US President Donald Trump says he plans to stop the annual $3.8bn military aid package to Israel by the end of the year. US funding to Israel has become a contentious topic. What else do we know?
BIG Brother star Liam McGough has revealed he’s set to become a dad for the first time just months after tying the knot in New Orleans.
Tree surgeon Liam, 42, shot to fame on the eighth series of the reality show in 2007 and had a seven-month romance with actress Emily Atack in 2022.
Big Brother star Liam McGough and wife Sloane are expecting their first childCredit: InstagramThe proud dad-to-be revealed they are having a baby girlCredit: Instagram
Now he and wife Sloane Coe have shared the exciting news they’re expecting their first child together – telling fans they’re having a baby girl.
Liam took to social media to share a sweet snap of him cradling Sloane’s bump as he embraced her from behind.
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He wrote: “Huge news!! Biggest ever tbh. Me and Sloane are going to have a baby girl.
“It’s been so hard to keep it quiet. Even harder for my dad who hasn’t managed haha. I found out on day 3 of the fringe. Never felt prouder in my life.”
Liam shot to fame on the eighth series of Big Brother in 2007Credit: PAHe dated actress Emily for seven months before they split in December 2022.Credit: GOFF / SplashNews.com
He said: “The wedding was amazing — small and intimate, with only close friends and family. We got married right in the heart of New Orleans, Louisiana, and it was incredible. I’ve never experienced anything like it.
The celebration was so romantic and personal, and then, for the party afterwards, we were marched around the area by a full brass band in what’s called a Second Line.
“We had a police escort blocking the roads as we danced through the streets, with four huge motorbikes and two massive police trucks accompanying us.
“The contrast between the intimate ceremony and this unique, extravagant spectacle left all of our heads spinning in the most amazing way.”
Liam previously dated Inbetweeners star Emily for seven months, with The Sun revealing their split in October 2022.
US President Donald Trump, who says he came to his Mar-a-Lago Halloween costume party dressed as himself, described not being in a hurry to make a decision on striking Iran. Mediators are trying to prevent a new breakout of war, as Trump says ‘one or two sites’ in Iran still need ‘taking care of’.
Big Brother 2024 winner returned to our screens and admitted some of the current series was ‘uncomfortable’
Ali Bromley appeared on Big Brother The Group Chat(Image: ITV)
One of Big Brother’s former winners has shared they hope one housemate is ‘OK’ after some ‘difficult to watch’ scenes this series. It comes as the latest edition of the ITV reality series approaches its final week.
The most recent episode set to air on Friday (October 30) will see a double eviction to mark the Halloween special. Ahead of that, companion show Big Brother The Group Chat welcomed ex-housemate and previous winner Ali Bromley to talk about the current series.
Ali was victorious during the 2024 series even though she later admitted she nearly quit the show part way through. She was joined by hosts GK Barry and Kate Lawler as the forensic psychologist was asked about her opinions on the current crop of housemates.
The conversation progressed through most of the contestants as Ali predicted Philip and Rhianna the next to go.
She also called the self professed Queen of Scottie Road from Liverpool as ‘the most relatable’ after he was spotted eating snacks in bed.
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Ali commented: “We’ve all been there with our chocolate bars, hoping for better days.” Later though, GK Barry turned their attention to Frankie.
She said: “Frankie has been coming out (as bisexual) slowly but surely. He told Catrin tonight. Which I think Catrin already knew.” Kate asked Ali what she thought of the matter, after recent scenes showed Frankie reveal he had hatred towards himself and felt ashamed regarding his sexuality.
Ali replied: “I think you can see it in the way he talks about bisexuality. I think, as a viewer, that’s been difficult to watch at times. Because if you are gay and you’ve been through the process of coming out and you have those feelings yourself and you’ve worked through those feelings yourself and you’ve worked through them, seeing somebody else still holding some of that hostility can feel a bit uncomfortable.”
She continued: “So I feel like that’s been a bit tricky to watch sometimes, and these moments where he’s been coming out have felt a bit raw and probably bring something up for people that are watching as well.
“I hope he’s OK. I’m not sure what he hopes to achieve by coming out in these dribs and drabs throughout the series.”
GK suggested he could be ‘getting used to’ coming out. Ali responded: “A real baptism of fire. If feel like if you’re not fully there in your self acceptance like wow, that’s like a hard, hard journey.”
Big Brother continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX
United States Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has sparked uproar with comments he has made denying Arab contributions to mathematics, science and literature.
In a high-voltage rant on Monday, the US health secretary said, “There’s five hundred million Arabs in the world. And yet they don’t produce science. They don’t win the Nobel Prize. They don’t win the Fields Prize. They don’t win the Wolf Prize. They don’t produce literature.”
RFK Jr, who has been involved in anti-vaccine campaigns and has promoted a debunked theory linking vaccines to autism, made the comments during a US election campaign event in Grand Rapids, Michigan while supporting Republican nominee Mike Rogers, who is up against Arab-American Democrat nominee Abdul El-Sayed, in a tightly contested battle for Michigan’s Senate seat in next week’s midterm elections.
Critics said the comments were racist, Islamophobic and factually inaccurate, pointing to modern and historic Arab innovation in multiple fields.
Here’s how Arabs have made vital contributions to the human understanding of maths, science and literature through the centuries.
Arab contributions to maths, science and humanities
The period known as the Islamic Golden Age, from around 750 AD to 1258 AD, produced many key Arab contributions to medicine at a time when Europe was said to be in its Dark Ages. During this time, Arabic was the language of science and scholarship.
1st-4th centuries: The numerals 0-9, which originated in ancient India, were adopted by Arab mathematicians who spread them across the world. They displaced Roman numerals as a more advanced number system in mathematics.
8th century: Arab and Persian mathematicians were studying the ancient Indian concept of zero in mathematics in Baghdad, long before the Europeans. The number zero was crucial to the development of mathematics – but was absent from widely used Roman numerals in Europe.
813-833: The Arab mathematician Muḥammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi – one of those studying the number 0 – is often referred to as the “father of algebra” as he was the first to treat the method as a separate mathematical discipline in his work, Al-Jabr. This method provided the first linear and quadratic equations, still used as a core part of mathematical study today.
965-1040: Ibn al-Haytham, known as the “father of modern optics”, explained the role that light entering the eye plays in human vision. He was born in Basra in Iraq, but spent most of his working life in Cairo attending to noble families.
936-1013: Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi, called “the father of modern surgery”, was considered the greatest surgeon in the Middle Ages. He wrote a 30-volume encyclopaedia detailing medical practices and designed and illustrated many surgical instruments. Born in Azahara, in Andalusia, he was known as Abulcasis in Europe.
9th century: Fatima al-Fihri founded the University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco. It is often cited as the oldest continually operating university.
1213-1288: Ibn al-Nafis described pulmonary circulation – the process by which blood passes through the lungs – several centuries before Europeans understood it. He wrote more than 110 volumes of work on surgery, ophthalmology and philosophy while working as a chief physician in Egypt.
915-965: Abu al-Tayyib al-Mutanabbi, regarded as the greatest poet in the Arabic language, was Yemeni and grew up immersed in Bedouin Arabic culture. He wrote in classical Arabic and many of his verses became sayings used in everyday Arabic.
1100-1165: Muhammad al-Idrisi was a geographer known for making the Tabula Rogeriana, one of the most accurate and detailed medieval world maps, and a high point of Islamic geography. He was born in Ceuta in Morocco.
A view of a sign reading ‘The Norwegian Nobel Committee’ inside the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo, Norway, October 6, 2023 [File: Tom Little/Reuters]
Prize-winning Arabs
In more modern times, RFK Jr’s assertion that Arabs do not win Nobel prizes for science and literature is very far from the truth. Here are some of the highlights:
1960: Nobel Prize for Medicine
Peter Medawar won the Nobel Prize for Medicine for work on for work on acquired immune tolerance, which underpins organ transplantation. He was born in Brazil to a Lebanese father.
1966: The Fields Medal
Michael Atiyah won the Fields Medal, the most prestigious award for mathematics, in 1966. He was born in London to a Lebanese father and Scottish mother. Educated in Egypt, he spent much of his childhood in Cairo and Khartoum.
1988: Nobel Prize for Literature
Egyptian Naguib Mahfouz won the Nobel Prize in Literature for his body of work, including the Cairo Trilogy, which the Swedish Academy said formed “an Arabic narrative art that applies to all mankind”. He is still the only winner of the prize who wrote in Arabic.
1990: Nobel Prize for Chemistry
Elias James Corey won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for developing retrosynthetic analysis. He is an American of Lebanese descent.
1993: Wolf Prize for Chemistry
Egyptian Ahmed Zewail won the Wolf Prize for Chemistry. The Wolf Prize is an international award which has been presented to living scientists and artists every year in Israel by the Wolf Foundation since 1978.
1999: Nobel Prize for Chemistry
Zewail also won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for pioneering femtochemistry, which is the study of chemical reactions on extremely short timescales. He also won the Wolf Prize in Chemistry in 1993.
2005: Nobel Peace Prize
Egyptian scientist Mohamed ElBaradei shared his Nobel Prize with the International Atomic Energy Agency, which he led.
2018: Wolf Prize for Chemistry
Omar M Yaghi, born in Jordan to a Palestinian refugee family, won the Wolf Prize in Chemistry in 2018 for work on metal-organic frameworks. He shared the prize with Japan’s Makoto Fujita. The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) condemned his acceptance of the award because the prize is awarded by an Israeli foundation.
2023: Nobel Prize for Chemistry
Moungi Bawendi won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots. He was born in France to a Tunisian father, but based in the US.
2025: Nobel Prize for Chemistry
Yaghi also won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for developing metal-organic frameworks. These are crystalline materials with large internal cavities that can capture and store gases, harvest water from air, and trap pollutants. He shared the prize with Susumu Kitagawa from Japan and Richard Robson from Australia.
In a post on X, vaccine scientist Peter Hotez of the Texas Medical Center weighed in on historical Arab scholarship, saying, “It was the Arab scientists of the Middle Ages who kept Aristotle, Hippocrates, Galen alive to hand it down in the Renaissance.”
Broadcaster Mehdi Hasan described RFK Jr’s comments as “racist” and, in a post on X, wrote: “One of the men who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry last year was a Palestinian-American, Omar Yaghi.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations called for the US health secretary to be removed. It said: “To stand on a public stage as a sitting US cabinet official and dehumanise half a billion people – and millions of Muslim and Christian Arab Americans – with fabricated, white supremacist talking points is utterly disqualifying for public office. His sweeping erasure of Arab contributions to humanity is not only maliciously false, but it also fans the flames of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hate at a time when communities are already vulnerable to bigoted attacks from other public officials nationwide.”
WASHINGTON — At first glance, President Trump’s decision to relax U.S. sanctions on Russia despite its continuing invasion of Ukraine was a dramatic break from principles that guided American foreign policy for most of a century.
Since the end of World War II, U.S.-Russian relations have oscillated between hostility and friendship, but one element was consistent: When Russia tried to take over one if its neighbors, the United States pushed back.
“The Trump administration has abandoned any pretense of being an honest broker,” Richard N. Haass, a former senior State Department official under then-President George W. Bush, wrote last week. “It has gone all in on Russia’s side.”
The break from long-standing tradition was real, but it should not have been entirely surprising.
Trump has long expressed admiration for Russia’s autocratic leader, Vladimir Putin — part of a syndrome one of his former aides, Fiona Hill, has called “autocrat envy.”
“He wants to rule like them,” she said, referring to the president’s bromances with Putin, China’s Xi Jinping and other strongmen.
Meanwhile, Trump often expresses disdain for democratically elected leaders of smaller countries, and he reserves a special loathing for the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.
He has repeatedly said Zelensky was foolish to resist Russia’s 2022 invasion because, in his view, the larger country is almost certain to win the war.
“Russia is a massive country,” he said this month. “Even if it loses a million soldiers, it still has a million more. Ukraine doesn’t have that kind of manpower.”
Moreover, Trump has long believed U.S. companies could reap an economic bonanza from Russia’s resource-rich economy. As a real estate magnate, he spent 30 years seeking deals in Moscow; in 2008, his son Donald Jr. said Russians had provided the Trump Organization “a lot of our assets.”
In the short run, the president hopes to boost Republican prospects in next week’s midterm elections by buying diesel fuel from Russia — a move aimed at lowering prices at the cost of bolstering Putin’s war economy. (It hasn’t worked; the price of diesel has risen slightly since Trump’s decision.)
But he has a longer-term goals as well. He has long believed better relations between the United States and Russia would be good for both countries, no matter who’s in power in Moscow. And he has long yearned openly for a Nobel Peace Prize — and one way might be to arrange a durable ceasefire in Ukraine.
All those factors have led Trump to overturn two major elements of traditional U.S. foreign policy.
Instead of supporting Ukraine, the victim of a foreign military invasion, he’s been pressing the Zelensky to accept Putin’s demands for territory.
“President Trump still wants a personal relationship with Putin, and he wants to change the nature of the bilateral U.S.-Russian relationship. Ukraine is in the way. So what President Trump is trying to do is get Ukraine out of the way. … President Trump wants Zelensky to capitulate,” Hill said.
“Zelensky has to want to settle this war, and if he doesn’t, I think it’s going to be a very bad thing,” Trump said last week.
As he issued that advice, Ukraine’s army was experiencing interruptions with three forms of U.S. military help: Starlink, the communications system it uses to guide its anti-drone missiles; U.S.-provided early radar warnings of Russian missile attacks; and supplies of Patriot anti-missile weapons. U.S. officials claimed the three incidents were not deliberate — but to Ukrainians, they felt like a warning.
Meanwhile, instead of putting pressure on Putin through the traditional means of economic sanctions, Trump said he was trying to entice the Russian leader to negotiate by giving him preemptive rewards.
“I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don’t want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table,” he explained on Truth Social. “Great progress is being made.”
But signs of that progress were hard to find. In St. Petersburg last week, Trump’s personal envoy, Steve Witkoff, presented Putin with a ceasefire proposal that the Americans negotiated with Ukraine and European countries. A top Putin aide dismissed the document, saying it “contained little of real value.”
Instead, the Russian president offered to increase Russian fertilizer exports to U.S. farmers. And he said he hoped Trump would join him at a summit meeting in China with Xi.
Ukraine has not been invited to that meeting, which prompted Haass to resurrect an old diplomatic aphorism: “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”
Haass and other veterans of U.S. negotiations with Russia fear that Putin is merely stalling for time and pocketing Trump’s concessions while he tries to grind Ukraine down with missile attacks on Kyiv and other cities.
“If Trump and Witkoff were serious, they would give Putin 15 days to say yes to their ceasefire proposal — and if he doesn’t, they would impose new and tougher sanctions,” said Steven Pifer, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. “There are still a lot of things they can do that would put Russia in a corner.”
But that has not been Trump’s inclination so far.
The irony, Hill said, is that even if Trump gets his way, that may not produce the victory he appears to expect.
“Putin and Trump are not the only actors in this,” she said. “Ukraine is not anybody’s to give. Its not Putin’s to have, and it’s not Zelensky’s. … This whole war is about Ukrainians wanting the right to determine their own future. It’s not Putin’s right or anyone else’s. It’s not Donald Trump’s to give away.”
Lee Andrews has continued to hint that he’s back with Katie PriceCredit: wesleeeandrews/instagramLee has posted cryptic love poem to his InstagramCredit: wesleeeandrews/instagram
Lee previously liked Harvey’s post on InstagramCredit: wesleeeandrews/instagramThe former glamour model is bracing herself for a “messy” divorce battleCredit: InstagramKatie ended their marriage via WhatsApp last monthCredit: InstagramKatie was seen wearing her wedding ring againCredit: Splash
“And don’t give me that mascara or makeup bulls***.
“Makeup’s got nothing to do with it. You can’t buy a look like that at a f***ing beauty counter.
“Those eyes are a drug. Devastating. Beautiful. And I can’t get clean.”
LEGENDARY rocker Noel Gallagher has admitted that compromising with his Liam has got “better” as he’s gotten older after their famous fallout. The brothers fell out in 2009 after a huge bust-up behind the scenes at a gig in Paris. The row started over Liam wanting to advertise his clothing line (Pretty Green) in the…
Joey Essex has confirmed he has signed a big fight deal as he prepares to return to the ringCredit: GettyEarlier this month, he took on Daniel ‘Dapper Laughs’ O’Reilly during the Misfits Fight Night at Copper Box ArenaCredit: Getty
Freshened up and having swapped the gloves for a suave suit, Joey walked the Pride Of Britain red carpet on Monday.
Talking to The Sun at the event, he shared: “I feel great, there isn’t a scratch on me! I feel like I’ve come out the ring better than when I first went in – I look even better.
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“But yeah, feeling good and very proud of myself, it was a good night.”
Joey, who is famed for his days on Towie, says he is looking ahead to his next feat and wants to ‘keep learning’Credit: Misfits/ boohooMANHe took on Joao Barbosa during the Misfits 22 last year in his first professional fightCredit: Getty
Answering whether he was happy with the result, Joey replied: “Yeah of course, it’s boxing – you know?
“It’s how it goes. Win, lose or draw, you’ve got to look back and to learn. You just keep learning, experience is a massive thing in boxing so onto the next.”
And the next won’t be too far away, he says.
“I’ve signed a big fight deal, so I guess I’ll be back in [the ring] soon. I don’t know who against, but yeah, I’ll be back in soon,” confirmed Joey.
While he may appear fighting fit now, Joey says he was in the depths of a tough training camp this time last month.
“The training for boxing is very intense, the training is harder than the actual night itself.
“This time around my camp was only about 5 and a half weeks, so it was a very short camp. A lot of my opponents were dropping out and stuff so longer camps are harder. But you learn and the harder you train the better you fight.”
Vice President JD Vance declined Monday to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection a day after President Trump endorsed the embattled Israeli leader.
“The president has the most influential endorsement in American or international political history,” Vance said during an interview with journalist Mark Halperin.
“I endorse American candidates, and that’s where I’m focused on the midterms,” Vance said, while traveling Monday to campaign for Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley of North Carolina. “So, I’m not getting involved in Israeli elections.”
Vance has campaigned for a foreign leader — then-Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, last spring before the right-wing leader’s party lost that country’s parliamentary election.
Vance’s deference to Trump on Netanyahu comes at an extraordinarily sensitive time for Jewish Americans and the U.S. alliance with Israel. Concerns about antisemitism have surged across the political spectrum ahead of the midterm elections.
Republicans have been eager to portray Democrats, notably Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, as hostile toward Jews and Israel, while they deal with their own internal schisms.
Vance has faced skepticism from Jewish Republicans about his commitment to Jewish Americans and the U.S. alliance with Israel.
Last month, Vance spoke privately in Las Vegas to the Republican Jewish Coalition, a leading GOP group committed to advocating for a strong U.S. relationship with Israel and against antisemitism.
Vance left a positive impression on his RJC audience while stopping short of disavowing influential conservative podcast host Tucker Carlson.
Vance has faced general questions about his association with Carlson, a former Fox News host who faced backlash last year for interviewing antisemite Nick Fuentes on his podcast.
In June, Vance sharply criticized members of Israel’s government for opposing Trump’s efforts to resolve the war with Iran.
In July, Vance said elements of the Israeli government had tried to influence American sentiment to derail negotiations.
“There are some people within their system that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt are manipulating and trying to change American public opinion to keep the war going on indefinitely,” Vance said during an appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
But spare a thought for Harry Styles who had that happen to him — after being hypnotised on a video call.
Harry Styles was hypnotised on a video call which cut outCredit: GettyHarry revealed he was left ‘disorientated’ and slept for hours after the incidentCredit: Getty
The As It Was singer has revealed he was left “disorientated” and slept for hours after the incident, as he was so out of it he was unable to get the hypnotherapist back on the call.
He made the hilarious admission on stage at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday night, when he spotted the therapist in the crowd at his concert.
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He told the crowd: “I got some hypnotherapy — and I spotted my therapist in the crowd, there he is. I’ll just share a quick story with you about my experience . . .
“We were doing it remotely. I was in London, he was in New York — and I was under, I was hypnotised.
“Then my wifi went out. The call hung up. He was trying to call me back — and I was hypnotised.
“I woke hours later, disorientated, with a lot of missed calls. Hypnotherapy — would recommend, it was the greatest nap of my entire life.”
I could always do with a kip but am not sure I’ll be following Harry’s lead with this suggestion.
He is currently deep into his 30-date New York residency as part of his Together, Together tour — and you’ll soon be able to see footage.
He is currently deep into his 30-date New York residency as part of his Together, Together tour — and you’ll soon be able to see footageCredit: AFPJohn Wilson has been filming Harry in the Big Apple since August, for a documentary being made by Universal PicturesCredit: Getty
It’s been announced indie filmmaker John Wilson has been filming Harry in the Big Apple since August, for a documentary being made by Universal Pictures.
The project will feature a mix of live performances as well as glimpses into Harry’s life, as well as stories from his army of fans.
Instead of it going straight to streaming services, like similar documentaries for other artists, demand is so high that it may be released in cinemas.
I gave his tour five stars when I went to the opening night, in Amsterdam in May.
So I would not need much persuading to get along to the pictures and see it all over again.
JAY’S SAY ON AI
Jay Aston believes it’s ‘cheating’ if countries submit songs produced by AI for the Eurovision Song ContestCredit: GettyJay, whose band Bucks Fizz won in 1981 with Making Your Mind Up, said: ‘I can see why people do it – it’s very lazy. It’s cheating’Credit: Getty
BUCKS FIZZ star Jay Aston believes it’s “cheating” if countries submit songs produced by AI for the Eurovision Song Contest, amid a brewing controversy about its usage.
No rules have yet been introduced to ban its use and Swedish broadcasters have admitted they have no way of testing whether songs submitted for the contest have used AI.
However, Norway has banned fully AI-generated tracks from its submissions.
In an exclusive chat at best magazine’s Heroes Awards, Jay, whose band won in 1981 with Making Your Mind Up, said: “I can see why people do it – it’s very lazy. It’s cheating.
“Obviously for Eurovision I do think it should be a really homegrown song.
“I imagine that it will happen. I don’t think it should, but if everyone’s doing it, then you’ve got to compete.
“But I think that we are influenced by so many things, even when we’re writing with pen and paper, we’re still influenced.
“The world is full of influencers – where do you draw the line?I guess we’re going to have to get used to it because we’re not going to stop it.”
The UK is yet to announce who will represent us in Bulgaria next May, but given we came dead last this year with Look Mum No Computer’s song Eins, Zwei, Drei, the only way is up.
Tate’s late summer vibe
Tate McRae poses in tiny shorts on the set of her new music videoCredit: Pierre-Ange Carlotti
IT’S still summer for Tate McRae as she poses in tiny shorts on the set of her new music video.
She looked sensational as she promoted her single Housewife, after the video racked up more than five million views following its release on Friday.
According to the Official Charts, it is on course to debut at No3 this Friday, while Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan’s collaboration Expectations is set to top the charts.
In fact, it looks like there could be lots of change in the Top Ten, with Taylor Swift’s Patient Zero down to No6, while Zach Bryan and Lana Del Rey’s new collaboration Lies is on track to go to No10.
And it’s good news for Fontaines D.C., because following the release of their album Dopamine Chamber on Friday, their track Marianne is at No8 followed by Six Shot Morning at No9.
SKYE’S THE LIMIT FOR FREYA
BRITISH rising star Freya Skye is about to set history aged just 17, becoming the youngest solo headliner at the O2 Academy Brixton in South London.
Freya, who has garnered millions of fans through the Disney film Zombies 4 and a stint on Junior Eurovision in 2022, has sold out her entire 74-date world tour across Australia, New Zealand, North America, Asia, Europe and Latin America.
She will play two nights at the 5,000-capacity venue in Brixton next month and across her tour, she’s sold 222,000 tickets.
It’s a groundbreaking start to her career, particularly as she is yet to even release her debut album.
But I’ve been told fans should expect that in 2027, with massive opportunities in the pipeline to turn her into the next British superstar.
The singer, who will tour the UK next year to mark 25 years since he won the show, said: “Adele got suspended for standing up for me . . . She punched a girl.”
SAM PLAN FOR TOUR NEXT YEAR
SAM FENDER is gearing up to return in 2027 and will announce a string of shows in the coming weeks.
The Seventeen Going Under singer has updated his website with a logo for “SF27” which teases “live shows, music, more.”
It comes days after a rumour that he could headline Glastonbury next summer, which would be amazing.
It’s been a quiet year for Sam following his busy 2025 which saw him go to No1 with his third album, People Watching, and play an extensive tour.
Although he hasn’t been out and about in 2026, his music has still been omnipresent, with his Olivia Dean collaboration Rein Me In becoming the longest-reigning No1 single of all time in the UK, with 23 weeks at the top.
Miley on Dolly good form
Miley Cyrus has returned to the stage for her first full-length concert in four years, fuelling hope she may finally tour againCredit: GettyMiley’s set included a cover of Jolene, to honour her late godmother Dolly PartonCredit: Getty
MILEY CYRUS has returned to the stage for her first full-length concert in four years, fuelling hope she may finally tour again.
She performed at the Hollywood Bowl in LA on Friday ahead of a second gig performance there last night, in a tentative return to live shows.
Miley has been open about how anxious she gets performing to big crowds, but looked in her element during her 18-song set.
This included a cover of Jolene, to honour her late godmother Dolly Parton.
Thanking fans, she said: “It’s been 20 years of us on this journey, this evolution, this meta-morphosis. You have not skipped a beat.
“I am so, so appreciative of your support. It’s been steadfast, and it’s been deeply felt. The appreciation I have for you is never forgotten on show days.”
DAYTIME TV ARE A RATINGS WINNER
Indie rockers Daytime TV are riding high with new single Meditate and forthcoming album RodeoCredit: Handout
INDIE rockers Daytime TV are riding high with new single Meditate and forthcoming album Rodeo, so there’s no stopping them, unless frontman Will Irvine’s rock ’n’ roll antics land him in handcuffs again.
The singer was arrested in America after being caught buying booze underage, but reckons his Scottish roots came to the rescue.
I’m told one cop said: “This guy’s from Scotland, He knows William Wallace.”
Incredibly, the officer handed back the band’s contraband, leaving them feeling invincible.
Will added: “They’ve given us back the beer and we realised we were unstoppable, because the police had given us booze.”
Will, John Caddick, Naomi Boschetti and Gareth Thompson hit the road last week, kicking off their UK tour in Hull.
If they make it through the tour without another run-in with the law, Daytime TV will be ones to watch.
ROSEVILLE, Calif. — San Diego County Republican Carl DeMaio had a warning for conservatives at a get-out-the-vote rally this month in Placer County.
“You are doomed,” DeMaio said, crooning the phrase like a foghorn. The audience chuckled.
“Doomed” is DeMaio’s description for races that lack a conservative candidate. Skip voting in those, he told the crowd, briskly walking them through the Nov. 3 ballot.
Rep. Carl DeMaio speaks to attendees during a “Beer, BBQ & Ballots” event for Proposition 39 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds.
(Fred Greaves / For The Times)
Microphone in hand, the freshman state legislator paced the floor, threw up his hands and scowled as he declared California a “communist state,” the progressive Bay Area “the gates of hell” and Hillary Clinton “the wicked witch.”
Urging volunteers to door-knock at Republican households, he instructed them to ignore Democratic homes entirely.
“I don’t need to remind them there’s an election going on,” he said, prompting more laughs.
DeMaio, 52, is emerging as a prominent voice for California Republicans, promising a path back to power and delighting audiences with his sharp takedowns of Democrats. His vehicle this election is Proposition 39 — he is coauthor of the ballot measure — which would require Californians to provide ID when voting, an initiative backed by millions of dollars from conservatives and condemned by the state’s Democratic leaders and voting rights experts.
A woman grabs a “Yes on 39” lawn sign at the Nevada County Fairgrounds.
(Fred Greaves / For The Times)
On his YouTube channel, he regularly skewers Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Sacramento “swamp” and the media with shows titled, “Thinking of California? 3 Reasons Not to!” and “Socialism on the CA Ballot in 2026!”
His advocacy group, Reform California, supports conservative candidates and helps raise money. Backed by volunteers, the group is usurping the California Republican Party’s influence, according to both his critics and allies.
“Republicans are tired of what’s going on in the state of California, and they’re looking for somebody to lead them out of the minority,” said Corey Gustafson, former chair of the San Diego County Republican Party. “Many people think Carl is the answer to that.”
An alternative GOP machine
In an interview at Reform California’s Escondido office, DeMaio said his goal is to restore political balance in the state by electing more Republicans.
“I’m trying to get my party to pull its head out of its ass, be more effective at campaigning, and get its ideas across,” DeMaio said, ticking off values he believes the Republican Party should champion: socially moderate positions, environmental stewardship and challenging big corporations.
Though the GOP has a poor track record on those issues, DeMaio says: “I’m just simply tapping into something that already exists, that just needs leadership.”
Fairgoers listen to Rep. Carl DeMaio in Nevada County.
(Fred Greaves / For The Times)
Nearby, scores of volunteers sat at long tables, stuffing voter guides — approved and printed by DeMaio’s team — into envelopes. It is an immense undertaking, with every guide tailored to the voter’s local election. Volunteers hand-write the voter’s name and address on the envelope to give it a personal touch.
Matt Rexroad, a political consultant who ran an independent expenditure against DeMaio in his 2024 Assembly race, said that he doesn’t like DeMaio’s “combative side” but praised his effectiveness.
“He’s hardworking and he’s everywhere,” Rexroad said. “What the California Republican Party and the various central committees should be doing? He is basically running and setting up a system that’s totally outside of that which answers to him.”
Ahead of the June primary, the state Republican Party sent a cease-and-desist letter to DeMaio challenging his use of its trademarked elephant emblem and the phrase “Official Republican Voter Guide” on Reform California campaign materials.
Republican candidates endorsed by DeMaio ultimately beat out the party establishment-backed candidates in two significant races in the primary.
Matt Shupe, a spokesperson for the state Republican Party, said that Reform California is benefiting from the strong “foundation” that the party built. “We’re stronger when we work together, and we look forward to doing just that,” Shupe said.
Clashes with business and labor
DeMaio grew up in Orange County, attended a Jesuit school in Maryland and graduated from Georgetown University.
His mother died of breast cancer when he was a teenager, essentially leaving him an orphan because his father was not in the picture, according to DeMaio.
He frequently speaks about his childhood adversity. He recalled visiting his mother in the hospital during her illness, describing how she hid her leg under a blanket and joked that doctors had mistakenly amputated it. “She had a great sense of humor,” he said. “I try to also, no matter what, to keep a sense of humor.”
After college, he founded a think tank dedicated to reforming government. He co-wrote a 2003 report with suggestions for closing California’s massive budget deficit after the dot-com bubble left the state reeling.
Former state Sen. Jim Brulte said the Senate Republican Caucus spent several days reading through DeMaio’s recommendations and ultimately adopted several. DeMaio is “wicked smart,” said Brulte, also the former state GOP party leader.
Former San Diego mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio announces a recall effort against San Diego Mayor Bob Filner in 2013 in San Diego.
(Denis Poroy / Associated Press)
Elected to the San Diego City Council in 2008, he cast himself as a fiscal watchdog, challenging labor unions and businesses’ influence.
He lost a bid for San Diego mayor in 2012, and two tries for Congress, and also twice pursued a voter ID ballot measure before aborting the efforts.
In 2018, he led the successful recall effort against state Sen. Josh Newman over the Fullerton politician’s support of a gas tax, part of what DeMaio called a “gazelle strategy” to target seemingly vulnerable Democrats.
In DeMaio’s winning 2024 state Assembly race, he heavily featured former Gov. Pete Wilson and his signature push for border control. “Gov. Pete Wilson was right,” DeMaio’s ad proclaimed, before blaming both major parties for “doing nothing” on illegal immigration for decades.
The first openly gay Republican Assembly member, he represents a suburban and rural district in northern and eastern San Diego County that covers Santee, Poway and the unincorporated communities of Julian, Ramona and Borrego Springs.
He is running for reelection on Nov. 3 against Democrat Gerald Boursiquot, an IT contractor.
Friction in Sacramento
On his first day in office, DeMaio introduced bills to require voter ID at the polls, repeal California’s “sanctuary state” law, and bar elected officials from trading stocks, among others. All died in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.
DeMaio dubbed it the “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” in reference to the conservative influencer, and said it would prevent activists from doing their jobs. MAGA loyalists flocked to Sacramento in solidarity.
The Democrats “can’t stand him,” said Roger Niello, a Republican state senator from Fair Oaks. “And I think he takes wonderful pleasure in that.”
Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, a Democrat from Long Beach, called DeMaio’s views and tactics “repugnant” but said he has a friendship with the politician.
“When the camera is on, he’s antagonistic, bombastic and has the capacity to start a nuclear war,” Lowenthal said. “In private, he’s affable, thoughtful and willing to exchange ideas with anyone.”
Campaign Chair Carl DeMaio speaks during a rally at the Santa Clarita Activities Center in 2021 for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ouster.
(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Now wrapping up his first term in Sacramento, DeMaio said he dislikes living part time in the state capital and avoids its political culture of nightly fundraisers. Instead, he said, he goes to bed early so he can wake up and record his daily show.
“I’m actually an introvert,” he said. “People don’t believe that. When I am not doing politics, I just want to be home with my cats, my partner and just try to disconnect from the world.”
The voter ID push
DeMaio’s Proposition 39 campaign bus pulled up to Folsom last week, part of a 71-stop tour ahead of the election.
“A lot of people, especially in the Trump era, really like someone who’s loud and fighting for them,” said Sadie Foster, a 34-year-old from Sacramento who volunteered serving potato salad at the event. “Even on the Democrat side, you see that.”
DeMaio, speaking to a large crowd, called his voter ID initiative the “most exciting thing on the ballot to get our base to turn out.”
If passed, Proposition 39 would require voters to present identification at the polls or write a government-approved PIN on the back of mail-in ballot envelopes. It would also require county officials to update voter rolls by removing individuals who have moved or passed away.
Opponents, including prominent Democrats and many voting experts, argue that the measure would make voting harder and disproportionately disenfranchise low-income citizens, rural residents and communities of color. They also point to data consistently indicating that voter fraud, including by noncitizens, is exceedingly rare.
President Trump, who remains widely unpopular in California, also supports stricter voter ID laws. Unlike Trump, DeMaio actively encourages mail-in voting.
A spot for the initiative features a woman asking rhetorically, “Can you dislike Donald Trump and still vote YES on Prop. 39 for voter ID? Yes, you can!”
In an interview, DeMaio linked the proposition to what he described as his longtime interest in election integrity. At the same time, no voter wants to see “an ineligible person casting a vote,” he said.
At an online strategy meeting with volunteers last month, DeMaio instructed them to target “low-propensity, lazy Republicans.”
One volunteer suggested tying their campaign to Trump’s offer to pay voters a $5,000 dividend if Republicans keep control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
“Please,” said DeMaio, sounding frustrated. “Stay on message. Do not get distracted by shiny objects. Because those shiny objects, according to the data, won’t help us win.”
Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel didn’t shy away from discussing his job security Thursday amid a frustrating 0-5 start to the season.
“I feel like it’s core to my job to always feel that way,” McDaniel said when asked if he’s coaching for his job. “I need to do the very best I possibly can, all the time, because [of] the players, the organization, the fans.
“So, that’s second nature. … I think it’s disrespectful to all those that choose to invest in our game and our team to not look at things that way. The second you get comfortable in this league, it’s a wrap; it’s too good. I will be doing my very best, because from an integrity standpoint, I think it’s really insulting to do anything else. And that won’t change.”
McDaniel says his determination is unwavering. His place in the Chargers’ organization, however, might not be if things don’t change soon.
The Chargers, who rank 10th in total yards allowed per game on defense (311.6), enter Sunday’s road game against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs averaging just 16.8 points per game, the third-lowest mark in the NFL above just the also-winless Miami Dolphins (14.0) and Tennessee Titans (11.6). Quarterback Justin Herbert ranks 22nd in passing (937 passing yards) and is last in the NFL in total quarterback rating (26.6).
Injuries have played a significant role in the Chargers’ offensive struggles. Eight offensive players either didn’t practice or were limited in practice because of injuries on Wednesday. Four rookies started on the offensive line in Sunday’s loss to the Denver Broncos and wide receivers Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston and Brenen Thompson, didn’t play.
McDaniel insists that he’s been giving the franchise all he has.
“I would be so embarrassed if I told you, ‘Well, now I’m going to try harder,’” McDaniel said. “Like, what? What have you been doing? I’m confident in the players that we have. The improvement that I see before the results generally lead to good things. But talk is cheap. We got to do.”
A Miami jury returned a mixed verdict Tuesday evening in the domestic violence civil trial against Tyreek Hill, awarding his estranged wife $500,000 in compensatory damages, while finding the five-time All-Pro wide receiver liable for two of 10 claims of battery.
Lakeeta Vaccaro Hill was denied punitive damages by the six-person jury that deliberated for less than four hours. The week-long trial addressed allegations of physical and verbal abuse committed by Hill against Vaccaro, who sought $8 million.
“Mr. Hill was very pleased that he was able to get his story out and to be able to tell the world what he’s not been able to speak about,” Hill’s attorney Christi Bright told reporters. “He’s very grateful.”
Hill, a free agent who last played when he suffered a knee injury Sept. 29, 2025, could face discipline under the NFL personal conduct policy should he sign with a team. A player can be suspended even in the absence of criminal charges and previous related conduct can figure into any discipline.
The NFL has said Hill’s personal conduct is under review. He pleaded guilty to assault and battery by strangulation of his pregnant girlfriend in 2015 when he was a student at Oklahoma State and was the subject of a child-welfare investigation in 2019 after his three-year-old son suffered a broken arm.
During the civil trial in Miami-Dade County, Hill was found liable for one count of battery for a January 2024 incident and another from April 2025 that occurred one day before Vaccaro Hill filed for divorce. Their marriage lasted 18 months.
Vaccaro Hill testified during the trial that Hill shoved her to the ground, twisted her breasts, pulled her hair and threatened her. Hill also testified, admitting to telling Vaccaro Hill that he could “get people to hurt her.” He also testified that during one episode, he used enough force to create a hole in a wall he pressed her against.
He testified that Vaccaro Hill stole money from him and that the couple argued about a post-nuptial agreement and his relationships with the mothers of his seven other children. Hill and Vaccaro Hill have one daughter together, Capri.
“I wish I could have handled that situation a whole lot better,” Hill testified. “I wish I could have, you know, talked to my wife better. … I just wish I could just take it all back.”
Hill, 32, began his NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016 and made eight consecutive Pro Bowls, six with the Chiefs and two with the Dolphins, who released him last offseason. He ranks sixth among active players with 11,363 receiving yards and seventh with 819 receptions.
The Chiefs have expressed interest in reuniting with the speedy 5-foot-10 receiver, who was a favorite target of quarterback Patrick Mahomes when Kansas City won a Super Bowl in 2020. Hill has made $143.68 million in career NFL player salary and bonuses, according to Over the Cap.
Away from Emmerdale, Matty Barton star Ash Palmisciano is loved-up with his partner and went through a heartbreaking loss a few years back
Emmerdale Matty star’s life from transition to rarely-seen partner he’s ‘lucky to have’s
Ash Palmisciano has become a firm favourite on Emmerdale playing Matty Barton – but what do we know about his real life?
The actor made his debut on the ITV soap back in 2018, as the son of soap legend Moira (Natalie J. Robb). And it’s fair to say he has played a part in several big storylines.
From a shock prison stint to his adorable marriage to Amy (Natalie Ann Jamieson), who died last year, his time in the Dales has not been short of memorable.
But who is actor Ash’s real-life partner? And what heartbreaking loss has he suffered? Here’s everything we know about the Matty Barton star.
Ash on his transition
In 2018, he got his big break on Emmerdale when he was cast as Matty Barton. Ash was originally brought in to advise soap bosses on their new transgender character, via the charity All About Trans.
Upon finding out Ash is an actor, Emmerdale bosses asked him to audition and soon cast him as Matty. The actor described his casting as a “big thing” and branded his character “groundbreaking”.
The 36-year-old has previously spoken about his own real-life transition, revealing to The Mirror that it differed hugely from Matty’s in Emmerdale. While Matty went through his transition alone, Ash said he was surrounded by family and support.
“My life is unlike Matty’s. I had family around me from the start, so it is definitely different. Matty’s story might not be the same as mine, but it has helped having that insight into how he might feel,” the actor said.
Ash on horrific abuse he faced in street
In 2024, Ash bravely opened up about the senseless abuse he faces just for his identity, but highlighted how many Emmerdale fans got in touch when he joined the soap. He told The Mirror: “I’ve experienced trolling. I’ve heard horrific language and had disturbing threats.
“But actually, when I joined Emmerdale, I was shocked by how many people wanted to talk and share their own experiences. I keep one letter in my bag that’s so touching about the difference the character made to someone, and to their family.”
Recalling one incident, he shared: “One time, a guy had clearly had a lot of alcohol, he was angry and aggressive and came up to my face and told me, ‘No matter how hard you try, you’ll never be a man.
“I know he’d had a lot to drink, but surely he must have known how hurtful that can be?”
Ashley’s family heartbreak
Ash sadly suffered his own personal grief in 2022 after the death of his beloved mum aged 60, after reported complications from long-term rheumatoid arthritis. He told The Mirror: “Mum was the most important person in my life.”
He then expressed his gratitude that Shea was able to meet his mum before she died. Ash revealed: “I’m glad Mum got to meet her a few times before she died.
“We’ve been through a lot in a short space of time. I believe lockdown taught us all that you know straight away if something’s meant to be, though.”
Ash’s romance with girlfriend
Away from the soap, actor Ash is in a relationship with his girlfriend Shea Rowan. The couple went Instagram official on New Year’s Eve as they rang in 2022 together.
Ash has previously spoken about Shea and gushed over his girlfriend for all of her support. He told OK! in 2024: “She’s really proud, and I’m very lucky to have her. She’s very level-headed and chilled-out.”
However, Ash quipped, “Shea was a bit annoyed that I got married in the show. She helps me learn my lines and really helps me with the wedding stuff.
“We’re good mates with Natalie [Ann Jamieson] and her partner too – we live quite close to each other, so we all hang out together.”
Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 8:00pm on ITV1 and ITVX
The feature is co-produced by the Daily Wire — the right-wing media company launched in 2015 by conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro — and Bonfire Legend, a production company formed by prolific producer Dallas Sonnier in 2021.
Frequently featured in movies targeting Latino audiences, Trejo built a devoted following within the demographic over the years as one of the more prominent Mexican American actors in Hollywood.
He was criticized online for his involvement in “Pawn Shop” due to its positive portrayal of ICE agents, who have been antagonizing the Latino community at an accelerated clip over the last two years. Trejo was called a “sellout” and a “traitor” across social media in recent days.
“I want to address some social media comments about me. Make no mistake. I am a proud Mexican who has always been and will always be a supporter of my community,” Trejo wrote in an Instagram post. “I am also obviously pro-immigrant. I am not pro ICE. I know where I come from and I know our struggles. I am an actor. My job is to tell a story.”
Trejo’s casting was first announced by the Montana newspaper Bozeman Daily Chronicle after speaking with one of Trejo’s cast members on the film’s set in Livingston, Mont., as well as Livingston locals who had seen and photographed the actor in the city’s downtown area.
Deadline confirmed that Trejo, along with “Reservoir Dogs” actor Harvey Keitel and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” star Henry Thomas, was scheduled to appear in the film after reviewing the call sheet.
The 82-year-old Trejo has previously voiced support for immigrant communities. During the initial onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020, he was part of a coalition of Latino actors who pushed forward the #AyudaEnEspanol campaign, which advocated for providing COVID-19 resources kits in Spanish for Latino migrant farmworkers across the U.S.
In an interview with TMZ in fall 2025, the actor, who has appeared in over 400 films and television programs, was asked to give a message to the families that had been affected by ICE raids.
“To the families, keep up hope,” Trejo said. “Help your neighbor and do whatever you can for people in need.”
His recent statement came after “Pawn Shop” made headlines for hitting snags in its production in Livingston following local protests. Residents claimed the movie’s production interrupted local businesses’ operations — and that the crew did not properly communicate with businesses about its schedule.
Production on the film was temporarily paused on Oct. 3 from an order by the Livingston city commission. Filming resumed on Oct. 6 after Livingston officials reinstated permits for the movie.
Celebrity Traitors star James Blunt made a major move at the Round Table in the latest episode of the BBC show, which left Hannah Fry and Jerry Hall vulnerable for murder
10:38, 08 Oct 2026Updated 10:38, 08 Oct 2026
James Blunt has admitted to some serious skulduggery in Celebrity Traitors(Image: BBC)
James Blunt has admitted to some serious skulduggery on Celebrity Traitors that only fan managed to rumble.
The You’re Beautiful crooner, 52, is among a slew of stars who have signed up for the second series of the BBC show, which kicked off this month.
Last week, James made a very subtle move at the Round Table, while his co-stars, Hannah Fry and Jerry Hall were vulnerable for murder to save the one he wanted to stay in the game.
After the rest of the Faithfuls received a shield to keep them safe, the singer claimed in front of the cast that he was suspicious of maths whizz, Hannah, while dramatically declaring that the ‘most obvious solution is often truest’.
Musing over the likelihood of one murder and a recruitment, James proposed the perfect plan would be to murder one threat to the Traitors – Amol Rajan – and recruit an even bigger threat – Hannah.
The nail-biting episode ended on a cliffhanger. However, James has now taken to Instagram admitting that mentioning Hannah was actually a ruse to stop her from being murdered as he needed her on side.
One eagled-eyed viewer posted: “I’d like to think it’s a tactic to keep her in the game. If her name is brought up the Traitors are less likely to murder her.”
Confirming that this was his game plan all along, James replied: “Bingo!”
We don’t know if Hannah, stays or not, however some fans reckon she must have survived another night on the show after James appeared to let the cat out of the bag online.
Fans are also wondering if thespian Richard E. Grant has been given the chop after the tense Round Table ended without any votes.
Richard was in journalist Amol’s bad books after being the first murder of the actor last week.
Speaking on Radio 4 today, Amol said that Richard, 69, apologised to him and admitted that he went “completely mad” filming the BBC show.
“Absolutely [I played it all wrong],” he said. “There is generally a tactic that is applicable and effective – you’ve got to try and stay schtum. And the one or two things I might say in my defence are: you know how these things work—it’s all in the edit.
“Also, lots of people were having a go at Richard, we all had a go at him because he said he was a traitor, which has never happened before and is a completely ludicrous thing to do.”
Revealing the pair had lunch together to clear the air, Amol concluded: “So it wasn’t just me doing it. I actually had a lunch with him (it was all filmed in Spring) a few weeks ago, and I did ask him and he said, ‘I’m so sorry, I went completely mad and thought you were a threat.'”
A quick glance from the sidewalk shows a midsize home in the Valley. Fallen leaves from a large tree scatter across the neatly trimmed front lawn. It’s just like any other house in a suburban neighborhood outside of Los Angeles.
Inside, there’s a whole network TV operation going on.
The three-bedroom chateau is packed with people. Every inch of space in the house is being used to make “Good Night With Ben Gleib” happen. The living room TV displays the multiple angles of cameras spread across the house. The pantry doubles as a control room while the backyard shed was turned into a venue for the musical guest.
It’s not a traditional late-night talk show. It’s not on a legacy network, it isn’t filmed in a studio, and the U.S. president isn’t calling the host a “deranged lunatic.”
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This show is filmed in a room of Gleib’s house that was converted into an 18-seat studio. The host drinks a cocktail as he delivers his topical monologue in front of blue drapes, and after the taping concludes the cameras continue to roll and capture the nightcap, where Gleib mingles with audience members.
Rather than following the traditional path — from stand-up or sketch comedy to eventually landing behind a late-night desk — Gleib built his own opportunity and releases it on YouTube, a trend becoming more prominent in the comedy world.
“The landscape has changed very largely,” Gleib said. “It’s hard to make your mark in TV and a stand-up appearance on late night doesn’t change your career like it use to, you really have to find creative ways to create your dream career.”
Production staff controls the taping of the show “Good Night With Ben Gleib” on Sept. 16.
(Brian Feinzimer / For The Times)
Since “Lazy Sunday” from “Saturday Night Live” hit the airwaves and caught a second wind on YouTube, the comedy landscape “had changed forever,” according to Seth Meyers.
“What made it so great then and still today is that it was an instant hit but also felt DIY in a way things hadn’t for so long,” said the “Late Night” host in an interview with GQ.
Social media platforms like YouTube have helped make it easier for anyone with a camera to create original content and spread it to the masses. The hashtag “comedy” has 20 billion views on TikTok and genres such as stand-up and sketch comedy grow every year, according to Business Insider. Meanwhile, late-night television has taken a dip in audience and ad revenue.
The old guard of comedy is changing and the DIY movement has transformed fame in the comedy world. Comics no longer have to wait to get stage time on a late-night talk show, they just need to get it done, said Nicole Blaine, owner of the Crow comedy club. It is also inexpensive to create digital content. With platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, the ability to be seen is easier, she added.
“I don’t think you can count on anyone to ‘make it,’” Blaine said. “I think you literally have to make it yourself and I do believe that the industry [is] paying attention behind the scenes in more ways than the artists know.
“You want to be your own showrunner,” she added.
Makeup artist Lisa Lopez gets musical guest Ada Pasternak ready in the kitchen of Ben Gleib’s home, also the set of “Good Night.”
(Brian Feinzimer / For The Times)
Representation comes and goes, but the fan base a comedian creates for themselves stays with them, Blaine said. Creating digital content for social media to back up a career in stand-up demonstrates that success is completely within the control of comics, she continued.
The DIY formula relies on taking advantage of the skills each performer has and using them to self-produce material to build a fan base, a concept that comedian Emmy Browning is putting into practice. Using her background in screenwriting, she pitched “Hands!” to the Elysian Theater and performed it for its Spaghetti Festival, designed to showcase new work, within three months.
“I essentially wrote, cast, directed, produced, got a crew together …,” she said. “It was just a crazy team of people that came together for no money to make this thing happen.”
“Hands!” spoofs FX’s “The Bear,” while satirizing TV conventions, like the will-they-won’t-they romantic plotlines, multicamera operation and filming in front of a live studio audience. Browning’s show was performed live while a camera crew shot different angles that were being projected on screens located on stage.
It made the stream of the show feel like an actual live performance. Now the stream can be seen by anyone, anywhere in the world, at any time. Browning said when her comic friends began to create clips for social media, they were able to travel around the country and perform for the fans they’ve garnered from their content.
“There are so many different ways and opportunities to be seen first,” Browning said. “…If you have the stamina to generate content online that promotes yourself, you can really make a living or create a fan base yourself.”
Self-producing isn’t only about promotion, it’s about creative ownership.
“There’s nothing as creatively freeing as being your own boss and not having to conform to network notes or the comedic ideas and opinions of people who have never been comedians and have never been recognized for their comedy skills,” Gleib said.
Guests are interviewed during the taping of “Good Night With Ben Gleib.”
(Brian Feinzimer / For The Times)
The sentiment is shared by Ron Lynch, a comedian known for voicing Hugo, the neurotic health inspector in Fox’s animated series “Bob’s Burgers,” who’s produced a variety show at the Elysian Theater called “Tomorrow!” for 20 years now.
The show gives participants the opportunity to do whatever they want, within a five-minute time frame. Half the acts are stand-ups, the other half “are just weird.”
“We’re not responsible for sponsors or anything like that,” Lynch said. “We can basically do whatever we want.”
Self-producing allows creators to explore their voice without any limitations.
“What we do is provide entertainment,” Lynch said.
In the new DIY era, it is not a matter of when a performer will make it, but rather how much a performer really wants it, Blaine said. It’s a lot of work that needs to get done, even after a day job, but it will separate the people who want it badly over those not wanting to put in the time, she added.
It isn’t about landing a late-night talk show, it is about creating.
“It isn’t easy,” Blaine said. “But artists will always find a way if we really want to do it.”
The DIY movement also comes with big risks that will not work unless the comedian believes in it, said Gleib. His team is putting a lot on the shoulders of the comedian to reinvent late night and make it a lucrative business.
And if the big swing doesn’t work?
“I’ll have to come crawling back to the traditional entertainment industry, hoping that I still have a place there,” he added.
