producers

PADDINGTON Bear bosses have sued Spitting Image over its parody of the nation’s beloved character.

The satirical puppet show has come under fire for the latest episode of its YouTube series.

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Comedians Al Murray and Matt Forde are behind the online spin-off of the TV show, which was a must-watch in the 1980s and ’90s.

Titled, The Rest is Bulls**t, Paddington is portrayed as a cocaine-using ‘Pablo Esca-Bear’.

Prince Harry was also parodied and portrayed as the co-host.

His puppet says at one point: “I’m here to tell my truth and make a s–t tonne of money out of podcasting as I don’t have any discernible talent.”

Meanwhile the deranged marmalade-loving creature boasts: “I am from Peru, motherf—–s. I am Paddington Bear from Peru.”

The red-eyed bear also says he enjoys “100 per cent Peruvian, biodynamic, organic, catastrophic cocaine”.

In the skit he interviews Elon Musk, advertises guns, robotic sex dolls, and refers to himself as Pablo Esco-bear in an upcoming Netflix show.

As reported by Deadline, StudioCanal has now filed a High Court complaint over the sketch.

Documents revealed the producer is claiming there were concerns with copyright.

The episode also faced fierce backlash from Paddington fans, who claimed the iconic children’s character had been “disrespected” and “ruined”.

The controversial puppet performance was similar to one in recent years which again portrayed Paddington as an erratic drug-user.

Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image The Musical, featured the quote: “Cocaine bear has got nothing on Paddington in Peru.

“Paddington’s back… and he’s been through a lot recently.”

In another advertisement on social media, Spitting Image creators wrote: “Are we sure it’s just marmalade in those sandwiches, Paddington?”

US President Donald Trump — in a baby’s bib — also featured beside the King in The Rest is Bulls*** episode, following the State Banquet in September.

Latex lookalikes of the Duke of Sussex and wife Meghan were also royally skewered in the episode.

An Angela Rayner puppet also gave property advice in the sketch, launching a website called Wrongmove.

An ad warns: “Your Cabinet position may be at risk if you don’t heed proper instructions and keep up your correct stamp duty payments.”

It came after the ethics watchdog ruled the real Ms Rayner, who had three homes including a grace-and-favour London flat, breached the ministerial code over £40,000 of unpaid stamp duty.

Studio Canal and Spitting Image were contacted for comment.

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Apparently, love is blind to a healthy work environment. That’s what’s alleged in a new class-action lawsuit filed this week.

Stephen Richardson, a contestant on Season 7 of the Netflix dating show “Love Is Blind,” is suing the streaming service and the production companies behind the series, alleging they failed to pay overtime and minimum wages and didn’t provide accurate and itemized wage statements and uninterrupted meal periods. The class action was filed Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Richardson alleges in the lawsuit that producers wrongly classified him and the rest of the cast, who he says regularly worked 20-hour shifts, in order to pay them less. The lawsuit lists Kinetic Content, Delirium TV and Netflix as defendants.

Producers exerted “complete domination over [participants’] time, schedule, and their ability to eat, drink, and sleep, and communicate with the outside world during the period of employment” and further restricted participants’ actions after the show wrapped, the complaint says. The conditions were “unsafe and inhumane,” the lawsuit says.

“Love Is Blind” follows a group of single men and women searching for love the old-fashioned way, by communicating blindly through a wall. Couples are kept from each other until they establish an engagement, which pays off with unexpected facial reactions that express emotions including great dissatisfaction, confusion or a sigh of relief.

In recent years, the show has been hit with similar lawsuits from other former cast members. Last year, Season 5 participant Renee Poche and Season 2 veteran Nick Thompson filed a lawsuit against the production companies after she was penalized for breaching her contract by publicly discussing her experience on the show.

“I am now being sued for $4 million despite earning $8,000 for my participation on the show,” Poche told USA Today.

Poche alleged the production companies were retaliating against her for speaking about the working conditions she endured. After feeling “like a prisoner” while working on the show, she says, she was cut from the final version of the series.

Season 2 cast member Jeremy Hartwell sued Kinetic Content and Netflix in 2022 for allegedly violating labor laws and creating an “unsafe and inhumane” work environment. Then a number of unnamed former cast members spoke to Insider in April 2023, alleging producers subjected them to 20-hour production days, rarely allowed them to go outside, failed to provide adequate food and mental-health services and ignored their pleas for help.

Throughout the years, reality TV has tried to protect itself from real-life lawyers with nondisclosure agreements and provisions requiring disputes be taken to arbitration. The new complaint has Richardson as the named defendant along with “all others similarly situated.”

The accuser is looking for unspecified damages. Richardson, Netflix, Kinetic Content and Delirium TV did not immediately respond Wednesday to The Times’ request for comment.

Another series of Love Island has sadly come to an end as millions watched Toni and Cach take the crown last night – but one raunchy secret was kept on the downlow – until now…

Last night, millions watched on as Toni and Cach took home the crown in what has been named as the raunchiest Love Island series yet.

The 12th series of the iconic ITV2 reality show had more arguments than we can count, but there was reportedly a lot more going on behind closed doors as producers

OG fans who watched the show back from 2015 will remember ITV showing some NSF work scenes, most memorably the explicit ‘over the covers’ scene with Terry and Emma in season 2. Now, things are much more reserved, but it doesn’t mean things don’t happen off camera. It comes after Maya Jama shared her true feelings over Harry and Shakira’s reunion.

READ MORE: Love Island’s Casey O’Gorman admits struggles with relationship after All Stars victoryREAD MORE: Big Brother confirms return to ITV with ‘new look’ as iconic show celebrates 25 years

Spilling all the tea to Christine Lampard on Tuesday morning’s Lorraine the day after the final, Aftersun panellist Joe Baggs revealed this had been the ‘raunchiest’ season in history – with producers having to make one huge change to cater to the contestants.

Speaking to Christine asked whether it was true that it had been the raunchiest series to date.

Letting ITV viewers in on some behind the scenes raunchy secrets, Joe said: “Yes. There’s been a lot going on in that bedroom. I actually went in to the bedroom.

“They had a night where the camera was off and it was quite a mess,” he laughed. “Apparently they had to bring in extra condoms, extra protection for this series of Love Island and they used them all up.

“I actually saw quite a few packets on the floor, so…” he said as Christine expressed her shock.

This series, fans were left shocked during one particular scene between Harrison, Lauren, Harry and Helena. As the Islanders got cosy in bed, Harrison and Lauren decided it wasn’t time for lights out just yet – as he reached over to ask Harry and Helena if he could borrow a condom.

Harrison could be seen reaching over to Helena and Harry’s bed via the night cam, as he asked: “Do you have a condom?”

Harry and Helena could be seen in hysterics as Helena quickly pulled one out the drawer, with Harry passing it over. The couple then got under the covers, as the cameras panned to them kissing – but not much more was shown.

And just days before the final, fans were left “horrified” during some very raunchy bedroom scenes between Meg and Dejon.

After kissing and making up following their huge spat after date night, Meg and Dejon were filmed getting hot and steamy under the blankets, but viewers were less than impressed as they called the scenes ‘disgusting’.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

In Porciuncula, Brazil, small-scale coffee farmer Jose Natal da Silva is losing sleep – not just to protect his arabica crops from pests, but over fears raised by a new 50% United States tariff on Brazilian goods announced by President Donald Trump.

The tariff, widely seen as a political move in defence of far-right Trump ally ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, who faces trial for an alleged coup plot, could slash demand and prices for Brazilian coffee in its top export market.

Brazil is the world’s largest coffee exporter, sending 85 percent of its output abroad. The US buys 16 percent of that, making it Brazil’s biggest coffee customer. Experts warn the tariff will hurt competitiveness, especially for family farmers who produce two-thirds of Brazil’s coffee and have fewer resources to weather downturns or shift to new markets.

Last year’s climate change-driven drought already devastated crops. Now, falling arabica prices, down 33 percent since February, are compounding losses. “We struggle for years, and suddenly we might lose everything,” said da Silva, who grows 40,000 trees and other crops to survive.

Nearby in Varre-Sai, Paulo Menezes Freitas, another smallholder with 35,000 trees, fears he may be forced to abandon coffee farming. He says the tariff also affects essential imports like machinery and aluminium. “It feels like the ground is crumbling under us,” he said.

Despite the blow, Brazil’s coffee exporters remain cautiously optimistic. The Council of Coffee Exporters of Brazil (Cecafe)’s Marcio Ferreira believes US buyers can’t afford to stop importing Brazilian beans. But on the ground, small farmers fervently hope for a rollback before livelihoods vanish.

LOVE Island fans claim they’ve spotted ‘clues’ that ‘prove’ producers are trying to keep a villa beauty on the show.

Last night, original villa girl Alima and new bombshell Ryan were dumped from the show, prompting some to claim it’s the latest twist designed to save Toni.

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Though there’s no evidence of any producer meddling, one armchair sleuth took to Reddit last night to share their theory with other viewers.

They outlined five points which they felt backed up their viewpoint.

The first of which focused on Harrison’s arrival and his opening dates with Malisha and Toni.

Footballer Harrison is based in Miami, while Toni works in Vegas, and the viewer felt the US link gave her an unfair advantage when she was ultimately picked to partner him.

Next, they highlighted Harrison and Toni being sent on the only date of the series so far before a public vote, claiming it was a method of boosting interest in them.

Thirdly, they pointed out a change to the dumping process after the public voted for their least favourite Islanders.

They wrote: “We know Love Island loves making the islanders decide the bottom 3 and if they did Toni would likely have been dumped, instead they go by straight votes and Megan is dumped despite having a strong connection in there.”

The fan alluded to more ‘meddling’ in their fourth point, claiming that by choosing Ben to go first in Sunday’s recoupling it prevented Harrison from picking Helena and leaving Toni single and at risk.

Finally, they flagged last night’s dumping and the fact Islanders weren’t given the chance to stand up for the remaining singletons, which would likely have seen Ben couple with Alima, potentially leading to a reshuffle that would’ve put Toni at risk.

Last night’s scenes played out with newbies Ryan and Billykiss being told to stand in front of their co-stars

The boys were told to stand up if they’d like to recouple with Billykiss.

Conor stood up and said their date went really well and he’d be doing himself a disservice to not explore their connection.

Alima, left uncoupled, then took Billykiss’s place at the front.

The girls then had to stand up if they’d like to recouple with new bombshell Ryan, but none did so.

Due to them both being single, Alima and Ryan were eliminated.

Other fans bought into the theory.

One said: “honestly i can’t argue with this even though i like toni.”

Another wrote: “I wholeheartedly agree. I am sure Toni is a nice girl, but it’s becoming very exhausting.”

The Sun has contacted Love Island for comment.

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Alec Baldwin and additional “Rust” movie producers have agreed to settle a negligence lawsuit brought by three New Mexico crew members who witnessed the 2021 fatal shooting of the film’s cinematographer.

Crew members Ross Addiego, Doran Curtin and Reese Price filed the lawsuit in 2023, seeking compensation for the trauma they said they suffered after Baldwin accidentally shot Halyna Hutchins. The crew members were setting up their gear in a small wooden church on the movie set when the shooting occurred.

In the lawsuit, the crew members blamed the tragedy on “dangerous cost-cutting” and a “failure to follow industry safety rules.” The movie’s star, Baldwin, also served as a producer on the low-budget western.

The plaintiffs sued Baldwin, his El Dorado Pictures company and Rust Movie Productions LLC, alleging negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. In the suit, the crew members argued that Baldwin and other producers “cut corners, ignored reports of multiple, unscripted firearms discharges, and persisted, rushed and understaffed, to finish the film.”

Baldwin and fellow producers have long denied such allegations.

Last week, the two sides asked a New Mexico civil court judge to dismiss the case.

“All claims have been settled and compromised,” attorneys for both sides wrote in a joint June 25 motion.

Terms of the proposed settlement were not disclosed. Representatives for the two sides declined to comment.

“Each party has agreed to bear its own costs and fees,” the lawyers wrote.

The film was running behind schedule the day of the shooting after camera crew members had walked off the set. The camera technicians have said they were frustrated by inaction over their complaints of a lack of nearby housing, rushed conditions and safety violations, including accidental gun discharges.

The shooting claimed the life of Hutchins, 42. She died that day, leaving behind her husband, their son and her family in Ukraine. The producers previously settled a wrongful death lawsuit brought on behalf of her husband, Matthew Hutchins.

The film’s director, Joel Souza, suffered a gunshot wound. He, Addiego and other crew members testified that they struggled for months with the physical and emotional toll after the shooting.

Addiego was the film’s dolly operator, responsible for operating the mechanisms for camera movement. Curtin was the set costumer, overseeing costumes and accessories. Price was the key grip, who handled the nonelectric support gear.

New Mexico authorities brought three criminal prosecutions, including against Baldwin, who pointed the gun at Hutchins during a setup shot for a close-up of Baldwin’s prop revolver.

Baldwin pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and his high-profile trial ended abruptly last July after former New Mexico 1st Judicial District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the charge.

The judge found the special prosecutor and Santa Fe County sheriff’s deputies had concealed evidence from Baldwin’s legal team, which the judge said prejudiced the case against Baldwin.

At the time, the actor-producer’s team was exploring whether prosecutors and sheriff’s deputies botched the investigation into how the bullets made their way onto the desert set.

The weapons handler Hannah Gutierrez was convicted of involuntary manslaughter following a two-week trial last year. The Arizona woman was released from prison last month after serving 14 months.

Assistant director David Halls was also charged. He pleaded no contest to negligent use of a deadly weapon and received a suspended six-month sentence.

Baldwin and other producers resumed production of “Rust” in Montana 18 months after Hutchins’ shooting. The film was released this spring.

The dispute centred on an exception granted to California on national vehicle emission standards, allowing it to set stricter rules than federal standards.

The United States Supreme Court has sided with fuel producers that had opposed California’s standards for vehicle emissions and electric cars under a federal air pollution law, agreeing that their legal challenge to the mandates should not have been dismissed.

The justices in a 7-2 ruling on Friday overturned a lower court’s decision to dismiss the lawsuit by a Valero Energy subsidiary and fuel industry groups. The lower court had concluded that the plaintiffs lacked the required legal standing to challenge a 2022 US Environmental Protection Agency decision to let California set its own regulations.

“The government generally may not target a business or industry through stringent and allegedly unlawful regulation, and then evade the resulting lawsuits by claiming that the targets of its regulation should be locked out of court as unaffected bystanders,” conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the majority.

Liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented from the decision.

The dispute centred on an exception granted to California during Democratic former President Joe Biden’s administration to national vehicle emission standards set by the agency under the landmark Clean Air Act anti-pollution law.

Though states and municipalities are generally preempted from enacting their own limits, Congress let the EPA waive the preemption rule to let California set certain regulations that are stricter than federal standards.

The EPA’s 2022 action reinstated a waiver for California to set its own tailpipe emissions limits and zero-emission vehicle mandate through 2025, reversing a 2019 decision made during Republican President Donald Trump’s first administration rescinding the waiver.

Valero’s Diamond Alternative Energy and related groups challenged the reinstatement of California’s waiver, arguing that the decision exceeded the EPA’s power under the Clean Air Act and inflicted harm on their bottom line by lowering demand for liquid fuels.

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit threw out the lawsuit in 2024, finding that the challengers lacked the necessary standing to bring their claims because there was no evidence that a ruling in their favour might affect the decisions of auto manufacturers in a way that would result in fewer electric and more combustion vehicles to be sold.

Sceptical court

California, the most populous US state, has received more than 100 waivers under the Clean Air Act.

The Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, has taken a sceptical view towards broad authority for federal regulatory agencies and has restricted the powers of the EPA in some important rulings in recent years.

In 2024, the court blocked the EPA’s “Good Neighbor” rule aimed at reducing ozone emissions that may worsen air pollution in neighbouring states. In 2023, the court hobbled the EPA’s power to protect wetlands and fight water pollution. In 2022, it imposed limits on the agency’s authority under the Clean Air Act to reduce coal and gas-fired power plant carbon emissions.

Diane Morgan will explore her father’s side of the family following his death in Who Do You Think You Are?

Diane Morgan took a subtle swipe at the producers of Who Do You Think You Are? in her appearance on the BBC show. In tonight’s episode (Tuesday, June 10), the 49-year-old will explore her father’s lineage following his passing six years ago.

The actress and comedian certainly shows off her comedic flair while discussing her involvement in the programme, even referencing some of her own work that has humorously critiqued the series.

Speaking to the camera from a brown leather settee, Diane jokes: “This is what I can’t understand about any of those shows, like this one, where people go on a journey, you know, you’d think people would stop using those tropes. Even the tiny little things like walking past the camera…” This is then followed by several shots of Diane doing the same thing.

Poking fun at the show, she carries on: “I wonder how much wondering aimlessly I’ll be doing in this…”

Once more from the sofa, Diane elaborates: “So I wrote this comedy called Mandy, about this woman who can’t hold a job down, in one episode she goes on Who Are You, Do You Think?… Loosely based on Who Do You Think You Are.”

Diane breaks into laughter before a scene from the programme appears, featuring her character Mandy in a hot tub with Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden.

She concludes: “But I never thought in a million years, I thought you’d ask me to be on it.”

The video wraps up with Diane trying to coax her stubborn dog out for a stroll, saying: “Come on Bob. Bob, we’re going to go to the park! You love the park!,” but her furry friend wasn’t budging.

Diane laughs off the situation with, “I knew he’d steal this. Come on Bob!” yet Bob remains unmoved. “Bob. Come on Bob.”

Later she remarks: “He’s just very headstrong…” as Bob continues to play up.

In a twist of family history during the show, Diane learns surprising secrets from her past in her birthplace Farnworth, reports the Express.

She had been under the impression that her dad’s lineage was Northern through and through, only to unearth tales of ‘German Charlie’ and a Scots link via her great-great-grandmother, shaking up her family tree.

Driven by curiosity, Diane delves into her great-great-aunt Sarah Jane’s life, known to all as Jinny, especially intrigued by a memorial plaque to Jinny’s betrothed, Albert Dugdale, a casualty of WWI.

The Afterlife actress discovers a poignant connection – the street where Jinny and Albert lived their love story lies just stones throw away from her own childhood home.

Fans accused one of the chefs of making a major blunder

Viewers of Saturday Kitchen were left aghast at a ‘schoolboy error’ during the show after they witnessed a chef’s glaring faux pas.

The episode, broadcast on Saturday (May 31), featuring singer Craig David, delved into various foodie delights as part of national barbeque week among quality segments.

Chef Mike Davies popped up with his steak recipe that apparently went down a treat in the studio, despite eagle-eyed fans catching what they’ve dubbed a culinary blunder.

Allegedly, viewers spotted the chef taste-testing the dish using a ladle, re-dipping it, and proceeding to serve with the same utensil – a definite no-no for kitchen etiquette.

He was showcasing his take on Denver steak with creamed chard, which the BBC faithfully shared online for burgeoning home chefs to try, reports the Express.

Social media was soon abuzz with reactions from quick-to-judge food enthusiasts. On X, a social media user lamented: “The chef just double-dipped in the chard and cream! Then went and plated it up for everyone. Schoolboy error, and very unhygienic.”

Someone else chimed in sentimentally: “Noticed that myself! I’m sure there were producers wincing behind the camera.

“The Denver steak man ate off the ladle and then put it back into the chard. That’s why you carry a spoon mate!” declared another fan, offering some unsolicited advice on proper kitchen protocol.

Joining the online debate, a viewer pointed out what seemed to be a moment of realisation for the chef, commenting: “He also looks like he’s realised his mistake – looked absolutely gutted when they were tasting the food.”

Mike, known as the chef owner of The Camberwell Arms and Frank’s Cafe in Peckham, has been recognised on the BBC Food website.

During the programme, it was revealed that Mike’s cookbook titled ‘Cooking For People’ had been shortlisted for the debut award by The Guild of Food Writers.

The chef took to Instagram to share his excitement: “My cookbook Cooking for people has been nominated for an award. Which is nice.”

He continued to express his pride in the nomination: “It’s been shortlisted amongst some properly awesome books by @thegfw for this year’s best debut award. I’m biased but I like it. It’s full of beautiful recipes, that are written the way I like to teach people to cook. Follow along and make some lovely things for the people that you love, or even for those you don’t.”

Saturday Kitchen airs Saturdays from 10am on BBC One and iPlayer.