returns

Staying true to the spirit of the original show, audiences will see three contestants and their pros battle it out in three rounds of trick shots to reach the dramatic finale.

The BBC has announced the return of iconic snooker show Big Break.

The show originally ran from 1991 to 2002 and was hosted by Jim Davison with the late John Virgo as referee. But the new look show will see it moved from BBC1 to BBC2 and now co-hosted by Paddy McGuinness and Stephen Hendry. They will be joined in the studio by professional snooker players, from across the globe, straight off the competition circuit, in a bid to win their contestants the cash prize.

New co-host Paddy McGuinness said: “I am absolutely delighted to be a part of Big Break. It is one of those shows everyone knows and loves so to be hosting it alongside legend Stephen Hendry will be something special. Bring it on!”

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The show originally aired on Saturday nights but the new version will air on BBC2 in daytime. The hosts will be joined in the studio by professional snooker players straight off the competition circuit in a bid to win their contestants the cash prize.

Stephen Hendry, who will co-host and also show off some trick shots and skills on the show, said: “Big Break was a unique mix of trick shots and great entertainment and I can’t wait to be back at the table and bringing this incredible show to a whole new audience and who knows, we might inspire the next generation of snooker players to get into the sport.”

Fans of snooker have long been calling for the return of Big Break, although whether they will like the new format and hosts remains to be seen. Paddy McGuinness was also previously the host of a revamped Question of Sport quiz which failed to win over viewers.

Rob Unsworth, Head of BBC Daytime and Early Peak Commissioning said: “Snooker fans and pros alike have been calling for Big Break’s return, so we’re excited to confirm they’ll get their wish – and can even apply to take part.

“This revamp will showcase some of the game’s best known and up-and-coming faces, as well as tapping into the deep well of snooker fandom online and already on the BBC. The recent World Championships pulled in 120million viewing hours, so pairing upcoming live coverage with the new Big Break will mean audiences can come together with the whole family to enjoy more of what they want.”

Big Break will return in the form of 20 episodes lasting 30 minutes each. Further details on how and when to watch Big Break will be announced soon.

The BBC promised a “brand-new look and feel to Big Break” with the new series, saying audiences will now be “put on the table, behind the ball and into frame, getting up close and personal with the professionals”.

They also insisted they are staying true to the spirit of the original show, so audiences will see three contestants and their pros battle it out in three rounds of trick shots to reach the dramatic finale. Filming begins shortly.

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PROFESSOR Green has revealed his bowel hernia has returned after nine years with a painful-looking picture.

In snaps shared to Instagram, the rapper’s bowel can be seen “poking out” of his skin underneath a previous surgical scar.

Celebs Go Dating star Green — real name Stephen Manderson — nicknamed the hernia Henry and documented the latest in a long line of health issues, ending with a resigned: “Here we go again.”

The 42-year-old wrote: “Life’s been a lot lately… I’ve learned I’m not totally free from historic patterns, and in almost the same breath learned I catch things well before I ever did previously, and am (on good days) able to observe my thoughts spiralling without spiralling with them.

“This hernia recurrence happened yesterday and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a weight I could do without given everything else health wise that’s going on… out of my control though.”

Green went on to say that it’s up to him to take responsibility of the situation and embrace the latest setback.

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Turning to his music, and his supporting slot on pal Example’s UK tour, as an outlet for frustration, he said: “I’m playing the next single tonight, tomorrow, all through the Example tour and at every show till it drops.”

Following his first hernia removal in 2017, Green had a very rare allergic reaction — only the second person in the world at the time — to the mesh used to fix the issue.

It led to series issues including a a partially collapsed lung, distension and pneumonia.

Just last week Green revealed benign tumours had been found behind his eye and on his spine as part of a condition called schwannomatosis — a rare disorder in which tumours form on nerves around the body.

It followed surgery to remove four more tumours from his head and neck that had been causing him pain.

Among his four new growths is one the size of lemon around his S2 nerve, which is responsible for muscle movement in the lower body.

However, it wasn’t the physical symptoms he found to be the worst thing, rather than the mental torture of not knowing whether or not they were malignant, revealing he suffered trauma fretting over the ‘worst case scenario’.

The star was diagnosed with ADHD and autism when he was 40 and is also a mental health advocate.

Among his other health issues are lifelong struggles with his gut, which required a pyloromyotomy — the cutting away of pyloric muscle to aid the passing of food through the body — at six years old and he later went on to suffer from severe irritable bowel syndrome.

He also has the genetic clotting disorder haemophila B.

It’s hard to believe, as Matt Damon noted in his monologue in this week’s “Saturday Night Live,” that the actor of this summer’s “The Odyssey” has only guest hosted three times during his lengthy career. (In case you’re wondering, his frequent writing and acting partner Ben Affleck has hosted five times.)

That’s a shame because Damon checks all the boxes for what an A-list actor should do when they host the show: be super present, take every opportunity to do the silliest sketches without seeming uncomfortable, and bring at least some of their acting chops to bear to give otherwise lightweight sketches a little extra gravitas or emotion.

Damon did all that and helped start the show off with an extra jolt of energy by returning as Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in the cold open, along with last week’s ringer, Aziz Ansari as FBI Director Kash Patel.

Not every sketch worked, like an early Godzilla parody set in a command center that was simply a series of increasingly anticipated spit takes on poor Mikey Day. Things improved when Damon played himself in a pre-taped sketch about a movie made just for moms ahead of Mother’s Day; mom’s fantasy? No conflict among the kids and a blissful marriage to Matt Damon.

Damon also played one of a trio of middle-aged men (including Marcello Hernández and Kenan Thompson) constantly getting beat up by “tough guys” who are sometimes just children. He also played a frustrated dad in a strange cat litter commercial, a substitute teacher trying to get a classroom of students to dance (unsuccessfully) and, memorably, an auctioneer in a fight with his auctioneer wife (Sarah Sherman). In these sketches in particular, Damon’s acting skills helped elevate the characters he played, grounding them in sadness or frustration. It definitely helped.

The “Odyssey” might turn out to be the summer’s biggest movie hit. If that’s the case, let’s hope Matt Damon isn’t kept from hosting “SNL” for so long after this week’s solid job.

Musical guest Noah Kahan performed “The Great Divide” and “Doors.”

At Martin’s Tavern in Washington, D.C., Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (Colin Jost) returned yet again to shout-bark at those around him, brag about the Iran War he claims he started and, of course, talk about drinking alcohol. But this time, he was joined by his apparent drinking buddy Kavanaugh, who held a gavel and immediately ordered a “six-three decision” (six beers, three shots of Jameson whiskey). Glowing in their victories, Hegseth bellowed, “Can you believe I just started a war?” Kavanaugh replied, “Can you believe I ended abortion? Your body, my choice!” Kavanaugh went on to show off what at first looked like a dinosaur-shaped district map for Tennessee before revealing it’s his field sobriety test, when he was asked to draw a circle. Kavanaugh bemoaned the male loneliness crisis just before they were joined by Patel, who cried, “Does this bar take Kaaaaash?” Patel showed off the bourbon that bears his name. (“Somehow this is a real thing that I, the FBI director, have made. This is real!”) Kavanaugh revealed a secret: that the court is going to let Trump do a third term. “Trump found the original Constitution and on the end, he wrote, ‘Psych!’ ” The three ended the sketch by singing Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumbing” with its callouts of their drink orders.

Damon previewed his upcoming film, even though he had to mention several times that “The Odyssey” won’t be out for another nine weeks. He also had to break the news that the lovely “SNL” tradition of bringing on moms of cast members wouldn’t be happening this year due to Spirit Airlines shutting down. It turns out, after an audience member (“SNL” writer Jack Bensinger) asks, that only Hernández’s mom was able to make it. Damon then recorded a video message to moms out there for anyone who didn’t get a gift for them. “You deserve a night out… nine weekends from now,” he said, suggesting the movie would make a great date night.

Best sketch of the night: Do I hear best sketch of the night? Sold!

A sketch as gimmicky as this one — in which the premise is two auctioneers (Damon and Sherman) are having a marriage-ending fight — only works if the performers are up to the task, and luckily both Damon and Sherman navigated the super-fast dialogue expertly and without looking like they were eyeing cue cards the entire time. The two went back and forth, auctioneering a discussion about weight, infidelity, drinking, their sex life and, eventually, terms of their divorce in front of their four young sons (who, adorably, hold up little numbered signs. Yes, they were played by adult cast members.). Even for “SNL” and for the last-sketch-of-the-night slot, it was a bold sketch for live TV and Damon and Sherman expertly walked the tightrope on this one.

Also good: Your mom will only make it through 23 minutes of this

“SNL” is no stranger to spiky sketch comedy takes on motherhood: remember “Mom Jeans?” For this year’s Mother’s Day take, it presented “Mom: The Movie,” a film devoid of conflict or dramatic tension because “Moms have enough stress. Why not let them feel good for a day?” Ashley Padilla plays the mom in the film, enjoying argument-free time with her kids (Jeremy Culhane, Tommy Brennan and Veronika Slowikowska), who only deliver good news. She’s married to Matt Damon, making her Rhonda Damon, and they met when he noticed her giant turquoise necklace after a movie screening. The film is streaming where moms are expected to find it: on HomeGoods Plus.

‘Weekend Update’ winner: This ‘Update’ segment is bananas — the round kind

This week’s “Update” featured three guest segments. Hernández and Day played kamikaze dolphins who work for the government, giving them a sense of porpoise (their joke, not mine). Jane Wickline expressed her anger at people caring that she’s always late in a funny musical rant. But Culhane’s return as Tucker Carlson continued a dead-on impersonation that covered several topics, including the Met Gala’s wild outfits, the new Michael Jackson biopic, and why eating round bananas is less gay than eating traditionally shaped ones. Culhane’s impression is a thing of beauty, and this time it leaned harder into Carlson’s tendency to express things from a very white point of view. In describing ASAP Rocky’s pink robe from the Met Gala, he said the performer was, “Wearing my least favorite color … African-American.”

HOLIDAYMAKERS planning a trip to Europe this summer will now be able to tick two cities off their list in one train journey

Uncertainties surrounding the jet fuel crisis mean its the perfect time to take advantage of Europe’s train network.

A new train line between Prague and Copenhagen has officially opened to passengers, creating a direct link between two of Europe’s most popular cities.

Launched on May 1, travellers can commute between these unique locations for as little as £53 per ticket.

Starting from Prague’s main train station, Hlavní Nádraží, the train link will also stop at German stations, including Dresden and Berlin.

Two services will now run on a daily basis, with one making a return journey from Hamburg to Prague, and the other travelling to Copenhagen.

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For those wanting to commit to the ultimate European journey, the service will begin in Prague at 6.30am, then arrive in Copenhagen for 7.38pm.

This 13-hour journey is considerably longer than flying between destinations, which takes just over an hour.

Between the Danish and Czech capitals, travellers will also be able to stop off in Dresden, Berlin and Hamburg.

For those exclusively wanting to travel from Prague to Germany, the total journey to Hamburg takes just over six hours.

Passengers will be travelling on Czech Railways (ČD), with their premium ComfortJet trains including onboard restaurants, WiFi, bike storage and a children’s cinema.

Onboard entertainment, air conditioning and quiet carriages will also be available.

Those wishing to travel will also be able to book on an extra summer service, departing from Prague at 4.30pm and travelling to Copenhagen.

The new Prague to Copenhagen route is one of ten new routes supported by the European Commission to improve cross-border rail travel.

Budding travellers can expect a Munich-Milan-Rome connected journey as soon as December 2026.

“Curly” Williams returned to his old high school campus last week for the first time in 76 years, but did so under his given name — the same name emblazoned on North Hollywood High’s newest attraction: the John Williams Performing Arts Center.

Williams, 94, attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony last Wednesday, which commenced with the composer’s rousing “Raiders March” played by the school’s marching band and accompanied by its blue-clad cheerleaders.

“I think you played that better than we could have,” Williams said, speaking from a wheelchair under the sign of his namesake venue in front of other accomplished alumni and friends, including producer Kathleen Kennedy. “That’s a hard piece.”

The ambitious construction project, initiated in 2015 and designed by CO Architects occupies 35,000 square feet and seats 800. Michael Stebbins, project manager for the BroadStage in Santa Monica, served as project manager. The center is equipped with state-of-the-art amenities to host student performances and school assemblies, but also to train the next generation of theater technicians. Besides an enormous stage, blue velvet curtains, a mixing console and safe catwalks, the building also features new classrooms and rehearsal spaces.

Students, faculty and guests stand for the national anthem before a concert inside the new John Williams Performing Arts Center, named for one of North Hollywood High’s most famous alumni.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

A 75-foot hand-painted mural in the lobby, still in the works by artist Ian Robertson-Salt, is inspired by Williams’ formidable filmography, which serves “as a daily reminder to every student who walks these halls that greatness can begin right here,” remarked Andrés Chait, acting superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District.

Due to health complications, Williams has made few public appearances in the last two years. He last conducted a concert in February 2024 — and he has also consistently turned down requests to name buildings after him, including at his beloved Tanglewood in Massachusetts, although the Hollywood Bowl did recently name its stage for Williams. It’s a testament to his affection for his time at North Hollywood High, and his regard for the next generation of students, that he not only blessed this dedication but showed up and spoke to a gathered crowd of hundreds.

“I’m sort of silly happy to be here,” he said, calling the dedication “a singular honor in my life.”

Other showbiz alumni on hand included “Beauty and the Beast” producer Don Hahn (class of ’73), “Independence Day” writer-producer Dean Devlin (’80), and Rob Friedman (’81), CEO of Ascendant Entertainment. Partly due to its proximity to the entertainment industry, North Hollywood High has produced a host of famous artists over the decades, including the late Michael Tilson Thomas, who attended in the early 1960s.

John Williams smiles while applauding a performance by the North Hollywood High School band at the dedication ceremony of the John Williams Performing Arts Center on campus.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

“At some point you have to stop calling that a coincidence,” said Kennedy, a longtime collaborator of Williams who gave brief remarks before handing him the microphone. “Something happened here, and something can happen again.”

Williams moved to North Hollywood with his family in 1947, having grown up in Queens. He transferred to North Hollywood High as a 15-year-old sophomore, and joined the band and orchestra as a jazz-loving trombonist. His classmates included Susan Sontag (“I remember her teaching a class in civics, when the teacher would sit down and listen to her,” he told me in 2023) and many future actors, including Barbara Ruick, who played Carrie Pipperidge in “Carousel.” But his best friends were all music-inclined guys whose dads, like his, were famous musicians.

A poster board featured yearbook photos of John Williams, left, performing with the North Hollywood High School Band, class of 1950, in the lobby of the new John Williams Performing Arts Center on the North Hollywood High School campus.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Williams embraced the nickname “Curly,” given to him by a fellow student in response to his curly red hair, and quickly created his own jazz band with classmates. Ruick sang with them at school events and dances, and they became the house band at a new teens-only venue in Van Nuys called the Dri-Nite Club. Broadcast on local radio, they caught the attention of Time magazine, which ran a story on “Curly’s” band in October 1949.

A newspaper story about John Williams’ high school band from the Los Angeles Unified School District’s archives.

(Los Angeles Unified School District)

Williams has said he fondly remembers his civics and French classes at North Hollywood High, but his time and passion were almost exclusively devoted to music. He rigorously practiced the piano at home, studying with a local concert pianist and MGM arranger named Robert Van Eps; on Wednesday nights he played in jam sessions with his father (Johnny Sr., a drummer) and the Columbia Pictures orchestra. He bopped around clubs in L.A. listening to jazz greats like Oscar Peterson (whose style influenced Williams’ recent piano concerto), and started making a name of his own as a wunderkind performer and arranger.

Long before he scored “Star Wars” or “Harry Potter,” Williams did his earliest arranging and orchestrating for theater productions at North Hollywood High. The impact of his time at North Hollywood High cannot be overstated.

John Williams featured with members of the class of 1950 in the North Hollywood High School Yearbook.

(Los Angeles Unified School District)

During his remarks about the performing arts center on Wednesday, Williams said he felt particularly overwhelmed because the school was “formative in my thinking and my professional work … This is a great, magical place, North Hollywood.”

Williams eventually married Ruick, his high school sweetheart and mother of his three children. Ruick was instrumental in making many of Williams’ earliest career connections. She died from a brain aneurysm in 1974, at the age of 41, just one year before Williams’ career catapulted with “Jaws.” The couple’s youngest son, Joseph, lead singer of Toto, stood proudly behind Williams during the theater’s dedication.

The John Williams Performing Arts Center (JWPAC) is the crescendo of a $319.5 million modernization project at North Hollywood High, which also includes modern classrooms and athletic facilities. It’s a reflection of the diverse public school’s commitment to the arts; students here can play in the orchestra, marching band or modern band, and study drama or modern dance.

“As I think about what else I might say to all of you younger people, students here,” Williams said at his homecoming Wednesday, “two words about this beautiful building: simply use it. Make sure you all use the place.”

Tim Greiving is the author of “John Williams: A Composer’s Life.”

EastEnders spoilers confirm big moments next week on the BBC soap including the return of a vile villain, Bea Pollard’s sinister next plan and target and some emotional scenes

It’s another drama-filled week on EastEnders next week, as new spoilers tease twists, discoveries and revenge.

Nicola and George return home from hospital to a surprise welcome home party for the baby. Overwhelmed Nicola orders everyone to leave but she and Gina later share a heart-to-heart.

Soon the peace is shattered when George’s estranged father Eddie reveals he’s dying. Only Nicola knows this and she keeps it from George, but when he figures it all out he sees his dad, and is shocked by his fragility.

Soon, George faces questions from his family and heads to see Eddie one final time, while Nicola has a warning for Eddie. Phil attempts to adjust to life after Nigel’s death, but is rejected by Grant who is sad about his fractured relationship with Mark.

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Julie prepares to head to Nigel’s care home to collect his belongings, where she is soon joined by Sam and Phil for support. Julie finds a letter from Nigel, but she can’t bring herself to read it.

Ian is consumed by his councillor campaign but is upset to discover that the majority of supporters are voting for Elaine. Ian turns to bribery, but Bea has other ideas when she starts a smear campaign against Elaine.

Ian and Elaine anxiously prepare for the Walford debate, but things go awry when Oscar swaps Ian’s speech, but Elaine steps in to sway his nerves. But a moment leaves Ian fuming, and he agrees to let Bea post the video about Elaine.

He regrets this but the damage is done. Also next week, a discovery saddens Kat and Alfie, Sam supports Denise, and Harry agrees to lend Gina some money landing them in trouble with Nicola.

Finally, Grant offers support to Linda amid her drama with Johnny, who is having money problems, while Linda is jealous of Max and Cindy. It’s soon clear Max is thinking about Linda, and he’s not happy to find out she’s slept with someone.

EastEnders isn’t the only soap with drama next week, as Hollyoaks spoilers tease there’s plenty in the village too. Vicky wakes up from her coma, and Charlie and Frankie plead with her to echo their lies about the crash.

Later, Vicky lets slip to Misbah that it was Gemma who has been prescribing her the skinny jabs. Knowing time isn’t on her side, Diane tells Tony they need to tell Eva, Sinead and Finn the truth.

Ro is worried it’s too much for his mum, while he’s also left torn when he finds out Ste cheated on Rex with James. Cleo is determined to get proof that Sienna has been swapping her psychosis medicine for multi-vitamins.

After a confrontation, Cleo wakes to find Sienna watching her, wanting to know if she still loves her. Cleo claims there’s a way back for them as long as she does what’s right. Soon, Mercedes and Warren make a shocking discovery.

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Nelly Korda returned to the top of the world rankings after claiming a dominant five-shot victory in the LPGA Chevron Championship.

It is Korda’s second Chevron title in three seasons and ensures she leapfrogs Jeeno Thitikul in the rankings, after the Thai missed the cut.

The American equalled the event’s 54-hole scoring record on Saturday but fell two shots short of the tournament record of 20 under par.

“That was a hard weekend,” Korda told NBC Sports.

“Honestly, having that big of a lead, it’s not easy. It was definitely one of the hardest things I’ve had to do mentally.

“I have an amazing support system. An amazing family who are right behind me. An amazing caddie who is on the bag and I’m just happy to get it done.”

Korda takes her tally of majors to three, after also winning the Women’s PGA Championship in 2021.

April 25 (UPI) — President Donald Trump returned to the White House after a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C.

There was a shooting incident near the main security screening area at the Washington Hilton, with one person in custody as law enforcement assesses the situation, Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the U.S. Secret Service, said in a statement.

All protectees, Guglielmi said, are safe, including the president, first lady and members of the Cabinet who were at the dinner.

Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he wanted to return to the dinner and for the “SHOW TO GO ON,” but security insisted that they leave the hotel and return to the White House.

“Law Enforcement has requested that we leave the premises, consistent with protocol, which we will do immediately,” Trump posted about an hour after the incident.

“The First Lady, plus the Vice President, and all Cabinet members, are in perfect condition,” Trump posted. “I have spoken with all the representatives in charge of the event, and we will be rescheduling within 30 days.”

An announcement in the ballroom mirrored Trump’s announcement about rescheduling the dinner for next month.

The FBI confirmed that the suspect is in custody in a statement.

The suspect has been taken to the hospital, as has a Secret Service agent who was injured, The Washington Post reported.

Trump also said he would give an update from the press briefing room at the White House later this evening.

Dinner was being served at the annual gathering of the Washington press organization when shots could be heard from the ballroom before Trump was evacuated by security, according to video of the event.

President Trump, Melania Trump and other members of the administration on the dais and in the ballroom were evacuated within minutes of shots being heard over C-SPAN and other networks broadcasts.

As the officials were cleared from the room, Secret Service agents swarmed it and ordered other guests to stay in their seats.

Most of the other guests remained in the ballroom after organizers made an announcement that the show would continue shortly.

There was also speculation whether Trump would return to the dinner after the announcement the show would continue and the Presidential Seal was not immediately removed from the podium on the dais.

C-SPAN reported that waiters started to clear the salad portion of dinner as guests started to open wine while waiting for more information about the situation before the announcement that the dinner is going to be rescheduled.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

An acclaimed ITV thriller is returning to screens this weekend, and fans will be delighted

ITV is set to air repeat episodes of a popular thriller this weekend, more than a year after it finished.

Four-part miniseries Playing Nice centres on two couples who learn that their now three-year-old sons were switched at birth.

Pete (James Norton) and Maddie Riley (Niamh Algar) must decide whether to keep the child they’ve brought up or swap to reclaim their biological son. The narrative quickly spirals from a custody battle into a perilous fight for control and survival, packed with numerous secrets and twists.

“Set against a sweeping Cornish landscape, two couples discover that their toddlers were switched at birth in a hospital mix-up, and face a horrifying dilemma: do they keep the sons they raised and loved, or reclaim their biological child? Living a waking nightmare, Pete and Maddie are jettisoned into the world of the other couple; Miles and Lucy,” reads the official synopsis, reports the Express.

It continues: “At first it seems all four are agreed on a solution, but it soon becomes clear that hidden motives are at play. How far can each couple trust the real parents of their child – or even each other? As Pete and Maddie are stretched to breaking point, they realise they will stop at nothing to keep their family together.”

The series, adapted from the bestselling book of the same name by J.P. Delaney, also features Andor’s James McArdle and Downton Abbey’s Jessica Brown Findlay as the other couple, Miles and Lucy Lambert. World on Fire star Posy Sterling also appears.

Filming commenced in Cornwall in November 2023, with key locations including St Ives and Padstow, as well as Mawgan Porth beach and Park Head.

Playing Nice aired on ITV and streaming service ITVX in January 2025, swiftly becoming ITVX’s best-ever drama launch at the time of broadcast, as well as ITV1’s highest-rated new drama of 2025. Now the series is making a welcome return to screens, with the first two episodes airing on ITV3 from 11.50pm on Sunday (April 26) night. The final two instalments are then available to enjoy over on ITVX.

The series proved a resounding hit with both audiences and critics shortly after its release. It currently holds a 63% rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with Digital Spy describing the drama as “the kind of show that will plague your mind in an infuriating, all-consuming, perfecting addictive way”.

Viewers have continued to heap praise on the series online, with one person writing on IMDb: “The acting and scenery are all round amazing. James Norton delivers another outstanding performance as a great actor. The storyline is strong and keeps you on the edge of your seat.”

Another enthusiast added: “A must watch, I loved this! Had me hooked from the start and it had me up till the wee small hours. Devoured it in three nights!! A brilliant 4 episode series. We watched the whole set in one viewing. We were on the edge of our seats.”

A third remarked: “Superb acting, gripping story – loved it,” while another fan similarly enthused: “This is compelling, uncomfortable viewing that pulls you in and gets you involved. This got my Spidey senses tingling from the beginning, and slowly ratcheted up the fear factor as the plot and the characters were revealed.”

A fifth viewer shared the same sentiment, adding: “Every episode had me on the egde of my seat and wanting to scream… I was completely captivated. This story really gripped me from start to finish.”

Playing Nice will air on ITV3 on Sunday, April 26, at 11.50pm

MORE than three decades after London helped launch her career, Tori Amos is back in the city, headlining the Royal Albert Hall for a tenth time. 

The US singer is chatty and upbeat despite staying up until 5am, still riding the high of her gig the night before. 

With her striking red hair falling in waves and her vivid green eye make-up, Maryland-raised Tori, who has called Cornwall home since the late Nineties, looks every inch the star. 

“London was the place that gave me my big exposure explosion,” she says.

“It really did shake my life up. And here we are again. 

“London broke Silent All These Years in the autumn of 1991, and then launched [debut album] Little Earthquakes, which rippled out to the States and the rest of the world.

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“America really discovered me through London, and then the UK did, too. From there, it just kept rippling outwards.” 

On her forthcoming 18th album, In Times Of Dragons, Amos turns political dread, female resistance and personal storytelling into something unique and mythic.  

She says: “I’m very reclusive at home and I’m not very sociable there so when I’m on tour I go from this insular life, where I do a lot of reading, music and writing, and step into this much more exposed life.” 

The contrast between Amos’s secluded home life and her role as a performer feeds directly into an album shaped by both personal reflection and political unease. 

The record is a response to the current political climate in America because, as a songwriter “a lot of my work is documenting time,” she tells me. 

“That’s what I did with Little Earthquakes, which followed my time of failure after [her synth band] Y Kant Tori Read when I had to go back to play piano bars.  

“I have a history of documenting things — my miscarriage in 1998 and that journey, then my 2002 album Scarlet’s Walk which documented 9/11 when I actually wrote some of it on the tour bus.” 

The idea for In Times Of Dragons came through the muses — otherworldly entities — that Amos believes bring her music.  

She has spoken widely about these guiding forces, which she says have inspired her songwriting since childhood.

And last year she published children’s book Tori And The Muses, all about them. 

She says: “This message came to me through the muses that I needed to document America at this pivotal time in history. 

“And I had to personalise this.

“It came to me a year ago that I needed to be me in the story and be closely connected to one of these people, and what that would look like, because they are personally affecting us. 

“I had to turn the volume on that to create this narrative, whatever turning into a dragon looks like.” 

The album follows the story of Tori trapped in a world run by billionaire tech moguls and lizard dragons, who threaten democracy through corporate greed and authoritarianism. 

Amos says: “Jane Mayer writes about the genesis of this in Dark Money, which is one of the most important books people need to read if they’re asking, ‘How did we get here?’. 

“This has been going on since the Seventies.

“As Mayer documents, figures like the Koch brothers — and I use that as an umbrella term for a wider movement — helped shape it, along with super PACs [organisations that spend millions supporting political candidates] and all the rest. 

“It seems there was an understanding that progressive teaching in universities had to be excavated, cut back and penetrated by a very tight right-wing philosophy that is now upon us. 

“And I’m not just talking about Republicans and Democrats. I’m talking about tyranny versus democracy.

“If you had asked me about this even around the Scarlet’s Walk era, I was already going after it through that record, and then through [2007 album] American Doll Posse during the Bush-Cheney administration with the wars, the manipulation, all of that. 

“Then there was a period of relief, when a different, more inclusive philosophy came in, whatever your politics are. 

“For me, it’s about the philosophy.

“As a songwriter, I’ve been tracking that through my career. 

“On this record, I had to take a personal journey and look at the effects of what this very small cabal of men is doing — and there are women involved too, we can’t get confused about that. 

“There’s Cambridge Analytica, the involvements of the Mercers, Rebekah Mercer [the right-wing US heiress and political donor] and all those interconnections.” 

The album’s story sees Amos’s character flee and reunite with her daughter.

This part is played by her real-life daughter Natashya, who co-wrote tracks Veins, Strawberry Moon and Stronger Together — the latter of which she also sings backing vocals on, and is one of the most emotional songs on the record. 

“She was in DC at the time, in law school, and she graduates in a few weeks,” says Amos proudly.  

“She’s going into criminal law and really had her finger on the pulse. 

“On a daily basis she’s seeing things that the wider public probably isn’t, unless you’re a political journalist. 

“We’re so inundated that the little freedoms being quietly taken away can be missed. 

“Criminal law is her calling.

“So, writing these songs with her, with her understanding of what’s happening in the field she’s chosen, and her exposure to the shock of what is being torn to pieces, was hugely important. 

“She says we are past constitutional crisis and what’s going on is absolutely shocking.” 

The final song, written last- minute for the album, is Ode To Minnesota — a response to the deaths caused by ICE agents there. 

She says: “Heinous, atrocious crimes are being committed and so this is the world of the record.”  

Amos, 62, has a long history of addressing America in song, and In Times Of Dragons continues that while exploring wider patterns of male power. 

It’s also a reminder of her role as a feminist icon and the influence she’s had on artists such as Lady Gaga, Florence Welch and St Vincent (real name Annie Clark).  

“Annie’s one of my dear friends,” she says of St Vincent.

“She’s fabulous. We have a giggle and I’m thrilled for her, for her art, and for the way she’s balancing motherhood so beautifully. 

“It’s lovely to see people who came to my shows when they were younger. 

“She’s talked to me about Choirgirl [Tori’s 1988 album From The Choirgirl Hotel] and what it meant to her when she first heard it, and we’ve had laughs about that. 

“And it’s the same with the guys too. 

“I’m off to an event later and the guy doing the Q&A used to stand by the stage door as a teenage gay kid.  

“To see these people grow up, and to still be able to bask in their creativity and development, is a beautiful thing to witness.” 

But while Amos is moved by the artists and fans who have grown up with her work, she is hesitant to define her own feminist legacy. 

She says: “It’s not for me to say, that’s more for other people to decide. 

“Believe it or not, I’m a bit introverted about that.

“What I think I’ve tried to do, and what I have done, is there for those who know it. 

“What’s important to remember is that there was no social media then.

“When people ask, ‘Was it easier back then?’, well, in some ways no, and in others yes. 

“We did have a music business with a few women in record companies, though only a few in executive positions.

“One or two could balls their way through, but you really had to.

“And if you didn’t have that tenacity in the Nineties — especially to get played on radio — it was tough. 

“At an alternative station in the States, they might add two women out of 64 slots, and the other 62 would be men.  

“I’ve spoken about that with some of my contemporaries over the years, Alanis [Morissette] being one of them, and it was not a good feeling — knowing that talented women with very good records were simply not being added to the station. 

“And touring took money. 

“That’s why I never had tour support.

“In the early days, I went out with just a piano, my tour manager and a sound guy. That was it. 

“We kept the costs down, and luckily the shows sold out, because the Press had really got behind me.” 

Today, Amos points to Dolly Parton as proof that women can keep evolving, performing and owning the stage on their own terms as they get older.

“She is fantastic and she’s aware we are a different generation that played this game and played it well,” says Amos.

“There are women who are still playing the game beautifully, and they still have the physicality and the health to do it.  

“I used to have a three-and-a-half octave range when I was doing those one-woman shows.

“But with the change of life — becoming a dragon, if that’s the menopause analogy — you adapt or you collapse.

“For me, it wasn’t a crisis in the way it has been for some women we’ve read about in the Press, and I have huge empathy for that.

“But vocally, I did have to make changes. 

“I didn’t want to alter the top lines of songs with those very high, wide-ranging melodies, so on the last tour I simply didn’t play them.  

“Then I thought, ‘No, that isn’t what I want.

“I want the whole catalogue available to me as a storyteller’. 

“So, I decided to bring in backing singers who could hit those notes.

“It was a strategic, compositional choice.

“I didn’t want to be in a position where I could only perform 40 per cent of my catalogue because of range. 

“And we’re having a blast. 

“They’re amazing singers. 

“I’ve gained four notes at the lower end and I feel like I’m down there rocking with Nick Cave, but that’s the trade-off. 

“I gained more on the lower end, while recognising that if I want to play those songs, you can only transpose them down so far before they lose their essence. 

“I have so much respect for Nick Cave.

“I used to run into him in the early Nineties.

“His work has always been a beacon of beauty and darkness — expansive work that makes you think.” 

Like Cave, Amos remains restlessly creative, and she is already thinking about where to go next.  

“After something as demanding as this, I’m doing a prequel to children’s book Tori And The Muses — that will be out next year,” she says.

“Her journey as a little girl with her muses.  

“It’s due next April — and there may be music to go with it too.” 

•  In Times Of Dragons is out on May 1. 

TORI AMOS 

In Times Of Dragons 

★★★★☆

WHAT’S the story in Balamory, wouldn’t you like to know?

The much-loved BBC children’s TV series Balamory has returned to our screens after more than 20 years – and you can visit the real like town in the UK.

Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @thesuntravel.

The multicoloured houses from the town actually exist in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull.

While the row of colourful houses are privately owned, many reports mention how the locals are happy for visitors to take pictures of their kids in front of the houses.

For example, in the BBC TV series, Suzie Sweets lives in the pink house and Edie McCredie lives in the yellow house.

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But there’s so much more to do in Tobermory, if you are visiting.

Around the harbour you can explore a number of shops including a locally-made soap shop and The Isle of Mull museum which is free to enter and explores the history of the island.

Near to the harbour you can also head to the Tobermory Distillery for a tour, costing £19.50 per person.

It lasts around an hour and during that time you’ll learn about the whisky that has been made on site since 1798 as well as trying two whiskies.

Children can attend too, but need to be over 12 years old and accompanied by an adult.

Perhaps a more family-friendly option though is to head to the chocolate shop Tobermory Chocolate, which has been run by the same family since 1991.

Inside, visitors can peruse milk, white and dark chocolates that are all handmade on site.

There’s also a cafe and children’s chocolate workshops that you can take part in.

According to the chocolate shop , you can often see otters, porpoises and dolphins in the harbour too.

From the harbour, walk along the pier, where about 270metres from the end, there is a Spanish Armada ship that sank after an explosion in 1588 and now sits under about 10 metres of mud.

The ship is even rumoured to still have a loaf of golden treasure on it…

Make sure to also pick up a locally-made ice cream from the shop on the pier too.

If you want to spot more of the local wildlife, then you can hop on a boat trip with Sea Life Mull, where you could see minke whales, basking sharks, dolphins and seals.

The tour costs £80 per person and lasts up to four hours, during which time you’ll see Mull, Ardnamurch and the Isle of Coll.

Though, if you prefer to stay on dry land then head off on an Otter Watching walk with Magic Mull, which is a three mile walk, where you’ll learn about the island’s otter population.

The activity costs £90 per person but it does include lunch, as well as afternoon tea at the end of the walk.

There are a number of places to stay in and around the town as well such as Carnaburg Guest House or The Tobermory Hotel, which both sit at the edge of the harbour.

Or you could opt to stay at Tobermory Campsite, which costs just £14 per night to pitch a tent at or you could opt for a Shepherds Hut, costing from £50 per night.

Outside of the town, there are several places worth exploring across the island.

For example, Aros Park is ideal for families as it has play trail, waterfalls and a nine-hole Disc Golf course that is free to use.

To get your dose of pretty beaches there are plenty to choose from including Calgary Beach, which boasts white sand.

One recent visitor said: “Reminiscent of a tropical paradise with its sweeping white shell sands and clear, turquoise water, the beach offers a vast expanse for dogs to run, play, and explore.

“The bay is wonderfully isolated, backed by beautiful sand dunes and coastal grassland, which means plenty of variety for walks.”

And if you fancy staying near the beach, you can stay at the small campsite at the edge of the beach.

It is completely free to camp there, though donations are welcome and there are basic toilet facilities as well.

If you are a keen hiker, the island is full of walks too, where you can see local wildlife, historic stone rows and lochs such as Loch Frisa.

To get to the Isle of Mull, you can get the ferry from Oban, which takes between 45 minutes and an hour.

The ferry costs £4.90 per adult and £2.45 per child, per way.

For more places to go where TV shows have been filmed, here are six holiday homes from TV shows and films that you can stay at in the UK.

Plus, there’s an English coastal town that tourists are flocking to after popular UK TV show is filmed there.

EastEnders fans were not expecting to see one character randomly head back to the BBC soap without warning during Monday’s episode of the BBC soap amid a scene with Ravi Gulati

Fans got a surprise during Monday’s episode of EastEnders as a character returned without warning after four years offscreen.

With the episode now up on BBC iPlayer ahead of it airing on BBC One on Monday evening, we saw Ravi Gulati faced with a blast from the past. The death of his ‘father’ Ranveer Gulati was revisited, as Ravi headed to hospital amid his mental health spiralling.

There, his nurse was none other than his ex and former stepmother Nina Gupta. Fans may recall Nina was having an affair with Ravi behind Ranveer’s back.

Around this time we saw Suki Panesar believe she had killed Ranveer after he sexually assaulted her. She attacked him in self-defence, and Ravi walked in and decided to help her cover up the crime.

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It was soon apparent his ‘dad’ was still alive though, and Ravi killed him. Nina was helping Ravi trying to get Ranveer’s money, and she covered for Ravi for killing her husband too.

Now she’s back, treating Ravi in hospital where she addressed their past. Seeing him struggling, she said it was karma for what he did all those years ago.

Fans were divided over the return, as one fan posted on social media: “Now why did we need to bring Nina back. We didn’t need her the first time and she’s just proven why we didn’t need her this time.”

A second fan said: “I’m glad they bought back Nina for this episode cause even though this sl was triggered by the drugs and the spiking I think it reminds people that everything genuinely stems from Ranveer and Nish.” A third added: “Unexpected Nina in the bagging area!!!”

Another viewer said: “Seeing Nina return today took me by suprise but has equally left me convinced that Kheerat and/or Ash might return at some point. Kheerat took the fall for Ranveer’s death in the end and that showdown at the surgery beteeen Ash and Nina was brilliant.”

The reactions kept on coming too, with one fan saying: “Bringing back Nina Gupta wasn’t on my bingo card!” another confessed: “For some reason I thought Nina died lmao clearly not.”

A final comment read: “I was really divided about Nina. I think it’s really good when you bring back a past character to explore someone else’s past and I think this did that and reminded us of that time in Ravi’s life. But equally why was she acting like she wasn’t a ‘baddie’ style character then too?

“She was hardly innocent! I thought it was a good twist as we didn’t know it was going to happen and it was like oh hello, but at the same time I don’t know if it added much.”

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

PETER Andre has revealed that he plans to release music with his son Junior in the future.

The Mysterious Girl singer, 53, returned to the spotlight this year after not releasing any new music in 11 years.

Junior has also been working on his own tracks, following in Peter’s footsteps.

Speaking to the Daily Mail about all things music, Peter began by sharing how it’s his mission to achieve another number one hit.

He said: “I won’t stop, whether it’s this album, the next album or the one after that.

“I won’t stop until I get a number one now because that’s my goal.”

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But then the father revealed that he’s more than open to collaborating with his son on songs in the future.

In response to whether any collabs with Junior could be on the cards, Peter simply mused: “When he’s ready. He’s brilliant.”

Junior released his debut single, Slide, back in 2022.

It hit the number one spot on the UK’s iTunes pop chart, while his follow-up track Only One went on to bag the same top spot a year later.

Meanwhile Peter has launched himself back into the charts as well, with his new songs Rock You Right and All About Us 2.0 climbing their way up the ranks.

It’s quite the feat after Peter’s latest album, Legacy, has come out three entire decade after his debut hit Mysterious Girl.

Peter gave Junior one major piece of advice when he began taking an interest in entering the music industry.

The wise musician shared: “When he [Junior] first got into recording at around 15, he wanted to start recording and I said to him, “you have to be a songwriter.”

“It’s like learning a trade. You can always write for other people, even if it doesn’t work out for yourself or if you don’t want to sing anymore.

“And now he’s written well over 200 songs. He’s such an incredible talent, both singing and rapping.”

He rounded off his thoughts by gushing about his children and their talents.

Peter concluded: “My daughter Princess has got an incredible voice, but I’m not really sure what she wants to do on that side of things.

“But Junior definitely, I think watch this space. What he’s got when it comes to music… They are both very talented.”

Peter’s new album Legacy features thirteen tracks, including ten re-imagined versions of ten of his iconi songs.

There are also collaborations on the record with artists including Montell Jordan, Brian McKnight, Kenny Thomas, Lady Leshurr, Bubbla Ranx, and Oritsé Williams.


PARIS — French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said an 85-year-old French widow of an American military veteran who was in immigration custody in the United States returned home on Friday.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained Marie-Thérèse Ross in Alabama on April 1 after she overstayed her 90-day visa, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“She returned to France this morning, this is a satisfaction for us,” Barrot told reporters during a visit to the southern city of Montpellier on Friday.

Barrot said he would not comment on the specific case, but said some of ICE methods are “not in line” with French standards and “not acceptable to us.” Barrot referred to “violence that raised our concerns,” without elaborating.

Ross was being held at a federal immigration detention facility in Louisiana.

She was among the thousands of people targeted by the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda that has detained the spouses of U.S. soldiers and military veterans who previously received greater leniency under scrapped policies.

Ross married Alabama resident William Ross in April last year, Calhoun County marriage records show. Ross died in January, according to an obituary from his family, which says he was a former captain in the U.S. Army.

Release of Mahdieh Esfandiari comes a week after Iran released two French citizens held on espionage charges.

Iranian national Mahdieh Esfandiari has returned home after being held in France for more than a year as part of what appears to be an exchange of detainees between the countries.

Iran’s state television reported on Wednesday that the “rights activist”, sentenced to one year in prison after making online comments supportive of Palestine and the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that prompted the genocidal war on Gaza, had returned to Iran.

The University of Lyon graduate, who had been living in France since 2018, where she worked as a translator, was arrested in February last year on charges of promoting “terrorism”, and released on bail in October.

“I think it’s clear for everyone that there is no freedom of speech, at least not in France where I was. The court’s ruling was very unjust,” Esfandiari told state television in a Wednesday broadcast.

Esfandiari’s release comes a week after French citizens Cecile Kohler, 41, and Jacques Paris, 72, arrived in France after being held for more than three years in Iran.

Kohler and Paris were arrested by Iranian authorities in May 2022 but were freed in November last year, after more than three years in prison on espionage charges that their families vehemently deny.

They were taken by French diplomats to France’s mission in Tehran, where they lived under house arrest until their full release on April 7. Upon their release, they were driven from Iran to neighbouring Azerbaijan before taking a flight to Paris.

President Emmanuel Macron’s office said their release was the outcome of a “long-term effort”, but talks accelerated in recent weeks due to pressure from the US-Israel war on Iran, giving a sense of urgency to the situation.

While an exchange was not explicitly acknowledged by France, Iran’s state-run agency IRNA had previously said Tehran reached an agreement with Paris for the release of the French citizens in exchange for Esfandiari.