Heavy flooding in Talisay City, Cebu has destroyed homes after Typhoon Kalmaegi dumped a month’s worth of rain. One person died in a low-income area that evacuated early, while dozens may be trapped in a nearby subdivision where residents did not leave. Al Jazeera’s Barnaby Lo is there.
Marilyse Corriganan, who found fame on E4’s reality show Married At First Sight is said to have been left ‘heartbroken’ after her partner of one year split up with her via text message
23:57, 19 Aug 2025Updated 23:57, 19 Aug 2025
The reality star is yet to speak out about the supposed split, and has instead been keeping her followers up to date with health and fitness tips(Image: Instagram)
Married at First Sight star Marilyse Corrigan has been left single again after her partner of one year ‘dumped her over text’. The personal trainer, who found fame when she met and married Franky Spencer, 50, on the set of the E4 series, and, while they quickly realised it wasn’t meant to be, she found love again with someone else.
Marilyse, 40, met her mystery man, who is not in the public eye, a year ago and things seemed to be going well between the pair but now an insider has claimed that the whole thing has come to a very abrupt end. A source told The Sun : “Marilyse is really upset and can’t believe she’s ended up single again. She was dumped over text after falling head over heels. It was a whirlwind romance and in hindsight she feels she was love bombed.”
Lovebombing, which originated as a term in the 1970s but has gained particular momentum since the advent of social media, is used to describe the action of showering someone with affection to an excessive degree shortly after meeting as a way to secure them into some kind of romantic relationship. The reality star is yet to break her silence on the matter publicly, and has instead chosen to keep her 131,000 Instagram followers up to date with health and fitness tips instead.
Marylise is said to be ‘heartbroken’ after allegedly being dumped via text message (Image: Instagram)
After both she and Franky agreed to go their separate ways following their time on the television experiment in 2021, Marilyse struck up a relationship with fellow MAFS star Matt Murray, 34, but even that fizzled out after six months, and she claimed at the time that the whole thing had felt “too intense” for her liking.
Marylise initially married Franky Spencer on the experimental reality show in 2021 but they soon realised that it wasn’t meant to be (Image: Channel 4)
At the time, she told new! magazine: “Matt likes to have all of your attention when you’re in a relationship with him. He was needy and couldn’t understand why I couldn’t be his all the time.
“I wouldn’t call them red flags, but there were times when he’d question me about silly things – things that were unnecessary – and then question me about them again.”
In response to Marilyse’s claims, Matt told the Mirror: “I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the comments made about me by Marilyse regarding our relationship.
“Whilst I acknowledge Marilyse’s feelings, I do not agree with her comments. Relationships can be complex and there are always two sides to every story.
“I am very private so I don’t wish to share my side of the story publicly. I would like to draw a line under this now.” He added: “While I understand that Marilyse has shared her perspective on our time together, I want to make it clear that I hold no ill feelings towards her and I wish her nothing but the best.
“I am committed to growth. Moving forward, I am focusing on the positive and surrounding myself with supportive people who encourage me to be my best self.”
“So I started feeling on edge around him.”
Matt had moved on with Marilyse after his spontaneous marriage to Hughes didn’t work out, even though they appeared to have hit it off to begin with. Things turned sour and she decided to call it a day and dumped the tattooed barber with sources claiming he had been causing upset while “gaslighting” his social media followers.
Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, a source close to Marilyse said: ” We’re all so relieved that Marilyse saw sense and ended things with Matt. He treated her appallingly, she was totally blinded by him, he love-bombed her and she always sees the good in people which left her vulnerable to him.”
“Marilyse tried to see the good in him because she knows oh too well how the show edits can portray cast members inaccurately, but unfortunately, as time went on it became clear he didn’t appreciate her.”
The announcement last month that Occidental Studios would be put up for sale marked a historic turning point in a studio once used by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks to make silent films.
It also underscored how dramatically the market has shifted for the owners of soundstages across Los Angeles that have been buffeted by a confluence of forces — the pandemic, strikes in 2023 and the continued flight of production to other states and countries.
As film activity has fallen to historic levels in the L.A. region — film shoot days dropped 22% in the first quarter of 2025 — the places that host film and TV crews, along with prop houses and other businesses that service the industry, have been especially hard hit.
Between 2016 and 2022, Los Angeles’ soundstages were nearly filled to capacity, boasting average occupancy rates of 90%, according to data from the nonprofit organization FilmLA, which tracks on-location shoot days in the Greater L.A. area.
That rate plummeted to 69% in 2023, as dual writers’ and actors’ strikes brought the industry to a halt.
Once the strikes were over, production never came back to what it was. In fact, last year the average occupancy rate dropped even further to 63%, according to a FilmLA report released in April.
So far this year, there is “no reason to think the occupancy numbers look better,” said Philip Sokoloski, spokesperson for FilmLA.
“It’s a trailing indicator of the loss of production,” he said. “The suddenness of the crash is what caught everybody by surprise.”
Studio owners, who have watched their soundstages go from overbooked to frequently empty, are celebrating the new state tax credits meant to boost their industry and create action on their lots.
The California Legislature’s decision to more than double the amount allocated each year to the state’s film and television tax credit program to $750 million could be a tipping point toward better times, studio owners said, but the climb out of the doldrums is still steep.
“This is definitely a defining moment and to see whether or not L.A. is going to get itself back up to the occupancy levels that it had prior to COVID,” said Shep Wainwright, managing partner of East End Studios. “Everyone’s pretty bullish about it, but it’s obviously been such a slog for the past few years.”
Sean Griffin of Sunset Studios called the tax credit boost signed into law last week “a massive stride in the right direction” while Zach Sokoloff of independent studio operator Hackman Capital Partners called the decision “an enormous win for the state.”
Sokoloff hopes to see its Southern California facilities, which include Radford Studio Center and Culver Studios, perk up the way their New York properties did when the state increased its film and TV subsidy to $800 million in May.
“We had stages that had been sitting empty, and almost 24 hours after the passage of the tax credit bill in New, York, our phones were ringing,” he said. “We had renewed interest in soundstage occupancy there.”
Community member William Meyerchak, left, Los Angeles City Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, center, and Zach Sokoloff, senior vice president of Hackman Capital Partners, right, celebrate after the passing of the $1-billion TVC project, which will expand and redevelop the old CBS Television City site at Beverly Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, on Jan. 7, 2025.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles Center Studios, where such shows as “Mad Men” and “Westworld” filmed, also has felt the effects of the production slump.
The 26-year-old facility in downtown L.A. has six 18,000-foot soundstages and three smaller stages, along with a number of practical locations on the lot for shooting. Before the pandemic, its stages were 100% full for more than 10 years, said Sam Nicassio, president of Los Angeles Center Studios.
He declined to state the studio’s current occupancy rate, though he said it was above the average for about 300 soundstages throughout the area, which his company tracked at 58%.
“It’s been a struggle,” he said. “The slowdown in overall production activity, coupled with coming out of the strikes and all of us expecting to have a jump-start again and we didn’t, was very difficult. There’s a lot of soundstages for not a lot of users right now.”
Not long ago, private equity firms saw L.A. studio stages as good business opportunities.
A billboard for a Netflix streaming show “The Diplomat,” on a building across the street from where WGA members walk a picket line around Bronson Sunset Studios, in May 2023.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
WGA members walk a picket line around Bronson Sunset Studios lot, where Netflix leases space for production and offices, in May 2023.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
A number of firms participated heavily in the construction of new facilities, which seemed like smart bets due to advancements in production technology, the desire of studios and streamers to cut down on unpredictable risk from on-location shoots and — especially after the pandemic — health and safety systems like air filtration and more space to prevent workers from getting sick.
“Stages are critical to being able to do, especially TV, on time and on budget,” said George Huang, a professor of screenwriting at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. “They are the backbone of making movies in Hollywood.”
But after the pandemic, strikes and a cutback in spending at the studios, production slowed. Then in January, the Southern California wildfires hit, further affecting production and causing many in the industry to lose their homes — and reconsider whether they wanted to stay in the Golden State.
Working with influencers
As Hollywood production slowed, soundstage operators looked for new ways to make up revenue, including shoots for the fashion industry, music videos, DJ rehearsals, video game production and even private events like birthdays or weddings.
Hackman Capital Partners, which owns and operates Television City in Los Angeles, recently announced a partnership with Interwoven Studios to open a boutique production facility catering to social media influencers, online media brands and other creators who work in nontraditional formats such as YouTube.
Among the well-known creators who have worked lately at Television City — home to such classic shows as “All in the Family” and most recently “American Idol” — are Logan Paul and Jake Shane, actress-singer Keke Palmer, livestreamers FaZe Clan and hip-hop artist Big Sean.
“As the segment of the content-creation universe grows on the smaller end of production, we’re going to be a partner to them,” Sokoloff said. “Necessity is the mother of invention.”
Sunset Studios, which operates 59 stages in the Los Angeles area, has long made a point of working with short-form creators through its smaller Quixote division, said Griffin, who is head of studio sales. “We’ve always been involved with influencers, music videos and commercials.”
Such tenants working on smaller stages sometimes move up to TV and movie-sized stages when they land a big television commercial or music video, such as Selena Gomez’s “Younger and Hotter Than Me” music video recently shot at Sunset Las Palmas Studios.
Paul McCartney leased a studio at Sunset Glenoaks Studios to rehearse for his 2024 tour and and made a music video there.
In general, though, stages are still underused, he said.
“Once the strikes ended, we got a about a good healthy quarter” of production, he said. Then business “really quieted down, and we haven’t seen the show counts rebound very much.”
The vacancies have created a tenant-friendly market as studio owners compete for their business on rental prices, Griffin said.
“This is a very tough market,” he said. “Everyone is competing very, very hard.”
One reason for optimism about the new tax credits is that they apply to 30-minute shows for the first time, he said.
“L.A. is a television town,” Griffin added. “Opening up the tax credit to 30-minute comedies is going to be really helpful.”
And there are signs of life for longer scripted shows that take multiple stages and shoot for longer than other productions, Griffin said.
Developer David Simon is betting heavily on a turnaround. He is building a new movie studio from the ground up in Hollywood. His $450-million Echelon Studios complex is set to open late next year on Santa Monica Boulevard.
“We think content creation is here to stay in various forms,” he said, and that big soundstages will continue to be used even as the technology to make content changes.
Simon said he is close to signing leases with fashion brands that are creating content with celebrities and collaborating with influencers.
“We’re not nearly where we were prepandemic,” he acknowledged, but “California is the entertainment capital of the world, and the producers and directors and actors that want to stay in state will help bring back and retain our fair share of production.”
For now , at least, soundstage operators are still “treading water,” said Peter Marshall, managing principal at Epic Insurance Brokers & Consultants, who works in media insurance and counts some L.A.-based soundstages as clients.
“Most operators are pretty concerned,” he said.
Yet, the fact that there are still new soundstages opening and others are in development suggests a “high level of confidence” that production will eventually return to L.A., Sokoloski of FilmLA said.
“I am optimistic that we will keep more production here than we have in the last few years,” Nicassio said. The new tax credit program “puts us on a competitive level now with other states and countries.”
Others in the industry say that more is needed and have advocated for a federal tax credit that would help make California a morecompetitive location. Gov. Gavin Newsom has pushed for the idea, urging President Trump to work with him on the issue.
“When you have a governor and big private equity firms both focusing on promoting one thing, that might, who knows, get the federal government involved,” Marshall said. “That would be the game changer.”
There was some big news at the start of Love Island on Thursday night that sparked quite the reaction from the cast members in a preview, as fans guessed a big twist
There was some big news at the start of Love Island on Thursday night(Image: ITV2)
There was an announcement previewed in a clip at the very start of Love Island on Thursday night that promised drama ahead.
One Islander screamed out as she confirmed some worrying news. The other Islanders were all left reeling as they heard the news, shown looking shocked and panicked.
As the episode kicked off, a preview clip for that episode confirmed a recoupling was on the cards. One star shouted out: ‘I’ve got a text! Tonight there will be a recoupling,” adding the girls would get to choose.
As the camera panned across the villa, all of the Islanders shouted out and were openmouthed. Clearly not anticipating another recoupling so soon, it’s clear some of them not yet in a strong couple were worried.
Meanwhile fans were left reacting online, believing it meant a dumping was coming. With spoilers teasing that around the recoupling there’s a shocking text message set to rock the villa, fans guessed a new twist was on the cards.
Fans wondered if the result of the recoupling could lead to the next dumping of the series. With there being two more boys than girls, could a double exit be on the way?
Love Island teased some big news coming up in the episode (Image: ITV)
Taking to X one fan said: “Which boy do you think will get dumped tonight?” as if it had been confirmed. Another agreed: “I really hope Ben is dumped tonight,” as a third said: “Harry you are getting dumped.”
It comes amid reports that a male Islander has in fact been dumped from the villa. Viewers will have to tune in to find out what happens and who leaves.
Earlier this week, viewers predicted which former Love Island star could be set to enter the famous second villa, Casa Amor later this series. After Sophie Lee was axed from the show on Tuesday night in a brutal dumping, after her partner Harry was stolen by Shakira, fans were quick to predict she might be back very soon.
There was news of a recoupling(Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
Taking to X, fans guessed the twist would happen with one fan writing: “I reckon Sophie will re-enter the villa as a bombshell by the end of next week at the latest or she will re-enter in Casa Amor.” Another said: “Dw Sophie you’ll be back in 4 weeks for Casa Amor.”
A third viewer begged: “Nah bring Sophie back for Casa Amor she deserves a chance.” A fourth fan agreed: “Bring her back for casa amor!!” as a fifth viewer posted: “Gutted for her and bring back Sophie as a bombshell or Casa Amor.”
The comments kept on coming with one reading: “They better bring Sophie back as a Casa bombshell. Justice for Sophie.” Another said: “BRING SOPHIE BACK FOR CASA AMOR!”
