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Tens of thousands of readers of all ages, from toddlers clutching picture books to longtime fans carrying armfuls of paperbacks, fanned out across the USC campus Saturday for the opening day of the 31st Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, packing panels and lining up to see favorite authors and celebrity guests.

It was too early to know how many people attended the first day of the event, billed as the country’s largest literary festival, though organizers said they expect between 150,000 and 155,000 attendees over the weekend. By late morning, the campus was already bustling, with strong turnout expected for appearances by author T.C. Boyle and actors Sarah Jessica Parker and David Duchovny, among others.

Founded in 1996 and spread across eight outdoor stages and 12 indoor venues, the festival has become a fixture on Los Angeles’ cultural calendar, bringing together more than 550 storytellers for panels, author interviews, book signings, performances and screenings spanning a wide range of genres, from children’s story times to cooking demonstrations.

This year’s lineup features a broad mix of writers, performers and public figures, including comedian Larry David, musician Lionel Richie, multihyphenate businesswoman (and Beyoncé’s mother) Tina Knowles, author and social critic Roxane Gay and scholar Reza Aslan.

Under sunny skies, actor and reality TV personality Lisa Rinna brought humor and a bit of bite to a 10:30 a.m. conversation on the festival’s main stage. The “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum released her second memoir, “You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It,” in February, chronicling her time on the show and her recent turn on Season 4 of Peacock’s reality competition series “The Traitors.”

Reflecting on her approach to “Traitors,” Rinna said she wanted to strip away the conflict-driven persona she had cultivated on “Real Housewives” and present a more unfiltered version of herself. “I was like, ‘Self, listen. You’re gonna go in there and just be you. No housewife s—, none of that reactionary stuff.’ ”

In conversation with Times senior television writer Yvonne Villarreal, Rinna also spoke candidly about the loss of her mother, Lois Rinna, in 2021 and how her grief manifested in a feeling of rage while she was filming Season 12 of “Real Housewives.”

“It really took me by surprise,” she said. “And you have to give space for it because you can’t make it go away. … They always say time heals, but time makes everything just a little less intense.”

At a noon panel titled “Fire Escape: Wildfires and the Changing Geography of Southern California,” moderated by Times climate and energy reporter Blanca Begert, author and former wildland firefighter Jordan Thomas said the scale and frequency of California wildfires have shifted dramatically in recent decades.

“The vast majority of the largest wildfires in California’s recorded history have happened just in the past 20 years,” said Thomas, author of last year’s National Book Award finalist “When It All Burns: Fighting Fire in a Transformed World.” “While I was a hotshot, there were three of those fires burning simultaneously, including a million-acre fire — more than used to burn across the entire American West over the course of a decade.”

In the early afternoon, former Georgia Rep. Stacey Abrams spoke with moderator Leigh Haber about artificial intelligence and voter suppression in front of an enthusiastic, packed crowd at USC’s Bovard Auditorium.

Abrams’ latest Avery Keene novel, “Coded Justice,” came out last year and explores the role of artificial intelligence in the healthcare industry. AI has already become enmeshed in everyday life, she said, asking audience members to raise their hands if they had used TSA PreCheck or a streaming service.

“AI is a tool … but it is created by someone, it is programmed by someone, it is controlled by someone,” she said. “Regulation is not about slowing down progress. It is about asking questions and saying that in the absence of answers, we’re going to put on reasonable restraints that we can revisit.”

Abrams also revealed that her next book, the fourth in her Avery Keene thriller series, will focus on prediction markets.

“I write Avery Keene novels to tell stories about social justice, but I put it in a form that’s accessible to people who don’t think that they are social justice people,” Abrams said. “I want to meet people where they are, not where I want them to be.”

She also encouraged audience members to push back against voter suppression and defend democracy by volunteering at polling places — even in reliably blue districts — warning that she believes masked paramilitary groups will be allowed to patrol voting locations and target people of color in the upcoming midterm elections.

The festival kicked off Friday evening with the 46th Los Angeles Times Book Prizes ceremony at Bovard Auditorium, emceed by Times columnist LZ Granderson, recognizing both emerging voices and established writers.

Winners were announced in 13 categories for works published last year. Find a full list of winners here.

Oakland-born novelist Amy Tan, whose work often explores identity and the Chinese American immigrant experience, received the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement, and the literary nonprofit We Need Diverse Books received the Innovator’s Award for its work promoting diversity in publishing.

Accepting her award, Tan, author of the 1989 bestseller “The Joy Luck Club,” said that as a birthright citizen, she had never questioned her place in the country until recent debates over citizenship and belonging led her to reconsider whether she is, in fact, a “political writer.”

“My birthright and that of millions of others is now being argued before the Supreme Court, and no matter what the outcome is, it’s been a kick in the gut to know that those in the highest echelons of government and those who support them believe that we don’t belong.”

Tan said that as an author, “I imagine the lives of the people I write about,” and that act of compassion “reflects our politics and our beliefs. And so yes, I am a political writer.”

Addressing the attendees, Times Executive Editor Terry Tang pointed to the breadth of the weekend’s programming as an opportunity for connection and discovery. “If you take in just a fraction of these events, it will expand your mind,” she said. “This weekend gives all of us a chance to celebrate a sense of unity, purpose and support.”

The festival runs through Sunday. More information, including a schedule of events, can be found on the festival’s website.

COMIC Jack Whitehall kicked off his £250,000 wedding to model Roxy Horner yesterday by rowing a boat across a lake to her.

The 37-year-old’s romantic gesture moved some guests to tears — but his pals soon lightened the mood as they jokingly called out to him: “Shagger!”

The comment was believed to be a reference to his appearance on BBC ancestry programme Who Do You Think You Are? in 2019.

It saw Jack discover that his great-great-grandfather Richard, a travelling salesman, was a bed-hopping womaniser killed by syphilis.

The funnyman smiled on the show as he called him “a bit of a shagger”.

His wedding took place in the grounds of £12million stately home Euridge Manor, near Chippenham, Wilts.

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The Georgian-style property is owned by Kate Middleton’s former boss, Jigsaw tycoon John Robinson.

Jack and Roxy invited more than 100 guests, including the comedian’s fellow TV star father Michael and mother Hilary.

Jack and 34-year-old Roxy’s two-year-old daughter Elsie acted as a flower girl.

The comedian’s sister Molly appeared to be a bridesmaid while his brother Barnaby was his best man.

Speaking to The Sun earlier this year, Jack said of Barnaby: “I gave quite a savage speech at his wedding.

“There were a few low blows he wasn’t too appreciative of.

“He’s going to have his opportunity to get his revenge on the big day.

“I’m bracing myself for that.”

Celebrity guests were said to include TV pals James Corden and Jamie Redknapp, who Jack worked with on Sky’s A League of Their Own.

Guests were asked to turn off their phones during the ceremony and were put on a social media blackout.

Cars driving in and out of the venue had blacked-out windows and there were security guards at the gates and by the entrance to the stately home.

Brit Awards host Jack and Roxy started dating in 2020 after meeting on a trip to Australia.

They got engaged in 2024.

VICTORIA Beckham has kicked off her early birthday celebrations with a lavish “girls” dinner in Miami after finally breaking her silence on her bitter feud with Brooklyn.

After her eldest son launched a scathing attack on the family with a bombshell Instagram statement back in January, the singer recently addressed the fallout for the first time.

Since speaking out on the “rift” between her family the fashion designer has been spotted letting loose at her early birthday celebrations.

Stunning Victoria took to her Instagram to show fans the incredible navy blue dress she decided to wear to the dinner.

Posing in the mirror of a huge dressing room, Victoria explained her dress of choice.

She said: “So I’m here in Miami and tonight I’m going out with my girlfriends for my birthday and I’ve got this amazing navy blue jersey dress which I love.

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“I love the waist detail here, which really brings the waist in making it look super super toned. It’s got a slit up the side as well… It is the perfect party dress for a night out with my girlfriends.”

Victoria, who turns 52 today, looked sizzling in the tight fitting dress as she showed off her toned physique.

The Spice Girls star had her hair styled in natural waves and her makeup was flawless, complete with a very subtle smoky eye.

She accessorised the chic outfit with some blue open toed stilettos, chunky diamond bracelets and an emerald ring.

Victoria and her closet gal pals sat down for a very bougie meal at Italian restaurant Casadonna.

For starters they had focaccia bread, followed by a choice of grilled octopus or a baby gem lettuce caesar salad.

And for their third and final course the girls had the option to pick between filet mignon, branzino or beef ragu bolognase.

Victoria’s daughter Harper, 14, was also present at the girls dinner as she was seen giving her mum a big hug.

The singer-turned-fashion-designer captioned the snap: “I love you so much @harperbeckham.”

Victoria appeared over the moon as Harper surprised her with a huge birthday cake, which was complete with regal white icing and a singular gold candle.

Earlier this week Victoria broke her silence on her long-running feud with her son, amateur chef Brooklyn, 26.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal magazine, Victoria did not refer to Brooklyn by name when asked about the rift but discussed how she had only ever tried to “protect and love our children”.

The Spice Girls star said: “I think that we’ve always—we love our children so much.

“We’ve always tried to be the best parents that we can be. And you know, we’ve been in the public eye for more than 30 years right now, and all we’ve ever tried to do is protect our children and love our children.

“And you know, that’s all I really want to say about it.”

After 50 years of being practically synonymous with New York City, “Saturday Night Live” has opened the door to London with “Saturday Night Live UK,” following in the steps of “Law & Order UK” and possibly nothing else. Of all the cities in the world that might conceivably replicate the spirit of the NBC original, the British capital, with its urban dynamism, media concentration and 20,000 comedians, feels like the obvious, and perhaps only, choice. (“Saturday Night Live Italia” might prove me wrong, if that day ever comes.) And, of course, we’ve been in a reciprocal comedy arrangement with Britain — or at least we have been nicking their ideas for shows — for years.

The show premiered in the U.K. this past Saturday on Sky One and NOW, and began streaming stateside Sunday on Peacock, with our own Tina Fey as the first guest host. (“It’s an absolute honor and kind of historic,” she said to studio audience. “Guys, I am the youngest person to ever host ‘SNL UK!’”)

As a “Saturday Night Live” star, writer and head writer; and the co-creator of “30 Rock” — her show about a sketch show set in the very same building as “SNL” — they couldn’t have appointed a better ambassador. Lorne Michaels doubtless has her on speed dial.

Here’s the short review: In the course of a single episode, “SNL UK” managed to feel very much like its parent show — which is to say, some of it worked well and some of it worked less well, but very little of it didn’t work at all. There were sketches that ran too long, or ended weakly, but were generally redeemed by a young(ish), confident 11-member cast that made the most of them. Some will already be recognizable to British viewers. Many have had notable, or anyway noticed, careers in stand-up; in the sort of stand-up that amounts to theater; in straight theater (including Shakespeare, naturally) and/or in television and film. Fey promised to “stay out of their way as much as possible,” but she came to play, and appeared in most every sketch.

The evening followed established protocol. Cold open. (Prime Minister Keir Starmer, played by George Fouracres, is afraid to tell President Trump, whom he regards as a sort of bad boyfriend, that he’ll send no more ships to the Strait of Hormuz: “I know how badly you want to start World War III, and that’s great. You absolutely do that but we can’t be part of it.”) Hammed Animashaun and Jack Shep accompanied Fouracres in the sketch and shared the glory of shouting, “Live from London, it’s ‘Saturday Night!’” They would continue to dominate the episode.

Jack Shep, George Fouracres and Hammed Animashaun in the “SNL UK” cold open, set at 10 Downing Street, in the prime minister’s office.

(NBCUniversal)

Next: Opening credits featuring the cast members out and about in the city. Monologue, with guest appearances from Nicola Coughlan, Michael Cera and Graham Norton. (The set is very much in the style of various American iterations over the years, clock included, with the band onstage.) Film bits and sketches. Musical guest. (Wet Leg, surly.) “Weekend Update.” More skits. Musical guest returns. More comedy. Whole cast onstage at the end, ready to party.

Among other things: A Shakespeare skit found the Bard (Fouracres again) returning to Stratford from London between plays, each time more affected, beginning with an earring and finishing with an electric scooter, sunglasses and a bag of ketamine. A Paddington Bear immersive experience, with an actual bear, turns bloody, recalling Dan Aykroyd’s 1978 classic Julia Child sketch. As a bra salesperson giving an ego boost to Fey‘s customer, Emma Sidi was funnier than the sketch she was in. (It did include a cameo by Regé-Jean Page, from “Bridgerton.”) In another, David Attenborough (Fouracres again, again), using “Jurassic Park” technology, hosts a “last supper” featuring great dead Britons including Winston Churchill, Isaac Newton, Agatha Christie (Fey), “Freddie Mercury, from Queen, Elizabeth the First, from being the Queen,” and Shep’s Princess Diana, pulling focus at Attenborough’s right shoulder; all they manage to discuss is how many starters to get for the table. It had the added bonus of getting the entire cast, and guest host, onstage.

The film bits were first-rate. (Not being live has its advantages.) One advertised an anti-aging cream — Undérage, with a soft “g” — “that works so well everyone will think your man is a nonce.” (That is, a pedophile.) “My skin looks so fresh,” says a happy customer, “my husband can’t go anywhere without being hunted by right-wing pedophile-catching militias.” “My husband lost his record deal and, some, but not all of his fans.” Another concerned a sort of command center where workers labored “to make the internet as bad as we can possibly get it.”

There are, to be sure, tonal differences to British and American comedy; just compare the respective versions of “The Office,” or “Ghosts,” or “Doc Martin” with its domestic remake, “Best Medicine”; the former tends to be darker, more cutting, more absurd. (A “Weekend Update” joke about the former Prince Andrew’s new home, Marsh Fair, “of course named after the nearby marsh where his body will be found.”) Despite that, and the old saw that Britain and America are two countries separated by a common language, the show translated well transatlantically. Apart from some local topical and cultural references, and an occasional unfamiliar word whose meaning was in any case obvious from context, and some swearing, most of it could have been played with few adjustments by the American cast.

“While we may not agree with everything America does,” Fouracres’ prime minister says at the end of the cold open, “we can still be civil and embrace their wonderful, unproblematic culture.” Back at you, buddy!

The season has been extended to eight episodes from the originally ordered six. (Riz Ahmed and Jamie Dornan are scheduled to host.) Why not 10?

COUNTRY music heartthrob Riley Green furiously kicked a “jealous boyfriend” out of his gig after being hit with a phone that left him with a bloody ear.

Riley needed five stitches to piece his ear back together following the Melbourne show on his Cowboy As It Gets tour.

During the gig, he was struck by a phone pelted from the pit which caused him to stop the performance and take off his guitar.

He then pointed out the offender and directed security to haul him out. Smiling with blood running down his neck, Riley then slung his guitar back on before being cheered by the raucous crowd.

The 37-year-old told them: “Damn, am I bleeding? See how tough I am?”

He then said: “You can get your phones out, and you can turn the flashlight on – but don’t throw them at me.”

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The violent incident certainly did no harm to Riley’s aura. His smitten fans sent messages of support on Instagram.

One said: “My babyyyyyy was bleeding.”

Another wrote: “Brother, don’t hurt my wife’s boyfriend!”

A third said: “He was bleeding but he’s a Bama boy…that’s just a little scratch. He can do anything he wants!”

While on one video, a fan wrote: “PSA to the jealous boyfriends., don’t throw your phones at Riley Green xx.”

Riley had a fun time despite the incident and regretted not being able to play for longer.

He wrote on Instagram: “Ole buddy ’bout ran outta anytime minutes last night… but a hell of a time was had.”

Riley’s become a global phenomenon in recent years.

Heartfelt songs like I Wish Grandpas Never Died, There Was This Girl, and Different ‘Round Here (feat. Luke Combs) have resonated thanks to their honest storytelling and southern drawl.

He supported Morgan Wallen at his BST Hyde Park gig in 2024 but put on a headline-worthy show.

Speaking about his summer in the capital, he told Entertainment Focus: “I wasn’t nervous but I certainly didn’t expect what happened! I thought that there would be, maybe, a handful of folks that knew a couple of my songs but they knew every word to every song.

“To see the size of the crowd……. especially when you go to another country and Canada had been the only other time I had played outside the States….. things are usually gradual in building up a fan base, right? It was shocking to see how passionate people were about country music over here.”

And he returned to these shores last year for some sold out gigs of his own.