Lotus

White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood will no longer front the Marks & Spencer Christmas advert despite being involved in the promotional clip in August

Aimee Lou Wood has been ‘dropped by M&S’, according to reports. The White Lotus star was set to be the face of the new Marks and Spencer Christmas advert, but appears to have been cut from the production.

The claim comes after the retail giants are said to have initially wooed the 31-year-old actress with a huge fee. Any appearance would have seen her follow the likes of Hannah Waddingham and Sophie Ellis-Bextor in featuring in the festive fun.

However, despite appearing in the promo clip in August, Aimee is thought to have been removed by the brand who have reportedly chosen to go in a different direction.

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A spokesperson for M&S told Mail Online: “We really enjoyed working with Aimee Lou Wood during the early stages of this year’s Christmas campaign – she brought great energy and creativity to the process.

“As the campaign evolved, we started to embed a new product-focused strategy under new leadership. So, rather than a single-hero advert, the campaign was reshaped around a series of festive films and influencer content-drops aligned to key seasonal shopping moments – from gifting and hosting to partywear – delivered through a social-first, multi-channel approach across social media, digital, out-of-home and print.”

It could be seen as a blow for the Stockport-born actress. However, after finding fame in Netflix’s comedy drama Sex Education, she has continued to go from strength to strength before the M&S dropping.

She also portrayed Chelsea in the third series of the Sky Atlantic drama last year. It’s thought she had signed a deal to lead the M&S ad in the summer. But with a change in direction, comes new faces.

It comes as the eagerly anticipated John Lewis advert received a mixed response. It was attempting to pull at the heartstrings with its latest offering that focuses on a father and son struggling to find the words to say how much they care about each other.

That all changes when Dad finds a present addressed to him while packing away the wrapping paper for another year on Christmas morning. This year the famous advert is soundtracked by 90s dance icon Alison Limerick’s hit Where Love Lives, with a newly reimagined version by globally acclaimed artist and producer Labrinth also featuring.

However, while some shed a tear, others blasted the production as “Depressing, boring and not very Christmassy!”

“Just seen the John Lewis Christmas advert,” one user wrote on Twitter/X. “Thought it was dull, depressing, boring and not very Christmassy,”

Another posted on the platform: “The John Lewis Christmas Advert is TERRIBLE!!! What a bunch of nonsense. Unimaginative, unfestive, rubbish. Bring back Moz the Monster or Edgar the Dragon!! #JohnLewisChristmasAdvert #JohnLewis #Rubbish.”

A third was left conflicted, writing: “John Lewis ad 2025 – I’m not sure, it’s underlying message of father son communication is great, but it’s portrayed in such a dark way, you don’t know what’s happening, it’s very vague, and not very festive at all, bordering on depressing even!”

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A British holidaymaker has shared a look at the ‘most beautiful’ Italian town of Taormina in Sicily, which is where the second season of The White Lotus was filmed

Brits love Italy. In 2024, Finder.com reckoned that roughly 4.8 million Brits jetted off to the Mediterranean nation that year, positioning it as the third most sought-after holiday spot, only beaten by Spain and France.

But what’s there not to adore about it? It boasts sunny, warm weather, stunning coastlines, mouth-watering cuisine, and a captivating past, making it an ideal getaway for countless travellers. However, if you’ve already explored the more well-known tourist hotspots and fancy discovering somewhere fresh, one traveller is encouraging people to check out the town Taormina in Sicily, which you may recognise from the popular HBO series, The White Lotus.

“Spend the day at the beautiful Taormina with me,” Brit Isla said in her TikTok video as she shared clips of her day out in the Sicilian town.

Having been staying in a different part of the island, the video started with Isla and her partner driving an hour to get there, listening to The White Lotus soundtrack on their drive to get into the mood.

“I was so hungry by the time we arrived, so we stopped off for breakfast,” she said in the next clip as she showed off their breakfast assortment. “U had a cannoli and pistachio granito which is a traditional Sicilian breakfast.”

She went on to share their browse around the streets of Taormina and the several ceramics stores where you can by traditional Sicilian pottery.

They then continued to walk out to the town square, where they found a duo singing and playing the accordion. “I felt like I was living my Italian dream,” Isla said.

The pair then hopped on the cable car down to the stunning beach, Isola Bella, where they took a refreshing plunge in the Mediterranean waters before returning to the town for drinks, dinner, and one last cannoli before their journey home.

While Isla didn’t specify which particular spots had featured in White Lotus, the programme’s second series is set in Sicily and was partly shot in Taormina, notably at the San Domenico Palace, A Four Seasons Hotel.

The lavish hotel is a former 14th-century monastery turned luxury accommodation that visitors can book or simply explore. Although the resort depicted in the programme is fictional, the San Domenico Palace is an actual location in Taormina, Sicily, renowned for its heritage and breathtaking views, having welcomed famous guests including Audrey Hepburn and Oscar Wilde.

The series also captured some outdoor footage at Isola Bella nature reserve, which is the coastal spot that Isla featured in her clip. The town’s Ancient Greek Theatre also appeared in several episodes of the programme.

Viewers flocked to the comments section beneath Isla’s video, bombarding her with enquiries about her trip, including the weather conditions.

“Super warm in October! Needed a light jacket in the evening,” she replied in a comment.

In an age of changing media consumption (and work-from-home) habits, the phrase “watercooler television” may be something of an anachronism. But as anyone following shows like “The White Lotus” can tell you, discussing, dissecting and debating hit series never goes out of style.

And of all networks, HBO knows how best to capitalize on such buzzed-about moments: The network’s “Inside the Episode” programs have long offered viewers the chance to process shocking plot twists and jaw-dropping deaths. That’s where viewers of Season 3 got to hear creator Mike White break down everything from Saxon and Lochlan’s drunken exploits to Chelsea and Rick’s doomed ending.

“Shows like this are the new watercooler moment,” says Emmy nominee Natalia Echeverria, a creative director at HBO and an executive producer of “The White Lotus: Unpacking The Episode.” “We try to anticipate what beats from the episode people will be talking about and then we dive in, giving audiences an inside peek only we can provide.”

Owing a debt to post-episode talk shows like “The Talking Dead” and podcasts like “Private Joke: The Official How I Met Your Mother Podcast” and “The Good Place: The Podcast,” such companion series, now commonplace across platforms, have risen in popularity in the last decade. This year, in fact, they make up the entirety of the short form nonfiction or reality series Emmy category.

Projects like “Making of: The Last of Us” and “Adolescence: The Making of Adolescence” (also nominated) necessarily straddle the line between creative and marketing. They’re meant to bridge the gap between a show and its fandom. But, in borrowing the familiar format of making-of documentaries, DVD bonus featurettes, even episodic reviews or recaps, they insist on a vision of television as an art worthy of discussion and dissection.

“I think of these pieces like the movie theater parking lot after a film,” says Badger Denehy, an Emmy-nominated executive producer of “Making of: The Last Of Us” and an HBO creative director. “They remind me of that moment when you turn to your friend and dive into all the biggest moments you just watched. It’s my favorite type of project because we get to create something for fans as huge fans of the programming ourselves.”

For Shannon Ryan, president of marketing for Disney Entertainment Television and an Emmy nominee for “Only Murders in the Building: Unlocking the Mystery,” the decision to produce the show was driven by a desire to better serve fans of the hit Hulu comedy.

“These short-form series offer fans a peek behind the curtain to hear directly from the talented people that bring the show to life,” she says. “And for our creators, this is a meaningful way to share more with the fans, give insight into their work, share some entertaining — and often hilarious — behind-the-scenes stories, and also spotlight some of the critical crew members that make every episode of the show so special.”

To “The Last of Us” viewers, there was likely no bigger moment this season than “Through the Valley,” the jaw-dropping second episode. Fans looking for insights on how that action-packed tragic set piece was orchestrated had to look no further than “Inside Episode 2,” where director Mark Mylod, co-creator Craig Mazin and star Pedro Pascal spoke about shooting Joel’s untimely and quite gruesome death.

Boasting more than 710,000 views on YouTube alone, that featurette showcased both the artistry behind such a high-octane hour of television (with talk of prosthetics and wintry shooting conditions) and candid reflections from cast members about the emotional fallout the episode would undoubtedly create.

The history of this Emmy category alone tracks the increased investment from streamers and networks in this kind of programming. Past nominees have included behind-the-scenes series tied to everything from “30 Rock” and “American Horror Story” to “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “Pose.” And the last two winners (“Succession: Controlling the Narrative” and “Shōgun — The Making of Shōgun”) prove that the industry is similarly invested in (and impressed with) them, in turn.

John Wilhelmy, Emmy-nominated creative director of “Hacks: Bit by Bit,” notes that short-form projects now must be produced so they can exist across different platforms. “Certain stories within the conversation lend themselves well to TikTok and [Instagram] Reels, so we’ll pick those out and optimize them editorially,” he says. “They’re often funny outtakes or quick stories that we’ll post on those platforms alongside the full-length episodes hitting HBO Max and YouTube.”

In an era where fan-driven episode recaps, YouTube reaction videos and TikTok explainers contribute greatly to a show’s success in an increasingly fractured media ecosystem, these projects suggest a way to positively harness that engagement in a way that still puts TV creators front and center.

Echeverria puts it more simply: “Fan-made content has a huge place, but there’s nothing like seeing how the sauce is made from the chefs themselves.”

Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood – who played Rick Hackett and his Chelsea in The White Lotus – have broken their silence months after their reported feud

Their on-screen chemistry and complicated love story left White Lotus viewers enthralled – but that didn’t help stop rumours of a backstage feud between actors Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood after one particularly awkward social media interaction.

But the pair, who played mysterious Rick Hackett and his girlfriend Chelsea, have finally spoken out – revealing why they’ve only seen each other once since season three’s February premiere.

And Walton, unable to hold back his emotions, declared “I love this woman madly” about Aimee in a bid to set the record straight.

Two months since the show’s dramatic finale, the pair have reunited for Variety magazine as they got up close and personal once again. Speaking of the moment they met for the very first time, Aimee revealed he had texted her to come over for lunch. She said: “I didn’t know what to order. I was like, ‘Can you pick for me?’ I was so nervous.”

Walton added: “The minute she walked around the corner, I felt, ‘This is gonna work. Two minutes into the conversation, it felt like I’ve known this person for 100 years.”

Despite suggestions of a feud, Walton was also very keen to reiterate that Aimee is “so important” to him as he began to choke up.

He told the magazine: “There is no feud. I adore, I love this woman madly, and she is so important to me.” Turning to Aimee, he continued: “This is Goldie Hawn. This is Meg Ryan. She can do anything, and she will. You watch what the next 20 years of her experience will be. I’ll be on an island, I think Greece. But she’s special. There is no feud. She is love and I know that I am that to her. We care about each other very deeply.”

Aimee also responded to the feud rumours and Walton unfollowing her on Instagram, which she doesn’t appear fussed about at all.

“I think it’s such a comment on where we’re at culturally. Why is everyone obsessing over Instagram? That is irrelevant. We don’t give a s***e about Instagram,” she said.

While she had initially wanted to respond to the feud claims over the following, Aimee said that she decided to just “sit back and watch these people making something out of absolutely nothing”.

Explaining further about the unfollowing, Walton – whose first wife tragically died by suicide in 2004 – suggested that he simply wasn’t good with goodbyes and unfollowed anyone who was part of the show after filming wrapped up.

In tears, he said: “I knew what we had gone through, and I knew how close that we had gotten, and I needed to begin to process saying goodbye to Rick and Chelsea.”

Walton went on to say that he had just needed to take a step back from everyone after filming ended and he hasn’t spoken to anyone as he “couldn’t handle it”. He added: “Judge me or don’t. I don’t give a f*** what you think. This is my process. Rick means everything to me, and Chelsea means everything to me.”

As the interview wrapped up, Walton declared that he would follow Aimee on Instagram again, declaring it all “ridiculous” and that he would be friends with her “for f***ing ever”.

Crying again as he hugged his former co-star, Walton added: “I’m emotional because we haven’t been in the same city to ever talk about this. So for me, this is just so wonderful.”

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With Prime Video’s “Fallout,” HBO’s “The Righteous Gemstones” and now Season 3 of “The White Lotus” (also HBO), Walton Goggins’ fame has exploded. With his buzzy portrayal of Rick, a man obsessed with avenging his father’s death, in “Lotus,” an Emmy might finally be in the cards for the actor, a veteran of many critically beloved shows.

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“Lotus” is the sixth Goggins show, after “The Shield,” “Justified,” “Gemstones,” “The Unicorn” and “Fallout,” to receive an …

85%

… or better aggregate Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score. Yet Goggins has never won an Emmy and has received only …

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… nominations: supporting drama actor (2011) for his charismatic criminal Boyd in “Justified” and drama lead (2024) for bounty hunter the Ghoul on “Fallout.” It could be …

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… his material that’s the issue. Goggins’ gritty and/or Southern-fried shows are not the kind that inspire Emmy voters’ rapture. Despite its secure place in the TV pantheon, “The Shield” drew three fewer nominations over seven seasons than …

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… the more awards-friendly “Fallout” — a stylish, thoughtful video game adaptation often helmed by Jonathan Nolan — did in its first season. But love for “Fallout” …

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… is a trickle compared with the tsunami of nominations for “Lotus” over its first two seasons. The show already has won …

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… Emmys. Although …

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… all that attention means Goggins might share this year’s drama supporting category with co-stars Jason Isaacs, Sam Nivola and Sam Rockwell. But …

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… that does not necessarily mean splitting “Lotus” votes. Murray Bartlett won a limited series supporting Emmy for Season 1 against fellow “Lotus” actors, and Jennifer Coolidge prevailed twice in supporting categories crowded with co-stars. Indeed …

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… of nominated “Lotus” performers whose characters, much like Rick, faced extreme challenges have won.