Sean

Former First Minister opens up about voice coaching lesson from late James Bond star Sean Connery on ITV’s The Assembly

Nicola Sturgeon has opened up about a life lesson she received from James Bond legend Sean Connery.

The former First Minister of Scotland is appearing on ITV’s The Assembly, an interview programme featuring a group of autistic, neurodivergent and/or learning-disabled interviewers who question well-known celebrities, with absolutely nothing off limits.

Sturgeon features in the show’s second series, alongside the likes of Sir Stephen Fry and Sir Lenny Henry, building on the success of Danny Dyer, David Tennant, Jade Thirlwall and Gary Lineker in the debut series.

In her episode, which airs tomorrow night, she courageously discusses a previous miscarriage, her marriage breakdown, her arrest and her views on Nigel Farage.

In a lighter moment, she also divulges a memorable lesson from Sean Connery, recounting her encounter with the Scottish icon, who portrayed the original James Bond across seven films between 1962 and 1983, reports the Daily Record.

She says, “He was cool to me,” adding, “He gave me a lesson in how to deepen my voice. He made me put a bit of paper between my teeth and just walk around speaking, and it deepened my voice.

“I think that’s quite a cool thing to say, ‘I had a voice coaching lesson from Sean Connery’.”

Prior to her appearance on the programme, the former Scottish National Party leader described the experience as “totally unique” in comparison to the countless TV interviews she had undertaken throughout her political career.

She told STV News: “There was no spin; just raw vulnerability on both sides.”

She continued: “I felt exhausted and really drained, but in a good way. It was a genuine rollercoaster of emotions – one minute I’d be laughing and the next, crying.”

Sturgeon added: “What I took from it was how cathartic it is to open up emotionally to a group of people with no agenda other than hearing honest answers – and to give my answers totally instinctively, without first putting them through the filter of how they might translate into hostile headlines.”

When asked to sum up filming The Assembly in three words, she responded: “Emotional. Fun. Inspiring,” before going on to heap praise on those who interviewed her.

“The Assembly members were brilliant. It’s not easy for anyone to put themselves in the TV spotlight – especially in today’s world – but the guts and the passion shown by them were incredible.

“They don’t need advice from me, but I do want them to know how much they inspired me. If I am forced to give any piece of advice, it would be: don’t listen to armchair critics. You are role models, so stand tall and be proud of what you have achieved.”

The Assembly continues 10pm Friday 10th April on ITV1 and ITVX, STV and STV Player

PHOENIX — Rams coach Sean McVay could not help repeating himself when asked about star receiver Puka Nacua.

“I trust this kid’s heart,” McVay said three times Monday at the NFL owners meetings.

But do the Rams trust Nacua, who has been at the center of several off-the-field situations, enough to break the bank with a massive extension?

Last week, a woman filed a civil lawsuit against Nacua, alleging that on New Year’s Eve he made an antisemitic statement during a group dinner and later bit her shoulder. Nacua’s attorney told The Times before the lawsuit was filed that Nacua “denies these allegations in the strongest possible terms,” and that Nacua would “pursue all available legal remedies in response to these false and damaging statements.”

Last season during a livestream, Nacua criticized NFL officials and made a gesture regarded as antisemitic. Nacua apologized, and the Rams and the NFL issued statements condemning antisemitism and discrimination. But after the Rams’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Nacua criticized officials in a social media post from the locker room. The NFL fined him $25,000.

Last week the Seahawks signed receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba to a record-breaking extension that includes $120 million in guarantees, putting Nacua in line to possibly match or exceed that deal.

If Nacua’s off-the-field actions become a pattern that does not reflect well on the organization, are the Rams hesitant to invest in the 24-year-old star who led the NFL with 129 catches?

“The play on the field is amazing, and then with what the play has dictated and determined there is a responsibility in terms of representing all things not exclusive to just that,” McVay said. “He knows that, those are expectations and we are hopeful that … this will be an opportunity for him to learn and grow, and we are hopeful that he’s a Ram for a really long time.

“But he understands what the responsibility is, not exclusive to just the production on the field.”

Nacua was one of several topics McVay addressed during a 30-minute session with reporters.

With the return of quarterback Matthew Stafford, the reigning NFL most valuable player, and the addition of star cornerback Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, the Rams are expected to be a favorite to play in Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium.

The Rams traded for McDuffie, an All-Pro who won two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs, to a four-year extension that includes $100 million in guarantees, making him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.

McVay said McDuffie “can do a lot of things” that made Jalen Ramsey such a force when he helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI.

“He’s rare,” McVay said of McDuffie. “And then he’s a rare human. … You can’t find anybody that doesn’t love this guy and what he represents.”

Like McDuffie, his former Chiefs teammate, Watson has played in three Super Bowls, winning two titles.

“He’s been in a lot of big-time atmospheres and environments,” McVay said of the 6-foot, 2-inch Watson, “and he’s got some of the length.”

McDuffie and Watson join a secondary that includes safety Quentin Lake, who signed an extension in January, and safety Kam Curl, who re-signed with the Rams this month.

The secondary was not the only position group the Rams considered remodeling.

McVay confirmed a report that the Rams explored trading receiver Davante Adams, who led the NFL with 14 touchdown catches.

“If we felt like it was best for our team, we would have done that,” McVay said, “but we didn’t think it was best for our team, so excited about being able to move forward with him.”

McVay said he spoke directly with Adams about the situation.

“I addressed what those conversations were even though they never really got too far but I did want to acknowledge it,” McVay said. “He’s a grown man, and I think he understood that this is a part of this business.”

McVay said he would “love” for Jimmy Garoppolo to return as Stafford’s backup. But Garoppolo remains a free agent.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins prepares to take a snap against the Rams in December.

(Danny Karnik / Associated Press)

“At this point, when there hasn’t been a decision, it feels less likely than likely, but I don’t want to rule that out,” McVay said of Garoppolo’s possible return for a third season with the Rams.

McVay said that he has communicated with Kirk Cousins and his agent about possibly signing with the Rams. McVay coached Cousins in the NFL with Washington.

“He’s a guy that I have familiarity with, history and a lot of reverence for because of the gratitude from our experiences together.”

Staff writer Steve Henson contributed to this report.

BRITNEY Spears has reunited with her sons Jayden, 19, and Sean Preston, 20, as she stripped off to a thong after her DUI arrest three weeks ago.

Gimme More singer Britney has also returned to Instagram amid the chaos as she shared a sweet video alongside her youngest son Jayden.

The teenager was spotted wearing a long tan coat and a white t-shirt as he recorded him and his mum posing up in a mirror.

Britney wore some tiny white lace shorts and a cropped white lace shirt.

She captioned the post: “Thank you guys for all your support… spending time with family and friends is such a blessing !!!

“Stay kind !!!”

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Britney was also seen enjoying a boat trip with both her boys as they were snapped on the deck, grinning ear-to-ear.

Sean, Britney’s eldest son, had his arm wrapped around his mum’s shoulders as he gave her a hug.

The 44-year-old’s rep has told PEOPLE how Britney would be prioritising her two sons, who she shares with her rapper ex Kevin Federline, after she was nicked on suspicion of a DUI.

They said: “Her boys are going to be spending time with her. Her loved ones are going to come up with an overdue needed plan to set her up for success for well being.”

Jayden and Britney previously spent Christmas together with a source telling PEOPLE they “had a fun time” and it was “so special.”

The pair reunited in November 2024 and have enjoyed spending time together ever since, sources told the publication.

Meanwhile, Sean celebrated the holiday without the hitmaker as he was seen in Louisiana alongside his aunt, Jamie Lynn Spears’ family.

Britney was also spotted stripping off to a neon green thong bikini as she danced around on a boat.

She was arrested earlier this month on March 4  after being caught with an “unknown substance” in her car following an hour-long police chase.

The mum-of-two was booked for drunk driving in Ventura County, California, after cops spotted a BMW erratically “braking and swerving in and out of lanes”.

A source close to the Toxic singer told Page Six that a mystery substance was allegedly found inside Britney’s BMW shortly before she was taken into custody.

The source understood it was sent to the lab for testing.

Police began their pursuit of the 2026 black BMW convertible at 8.13pm and tracked her for an hour, according to a police dispatch call.

Britney was allegedly behind the wheel of the convertible when it was pulled over by troopers with the California Highway Patrol at 9.13pm.

The home of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ son Christian “King” Combs and his girlfriend, Raven Tracy, was the target of what police said was a burglary attempt Thursday morning.

The pair were in Bali when police were summoned to their Porter Ranch home Thursday morning, according to a source familiar with the incident. Neighbors called police around 12:45 a.m. after they heard what they believed were shots fired in the 11900 block of Churchill Way in the affluent San Fernando Valley neighborhood. According to law enforcement, the commotion was actually a window being smashed near the rear patio of the $3-million residence.

King Combs, the 27-year-old rapper, model and son of disgraced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, lives at the 5,400-square-foot property with Tracy, a 32-year-old influencer and fashion entrepreneur.

Images of at least two people were captured on security cameras, a law enforcement source told The Times. It’s unclear whether Combs and Tracy were targeted, or if the suspects were casing homes in the area. When police arrived, all suspects had fled the area. Police investigators told Fox 11 that nothing was stolen.

A source close to Combs told The Times that this was the second recent break-in attempt at the property. The first occurred during Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial in the summer.

The attempted break-in is the most recent in a string of high-profile home invasions, although it is unclear whether the incidents are related. Earlier this month, “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Rachel Zoe’s Bel-Air mansion was broken into while she was out of town.

The reality TV personality and fashion designer was in Las Vegas for the opening of the Wynn’s ultra-exclusive social club Zero Bond. Zoe is a close friend of club founder Scott Sartiano.

According to TMZ, Zoe’s alarm company received an activation alert and swiftly called local police. Officers responded and spotted two male suspects leaving the property, one of whom the outlet said was taken into custody.

In August, “All Night Long” crooner Lionel Richie was home when a man broke into his Beverly Hills residence around midnight. According to NBC4 Investigates, police responded to a 911 call and searched the neighborhood, finding a suspect blocks away. A 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of residential burglary.

Law enforcement sources told the outlet that security cameras at Richie’s home picked up images of the suspect, who entered the home but was spooked by an alarm.

Among those individuals is Tyrone Holmes, who was appointed Wales’ new defence coach after three years in the same role with Scotland.

Lynn says he has been very impressed with the South Africa-born former flanker and expects to see a “big improvement” in that area, especially with Holmes being full-time.

“It’s what we will be needing to be competitive,” said Lynn, who admits his side were “bullied off the park” in their World Cup opener against Scotland.

Brython Thunder coach Ashley Beck will attempt to revive Wales’ stale attack, while Exeter Chiefs head coach Steve Salvin will be working with the forwards on an interim basis.

“It’s new voices, new faces and big energy,” said Lynn.

“What we’re going after is that consistency, every coach who’s coming in is making sure that we are following the process.

“I want us to be more hard-working, competitive, and when you’re in those competitive games and you find those winning moments, those game-changing moments, that’s where I feel this team can grow.”

Sean Penn won the supporting actor Oscar on Sunday night for his performance as the ruthless, racist Col. Steven J. Lockjaw in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another.”

The win marks the third Academy Award for the 65-year-old Penn and his first in the supporting category. He previously earned lead actor Oscars for “Mystic River” (2003) and “Milk” (2008), and had been nominated three other times in leading roles before this year. He beat out fellow nominees Benicio Del Toro for “One Battle After Another,” Jacob Elordi for “Frankenstein,” Delroy Lindo for “Sinners” and Stellan Skarsgård for “Sentimental Value.”

With his victory, Penn joins Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, Ingrid Bergman, Daniel Day-Lewis, Frances McDormand and Walter Brennan as three-time Oscar winners for acting. Katharine Hepburn is the only four-time acting winner.

Penn, who delivers a volatile, darkly comic performance in Anderson’s sprawling political thriller, emerged as the race’s front-runner after a surprise victory at the BAFTA Awards and the Actor Awards, whose voting body overlaps heavily with the motion picture academy.

Sean Penn did not attend the Oscars, so presenter Kiernan Culkin accepted the award on Penn’s behalf.

Trent McDuffie was a young high school player in Southern California when the Rams returned from St. Louis to Los Angeles in 2016.

During Rams training camp that summer, McDuffie watched HBO “Hard Knocks” episodes about the team with his parents, and they were enamored by coach Sean McVay.

“I remember just being like, ‘Dang, I would like to play for that guy,’” McDuffie said Thursday.

McDuffie, an All-Pro cornerback acquired by the Rams in a blockbuster trade, recalled those thoughts during an introductory news conference at the team’s facility in Woodland Hills after he signed a record-breaking four-year extension that reportedly includes $100 million in guarantees.

“Fast forward all these years, and now I’m here and it’s just a full-circle moment,” he said of getting to play for McVay. “Watched this guy, wanted to play for this guy and now this guy wants me.”

To land McDuffie, Rams general manager Les Snead sent the Kansas City Chiefs the 29th overall pick and fifth- and sixth-round picks in this year’s draft, and a 2027 third-round pick.

The Rams also signed former Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson to a three-year contract that includes $34 million in guarantees.

The moves were a complete departure from last year, when the Rams wrongly gambled that a young and aggressive pass rush could offset their decision to not make a single upgrade to the secondary.

The additions of McDuffie and Watson to an already deep and talented roster that features reigning NFL most valuable player Matthew Stafford, the Rams will be a favorite to play in Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium in February.

And make no mistake: Like they did in 2021, the Rams will do anything possible to ensure that owner Stan Kroenke is walking the Super Bowl sideline in the stadium he built in Inglewood.

McDuffie noted that the Rams have been “knocking on the door, year-in and year-out” since his rookie season with the Chiefs in 2022. A winning culture already is in place.

“This team is ready to go,” said McDuffie, a first-round pick out of Washington who starred in high school at Anaheim Servite and Bellflower St. John Bosco highs. “I don’t think I’m coming in here with a team that doesn’t understand the value that they have.

“So those little nuggets that I feel I can just pour into guys that can get us over the hump, I’m going to do everything I can.”

Rams cornerback Jaylen Watson speaks during his introductory news conference in Woodland Hills on Thursday.

(William Liang / Associated Press)

McDuffie and Watson, a 2022 seventh-round pick, were part of Chiefs teams that won two championships in three Super Bowl appearances.

“We really learned what it takes to win a Super Bowl, get to the Super Bowl, the preparation and the time it takes to be detailed in your craft,” McDuffie said.

When news about the trade broke last week, one of the first calls McDuffie answered was from Rams star receiver Puka Nacua, a former Washington teammate.

“He was just screaming at the top of his lungs,” McDuffie said. “I’m like ‘Puka, bro, I miss this energy. I miss what you bring.’ I’m just excited to be back on the field with him.”

McDuffie and Watson also are excited about continuing their partnership, which began when they were among five defensive backs drafted by the Chiefs four years ago.

Watson, 27, grew up in Georgia but played two seasons at Ventura College before finishing his college career at Washington State.

Like McDuffie, he is happy to be back in Southern California weather.

“Everyone’s just so nice here,” Watson said of the region, before quipping, “then you’ve got your taxes.”

The 5-foot-11 McDuffie and the 6-2 Watson will give secondary coach Jimmy Lake — who coached McDuffie in college — options for matchups.

“That’s why I think me and Trent complement each other so well,” Watson said. “His strengths are short-area quickness, the small shifty guys. And my strengths are the big receivers.

“So we should be pretty diverse. We should be able to match up pretty well against a lot of different looks we get.”

McDuffie and Watson join a cornerback group that includes Emmanuel Forbes Jr. The Rams have until May 1 to determine if they will exercise a fifth-year option on Forbes, a 2023 first-round draft pick by Washington who was claimed off waivers by the Rams in 2024.

Forbes will earn about $2 million this season, but would be guaranteed $12.6 million if the Rams exercise the option.

The Rams will begin offseason workouts in April.

McDuffie is happy to be back home.

“It’s hot, the sun’s out,” he said. “It’s a beautiful thing.”