Two Weeks in August made its debut tonight with a star-studded cast
The Two Weeks in August cast have shared the significance over a hidden detail in the show’s opening scenes(Image: Various Artists Ltd/BBC/Robert Viglasky)
The Two Weeks in August cast have shared the significance over a hidden detail in the show’s opening scenes.
Written and created by Sally4Ever’s Catherine Shepherd, the new ‘witty and painfully relatable’ series follows a group of friends reuniting for a summer holiday. However, the idyllic getaway is soon thrown into chaos thanks to an illicit kiss.
In episode one, viewers are introduced to each of the friends with married couple Zoe and Dan, played by Jessica Raine and Damien Molony, clearly struggling as they attempt to put past events behind them.
The family of four, who have brought their children on the trip, are also struggling with money as is highlighted when Jess, played by Antonia Thomas, suggests they all put €200 each in the kitty.
Things go from bad to worse when Zoe and Dan are tasked with preparing food that evening with their lavish friends wanting seafood, which provides another tense expense for the struggling couple as they opt for store bought fish as opposed to fresh market produce.
Talking about the scenes with the Mirror, Jessica Raine and Damien Molony, who play Zoe and Dan, pointed out a significant hidden detail in the opening moments of the show.
Damien, 42, said: “We had a great opportunity to rehearse before we went out with Tom George, our director. We talked a lot about their past and about their relationship and the fact that, you know, they probably hadn’t had sex in about a year.
“That was a really kind of good starting point to go: ‘Oh, something’s really not right here.’ We would do some improvisations about the journey to the airport in England and what that must have been like.
“Jess had this incredible line in the improv about having to pack pasta in our luggage because we knew we wouldn’t be able to afford food on the island. So much so that they actually put it in the scene.
“So when Jessica opens her suitcase in that first scene on packing, there is pasta in the bag” to which Jessica, 44, added: “Three bags!”
Damien continued: “It was kind of those little details that started to kind of… because in TV, you don’t get that opportunity to rehearse or to really explore the world around the scenes.
“So that was really, really thrilling, and it really informed the rest of the kind of scenes that we shared together because this couple goes on a huge journey.”
Meanwhile, Jess said: “The journey of the fish is really good and I think that’s also a really good point to make about our show is the financial differences in the couples. I don’t think we see that very much.
“We often see a lot of very rich people going on holiday, but I love the reality. I mean, a lot of people are in that position where you’re like, I can’t afford €200 for the kitty and the look that we give each other, we’re just like: ‘Holy moly, this is, we’re way out of our depth’ and they don’t feel able to say.”
The drama is only going to get more intense for the couple and their friends as a synopsis teases: “Set in Greece, Two Weeks in August tells the story of a woman who goes on holiday with her family and friends to rediscover joy in her life. But, here in paradise, what starts with an illicit kiss quickly turns the dream vacation into a nightmare.
“Zoe begins to act on her deepest desires and the holiday she hoped for becomes a reckoning for a group of adults who refuse to grow up. When they discover they are trapped on the island, and become faced with real life-or-death situations, the group soon turn on each other to find out who is to blame.
“Is Zoe responsible for the drama and destruction around her or, as heaven turns to hell, are bigger forces at play? We are in Greece after all, the land of the ancient Gods…”
Two Weeks In August airs Saturday nights on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
“It’s just like it used to be – me saying too much and them two looking at me like, ‘Oh, here she goes!’”
The band’s reunion is to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debut album, Lickin’ On Both Sides.
The record, which came out in October 2001, peaked at No3 in the Official Album Charts and bagged them five Top Ten singles including All I Want, One Night Stand and B With Me.
The Sun revealed in January that the band would be getting back together.
A source said at the time: “Alesha has been excitedly talking about this for a while and would love a Mis-Teeq reunion with Sabrina and Su-Elise to happen.
“Fans shouldn’t expect a Girls Aloud-style comeback tour, though.
“At the minute, lots of things are being discussed and one thing that has come up is the idea of a one-off show. It could be an intimate gig for their die-hard fans or a performance on a big TV programme such as Britain’s Got Talent — which Alesha is a judge on.
“Nothing has formally been offered but nothing is off the table.
“Lickin’ On Both Sides launched Alesha, Sabrina and Su-Elise’s music careers and that record holds a really special place in their hearts.
“They want to celebrate that album with their fans.”
TESS Daly and Vernon Kay tonight announced they had split up “amicably” after 23 years of marriage.
A statement from the showbiz couple, with two daughters, said no one else was involved.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Tess Daly and Vernon Kay, pictured together on The One Show in February, have announced their shock splitCredit: XTess and Vernon on their wedding day in 2003Credit: Rex
The ex Strictly Come Dancing host, 57, and her BBC Radio 2 DJ husband, 52, had grown apart and become more like “roommates” than a married couple.
A source close to the couple told The Sun: “They are both sad that it has come to a natural end but happy for both of their futures.”
Tess and Vernon — who have daughters Phoebe, 21, and 16-year-old Amber — announced their “amicable” marital split in a joint statement last night.
They posted online: “After much consideration, and with a deep sense of care and respect for one another, we have made the decision to separate amicably.
“This has not been an easy choice, but it comes from a place of mutual understanding and a shared desire of what is best for both of us.
“We remain great friends and, most importantly, fully committed to our roles as loving and supportive parents, which will always be our priority.
“There are no other parties involved in this decision.”
They are understood to have decided to go public after returning from a Caribbean holiday last month.
Vernon and Tess announced they had split up ‘amicably’ after 23 years of marriageCredit: GettyTess and Vernon’s statement in fullCredit: Instagram
Both shared photographs from their sunshine getaway but failed to post snaps of each other.
A friend insisted the pair, who married in 2003 after two years of dating, had simply grown apart.
They said: “They have had many conversations about this and tears were shed.
“It wasn’t a sudden decision but it’s something they have been quietly navigating together for some time. It was very natural in a way, it’s just one of those things.
“Vernon is a real social butterfly, he loves going to parties with Phoebe and hanging out with her doing things, while Tess is a bit more of a homebody.
“They are still such great friends, which is why they went on that family holiday together.
“Amber and Phoebe are Tess and Vernon’s world and their focus is solely on them.
“They’ll continue to co-parent together and keep making happy memories with their girls.”
Tess and Vernon have asked for privacy and say no one else was involvedCredit: GettyTess cradles newborn daughter Phoebe as Vernon beams up at the camera in 2004Credit: Liam Dunn
It was understood they will keep their six-bedroom family home in Buckinghamshire while they work out their future plans.
A pal added: “Tess and Vernon are both being very grown up about this. They became more like roommates in the end.
“Working out how to move forward is what they’re doing now.
“Vernon works in London five days a week so it’s likely he’ll get a place in the city for now until they decide what to do with the house.”
On Thursday the pair reunited in London with Phoebe, who attends university in New York.
Vernon was in a typically upbeat mood on air yesterday hosting his Radio 2 mid-morning show.
The couple both started off as models before breaking into Channel 4 – Vernon with T4 and Tess hosting the Find Me a Model segment on The Big Breakfast.
They started dating after meeting in 2001. Vernon recalled of their initial encounter: “She didn’t know anyone except me because we’d worked together that day – she spotted me in a crowd and we had a laugh.
ASK anyone in the industry, Tess and Vernon were the loveliest showbiz couple you could ever wish to meet.
Whether together or alone, they’d greet you like family.
I’ll never forget Tess taking time out of her schedule in the middle of a Strictly final to chat with my mum or earlier this year, when I was knocking back booze at a Brits after-party with Vernon where he mocked my table at the ceremony as the “s***test in the house,” as he roared with laughter and gave me a hug.
Both of them are northern, working-class kids who have done bloody good.
And despite the fame and the riches, they’ve never forgotten where they came from.
When Vernon took on his epic ultra-marathon back in 2023, running over 116 miles in four days and raising over £6.1 million for Children In Need in the process, he rang me every single day from the road to update Sun readers on his journey and to urge them to donate.
He was in agony but he never let it show because he knew his struggle was nothing in comparison to those he was helping.
After being sent their joint statement online I immediately felt sad for them both because I know this won’t have been an easy decision.
Ending a marriage of over two decades is never easy.
But when you’re one of the most recognisable British telly couples, having to announce that decision to the nation, knowing the scrutiny they’ll face from online stirrers, would be even more difficult.
But knowing Tess and Vernon, they’ll be facing this together as a family and will shut out the noise and focus solely on their girls.
Tess recently stepped down as Strictly co-host with pal Claudia WinklemanCredit: BBC
“I was instantly attracted by how independent Tess was, and that’s not changed at all.”
In 2003, they married at a church in Vernon’s hometown of Horwich, Greater Manchester.
Phoebe was born in 2004 — the year Tess started co-hosting BBC ballroom dance show Strictly, first with Bruce Forsyth.
In 2007, Tess and Vernon worked together for the first time, co-hosting BBC celebrity singing show, Just The Two of Us.
Two years later, Amber was born.
When they celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in 2023, Tess spoke of how proud she was of hitting the milestone.
She said: “Twenty years is a long time. We still have lots to talk about, the conversation hasn’t dried up.
“That’s a good thing.
“We’ve got lots in common and shared values.
“We just enjoy each other’s company and that’s what it boils down to, really. I’m proud of us.”
Vernon said their marriage got stronger thanks to the Covid lockdowns, saying: “You really get under the skin of your relationship with your kids and your missus.”
Tess and Vernon hosted BBC’s The One Show together in a special episode in February, but those close to them said the cracks in their marriage started to form last year.
A source said: “Vernon is more outgoing than Tess is and he loves nothing more than heading out with his mates.
Last summer he was at loads of Oasis gigs. He loves going to the Brit Awards. He’s so outgoing and he loves that lifestyle.
“After quitting Strictly, Tess has been more keen to enjoy life at a slower pace.
“She’s been working really hard on her swimwear line and has loved not having to jump back on to that Strictly treadmill.
“It became clear after a while that they were becoming more like ships in the night.
“It’s not been easy but, ultimately, if the love they had for each other had gone, what is the point in staying together?”
The new ITV quiz show is fronted by Danny Dyer and Emily Atack
The new ITV quiz show is ‘full of drama and deception’(Image: ITV)
ITV has unveiled the first look at its new reality quiz show with a surprising twist.
Fronted by Danny Dyer and Emily Atack, Nobody’s Fool has been billed as a “unique reality event packed full of drama and deception.”
In this ruthless contest, participants’ survival depends not on their actual intelligence, but on how clever their rivals perceive them to be.
Throughout the series, ten competitors from across the UK will share a purpose-built “Smart House,” taking part in a game where perception, tactics and trickery matter just as much as brainpower.
With challenges completed behind closed doors, assumptions, biases and initial impressions will prove crucial, as hasty conclusions and deliberate misdirection keep both contestants and audiences second-guessing.
Content cannot be displayed without consent
The show will feature daily individual quizzes testing various forms of intelligence, with correct answers contributing to a collective prize fund.
However, in a clever twist, only the participants themselves will know their actual performance – leaving them free to share as much or as little truth as they wish with their housemates.
As the series progresses, players must identify the weakest link among them and vote them out.
Discussing the programme, Danny Dyer enthused: “this is a blinder of a game show and unlike anything I’ve seen before. Emily and I had a brilliant time making it and much like the audience at home will be, we kept guessing right until the very end.”
Emily Atack added: “It’s so exciting to be part of something this new and fresh. The chance to work with Danny again was a no brainer for me. We had such a laugh. Can’t wait for everyone to watch, it’s an absolute must see.”
Sue Murphy, Director of Factual Entertainment at ITV, and Kate Teckman, Head of Development and Commissioning Editor at ITV, said: “Nobody’s Fool is an innovative reality/quiz crossover show that puts preconceptions, stereotypes and judgements to the test.”
They continued: “Danny and Emily are the perfect pairing to host this game of surprise and prejudice, that will no doubt have audiences on the edge of their seats.”
Meanwhile, Richard Cowles, MD, and Tom Gould, Director of Entertainment and Formats at Lifted Entertainment, added: “Nobody’s Fool takes a simple premise – How do you really determine how smart someone is?
He added: “Trust your preconceptions and judgement or what they tell you? – and turns that into a high stakes reality game show with up to £100k up for grabs.
“There is drama at every turn but with Danny and Emily on hosting duties, the fun and laughter is also never far away.”
Love Island presenter and Entrepreneur Maya Jama is heading in to the Traitors castle for the new series for Celebrity Traitors but she is pleading with fans to do this one thing…
Maya is begging fans to do one thing as she heads into the Traitors castle(Image: Getty Images for Netflix)
Maya, who is currently on a break from filming Love Island, took to Instagram to react to the news of her being a part of the iconic TV game show, which will air later this year.
Posting the announcement on her Instagram Story, she said: “Secret’s out,” before pleading with fans with a hand over the eye emoji and said: “wish me luck”.
This message suggests that the star might not be the most confident, with the presenter herself unaware just yet whether she will be a goodie or a baddie in this game.
From then on, their objective will be to identify which participants are making nocturnal trips to the turret dressed in those distinctive hooded cloaks – selecting which remaining contestants will be murdered.
Also taking part is BBC presenter Amol Rajan, The Last of Us actress Bella Ramsey and comedian James Acaster – not to be mixed up with You’re Beautiful singer James Blunt, who has also signed up.
This comes after Maya recently admitted she “is ready to move on” from presenting, as she eyes up a new career in acting. Drama was actually the TV star’s first love, with Maya, 31, auditioning for Channel 4‘s hit teen series Skins when she was just 15.
Despite getting to the final stages, she didn’t make it into the cast, which launched the careers of the likes of Nicholas Hoult, Dev Patel and Daniel Kaluuya. And now the Bristol-born star, who is in a relationship with Man City footballer Ruben Dias, is ready to leave presenting to go back into acting.
Speaking to the BBC, Maya revealed she got “disheartened” after having to many unsuccessful auditions as a teen, leading her to give up on her dream. But now, after filming has wrapped for the upcoming release of the second season of Netflixcrime thriller The Gentlemen, Maya’s love for the art has been reignited.
She told the broadcaster that her “dream role” would be to play a villain, but she “naturally fell into presenting roles” after starting out on YouTube. After a few years on social media, she made the move to TV to co-host ITVgame show Cannonball, as well as MOBO Awards in 2017.
The year after she booked to host reality show The Circle and then ITV2 panel show Don’t Hate the Playaz. Of course, Jama’s big break came in 2022 when she replaced Laura Whitmoreas the host for hit ITV reality dating show, Love Island.
Maya added: “I always remember when I started being like ‘how on Earth am I going to get on primetime TV as a girl from Bristol doing YouTube videos’ – it seemed like a massive reach.”
She added: “I naturally fell into presenting when I was young because I got to be myself on camera and I’m interested in humans”, adding: “Now it just feels like the doors opened up again [to get into acting]”. Maya said she is “ready to do something else after presenting for so long.”
Maya reportedly plays the glam wife of a friend of lead character Eddie Horniman, alongside the likes of Vinnie Jones and Ray Winstone. She spent time in 2025 filming at Gloucestershire’s Grade II listed building Badminton House, which is Eddie’s home.
The TV personality soft-launched her new gig with the streamer on social media at the start of last year. She teased her followers on Instagram when she posted a snap of a cast list with the Netflix logo on it.
She also shared a peek of a Netflix script, and posted a photo of her and Skins star Kaya, who plays mob boss Susie Glass in the show. Further adding to the speculation around what is next for Maya, she posted a photo of a Netflix mug, with fans then certain she was working on something big.
WHEN pop superstar Justin Timberlake started dating actress Jessica Biel, they quickly became Hollywood’s hottest couple.
But now, after 14 years of marriage, their relationship is going through a positively chilly phase. For long-suffering Jessica, 44, has drawn a line in the sand following a relentless string of public embarrassments, serving her husband with a brutal ultimatum to clean up his act, or she is out.
Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake have been married for 14 years after tying the knot in Italy in 2012Credit: GettyJustin’s mugshot following his 2024 drink-driving arrestCredit: Rex
From the humiliating release of bodycam footage showing Justin’s June 2024 drink-driving arrest to fresh whispers of intoxicated antics at a Las Vegas golf tournament just weeks ago, the Cry Me A River singer’s fall from grace has pushed his wife to the edge, according to reports.
But the drama doesn’t stop there. Insiders tell The Sun that Justin pulled the plug on a $100 million NSYNC reunion, in a last stand bid to save his marriage.
Behind closed doors, those who work closely with the couple say Jessica has been the “glue” holding the family together.
A well-placed Los Angeles producer, who has worked closely with Jessica, tells The Sun that the actress’s marriage can sometimes be a far cry from the fairytale Justin sold the world in the 2010s.
Justin was pictured in 2019 getting close with co-star Alisha Wainwright, later apologising publiclyCredit: BD1Jessica continued to work on her drama The Better Sister despite Justin Timberlake’s arrestCredit: Splash
The insider says: “Jessica is a superwoman. For the last decade, she has run the home, carried and raised two boys, continued acting and enjoyed success with a production company in Hollywood. Where she has found the time and energy to balance is staggering. She has been the glue.”
The couple’s permanent relocation to the luxury Yellowstone Club in Montana was Jessica’s way to shield their sons, Silas, 11, and Phineas, 5, from the downsides of fame.
“She took huge pride in being a hands-on mother, ensuring that her kids would be raised in the most normal way and not be impacted by LA life or Hollywood temptations and dramas,” the insider explains.
“Her boys are the most important thing in her life, and she will do her utmost to protect them. That would have absolutely been made clear to Justin.”
The couple share two sons, Silas, 11, and Phineas, 5Credit: GettyIndustry figures were shocked when Justin didn’t walk the red carpet to support Jessica during the awards seasonCredit: Instagram/ Jessica Biel
But while Jessica thrives in the tranquillity of the mountains, Justin remains obsessed with the spotlight.
His gruelling Forget Tomorrow world tour, which finally wrapped last summer after more than 100 gigs, kept him away from home for massive chunks of time and put a strain on their marriage.
Our source adds: “When the lights go out, Jessica is still a devoted, hard-working mum wanting to do the best for her kids.
“Justin is committed, but is also balancing this battle to remain a pop star and entertainer. In today’s world, if you disappear for too long, you become forgotten or irrelevant. That is something Justin would never let happen.”
This desperate need for validation, however, has come at a steep personal cost.
Jessica’s own career has been flying high. She poured her heart into her production company, Iron Ocean Productions, and her acclaimed 2025 series The Better Sister earned her a prestigious 2026 Critics’ Choice Award nomination for Best Actress.
Yet, when her big moment arrived in January, her husband was absent from the red carpet.
“Many industry figures were shocked that Justin didn’t walk the carpet to support her,” the producer notes.
“She had been there for him over the previous seven months. Regardless of his recent scandals, it would have been a great public display of unity.”
Justin’s erratic decision making hasn’t just alienated his wife; he has also managed to infuriate his oldest friends.
The Sun can reveal that the singer recently blew a chance to catapult himself back centre stage by walking away from an epic NSYNC 30th anniversary reunion.
The highly lucrative comeback – which included proposals for a live comeback show, a lucrative Las Vegas residency, and a documentary – could have netted the five bandmates a staggering $100 million.
A top music executive, who was intimately involved in the proposals, claimed Justin’s refusal to commit has caused bitter “disdain and disappointment” among his former bandmates.
They said: “Justin let the boys down, and really killed the chance for a special 30th anniversary adventure. The other boys were the driving forces with everyone on board initially… well, that is what they believed.”
“Pinning down Justin just could not be done. It wasn’t so much that he was saying outright no, but more just not committing. There was a real hope for something momentous and exciting to play out, which could have really put them back to the top of the music world again.”
The insider notes that the bond between the five men, who were once like brothers, has been severely damaged.
“Those five men have been friends through many highs and lows. But this took something away from that bond. Publicly, of course, they will always support Justin, but this was really seen as a wasted chance to make magic happen.”
But those close to Justin say that walking away from the NSYNC reunion was an attempt to rebalance his work with his family life and repair his relationship with his wife.
Justin’s reluctance to embark on a massive boyband tour was also undoubtedly influenced by his latest health battle.
Last summer, the singer revealed he had been diagnosed with Lyme disease, a debilitating bacterial infection that wreaked havoc on him both mentally and physically.
Jessica, ever the dutiful wife, stepped up to the plate.
Our source says: “Last summer Jessica really urged her husband to slow down, recover fully and seek the best medical advice. There was a huge sense that Justin really had a tough time on the road doing the dance moves and powering through so many shows with his medical issues.”
“Jessica was really kind, caring, and sympathetic. Justin’s mood and outlook was hit quite hard at the diagnosis. The reality is that his entire future as a performer is potentially on the line given how debilitating Lyme disease can be.”
Even the music executive admitted that the health crisis “must have played a key factor in him stepping back” from the NSYNC tour, though they noted that “there were projects like a doc film which would not have needed him to dance or perform”.
Despite her immense sympathy for his health struggles, Jessica’s patience with Justin’s headline-grabbing antics is running dry.
It’s not the first time he has embarrassed his wife. In 2019, The Sun revealed pictures of him drinking and holding hands with his Palmer co-star Alisha Wainwright.
Justin was forced to admit he had been drinking alcohol during the encounter, describing it as a “strong lapse of judgement” but insisted “nothing happened”.
He also added a grovelling apology to his family, writing: “I drank way too much that night and regret my behaviour. I should have known better. This is not the example I want to set for my son.”
“I apologise to my amazing wife and family for putting them through such an embarrassing situation, and I am focused on being the best husband and father I can be.”
Then in 2024, Justin was arrested for drink-driving. The police bodycam footage was released earlier this year, and shows the slurring singer complaining to cops that they were ruining his “world tour”.
Jessica distracted from the embarrassing footage and posted a loved-up snap with her husband on February 1st, captioning it: “Happy 45th to a true original. I love you baby.”
But then last week on April 18 eyewitness reports say that Justin once-again appeared intoxicated at a golf tournament in Las Vegas.
Since then, Page Six reported Jessica was ready to “pull the trigger” on the marriages, with an insider adding: “There’s not much more she can take.”
Now with an ultimatum on the table it appears Jessica is officially done playing the doting wife.
Our source said: “Knowing what a straight shooter she is, there is no way she would hold back on telling her husband exactly how she feels.”
If Justin doesn’t clean up his act, it could be Jessica saying “Bye Bye Bye” to their marriage once and for all.
Jessica and Justin’s representatives were contacted for comment.
The trial’s outcome could sway the balance of power in AI, and jury selection starts on Monday.
Published On 27 Apr 202627 Apr 2026
Technology tycoons Elon Musk and Sam Altman are poised to face off in a high-stakes trial revolving around the alleged betrayal, deceit and unbridled ambition that blurred the bickering billionaires’ once-shared vision for the development of artificial intelligence.
The trial, which is scheduled to begin on Monday with jury selection, centres on the 2015 birth of ChatGPT maker OpenAI as a nonprofit start-up primarily funded by Musk before evolving into a capitalistic venture now valued at $852bn.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
The trial’s outcome could sway the balance of power in AI, breakthrough technology that is increasingly being feared as a potential job killer and an existential threat to humanity’s survival.
Those perceived risks are among the reasons that Musk, the world’s richest person, has cited for filing a lawsuit in August 2024 that will now be decided by a jury and US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California.
The civil lawsuit accuses Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, and his top lieutenant and a cofounder, Greg Brockman, of double-crossing Musk by straying from the San Francisco company’s founding mission to be an altruistic steward of a revolutionary technology. The lawsuit alleges they shifted OpenAI into moneymaking mode behind his back.
The bitter legal fight may come down to a few pages in one executive’s personal diary.
“This is the only chance we have to get out from Elon,” wrote Brockman in the autumn of 2017. “Is he the ‘glorious leader’ that I would pick?”
Brockman’s diary entry is part of the thousands of pages of internal documents revealed in court.
Musk said the defendants kept him in the dark about their plans, exploited his name and financial support to create a “wealth machine” for themselves, and owe damages for having conned him and the public.
He also wants OpenAI to revert to a nonprofit, for Altman and Brockman to be removed as officers and for Altman to be removed from its board.
OpenAI has brushed off Musk’s allegations as an unfounded case of sour grapes that’s aimed at undercutting its rapid growth and bolstering Musk’s own xAI, which he launched in 2023 as a competitor.
The trial also carries risks for Musk, who last month was held liable by another jury for defrauding investors during his $44bn takeover of Twitter in 2022. Any damaging details about Musk and his business tactics could be particularly hurtful now because his rocket ship maker, SpaceX, plans to go public this summer in an initial public offering that could make him the world’s first trillionaire.