reunion

On a sunny Saturday afternoon last month in Los Angeles, excited fans opted for a dark studio at CBS Television City where a reunion with the beloved Barone family of “Everybody Loves Raymond” would take place. Devotees of the Emmy-winning sitcom gathered for a live taping of a 90-minute 30th anniversary special, airing Monday on CBS.

“This is a bucket list-type thing,” said longtime fan Kim Brazier, who flew in from Gulfport, Miss. “I only watch ‘Everybody Loves Raymond.’ I have it on repeat. I watch it when I’m getting ready in the morning, and it’s kind of my lullaby when I go to bed.”

The popular sitcom, which ran for nine seasons from 1996 to 2005, was known for its hilarious depiction of family dynamics. Ray Romano starred as sportswriter Ray Barone, married to Debra (Patricia Heaton). The couple raised three young children while navigating marital squabbles, awkward parenting moments and constant meddling from Ray’s parents, Marie and Frank (Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle), who lived across the street with Ray’s jealous, downtrodden police officer brother Robert (Brad Garrett).

Inside the reunion, the atmosphere brimmed with nostalgia as Romano and the show’s creator, Phil Rosenthal, hosted the live taping from the living room they once brought into millions of households each week. The set was meticulously recreated for the occasion, including the Barone couch, which Romano now owns and had transported from his home for the occasion.

Cast members were brought out one by one throughout the afternoon, each remaining on stage as the panel grew, including Rosenthal’s wife, Monica Horan, who played Robert’s longtime love interest, Amy.

Ray Romano and Phil Rosenthal walking to the stage for the 30th anniversary reunion, which was taped before a live studio audience, just like the series.

(Matthew Taplinger / CBS)

The group reminisced about working with one another and shared their favorite episodes, accompanied by clips on surrounding screens that included a reel of outtakes of funny lines improvised by Romano and Garrett cracking up their fellow castmates. As each segment played, Rosenthal and the cast watched, fully absorbed with smiles across their faces, while the audience sat rapt, revisiting these cherished moments.

A week and a half later, in a Zoom interview with Rosenthal and Romano, the latter reflected on returning to the set. “It was emotional and surreal. At first it felt so strange to be back, like we went back in time,” Romano says. “And then after we were joking and comfortable for a while, it felt like we never left.”

Just like the reunion, the original series was filmed in front of a live studio audience, a conscious choice to capture the energy in the room. “We had me, a comedian, and comedy writers, and we wanted to hear the laughs,” Romano says.

And the laughs were plentiful. Rosenthal told the crowd at the taping that the cast often had to pause after punchlines to let laughter die down. Occasionally, he said, the laughter went on so long it had to be edited out of episodes. The only time the audience wasn’t in stitches was when Romano literally needed them. He once sliced open his hand during a scene where he was cutting cheese; Romano went to the hospital to be sewn up and then returned to finish the episode.

From the stage, Romano recounted the show’s origin story, which dates back to his 1995 stand-up comedy debut on the “Late Show With David Letterman.” His five-minute routine focused on parenting his toddlers and losing his perspective on adult-oriented humor. He noted that the last joke he’d written dated back to when his twin sons were babies — a bit about jingling his car keys to make them laugh — which he physically demonstrated during the appearance. After the “Late Show” crowd laughed, he pushed the bit one step further. “I’m glad you laughed at that,” he said. “If you didn’t, I would’ve had to come down there and rub my nose in your bellies.”

The cast of “Everybody Loves Raymond” during the taping of the finale episode of the series, which aired in May 2005.

(Richard Cartright / CBS / AP)

Meanwhile, Rosenthal, then a writer on ABC’s sitcom “Coach,” was at home with Horan watching Romano’s set. It immediately resonated with the couple. “It made me laugh so hard,” he says. “We had just had a kid, and the material was eminently relatable.”

Two weeks later, when Letterman’s production company offered Romano a development deal, he met with Rosenthal, and the two began shaping the sitcom, blending their sensibilities. Rosenthal says the resulting show became a hybrid of his sitcom experience with Romano’s sensibility that everything must be rooted in truth. “It had to feel real and honest,” Rosenthal says. “And you don’t do anything just to get a laugh. We had a rule in the writers room: ‘Could this happen?’ Are we stretching credibility so far that we break the bond of relatability with the audience?”

They developed the show around their own lives, modeling the Barone children after Romano’s, and incorporating material from his Letterman routine. The character of Robert was based on Romano’s real-life brother, a New York City police officer whose bitter quip when Romano won an award — “Everybody loves Raymond” — became both the show’s title and a line of dialogue his fictional counterpart delivered in the pilot.

Rosenthal contributed his own family inspiration too, basing Ray’s TV mom largely on his mother, with aspects of Romano’s. At the anniversary special, he told the audience with a wink that his mother had always insisted the character was “an exaggeration.”

Phil Rosenthal, left, and Ray Romano on the recreated set of “Everybody Loves Raymond.” (Sonja Flemming / CBS)

Brad Garrett, left, played Ray’s brother and Patricia Heaton, played Debra, Ray’s wife in the series. (Sonja Flemming / CBS)

When it came time for casting, approximately 20 women auditioned to play Ray’s wife, but Heaton nailed it, with a bold choice setting her apart. She was the only actor who actually kissed Romano during the audition, while the rest just mimed it. It wasn’t until the reunion, however, that Heaton learned onstage that she was the only one who’d done so.

The reunion also revealed that Garrett’s casting as Robert was a surprise to Romano. His real brother is shorter than he is, while Garrett is 6 feet 8, prompting Romano to joke that two brothers had been cast at once.

Rosenthal noted that to avoid the appearance of nepotism, he never suggested his wife for the role of Amy. Rather, it was a writer on the show who had put her name forward.

The reunion also honored Boyle and Roberts, who died in 2006 and 2016, respectively. The taping coincided with what would have been Boyle’s 90th birthday, and his wife, Lorraine, was in the audience. Romano shared that Boyle was nothing like his grumpy character Frank. During the first rehearsal, Boyle gave the nervous Romano advice: “It’s just like water. Just let it flow.”

Roberts, meanwhile, was the show’s matriarch on- and off-screen, known for making pots of soup in her dressing room and looking out for the cast. Horan recalled Roberts as professional and protective, pointing out whenever anyone was unwittingly blocking Horan’s light in a shot.

Frank and Marie, played by Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts, were remembered during the reunion special. The taping coincided with what would have been Boyle’s 90th birthday.

(Robert Voets / CBS)

Later in the afternoon came another poignant moment when Madylin Sweeten and younger brother Sullivan Sweeten, who played Ray and Debra’s children, Ally and Michael Barone, joined the panel. Madylin was 5 when the show began, while Sullivan was 16 months old. His twin brother, Sawyer, who also appeared on the show as Michael’s twin, Geoffrey, died by suicide in 2015, just before his 20th birthday.

Speaking about his late brother, Sullivan said that he tries to stay positive by reflecting on his best moments with Sawyer, sharing that most of them happened on the set of the show. Madylin said that she and Sullivan work with the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, noting that most who seek help do survive.

Now 34 and a mom herself, Madylin reflected on growing up on a hit series. At the time, she was too young to fully grasp its importance, revealing that she remembers being upset one year when she couldn’t participate in a school play because she had to be on set. As scenes of the Barone children played above the stage, she wiped away tears at the sight of Sawyer as a child.

It was easy to see what made the cast feel like a real family. Their chemistry filled the studio once again, and their connection endures.

“Imagine spending nine years with people and then staying in touch,” Rosenthal says. “Phil and I see each other all the time,” Romano adds, before Rosenthal chimes in: “Our families vacation together.” They shared that they’d had lunch with the show’s writers earlier that day.

The affection among the cast is matched only by the devotion of the fans who filled the studio. Throughout the taping, the audience erupted in laughter, cheers and applause, a testament to how deeply the show remains embedded in people’s lives. Even 20 years after its finale, everybody still loves Raymond.

“It was the ultimate honor,” Rosenthal says of the enthusiastic fans who showed up for the reunion. “We can die happy that we made something of lasting value.”

Asked why they’ve never considered a reboot, Romano is clear. “This was our legacy, this was our baby, and we wanted to treat it right,” he says. “We wanted to leave on a high note and go out on top, and that’s what we did.”

TO the deafening screams of 60,000 fans in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Noel and Liam Gallagher took their final bow on the last night of their epic, 41-date Oasis reunion tour last night.

And now all us fans are talking about is what will come next for the brothers — with rumblings about possible shows at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester and Knebworth, Herts, along with ­whispers about a new greatest hits album.

Noel had previously put a record together featuring Oasis classics and B-sides from the band’s four albums released between 2000 and 2009.

But Liam put paid to his plans for the release, with Noel later admitting in 2023: “He wouldn’t have it in the end — I don’t know why.

“I gave up f***ing arguing.”

Insiders said reprising this project is among plans being floated behind the scenes.

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“This tour has gone better than anyone could have imagined,” my source tells me.

“Noel and Liam will both be taking a long break to compute the magnitude of this tour.

“Being back together on stage has been incredible for both of them, and to have guitarist ­Bonehead back with them for the last shows has been nothing short of phenomenal.

“They’re aware of what their fans want and know the demand would be there if they did decide to put out a new greatest hits album — or to play more shows.”

So far, five separate music insiders have told me about the proposed Etihad residency next summer, along with a slew of shows at Knebworth.

Offers have also been made to Oasis to play Coachella in the US and Benicassim in Spain.

My insider added: “Steven Knight’s film from behind the scenes of the tour will give fans something to look forward to while they wait for Noel and Liam to decide what is coming up next.

“The offers are theirs for the taking.”

Those close to the pair insist there are no plans on the table right now.

But given how quickly the ­initial reunion came to pass, I’d put nothing past Noel and Liam.

The latter is definitely keen to keep the momentum, posting on X last week: “We need to sit down and discuss these things.

“If it was all up to me then you know we’d be touring till the day we die as it’s the best thing in the world but unfortunately it’s not.”

Noel, you know what you have to do.

SZA AND SHABS’ SWEET MUSIC

HER two studio albums have been packed with songs about love, loss and everything in between, so I’m sure SZA will have plenty to write about on her next record, as she is dating again.

The Kill Bill singer, who headlined Glastonbury last year, is believed to be secretly seeing Shaboozey, who is best known for his No3 hit A Bar Song (Tipsy) which soared up the charts last summer.

While she previously dated rapper Drake, Shaboozey was linked to model Emily Ratajkowski last year.

And now they have grown close and are constantly liking each other’s posts on social media.

They attended a GQ Men of the Year party together in Los Angeles earlier this month, but made sure to maintain their distance, in a bid to keep their romance quiet.

However, they’ve both got eager fanbases who are over the moon about the prospect of these two becoming an item.

One thing’s for sure: if they make a song together, it will be fantastic.

KATY’S LIMB AND A STAIR

KATY PERRY prompted a few stairs from people as she fooled about on an escalator.

The singer did practically everything but stand politely to one side as she performed the splits both the right way up and upside down.

She then appeared to take a snooze on the handrail in snaps taken on the set of the video to her latest single Bandaids.

Katy, whose shoelace is seen getting stuck in the moving staircase in the promo, wrote on Instagram: “Doing all the things your mom said not to do on the escalator but also: myth-busting a childhood fear. You’re welcome.”

Myths busted or not, I think I’ll stick to using them as intended.

DENISE: I’LL SLAYYY TOP TEN

DESPITE five No1 albums, THE 1975 have never topped the singles chart.

Now frontman Matty Healy’s mum, actress Denise Welch, is aiming to rub their noses in it by trying for the Christmas No1.

Yes, you did read that right. Today she has surprised the nation with an unexpected festive hyperpop single titled Slayyy Bells.

Described as “part carol, part club classic”, the song is being released in collaboration with choccy brand Celebrations.

Loose Women star Denise, above, said: “I love Christmas, but sometimes I want to shake things up a bit.

“We don’t always have to have turkey, or do charades.

“We can celebrate this special holiday our way. This remix, apart from being cool, catchy and a sure-fire hit, is all about having fun.

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“So stay in your PJs, have your dinner at night if you like, and dance around the tree with a Celebrations box on your head.

“Once you’ve eaten them, that is.”

AFTER their split in 2010 and cancelled reunion tour in 2020, I can reveal that The Pussycat Dolls are talking about getting back together.

I’ve heard that Kimberly Wyatt has been telling pals the girls have ironed out their issues and are reforming.

The band also featured Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, Carmit Bachar and Melody Thornton.

Members began leaving in in 2008, but the girls continued to make music before splitting in 2010.

A source said: “Kimberly has been open about the fact the girls have sorted out their issues.

“She also told pals they’ve been discussing a tour.

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“The Pussycat Dolls certainly had their differences over the years, but a comeback would send fans wild.”

Ashley, Kimberly, Jessica, Carmit and Nicole were set to go on tour in 2020 – but after the pandemic scuppered their plan, the idea was later cancelled.

Let’s hope nothing comes in the way of this reunion.

The Dolls started off as a burlesque troupe but in 2003 Nicole Scherzinger, Melody Thornton and Kaya Jones joined Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta and Kimberly Wyatt to form the group.

Kaya went solo in 2004 and Carmit left in 2008.

They split for good in 2010 but got back together in 2020.

The Dodgers need an outfielder. Cody Bellinger is available.

So, eight years removed from his Rookie of the Year arrival, six years since his 2019 MVP campaign, and three years after an unceremonious end to his Dodgers tenure, could the team and its once-beloved homegrown slugger actually reunite this winter?

It’s not impossible, with the Dodgers believed to have Bellinger on their radar as they evaluate their options in free agency.

In an offseason of wide possibilities, but thus far tempered expectations from the Dodgers’ front office, Bellinger represents something of a wild card in the team’s potential winter plans.

He is not the top outfielder on this year’s market, which is headlined by former Chicago Cubs slugger Kyle Tucker and the $400 million-plus bidding war he is expected to trigger.

But, for a team like the Dodgers, Bellinger could be a better (and more familiar) fit, providing the kind of positional versatility and financial flexibility someone like Tucker wouldn’t.

Granted, the seriousness of the Dodgers’ interest in Bellinger, which was first reported by ESPN, remains unclear. But the mere possibility will make it one of the more intriguing early subplots of the winter, representing one potentially splashier option for the club to consider in pursuit of 2026 roster upgrades.

To this point of the offseason, of course, the Dodgers have signaled a reluctance to add more lucrative, long-term, free-agent contracts to their steadily aging core. It’s shown up in their pursuit of relievers, with their preference seemingly being a shorter-term deal after being burned by big bullpen spending last year. It has also influenced the way they’ve viewed the outfield market, cooling summer-long expectations that they would be leading contenders in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes.

After all, the Dodgers have two starting outfielders currently on their roster in Teoscar Hernández (who is entering the second of his three-year, $66 million deal) and Andy Pages (who is coming off a 27-homer campaign in his second MLB season). They have plenty of depth options at the position, from Alex Call to Ryan Ward to the versatility provided by utility players Tommy Edman and Hyeseong Kim (and maybe even backup catcher Dalton Rushing, who could experiment in the outfield again in 2026).

Cody Bellinger was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2017 and the NL MVP in 2019, but struggled in his last few seasons with the Dodgers.

(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

They also, importantly, have a promising wave of outfield prospects expected to reach the majors in the next 2-3 years, a group headlined by Josue De Paula (the top prospect in their farm system); Eduardo Quintero (their 2025 minor-league hitter of the year); Zyhir Hope, Mike Sirota, James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard (promising talents acquired in trades over the last two years); and Charles Davalan and Kendall George (recent first-round draft picks).

The team would still like to add another outfielder, likely of the left-handed-hitting variety, to the mix in 2026. It is hopeful of finding an improved replacement for Michael Conforto, after his woeful performance on a one-year, $17 million deal last season.

At the same time, though, the Dodgers want to preserve their longer-term flexibility at the position — making their odds of giving someone like Tucker the 10-year contract he is expected to receive appear dubious at best.

Bellinger, however, provides a different free-agent proposition.

He is a couple of years older than Tucker, set to turn 31 next season, but is also likely to receive a contract of roughly half the length and much less guaranteed money; pegged by most projections to be in the 5-6 year and $150-$175 million range (though he could reasonably surpass those figures if his market materializes well).

Crucially, Bellinger also offers positional flexibility. At present, he can play all three outfield spots, and remains a plus-defender in the corners. Down the line, he could eventually shift to first base, making him (for a team like the Dodgers) a potential future successor to Freddie Freeman.

Another key factor: Bellinger is a much different player than he was when the Dodgers declined to tender him a contract at the end of the 2022 season.

Back then, Bellinger was coming off two straight years of subpar performance in the wake of a shoulder surgery following the 2020 World Series. Between 2021 and 2022, he hit .193, struck out more than 27% of the time, and had an OPS+ of 66 (an advanced metric in which 100 is considered league average).

The last three years, on the other hand, have seen the former MVP winner stage a mid-career revival. While playing for the Chicago Cubs (who signed Bellinger ahead of the 2023 season) and New York Yankees (who traded for him last offseason), he hit .281, struck out just 15% of the time, and had an OPS+ of 125. Last season, he also hit 29 home runs, his most since collecting 47 in his 2019 MVP season.

Granted, Bellinger did benefit from the hitter-friendly environment at Yankee Stadium, where he had 18 of his long balls last year. He also does not hit the ball as routinely hard as in his peak years with the Dodgers. Yet, he has improved his approach, honed more consistent swing mechanics, and balanced out his platoon splits, batting .353 against left-handed pitching in 2025.

Those strides served as a reminder of Bellinger’s tantalizing talent, as well as a sign of his growing maturation as he enters his 10th year in the majors.

The question now: Whether it will all be enough for the Dodgers to make a legitimate run at bringing him back.

The nature of free agency, of course, means Bellinger is still likely to land elsewhere this winter. He is expected to field wide interest on the open market, starting with the incumbent Yankees (especially if their other free-agent outfielder, Trent Grisham, turns down a qualifying offer). The Dodgers, meanwhile, remain better positioned to explore the trade market for an outfield addition, possessing the kind of highly-rated farm system that could make them a factor for everyone from Steven Kwan to Brandon Donovan to Jarren Duran.

If Bellinger were to attract his own bidding war, the Dodgers would likely be reluctant to overpay (at least in their view) for his services.

But for now, the possibility of a reunion does at least seemingly exist — thanks to Bellinger’s versatile fit, recent resurgence and lingering familiarity with the franchise.

Years removed from his breakout, then flame-out, during his first tenure with the Dodgers, he could wind up in their winter plans again this offseason.

Married at First Sight UK couple Leisha and Reiss have confirmed they are no longer together after the groom decided to end their marriage following the final vows

A Married at First Sight UK couple have called it quits after their final vows.

The E4 reality show, which has become one of the most talked-about dating experiments on telly, has kept viewers hooked for ten weeks.

One couple who’ve had a rollercoaster journey throughout the series are Leisha and Reiss.

The bride even found herself in hot water with co-stars Leah and Leigh after she shared a smooch with the latter during a day out with the cast.

Despite their turbulent time on the TV show, the couple made it to the final vows where they had to decide whether to stay together or part ways.

During their final vows, the couple voiced their worries about whether their relationship was robust enough to last, reports OK!.

To add to the drama, Leisha had already confessed her love for Reiss, but he was moving at a slower pace and chose not to reciprocate.

No one expected Reiss to commit to Leisha at the final ceremony, but he shocked everyone by agreeing that their marriage was far from over.

After a moment of uncertainty, they both confirmed that they wanted to continue their marriage beyond the experiment.

However, it seems the couple couldn’t make things work in the real world. During the first part of the eagerly awaited reunion on Thursday (November 13) night, Leisha broke down as she confessed she still loves Reiss.

Just before reuniting with her fellow castmates, Leisha confessed: “When we left the experiment, I was worried that I was more into the marriage than he was but we both worked hard to make it work.”

Reiss explained to the camera: “Since leaving the experiment, Leisha came down to see me and then I went up to Scotland.

“We had some cracking times and she is a beautiful girl inside and out but sadly we couldn’t make things work. I’ve not seen Leisha since it ended.”

An emotional Leisha couldn’t hold back her tears as she admitted: “I am devastated that my married with Reiss hasn’t worked out because I still love Reiss and I think about him everyday.”

She added: “So right now I’m feeling really sad because I really wanted it to work and I put my heart and soul into it and it just wasn’t reciprocated.”

Married at First Sight UK is available to stream on Channel 4

Married At First Sight viewers are set to witness an explosive reunion as hidden truths are finally exposed

Married At First Sight is set for an explosive reunion as one bride storms off set in tears after a heated row with another co-star

The E4 hit dating show, comes to an end for another year and it’s safe to say the series has been full of explosive moments from the jump.

We’ve seen secret partner swaps outside the experiment, true love blossoming between a handful of couples and plenty of fiery rows spill on and off screen.

However it was one moment that sparked controversy after Julia-Ruth recently made a shocking admission about another groom.

Throughout the series, Julia-Ruth was open about her lack of interest in her matched husband Divarni, and they left the show before final vows.

She later left her fellow brides speechless when she revealed that she went on holiday with Maeve’s ex husband Joe after leaving the experiment.

Things took a turn for the worse when she went on to share that the pair were also intimate during their getaway together.

As expected things are about to turn explosive during the highly anticipated two-part reunion special, with the first episode set to air tomorrow (November 13) night.

In a preview clip shown at the end of tonight’s episode, all the couples that took part in the experiment reunited for a final dinner party as they got to finally find out which marriages had flourished and which had fallen apart.

It’s clear Maeve is still not over Joe and Julia-Ruth’s brutal betrayal as she left everyone shocked when she announced: “I heard that Julia-Ruth and Joe got matching tattoos.”

Things got heated at the table as Maeve was quick to ask Julie Ruth: “Would you want to be in a relationship with Joe, yes or no?

Julie-Ruth decided not to engage in conversation as she replied: “I’m not talking to you.” Meave snapped: “Well I’m talking to you.”

In a tense moment, Julie-Ruth started waving her hands in Meave’s face and it was clear that it didn’t go down well with the Geordie bride as she shouted: “Don’t put your hands to me like that man, don’t do it.”

Julia-Ruth is seen storming off in tears as fellow groom Davide follows right behind her.

Elsewhere, more hidden truths were exposed as Nelly dropped a bombshell to her fellow co-star as she said: “Seven lied to me, he lied to everyone and the experts.”

She added: “I found the evidence and I sent it to everyone because I’m not going to be made out to be crazy by someone like you.”

You can catch up on Married At First Sight on Channel 4