The French Canadian singer may be making her return to concert performances this fall, according to Variety. In 2022, Dion canceled her North American tour due to muscle spasms and later revealed that her diagnosis with stiff-person syndrome, an autoimmune neurological disorder, would prevent her from performing.
Montreal newspaper La Presse reported that fans were speculating Dion would return to the stage, after Parisians spotted posters referencing titles of Dion’s songs like “Power of Love” and “Pour Que tu M’aimes Encore” throughout the city. La Presse also reported that Dion will likely perform two concerts a week throughout September and October at the Paris La Défense Arena, a venue that seats 40,000 spectators.
Dion has not headlined her own show since her Courage World Tour in 2020, which was postponed and then canceled due to her health issues. She sang an emotional cover of Édith Piaf’s “Hymne à l’amour” during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Olympics. Last November, she performed her songs “I’m Alive” and “The Power of Love” during the 1001 Seasons of Elie Saab fashion show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The singer publicized her battle with SPS in her 2024 documentary, “I Am: Celine Dion.” In the film, Dion discussed how she’d been experiencing health issues for 17 years before her diagnosis. SPS affected Dion’s ability to sing by causing a strain on her vocal cords, making her voice sound more nasal.
“Sometimes I would point my microphone towards the audience and I would make them sing it. There’s moments where I cheated and I tapped on the microphone, like it was the microphone’s fault,” Dion explained in her documentary.
Even with her diagnosis, the singer made it clear in her documentary that she intended to continue pursuing her love of music.
“If I can’t run, I’ll walk. If I can’t walk, I’ll crawl, but I won’t stop.”
Dion’s representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment. La Défense Arena declined to comment.
Helen Flanagan says ‘there are three exes I would be dreading to see’ as she is set to return to television screens soon as part of the Celebrity Ex On The Beach lineup
Jessica Clarke Digital Reporter
23:02, 22 Mar 2026
Celebrity Ex On The Beach is set to return to television screens soon, with the full line-up now revealed
Helen Flanagan has opened up about her fears after joining Celebrity Ex On The Beach, revealing she would love to avoid seeing ‘three’ of her exes as she prepares to star on a reality series.
Celebrity Ex On The Beach is set to return to television screens soon, with the full line-up now revealed, featuring the former Coronation Street favourite. Helen, 35, who is renowned for her portrayal of Rosie Webster on the ITV soap opera, has joined the cast of the Paramount+ reality series, alongside TOWIE’s Dani Imbert, one-half of pop duo Jedward, and Love Island’s Toby Aromolaran.
In a new sneak peek ahead of the show, Helen reveals why she signed up and what she is looking for in a man. She said: “My perfect partner would be fit, kind and funny.” She continued: “I think I’m single because I feel like I’m on my own kind of journey, I’m pretty free spirited [and] I’ve got quite a strong character.”
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Helen said she was “hoping to find a connection on the beach”, before discussing her past relationships. She said: “I was in a 13-year relationship with the father of my children. And then I recently split up with a boyfriend that I was with for a year,” she said.
Helen then revealed: “There are… three exes I would be dreading to see”. Helen and Scott first began dating in 2009, getting engaged in 2018 when the footballer proposed during a trip to Disneyland Paris. They had a lengthy engagement, with Helen confirming in 2022 that they had set a date for their wedding, but split shortly afterwards.
Speaking about the difficult time she faced after the end of her relationship, Helen previously told The Mirror that she suffered a breakdown.
The I’m A Celebrity star was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
On the explosive dating show, filmed in Tenerife, Helen will come face-to-face with her former flames, including her ex-fiancé Scott Sinclair and boxer David Haye. The forthcoming series will also feature Married At First Sight UK’s Amy Kenyon, 28, and Love Is Blind participant Freddie Powell, 32.
Rounding out the line-up are Too Hot To Handle’s Izzy Fairthorne, 26, who is seeking her first-ever boyfriend, and fellow contestant Chase DeMoor, 29, who’s back for a second shot at finding love.
Meanwhile, former X Factor star John Grimes, who previously appeared on the ITV talent show alongside his twin brother, has described himself as a ‘total catch’ and says he’s looking for a ‘curvy, self-assured woman’ who can match his energy.
A loving husband and wife desperately want to start a family but struggle with infertility. A mother bears the weight of twin sons who are destined to be at severe odds with one another. Two sisters fall in love with the same man.
These stories may sound like soapy twists in a Taylor Sheridan drama or cable TV movie, but they actually come straight from one of the bestselling books of all time — the Bible.
The sacred text is jam-packed with compelling and highly relatable stories, but Fox’s “The Faithful: Women of the Bible,” a three-part event series, aims the spotlight on the primary matriarchs of the Book of Genesis — Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel. The first installment consists of two episodes airing Sunday, with subsequent double episodes airing over the next two weeks, and begins with the story of Sarah (Minnie Driver), who is regarded as the first matriarch for building the nation of Israel with her husband, Abraham (Jeffrey Donovan), the first patriarch.
“These are three generations of women who passed the baton of what was set in motion by Sarah and Abraham and the episodes are all in a way portraits of different types of marriages,” says René Echevarria, who wrote the first installment and is the series’ showrunner.
However, like the Bible’s many miracles, “The Faithful” coming together in the first place is divine considering executive producing partners Carol Mendelsohn and Julie Weitz were actually not planning to pitch it when they were in a meeting with Fox TV executives on one fateful day.
“The Faithful” begins with the story of Sarah (Minnie Driver) and Abraham.
(Moris Puccio / Fox)
“Julie gave me one instruction, ‘We can talk about all of our projects but do not talk about the Bible,’” recalls Mendelsohn. But then Fox President Michael Thorn asked Mendelsohn what her passion project was and “It was like I was hit by the burning bush!”
So “The Faithful” was pitched and a green light was given for the show. “I guess it was divinely ordered,” Mendelsohn says, laughing.
Crafting a Bible-based event series may initially seem like a stretch for Mendelsohn, known for producing the massively popular “CSI” crime drama franchise and, since partnering with Weitz over a decade ago, contemporary dramas where God wasn’t a part of the story. However, with “The Faithful,” the common thread with their previous projects was very clear. “Everything that we do together comes from characters that we fall deeply in love with and we love to do stories about women,” says Weitz. “We were thinking of doing something in this world when “The Chosen” [the Prime Video series about Jesus Christ] came out and became a huge hit.”
Mendelsohn and Weitz brought Echevarria on board and once they dug into the respective stories of these influential women, “it became clear that we should give two hours to each of these matriarchs and tell that story, which is the genesis of not just Judaism, but Islam and Christianity, the three largest, most prominent religions of mankind,” says Weitz, who is also grateful for Fox’s programming strategy for the episodes. “It worked nicely because they are giving us Sunday Nights leading right through Passover and into Easter so it just made sense to [Fox] too.”
For varying perspectives, the show utilized both Christian and Jewish scholars, which backed up their storytelling objectives, given that these age-old stories traditionally didn’t always flesh out women as much as men, so leaning into an interpretation of text was not taboo. “Our Jewish scholar mentioned, ‘what you’re doing is called midrash, an ancient tradition in Judaism to look at these stories and read between the lines,’” says Echevarria.
That interpretive freedom can be seen in the show’s first installment, which explores Genesis 16 where Sarah, barren for years despite God having told Abraham that she would bear a child in her older age, enlists former Egyptian slave Hagar (Natacha Karam) to sleep with her husband in the hopes she’ll give them a child. Driver says Sarah’s story is one that many women can connect with, but as far as who the real woman was, there’s a lack of true definition. “Who knows what Sarah was like? We don’t know. She doubted and, to some people, she thwarted God, but actually to me, she was just a woman who wanted to have a baby, loved her husband very much and was very strong,” she says.
Natacha Karam plays Egyptian slave Hagar, who bears Abraham’s child.
(Stefano Cristiano Montesi / Fox)
Donovan notes that Sarah suggesting Abraham lie with Hagar in Genesis 16 initially comes across as a straightforward and simple sentence. “But there’s so much to unpack in that one line from the Bible,” he says. “The complex struggles that these three people must have had that people today are still having 4,000 years later? We’re still going, ‘I can’t have a baby. Let’s have her have our baby. But do you like her? Is she better than me?’”
But as much as Sarah’s plight with infertility is relatable, other moments in the story took more work to get there, like the moment where Abraham talks with God. “I can only imagine what it would feel like to speak to God,” Donovan says.
To grapple with that notion before shooting this particular scene, the actor, dressed in his character’s tunic and waiting on the crew to set up, found a spot to sit on under a tree and thought about Abraham’s daily life and how impactful a message from God would be. “He’s a shepherd that got up with the sun and watched his flock and tried to survive,” Donovan says. “‘How do I not die today? How do I feed my family?’ For me to give the respect to the character, that deserves a couple of hours of solace and solitude.” He calls it the most difficult scene in the series for him.
And while the show explores Sarah and Abraham’s marriage, it also dives into the relationship between Sarah and Hagar, which begins when a captive Sarah is freed and she takes slave Hagar with her to give her a better life.
“Hagar finds herself pulled into this story that’s far larger than anything that she could ever have imagined for herself,” says Karam, adding that the two women grow close but conflicts also arise. “Originally, the relationship is defined by hierarchy and necessity and then there’s this complicated dependence that bounds them together for life.”
The actor expressed her satisfaction that the story of Sarah and Hagar is given a positive portrayal since that’s not always been the case. “There are versions of that story that are read through a lens of reprimanding both of these women, which I want to say is shocking but it was actually quite predictable to spin it so that it ends up being, ‘Oh, look what these two women did when they tried to take control,’” she says.
“Hagar finds herself pulled into this story that’s far larger than anything that she could ever have imagined for herself,” says Natacha Karam, left, with Minnie Driver and Jeffrey Donovan.
(Moris Puccio / Fox)
The spin from the cast and crew on the production itself was that with all “The Faithful” episodes filming in the ancient city of Rome, the series benefited from what the city had to offer in terms of scenic authenticity. Also, the unforgiving heat while shooting outdoor scenes wasn’t fun but also wasn’t a total negative, says Driver. “I’ve never been outside in 100-plus degree heat for 10 or 11 hours a day. It was brutal, but it definitely lent to the veracity of the story like where you were so beyond hot and exhausted,” she says. “There’s a generosity of its history that you’re invited in. It was this fever dream, the whole experience of being there.”
And while the Sarah-Abraham-Hagar story fills out the first episode, the March 29 installment continues the drama with the introduction of Rebekah (Alexa Davalos), who marries Sarah and Abraham’s son, Isaac (Tom Mison). Also barren for many years, she eventually receives a message directly from God that she will have twin sons and that her youngest son will one day rule. With the arrival of Esau (Ben Robson), who is born first, and Jacob (Tom Payne), she’s faced with a burden to ensure God’s message stays on course at any cost. “The story becomes about how she almost destroys her family because she’s been told that this is the way, this is the destiny,” says Weitz.
The April 5 finale, airing on Easter Sunday, moves forward as a now-exiled Jacob returns to his hometown and meets two sisters, Leah (Millie Brady) and Rachel (Blu Hunt), and sparks fly. Teases Echevarria, “tonally the episode is a little bit different and it’s a little more scandalous but certainly contemporary.” Adds Weitz, “Jacob falls in love with both of the sisters for different reasons and at different times so it becomes a story about sister rivalry for the love of the same man.”
Love is something audiences have been feeling in recent years for faith-inspired programs, which keeps this three-week event from feeling like a television anomaly. For example, Prime Video’s “The Chosen” has been exploring the life of Jesus Christ (Jonathan Roumie) for five seasons with a sixth season centered on Jesus’ crucifixion coming later this year. Also, on March 27, Prime Video launches the second season of “House of David,” which follows the journey of young shepherd David (Michael Iskander) from slaying a certain giant named Goliath to becoming the king of Israel. And earlier this month, faith-centric streamer the Wonder Project wrapped the first season of its contemporary drama series, “It’s Not Like That,” starring Scott Foley as a widowed minister raising his kids and finding love again. Plus, no Easter holiday would feel right without ABC’s annual broadcast of the 1956 classic film “The Ten Commandments,” airing April 4.
Why is faith TV having a moment now? The appetite for this kind of programming by audiences could reflect the often-bleak world of the 21st century we live in, offers Karam. “These are stories about people who are in the middle of impossible circumstances, who can’t see what the lesson is yet, or whether there’s light on the other side,” she says. “But historically, there always was and there always is [light on the other side] so I think that’s what people are hungry for right now is a framework to make sense of things.”
As long as this hunger continues and audiences show up for “The Faithful,” the producers have a wealth of stories to tell beyond the great matriarchs.
“The difference from a regular TV show is that we do have this extraordinary IP and this different perspective,” says Echevarria. “Our hope is that ours will always be a little different and we’d come at it from a different angle.” Sounds like the faith is definitely being kept.
This place deserves far more recognition – it has amazing views, a real sense of community, and a fascinating history too.
Nicola Roy Multimedia content creator
04:01, 21 Mar 2026
This coastal spot is a true hidden gem(Image: Nicola Roy)
There’s genuinely nothing better than those first sunny spring days as we leave winter behind. It immediately makes you crave a visit the seaside, even if there’s still a slight chill and it’s not quite swimming weather yet.
Last weekend, I chose to take advantage of my renewed enthusiasm and positivity for life, and drove to a stunning coastal village that many people have never heard of. Admittedly it’s tiny, and there’s barely anything there, but there’s a welcoming pub and restaurant, breathtaking sea views , and it’s near to another popular seaside destination too. Lower Largo in Fife has a population of approximately 2,300, and it’s one of the most picturesque places I’ve seen.
The compact village overlooks Largo Bay, on the northern side of the Firth of Forth in Scotland. It required roughly an hour and a half to drive from Glasgow, and from Edinburgh, it’s just an hour’s drive away.
Largo is a historic fishing village, divided into two separate sections – Lower and Upper, with the small village of Lundin Links just to the left. Here, you won’t discover amusement arcades or crowds of holidaymakers, and it boasts a far more peaceful atmosphere than other coastal villages I’ve visited lately.
But don’t let the lack of attractions put you off. The more relaxed rhythm of life here was captivating, and already I’m eager for my next opportunity to return.
Waking up to those stunning views was an instant mood-booster, especially when the sun was shining brightly. The chilly temperature didn’t matter – the setting looked perfect, and the fresh coastal air felt wonderfully revitalising, reports the Express.
Lower Largo’s shoreline consists of sand and rocks, and it’s pristine. We noticed plenty of dog walkers enjoying the area, and even saw one brave soul taking a plunge in the sea, which must have felt incredible once she got past the initial cold shock.
The surrounding streets were equally delightful to explore. It’s fairly peaceful, meaning you’ll hardly encounter any traffic, but you will discover some impressively decorated front gardens. The nautical theme ran strong throughout, with garden gates featuring pirates, fish and mermaids.
We had breakfast at The Aurrie, a delightful cafe set within a converted church that offered such a warm and inviting ambience. Artwork from local artists lined the walls and was available to purchase, alongside an excellent range of hot dishes, coffees, and a cake display packed with tempting options. I chose the veggie haggis and potato scone roll with a flat white, and it was absolutely lovely.
During our visit, we also ate at The Crusoe, another wonderfully welcoming four-star hotel featuring a restaurant and pub. It serves all the traditional pub favourites you’d anticipate, from mac and cheese to fish and chips, and my entire family really enjoyed the experience.
Just over the way is the Railway Inn, another pub boasting a real fire that I didn’t manage to pop into, but my parents assured me it was fantastic and the ideal place for a post-dinner drink.
The pub enjoys a prime location right next to an impressive viaduct, now disused but still standing tall. It spans the Keil Burn, and was constructed to serve a section of the Fife Coast Railway Line. It’s been out of service since 1965 due to the reorganisation of British railways known as the Beeching cuts, but it remains a significant landmark and is well worth a look.
Another fascinating aspect of Lower Largo’s past is that it’s actually the birthplace of the man who inspired Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe – hence the hotel’s name.
Born in 1676, Alexander Selkirk was born in the village, and the house that now occupies his birthplace at 99-105 Main Street showcases a life-sized statue of him gazing out towards the horizon.
A signpost at the harbour points in the direction of the Juan Fernández Islands, some 7,500 miles distant, where he spent over four years shipwrecked.
I’m already looking forward to my next trip to Lower Largo. The overall atmosphere of the place was so welcoming, and it’s clear it has a strong sense of community.
It’s the ideal spot to enjoy a peaceful few days, but if you fancy exploring further afield, the beloved coastal town of St Andrews is just a 20-minute drive away.
While it’s best known for its golfing heritage and as the location where Prince William and Princess Catherine first crossed paths, there’s also a wealth of excellent pubs and eateries, bookshops and cafés to discover.
Created by Ryan Murphy, the drama unveils John (portrayed by Paul Anthony Kelly) and Carolyn’s (Sarah Pidgeon) relationship in the years preceding their tragic deaths on July 16, 1999, after a plane crash.
Episode 8 transports audiences to August 30, 1997, capturing the hours before Princess Diana’s heart-breaking death. The Royal passed away on the 31st after a car accident in Paris.
Carolyn is deeply affected by Princess Diana’s death because she had recently been seated behind her at Gianni Versace’s funeral. She also starts fearing for her own future under public scrutiny, whilst John appears to dismiss her worries, reports the Daily Record.
Viewers have been left heartbroken by the moving episode, with one X user posting: “I’m shattered beyond words this really broke me #lovestory.”
A second contributed: “#lovestory’s last episode might kill me, poor Carolyn,” whilst a third commented: “That was an unpleasant episode #LoveStory.”
And a fourth audience member remarked: “Just finished episode 8 of Love Story and I’m in tears. Those 42 minutes flew by and hit me so deeply I cried my eyes out.”
So when can audiences return to the drama?
How many episodes are left in Love Story Season 1?
As per usual, Love Story will be ready to stream on Disney+ next Friday (March 27). Unfortunately, that episode will be the series finale.
Entitled ‘Search and Recovery’, Episode 9 sees John and Carolyn battling to keep their relationship intact. As we witnessed in the series premiere, the pair will set off on a journey to Hyannis Port, accompanied by Carolyn’s sister Lauren (Sydney Lemmon).
We observed John clarifying that he would be piloting their small aircraft, before the show reverted back to the now-wedded couple’s initial encounter.
If the most recent episode left viewers teary-eyed, we can only image how emotional the responses to the series finale will be.
Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette ends with Episode 9, landing on Disney+ next Friday, March 27.
ALFIE Boe – one of the nation’s favourite tenors – will be unleashing his inner rock god on new album Face Myself.
The record, out on April 10, is inspired by his love of the Madchester era and was produced by Myriot, who previously worked with Primal Scream.
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Alfie Boe is about to unleash his inner rock god on new album Face MyselfCredit: GettyAlfie Boe revealed his new album’s title track pays tribute to late Stone Roses bassist Gary ‘Mani’ MounfieldCredit: Getty
The classical singer said he spent his weekends travelling up to Manchester as a teenager to immerse himself in the music scene, where the Stone Roses launched hits such as I Wanna Be Adored. Alfie said: “At the time I was writing that song, Mani passed away.
“So I had to put a tribute in the song. I changed the lyrics to say, ‘For good old Mani, he played it right’.”
The high-energy track, which is released today, also name checks Liam and Noel Gallagher’s childhood home on Cranwell Drive and celebrates the Madchester spirit.
On the track he sings: “Dreams are grown in Burnage sky, a golden past that made us cry.
“The prom is glorified with lights, for good old Mani, he played it right. Those Cranwell boys, they sang along.”
As a teen, Alfie, who has clocked up 12 Top Ten albums including four No1s, joined an indie band and later found himself exploring classical music.
“I was in an indie band called The English Roses,” Alfie said with a laugh. We were going to go on tour and I was going to be the drummer. But there was school to attend, which was fine, but then I joined lots of other little bands.”
Alfie’s new album is made up of mostly original material and he was inspired to start writing by his pal, The Who’s Pete Townshend.
And the Les Miserables stage fave says the record is all about facing his past, adding: “I thought, what is it about me I have to face?
“It was my childhood, my teenage years, and what got me to where I am today. It’s been a wonderful journey.”
Dua’s full of beans
Dua Lipa has landed a Nespresso ambassador dealDua also had a snap with George Clooney, long-time face of the brand
Dua Lipa has a hefty cheque coming her way, plus a lifetime’s supply of coffee I imagine.
She’s signed up to be global ambassador for Nespresso and posed in blue co-ords to promote the new tie-in. Dua also had a snap with George Clooney, long-time face of the brand.
Greg heading to £2m…but pleads for Wills’ help again
Greg James got a royal boost on his 1,000km Comic Relief ride after Prince William hopped on his tandemCredit: Getty Images
As I caught up with Greg yesterday from the Yorkshire Moors, he said he wished William had stuck around.
Greg, resting up on a wall, below, said with a laugh: “I could’ve done with his legs today. Wills, if you’re reading this, help.”
He has remained incredibly upbeat despite the physical and mental toll the challenge is taking.
And he has been buoyed by the incredible donations from the public, which last night was creeping towards the £2million mark. Greg, who set off from Dorset last Friday and is pedalling all the way to Edinburgh, said: “The hills are very, very difficult today.
“But there was a really nice crowd of people shouting at me at the top.
“The good news is we’ve raised over £1.5million, which is an absurd amount. I’d be happy with that if it was the final total but we’ve got three days left.”
He starts his ride from Sunderlandthis morning with two full days to go.
Tomorrow he will begin his final push, cycling from Galashiels in the Borders to Edinburgh, where he is set to arrive in time for Comic Relief to start on BBC One at 7pm. You can do this, Greg!
Placebo are making a comeback for the 30th anniversary of their debut album, which they have reworked into a new version.
Placebo re:created will be out on June 19.
They will then kick off a European tour this September playing songs from their first two albums, with dates in Nottingham, Glasgow, Dublin, Manchester, London and Cardiff in November and December.
Big cat in Africa
Doja Cat shows her wild side in clashing animal prints during her Move Afrika performance in RwandaCredit: Getty
Doja Cat showed her wild side in clashing animal prints while on stage in Rwanda.
The Say So rapper, who wore a blue wig with a tiger-striped bodysuit, was performing at Global Citizen’s Move Afrika concert.
She sounded great, despite her carefree lifestyle.
In a new interview with Vogue yesterday, Doja admitted she’s had to curb bad habits for the sake of her live shows.
She said: “I love trash – I’m Oscar the Grouch. I love to eat garbage, and I love to drink, and I love to party.
Doja, who had a romance with actor Joseph Quinn in 2024, went on to reveal she is a serial dater, adding: “I’m 30, so I’m ovulating and horny.”
At least she tells it how it is.
Mosh-pit memories with trust
Yungblud is among the stars featured in Teenage Cancer Trust’s Good Energy mosh pit exhibition at the Royal Albert HallCredit: Getty
The Teenage Cancer Trust is staging a photo exhibition at the Royal Albert Hall to mark the joys of mosh pits.
Musicians including Yungblud, Wolf Alice, Fontaines DC and The Sex Pistols ft Frank Carter are featured in the show, called Good Energy.
It highlights “good energy”, which is the code used by fans to look after each other in the crowd. Frank said of his pic: “It was taken in the Royal Albert Hall.
“To play there with the Sex Pistols was a dream come true. Seeing a mosh pit inside such a venue felt like the definition of Good Punk Energy.
The exhibition runs until April 9. Buy signed copies of the prints at teenagecancer trust.org/good.
One direction’s Louis Tomlinson confessed the band’s debut No1 single, What Makes You Beautiful, was his least favourite track. He told Scott Mills’s Radio 2 show: “Performing it was always really eggy.”
Louis also took aim at the handling of 1D’s split, adding: “Hiatus, what a horrible word. It’s cringey, screams management.”
The Sun told last week that Harper had taken part in a photoshoot for beauty brand Hiku by Harper, which is expected to launch in the coming months. Now Princess is following suit.
She said on the Not My Bagg podcast: “I’ve been working on it for ages. I was in Liverpool three days ago.
“I went up for a photoshoot for my beauty brand, which is so good. It’s being released this year.
I’m so excited. I’ve always wanted to be involved in some sort of business. Make-up, I love, so it had to be that.”
“The mile is a really cool event and it’s nice to do something different.
“I’m just really excited to learn and to move in. I’m not moving up full time, I’m going to go back to the 800m outdoors.
“I’m enjoying it so far. I think in the future I might be a great 1500m runner. So, I’m kind of dipping my toes in to see how it goes. I’m enjoying it, the training’s really good.”
With her recent indoor success, the two-time Olympian is pleased with her form heading to Torun, but insists her enjoyment remains the priority before the outdoor season.
Reekie spoke candidly about how failing to make the 2024 Olympic 800m final pushed her to prioritise her mental health.
The 1500m heats in Torun are on Friday, with the final taking place on Sunday.
“It’s definitely getting there,” she said. “We’ll see how I go this weekend over that distance. I’m definitely having a lot of fun, and that’s the main aim.
“I’ve got no pressure this weekend at all, other than myself. So, I’m just going to go out there and have fun and see what I can do.
“The past two outdoor seasons I’ve missed out on finals, so that’ll definitely be the first step forward to get into that final.”
Reekie, alongside fellow Team GB star Laura Muir, started working with coach Jon Bigg in March 2023, but has brought other people, including psychologists, into her set-up to extract small advantages.
“I’ve been with Jon for a while now, and we’ve been working on lots and I’ve got stronger and stronger as the years have gone by,” she said.
“It’s just adding in those one per cent gains and new people to your team, which I’m really enjoying. I think athletes always can work on something.”
Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews have been married since 2018 and share three children, but she admits she initially didn’t fancy him and likes to keep a ‘separate life’
Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews attend the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards(Image: Getty Images)
The Irish podcast presenter initially admits she “didn’t fancy” Spencer and believed he “wasn’t for her”. Yet she says her mates “really wanted me to sleep with Spencer” and thought he’d fit in with their circle.
Nevertheless, shortly after their first meeting, romance flourished, and in January 2018 Spencer proposed during an outing to see The Lion King in London. The couple wed that June at Glen Affric, the Matthews family’s Scottish estate.
Speaking recently at Meta’s HQ in Dublin, Vogue acknowledged she enjoys maintaining a “separate life” from her spouse. This came as she recounted an incident where he irritated her whilst she was preparing to spend time with My Therapist Ghosted Me co-host Joanne McNally.
Asked who she favours between Joanne and Spencer, Vogue answered: “Well it depends what I need them for. I went for a walk with Joanne on Sunday morning and Spenny was insistent that he wanted to go for lunch and then Joanne was like, ‘I’m not hungry, I want to go home.'”
She continued: “So I was in a huff with Spenny, as I was going on a walk with Joanne and he interrupted it. I try to, I like to have a separate life as well, Spenny he has his friends and I have my friends.”
In her autobiography Big Mouth, Vogue confesses she worried a romance with Spencer wouldn’t “have gone very well” regardless because he “was yet to form a serious bone in his body”. Vogue meanwhile acknowledges she tended to find herself “getting serious quickly”.
The duo nevertheless “got on famously” following Spencer’s arrival at The Jump dressed in tracksuit bottoms, slippers, and “reeking of booze”. Vogue penned: “I had done a lot of work with my therapist up to this point; we had decided that if I continue to fall for guys I felt I needed to fix or help I was just repeating a pattern and that it always ended the same way (disastrously).
“Spencer, being a man made of red flags, was not for me I decided, and I didn’t really fancy him anyway so it was all good. I did, however, love his personality.”
The pair now have three children together – Theodore, Gigi and Otto. Vogue has previously revealed she would have “swiped past” Spencer had they encountered each other on a dating app.
She shared this during an earlier episode of Vogue and Amber, whilst responding to a listener finding it difficult to discover love through digital platforms. Vogue remarked: “You’re just judging someone completely on the way they look.
“And I always say this, Spencer is obviously gorgeous, but he wouldn’t have been my type when we met. And I would have swiped past him on a dating app.
“And then we met, and we were mad about each other because we just loved each other’s personalities. So, I think trying to meet somebody in real life, although it can be hard, can be a really amazing thing.”
Saturday’s Google Doodle shows how the mathematical constant pi is useful for easily calculating the area of a circle, the formula for which is A=πr2. Image courtesy Google
March 14 (UPI) — Saturday’s Google Doodle celebrates everyone’s favorite math holiday, Pi Day.
The Doodle features an animated illustration of how the mathematical constant is used in equations dealing with a circle’s circumference and diameter.
“Long before modern technology, the Greek mathematician Archimedes popularized an innovative approach: He approximated the value of pi by sandwiching a circle between two 96-sided polygons to determine its precise upper and lower bounds,” a Google post about the Doodle reads.
“Today, we honor this mathematical legacy as enthusiasts worldwide celebrate with pi-reciting contests and slices of pie.”
The value of pi is roughly 3.14, but since it’s irrational, the number of decimal places beyond .14 go on infinitely. There are contests worldwide in which math lovers memorize and recite as many digits of pi as possible.
Last Pi Day, in 2025, a 10-year-old British boy recited 280 digits of pi from memory in 1 minute, breaking a Guinness World Record.
Pi Day is celebrated March 14 each year because the date is typically expressed as 3/14. Those less interested in math often choose to celebrate the day by eating a slice of their favorite pie.
The 10th season of “Love Is Blind” ventured to Ohio, yielded a record seven engaged couples and made structured cape blazers and the idea of daily Pilates classes feel like rage bait.
With the season over, and just two couples saying “I do,” the cast of the popular Netflix dating series came together for this week’s reunion special to share updates on their lives since the cameras went down — and to unpack the twists, turns and lies that played out over the season. The result was a reunion that finally provided (mostly) satisfying questions and answers about participants’ pasts and presents instead of dancing around topics.
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Unable to budget the time for a trip to Cabo — or even Malibu — to process it all, TV editor Maira Garcia and I have brought our running “LIB” thread out of our Slack DMs to unpack our thoughts in this safe place.
Also in this week’s Screen Gab, our streaming recommendations include a spray-tan crime comedy and a Morgan Freeman-narrated mind trip about the rise and fall of dinosaurs. Plus, we tell you where you can stream the slate of best picture nominees ahead of this Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony.
This is your cue to block off some “couch time” in your calendar this weekend.
— Yvonne Villarreal
Turn on
Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times
Will Forte as Martin and D’Arcy Carden as Vicki in a scene from “Sunny Nights.”
(Lisa Tomasetti / Hulu)
“Sunny Nights” (Hulu)
D’Arcy Carden fans, and I can’t imagine anyone who’s ever seen her work isn’t one, will be elated to find her at full force starring in this dark, sometimes violent Australian crime comedy alongside Will Forte, who, yes, has fans of his own. They play brother Martin (cautious) and sister Vicki (impulsive), who have traveled to Sydney to flog a tanning spray at a lifestyle convention, though Martin has an ulterior motive, to win back his wife, Joyce (Ra Chapman). What with one thing and another, they find themselves repeatedly in need of cash and mixed up with a panoply of criminals, some fairly sympathetic (former rugby star Willie Mason, excellent as former rugby star Terry; Jessica De Gouw as Susi), and others not at all (Rachel House as kingpin Mony, just out of the jug). All are trying to change their lives, or at least their business plan, including Joyce, a journalist stuck writing clickbait articles for an editor who doesn’t want to know, and Megan Wilding as Nova, an animal control worker who knows something important about an exploding crocodile. — Robert Lloyd
A still from “The Dinosaurs.”
(Netflix)
“The Dinosaurs” (Netflix)
This four-part series will have you mentioning the Carnian pluvial episode in every conversation. Aptly narrated by Morgan Freeman and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, the sweeping CGI-enhanced nature documentary traces the evolutionary history of dinosaurs, from their origins in the Triassic period to their extinction 66 million years ago. And it’s more proof that attention spans, no matter a person’s age, will always lock in for dinosaurs. Before morning, your Google search history will include terms like “Marasuchus,” “Vulcanodon,” “Heterodontosaurus” and that Carnian pluvial episode (a.k.a. the longest downpour in history, which lasted more than a million years). Prepare to have your perception of time forever altered. Still, it’s a surefire way to give your mental health a break from current events — though, for a certain generation, it may also unlock those “Land Before Time” memories. — Y.V.
Catch up
Everything you need to know about the film or TV series everyone’s talking about
Scenes from “One Battle After Another,” left, “Hamnet” and “Sinners.”
(Warner Bros. Pictures; Focus Features)
The 98th Academy Awards will broadcast Sunday at 4 p.m. Pacific. How many of the best picture nominees have you seen? Is it less than the number of think pieces you’ve read on Timothée Chalamet’s comments on ballet and opera? We’re here to help. If you’re feeling inspired to be a studious viewer ahead of film’s big night, here’s where you can stream the best picture nominees:
“Bugonia” (Peacock): Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, the surreal comedy thriller follows a paranoid bee keeper (Jesse Plemons) who kidnaps a pharmaceutical CEO (Emma Stone), convinced she is an alien responsible for destroying humanity. The film received four Oscar nominations.
“F1” (Apple TV): From “Top Gun: Maverick” director Joseph Kosinski, the sports drama stars Brad Pitt as retired F1 driver Sonny Hayes, who agrees to compete in the globe’s most prestigious racing event to salvage his reputation and the failing team of his buddy. The film received four Oscar nominations.
“Frankenstein” (Netflix): Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of the classic horror tale transforms Jacob Elordi into the tragic monster, known here as The Creature, and features Oscar Isaac as its titular mad maker. The film received nine Oscar nominations.
“Hamnet” (Peacock): Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, Chloé Zhao’s historical drama explores the grief, love and strained marriage of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley). The film received eight Oscar nominations.
“Marty Supreme” (Available to rent or buy on platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV): Directed and co-written by Josh Safdie, the film is loosely based on the life of American table tennis player Marty Reisman, here called Marty Mauser and played by Timothée Chalamet. It is expected to be released on HBO Max later this spring. The film received nine Oscar nominations.
“One Battle After Another” (HBO Max): Paul Thomas Anderson’s satirical political thriller, a loose adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s “Vineland,” follows a paranoid ex-revolutionary (Leonardo DiCaprio) trying to save his daughter when an old enemy (Sean Penn) resurfaces. The film received 13 Oscar nominations.
“Sentimental Value” (Available to rent or buy on platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV): Joachim Trier’s Norwegian drama follows two sisters (played by Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) as they reunite with their estranged filmmaker father (Stellan Skarsgard). The film received nine Oscar nominations. It is expected to be released on Hulu later this month.
“Sinners” (HBO Max): Ryan Coogler’s gothic horror drama is set in 1932 Mississippi and follows twin brothers (played by Michael B. Jordan) who, trying to leave their troubled past behind them, return to their hometown to start anew — only to face new horrors. It became the most-nominated film in Academy Awards history with 16 total nominations.
“The Secret Agent” (Hulu, Disney+): Directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, the Brazilian historical political thriller stars Wagner Moura as a former professor fleeing persecution during the 1970s military dictatorship while trying to protect his son. The film received four Oscar nominations.
“Train Dreams” (Netflix): Based on Denis Johnson’s 2011 novella of the same name, the film is an intimate birth-to-death portrait of a quiet railway laborer (Joel Edgerton) as he watches the world change around him. The film received four Oscar nominations.
Break down
Times staffers chew on the pop culture of the moment — love it, hate it or somewhere in between
It’s crazy to think that about six years ago, golden goblets, pods and “the experiment” were disparate ideas and objects that were on the precipice of infiltrating the culture. Now, you can’t think of one without the others. “Love Is Blind,” the reality dating show that tests the premise of whether singles can find love sight unseen and marry at the end, marked a milestone this year with its 10th season, filmed in Ohio.
While the series has produced a number of marriages and engagements, some have ended in breakups and divorce, as we saw on Wednesday’s Season 10 reunion. So while the answer to the question “Is love blind?” seems to be no, the series has nonetheless made for entertaining television for viewers who have made dissecting the people, fights and makeups a sport. Why are we so invested? Because it’s a reflection of where we are as a society when it comes to relationships and what we expect from partners emotionally, politically, physically and financially. With that in mind, Yvonne and I sat down with our golden goblets to unpack the Season 10 reunion. Here are five moments that stood out. — M.G.
Jordan and Amber are now divorced
Jordan Faeth and Amber Morrison were one of two couples to say “I do” at the altar. Morrison, a single mom, discussed with Faeth over the course of the show if he was ready to be a stepparent and where they would live, given that Morrison owned a home and her daughter was happy at her school. At the reunion, the couple revealed that they never moved in together and that they divorced after four months. Morrison talked about how her daughter was distraught after the breakup, leading to an emotional moment where Morrison ran offstage in tears. It raised an important question that fans have debated closely: Should parents be on the show? Seasons 6 and 9 also featured single parents, neither of whom made it to the altar. Given the compressed timeline of when people meet, become engaged and head to the altar, deciding whether marriage should include parenthood at the start adds another layer of complexity, not to mention how it could affect a child, who suddenly has a stranger in their life. The outcome wasn’t necessarily surprising, but it was sad.
Vic and Christine: boring but perfect. More, please
The other couple to make it down the aisle was Vic St. John and Christine Hamilton, who hit it off from the get-go and seemed to exist in their own blissful bubble. According to Netflix production, the show only budgets for six couples to go on a trip after the reveal and engagement. But they continued to track them, with St. John and Hamilton spending time in Malibu instead, taping dispatches together and getting to know each other without the rest of the cast in proximity. Throughout the course of the show, you see their connection grow. Their mature and thoughtful conversations about being an interracial couple and potentially raising biracial children were exactly the type of discussions you would hope they’d have before proceeding down the aisle. It may not make for dramatic TV, but it was genuinely thrilling to see a couple so well-suited for each other continuing to thrive. And in an effort to make up for not getting to go to Cabo, Mexico, with everyone else, the show offered them a trip paid by … Turbo Tax? It was an odd product placement, but if they want to foot the bill for their honeymoon, no one’s complaining. As long as it’s somewhere tropical on a beach — and not Lake Erie.
Who took accountability?
Despite not making it to the altar on screen after the blazer cape breakup, Connor Spies and Bri McNees are still together. But the bigger record-scratch moment arrived later, when it was revealed that Devonta Anderson broke up with Brittany Wicker a few days after what he told her was a work trip but was actually a getaway to Austin, Texas, to attend a concert with McNees, Ashley Carpenter and Priyanka Grandhi. Wicker didn’t seem thrilled that she had to find out about the trip from Amber (who found out from Jordan, who can’t remember that he even knew about it). McNees didn’t like the implication that she may have broken “girl code” with the whole fiasco — but if all the women are as close as they say they are, why wouldn’t you check in about such an arrangement regardless of the relationship status? (It was weird, too, that Connor thought it was a girls’ trip.) And the fact that it was the same three women who listened to Chris Fusco talk poorly about his former fiancée Jess Barrett — giant sigh. During the reunion, after Barrett voiced her disappointment in her friends about that incident, Carpenter apologized for not doing more to defend her in the moment.
Meanwhile, Nick unleashed his best attempt to channel Andy Cohen and grilled Fusco about his highly questionable behavior and the backlash over his comments to Barrett about her body, specifically stating he usually dates women who do Pilates or workout daily, and for trying to make the moves on McNees. Fusco, mostly quiet and stone-faced (could it be the shame?), acknowledged he was not proud of the moments he watched back and apologized to Barrett. His seat mate, goalkeeper Alex Henderson, was also on the defense. The self-proclaimed nomad never fully seem to vibe with his fiancée, Carpenter. He admitted she’s not his usual type. She still maintained he wasn’t telling the whole truth about his job or dating history, and overall lifestyle. Throughout his segment, Henderson was noticeably irritated by the insinuation that his stories didn’t add up. But he did seem to enjoy being asked to describe his relationship with Carpenter as if it was a soccer match, prompting him to cite a Liverpool game that ended in a tie. Are you laughing too?
Can this be a TikTok?
To commemorate the milestone season, the audience for the reunion special consisted of 150 former participants of the series. And while the time spent getting life updates with some of them throughout the show felt less forced and time-consuming than reunions past, it still felt like an add-on better suited to live in a separate (shorter) special or as social media content. If we wanted an update on these people’s lives, we can find them on social media. A gender reveal courtesy of someone’s dead grandmother, as sweet and touching and lovely as that may for an expectant couple, is not the sort of jaw-dropping moment a show like this needs. And maybe the money saved — assuming production footed the bill for those flights — could have sent every couple to Cabo.
Did you hear? Nick Lachey is from Ohio, guys.
His constant mention of his hometown roots was unquestionably the biggest declaration of love in the 90-minute special. Sorry, Vanessa.
One upon a time blokes couldn’t wait to cut the apron strings and jet off with their mates, but now mums are right up there as favourites among holiday companions
Mum’s the word when it comes to holiday’s nowadays(Image: Getty Images)
But Brits are increasingly swapping group getaways for time away with the person who took them on their first ever holiday: their mum. New research from Heathrow Express reveals that 30% of adults have been away with their mum, parent or carer in the last three years.
Meanwhile 16% are planning a holiday with their mum in the next year, fuelling the rise of bonding trips based on connection. The research shows a growing desire for spending quality time with the people you love – nearly 60% worry they’re not making enough time for their mum, parent or carer as they get older.
Those who do travel with parents believe there are real benefits, with 38% saying it’s a more relaxing experience than going away with friends. There are also long term advantages including creating lasting memories (37%) strengthening relationships (29%) and helping with reconnection (28%).
Aoife Considine, business lead at Heathrow Express, said: “Travel has a wonderful way of pressing pause on everyday life. When you’re away together, there’s space for conversations you don’t normally have and moments you don’t always make time for at home.
“For many adults, a trip with their mum or parent figure isn’t just another holiday – it’s a chance to reconnect, laugh about old stories and create new ones. Those are the kinds of memories people carry with them long after they’ve returned home.”
As families celebrate Mother’s Day, Heathrow Express is giving travellers 20% off from March 14 to 21 by using the discount code HEXMARCH.
Those jetting off over the Mother’s Day weekend itself can also get a complimentary dessert with any main course bought at Gordon Ramsay’s Plane Food Market at Heathrow Terminal 5.
Forget Paris and Venice for an intimate getaway, as there’s another city that has been ranked as the most romantic in Europe, with rooftop bars to catch the sunset and a serene boating lake
This beautiful European city has been named the most romantic (Image: Getty Images)
Europe’s most romantic city has been named, but it’s not where you might think.
Paris, France, has long been hailed as the ‘city of love’, with proposals in the masses, while Venice, Italy, offers sunset gondola rides along the canals. Yet, according to one new ranking, they’ve both been overshadowed as the most romantic cities in Europe.
Instead, the sun-soaked capital of Spain, Madrid, has taken the crown with its historic charm and intimate settings. There are cosy restaurants, rooftop bars, luxury hotels, along with majestic landmarks, vibrant street art, and passionate flamenco performances, all making for a truly spectacular getaway.
Some of the most notable places to visit include hiring a rowing boat on the serene, picturesque lake at El Retiro Park, or taking a leisurely stroll around the enchanting El Capricho Park or the beautiful Sabatini Gardens at the Royal Palace. The city offers some of the best spots to catch the sunset, including the restaurant Azotea del Círculo, which offers panoramic views from its rooftop terrace, and the gardens in Cerro del Tío Pío, perfect for a sunset stroll.
However, one popular area that has been hailed as the ‘best sunset spot in Madrid’ is the ancient Egyptian temple, Templo de Debod. Catching the sunset last year, one traveller shared on TripAdvisor: “The magic hour to visit is sunset!.. The temple’s ancient stones turn a rich orange, and the reflective pools surrounding it create a mirror effect that is a photographer’s dream.”
For a break away from exploring the city, there’s the Arab baths at Hammam Al Ándalus for a relaxing soak and a step back in time among its historic buildings, or lively flamenco shows at Corral de la Morería. Couples can enjoy a glass of wine and tapas at the Mercado de San Miguel, a fresh food market, or ride the cable car, the Teleférico de Madrid, which crosses the river.
But a stroll around the city is enough to leave you enchanted, with vibrant graffiti decorating its quaint streets lined with tapas bars and coffee shops, and magnificent architecture. From the iconic Plaza Mayor, Plaza de la Villa, and Puerta del Sol square, to the Royal Palace and the Prado Museum, it’s easy to spend hours exploring this bustling yet charming city.
Madrid was named the most romantic European city following research by Icelandair. The airline analysed data from various European cities, comparing their location, nightlife, single population, inclusivity and happiness, along with Tripadvisor romance ratings and sunset visibility, with Madrid topping the list.
The list proves even more valuable, as Icelandair found that 1 in 10 Brits, in a study of 3,000 people, said travel is the best way to meet a partner. Meanwhile, 1 in 5 Brits said they’ve fallen in love while flying, and further research found that most holiday romances occur while volunteering abroad, during a work trip, or while solo travelling.
Most romantic European cities
Madrid, Spain
Prague, Czech Republic
Lisbon, Portugal
Barcelona, Spain
Zurich, Switzerland
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Helsinki, Finland
Vienna, Austria
Copenhagen, Denmark
Rome, Italy
Athens, Greece
Geneva, Switzerland
Oslo, Norway
Berlin, Germany
Reykjavik, Iceland
Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com
Tommy DeCarlo, a longtime fan of Boston who became the classic rock band’s lead singer in the late 2000s, has died. He was 60.
DeCarlo died Monday following a battle with brain cancer, his family announced on Facebook.
“[H]e fought with incredible strength and courage right up until the very end,” the family’s statement said. “During this difficult time, we kindly ask that friends and fans respect our family’s privacy as we grieve and support one another.”
Born April 23, 1965, in Utica, N.Y., DeCarlo said he first started listening to Boston — the 1970s rock band known for its instrumental overtures and hits including “More Than a Feeling,” “Don’t Look Back” and “Peace of Mind” — as a young teenager, according to the group’s website. The vocalist credited his love for Boston’s original frontman Brad Delp and his desire to sing along with him on the radio for helping to develop his own singing voice.
After Delp’s death in 2007, DeCarlo, then a manager at a Home Depot, sent a link to his MySpace page filled with Boston covers as well as an original song in tribute to Delp to the Boston camp, hoping for a chance to participate in a tribute show for the singer. They kindly turned down his offer.
But eventually, Boston founder and lead songwriter Tom Scholz heard DeCarlo’s cover of “Don’t Look Back” and invited the singer to perform a few songs with the band at the tribute. That tribute show would be DeCarlo’s first time ever performing with any band in front of a crowd, but it wouldn’t be his last. He continued to perform with the band at live shows for years, and even joined them on some tracks for their 2013 album, “Life, Love & Hope.”
DeCarlo also formed the band Decarlo with his son, guitarist Tommy DeCarlo Jr. In October, the singer announced he was stepping away from performing due to “unexpected health issues.”
“[P]erforming and sharing music with all of you around the world has been one of the greatest joys of my life,” DeCarlo wrote in his Facebook post. “I can’t thank you all enough for the incredible love, support, and understanding you’ve shown me and my family during this time. It truly means the world to us.”
Daryl Hannah is no fan of FX’s “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.” She made that abundantly clear in an op-ed for the New York Times that also criticized the series for what she claims is a misogynistic portrayal of her younger self.
“It’s appalling to me that I even have to defend myself against a television show,” Hannah, 65, wrote in the op-ed published Friday. “These are not creative embellishments of personality. They are assertions about conduct — and they are false.”
A representative for FX did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
“Splash” and “Kill Bill” star Hannah, whose romance with Kennedy in the 1990s made for tabloid fodder before his marriage to Bessette, wrote that the Ryan Murphy-produced project depicted her as “irritating, self-absorbed, whiny and inappropriate.” She wrote that the show also depicted her as a cocaine-loving, selfish obstacle in the way of the series’ late lovers. Kennedy and Bessette Kennedy died in a plane crash in 1999.
These creative choices, she claimed, were “no accident.”
Hannah decried her story being used as a “narrative device” to drive tension in the series and as a result, the series fell into “textbook misogyny” by pitting two women — in this case, actor Dree Hemingway’s Daryl Hannah and Sarah Pidgeon’s Carolyn Bessette — against each other.
The actor, also a filmmaker and advocate for environmental and senior health causes, also distanced herself from the series’ “untrue” depictions of her life, behavior, actions and relationship with Kennedy.
“I have never desecrated any family heirloom or intruded upon anyone’s private memorial,” she wrote. “I have never planted any story in the press. I never compared Jacqueline Onassis’ death to a dog’s.”
“Love Story,” created by Connor Hines, premiered in February with Paul Anthony Kelly starring as Kennedy. Hannah wrote that since the show’s debut, she received many “hostile and even threatening” messages from viewers who believe the series’ depictions.
Before Hannah’s op-ed, Murphy received criticism from Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of John F. Kennedy and nephew of John F. Kennedy Jr. In an interview with “CBS News Sunday Morning,” the 33-year-old political commentator said Murphy “knows nothing” about his family and that the prolific TV creator is making a “ton of money on a grotesque display of someone else’s life.”
While she has often chosen not to address “outrageous lies, crappy stories and unflattering characterizations,” Hannah wrote her “silence should not be mistaken for agreement with lies.” She said she felt compelled to speak out against the series’ depiction of her because continuing her “good work,” including her philanthropic efforts, “requires an intact reputation.”
Hannah said she has respected the Kennedy family’s privacy and, like Schlossberg, condemned “self-serving sensationalists trading in gossip, innuendo and speculation.”
“In a digital era, entertainment often becomes collective memory,” she wrote. “Real names are not fictional tools. They belong to real lives.”
As a child in Newark, N.J., Narciso Rodriguez was often transported back to Cuba by the stories from his family and their friends. He walked the halls of El Encanto, a Havana department store and fashion mecca on the island — one that drew in celebrity clientele and featured haute-couture designs and fragrances from the far-flung fashion capitals of Paris and Milan.
“I don’t know that they could have afforded any of those things when they were in Cuba,” he tells De Los. “But they certainly filled my imagination with beautiful stories and laid the foundation for my work.”
It was the women in his life — the “amazing, powerful, loud, colorful dynamos,” as he describes them — who inspired him to pursue a career in fashion.
“Their stories, their lives, their power, their curves, it all influenced me,” he says. “They’re the reason I wanted to create things.”
Over the last three decades, the renowned designer has earned a reputation for sleek, flattering lines and effortless shapes, most famously seen on the career-launching dress he designed for his friend Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy to wear on her wedding day. The bias-cut silk slip has remained a source of inspiration for generations of brides since, and has been making waves again thanks to the FX series “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.”
Omari K. Chancellor as Gordon Henderson, from left, Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette, Tonatiuh as Narciso Rodriguez in FX’s “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette”
(Eric Liebowitz / FX)
“Love Story” will follow the couple’s wedding in the latest episode, out March 5. (Rodriguez is portrayed by Tonatiuh on the show.)
After designing Bessette-Kennedy’s dress, Rodriguez launched his own label and a fragrance line, and has continued to create designs that are woven into the fabric of American history — Michelle Obama wore his dress on election night in 2008.
De Los spoke with Rodriguez about his career, upbringing and memories of designing Bessette-Kennedy’s dress.
You’ve spoken about how inspired you were by the women in your life growing up. Are there any “fashion icons” from your family or neighborhood that you could point to from your childhood?
You know, I’m so lucky because I was raised in a very Cuban household in a very culturally rich community in Newark. I mean, it was Italian, Spanish, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Black. It was everything. But I always think back to when I was very, very young, there was a kind of matriarch here in the neighborhood. Her name was Concha and she was kind of this lightning rod. My dad’s sister was married to her son, so when my parents came to the U.S., she gave them a place to stay. She would teach all of the young women how to cook and gave everyone a place to stay until they got on their feet. She was larger than life, she was like “Auntie Mame.” She had these great ‘60s beehive wigs in amazing wig boxes, she made these beautiful Chanel suits for herself, and had all these gold bangles, great lipstick and stilettos. When she came into the room, she just radiated power, joy and style. I always think of her as being my first signpost on the road.
They were all beautiful, you know? My aunts and my mom were the most beautiful, glamorous women. None of them were wearing designer clothes, but they took great pride and great care in how they looked, and that really made an impression on me.
How did that impression translate into a concrete passion? How did you go about actually pursuing a career in fashion?
I loved architecture. I loved building things, so I was always drawing, sketching and sculpting. Then I would see my mom take a piece of fabric and the way she could take something flat and shapeless and turn it into a garment was fascinating. By the time I was 13, I was doing fashion illustration, and I got a job in a tailor shop. Later, I enrolled myself in Saturday courses at Parsons [School of Design], and I kind of had to hide it from my parents at first. I felt like I couldn’t be a fashion designer, you know, because of the whole “macho” idea, but I just kept going. I was lucky that I was someone who always knew what they wanted to do, and that Parsons recognized I had talent for it at a young age.
I was exposed to really great people there, too. Donna Karan was a critic, Calvin Klein was a critic, Oscar de la Renta too. I got to do projects with all of them, and then I was hired after school by Donna Karan while she was still at Anne Klein. It was an amazing experience, and then I got poached by Calvin Klein, which was a very different experience.
How so?
It was incredible, but just very different. Whereas Anne Klein was this melting pot of creativity, Calvin was much more image-driven and precision-driven. He brought in great talents to collaborate with, so on any given day, you’d be working with the most amazing photographers, stylists and art directors. It was a really great finishing school as a young person.
You arrived at Calvin Klein during a period of reinvention for the brand. This was in the era of Kate Moss, and the famous “Marky Mark” print ads. We see a version of it in “Love Story,” but what was it like to actually be there?
When I got there, I think around 1989, it hadn’t really started to change yet. And I thought, “Wow, I made a really big mistake. This is not my aesthetic, not my thing.” But it changed very quickly, and it was very exciting. [Calvin] worked very hard. He was very focused, and he appreciated that I could keep up. Like everybody, there was a rough initiation period, but afterward, he gave me the opportunity to work on some tailored pieces that sold really well at retail, so I was rewarded with more opportunities.
But it was the ‘90s, and it was New York, and it was brilliant. It felt like the whole city was reinventing itself, and Calvin was a leader in that. All the best photographers, the most brilliant artists were there. Jacky Marshall, Zack Carr, Carolyn — the talent was endless. I was really fortunate to experience it and build friendships that were lifelong.
I’m curious if you remember your first impressions of Carolyn. How did you two connect?
We were quite friendly immediately, and then we became the best of friends. We lived in the same building, so the rest was history. You know, she’s an incredible person, and she had great style. She was bigger than life.
Carolyn has been regarded as a fashion icon, and especially now, everyone is trying to re–create her look. There was something more subtle and interesting going on than just “minimalist” fashion, so how would you describe what made her style so special?
Carolyn was so authentic in so many ways, and I think that she was very pragmatic about her choices. She had a great eye. She knew what worked for her, and she knew how to present herself. She never wanted to be uncomfortable. She was very connected to herself. I think so many people have this relationship to fashion and what they think they should look like based on the ideas they see in a magazine or being sold to you by the industry, and Carolyn never fell into that trap.
I have this conversation often with young designers, with people, with journalists. Today, everything that we see is inauthentic. Celebrities are paid to wear designer clothes. They’re styled by a stylist, and nothing is innate. That is the opposite of Carolyn. She was 100% real.
Narciso Rodriguez in 1997.
(Paolo Roversi)
We have to talk about her wedding dress. If you’re a bride, it’s impossible to look for inspiration without coming across her dress. What was it like to have a friend ask you to create something for such a special, important moment?
You know, until my children were born, Carolyn was the love of my life. We were very close, and she asked me, as you said, to make the dress that she would marry the love of her life in. It was very personal for me. It wasn’t a press event, it was a conversation between two people who were very close. I knew what looked good on her, she knew what looked good on her. I knew that she would never want to be bogged down with trains and lace. It wouldn’t be her.
What was the actual design process like?
It was an effortless collaboration. She came to fittings in Paris, we pulled the neckline down a bit lower, and the dress was born. I added the gloves, the veil and the shoe. It was just magical, and exactly the way it should be. It really made her the focus. You know, she was the one who pointed that out to me about my work. She always said, “You create a frame for a woman’s beauty and personality to shine through.” I’ve always thought that was a really beautiful thing that she gave me, because it’s true. I never want my work to be what you see first. I think the success of that dress is that you see her and her happiness and the purity of it all.
Everything about the wedding, including the dress, had to be kept a secret. Was it a challenge to make sure that no one knew what you were working on?
I was working in Paris, and I got approval from the owner of [Cerruti]. He was discreet about it. I worked with one pattern maker. I had a fit model who was lovely. Nobody knew who it was for. They always asked. But because I was working in Paris, they didn’t really connect me to her. I was also quite cautious when the dress was in work, I remember I had become quite friendly with Azzedine Alaïa. I asked, “Can I take this dress over to you and have you check it out to see what I’m doing?” I went over and he looked at the prototype, and said, “Why don’t you move this seam over the bum by a centimeter. I think it’ll be more flattering.” And I did, because he was the master, and he tortured me to know who it was for, but I never told him. Later, when it was all over the press, he would call and pretend he was a fancy lady looking for a wedding dress for her daughter. [Laughs] He tricked me a few times into believing some of his gags, but he was an amazing person.
It was just a magical time in all of our lives. And then I flew to America with the dress and went to the wedding, and it was that simple. You know, I’ve heard all these amazing stories about how the dress didn’t fit, and I had to sew her into it, and that she was hours late because of it, and none of this is true. But I love that people have made up all these stories.
Maybe the dress on her seems so effortless that people want to invent a way to complicate it.
[Laughs] I really have heard so many crazy stories, but when you look at the pictures, it certainly doesn’t look like it didn’t fit. That’s for sure.
As you mentioned, the dress was all over the press later. How did that moment impact your career?
Well, I went from Paris to my best friend’s wedding, and then I flew home to New York to do a pit stop at my apartment. When I arrived, there was a huge crowd outside the building with news trucks. I kind of walked through the crowd and into the building, and I said to the doorman, “What’s all that about?” And he looked at me, and he said, “They’re here to see you.”
Oh, wow.
It was a very big, kind of scary, unexpected change in my life. I remember going up to my apartment and trying to navigate that when Anna Wintour’s office called and said, “Anna would like for you to come to the Princess [Diana] benefit in Washington.” And I said I couldn’t go, I needed to be back in Paris, I didn’t even have a white shirt. And they said, “It’s Princess Di and Anna Wintour. You’re going. We’ll send you a shirt.” So I went, and I met Princess Diana, and it was really strange to be at such a big event and have so many eyes on me, because I didn’t expect that, and everyone was curious. I remember they were shady journalists trying to sit next to me and get information about where [John and Carolyn] went on their honeymoon. Life changed dramatically, but it brought great attention to the work that I was doing in Paris, and I was able to then go off and start my own business and do my own thing.
I’m sure you had an understanding through Carolyn about what it felt like to be hounded or followed by photographers and press, but did that firsthand experience in New York give you another layer of understanding for what she was going through?
It’s so funny because society today will do anything for that. But it was a very different time, and she was a very private person. I was a very private person. It’s very invasive, and I was kind of stuck in the middle, because while I needed to promote my work and my shows, and sort of be in the press, it wasn’t something that I was very comfortable with. I mean, I love doing the work more than I like the things attached to it. It can be debilitating, and it was difficult for me, but I adjusted, because I could hide behind my work, but as a private citizen, it was more difficult for her.
Narciso Rodriguez.
(Sølve Sundsbø)
You’ve been a part of fashion history on numerous occasions. Michelle Obama frequently wore your designs, but most famously, on election night in 2008, and then during her final appearance as first lady. How does it feel to have been a part of those moments?
It’s hard to put into words. You know, you spend so much time in it, and you have these amazing moments, like designing a dress that became legendary for brides, or getting to dress the first lady, and it wasn’t until COVID that I took a step back. I think about my mother and father coming here to give their son a chance to live out his dreams. And to have been able to sit with my friends on election night and watch her appear in my dress on such a historic moment — the first African American elected president of the United States — words fail. [Michelle Obama] is such an incredible human being who I admire so much, and to have been a part of that night, I feel so lucky.
I don’t talk about my work with my children, but the other day, when they were on the bus headed to school, they told one of their friends, “My dad went to the Obama White House.” They were proud of me. My parents’ dreams came true, and now I get to share that with my children. It’s very special.
It’s really powerful to hear you frame it that way — that these moments mean so much because of your experience being the child of immigrants. How does it feel to be in the midst of a revival right now?
It makes me want to create more. It means a lot to me that people remember these pieces, and that they’re still part of the conversation. But it also means a really great deal to me because I think it’s an important story to tell today. I think it’s important that young people hear that this kind of thing can happen to the children of immigrants, especially as I’m watching all of the horrible things happening to immigrants now.
I could never do what my parents did. When I think about it now, my parents were so much more successful than I could ever be, because they left behind their home for a cold climate, in a place where they couldn’t speak the language, and they really struggled for a long time before I was born. And now, the idea that we’re trying to take that opportunity away from people? It just blows my mind.
My parents faced so many hardships, their life wasn’t easy, but I can’t imagine if they had been put through what immigrants are put through today. I am the “American Dream,” right? I got the chance I got to do the work that I love and succeed because of them. I want that for everyone. I want that to be the world we live in.
“I’m enjoying the role across all formats and I’d love to carry that on,” added McCullum.
“It’s been an absolute privilege to be in this position over the past three and a half years. I feel like we’ve made some significant improvements across the various formats.
“Yes, we’ve missed some opportunities, but I think this team has a real opportunity over the coming years to continue to improve and hopefully finish what we started. I’d love to be a part of that.”
Key backed McCullum during the Ashes, but neither ECB chief executive Richard Gould nor chair Richard Thompson have publicly spoken on his future.
At the end of the Ashes, McCullum also received support from Test skipper Ben Stokes, while the relationship between McCullum and Brook has blossomed during the T20 World Cup.
Asked after the semi-final defeat if McCullum should stay in charge, Brook said: “125%. I’ve said plenty of times he’s the best coach I’ve ever had.
“The way he speaks to everybody, he’s got an aura in the dressing room, and everybody looks up to him. The things he’s done over the four years since he took over has changed English cricket for hopefully the best.
“Our partnership has been good throughout the competition and since I’ve taken over. Long may it continue.”
Failures in away Ashes tours have often signalled change in the management of England teams.
Speaking on Sky Sports, former England captain Nasser Hussain said the ECB has to guard against repeating the mistakes of the past, while not ignoring the failures of this latest defeat in Australia.
“What you have to get away from is going to the Ashes, you lose, you get rid of the coach and captain, and you start all over again. I’m never a fan of that,” said Hussain.
“But I’m also not keen on, a couple of months later, forgetting what happened in the Ashes, and how poor England were on and off the field – all the mistakes that were made.
“There is a feeling Brook and McCullum are aligned, but there is a suggestion there was a divergence during the Ashes and that is a concern.
“They’ve made good decisions in the white-ball game that they didn’t in the Ashes. They missed an opportunity there and you can’t just brush over that.”
SPRING is blooming and what better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than heading out in the sunshine and making use of some ‘mums go free’ deals to top attractions.
I love heading out with my boys, but sometimes it can cost a lot by the time I pay for myself and them.
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Lots of attractions across the UK offer free entry to mums on Mother’s DayCredit: Catherine LofthouseFor example you could head to Gulliver’s LandCredit: Catherine Lofthouse
But when it comes to Mother’s Day, my secret weapon is heading to spots that have a ‘mums go free’ offer.
The offers celebrate Mother’s Day but is a great opportunity for having a fun family day out whilst saving a bit of cash.
One of our favourites as a family is Audley End miniature railway near Saffron Walden in Essex, which is about to launch a new play village in time for its reopening.
Now known as Audley End Enchanted Railway, it’s a must-visit for fans of all things fairy, as the train ride is full of magical moments winding through the woodlands.
There’s an adventure playground and an elf and fairy walk as well as the new wooden play houses.
And this Mother’s Day weekend, both mums and grandmothers go free.
Just across the road is one of the historic houses looked after by English Heritage.
This year, Mothering Sunday falls during the National Lottery Week, which means free entry to English Heritage sites between March 7 and 15 with a lottery ticket.
At Audley End House and Gardens, one adult and two children can get free entry with each lottery ticket, so you could easily combine the English Heritage deal with the mums go free offer at the miniature railway for a full day of family fun.
While National Trust properties in England and Wales are also taking part in the National Lottery Open Week, many don’t offer free entry on Mothering Sunday, so that’s something to bear in mind.
But there are a number of other big names participating in National Lottery Open Week, such as several RSPB destinations around the UK.
What’s great about lottery week is that it’s not specific to mums – so if you’ve got an important person who you want to celebrate on Mothering Sunday, you can treat them, whoever they are.
As for other offers, you can head to Gulliver’s theme parks and get one adult entry for free with each paying child on March 14 and 15.
We always have a great time when we visit Gulliver’s Land in Milton Keynes, which is perfect for a first theme park visit if you’ve got little ones who haven’t been on rides before.
Or you could head to a farm and enjoy the first signs of springCredit: Catherine Lofthouse
We especially love the JCB zone near the entrance, which has a covered picnic area where mums can have a coffee while the kids keep themselves occupied with diggers galore.
There are also Gulliver’s sites in Matlock Bath in Derbyshire and in Warrington, so you’re spoilt for choice if you want a fun day out.
These aren’t the only theme parks with offers for Mother’s Day either.
Other attractions include Drayton Manor near Tamworth and Flamingo Land in Yorkshire, both of which let mums go free on Mother’s Day with a full paying child.
Loads of farm parks around the country get in on the act of offering mums free entry and March is the perfect time of year for a visit, with lots of baby animals being born.
Bluebell Dairy near Derby is one example, where my little boy particularly enjoyed the huge jumping pillow and watching the cows in the milking parlour before sampling the ice cream that the farm is famous for.
Some farms are even giving mums a little gift as well as free entry.
Rand Farm Park near Lincoln, lets mums take home a potted plant to mark their special day, while at Thornton Hall Country Park near Skipton, mother figures will be offered a free glass of prosecco or orange juice.
The best way to find somewhere near you is to simply Google search ‘mums go free offer near me’, and you should discover a number of spots where you can save some money this Mother’s Day.
20 attractions with ‘mums go free’ offers
HERE are 20 attractions offering free entry for Mother’s Day next weekend:
Amberley Museum, West Sussex
Cotswold Farm Park
Monk Park Farm, North Yorkshire
Wookey Hole
Longleat
Anne of Cleves House
Fishbourne Roman Palace and Gardens
Lewes Castle and Museum
Michelham Priory House and Gardens
The Priest House and Gardens
Wheelgate Park, Newark and Mansfield in Nottinghamshire
SCREAMING matches, tears and table mutiny is what you expect from Christmas Day with your in-laws – not at the Brit Awards.
But this year’s swanky ceremony in Manchester’s Co-op arena was a hotbed of misbehaving drunk stars, disgruntled execs who weren’t dished up their puddings and desperate agents who, on the night, were still begging organisers to get their A-listers into the label after-parties – with one Hollywood actor being repeatedly turned away because “they’re known for being a nightmare”.
The 2026 Brit Awards, hosted by Jack Whitehall, saw tears, tantrums and furious guests complaining about delays and meagre portion sizesCredit: GettyMaya Jama broke the ‘no vaping’ rule inside the venueCredit: Shutterstock EditorialThe Love Island host was seen holding a pink vape in the arenaCredit: The Sun
On Saturday night, over 1,000 of the biggest names in music and entertainment descended on Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena floor to enjoy a swanky three-course meal before Harry Styles opened the Brits.
The delay in proceedings ended up causing chaos before the show had even begun, and later, angry guests were overheard moaning about the meagre portion sizes and a Manchester tart pudding, which, for hundreds of guests, failed to materialise.
One top celebrity agent moaned to me: “A table costs £25,000, but four bits of celeriac, a tiny bit of venison and no pudding is outrageous.
“Everyone on my table wanted tequila shots, but when we went to order them, the staff said they couldn’t serve them straight.
“Then, because Robbie’s rehearsal messed with timings, there wasn’t time for the puddings to come out before the show started.
“Some tables got their tarts, others got absolutely nothing – and there was no apology. We were all starving.
“The service felt like we were at a badly organised wedding.”
On the floor, music and acting royalty, including Jeff Goldblum and Oasis legend Noel Gallagher, mingled amid discontent – before acts including Harry Styles, Olivia Dean and Mark Ronson put on epic performances.
As the ceremony got started, not everyone was having fun.
One well-respected publicist told me during the night: “It was like sitting next to the Flying Scotsman sitting near Lola Young.
“She was exhaling these huge plumes of vapour. It was ignorant and arrogant.
“And don’t get me started on Bez – he’d had so much to drink he looked like he was struggling to stand.
“He was dressed like a court jester, and he tried to introduce himself to Alex Warren, who looked totally baffled by the entire interaction.
“Alex was totally polite, but he didn’t have a clue who this seemingly mad man was who was trying to shake his hand.
“Eventually, someone he was with got Bez away from him so he could carry on watching the show.”
Guests, who paid £25,000 for a table and a swanky three-course meal, were hastily ushered out because Robbie Williams still needed time to rehearseCredit: GettyVIPs with tables on the arena floor had to wait longer than expected while Robbie rehearsed his awards speechA well-respected publicist said being near Lola Young was like ‘sitting next to the Flying Scotsman’ due to her vapingCredit: GettyToni Laites and Cach Mercer had a screaming match mid-way through the show – leaving them on the brink of a splitCredit: Getty
Censoring was a big point of contention on the night too, with Jack Whitehall’s funniest quips – including a gag about Peter Mandelson – and Geese drummer Max Bassin’s shout of: “I just want to say: free Palestine and f*** I.C.E,” all edited out by ITV.
“It was bizarre,” another publicist quipped to me the following day.
“Noel Gallagher shouted ‘Up the f***ing blues,’ and rather than just beeping out the swear word, they decided to lose the entire sentence – meaning anyone watching at home just suddenly heard him being booed by Manchester United fans in the arena.
“The BBC totally botched up the Baftas, so maybe ITV were scared of getting it wrong.
“But it meant that some of the editing didn’t make a whole lot of sense.
“Why are you letting one of the night’s biggest stars get loudly booed with zero context?”
It was like sitting next to the Flying Scotsman sitting near Lola Young.
As the clock ticked closer to 11pm, stars keen to get out of the arena and to after parties thrown by major labels including Warner and Sony, found themselves being blocked by security.
“People just wanted out towards the end,” one of the on-site crew explained.
“The floor usually is chaotic towards the end of the ceremony because people are drunk, but you can’t have half the tables suddenly going missing.
“Vernon Kay and Sharon Osbourne managed to evade capture, but security were trying to turn most people back to their tables.”
The rush to the after-parties made sense, given how tight the guest lists were.
Amber Gill was pictured in tears at Warner’s Brit Awards after-partyCredit: The SunNoel Gallagher shouted ‘Up the f***ing blues’ but ITV edited it out – so people watching at home only heard him being booed with zero contextCredit: Reuters‘Furious’ Selling Sunset star Breana Tiesi, pictured right, was left shivering on the pavement outside of Warner Music’s bash after not being allowed back inCredit: GettyThe Brits 2026 at Manchester’s Co-op Live ArenaCredit: Getty
I’m told one major Hollywood acting agent was ringing around organisers on the day to try and get their client, who is a household name and has been in massive films, into a bash.
“The guest list is full, that’s the party line,” one insider told me.
“But basically, if your client is a nuisance, they aren’t getting in.
“This actor is known to party hard and can be a nuisance. His agent was begging him to be allowed into the parties, but everyone kept saying no.
“In the end, he didn’t bother coming, which was a relief. But there was no way this agent would have let their Hollywood client slum it on the pavement outside.”
Out in the cold
As stars and execs jostled to get into the parties, Selling Sunset star Breana Tiesi was left shivering on the pavement outside of Warner Music’s bash after briefly stepping outside the event and being told she wasn’t allowed back in.
“Bre was furious,” one onlooker told me. “She was an invited guest and had been inside.
“But she stepped out and wasn’t allowed to get back inside again.
“They kicked up a massive stink, and it eventually got sorted. But it wasn’t a good look.
The lovely, funny “American Classic,” premiering Sunday on MGM+, is a love letter to theater, community and community theater. Kevin Kline plays Richard Bean, a narcissistic stage actor. He’s famous enough to be opening on Broadway in “King Lear,” but he has to be pushed onstage and is forgetting lines. After he drunkenly assails a hostile New York Times critic — caught on video, of course — he’s suspended from the play, and his agent (Tony Shalhoub) advises him to get out of town and lay low until the heat’s off, as they used to say in the gangster movies.
Learning that his mother (Jane Alexander, acting royalty, in film clips) has died, Richard heads back to his small Pennsylvania hometown, where his family — all actors, like the Barrymores, but no longer acting — owns a once-celebrated theater. To Richard’s horror, it has, for want of income, become a dinner theater, hosting touring productions of “Nunsense” and “Forever Plaid” instead of the great stage works on which he cut his teeth.
Brother Jon (Jon Tenney), running the kitchen at the theater, is married to Kristen (Laura Linney), Richard’s onetime acting partner, who dated him before her marriage; now she’s the mayor. Their teenage daughter, Miranda (Nell Verlaque) — a name from Shakespeare — does want to act and move to New York, as her mother had before her, but is afraid to tell her parents. Richard’s father, Linus (Len Cariou), is suffering from dementia, though not to the point he won’t actively contribute to the action; every day he comes out again as gay.
Across the eight-episode series, things move from the ridiculous to the sublime. Richard’s attempt to stage his mother’s funeral, with her coffin being lowered from the ceiling, while “Also sprach Zarathustra” plays and smoke billows toward the audience, fortunately comes to naught; but he announces at the ceremony that he’ll direct a production of Thornton Wilder’s 1938 play “Our Town” at the theater, to “restore the soul of this town.” (His big idea is to ignore Wilder’s stage directions, which ask for no curtain, no set and few props, with a “realistic version,” featuring a working soda fountain, rain effects and a horse.) Fate will have other plans for this, and not to give away what in any case should be obvious, the title of the play will also become its ethos, with a cast of amateurs, including Miranda’s jealous boyfriend, Randall (Ajay Friese), and ordinary people standing in for the ordinary people of Wilder’s Grover’s Corners.
The series has a comfortable, cushiony feeling; it’s the sort of show that could have been made as a film in the 1990s, and in which Kline could have starred as easily in his 40s as in his 70s; it has the same relation to reality as “Dave,” in which he played a good-hearted ordinary Joe who takes the place of a lookalike U.S. president. The town is essentially a sunny place, full of mostly sunny people, to all appearances, a typical comedy hamlet. But we’re told it’s distressed, and Mayor Kristen is in transactional cahoots with developer Connor Boyle (Billy Carter), who wants clearance to build a casino on the site of a landmark hotel. (Much of the plot is driven by money — needing it, trading for it, leaving it, losing it.) He also wants his heavily accented, bombshell Russian girlfriend, Nadia (Elise Kibler), to have a part in “Our Town.”
As in the great Canadian comedy “Slings & Arrows,” set at a Shakespeare Festival outside of Toronto, themes and moments and speeches from the play being performed are echoed in the lives of the performers, while the viewer experiences the double magic of watching a fine actor playing an actor playing a part. Kline, of course, is himself an American classic, with a long stage and screen career that encompasses classical drama, romantic and musical comedy and cartoon voiceovers; the series makes room for Richard to perform soliloquies from “Hamlet” and “Henry V,” parts Klein has played onstage. He brings out the sweetness latent in Richard. Linney, who played against her sweetheart image in “Ozark,” is happily back on less deadly ground (though she’s tense and drinks a little). Tenney, who was sweet and funny on “The Closer,” and who we don’t see enough of these days, is sweeter and funnier here, and gets to sing. (All the Beans will sing, except for Linus.)
As a comedy, it is often predicable — you know that things will work out, and some major plot points are as good as inevitable — but it’s the good sort of predictability, where you get what you came for, where you hear the words you want to hear, ones you could never have written yourself. “American Classic” is not out to challenge your world view in any way but wants only to confirm your feelings and in doing so amplify them. Shock effects are fine in their place — and to be sure there are major twists in the plot — but there is a certain release when the thing you’re ready to have happen, happens, whether it brings laughter or tears. Either is welcome.
LOVE Island beauty Ella Barnes has revealed she was evacuated from Dubai airport amid Iran missile strikes.
The influencer, 25, who starred on theITVshow in 2023, took to Instagram to explain her flight had been cancelled.
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Love Island beauty Ella Barnes has revealed she was evacuated from Dubai airport amid Iran missile strikesCredit: InstagramThe influencer, 25, who starred on the ITV show in 2023, took to Instagram to explain her flight had been cancelled.Credit: Instagram
Ella posted an image of the empty airport to her social media account and captioned it: “Got evacuated out of Dubai airport and my flight home cancelled.
“Guess, I’ll be staying here a little longer.”
A scared Ella, later posted snaps of missiles in the air and wrote: “Missiles in the sky.
“No this is so scary. Listen to how loud the explosion is at the end. WTF.”
However, earlier today, Ella posted a snap of her driving along a deserted highway and wrote: “We are out of here. Thanks for all the messages. Had so many”
In more recent-times, celebrities from the United Kingdom have been emigrating there, with many Brit celebs choosing Dubai as the place they want to bring up their families.
“Right above us on the Palm in Dubai today, bloody scary, I tell you that. Never heard a noise like it before,” he penned.
He then later shared a photo of a rocket near his home, writing: “Rocket above my house wtf this is crazy.”
Love Island star Arabella Chi, who relocated from the UK to Dubai with her partner, Billy Henty, and their daughter, Gigi, in 2025, has also shared posts about the scary time she is enduring.
“Dubai friends. Scary times. Stay safe,” she penned on her Instagram stories.
Just hours before the missile strikes, Arabella and her partner were playing with their daughter in the sand.
Ella found fame in Love Island 2023, and stole Sheffield lad Mitch Taylor, 28, from his partner Abi Moores, 25, after entering the matchmaking series as a bombshellCredit: RexElla became loved-up with her wealthy entrepreneur man Neil Farrugia after the pair made their relationship official in 2024 but they split up a year laterCredit: Instagram/@ellabellabarnesA scared Ella posted snaps of missiles in the air while she was in DubaiCredit: Getty
That the “The Napa Boys” won’t be everyone’s cup of tea — or in this case, goblet of wine — almost feels like this meta comedy’s raison d’être. And to say its fusillade of jokes is hit-and-miss would also be a charitable take. They’re mostly miss, even if that, too, can seem like kind of the point.
Co-writers and co-stars Nick Corirossi and Armen Weitzman (Corirossi also directed) have assembled a series of scenes in search of a story, sending up pivotal moments from a hodgepodge of movies, some real (“Sideways,” “American Pie,” “The Lord of the Rings”), some invented. I’ll admit, it took a minute to understand what the filmmakers were doing (their grandiose statement in the movie’s press kit is purposely unenlightening) and, thus, for this grab bag of nonsense to sink in.
Still, once you realize what the heck it is you’re watching, you might just settle in for a more diverting — or less terrible — time than first expected. But the lower your entertainment bar, the better.
The barely-there plot finds a group of pals and wine aficionados, a.k.a. the Napa Boys, gathering in the California valley (Malibu subbed) for a screwball adventure that, among much else, will involve a coveted wine competition at something called the Great Grape Festival.
The hapless group includes its leader, the crassly horny Jack Jr. (Corirossi), sad-sack widower Miles Jr. (Weitzman), conflicted family man Kevin (Nelson Franklin), underdog vintner Mitch (Mike Mitchell) and a kinder, newer member known only — in an all-caps nod to “American Pie” — as Stifler’s Brother (Jamar Neighbors). Meanwhile, a devotee and “investigative podcaster,” Puck (Sarah Ramos), also joins the guys on their wayward journey.
The film’s goofy conceit is that this is the fourth installment of a Napa Boys movie series (based on nonexistent graphic novels), with the official on-screen title of “The Napa Boys 4: The Sommelier’s Amulet” (Dig that “Indiana Jones”-style font.) As a result, it unfolds as if the viewer is already intimate with a franchise’s culture and lore, dropping us smack into the thick of things with little, if any, context. Confused yet?
This ploy hands Corirossi (a former head creative at Funny or Die) and Weitzman a license to be as slapdash and surface as possible, which, it would seem, is also part of the picture’s wobbly in-joke. Because this alt comedy makes no bones about its characters or situations being even remotely logical or realistic, anything goes — and does. You sometimes wish it didn’t.
Case in point: After a meds mix-up, unruly Jack Jr. (he and Miles Jr. are always addressed with the suffix) unleashes his explosive diarrhea into a barrel of contest-qualifying wine, after which he “spontaneously” ejaculates into it. And then, natch, the judges must sample the concoction. It’s an awful, protracted sequence that begs the question, satire or not, is this truly the funniest bit they could hatch? (To be fair, it’s likely some viewers will, uh, eat it up.)
That aside, the film’s barrage of scenes, sketches, shout-outs and absurdist scenarios leading up to the climactic wine-making championship are largely harmless flights of farce. These involve sex, love, death, near-death, maybe incest, lots of wine tasting (why is the vino here iced-tea brown?) and a moose on the loose.
There are also rides in Jack Jr.’s showy “Wine Wagon” SUV (license plate: IH8MERLOT), beatific montages backed by swelling strings celebrating the “joys” of Napa Boys life (“To be a Napa Boy is to be free!”) and a surprise — and rather pointless — cameo by those other movie “brainiacs,” Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith). There’s also an anxious visit to Jack Jr.’s onetime hookup, the now-elderly sexpert called the Milfonator (Eve Sigall). Oh, and is that really iconic filmmaker and vintner Francis Ford Coppola as the wine competition’s “super-secret celebrity guest judge”? (Two guesses.)
All this inanity takes place over the course of a handful of days, during which no one ever seems to change clothes. Couldn’t Jack Jr. have packed at least two Hawaiian shirts?
And what of the title’s elusive sommelier (DJ Qualls of “Road Trip” fame) and his mystical green amulet? He makes an almost tacked-on, Yoda-like appearance, but it’s too little, too late.
The game if uneven cast includes Paul Rust (channeling Paul Reubens, with whom he co-wrote 2016’s “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday”) as Squirm, Mitch’s insufferably cruel wine-making rival; David Wain (who directed and co-wrote “Wet Hot American Summer,” another spoofy touchstone here) as the wine contest’s even-handed host; and playing the guys’ various love interests: Chloe Cherry, Vanessa Chester, Riki Lindhome and Beth Dover.
Reportedly shot in under 10 days, the film features such fun needle drops as the Supremes’ “You Can’t Hurry Love,” Gerry Rafferty’s “Family Tree” and, of all things to accompany a seduction scene, “The Girls of Rock ‘n’ Roll” sung by Alvin and the Chipmunks and the Chipettes. How this proudly low-budget effort managed to license those tunes is as curious as so much else in this ragtag oddity.
DENVER — Renee Good loved sparkles and laughter and any excuse for a celebration. She loved pretty much everyone she met, and was late for pretty much everything.
“She had this way of making you feel special and loved that I didn’t even understand … until we lost her,” Donna Ganger said Friday of her daughter, who was shot and killed by an immigration officer during the federal crackdown in Minneapolis.
She was “slow to anger, quick to love, quick to care,” said her father, Tim Ganger. “That’s the essence of who she was.”
Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was killed Jan. 7 as immigration agents surged through the Minneapolis area, sparking waves of protests. Her death and that of another U.S. citizen, Alex Pretti, weeks later in Minneapolis sparked outrage across the country and calls to rein in immigration enforcement.
In a wide-ranging interview in Colorado, where some of the family lives, Good’s parents and two of her brothers, Brent and Luke Ganger, talked to the AP about the joy Good found in life, their grief and their hopes that her death can bring about change in a deeply polarized nation.
“It’s going to be hard in the future,” Donna Ganger said. “It’s going to be kind of a constant pain.”
Settling in Minneapolis
Good, who graduated from college later in life, was volunteering in a local school district and working as a substitute teacher when she was killed, her parents said.
“She was working so hard to get her education, and then she was finally able to use it, and I could just tell how happy she was and how fulfilled,” Donna Ganger said.
Good, her 6-year-old son and her partner, Becca Good — the women were not legally married, according to a family lawyer, but referred to each other as wives — had only recently relocated to Minneapolis from Kansas City, Mo., settling on a quiet residential street in a tight-knit neighborhood known for its progressive activism.
In social media accounts, Renee Good described herself as a “poet and writer and wife and mom.” On Pinterest, a profile picture shows her smiling and holding a young child, alongside posts about tattoos, hairstyles and home decorating.
The family “settled very quickly into the community in Minneapolis,” said Donna Ganger, describing how the neighborhood had also welcomed the rest of the family when they came after the shooting. They see that as the result of the love that Good had showed her new neighbors.
“It was incredible to receive that back,” Luke Ganger said.
Donna Ganger held a stuffed toy owl as she spoke, a gift from her daughter, who knew how much she loved the birds. It had sparkles on its feet, a reminder of Good’s love for glitter.
At Good’s memorial service, a table of glitter had been set out for guests. Donna Ganger had put a piece on a lens of her glasses and it’s remained there.
“She just kind of sparkled all the way through,” said Donna Ganger. “I think of her and I look down and see my little sparkle.”
‘A very American blend’
The family is “a very American blend,” Luke Ganger said recently in testimony to Congress. “We vote differently, and we rarely completely agree on the finer details of what it means to be a citizen of this country.”
Yet “we have always treated each other with love and respect,” he said.
On Friday, the family didn’t want to discuss the specifics of their differences, but Donna Ganger said she’d long prayed for guidance: “Before all this happened, I said, ‘Make me a wise woman.’”
In the hours after Good’s death, Trump administration officials said she had been shot as she tried to drive her car into an immigration officer. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Good had committed “an act of domestic terrorism.”
But as video evidence and other details of the confrontation emerged, and criticism of the crackdown began growing, administration comments softened.
President Trump said he’d been told that Tim Ganger had supported him.
“He was all for Trump, loved Trump. And, you know, it’s terrible,” he told reporters. “I hope he still feels that way.”
Tim Ganger declined to talk about his political affiliation or whether it had changed with his daughter’s killing.
“I think I’m just going to leave that go,” he said. “There’s so many other important things” to deal with now, he added.
But family members said they hoped their ability to get along would be an inspiration.
“Our purpose through this whole tragic, difficult, unbelievable time, is to have something good come out of this,” Tim Ganger said. “Otherwise the senselessness of this is overwhelming.”
Sadness echoed in Donna Ganger’s voice as she talked about navigating family differences.
“Sometimes I’m just silly, you know, and I joke with them and I’m goofy,” she said. “But I want to be able to talk about hard things — and that’s hard sometimes with your own family to talk about hard things that maybe you don’t agree on. And I don’t want there to be any hardships between us or hurt.
“But it’s important that we learn to be careful with our words, but share them in a deep way,” she said. “It’s really important.”
Family members spoke only in general ways about the change they’d like to see come from Good’s death.
“I think it’s evident that something is broken, right?” said Brent Ganger. “And when something is broken, you have to take a deep look to see what it is that can be changed and fixed in order for it to not happen again.”
The morning of the shooting
On the morning of the shooting, as immigration raids and protests were flaring across the city, Becca Good has said she and Renee stopped their car in the street to support neighbors during an immigration operation.
Video shows Renee Good in a maroon SUV blocking part of the road and repeatedly honking her horn.
Two immigration officers get out of a truck and one orders Good to open her door. She reverses briefly, then turns the steering wheel as the officer says again, “Get out of the car.” Almost simultaneously, Becca Good, standing in the street shouts, “Drive, baby, drive!”
When Good begins pulling forward, an ICE officer standing in front of the vehicle — later identified as Jonathan Ross — pulls his weapon and fires at least two shots into the car, through the driver’s-side corner of the windshield and the driver’s window, killing Good.
Weeks later, Tim Ganger said he hoped the family’s tragedy would lead to change, though “I’m not even sure what that will look like.”
“But for something good, for people to stop and take a breath and take a look and have a dialog,” he said. “That’s the broader mission of what we want, for people to come together and take care of each other.”
The Justice Department has said it sees no basis to open a federal civil rights investigation into Good’s death, but the family has hired a law firm that is conducting its own investigation and exploring potential legal action.
Family members said no one from the federal government has contacted them about Good’s killing, and they are unsure whether anyone will be held accountable.
“All we can do is speak out and hope that our sincere words are enough to enact some kind of change,” Brent Ganger said.
Slevin and Sullivan write for the Associated Press and reported from Denver and Minneapolis, respectively.
