fumes

Post Office scandal victim, 92, ‘disgusted’ by treatment as she fumes ‘they killed us’

Betty Brown, from County Durham, ran a Post Office with her late husband and was affected by the scandal

Betty Brown, 92, believed to be the oldest victim of the Post Office scandal said she was “disgusted” at the treatment of sub postmasters as she pledged to continue her fight.

Betty from County Durham, operated the Annfield Plain Post Office with her late husband. She has previously revealed that she spent thousands of pounds of her own savings covering shortfalls that never actually existed after faulty data made it appear money was missing from the branch.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain on Friday (October 10), she discussed the “heartbreak” the victims had suffered, reports Wales Online.

“Totally disgusted that a government could treat their own people in the manner that they have treated the sub postmasters,” she said.

“Every one of us, not only me, every one of us. They’ve killed a lot of them.”

Betty told the ITV programme’s presenters Kate Garraway and Adil Ray: “They haven’t taken the one iota of care to any of the people left on their own, the families left, the struggles that they’ve had to go through and all the heartbreak and everything associated with it.

“And they’ve stood back, not our fault, we don’t want anything to do with it and if, when they’re forced to do with it, it’s as little as possible and how they can turn it over upside down so that the blame doesn’t go on to them, it’s all the postmasters.”

Viewers at home were moved by Betty’s comments, with one writing on X: “Get a government minister on at the same time as Betty so she can get them told!!”

“I’m so sorry for Betty,” another person penned on the platform, previously known as X. “Another person let down by government after government like so many.”

The scandal and its magnitude have come to light in recent years, with the Post Office later expressing regret to those affected, stating they were “deeply sorry for the suffering caused to so many people by Post Office’s past actions”.

In a statement, the Post Office further added that “we will continue to learn from past mistakes and are committed to continuing to transform today’s Post Office, rebuild trust, and move forward for our current postmasters and the 10 million customers who rely on us each week”.

This week the government announced that all victims of the scandal who are claiming compensation will be entitled to free legal advice to help with appeals.

Good Morning Britain airs on ITV.

Source link

SAG-AFTRA union fumes over AI ‘actress’ Tilly Norwood

Sept. 30 (UPI) — Hollywood’s actors union SAG-AFTRA on Tuesday sounded the alarm over reports that talent agents are interested in signing Tilly Norwood, an actress generated by artificial intelligence.

SAG-AFTRA’s statement opposing the replacement of “human performers by synthetics” comes days after Deadline reported that AI studio Xicoia has engaged with multiple agents who are interested in signing the digital creation Tilly Norwood for representation.

Studios’ use of AI technology was a central issue in the 2023 SAG-AFTRA-led strike that was the longest actors’ work stoppage in Hollywood history. Now, Norwood’s emergence points to an ongoing source of dispute between studios and actors.

“To be clear, ‘Tilly Norwood’ is not an actor, it’s a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers – without permission or compensation,” SAG-AFTRA said in the statement. “It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion and, from what we’ve seen, audiences aren’t interested in watching computer-generated content untethered from the human experience.”

The union said that Norwood relies on “stolen performances” and will put actors out of work.

Norwood resembles a brunette twenty-something who speaks with a British accent and made her debut over the summer in a short AI-generated film. She already has an online presence.

Eline Van der Velden, an actor and technologist, revealed Saturday during a panel at the Zurich Summit that agents were interested in signing Norwood, the creation of the AI production studio Particle6 she founded, according to Deadline. She also said that studios and other entertainment companies were quietly embracing the technology.

“We were in a lot of boardrooms around February time, and everyone was like, ‘No, this is nothing. It’s not going to happen’. Then, by May, people were like, ‘We need to do something with you guys.’ When we first launched Tilly, people were like, ‘What’s that?’, and now we’re going to be announcing which agency is going to be representing her in the next few months,” said Van der Velden.

Van der Velden later responded to the initial backlash over Norwood, with a statement saying she is “not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work — a piece of art.”

But concerns about what Norwood means for the industry remain. Actress and producer Anne-Marie Johnson told Los Angeles NBC affiliate KNBC that “this is no laughing matter.”

“Our agents and our managers have to be partners in this because when we don’t get hired, they don’t get their commission,” she said.



Source link

Coronation Street star fumes as his car window is smashed in after returning to hometown

Jonathan Howard, who plays Carl Webster on ITV’s Coronation Street, has been left horrified after his car was smashed in Manchester

Corrie star horrified as his car is 'smashed up' upon Manchester homecoming
Corrie star horrified as his car is ‘smashed up’ upon Manchester homecoming(Image: ITV)

Coronation Street actor Jonathan Howard has spoken out after his car was vandalised in Manchester, calling it a “welcome back gift” from local troublemakers.

Howard, 38, who plays Carl Webster on the ITV soap, returned to the UK earlier this year after a stint in Hollywood.

His homecoming, however, took a frustrating turn when he parked his car in Manchester and later discovered that the back windows had been smashed.

Thieves in the area are known for opportunistic attacks, targeting vehicles for quick thefts. Posting a picture of the damaged car, Jonathan joked: “Nice little welcome back gift from the Manchester scallies.”

Since joining the cobbles, Howard has made a big impact as Kevin and Debbie Webster’s previously unseen younger brother.

READ MORE: Love Island couple in crisis as villa favourite spotted ‘holding hands with Traitors star’READ MORE: Love Island star says ‘I’m poor’ and back at day job after reality TV fame fades

The actor's car was vandalised upon his return to the UK
The actor’s car was vandalised upon his return to the UK(Image: Instagram)
Coronation Street actor Jonathan Howard plays Carl Webster
Coronation Street actor Jonathan Howard plays Carl Webster(Image: ITV)

Carl’s arrival quickly stirred drama as he seduced his brother’s wife, Abi, and turned his business ventures into a dodgy garage offering fake MOTs.

His willingness to bend the rules caused even more drama when he became involved with stolen cars, trying to raise money to pay off blackmail from Tracy Barlow, who discovered his affair with Abi.

However, Carl’s love life endevours didn’t stop there. Fans were stunned last month when it was revealed that he had embarked on a new relationship with former footballer James Bailey.

Howard explained the motivation behind his character’s bold moves as he explained: “Carl likes living life on the edge, he is a hedonist and a free spirit, he is attracted to a person regardless of their gender and if he sees something he wants he goes for it with no real thought to the consequences of his actions.

 Jonathan Howard as Carl Webster and Jason Callendar as James Bailey
Fans were stunned when Carl embarked on a new relationship with former footballer James Bailey

“He is frustrated that Abi has gone away with Kevin and he needs something to distract himself. There is a spark between him and James so he goes for it. Tracy was also offering herself to him but he isn’t stupid and he knows that would be a dangerous move, James on the other hand is less complicated and more fun.”

Carl’s escapades have made him one of the most unpredictable characters on Coronation Street between his romantic entanglements and his shady business dealings.

Whether he’s facing police scrutiny for stolen cars, trying to manage tension and drama with his family, or navigating affairs, his wild storylines have been keeping viewers hooked and on the edge of their seats.

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

READ MORE: Maura Higgins says affordable £10 root spray ‘saves her life’ and covers grey hairs



Source link

Snooker star slams Sky Sports News over transfer deadline day coverage and fumes ‘sort it out’

SNOOKER star Mark Allen has slammed Sky Sports News over their transfer deadline day coverage.

It has been an action-packed day of transfers across the Premier League and EFL.

Mark Allen of Northern Ireland playing snooker.

2

Mark Allen slammed Sky Sports News coverage of transfer deadline dayCredit: Getty
Sky Sports News Deadline Day panel discussion.

2

He criticised the use of fans on the show

But Allen has taken exception to the guests who have appeared on Sky Sports News.

He questioned the presence of ‘fans’ on the show discussing transfers, rather than experts.

The Northern Irishman tweeted: “Jesus, just turned on @SkySportsNews to follow deadline day…… why oh why are they bringing in fans rather than experts for discussions?

“Pretty sure paying customers won’t be happy with this. Sort it out.”

Allen, 39, is not afraid to voice his opinion – but this is one that has been shared by other viewers.

One wrote: “Podcasters and youtubers 👎🏼”

Another added: “Games gone Mark. Barely watch it now.”

A third wrote: “The whole thing is hyped-up nonsense!”

And another commented: “Like inviting me down to the Crucible to critique you, Ronnie and Judd’s long potting 🤣”

One supporter remarked: “Very poor.”

Snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan responds to comments about him being ‘written off’

Source link