made a pact, especially after he found out about Kirsty’s shoplifting. So to have another secret, although I’m not the only one, is a lot.”
Series two doesn’t just revolve around Kirsty’s moral dilemmas. Lee and Glen go digging into their father’s past, only for Lee to stumble on something that could shatter their sense of identity.
Not all scenes were fun for Harriet. She recalls one tough day of filming in Canvey Island, Essex. “There was one day dedicated to a scene in episode five and Ryan told me, ‘I can’t wait for this,’” Harriet says.
“And I was like, ‘It’s going to be hell, I’m going to have to be on the verge of tears for an entire day.’ That was my biggest challenge this season.”
For Ryan, the toughest scenes were the romantic ones. As a proud gay man, filming intimate moments with Harriet took some getting used to.
“I’ve written a lot of sex scenes and kissing,’” he says, “But actually doing it… There was one moment Kirsty was like, ‘I think you grab my boob now.’ That might only be the second boob I’ve grabbed.”
Still, the messy love triangle, the family drama and the emotional gut punches all come wrapped in the off-beat humour that made Mr Bigstuff a surprise hit. And its second series goes bigger and bolder.
As for a third? The cast are all on board, though Ryan says he hasn’t got it nailed down yet. “I’m waiting to see what the viewers think,” he says. “But season two ends on the biggest plot twist I could think of. That’s the jumping off point for series three. I already have a few ideas.”
Mr Bigstuff Series 2 launches on Sky and streaming service NOW on Thursday 24 July.
EastEnders legend Danny Dyer has revealed he’s planning on following in his ‘hero” Harold Pinter’s footsteps by turning down a knighthood if he’s ever offered the accolade
Former EastEnders star Danny Dyer has shared why he’d turn down a knighthood.
The 47-year-old actor says that he was too “anti-establishment” for the title which are given to individuals by the monarch for a significant contribution to society.
He told Radio Times that he’d follow in the footsteps of his “hero” Harold Pinter, who turned down a knighthood back in 1996.
Nobel-winning playwright Pinter declined the honour of a knighthood offered to him on behalf of the late Queen Elizabeth II by former prime minister John Major, but later accepted the award of Companion of Honour in 2002.
When asked if he’d ever been approached about appearing on the New Year’s Honours list, Danny explained: “Have I f! Harold was my hero and turned down a knighthood.
“He was anti-establishment as well, so I don’t think it’s for me.”
Danny Dyer has shared why he’d turn down a knighthood(Image: Getty Images)
Danny became a household name acting in EastEnders from 2013 to 2022 as fan favourite Mick Carter and has since gone on to star in Disney’s hit series Rivals, Sky comedy show Mr. Bigstuff, and an upcoming Irish film Three Quick Breaths.
It comes after Danny left his daughter Dani Dyer horrified with his honeymoon confession.
During a recent episode of their podcast Live And Let Dyers, the Love Island winner opened up about her romantic getaway with new husband and West Ham star Jarrod Bowen, while proud dad Danny managed to overshare in true Dyer fashion.
Playwright Harold Pinter declined the honour of a knighthood offered to him on behalf of the late Queen Elizabeth II by former prime minister John Major(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
Back from her sun-soaked trip to Lake Como, Dani revealed the newlyweds were hit with gloomy weather but still made the most of their honeymoon bubble.
“The weather was terrible, it rained for three days but we were very lucky, because it always stopped raining when we went for lunch and for dinners and stuff,” Dani told her dad on the pod.
While the couple had hoped for some sunbathing time, Dani admitted they swapped tanning for telly, champagne and baths.
Danny says that he was too “anti-establishment” for the title(Image: Kate Green/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA)
She added: “We just could never sunbathe, and there’s not really much to do there so, we just binged the whole series of MobLand. We ate and I’d just drink champagne and have loads of baths.”
However, it wasn’t long before Danny spun the convo onto his honeymoon and things got very a little too honest.
He said: “To be fair, you shouldn’t really be getting out of bed a lot in your honeymoon because me and your mother ended up in Florence, and you know, we was appalling!
“I mean, honestly, I look back on it and I think, ‘f****** hell! How on Earth did I manage to get in those sorts of positions!.”
A shocked Dani responded saying: “Oh, you’re disgusting!” before he hit back with: “What do you mean disgusting? There was two people sharing their love. Them days are long gone now!”
When Danny DeVito arrives — camera off — on our video call with Charlie Day late last month to discuss the 17th season of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” he apologizes for sounding like he has “just come out of the salt mines.” His voice is hoarse, and Day is worried he’s sick.
“I did a lot of yelling this week,” DeVito explains.
You would think he would be practiced at that.
For 20 years now, DeVito has been exercising his vocal cords as the mischievous, disgusting Frank Reynolds, layabout father of Dee (Kaitlin Olson) and Dennis (Glenn Howerton), colleague of Mac (Rob McElhenney or Rob Mac, as he announced recently), and roommate of Day’s Charlie. In the upcoming season premiering Wednesday on FXX and streaming next day on Hulu, the gang that runs Paddy’s Pub gets into more absurd scrapes. They visit “Abbott Elementary” in the second of two planned crossover episodes with that ABC sitcom; they head to a dog track; Charlie opens up a ghost kitchen in his apartment to make Frank a smashburger; and, as is teased in the trailer, Frank goes on “The Golden Bachelor.”
During our interview, Day and DeVito offer up a dose of the chemistry that has long made Frank and Charlie a madcap pair as they discuss their history with each other, their brushes with Bachelor Nation and, naturally, turds. DeVito remains off camera most of the time, but he pops on occasionally for dramatic effect.
Charlie (Charlie Day) and Frank (Danny DeVito) over the seasons in “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”(Patrick McElhenney / FX)
Danny, what do you remember about that first meeting you had with the three guys?
Danny DeVito: I knew lots about the show already. I was going in because I was friends with [then-president and now current FX Networks chairman John] Landgraf. Landgraf sent me the first eight shows, and I watched it with my family. He was saying he was talking about these really talented guys that he was working with, and John was building the network over there. I can’t remember exactly where we met. But where we met was a weird — that was the first thing that threw me a little bit. Do you remember where it was?
Charlie Day: We had a lunch — you, me, Rob and Glenn — [on] Beverly Boulevard. We didn’t have an office. We were writing the second season. You’d agreed to the show, and you came in like your character from “Get Shorty.” You started ordering for all of us, and you told us some crazy story about your father having a box full of teeth and watches, and we were just taking notes, man. I think we pitched you a couple different character names. I think you shot down a few of them, but you liked Frank. Frank was my step-grandfather’s name.
DeVito: I had an Uncle Frank.
Day: You came in like a tornado. It was great.
DeVito: Well, I usually do that. Way before “Get Shorty,” I would just come in and everybody would be looking at their menus, and I would just look at the menu right away and just say a half a dozen things and everybody would look at me like, “You’re ordering everything on the menu!”
Day: Danny, know that I went and spent maybe almost a whole week rewatching almost everything you’d ever done before we met with you. I watched every episode of “Taxi.” I watched almost every single movie I could find. Just studying a fighter you’re going up against. And it was “Get Shorty” that really kind of locked in for me. A lot of people would have you do that Louie De Palma thing over and over again, and you’re so great at that. But there was something so idiosyncratic about the “Get Shorty” character and unpredictable that we’re like, “Oh, if we can tap into that …” I think it took us a couple seasons to do it, and then it felt like kismet that you sort of came into that meeting like that guy.
On “It’s Always Sunny,” Charlie Day, left, and Danny DeVito are friends, roommates and schemers: “Whenever Charlie does something, it titillates Frank.”
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
How do you feel like the dynamic between Frank and Charlie has shifted over the years? Or even if it hasn’t, what do you discover coming back season after season?
DeVito: I think Charlie offers a lot of avenues for Frank to follow for some reason. I like the idea of the scheming and everything that everybody else does, and they do it in a normal way. They want to make money, they want to get ahead, they want to be famous, they want the bar to succeed, they want this, that. But whenever Charlie does something, it titillates Frank. They know when I am really happy with the material. When I see I’m going to eat a turd, I go like, “Wow, man. We’re pushing the envelope.”
Day: I’m always loving writing and working on the scenes in our apartment and then getting to the set and filming those. I’m always excited for it. There’s something about filming in that intimate space that feels like there’s a magic there. Same with the little back office in the bar. Any time we’re there, there’s something funny to these cramped spaces.
DeVito: We’re playing sardines all the time.
This season opens with the “Abbott” crossover and ends with Frank on “The Golden Bachelor.” How did that come about?
Day: Well, the funny thing about this show is, there’s so many different ways that we do it. I think there’s a push-pull where I really was wanting to do the EMT episode and the dog track one. And Rob has these really big ideas, like buying a soccer team. He wanted to do this “Abbott” crossover, and he wanted to do this “Golden Bachelor” episode. To be perfectly frank, I didn’t really want to do both. I think you can do one or the other. The “Golden Bachelor” thing I thought was funny, but I was like, maybe we could just do the “Sunny” characters’ version of it. But to his credit, those are the things that people latch onto and are talking about. I tend to like when we’re not doing the pop culture references as much, but then we have a big back and forth and we argue. And then when we land on it, the second we agree to do it, then I’m always all in, as is Rob. So then we’re both writing together and saying, well, what’s the best version of how to do this?
The gang is back at “Abbott”: Danny DeVito, left, Charlie Day and Rob McElhenney in this season’s opening episode of “It’s Always Sunny.” (Patrick McElhenney / FX)
The “Abbott” crew — Chris Perfetti, from left, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Quinta Brunson — in a scene from the crossover episode. (Patrick McElhenney / FX)
Danny, what was it like filming Frank’s “Golden Bachelor” moment?
DeVito: I had no idea what they had in mind at first because I must admit, I’m not a “Golden Bachelor” watcher. Once I got there and figured out what they had up their sleeve, I just went with it big time. Being Frank is really wonderful, I must say. It gives you the opportunity to do a lot of things that you wouldn’t. And they push the envelope and come up with all these crazy things, and I go along with it, and from the time my feet hit the ground, when I get there, I’m smiling.
Day: Rob and Glenn and I spend weeks and months really digging in and arguing and pushing each other out of our comfort zones in all sorts of directions. And then towards the end, we’re all invested in the same thing. And what really makes it work is that Danny comes in and gives it a hundred percent. Really, if Danny wasn’t so supportive, it would be really challenging. But pretty much everything we bring to you, Danny, you say, “OK, I’m going to make this work.” “Golden Bachelor” was a perfect example. We had a lot of arguments about how to do that, whether to do it. And then once we committed to it and tried to write what we thought was the best version of it we could, Dan, you come in and just sell it in a way that it needs to be sold.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but there’s also a very sweet “Taxi” reunion in there.
DeVito: That was big for all of us. We were blessed to have that in our show.
“Frank gives me just the wonderful opportunity to be naughty. I can go where other characters can’t go,” Danny DeVito says.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Danny, you said you love being Frank. Why do you love it?
DeVito: I felt operatic as the Penguin [in “Batman Returns”]. There’s a freedom to that. Even in “Taxi,” there was a freedom. I am not like that. I don’t boss people around. I mean, I do a little bit, but I don’t do over the top stuff. Frank gives me just the wonderful opportunity to be naughty. I can go where other characters can’t go. And it’s kind of like we’re bringing people along with Frank. Maybe it’s something that you would say, “Oh god, I would never do that.” But it’s so much fun to imagine the taste of that turd in that soup.
Charlie, Lynne Marie Stewart, who plays your mother, died before the release of this season. How did you think to honor her?
Day: It was pretty tragic and unexpected. She was on the show, and then about a month later we got an email that she was close to the end, and then I think a day later we got an email that she had passed. Mary Elizabeth [Ellis, who plays the Waitress and is married to Day,] and I got to go to her memorial service, and it was luau-themed. It was packed, and there was so much love for her. She always elevated the material that we wrote for her, and she was just as lovely a person as a performer, and I’m going to miss her a lot. We were still in the editing room when she passed away, and so we felt as though it was right to build a little tribute to her because she’s been there since Season 1 and we’ve worked together for over 20 years. Other than it just being a tragedy, I don’t know how we’ll deal with it next season.
DeVito: She was always a favorite of Frank’s.
Day: And we would always have great stuff for the two of you guys.
DeVito: And maybe one day Charlie and I will sit down and have the talk.
For how long do you want to keep coming back to these characters?
DeVito: Well, why does time exist?
Day: Look, we have a contract with FX up to 18 seasons, and all of us feel as though we can do that. So that’s at least one more. Beyond that, I’m not sure they’ll ask for more seasons, so next year could be it.
DeVito: Yeah, they might have some kind of mental defective thing happen to them between next year and not ask for another bunch. That’s always the case. Then also, maybe, they might want to pay us more.
“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” was renewed up to Season 18. “Beyond that, I’m not sure they’ll ask for more seasons, so next year could be it,” Charlie Day says.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Day: Who knows? But this far in the run, I think Rob and Glenn and I, at least in terms of having to sit and write them, really sort of just say each year: Do we have it in us? Do we think we can do a good job? That has to do more with the people that we’re working with. If we can get the band together and have all the musicians that we want, then we’ll try to make some music, to use a bad sort of analogy.
DeVito: It’s a lot of fun. And we have good times. You guys always deliver. Everybody comes with their game, and you can’t ask for anything more. I just feel like I don’t want to let these guys go. I want to be with them all the time. I nag everybody. I call Charlie all the time, even if it’s to call up and say, how’s Mary Elizabeth and Russell? I just feel like I need that connection. I miss these guys. I miss Kaitlin and Rob and Glenn. Every time I see Glenn [I] go, “Is that Glenn?” He does radical things. He, like, shaves his hair.
Speaking of shaving, Charlie, you shaved your beard off for a gag this season. What was that like?
Day: It was horrible, just to see how old the man is under the beard. Once you take off the eyebrows, that’s when it really starts to look freaky. We had that idea, and we knew we had to shoot it last because if I was going to shave, that had to be the last thing we were going to shoot. Right after we wrapped, I went on a little vacation with my wife and son, and I rarely got recognized, which is funny. Every now and then, people who were fans of the movie “Pacific Rim,” because I didn’t have a beard in those movies — they’d be like, “Hey, man, where have you been? Why you not been working?” The funny thing was I couldn’t unlock my cell phone with that look because I looked so different.
Linda Henry, Shaun Williamson and Rula Lenska are just some famous faces set to make a guest appearance on Sky’s Mr Bigstuff alongside Danny Dyer, Ryan Sampson and Harriet Webb
Danny Dyer and Linda Henry will both appear in the second series of Sky’s Mr Bigstuff(Image: BBC/Kieron McCarron/Jack Barnes)
Danny Dyer’s EastEnders mother Linda Henry is joining him for the second series of Mr Bigstuff.
Soap icon Danny, Brassic favourite and series creator Ryan Sampson and Big Boys star Harriet Webb return in series two of the comedy, premiering this July on Sky and NOW.
Series one earned Danny his first-ever BAFTA TV award for his performance as Lee Campbell, the estranged brother of Glen, played by Ryan.
Set in suburban Essex, the series was a huge hit with audiences, becoming Sky Max’s highest-rated new original comedy in three years.
Series two picks up two weeks after the shock news that the brothers’ dad’s not actually dead, and Lee and Glen are handling it very differently.
Series two picks up two weeks after the shock news that the brothers’ dad’s not actually dead
But, with chaos mounting and questions piling up, the brothers unite on a mission to track him down.
Meanwhile, Kirsty’s taking charge in the bedroom and the boardroom, but one badly timed kiss – and a mysterious blackmailer -threaten to bring it all crashing down.
With secrets spilling and tempers flaring, it’s only a matter of time before the family blows up – again.
The brothers aren’t the only ones bringing chaos – first-look images tease guest stars including Danny’s former EastEnders co-star Linda as Pam.
Linda plays Pam, a no-nonsense, hands-on mechanic at the family haulage firm(Image: Sky)
Known for her portrayal of Shirley Carter in EastEnders, Linda reunites with Danny to play Pam, a no-nonsense, hands-on mechanic at the family haulage firm.
Fellow EastEnders legend Shaun Williamson, who played Barry Evans, will also make a guest appearance as an angry clown in episode five.
Guest-starring in episode two, Rula Lensk, renowned for her roles in Coronation Street and her memorable appearance on Celebrity Big Brothe, delivers high comedy as Rita, an eccentric and flirtatious woman the brothers believe is connected to their missing dad, Don Campbell.
Rula Lenska delivers high comedy as Rita(Image: Sky)
Also joining series two are Ryan’s Brassic co-stars Tom Hanson and Parth Thakerar, as well as Shobna Gulati (Coronation Street) David Mumeni (Stath Lets Flats) and Alan Ford (Snatch).
Returning cast include Adrian Scarborough (Gavin and Stacey), Fatiha El-Ghorri (Taskmaster), Victoria Alcock (Bad Girls), Ned Dennehy (Peaky Blinders) and and Clive Russell (Ripper Street).
The new series of Mr Bigstuff starts this July on Sky and NOW
For “Grease” fans in Los Angeles, recent summer nights had a surprise in store. We’ll tell you more, tell you more.
John Travolta, who brought life to bad boy heartthrob Danny Zuko in the 1978 classic, crashed the Hollywood Bowl’s sing-along event Friday. He surprised not just the audience, but also fellow “Grease” alumni as he sauntered on stage in his character’s signature pompadour and leather jacket.
“No one knew, not even the cast,” Travolta, 71, recalled of the moment in an Instagram post shared Saturday.
The “Pulp Fiction” and “Hairspray” star on Instagram shared a closer look at his Danny Zuko-inspired styling and posted a video of him reuniting with co-stars Didi Conn, Barry Pearl, Michael Tucci, Kelly Ward and “Grease” filmmaker Randal Kleiser. Video from the sing-along shows audiences cheering and celebrating Travolta with a standing ovation. His surprise appearance came before the beginning of the sing-along, according to Entertainment Weekly.
“L.A.,” he says to fans before referencing a memorable line from the movie. “I thought you were going back to Australia!”
In that scene from “Grease,” Danny excitedly greets his summer sweetheart Sandy, before quickly playing it too cool and aloof, saving face for his T-Birds greaser squad. Olivia Newton-John indelibly played the role of Sandy. She died on Aug. 8, 2022, at age 73.
During Friday’s event, Travolta and his co-stars led fans in singing “A-womp-bop-a-looma-a-womp-bam-boom,” a line from the “Grease” finale number “We Go Together,” according to video from EW. He and his cast then left the stage and the sing-along began.
“Thank you for a great evening,” Travolta added in his Instagram post.
Avon and Somerset police are said to have turned up on set to arrest the bricklayer-turned-actor soon after filming scenes
10:36, 08 Jun 2025Updated 10:47, 08 Jun 2025
The actor was filming with Danny Dyer (pictured) when he was arrested on set(Image: Disney+)
An actor was arrested on the set of Disney’s Rivals in front of cast and crew just an hour after filming with Danny Dyer, it has been reported. Police are said to have arrived on set to arrest Nigel Adams who was working as an extra on the hit show.
The incident allegedly took place in front of shocked cast members and while Adams was still in costume due to filming scenes just moment beforehand. The 45-year-old was filming a polo scene alongside acting legend Danny Dyer for the second series of the programme.
However, it was reportedly just an hour later that police cars turned up and Adams was driven away before spending two nights in police custody. He then appeared in court on Friday as he was accused of assaulting an ex-girlfriend.
Adams was arrested on set(Image: Nigel Adams/Instagram)
The Sun reported that a source said: “It was very dramatic. Everyone was in their costumes and Danny was filming this polo scene when an hour later police suddenly turned up to arrest one of the extras. It was shocking.”
The assault is reported to have happened at a house in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. Police were allegedly called to the address at 2am on May 31 of this year.
Adams was said to be questioned about the assault once he was arrested. Avon and Someset police are thought to have been tipped off that the bricklayer-turned-actor was working on the Rivals set at the time.
A friend said that he will be “gutted” as the arrest could mark the end of his acting career. They said: “He’ll be gutted because it could end his TV career, something he really loves doing.
“He’s a bricklayer by trade but he’s been doing more and more TV work, he’s been in loads of stuff. Whenever he’s in the background of a show he gets all his family and friends to watch it.”
Adams has quite a few acting roles under his belt already which include House of the Dragon, The Forsyte Saga and 2022 movie Prizefighter: The Life of Jem Belcher. Adams appeared at Bristol magistrates’ court on Friday charged with assault causing actual bodily harm.
No plea was made by him and he was given conditional bail until he returns to the city’s crown court on July 7. Production company Happy Prince, which makes the drama Rivals, told The Sun: “On the 4th June, the police visited the set regarding an unrelated matter involving a supporting artist.
“Production co-operated with the police. We do not have any further information as it is not connected to Rivals or to our production.”
The Mirror have contacted Happy Prince, Disney and Avon and Someset police for comment.
Danny Miller joined the Loose Women live from the Emmerdale studio this morning, as he seemingly ‘confirmed’ a return for Robert Sugden during his wedding to John Sugden
It’s set to be a huge week in Emmerdale this week with the wedding of Aaron Dingle and John Sugden. However, we’ve all watched enough soaps by now to know that weddings never come without drama. Aaron actor Danny Miller has ‘confirmed’ it will be the exact same for his.
For weeks, rumours have been spreading that Aaron’s ex husband, and John’s brother, Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) would be making his return to the soap. The character was last seen in the soap in 2019 after being written out of the show in an “explosive” storyline involving the death of Lee Posner, his sister Victoria’s rapist.
The character was sentenced to 14 years in jail, but as we know, anything can happen in soap land. Could he be released from jail early? Theories have been flying around, and now Danny seemingly confirmed his return while being grilled by the Loose Women.
Denise Welch wasn’t letting Danny go without speaking about the rumours, as she asked the actor: “Is there likely to be a RobRon rerun?”
A nervous Danny chuckled: “It’s so weird, the line’s just gone down as you’ve asked that question,” as the whole studio burst into laughter. Although he wasn’t giving too much away, Danny assured Emmerdale fans they can expect many surprises during the week.
“What I will say is there are some surprises, whether that happens or not, I don’t know. But certainly what I can say is that originally when this idea was pitched and thought about, Robert, whoever that is, wasn’t part of the plan.”
(Image: (Image: ITV))
Danny then seemingly confirmed he was now part of the plan as he continued: “But..” before stopping. He then continued: “You’ll just have to wait and see. That’s the idea of me being here. Otherwise it would be boring if I told you either way.”
Danny then laughed: “I can’t remember.” However, nothing was getting past Janet Street-Porter, as she responded: “It’s obvious! This storyline is so complicated your getting confused yourself.”
The star recently announced that his wife Steph was expecting their third baby, as he told the Loose Women: “We’re so lucky. We had days where we thought we’d never have a baby and now we’ve got three.
“Steph is the most amazing mum and amazing wife. I’m very lucky to have her.”
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays.
Danny Dyer left everyone speechless when he nabbed a prestigious Bafta Award on Sunday, May 11, with his typically colourful language adding some spice to the proceedings. Overcome with emotion, yet true to his EastEnders hardman persona, he didn’t hold back on the expletives during his acceptance speech.
The host for the evening, Alan Cumming, wasn’t caught off guard though, he quickly jumped in to apologise to viewers at home for the actor’s fruity on-air antics.
Celebrating his win for Best Male Performance in Sky Comedy’s ‘Mr Bigstuff’, Danny admitted with a cheeky grin: “The acting was so bad it was funny.”
He then set tongues wagging by dropping the F-bomb repeatedly, flouting the Bafta’s language guidelines, despite having faced a warning earlier on.
Despite the few choice words, the former soap star’s message resonated with the audience as he admitted to being “choked up” and sweetly referenced his two daughters during his heartfelt thanks at London’s Royal Festival Hall, reports Belfast Live.
Here, is an insight into Danny Dyer’s notorious speech, his nod to EastEnders, and where he’s heading in his career next.
The full speech
Lots of Danny acceptance speech was cut due to expletive language being used(Image: (Image: BBC))
A good chunk of the 47-year-old’s candid speech was edited out due to the risqué content, but his gratefulness couldn’t be clearer from the snippets that survived.
He kicked things off by expressing gratitude to Sky for taking a chance on their show, saying: “I want to thank Sky for giving our show a shot. F***ing hell, I’m choked up.” In particular, he highlighted Ryan Sampson, the writer he holds in high esteem.
Continuing with his thank yous, Danny quipped: “He’s one of the greatest people ever to come out of Rotherham – not saying much. You won this for me mate.”
Danny further heaped praise on Ryan who is also an actor, proclaiming: “One of the best actors this country’s ever produced, I’m telling you. Never done the same thing twice. Which is not something I can say.
“He wrote this part for me, so you know… I’m getting choked up again, f*** me. So you won this for me, mate, I really appreciate it. Thank you so much.”
In an emotional moment, the star of The Rivals expressed his gratitude towards his daughters, Dani, 28, and Sunnie, 18, who were in the audience, beaming with pride as they witnessed their father’s triumph: “Girls, Sunnie and Dani… I’ve done it, girls, I’ve f***ing done it.”
Upon Danny’s departure from the stage, host Alan Cumming stepped in to express apologies for any offence caused by the “naughty language”.
What Danny Dyer said away from the cameras
Danny took a stab at EastEnders backstage
While backstage and still riding high from his award victory, Danny didn’t hold back during a chat with the Metro newspaper, he giggled: “Oh, there’ll be some people fuming!”, and assertively declared: “I don’t know, man. I’ve earned it. I only want one, I don’t need more than this. I’m happy.”
Reflecting on his previous recognitions and subtly jabbing at his time on EastEnders, he said: “I’ve lifted a couple of NTAs over the years, and I always like to win awards and lose them, do the moody clap [pretending] that you’re happy for someone else… I’ve done all that b******s, and I thought I’d be doing that tonight.”
Reflecting on his recent triumphs with both Mr Bigstuff and Rivals, he shared: “I’ve had a really good run this year. Rivals has been so well received. A bit odd, really. I’ve got Rivals sitting there, and I’ve got Mr Bigstuff there.”
On to big things
Danny is moving on to great things in the coming months
Fans are in for a treat as the critically acclaimed Mr Bigstuff makes its comeback with Danny at the helm in Sky Comedy’s spotlight, gearing up for its much-anticipated second season.
While we’re all on tenterhooks for the release date of series two on Sky and Now, the network has teased that the premiere is slated for “later in 2025”, with Danny set to dazzle audiences once again as the brash brother Lee.
Disney + Rivals fans will be ecstatic to hear that Danny is set to return to the role of businessman Freddie Jones once more, a role that snagged him the British Press Guild Award for Best Actor and the RTS Television Award for Supporting Actor.
The exact timing for the return of series two remains shrouded in mystery, with some media outlets speculating “later in 2025” or “early 2026”. Yet, an insider on ITV’s Lorraine hinted at a much sooner date, suggesting “July 2025”.
Chatting with Andi Peters, who was filling in on ITV’s Lorraine on Monday, May 12, Ria Hebden let slip: “Rivals, we now know it’ll back on screens this July.”
Rivals will return to Disney + at some time in the near future and Mr Bigstuff will return to Sky and Now, also at a near point in 2025.
