THE Golden Globes are set to bring the drama this year.
This year’s ceremony, which will happen on Sunday, January 11th, promises big names and some seating surprises.
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Celebrity chef Nobu accidentally gave away some seating orders when posting food prep for the A-list eventCredit: GettyGeorge Clooney is one of the most anticipated presenters.Credit: GettyFans are most excited about who the Heated Rivalry stars, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, are sitting next toCredit: Shutterstock EditorialNewly engaged Miley Cyrus is expected to create some funCredit: Getty
Fans are excited about the Golden Globes seating chart, which was exposed in some sneak peak photos by celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa.
The thoughtful seating arrangements might create some drama of its own.
Attendees include pop star Charli XCX, who is seated next to Heated Rivalry stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams.
A Reddit thread was quickly created, with fan theories dropping.
Another fan replied, “I just know she’s gonna love those boys.”
Their dynamic interactions are highly anticipated around the room, with notable presenters including close friends and co-stars George Clooney and Julia Roberts.
Pop star/ DJ, Charli XCX, is expected to create some camraderieCredit: GettyComedian, Nikki Glaser, is set to hostCredit: Getty
The Hollywood favorites will be joined by other presenters like Snoop Dogg, Colman Domingo, Amanda Seyfried, Ayo Edebiri, Miley Cyrus, Macaulay Culkin, and Kevin Hart.
Their seating will create exciting connections and conversations.
At George Clooney’s table will also be Jean Smart, Miley Cyrus, Chris Pine, and Queen Latifah.
“Miley Cyrus and Leonardo DiCaprio are sat at the table next to theirs,” one Reddit commenter stated.
Another fan replied: “Omg Connor can talk to her about dressing up as her in middle school!”
An A-list comedy table will seat Seth Rogen, Jeremy Allen White, and Kevin Hart.
A third table had a strange twist.
Famous redheads Emma Stone and Sarah Snook are seated directly next to each other.
Prep tables for the 83rd Annual Golden Globes held at The Beverly HiltonCredit: Getty
Comedian Nikki Glaser is set to lead the event as host, and many think the star will also bring some heat to the night.
Between Nikki, the comedy table, and the steamy duo of Connor and Hudson, fans think this will be a dream team pairing at tables.
As the event approaches, memorable interactions and funny moments are expected.
This year’s ceremony is shaping up to be memorable, with many funny moments expected and some intriguing rivalries, too.
The Golden Globe Awards are renowned for recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign.
Organized by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), this awards show stands out because it celebrates both cinematic achievements and television programming in one event, unlike many other awards that focus solely on one medium.
The Globes are famous for their relaxed atmosphere, where winners often share heartfelt and humorous speeches, fostering a sense of camaraderie among stars.
Additionally, the Golden Globes often serve as a precursor to the Oscars, helping to shape the conversation around movies during awards season.
The Golden Globes have hosted some unforgettable celebrity moments over the years.
Besties Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift had fans running to lip-reading experts when they were caught whispering at their table in 2024.
In 2015, Jeremy Renner famously spent a little too much time “reading” the cue cards near Jennifer Lopez’s cleavage while they presented on stage.
A standout memory was Jennifer Lawrence tripping on her way to accept her award in 2013, showcasing her relatable, down-to-earth persona.
In 2009, host Ricky Gervais made headlines with his sharp humor, poking fun at several celebrities, including Mel Gibson, which led to mixed reactions.
The ceremony also often features fun interactions between stars, such as awkward encounters, playful banter, and heartfelt reunions, adding to its entertainment value.
Japanese celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa shows a plate of food as work crews prepare the table that stars Miley Cyrus, Kate Hudson, and George ClooneyCredit: ReutersSeat placecards are displayed around tables during preparations at the venue to host the 83rd Annual Golden Globes awardsCredit: ReutersSeat markers at tables for thee 83rd Annual Golden Globes awardsCredit: ReutersPlace settings featuring a menu by Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa are arranged on a table during preparations for the 83rd Annual Golden Globe AwardsCredit: Reuters
Stephen A. Smith is arguably the most-well known sports commentator in the country. But the outspoken ESPN commentator’s perspective outside the sports arena has landed him in a firestorm.
The furor is due to his pointed comments defending an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who fatally shot a Minneapolis woman driving away from him.
Just hours after the shooting on Wednesday, Smith said on his SiriusXM “Straight Shooter” talk show that although the killing of Renee Nicole Good was “completely unnecessary,” he added that the agent “from a lawful perspective” was “completely justified” in firing his gun at her.
He also noted, “From a humanitarian perspective, however, why did he have to do that?”
Smith’s comments about the agent being in harm’s way echoed the views of Deputy of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who said Good engaged in an “act of domestic terrorism” by attacking officers and attempting to run them over with her vehicle.
However, videos showing the incident from different angles indicate that the agent was not standing directly in front of Good’s vehicle when he opened fire on her. Local officials contend that Good posed no danger to ICE officers. A video posted by partisan media outlet Alpha News showed Good talking to agents before the shooting, saying, “I’m not mad at you.”
The shooting has sparked major protests and accusations from local officials that the presence of ICE has been disruptive and escalated violence. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frye condemned ICE, telling agents to “get the f— out of our city.”
The incident, in turn, has put a harsher spotlight on Smith, raising questions on whether he was reckless or irresponsible in offering his views on Good’s shooting when he had no direct knowledge of what had transpired.
An angered Smith appeared on his “Straight Shooter” show on YouTube on Friday, saying the full context of his comments had not been conveyed in media reports, specifically calling out the New York Post and media personality Keith Olbermann, while saying that people were trying to get him fired.
He also doubled down on his contention that Good provoked the situation that led to her death, saying the ICE agent was in front of Good’s car and would have been run over had he not stepped out of the way.
“In the moment when you are dealing with law enforcement officials, you obey their orders so you can get home safely,” he said. “Renee Good did not do that.”
When reached for comment about his statements, a representative for Smith said his response was in Friday’s show.
It’s not the first time Smith, who has suggested he’s interesting in going into politics, has sparked outside the sports universe. He and journalist Joy Reid publicly quarreled following her exit last year from MSNBC.
He also faced backlash from Black media personalities and others when he accused Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas of using “street verbiage” in her frequent criticisms of President Trump.
“The way that Jasmine Crockett chooses to express herself … Aren’t you there to try and get stuff done instead of just being an impediment? ‘I’m just going to go off about Trump, cuss him out every chance I get, say the most derogatory things imaginable, and that’s my day’s work?’ That ain’t work! Work is, this is the man in power. I know what his agenda is. Maybe I try to work with this man. I might get something out of it for my constituents.’ ”
Myha’la is a married woman — and has been for a year.
The actor, known for HBO’s finance drama “Industry” and dark comedy “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” revealed that she and Armando Rivera tied the knot last year. She celebrated their anniversary via Instagram on Monday, sharing photos of herself with Rivera and pictures of friends and family during their intimate ceremony.
“One year of marriage,” she wrote in the caption of the post. The 29-year-old actor also included a disclaimer to reassure followers they weren’t the only ones who missed out on the wedding news.
“Sos if this is how you’re finding out, promise we didn’t tell most everyone,” she wrote. The San Jose native, birth name Myha’la Herrold, also expressed gratitude to her family and friends for “helping make this day so very magical.”
The spouses married five years after striking up a conversation during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to W Magazine. Myha’la gained popularity for her portrayal of dogged aspiring finance analyst Harper Stern in “Industry,” which debuted in November 2020. Rivera was among the fans who messaged Myha’la and her co-stars amid the show’s success. Rivera, a soccer player and an actor, then decided to interview his would-be-wife for a college journalism assignment.
“I thought, it’ll be five, 10 minutes, whatever. And immediately was like, ‘Whoa, you’re so hot and nice!’ ” Myha’la told W Magazine in 2023. “We talked much longer than we expected.”
They finally took their relationship offline, meeting in person in the Bay Area at the beginning of 2021. Since then, the pair have flaunted their romance on social media and various high-profile events, most recently the red carpet premiere of “Industry” Season 4 in New York City on Thursday.
“Industry” returns to HBO on Sunday. The drama hails from creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay and also stars Ken Leung, Marisa Abela, Harry Lawtey, Kit Harington and Sagar Radia.
R. Scott Gemmill, the creator and showrunner of “The Pitt,” has always felt comfortable in a hospital.
He initially had ambitions of going into medicine — he studied gerontology, which explores the processes and problems of aging, and did some volunteer work at hospitals. He also took a nurse assistant course.
“I really thought I was going to try and get into a med school,” he said recently while seated in the recognizable lobby of the show’s fictional hospital set on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank. “I just wanted to have a job and medicine seemed like there was always going to be a need. I’m comfortable in a hospital. I wish I followed through on a certain level because I loved that ability to go in and solve problems. But my writing kicked in and that’s it — I never went back.”
But in TV land’s school of medicine, Gemmill has gone far. He did a rotation at Chicago’s County General Hospital, joining the writing staff of NBC’s popular medical drama “ER” in its sixth season. And now his turn at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, through HBO Max’s “The Pitt,” has been a breakout success, revitalizing the medical drama genre with a fresh spin on the format — each episode tracks one hour in a shift — and energizing its audience with a traditional weekly rollout. The Emmy-winning series returned Thursday for its second season that revolves around a shift on the Fourth of July. But the fireworks arrived well before that, with HBO Max announcing on the eve of the show’s premiere that the drama has been renewed for a third season.
In the hiatus before shooting began on this season’s finale, Gemmill, whose other TV credits include “Jag” and “NCIS: Los Angeles,” talked about the show’s momentum heading into the new season, navigating how personal to get with characters, and introducing a new doctor to the mix.
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1.Noah Wyle as Dr. Robby in Season 2 of “The Pitt.” (Warrick Page / HBO Max)2.From left: Sepideh Moafi as Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi, Taylor Dearden as Dr. Melissa King, Katherine LaNasa as charge nurse Dana Evans, Gerran Howell as Dr. Dennis Whitaker and Supriya Ganesh as Dr. Samira Mohan in “The Pitt.”(Warrick Page / HBO Max)
You started breaking Season 2 last January, as people were discovering the show week to week. People love to be critical of sophomore seasons of a breakout hit. How did that shape the second season for you and the writers?
It was weird because we wrote [Season 1] without any feedback. Not just wrote it — we shot it and produced it. We had started thinking about Season 2 before people had responded. It was a slow build. I felt like the healthcare professionals found us first, then spread through word of mouth. We were just moving forward with what we thought were the next stages of these characters’ lives. It wasn’t until later on that the accolades came and there was more pressure then. When we first started, we didn’t know if anybody was going to watch or not. We had finished it without any pressure whatsoever because nobody had weighed in on it. It was a very rarefied situation, which was nice. We hope for the best. And it seemed to work out OK. There’s a little bit of concern going into the second season because we were successful, you wonder, can you maintain that? But we try not to focus on that, and just really focus on the characters and the stories and do what we did the first season — tell really authentic, strong stories.
The season picks up 10 months after that initial shift where we met everyone. How did you decide on the time jump, landing on July 4?
It really came from wanting to have Langdon [Patrick Ball] back, so I knew he had to do about 10 months of rehab. Then we were looking at what time of year would that be. We’re also somewhat limited by when we shoot in Pittsburgh. We decided to do the Fourth of July because it comes with a bunch of shenanigans.
Season 2 opens with a helmet-less Robby riding in on a motorcycle.
The motorcycle goes back to some part of Robby’s past. We don’t really talk about it, but it has a link to his father, and his father being a tinkerer of old cars and Robby needing a vacation, a hiatus of sorts. Pennsylvania is a no-helmet law [state]. And some of us who have motorcycles sometimes enjoy riding them without a motor helmet. It’s not a smart thing to do, and it speaks to Robby’s current attitude of a certain amount of carelessness on his part.
Yes, we learn that he’s going to be taking a three-month sabbatical. How soon will we discover what led to that? Is it an amalgamation of different things?
Yeah, he’s long overdue for a vacation. He knows that something’s not working in his life and this is one way he thinks that he can fix things.
It was a place I knew about and it just sounded like an interesting place for him to go that has some foreboding associations with it.
A new doctor, Baran Al-Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi), center, is brought in to oversee the ER unit on the eve of Dr. Robby’s (Noah Wyle) three-month sabbatical.
(Warrick Page / HBO Max)
The season introduces a new character, Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi, played by Sepideh Moafi, who’s going to be taking over when Robby is out. She’s an advocate of generative AI and trying to get everyone on board with this idea of saving time with charting. What were your conversations with doctors in the field about that topic and what intrigued you about how healthcare professionals are thinking about this technology?
She’s someone who’s a little different with her approach, a little more contemporary and forward, as opposed to Robby; he bridges contemporary medicine and old-school medicine with his relationship that he had with Dr. Adamson, who showed him a lot of the old-school techniques that he still has in his wheelhouse if he needs them. AI is pretty much here to stay and it’s infiltrating every aspect of our lives — medicine is no exception. I would say it’s still in its infancy in the ER, but there are ways that it’s trying to be implemented. Like any other tool, it has potential to be used wisely and potential for disaster. We’re not really exploring the disastrous side of it yet but just what the realities are. The fear is that it will make the doctors more efficient, especially with things like charting, but then will that time go back to the patients or will they just have to see more patients? And so they’ll have even less time. That’s the challenge at this point.
How do you feel about it in your own industry?
I try not to think about it. I guess I’m probably in denial more than anything. I don’t have any place for it and I don’t really want to really know too much about it at this point.
We see a lightness to Robby this season. He’s involved in a situationship at work. This is a workplace drama. It hasn’t shown us the interior lives of its staff beyond the nuggets they share during their shift. How much do you want the viewers to know about them versus how much do you want your actors to just understand their characters?
It comes with the job. He’s not a monk. He’s in a relationship of convenience more than anything. I don’t think he’s a long-term planner. The fact that he hasn’t had a vacation in forever is proof of that. Robby is very good at putting on a good face until he’s not. I think what we’ll see over the course of the season is that facade start to slide.
It’s a process. The 15-hour nature of the show limits how much of that information you can dole out organically, but it also allows you to be authentic in terms of how much you actually learn about someone in a day. Most of us not just spilling our guts and saying our life story to the people we work with. As we start the season, we’ll think about: What is the journey we’re going to take this character on, and what information needs to be learned in order to achieve that? And then what medical stories will help maybe bring that out. You do it in little layers.
Is there something coming up that you think will be particularly illuminating?
There’s some stuff about Robby. We pulled back a lot on it, but we’ll learn a little bit about him. We’ll learn some things about Whitaker [Gerran Howell]. We know what Langdon is going through, his marriage.
After taking leave to seek treatment for prescription drug addiction, Dr. Frank Langdon (Patrick Ball) returns to work in “The Pitt.”
(Warrick Page / HBO Max)
To stay on Langdon — physicians and people in the healthcare profession are vulnerable to addiction for a variety of reasons. What was important for you in that storyline and what did you want to explore through him?
To show somebody who’s made a mistake and was doing their best to hide it as is sometimes the pattern of behavior. I don’t think most people enjoy their addiction. So, seeing someone who’s doing their best to try and heal themselves. Just because you’re going through the program and doing the steps, it doesn’t mean everyone’s going to welcome you back with open arms. There are still some bad feelings and you have to mend some bridges and fences along the way.
It’s not just Robby and Langdon. Langdon feels he owes a sort of mea culpa to almost everyone he works with, especially Santos [Isa Briones]. And whether or not she’s willing to accept that is debatable. Robby, obviously, has some really strong feelings about it because Langdon was his student, and he made Robby look kind of stupid. Robby is angry at himself for not seeing it.
How are you figuring out who’s going to shuffle in and out?
Some of it’s based on the reality; for instance — I was thinking of this today — next season would be Whitaker’s third year, so he has one more year to stay here, and then he would have to go. It’s really about where they are in their careers and what makes the most sense story-wise.
I want to talk about some of the procedures and cases that we’ll see this season because they’re pretty gnarly. Do you keep a log of cases and try to figure out how they can fit into the story as you go?
We never really start with the medicine. Sometimes we say the medicine is the wallpaper that reflects everything in the room, but what’s going on between the characters is really what’s at stake, and it’s either something going on between them and the patient, between the doctors and nurses, or internally. Ideally, it touches on a little bit of everything.
When we came back, I probably had 150 ideas of just cases. I don’t know how many of them we actually did. We had never done a hot toddler story, [where a child was overheated] but that is something that’s a real problem. That was one where we knew we were going to try and do that story, but whose is it going to be? Who does it reflect most? Then we work backwards into it. We pull from everywhere — things we think of, things we’ve heard, things we imagine. We don’t really do ripped-from-the-headlines, but we do things that seem like that because a lot of times we’re talking to professionals, asking them what was concerning them. What do they worry about? We’re extrapolating their concerns. That’s what happened with [Season 1’s] measles story. There was no measles outbreak when we wrote that story, but we knew, based on what was going on, that there would be eventually, and we just happened that the timing was in our favor.
Is there like a line you won’t cross in terms of squirm factor? Have you had to pull back?
I don’t think so, because we’ve never done anything for the sake of that. We’ve never done anything that’s not done in the ER. As long as it serves a story and a character, then I think it’s fair. We do something big for the finale that Abbot [Shawn Hatosy] and Robby are doing with a bunch of others — it takes all hands on deck. I’m interested to see how that comes out, and I’ve seen elements of it now that are terrific.
Can you share more of what kinds of topics or cases we’ll be seeing this season?
We did a sexual assault, [and] we’re looking at how budget cuts are affecting healthcare. There’s a story about someone who’s been rationing their insulin and the downsides of that.
When the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law by the president, did you have a lot of calls with professionals?
Oh, yeah, because it’s a huge issue. You figure out with the changes in the Affordable Care Act, if you suddenly have 8 to 10 million people that don’t have insurance, what’s going to happen is they’re going to stop going to their doctors. Anything that was an issue is going to get exacerbated by not being treated. So, where do they end up? Well, they’re going to end up in the ER, but they’re going to be even sicker than they would have been. We’re going to get more people, and their conditions are going to be worse. It only makes what’s already a strained system even more likely to break. Because we were just starting to shoot in the summertime, we could make some adjustments, but I don’t remember going back and changing things. We saw it coming.
I know there had been some discussion about an ICE story? Will we see that this season?
Yes, we have some ICE agents show up, and how that affects people in the hospital. That’s been a tricky one to try and get right without being heavy-handed and being fair to everyone on both sides of that conversation. What else do we do this year? Some fun stuff. The kind of things you would expect over the Fourth of July weekend.
How do you feel about the shipping that’s taking shape with “The Pitt” fan base?
I’m not on social media, I’m not really a part of that. My writers would tell me about things like that. The Langdon-Mel of it — I’m like, he’s married. That’s more of a big brother relationship. And Abbot and Robby — I just sort of shake my head. Our show’s not really like that. It’s not a show where people are sneaking off to have sex in a closet or anything. Those things are very subtle. And we do see a little bit this season between a couple of people, but it’s very much secondary because it’s not something we actually see, per se.
Just as he did last season, Noah Wyle is writing again this season. He’s also directing. Tell me what it’s like when you have the lead of your show involved in different aspects of the show’s creative elements?
It’s really great because he’s up to speed on everything. And because he is the centerpiece of the show, I rely on Noah a lot for guidance and help figuring out how to steer through all the icebergs. He’s a good writer and he’s a good director, and it just adds a whole other level to the writers room, in terms of the connection between us and the set. He’s there right up until, basically, we start shooting. Even when we are shooting, if he has a day off, he’s in the room or we’ll do meetings at lunchtime so he can join in and weigh in. It was Noah’s idea to do the Shema prayer for his breakdown. That was a very coordinated effort because I knew I was asking a lot of him. That’s what’s really nice about having Noah be a writer and a director. He has the vernacular to have these conversations about what he needs from me to get him to where he needs to be. It’s a very symbiotic relationship.
R. Scott Gemmill on the pressure that comes with having a breakout hit: “There’s a little bit of concern going into the second season because we were successful, you wonder, can you maintain that? But we try not to focus on that, and just really focus on the characters and the stories and do what we did the first season — tell really authentic, strong stories.”
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Do you ever worry about him being overextended?
Yes. That’s why I don’t mind when he has a day off. But he’s just gonna fill it with work.
In Hollywood, when something’s a success, there’s an immediate impulse to figure out a way to broaden that success. Has there been talks of spinoffs, ways to build out the universe?
No, not really. We’ve talked about doing a night shift. In time, maybe that’s something we’ll explore. The show still has lots of life in it, so I wouldn’t want to distract from what we’re doing now. But I think there’s a potential to do all the craziness that comes out at night.
Like Dr. Al-Hashimi, you’ve had experience being the newcomer joining a well-oiled machine. Tell me about becoming a writer on “ER” in Season 6.
I hated it when I first went on. They had done so many stories already, and there were multiple stories told per episode, so they had gone through so many stories that it seemed like anything I suggested was already done. They all felt like Ivy League professors and I was a college dropout; I felt like I so didn’t belong there. I remember calling my wife and saying, “I hate this. This is horrible. I should never have left ‘Jag.’” But over time, I found my way and found my voice on the show.
That was the season with one of the episodes I revisit often — when Dr. Carter (Wyle) gets stabbed.
I remember having a big debate over whether Kellie Martin’s eyes should be open or closed. I was adamant that she had to have her eyes open. I’m glad I won, but that was intense. The whole show was very intense.
George Clooney has teased that he would be open to the idea of appearing on “The Pitt.” Could you see a world where that happens?
I take that with a grain of salt but, hey, I’m up for anything. I’ll try anything once.
What I appreciated about the season finale last year, especially in this world of TV where you feel like you need to have this epic cliffhanger, was how true to life it felt. Since you’ll be shooting the finale in January, what can you share about how you’re thinking about it?
There’s something really fun at the end of this season. I hope that we do it as a little Easter egg for the fans in the finale, so I’m looking forward to doing that.
The emotional one-off special last year saw Stephen Mulhern break down in tears.
22:34, 08 Jan 2026Updated 22:34, 08 Jan 2026
Accidental Tourist saw Stephen Mulhern break down in tears (Image: ITV)
ITV has commissioned three more Accidental Tourist specials which will see Stephen Mulhern joined by Ant and Dec in a bid to face more of his fears and phobias.
Speaking about his late dad, Christopher, Stephen broke down in tears, saying: “As a family, we know what we like and that’s what we do, and we always have. I am scared, I find my phobias so frustrating, but it’s time to make change, and the change is now.”
The episode saw Stephen attempt to overcome his food phobias and fear of the sea, and continued after mentioning his late father: “If I was to tell my dad this, my dad passed away at the start of the year…sorry.” Struggling to get his words out, he whispered: “He wouldn’t believe it. I hope… he’d be proud.”
ITV has now confirmed Stephen will embark on an unknown journey and leave behind his creature comforts.
The broadcaster teased: “Travelling to South Korea opened Stephen’s eyes to a brand new culture, but there is still a long way to go.
“The trip proved such a success that Stephen made some much needed changes to his life back in the UK, but he’s slipping back into his old ways.
“Not wanting to undo the impressive progress he’d already made during his trip to South Korea, Stephen has decided he needs to spread his wings further and who better to help once again than his close pals Ant and Dec.
“With their support, further encouragement from his family and a little help from social media, Stephen will again find himself thrust into the unknown as he attempts to navigate unfamiliar territories in the hope to quell some of his life limiting phobias.”
Stephen shared: “The response to my trip to South Korea has been so overwhelming and the amount of people that related to the worries and fears I have has blown me away.
“I was so proud of what I achieved that I planned to book a trip to Japan on my return, but what did I do instead? I booked an all inclusive trip to the Algarve!
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“I don’t want to undo the good work I achieved so I’ve asked Ant and Dec to help me again. I need that little loving shove in the right direction, otherwise I fear I’ll slip back into my old ways.
“I’m still scared but this time I’m a little excited too, I know I can do this…. Or at least give it a good go!”
Ant said: “We are so proud of Stephen, we never thought he would accomplish what he did in South Korea – if we’re honest, we weren’t even sure he’d get on the plane! We loved seeing how much of a positive impact the trip had on his life, but we’ve noticed his old ways creeping back in… so when he said he was up for another trip, we were only too happy to oblige.
Dec added: “Unbeknown to Stephen, we have a long list of places we’d love him to experience that will hopefully help him get over more of his fears and phobias, which we know he’s keen to try and conquer. We can’t wait to see what he will accomplish during his next adventures!”
Sue Murphy, Director of Factual Entertainment and Kate Teckman, Head of Development and Commissioning Editor also said, “We are delighted to be building on the success of the Accidental Tourist with Ant and Dec and Stephen with this exciting new series. The audience has clearly enjoyed seeing them together in a new light in such a personal project, as have we.”
On the scene at A Concert for Altadena, featuring fire victims Dawes and many other acts to mark the anniversary of the Eaton fire.
When Liz Wilson saw the Eaton fire advancing, from her home in Pasadena last year, she knew that life would never be the same in her corner of Southern California. On Wednesday, the one-year anniversary of the disaster, A Concert for Altadena felt like the most optimistic place to be.
“People didn’t just lose their homes, they lost their community,” Wilson said, in the lobby of the Pasadena Civic Auditorium where scores of local acts had gathered for the benefit show. Organizers booked it to raise funds for the Altadena Builds Back Foundation, and to give locals something hopeful to attend on the painful day of Jan. 7.
“This is not just a fundraiser, but a way to reconnect and show support for community that’s surviving,” she said. “Altadena was and is an arts community, that’s a big part of it. We have so many friends and neighbors continuing to figure out if they’re coming back, if they’re able to rebuild. The more distant you get from it, you may forget. But we haven’t.”
The anniversary of the Eaton and Palisades fires, beginning one of the city’s most difficult years in recent history, was largely marked by quieter reflections on the loss and how much work still laid ahead. But Altadena in particular was a historic community for musicians and artists. For them, getting together for a show felt like a natural way to honor the occasion and look ahead.
Kevin Lyman, the Vans Warped Tour founder and USC music industry professor, is a two-decade Altadena resident who was displaced from his home for four months after the Eaton fire. He organized the concert for the community to use the day to reconnect, and keep focus on the work left to do.
“In this business, I’ve got to be an optimist, and every day I see more trucks coming into Altadena with lumber and workers. You go away for a few days and see a frame of a new home. But then you go to the next block, and there are five empty lots,” he said.
“One of the hardest parts is that if you’re living up there, you can go two miles away and life just goes on,” he added. “You’ve got to remind people that we’re still here, people still can still use help. Artists that survived and reestablished themselves are here supporting artists that haven’t been.”
Altadena resident and actor John C. Reilly hosted the night, noting the resilience of rebuilding efforts and tossing barbs at the utility company Southern California Edison, whose equipment ignited the fire: “A company that prioritized profits for shareholders over improving infrastructure,” as he put it. He pilloried President Trump’s reactions to the blaze: “He told us to go rake leaves? Go f— yourself, dude.”
The night highlighted ground-level activism from organizers like Heavenly Hughes of My Tribe Rise, who led the crowd in a raucous chant of “Altadena’s not for sale.” But the live performances found poignancy in the city’s spirit as a music town. L.A. Latin rock group Ozomatli started the night with a jubilant jam down the aisles, while Everclear’s Art Alexakis noted between riffs that after the Eaton fire displaced him, “I had to live in a hotel for five months, but I’m lucky.”
Travis Cooper drove down from Northern California for the show, moved by the ways Altadena held to its cultural identity after the Eaton fire. His parents lost a home in a fire in Redding a few years back, so “I can relate to how devastating that feels,” he said. “Even the threat of it growing up was horrific, so to have that actually happen was another level. But my parents had people donate clothes, places to stay, and that meant a lot to them, so we wanted to come support this community too.”
The headline act of the night was the Altadena folk-rock group Dawes, whose founders lost homes and gear in the Eaton fire. They’ve become emissaries for the neighborhood within the music industry, performing at last year’s Grammys just weeks after the fire.
At the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, they led a round robin of acts including Brad Paisley, the Killers’ Brandon Flowers, Aloe Blacc, Jenny Lewis and Rufus Wainwright. They were accompanied by vocal virtuosos Lucius and blues-rock rippers Judith Hill and Eric Krasno, each fixtures in the local music community trying to rebuild itself in the wake of the Eaton fire.
Altadena is a deeply intergenerational community, and the crowd felt the decades of L.A. music history in Stephen Stills coming out for Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” next to a younger act like Lord Huron covering the Kinks’ “Strangers.”
Dawes is a veteran L.A. act, and songs like “All Your Favorite Bands” had new texture in the light of how the fire upended the lives of so many artists. “I hope the world sees the same person that you always were to me,” Taylor Goldsmith sang. “May all your favorite bands stay together.”
For those bands still trying to stay together, the night was redemptive. Jeffrey Paradise, the Poolside frontman who lost his home in the Palisades fire, DJed the concert’s official after-party. He’s since relocated to Glassell Park, and acknowledged that the fires are still a challenging topic, for him and for friends trying to support those displaced.
“It’s hard to talk about because so many things are mixed up in it,” he said. “It was the worst year of my life, but also great and heartwarming to see support from people. It’s so hard to answer how you’re doing because I don’t have an easy answer,” he said.
A concert like this was one way to acknowledge the gravity of last year’s loss, but also to raise money to help everyone get back to the land, people and music they love.
“It’s a disaster, and we’re getting through a disaster. I want to be resilient and help others, and do what I can to move forward,” he said. “It forces you to reinvent who you are and redefine what matters. I don’t have an option not to.”
It’s nothing new or extraordinary to remake a foreign TV show for a different country.
“All in the Family” was modeled on the British series “Till Death Us Do Part,” as “Steptoe and Son” became “Sanford and Son.” The popular CBS sitcom “Ghosts” comes from the show you can find retitled as “U.K. Ghosts” on American Netflix. The British mysteries “Professor T” and “Patience” (from Belgian and Franco-Belgian productions, respectively), have been successful on PBS. And there is, of course, “The Office,” which outlasted its original by many, many seasons and nearly 200 episodes. It doesn’t always work out (“Life on Mars”; “Viva Laughlin,” from “Blackpool,” which lasted a single episode despite starring Hugh Jackman; “Payne” and “Amanda’s,” two failed stabs at adapting “Fawlty Towers”), but there’s nothing inherently wrong with the practice.
The new Fox series “Best Medicine,” arriving Sunday as an advance premiere before its time slot premiere on Tuesdays, remakes the U.K. “Doc Martin,” previously adapted in France, Germany, Spain, Greece, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. For better or worse, I have a long, admiring relationship with the original, having signed on early and attended every season in turn — and interviewed star Martin Clunes three times across the run of the series (10 seasons from 2004 to 2022). And I am surely not alone. Unlike with most such remakes, whose models may be relatively obscure to the local audience, “Doc Martin” has long been widely available here; you can find it currently on PBS, Acorn TV and Prime Video, among other platforms — and I recommend that you do.
In “Doc Martin,” Clunes played a brilliant London surgeon who develops a blood phobia and becomes a general practitioner in the Cornwall fishing village where he spent summers as a child. He’s a terse, stiff, antisocial — or, more precisely, nonsocial — person who doesn’t stand on ceremony or suffer fools gladly, but who time and again saves the people of Portwenn from life-threatening conditions and accidents or, often, their own foolishness. A slow-developing, on-again, off-again love-and-marriage arc with schoolteacher Louisa Glasson, played by the divine Caroline Catz, made every season finale a cliffhanger.
Obviously, the fair thing would be to take “Best Medicine” as completely new. But assuming that some reading this will want to know how it follows, differs from or compares to the original — which was certainly the first thing on my mind — let us count the ways.
Josh Segarra, Josh Charles and Abigail Spencer in “Best Medicine.”
(Francisco Roman / Fox)
The names have mostly not been changed. For no clear reason — numerology, maybe? — Martin Ellingham is now Martin Best (Josh Charles); Aunt Joan is Aunt Sarah (Annie Potts), a fisherwoman instead of a farmer. Sally Tishell, the pharmacist in a neck brace, has become Sally Mylow (Clea Lewis); and distracted receptionist Elaine Denham has been rechristened Elaine Denton (Cree). Keeping their full names are Louisa Gavin (Abigail Spencer), father and son handymen Bert (John DiMaggio) and Al Large (Carter Shimp), and peace officer Mark Mylow (Josh Segarra). Portwenn has become Port Wenn, Maine. (Lobsters are once again on the menu.)
As in the original, Martin is hounded by dogs (no pun intended, seriously), to his displeasure; teenagers are rude to him, because they are rude teenagers. Mark Mylow is now Louisa’s recently jilted ex-fiance. Liz Tuccillo, who developed the adaptation, has added a gay couple, George (Jason Veasey) and Greg (Stephen Spinella), who run the local eatery and inn and have a pet pig named Brisket (sensitive of them not to name it Back Ribs); and Glendon Ross (Patch Darragh), a well-to-do blowhard who bullied Martin in his youth. Apart from the leads Charles and Spencer, few have much to do other than strike a quirky pose, though Segarra, recently familiar as school district representative Manny Rivera on “Abbott Elementary,” makes a meal of Mark’s every line, and Cree, who gets a lot of scenes and a personal plotline, makes a charming impression. Spencer is good company; Potts, whom I am always happy to see, is more an instrument of exposition than a full-blown character, and it feels a little unfair.
The first episode is modeled closely on the “Doc Martin” pilot, from Martin and Louisa’s antagonistic meet cute — in which he offends her, leaning in unannounced to examine her eye — to the episode’s main medical mystery (gynecomastia), a punch in the nose for our hero. Other details and plotlines will arrive, but there has been an attempt to give “Best Medicine” its own identity and original stories.
On the whole, it’s cuter, milder, more cuddly (multiple vomit jokes notwithstanding), more obvious and more whimsical, but less real, less intense and less sharply written than “Doc Martin.” The edges and angles have been sanded down and polished; tonally, it resembles “Northern Exposure” more than the show it’s adapting. Port Wenn (represented by the coincidentally named Cornwall, N.Y., with a wide part of the Hudson River subbing for the Atlantic Ocean) itself comes across as comparatively upscale; the doctor’s office and quarters are here plushly appointed, rather than spare, functional and a little shopworn.
As Martin, Charles stiffens himself and keeps his facial expressions generally between neutral and annoyed, though he’s softer than Clunes, less a prisoner of his own body, less abrasive, less otherworldly. Where Dr. Ellingham remained to a large degree inexplicable — the series expressly refused to diagnose him — Tuccillo has given Dr. Best a quickly revealed childhood trauma to account for his blood phobia and make him more conventionally sympathetic.
I freely admit that in judging “Best Medicine,” my familiarity with “Doc Martin” puts me at a disadvantage — or an advantage, I suppose, depending on how you look at it. But taken on its own merits it strikes me as a rather obvious, perfectly ordinary example of a sort of show we’ve often seen before, a feel-good celebration of small-town values and traditions and togetherness that will presumably improve the personality of its oddball new resident, as the townspeople come to accept or tolerate him anyway in turn. In the first four episodes, we get a celebration of baked beans, a town-consuming baseball championship and a once-a-year day when the women of Port Wenn doll themselves up and go out into the woods to meet a jacked, shirtless, off-the-grid he-man, right off the cover of a romance novel, who steps out of the forest, ostensibly to provide wilderness training. It’s like that.
All in all, “Best Medicine” lives very much in a television reality, rather than creating a reality that just happens to be on television. To be sure, some will prefer the former to the latter.
Fans of The Traitors are searching for answers over the show’s new twist – the Secret Traitor. But viewers think they may have spotted a massive blunder in the background of The Traitors: Uncloaked
12:12, 04 Jan 2026Updated 12:12, 04 Jan 2026
Fans convinced they’ve rumbled secret Traitor after huge blunder on spin-off show(Image: BBC)
Eagle-eyed Traitors fans are convinced they have sussed out who the secret traitor is, after an apparent blunder on spin-off show Uncloaked. With the most recent season of The Traitors starting on New Year’s Day, the format was switched up slightly by BBC bosses, who added in a ‘secret traitor’, as well as the three traitors as usual.
But when fans were watching The Traitors: Uncloaked, they spotted what some thought was a blunder on the show’s behalf. Clocking the photos on the wall behind the hosts, one X user wrote: “Why are the 3 traitors pictured on the wall…..with Harriet.”
Another added: “Spoiler: The portraits of the traitors are in the background of #traitorsuncloaked…. Plus an additional one. Harriet the secret traitor! #TheTraitorsUK #Traitors”
A third posted: “Have Uncloaked revealed the identity of the Secret Traitor already?… Imagine though, what a plot twist!? #TheTraitorsUK #TheTraitors”. Although it’s unlikely the producers would make a mistake so obvious, fans are so desperate to crack the puzzle, they are getting “suspicious” over anything – including contestants’ handwriting and choice of words.
During a confessional, psychologist Ellie said she was hesitant as she didn’t want people to think she is the “Secret Traitor”, leading fans to question how she knew those words if the Faithfuls are unaware of this year’s twist. In the interview room, Ellie said: “People will question whether you are sitting and watching as a kind of Secret Traitor…”
Picking up on her choice of words, one fan asked: “Anyone notice Ellie talking in the interview room and saying ‘people will question whether you are sitting & watching as a kind of secret traitor’.”
Another added: “Ellie saying ‘don’t want to look like a secret traitor’ as a faithful who don’t know about a secret traitor??? Suspicious wording.” And a third agreed: “Ellie saying ‘thinking I’m some secret traitor’, why would you say secret and not just traitor unless it’s on your mind?”
Host Claudia Winkleman introduced the new twist to the show on January 1, revealing that for the first time, there would be a fourth traitor, who is unknown to everyone – including traitors and viewers. This secret traitor, who is awarded a scarlet cloak, would call the shots, picking a shortlist of three people that the other traitors could murder.
Speculation is rife among fans, with everyone dying to know who the new secret traitor could be. Last night’s episode (January 3) saw tensions only rise among the traitors, with viewers almost witnessing the uncloaking of the secret traitor.
After Hugo was betrayed by fellow traitor Stephen, the first traitor was banished. The remaining two were set a secret mission that could help them uncover the identity of the secret traitor.
Stephen and Rachel had to highlight the family tree of players with red ink, saying who could be murdered. If they marked nine names, they would not only get to murder a player that evening, but they would also meet the secret traitor.
They succeeded in their mission, but not before almost giving themselves away to Reece. As such, that night, the secret traitor made their way to the traitors’ turret.
But with the credits rolling, viewers will have to wait until at least Wednesday 7 January to find out who it is. That’s if the show reveals it at all.
Hugo Broos lead Cameroon to the 2017 AFCON title but will have be no room for sentimentality with his South Africa side.
Published On 3 Jan 20263 Jan 2026
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South Africa coach Hugo Broos has promised to show “no mercy” to Cameroon when he comes up against his former side in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday.
Broos will lead Bafana Bafana out at Al Medina Stadium in Rabat against the nation he led to an unexpected AFCON triumph in Gabon in 2017.
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“Tomorrow’s game is surely a special game for me. If you win an AFCON with a country, then a part of them stays in your heart, but tomorrow I can’t have mercy for them because I am the coach of South Africa now and I want to win the game,” Belgian Broos told reporters Saturday in the Moroccan capital.
“They are a very good team, a young team, and they have a good fighting spirit and mentality, which means if we want to beat them, we will have to be at our best.”
Cameroon took seven points from a possible nine in the group stage in Morocco despite a chaotic build-up to the tournament.
Coach Marc Brys was sacked by football federation president and Indomitable Lions legend Samuel Eto’o only a few weeks before their opening game, with David Pagou appointed as his replacement.
“I would have preferred to face Cameroon in the final – maybe now is a little too soon,” Broos said.
“I was curious to see Cameroon with all the changes in their team, and I have been surprised. They did not have much preparation time, but the coach has done a good job, and for us it will be a difficult match.”
He added, “No mercy tomorrow! You can be sure. I have to win that game, that is all that counts.”
South Africa upset with Morocco AFCON setup before Cameroon test
Meanwhile, the 73-year-old expressed anger at tournament organisers for forcing his side to train at the Moroccan national team’s facility, a 45-minute drive away from their hotel in Rabat.
Whoever wins on Sunday will face Morocco in the quarterfinals, should the hosts see off outsiders Tanzania in their last-16 tie.
“I don’t understand why CAF [the Confederation of African Football] allowed that. I have to say that because it makes me unhappy,” Broos complained.
Bafana Bafana, who have qualified for this year’s World Cup, are hoping to at least match their run to the semifinals at the last Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast in 2024.
But their coach admits that could be a tall order given the depth of quality left in the competition.
“It was the ambition when we came here to do at least as well as two years ago, but I said this tournament would be much more difficult.
“At the last AFCON, a lot of big teams were knocked out early, but this time they are all here, which means to get to the final, even the semifinals, it will be much more difficult, but our ambition remains intact.”
WITH its tiny, twisty streets that lead to the harbour, there’s something magical about the small Cornish fishing village that is the setting for ITV’s Doc Martin.
The TV series, set in stunning Port Isaac, aired its final episode in 2022 but its legacy lives on.
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The Cornish fishing village of Port Isaac, made famous on TV’s Doc Martin, still casts a spell on visitors years after the cameras stopped rollingCredit: GettyI was visiting with my husband Paul and daughter Lexi, staying in Mermaid CottageCredit: sykescottages.co.ukThe view from the patio of Mermaid CottageCredit: sykescottages.co.uk
Daily tours take in some of the most famous landmarks and many of the shops are full of merchandise dedicated to the loveable doctor, played by Martin Clunes.
I was visiting with my husband Paul and daughter Lexi, staying in Mermaid Cottage booked through self-catering site sykescottages.co.uk.
Our central village location meant that once we had pulled into our private parking space, we could enjoy almost everything without having to use the car.
The three-bedroom cottage sleeps up to six and was beautifully furnished and full of extra comforts such as spacious bedrooms and a powerful shower.
The two wood-burners provided a cosy ambience in the evening, although we did have to splash out £50 for wood and kindling.
We were lucky with the weather and, despite the odd shower, enjoyed everything that Port Isaac had to offer — including a couple of spectacular rainbows.
The harbour is known for sea glass (weathered glass from discarded bottles etc), and Lexi and I spent hours searching for treasure and came up trumps.
You won’t go hungry when staying in Port Isaac and if you want to give the cooking a miss (which we did) you will be spoilt for choice.
Apparently lots of artists visit the area to collect pieces to use in jewellery and artwork.
There’s more than just sea glass to spot near these waters, though.
We went on a Sea Safari courtesy of Wavehunters, which was an exhilarating 90 minutes looking for seals, tuna and other wildlife. It was awesome exploring parts of Cornwall that you cannot access by road.
The father-daughter skipper combo were able to point out local highlights including remnants of the old tin mines, where communities lived perched on the side of the cliff, and many tiny beaches that can only be visited via boat.
You won’t go hungry when staying in Port Isaac and if you want to give the cooking a miss (which we did) you will be spoilt for choice.
For delicious drinks, huge pastries, and filled rolls that were probably the best I’ve ever eaten, I can’t recommend Cleaves Cafe Deli enough.
Crowds gather to watch Fisherman’s Friends perform a secret gig in the villageCredit: Alamy
More laid-back
We also had a delicious dinner at The Slipway (portisaachotel.com) in the heart of the village which offers tasty food at decent prices in a relaxed atmosphere. On the menu were burgers, sausage and mash, and glazed pork belly.
Nestled in a tiny hamlet adjacent to Port Isaac is newly renovated hotel and restaurant The Port Gaverne, open from 8am through to 8.30pm for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner.
Owned by the St Austell Brewery, The Port Gaverne offers great food with harbour views. Port Isaac has long been a favourite location for both TV and films.
With so much beauty and adventure, it is no wonder Doc Martin chose to settle here
The sea-shanty group which inspired that film still sing in the harbour, but these days they do so unannounced to prevent chaos in the village.
If you do want to venture out, Trevathan Farm Shop & Restaurant is just minutes away in the car and so much more than your average farm shop.
Summer months draw the masses, but the ‘shoulder season’ is when you can truly enjoy the sights away from the crowdsCredit: GettyDoc Martin stars Martin Clunes and Caroline CatzCredit: Neil Genower
They have a great restaurant as well as the well-stocked shop — and the outside area is ideal for children who want to let off steam in the park.
We also took a trip to seaside favourite Padstow. I would never visit the town in August because of the crowds — but it was ideal in October, when the vibe was more laid-back.
Farther afield, and a great day out for youngsters is The Milky Way Adventure Park in Higher Clovelly — home to rides, slides, soft play, minigolf, live shows and an incredible birds-of-prey display.
With so much beauty and adventure, it is no wonder Doc Martin chose to settle here.
GO: PORT ISAAC
STAYING THERE: Three nights’ self-catering at Mermaid Cottage costs from £121.34pp, based on six sharing. See sykescottages.co.uk.
OUT & ABOUT: Wavehunters’ 90-minute sea safari (wavehunters.co.uk) is from £27.50pp. Milky Way Adventure Park tickets from £18.95 (themilkyway.co.uk).
Celebrity Mastermind viewers were left fuming as they hit out at the BBC over the line-up
21:10, 02 Jan 2026Updated 21:21, 02 Jan 2026
Fans slammed Celebrity Mastermind(Image: BBC)
Celebrity Mastermind viewers expressed their frustration within minutes of Friday night’s episode, with many voicing the same thing.
BBC host Clive Myrie introduced the latest batch of celebrity contestants on the January 2 instalment, featuring actor Colson Smith, radio presenter Nadia Jae, comedian Grace Campbell, and Blue Peter presenter Joel M.
The four personalities put their knowledge to the test in the iconic black chair, tackling questions on Leeds United under Marcelo Bielsa, Marvel’s Avengers films, actor Robin Williams, and illusionist Derren Brown.
Puzzled viewers took to social media to voice their displeasure, with many admitting they only recognised Colson Smith, whilst criticising the BBC’s choice of guests.
One viewer questioned: “Apart from PC Tinks from #Corrie, who are these other people masquerading as ‘celebrities’?” Another queried: “Shot at fame? So an admission of sorts that many of these aren’t very famous already.”
A third viewer added: “These ‘celebrities’ just get further and further away from the actual label ‘celebrity’ every night. What a joke.”
A fourth remarked: “Oh well. They’ve finally run out of celebrities,” whilst a fifth concurred: “They use the term Celebrity quite loosely, don’t they?”
The celebrity contestants found the quiz challenging, with Nadia Jae managing just eight points across both rounds to finish in fourth place. Joel M secured 13 points for third place.
Whilst Colson achieved 14 points for second, and Grace Campbell emerged victorious with a narrow win on 15 points, highlighting the competitive nature of the contest, reports the Express.
Recent episodes have prompted criticism from viewers, who’ve accused the celebrity edition of featuring “dumbed-down questions”.
One fan fumed, “Celebrity Mastermind is a complete waste of licence money.” Meanwhile many fans where pleased to see the show on their TV screens as another added: “#CelebrityMastermind is back, Thank the lord.”
Since its debut as a spin-off in 2002, Celebrity Mastermind has welcomed numerous high-profile participants, including Stephen Fry and Paul O’Grady.
Celebrity Mastermind is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
It’s the second day of a brand new year, and I’d like to take a moment to look back at some of the towering talent we lost in 2025 through the appreciations and obituaries written by the arts staff.
A caveat: The Times strives to acknowledge significant figures in arts and culture when they die, but due to the fast-paced nature of daily news, we often miss people we wish we hadn’t, so this list is far from inclusive.
A preview of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Geffen Galleries, June 26, 2025.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Singer Angelique Kidjo performs with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Aug. 28, 2025, at the Hollywood Bowl.
(Hon Wing Chiu / For The Times)
The cast of “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”: Bisserat Tseggai, left, Jordan Rice, Victoire Charles and Claudia Logan, Oct. 1, 2025, in Los Angeles.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Edward V. Valentine’s “Jefferson Davis,” at the “MONUMENTS” exhibit at MOCA, Oct. 10, 2025, in Los Angeles.
(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
Gustavo Dudamel conducts Youth Orchestra Los Angeles, Oct. 11, 2025, in Inglewood.
(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)
June Squibb, Nov. 4, 2025, in New York City.
(Evelyn Freja / For The Times)
Ben Platt, Dec. 4, 2025, in Los Angeles.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
The SoCal scene
The exhibition floor at the LA Art Show in 2022.
(LA Art Show)
Art for 2026 The first big art event of the new year kicks off Wednesday when the 31st edition of the LA Art Show opens downtown. Galleries and institutions from around the world will exhibit art across the vast spaces of the Los Angeles Convention Center. This year’s program includes the debut of an invitation-only Latin American Pavilion, curated by Marisa Caichiolo, who also curates the DIVERSEartLA program. Among the other featured presentations are works by Israeli artist Yigal Ozeri and South African artist Esther Mahlangu, plus a solo exhibition of abstract paintings by Sylvester Stallone. The show continues through Jan. 11.
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Idris Elba arriving at the 2004 Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
That’s Sir Idris to you
Actors Idris Elba and Cynthia Erivo were among the more than 1,100 people on King Charles III’s annual New Year Honours List released this week. The British tradition recognizes people who have “made achievements in public life” and “committed themselves to serving and helping the UK.” Elba, known for television roles in “The Wire” and “Luther” and movies including “Beasts of No Nation” and “Thor,” was knighted for services to young people. “Wicked” star Erivo, a Tony and Grammy winner and three-time Oscar nominee, received a Member of the Order of the British Empire, or MBE, for services to music and drama.
Freedom from fascism On a recent fall day, Catherine Rampell of the Bulwark was given a guided tour of the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass., by the artist’s granddaughter Daisy Rockwell. In an article published this week, “The MAGAfication of Norman Rockwell,” Daisy expressed her displeasure with the Trump administration’s misappropriation of her grandfather’s work to promote the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s anti-immigrant operations. “Norman Rockwell was antifa,” Daisy told Rampell. “They used [the paintings] … as though his work aligned with their values, i.e., promoting this segregationist vision of America. And so of course we were upset by this, because Norman Rockwell was really very clearly anti-segregationist.” Through most of Rockwell’s career, he depicted American life largely through a white lens, but eventually came to a reckoning with some of his own views, chronicling some of the most significant moments of the civil rights movement. In November, the Rockwell family published a letter in USA Today detailing how the artist’s “efforts to eradicate prejudices both within himself and others led him to explore issues of racism, violence and segregation well into his 70s.”
Russia reopens Mariupol theater where hundreds died In March 2022, a Russian air strike killed more than 600 civilians sheltering inside a historic theater in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. This week, the Associated Press reported that Moscow-installed authorities in the now occupied region reopened the Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theater with a gala concert on the building’s newly rebuilt main stage. Russian state media outlets shared images of the building’s marbled pillars and staircases as dancers, wearing kokoshniks, traditional Russian headdresses, performed. Mariupol’s Ukrainian city council, which left the city when it became occupied, denounced the “restoration,” calling it “a cynical attempt to conceal the traces of a war crime” in a statement on Telegram.
— Kevin Crust
And last but not least
“Twelfth Night,” with Moses Sumney, left, Kapil Talwalkar, Junior Nyong’o and Lupita Nyong’o at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, which was broadcast on PBS’ “Great Performances” in November and is available to stream via PBS Passport.
(Joseph Sinnott)
Times television critic Robert Lloyd wrapped his year with an essay, “6 ways public broadcasting will improve your life. And that’s a promise.” One suggestion is to make a tax-deductible $5-a-month donation to PBS. That gifts gets you “PBS Passport,” public television’s all-access streaming platform, which offers an endless bounty of quality programming. Key among the offerings of interest to readers of this newsletter are programs such as “Great Performances,” “Austin City Limits” and “Artbound,” plus a rabbit hole of regional arts programming with something for every taste. As Lloyd wrote, “If you can’t find something to watch or listen to here, you are simply an incurious person.”
From Anthony Solorzano: After a night of rain in Pasadena, the Indiana Hoosiers washed away the weight of history.
Entering the Rose Bowl, College Football Playoff teams coming off first-round byes were winless. At the start of the season, the Hoosiers led college football with the most all-time losses. During their sole previous Rose Bowl appearance in 1968, the Hoosiers lost to USC.
Indiana’s football program spent most of its time stuck in the Big Ten conference basement, but that era is over.
Now, with new blood infused by head coach Curt Cignetti and an offense led by Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, the Hoosiers have turned the page and shattered expectations.
After a quarter of brushing off their rust following a three-week break, No. 1 Indiana rolled to a 38-3 Rose Bowl victory over No. 9 Alabama Thursday afternoon in front of a crowd of 90,278. It is the largest postseason margin of defeat in Crimson Tide history.
When an ESPN reporter asked Cignetti moments after the win how his team managed to handle the Rose Bowl pressure and proved the moment wasn’t too big for them, he responded, “Why should it be too big, because our name’s Indiana?
”… We’ve come through in clutch moments. I’m proud of the way they’ve responded.”
In front of more than 90,000 fans at the Rose Bowl, Indiana running back Roman Hemby scores on an 18-yard run in the fourth quarter during the Hoosiers’ win over Alabama on Thursday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
From Bill Plaschke: Two unbeatens owned Pasadena Thursday, two unbeatens who transformed a dreary morning into a startling afternoon, two unbeatens who overcame questions to shine like the poke of the midday sun.
Indiana and Grandaddy.
First, the Hoosiers, who improved to 14-0 and bolstered the growing belief that they are the best college football team in the country after a 38-3 beatdown of Alabama in the Rose Bowl’s CFP quarterfinal game.
Second, the Rose Bowl itself, the “Grandaddy of Them All” improving to 112-0, again proving immune to bad weather and misguided criticism while putting on college football’s most majestic show.
The rain that had soaked the morning Rose Parade stopped before the game. Early in the second quarter, the sun creeped out. A postponed pregame flyover eventually joined the party, a single jet buzzing the cheering crowd at the start of the third quarter. Finally, early in the fourth quarter the San Gabriel Mountains made their annual breathtaking appearance, barging through the clouds like the Hoosiers rolling over the Tide.
Melanie Jackson, daughter of Keith Jackson, holds up a photo of the iconic college football broadcaster at the family’s home in Sherman Oaks on Thursday.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
From Sam Farmer: Even the “Granddaddy of Them All” has a dad.
That’s the late and legendary ABC Sports announcer Keith Jackson, who coined that term for the Rose Bowl Game and it stuck. He clicked off his microphone for the last time precisely 20 years ago after Texas beat USC on this storied field.
The game was a classic and so was Jackson, the Saturday evening soundtrack for generations of college football fans. His melodic baritone filled millions of households with tales of Southerners and soph-ah-mores, with praise for the “big uglies” and proclamations of “Hello, Heisman.”
“I still hear his voice,” said his daughter, Melanie, standing Thursday in the office of the family home in Sherman Oaks, where Keith and Turi Ann raised their children Melanie, Lindsey and Christopher. “I come up here sometimes just to say hi to him.”
Jackson, who died in 2018, still lives in the hearts of his family, friends and fans, and his countless stories and famous calls are woven into the lore of college football — although he covered many sports — and the history of the Rose Bowl itself.
Rams safety Quentin Lake jogs back to the locker room before a game against the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 16.
(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)
From Gary Klein: As safety Quentin Lake played through much of the final year of his rookie contract, he said he did not worry about whether he would come to terms with the Rams about an extension.
If he took care of business on the field, everything would work out.
On Thursday, that manifestation came to fruition.
Lake signed a three-year extension that will keep another pillar of the Rams’ defense in place.
Terms of the deal were not announced but it includes $25.7 million in guarantees, said a person with knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity because the terms were not announced.
The longtime UCLA assistant who was born at the school’s medical center, played quarterback for the Bruins and rose to de facto offensive coordinator last season will rejoin former boss Chip Kelly in a new role at Northwestern.
Neuheisel has agreed to become the quarterbacks coach under Kelly, who will serve as the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator after being fired late last season from the same role with the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders.
Kawhi Leonard scores 45 in Clippers’ sixth consecutive win
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard dunks during the first half of a 118-101 win over the Utah Jazz at Intuit Dome on Thursday night.
(William Liang / Associated Press)
From The Associated Press:Kawhi Leonard scored 45 points, James Harden added 20 and the Clippers recovered from blowing a 21-point lead to beat the Utah Jazz on 118-101 on Thursday night, extending their winning streak to a season-best six games.
Leonard was the only Clippers starter on the floor for much of the fourth quarter. He singlehandedly matched Utah’s points in the period (20), with blood on his nose from what appeared to be a scratch.
The Clippers hit seven straight three-pointers, with Leonard making four, to pull away. Nicolas Batum finished with 14 points and went four for six from three-point range.
Tampa Bay forward Brayden Point, left, Kings forward Andrei Kuzmenko battle for the puck during the first period of the Kings’ 5-3 loss Thursday at Crypto.com Arena.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press)
From the Associated Press:Gage Goncalves scored the tiebreaking goal with 1:41 to play, and the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied from a late deficit to beat the Kings 5-3 on Thursday night for their sixth consecutive victory.
Anthony Cirelli scored the tying goal with 3:19 left in regulation for the Lightning, who fell behind early in the third period on Kevin Fiala‘s power-play goal.
Cirelli crashed the net and pushed home his 11th goal on a play set up by Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov. Moments later, Cirelli and Goncalves drove the net again, and Goncalves eventually converted a behind-the-net pass from Jake Guentzel for his fourth goal.
1961 — George Blanda passes for three touchdowns and kicks a field goal and the extra points to give the Houston Oilers a 24-16 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in the first American Football League championship game.
1965 — The New York Jets sign Alabama quarterback Joe Namath for a reported $400,000, the most lucrative rookie contract in football history.
1966 — Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung gain 201 yards on four inches of snow at Lambeau Field to lead the Green Bay Packers to a 23-12 victory over the Cleveland Browns and their third championship in five years.
1977 — Atlanta Braves’ owner Ted Turner is suspended one year by Major League Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn for tampering in the free-agent signing of Gary Matthews.
1982 — Rolf Benirschke’s 29-yard field goal at 13:52 of overtime ends one of the wildest and highest-scoring playoff games as the San Diego Chargers beat the Miami Dolphins 41-38. San Diego’s Dan Fouts completes 33 of 53 passes for 433 yards and three TDs. Miami quarterback Don Strock completes 29 of 43 passes for 403 yards and four TDs.
1984 — Miami defeats Nebraska 31-30 in the Orange Bowl to win the national championship.
1985 — Nevada-Las Vegas beats Utah State 142-140 in triple overtime as both teams set an NCAA record for total points. The Runnin’ Rebels score a record 93 points in the second half, and coach Jerry Tarkanian gets his 600th victory.
1986 — Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders becomes the 11th NHL player to score 500 goals. Bossy scores No. 500 on an empty netter with 17 seconds remaining to clinch a 7-5 victory against the Boston Bruins at Nassau Coliseum. Bossy reaches the milestone in 647 games, fewer than anyone in NHL history at that time.
1987 — No. 2 Penn State beats No. 1 Miami 14-10 in the Fiesta Bowl for the national championship.
1989 — Notre Dame beats West Virginia 34-21 in the Fiesta Bowl to finish the season at 12-0. The Irish are named national champion in the polls.
1996 — No. 1 Nebraska demolishes No. 2 Florida 62-24 in the Fiesta Bowl, making them the first repeat champions in 16 years.
2001 — Jose Theodore becomes the sixth NHL goalie to score a goal in a regular-season game and stops 32 shots as Montreal blanks the New York Islanders 3-0.
2002 — Carolina’s Ron Francis becomes the fifth player in NHL history to record 500 goals and 1,000 assists when he scores in the Hurricanes’ 6-3 loss to Boston.
2009 — Utah finishes 13-0 with a convincing 31-17 win over No. 4 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. The Utes are the first team from a non-BCS conference to win two BCS bowls.2009 — Doug Weight has a pair of assists for the New York Islanders in a 5-4 loss to Phoenix to become the eighth American-born player to reach the 1,000-point mark.
2011 — Seattle becomes the first sub-.500 division champ in league history with a 16-6 win over St. Louis. The Seahawks finish as champs of the NFC West at 7-9, the first playoff team with a losing record — sans the 1982 strike-shortened season — since the merger in 1970.
2018 — Marc-Andre Fleury stops 29 shots in his second shutout of the season, leading Vegas past Nashville 3-0. Vegas wins its eighth straight and earns at least one point in 13 consecutive games, both NHL records for a first-year team.
2019 — United States international Christian Pulisic becomes the most expensive American soccer player when he moves from Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea for £57.6M ($73M); remains at Dortmund on loan until the end of the season.
2023 — Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapses in cardiac arrest and is revived by CPR on the field in televised NFL game against the Bengals in Cincinnati.
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
The Trinity Street house used as a filming location for Dorris’s home in the hit BBC series Gavin & Stacey is available to book via Sykes Cottages
What was Gwen and Stacey’s house can now be booked out (Image: BBC/Toffee International Ltd./Tom Jackson)
This house is a national treasure in Wales, having featured in every series of the much-loved TV show Gavin and Stacey. Now, fans of the sitcom can experience it for themselves.
Affectionately known as the ‘Lush House’, guests can spend the night in the South Wales home that belonged to Gwen and later Dorris in the series. Located on Trinity Street in the heart of Barry, this iconic red-bricked terraced house served as a filming location for the show for many years.
It even became the central family home in the final episodes, making it particularly special for fans. Now, those eager to immerse themselves in the world of the show can book a minimum two-night stay.
Since its television debut, the house has undergone a bit of a makeover, with a fresh coat of paint and some modern updates for the comfort of its guests.
This slice of British TV history comes equipped with all the amenities needed for a comfortable stay, all while knowing you’re in rooms once graced by TV royalty.
The property can accommodate up to five guests, making it perfect for a group getaway to the seaside, where you can explore other locations featured in Gavin and Stacey.
As for sleeping arrangements, there are two cosy bedrooms: one with a double bed, reminiscent of the one our favourite couple stayed in, and another featuring two twin beds in a bunk – ideal for children.
Downstairs in the communal living areas, guests can enjoy unlimited rewatches of their favourite episodes with a TV and Wi-Fi. Plus, an electric fire ensures the place stays cosy and warm, making it a perfect getaway for all seasons.
It’s worth noting that the property also features a dishwasher, saving you time on washing up, and a washing machine for those planning a longer stay. Additionally, there’s a quaint garden patio area for those moments when you fancy some fresh air.
Beyond the confines of the home, Barry has plenty to offer, and it’s all conveniently located right at your doorstep. With roadside parking available, it’s easy to jump in the car and explore the town, just like your favourite telly family.
You can take in the iconic Barry Island promenade, complete with arcades and fish and chip shops for a quintessential British seaside experience. Why not drop by the much-loved Marco’s Café or even try your luck at the slot machines where Nessa used to work, and where some of the show’s most hilarious scenes took place?
Aside from the Gavin and Stacey highlights, the area boasts a wealth of attractions for families, including the lively Barry Island Pleasure Park. For those who prefer the great outdoors, Porthkerry Country Park offers stunning woodland walks with breathtaking views of the Bristol Channel.
You can secure a minimum of two nights’ stay in the Lush House, with prices starting from approximately £472, though rates fluctuate during the summer months. Reservations can be made online through Sykes Cottages.
Mrs Brown’s Boys fans were left less than impressed as the BBC comedy returned for its second instalment on New Year’s Day
22:46, 01 Jan 2026Updated 22:47, 01 Jan 2026
After the opening episode broadcast on Christmas Day, Mrs Brown’s Boys made its comeback with a second instalment on New Year’s Day, leaving audiences thoroughly unimpressed.
Reports suggest the 2025 Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas special failed to crack the top 10 most-watched programmes on Christmas Day, pulling in just 1.6 million viewers.
The 2024 Christmas Day special managed to secure 2.2 million viewers, according to BirminghamLive, representing a dramatic drop from the inaugural Christmas special in 2013, which commanded an audience of 11.5 million.
The plot summary for the second festive episode states: “Tensions are high as Agnes ( Brendan O’Carroll ) and the gang prepare for an incoming storm.
“Buster’s flying high as he nervously awaits his birthday parachute jump, Winnie receives a shock to the system, and a lost nun is in need of help,” reports the Express.
Within moments of the episode beginning, viewers flocked to social media to voice their opinions, with one posting on X: “GET MRS BROWN’S BOYS AXED.”
Another commented: “I swear every shot of Cathy in #MrsBrownsBoys is blurred slightly, even in HD. It’s like watching on VHS.”
A third chimed in: “As if I haven’t had to put up with enough torture today, me nans put Mrs Brown’s Boys on.
“Unfunny drivel,” declared someone else, whilst another simply wrote: “What a load of s****.”
One viewer remarked on X: “Three goalless draws on Match of the Day tonight, and yet it will still be more entertaining than the Mrs Brown’s Boys New Year’s Special.”
However, not all viewers agreed with the criticism. One fan defended the show, saying, “Still a staple of Christmas and New Year’s TV.”
Another chimed in, “The new year one is so much better than Christmas when it comes to the special effects. Keep making more and tell the haters … ‘that’s nice’.”
There was also some discontent about the Christmas Day episode, with fans taking to social media to air their grievances.
One disgruntled viewer remarked, “The BBC has just witnessed the biggest switch off in their history as they announce the Christmas special of #mrsbrownsboys.”
Another quipped: “The 1.6 million people who watched Mrs Browns Boys need to give their heads a wobble.”
Despite the complaints, many fans rallied behind the comedy, advising those who weren’t fans to simply “switch channels”.
One supporter retorted, “What’s with all the people whining about #MrsBrownsBoys? If you don’t like it, change the f***ing channel and move on. Stop ruining it for the people who enjoy it.”
The Mrs Brown’s Boys New Year Special is now available for viewing on BBC iPlayer.
**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**
Actor Mickey Rourke faces eviction from his Los Angeles home after failing to pay rent.
Rourke, whose birth name is Philip Andre Rourke Jr., received a three-day notice to pay rent or vacate the premises on Dec. 18 and had failed to comply, according to court documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday.
At the time of the notice, he owed $59,100 in unpaid rent.
A representative for Rourke did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In March, Rourke signed a lease for the three-bedroom, 2.5-bath house for $5,200 a month; it was subsequently raised to $7,000 a month, states the court filings.
A Zillow listing describes the property as a “nicely upgraded Spanish bungalow” built in 1926. Raymond Chandler was said to have resided there for two years in the 1940s.
The property’s owner, Eric Goldie, is requesting compensation for attorney‘s fees and for damages. A lawyer for Goldie was unavailable for comment.
A former boxer, Rourke, 73, turned to acting with small roles in the 1980 film “Heaven’s Gate” and “Body Heat” a year later, before earning acclaim for his role in 1982’s “Diner.”
After a slate of leading roles in a number of movies including “The Pope of Greenwich Village,” “9 1/2 Weeks” and “Rumble Fish,” Rourke‘s film career took a nosedive, with his off-screen antics frequently overshadowing his acting.
“I lost everything. My house, my wife, my credibility, my career,” he told The Times in an interview in 2008. “I just all had all this anger from my childhood, which was really shame, not anger, and used it as armor and machismo to cover up my wounds. Unfortunately, the way I acted really frightened people, although it was really just me who was scared. But I was like this person who was short-circuited and I didn’t know how to fix myself.”
In 2005 he reemerged with the neo-noir action thriller “Sin City.”
Three years later, Rourke’s portrayal of aging, washed up wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson, in the Darren Aronofsky film “The Wrestler,” earned him a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination for lead actor.
Rourke’s return to the big screen has not been an entirely smooth ride.
In April, he agreed to exit “Celebrity Big Brother UK” after producers warned him over the use of “inappropriate language and instances of unacceptable behavior,” according to a statement a spokesperson for the show released at the time.
Following his departure from the reality show, his manager announced that he was pursuing legal action over a pay dispute, claiming that the show had disrespected her client by “publicly embarrassing him” and declined to pay him, according to People.
This article contains spoilers from the series finale of “Stranger Things.”
At this moment, somewhere on the internet, “Stranger Things” fans are rabidly and rapidly giving their feedback on how the series resolved the years-long plight of horrors faced by their favorite ragtag troop from Hawkins. But for Noah Schnapp, it didn’t matter how the story concluded. When filming on the final season wrapped last December, it was a bleak ending. At least initially.
The Netflix drama, to this point, had taken up half of Schnapp’s life. When he was 11, he began portraying Will Byers, the baby-faced boy who was abducted while biking home at night from a friend’s house and pulled into an alternate dimension known as the Upside Down. It was the catalyst that linked Will to its powerful creatures that tormented him and his inner circle for years. All the while, Schnapp and his fictional alter ego became increasingly intertwined. Like Will, he was a boy coming of age in his own upside down dimension — fame — while stepping into his true self.
“I will never forget that last day and how that last scene felt — it was just so surreal,” he said. “The goodbye was hard. I grappled with this feeling like my life is over and I’m in a crisis, this is my whole identity and all I’ve ever known, and now it’s ending.”
But for Will, “Stranger Things,” created by Matt and Ross Duffer, concluded on more hopeful terms. He began the two-hour series finale — released in the closing hours of 2025, both on the platform and in select movie theaters nationwide — knowing he had no secrets that could be weaponized against him, making him better positioned to help put an end to the Upside Down — and its otherwordly creatures.
Over two separate interviews from New York — a video call and, later, a phone call 20 minutes after I viewed the final episode — Schnapp discussed the complexity of amassing fame as a child actor, the parallel sexual identity journeys he and his character took, and life after “Stranger Things.”
Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Steve (Joe Keery), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Will (Noah Schnapp) and Robin (Maya Hawke) in “Stranger Things.”
(Netflix)
How does it feel to have it finally be out there?
Oh, man, it’s such a relief, honestly. No more worrying. It’s a happy, happy relief.
How did you spend the past two hours? I know you saw the finale with the cast already. Did you watch it again with the public?
Absolutely not. I’m celebrating the New Year, trying not to over stress about what people are saying and stay distracted.
So you’re not going to look at fan reaction tonight?
Probably not. My friends are texting me already, like, “Oh my God, I loved it,” or “Oh my god, I’m sobbing right now.” But no, I haven’t checked anything online.
We get a glimpse of Will’s fate. This idea that he finds his place, deep happiness and acceptance … and maybe love. What did you think of Will’s ending?
I think it was perfect. It felt really hopeful to see what the future can hold for a character like that, that I also kind of relate to, at least in terms of sexual identity. It was nice to see him get his happy ending and learn that it was it was never about Mike. It was about finding the person that was right for him, and in the meantime, kind of just loving himself. I’m just happy he got his happy ending. That’s that’s what he deserved.
Do you think he’ll remain good friends with Mike, Dustin, Caleb, Max — everyone?
Of course. They are forever tied together. Their books stand on the shelf, all next to each other, and especially Mike. They have that conversation which was actually written — now I can say it. It was not originally in the script, but I had the Duffers include it.
Oh, tell me about that. Why did you think it was important for them to have that conversation?
That scene on the tower, it’s a short little moment, but I felt like, with the coming out scene, there wasn’t enough closure between Will and Mike. So they included that moment, just so you get to see that Mike loves him as a best friend, and they will always be friends, which was nice. This relationship has been a slow burn for so many years, and so many people have an attachment and hopes for how it would come to a close. The coming out scene was so focused on on Will’s feelings that there wasn’t time for them to have a separate conversation, so I just felt like it was necessary for them to close out their specific chapter together. It feels very real to many situations I’ve had in my life where I’ve had a best friend that I’ve fallen for, and they ended up being straight and they love me still, just the same. It doesn’t make things weird. It felt very authentic to many experiences I’ve had in my life, and I’m glad it ended positively for him.
Series finales leave viewers to fill in the blanks beyond the chapters they close. We don’t have a real sense of how these characters are going to process the aftermath of what they’ve experienced, or how they’ll handle the trauma. Is that something you think about?
Of course. The story leads the audience to hope that these characters come to acceptance and peace after all these years of suffering. We end together as a group, this show started together as a group in Mike’s basement, and it’s right back to that core lesson of the show — believing in the magic of childhood and friendship and nurturing that and keeping that alive. And when they all say, “I believe that Eleven still exists,” I think it’s a metaphor that they’re saying they believe that the magic of childhood will exist forever and they hold on to that and take that with them into their lives.
I want to talk more about Eleven. Before we get to the theory that Mike has, what do you remember about shooting the scene where Eleven decides to stay back? Each one of you were so emotional in that moment.
I think of Millie as my own sister, so I tried to just make it feel as real as possible for me and imagine what that would feel like to see my own sister be taken from me. And it was so easy to access the emotions for that, because Millie does feel like family to me. I personally believe that she [Eleven] is still alive. I am hopeful about it. What I think is interesting is so many people expected so many people to die, a big massacre —
Did you think that it would go that way, at any point?
Our show has never been a show that’s killing off main characters left and right. I think, too, the big part of this season was tying it back into Season 1 and bringing things full circle. Eleven’s goodbye scene with Mike felt really perfectly full-circle and not traumatic and left the viewers with a question, but still hopeful and satisfied. I’m sure everyone’s going to have lots to say, positive and negative as they always do — that’s OK — but I personally loved how the Duffers closed it.
Earlier in the episode, there’s the exchange between Will and Henry, where Will is in his mind, and he sees what happened to Henry in that cave and is trying to appeal to his humanity. What did that unlock for you about the journey of these two young men and how they navigated their respective traumas?
It was satisfying for me as a viewer to understand these two characters, though, they are so polar opposite in their places in the story, are really inherently the same and come from the same emotions and sensitivity. The only difference is that the villain gives into this evil and Will fights it. It was just really cool as an actor to play those parallels and shooting it, we had to move in the same physical ways when his hand goes back in the same way — and watching how he [Jamie Campbell Bower] did a scene and matching it perfectly was really fun.
There were quite the needle drops in this episode from Prince — “When Doves Cry” and “Purple Rain.” Also “Heroes” from David Bowie. Were these songs played a lot on the set while filming this last episode?
“Heroes” by David Bowie, they were playing over and over on those last takes. “Purple Rain,” they were playing out loud. Usually we don’t get to actually listen to songs while we’re filming, but just to get a vibe, they were playing it on the speakers while we were in the truck. It was a fun episode to film, and also so difficult because they didn’t give us the freaking script for Episode 8 for so long. They were so lock and key about it. And you’re reading it in parts. We didn’t get a screener for it, so I only got to watch it once recently. It felt like watching a brand new episode when I watched it. When those credits hit … man.
1
2
1.Will Byers (Schnapp) “comes out” to his inner circle in Episode 7.(Netflix)2.Will (Schnapp) is embraced by his brother and friends — Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) and Mike (Finn Wolfhard).(Netflix)
Will had a big moment in Episode 7. Fans have long felt that the undercurrent of Will’s journey was his sexuality. How was it to face that moment as Will?
I knew this scene and this moment was coming for years, and I’d just been anxiously awaiting it, to see how it would be written, how I would perform in it. I’d been building it up in my head for years. I remember reading it alone in my room for the first time and I just cried. Then in the performance, I was so nervous because I always thought it would be a one-on-one with Joyce, but it was the full cast. It also came at a time close to when I came out personally and I never had that moment to come out to the whole cast in my own life. It almost felt like this extra pressure of, “Oh, it’s this personal thing too that I’m now having to share with them” and “are they gonna judge me personally for …” I don’t know, there’s all these layers of pressure for the performance, and the personal part of it and making sure it’s good.
We were filming the scene on the stages at like 3 a.m. and I was so tired and worried that I would mess it up, but it was cathartic as hell. I totally felt a stronger bond with everyone in the cast. Regardless of the critics and the excitement of the show, this is actually going to touch so many kids out there. If I was sitting there watching that at 12 years old with my parents and saw how all the characters hug him after it and embrace him and cheer him on and say, “We love you,” I might have come out right there and then too. I think this will have a real positive impact on so many young little boys and girls out there like me.
How would you say your relationship to your identity has changed as you’ve gotten older? How did Will help you? And how do you think you helped Will?
When I was younger, I always felt this pressure — like interviewers would ask me, “Do you feel a personal connection? Anything personally close to the character?” I would always kind of deflect. And I would say, “Well, no, he’s [Will] not queer. He’s just growing up slower, and he’s suffering from his trauma.” I felt defensive over Will, to almost make sure that he wasn’t gay because I felt it personally, and I was kind of like compensating for it. Our stories there were intertwined and, eventually, as I got older, I noticed how people, they really dive deeper into that sexual identity for him. And I saw people with such positive reactions to it. It definitely had an impact on me, like, “Oh, people don’t care as much as I used to think they did.” It helped me in my own journey. I think having accepted it publicly before having done this scene, changed everything for me. It allowed me to to fully be vulnerable and feel all the real emotions as much as possible in that scene, which was my goal, to make it feel just like I was living it. If I was still hiding, I wouldn’t have been able to really authentically show that.
Noah Schnapp on connecting with his character’s coming out journey: “I think having accepted it publicly before having done this scene, changed everything for me. It allowed me to to fully be vulnerable and feel all the real emotions as much as possible in that scene, which was my goal, to make it feel just like I was living it.”
(Evelyn Freja / For The Times)
You said you knew about Will’s sexuality for years — was it since the start of the show or did that conversation come later?
To be honest, we never sat down and had an explicit conversation of “Look, your character is gay.” It was more just hinted at from the beginning. I always thought about it, but pushed it down because of my own internal things. I think by Season 3 and 4, it became so obvious that it didn’t have to be said. It was just clear. I think once we got to Season 5, there was this unspoken, agreed upon thing that it was coming. It’s been building to this moment of acceptance so it’s going to be this season. It wasn’t in the first six after the table read, so then I started needling them, like, “Is it in [Episode] 7? Is it in 8? How are you going to write it? I need to see, I need to see, I need to see.” And they’re like, “just let us write it.” They were nervous. I could tell they were scared to have others see it because I’m sure it’s hard to write something like that and not make it corny or inauthentic.
Because most people don’t have a big coming out moment like that.
That’s also the thing. What I struggled with in the scene was I wanted to make sure I’m not coming out as Noah in 2023 on TikTok. This is Will coming out in 1987, or whatever year it is — it’s a totally different landscape, and you really have to separate the two as much as it was part of my own journey.
Your character is coming out at a time when he would be considered, for lack of a better term, the monster.
Totally. It’s such a good queer character. It’s so well-written, with the monster and Vecna as the parallel of his own identity; to harness these powers, he has to accept his own inner struggles.
How does your experience of coming out as a young adult under the spotlight parallel the fears Will feels in this fictional world populated by monsters?
It was different. It’s the pressures of the job and the career. I was like, “Why do I have to talk to my agents and my publicists about my sexual identity, who I want to be with in bed?” But they’re like, “No, this is something you have to consider because it affects the roles you get and how people perceive you. This is a conversation we have to have if you tell the public or if you just keep it personal.”
With Will, in the ‘80s, he’s suffering from this whole AIDS epidemic that was going on during the Reagan administration, where the president wouldn’t even acknowledge that gay people existed. If you were, if you did come out, people thought that you were contagious and had a disease and would get other people sick. It was a totally different landscape. I really made sure to educate myself on that difference. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t trying to take some personal anecdote into it. Right before the scene, I reread all the “coming out” texts I sent and tried to listen to the songs that I would listen to when I was trying to build up the courage to come out to my mom. I did try to bring in myself to [that scene], but also understand that it’s not exactly the same.
Is it too personal to ask you to share the name of one of the songs?
This is so embarrassing, but I listened to “Brave” by Sarah Bareilles because she’s like, “Say what you want to say, and let the words fall out …” It would always just give me the confidence. Every time. Every person I came out to, I listened to that before and was like, “OK, I can do it now.”
In Vol. 1 of the final season of “Stranger Things,” Will Byers (Schnapp) develops significant powers that allow him to control Demogorgons and fight Vecna by channeling the Upside Down’s hive mind.
(Netflix)
I want to return to that other moment this season, which had the fandom on the edge of their seat: Will coming into his powers. Have you seen the TikToks of people recording themselves as they watched that reveal?
Yeah. I’m fully on TikTok, but I’ve made sure to have my friends keep me up to date and send me the edits and what people are saying. My friends were sending me TikToks to be, like, “Noah, people are saying Will is hot.” I’m like, [bashfully hides his face with his hands] “What?” I knew people would freak out at the reveal, it’s such an exciting moment. But I did not at all expect people would be calling Will Byers hot. That’s funny, but it’s cool. As a kid, I always wanted to be the Spider-Man, and this was kind of my Spider-Man-superhero “Save the Day” moment. And it’s so fun doing that stuff because there are no rules. And the Duffers definitely put a lot of trust into me with that this year.
It was a demanding sequence — you popped your blood vessels.
I look back at some of those scenes and I was giving too much for what it was, these little moments. You never know how they cut it together and what ends up being important and what ends up being a tiny little moment. A lot of this stuff is very physical that they have me do, and it was me screaming all night, at the top of my lungs. Even the way my neck tensed up — I couldn’t, move my neck after some of these days because you’re straining.
The show is, in part, about kids coming of age. Tell me about your upbringing and life in Scarsdale, N.Y., before “Stranger Things.”
I had a very normal childhood. All the guys were into sports; I tried doing that growing up, and I just hated it and never felt like I was good at it or fit into those boys and what they were doing. I remember my dad being like, “He’s gonna do sports.” And my mom was like, “No, stop putting him in sports. He’s picking the flowers at the outside of the baseball field. That’s not for him. Let’s put him in the arts.” They put me in this class where you do acting, singing, dancing. And I just thrived. I did that for a few years and the teacher saw that I loved it so much and recommended that I audition in front of an agent. I started doing real auditions. By fifth grade, sixth grade, I got my first films. It was a great place to grow up and having that normal childhood and not growing up too fast was always very important to me. And still now, that’s why I’m in college and didn’t just rush into adult life.
You say that, but your first big on screen role was as Tom Hanks’ son in ”Bridge of Spies,” which was directed by Steven Spielberg. What stands out from that experience?
I just look back and think like, how crazy that my first thing was with these legends of Hollywood. I remember Tom Hanks never sticking to a script; he always just made it work for what was right for the scene, right for the character. They’re just so down to earth, such great people. And what a place to start.
Would you say you were ambitious as a child? How did you view the acting thing?
I looked back at a video the other day — I was 9 or 10. I went to a pond with my mom, and I was like, “One day, I’m gonna be a huge actor. And following my dreams.” It made me realize, when I was younger, I did have that passion and hope to do this long term.
“I went to a pond with my mom, and I was like, ‘One day, I’m gonna be a huge actor. And following my dreams,’” Schnapp recalls. “It made me realize, when I was younger, I did have that passion and hope to do this long term.”(Evelyn Freja / For The Times)
I will never know what it’s like to be a young person thrust into the global spotlight. I want you to pretend like I am an alien or a Demogorgon with no concept of this world, and tell me what it has been like growing up in the spotlight.
My problem was I’m so unapologetically myself, and I’ve always been like that, so I never learned to be properly media trained and curated into a certain way. I always just existed and did what I wanted to do. I learned over time, it’s good to create some privacy and distance for your own mental health. When the show came out, I was 10 years old. I was at camp and I didn’t have any contact with the outside world and my mom would send me emails that I was getting fan pages and blue check marks, and people started recognizing me, and I loved it. I love my fans so much. I would get their phone numbers and meet up with them, and my parents would be like, “Noah, this is not normal. You need to create boundaries with them.” Now I look back, and more of my life has been this than not now, so it’s all I’ve ever known was being famous and it just feels normal.
Coming of age on its own is so hard. You’re leaving one stage of your life and going into another. But to do that and have everything you say, your mistakes magnified, seems overwhelming.
It’s the worst; the fact that it’s all public, every weird look I’ve worn, every bad thing I’ve said. I hate that, but it is what it is. That’s what it is growing up in the spotlight, everything has its pros and cons.
Has there a moment where it felt too overwhelming? How do you protect yourself?
Every few weeks I’m like, “Oh, this is too overwhelming. I can’t do this anymore.” When I put my phone away, it all becomes OK. I learned that social media and all that is not real life. It just feels like so much pressure when you live so deep in your phone and what everyone’s saying and having to live up to these standards and feel like your life is over if you don’t do this, or this person doesn’t like whatever. Trying to please everyone in this industry is impossible and the only way to accept that is to detach from the online world and just live in the real world. I remember how much I love it and how many real, loving fans support me, and how I actually make a difference in a lot people’s lives, genuinely, and that actually matters.
Noah Schnapp says Winona Ryder, who played his mother Joyce on “Stranger Things,” was a motherly figure in real life, too. “I adore her truly.”
(Netflix)
Winona Ryder plays your mom, and she knows what it’s like navigating fame at a young age. Did she give you any advice or was she protective of you on set?
So protective. She always says, she never had kids, so we were her secondary children. I look back at our texts from 2017, when the show was first starting, and I had to do my first crying scene or all these “first” things I was so nervous for, and she would send these paragraphs being like, “Oh, sweetie, you’re nervous. Don’t worry a second. Come meet me before the scene. I’ll sit down with you and we’ll run through it. I’ll make sure you’re OK.” I remember I sent her a picture and I had this rope burn from Season 2 because I was screaming in a chair and my wrists were all scabbed and I was crying because it hurt, and she ran me to the set medic and stayed with me all night and made sure I was OK. She was such a mother figure to me, and I adore her truly. Even now, it’s nice to see our relationship has grown from her being protective over me to me feeling protective over her.
We see Nancy, Jonathan, Steve and Robin up on the rooftop talking about not losing touch, making a point of staying in contact. There’s also Dustin’s valedictorian speech. Each had moments that felt like they paralleled the ending of this unique experience you’ve all gone through together. Did you all make a similar pact?
Oh, absolutely. That day of graduation, we felt like we were really graduating. I loved the coda part of the episode. That last day of shooting was hard, when I was putting my book on the shelf, that was when they told me, “OK, Noah, this is your last shot.” I broke down. I couldn’t do the freaking take, every time, it was just so emotional. Luckily, there’s one that I’m little less emotional, but that day was just so sad. I remember when they said “Cut!”, and that was it, and we — me, Caleb, Gaten, Finn and Sadie — standing in that little set, arms around each other, huddled up, not saying any words, just crying. It was complete silence outside. There were hundreds of people waiting [outside on the set] for us to cheer and celebrate, and we were waiting in there, like, “We go out when we’re ready.” We all agreed, gathered ourselves and walked out of that set to 100 people cheering, screaming, there was confetti dropping, clapping and we gave speeches. It didn’t feel real. You’re so in it for so many years, and then it’s just over.
What do you remember about the day after wrapping?
We ended up sleeping on the set. We made a little fort in the D&D basement. It was so cute, so wholesome — a perfect way to end it. I remember driving back with Caleb [McLaughlin, who plays Lucas] the next morning and he dropped me off. It was really foggy that day, really gloomy, and just so somber and tense. And we said goodbye so quietly. It felt like we left a funeral, like grieving something. The next day, I had to fly to L.A. for a call back, and I was just sitting alone in a hotel room — I felt so empty. This is all I’ve this all I’ve ever been attached to, this is my whole identity, my whole life. But then, the next day, I was like, “Oh, life keeps going. And it’s OK.” It was really just that one day after that was tough.
To your point, this isn’t your first professional on screen role, but it is your longest. How do you feel you’ve grown as an actor across these 10 years, these five seasons?
This show has taught me so much. When I was younger, I felt like scared to have any kind of opinion or perspective or speak up on what I felt was right for the character; now, I’m like, “No, I played this character for 10 years. I have a right to say, ‘No, he would wear this’ or ‘he would say this’ or ‘this scene doesn’t work or represent the story well.’” Just learning to not be bound to the script; it’s OK to play and explore and try different things. That’s what makes it feel authentic when you have those spontaneous little moments that aren’t written. I’m excited to continue to learn and grow in different ways in film and theater.
So it feels like the right time for you to say goodbye to Will?
Totally. It’s kind of crazy how right of a time it is. I’m graduating in a few months at the same time as this show is ending. I’m an adult now. It all happened at the right time, and this season came at the perfect time with my sexual identity journey. Everything was timed really well.
Are you thinking about what you want next? The kind of projects you want to do or the way you want to move through your career?
Oh my God, absolutely, the second I wrapped last year, I was like, “What’s next?” I’d love to do theater. I loved doing that as a kid and want to explore that. And do other films. But no set path, I’m just excited for what’s next.
The Duffer Brothers call you in 10 years and say we have an idea for how to revisit Will Byers, are you in?
I think my work is done with that character. The story for him has been told. So if that ever happened, I would honestly probably stray away from that. But of course, I would love to work with the Duffers again on another project. But this story is done.
Gordon Ramsay added even more fuel to the ongoing feud with Adam Ramsay Peaty’s family after humiliating them in his wedding speech, which was reportedly caught on camera for his Netflix show
Gordon Ramsay issued a put-down at the expense of Adam Peaty’s family during his wedding speech(Image: @caroline_peaty/Instagram)
Gordon Ramsay’s six-word put-down towards Adam Ramsay Peaty’s family has reportedly been filmed for his Netflix show. The TV chef used his proud moment as the father of the bride to deliver a six-word put-down during his wedding speech.
Holly Peaty Ramsay and her now husband, Adam Peaty, tied the knot in a lavish ceremony over the Christmas holiday, surrounded by A-list friends and family at Bath Abbey. But due to a bitter clash over wedding arrangements, neither of Adam’s parents attended the wedding.
And now the feud is likely to take on a new dimension as Gordon’s caustic put-down was caught on camera, filming for his upcoming Netflix reality TV show. Gordon’s camera crew were present at the wedding reception when his comments were made.
The first comment, which was perceived as a jab at Adam’s mum, Caroline, was that Tana “will be a good mum to them both”, leading many to believe that he was hinting at Caroline not being the same. And the second jibe came when he said Adam was a “lucky man” in reference to his daughter, Holly.
He then turned to Holly and added: “Shame you don’t have the same.” According to reports, Caroline was left “outraged and hurt” in hearing about his harsh quip. A source told The Sun: “The cameras were there and part of the day was filmed. It’ll be very obvious which family members aren’t there.”
They added: “I would imagine that the family feud will come up at some point – it would be weird to just ignore it.” Meanwhile, an insider of Adam’s family told the Daily Mail: “Caroline can’t believe Gordon brought their family troubles up in his speech.”
They continued: “It is outrageous and very hurtful. By him saying Tana will be a good mum to them both makes Caroline sound like a bad mum. It was a cruel dig at her.” It was reported that Adam’s family have contacted Netflix in order to be removed from the chef’s docuseries, which is likely to follow in the footsteps of his close pals David and Victoria Beckham.
The family of the Olympic swimmer has reportedly contacted the streaming platform to claim that they had not given consent to being filmed at the engagement party last year. However, the Mirror understands that throughout the night, there were visible signs stating that the party would be filmed. A source close to the Ramsays told us that everybody in attendance had a “jolly time” and that by attending, “you were giving your consent” to appear in his docu-series.
Our source went on to add that the Peaty family were not formally interviewed, so there was no additional consent required, and they are not in the final edits of the programme. The source went on to tell us that there are “no delays to the production”.
A source said: “Caroline has written to Netflix to say the family were not asked for their consent to be filmed for Gordon’s documentary at last year’s engagement do. She was very clear that, after everything that’s happened, they do not want to be featured.”
The insider added: “She was filmed giving a speech, as were the family, during arrivals and while mingling at the party.” Adam banned his mum from the wedding ceremony following a fallout after Caroline was not invited to Holly’s glamorous hen party last month, which included fashion designer Victoria Beckham. It’s claimed that Holly also called the police after Adam’s brother James allegedly made threats over text message while on his stag do in Budapest. James was later arrested at his home in Staffordshire on suspicion of harassment but was placed on bail.
Caroline has spoken in the past about her heartbreak over being estranged from her son. And now, on New Year’s Eve, she has taken to social media once again to speak about her pain. One sketch was of a Robin and a ladybird sitting together on a twig with a comment that read: “Just a little reminder that you don’t have to make resolutions, or huge decisions, or big proclamations. You can just set some sweet intentions and take each day as it comes.”
The second quote read: “I won’t end this year pretending everything was fine. I lost a piece of myself this year that I will never get back, and I’m not forcing a smile like it didn’t change me.” She added: “So no… I won’t be saying ‘2026 is going to be my year’. I’ll be praying that I recover next year, that my heart never has to break like this again, that I never have to survive something like this again. I’ll be praying for peace… real peace, the kind that lets me breathe without fighting for it. I deserve a year that doesn’t hurt.”
The Mirror has reached out to Gordon’s representative for a comment.
The Kennedy Center is ending the year with a new round of artists saying they are canceling scheduled performances after President Donald Trump’s name was added to the facility, prompting the institution’s president to accuse the performers of making their decisions because of politics.
The Cookers, a jazz supergroup that has performed together for nearly two decades, announced their withdrawal from “A Jazz New Year’s Eve” on their website, saying the “decision has come together very quickly” and acknowledging frustration from those who may have planned to attend.
Doug Varone and Dancers, a dance group based in New York, said in an Instagram post late Monday they would pull out of a performance slated for April, saying they “can no longer permit ourselves nor ask our audiences to step inside this once great institution.”
Those moves come after musician Chuck Redd canceled a Christmas Eve performance last week. They also come amid declining sales for tickets to the venue, as well as news that viewership for the Dec. 23 broadcast of the Kennedy Center Honors — which Trump had predicted would soar — was down by about 35% compared to the 2024 show.
The announcements amount to a volatile calendar for one of the most prominent performing arts venues in the U.S. and cap a year of tension in which Trump ousted the Kennedy Center board and named himself the institution’s chairman. That led to an earlier round of artist pushback, with performer Issa Rae and the producers of “Hamilton” canceling scheduled engagements while musicians Ben Folds and Renee Fleming stepped down from advisory roles.
The Cookers didn’t mention the building’s renaming or the Trump administration but did say that, when they return to performing, they wanted to ensure that “the room is able to celebrate the full presence of the music and everyone in it,” reiterating a commitment “to playing music that reaches across divisions rather than deepening them.”
The group may not have addressed the Kennedy Center situation directly, but one of its members has. On Saturday, saxophone player Billy Harper said in comments posted on the Jazz Stage Facebook page that he “would never even consider performing in a venue bearing a name (and being controlled by the kind of board) that represents overt racism and deliberate destruction of African American music and culture. The same music I devoted my life to creating and advancing.”
According to the White House, Trump’s handpicked board approved the renaming. Harper said both the board “as well as the name displayed on the building itself represents a mentality and practices I always stood against. And still do, today more than ever.”
Richard Grenell, a Trump ally whom the president chose to head the Kennedy Center after he forced out the previous leadership, posted Monday night on X, “The artists who are now canceling shows were booked by the previous far left leadership,” intimating the bookings were made under the Biden administration.
In a statement Tuesday to The Associated Press, Grenell said the ”last minute cancellations prove that they were always unwilling to perform for everyone — even those they disagree with politically,” adding that the Kennedy Center had been “flooded with inquiries from real artists willing to perform for everyone and who reject political statements in their artistry.”
There was no immediate word from Kennedy Center officials about whether the entity would pursue legal action against the latest round of artists to cancel performances. Following Redd’s cancellation last week, Grenell said he would seek $1 million in damages for what he called a “political stunt.”
Not all artists are calling off their shows. Bluegrass banjoist Randy Barrett, scheduled to perform at the Kennedy Center next month, told the AP he was “deeply troubled by the politicization” of the venue and respected those who had canceled but feels that “our tribalized country needs more music and art, not less. It’s one of the few things that can bring us together.”
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, and Congress passed a law the following year naming the center as a living memorial to him. Scholars have said any changes to the building’s name would need congressional approval; the law explicitly prohibits the board of trustees from making the center into a memorial to anyone else, and from putting another person’s name on the building’s exterior.
The Graham Norton New Year’s Eve Show on BBC One, which featured actors Will Arnett and Owen Cooper as guests, looked back at the highlights – and low points – of 2025
01:22, 01 Jan 2026Updated 01:25, 01 Jan 2026
Graham Norton entertained viewers on BBC One last night(Image: BBC)
During his review of 2025, the veteran broadcaster was quick to turn his attention to the US President’s visit to the UK to meet the Royal Family. Graham, 62, flashed up a photo of Melania Trump wearing a wide-brimmed purple hat and joked she looked like “a lamp”.
He then quipped that the statement headwear may have been worn to stop her husband from leaning in for a kiss — setting the tone for a night of trademark digs just minutes into The Graham Norton New Year’s Eve Show on BBC One.
The Irish comedian kept the jokes rolling, leaning into the moment as he told viewers: “He was welcomed by the King and Queen, who were clearly happy to be photographed with him — Melania, not so much.” When the camera cut back to Melania’s oversized purple hat, Graham quipped: “I’m just a lamp. Please ignore me, I’m just a lamp,” before repeating, “Just ignore me,” while playfully mimicking her accent.
Yet, Graham took the gag further, Express.co.uk reports. He added: “Actually there is a security reason why Melania always wears a hat.. A nice wide brim can literally save her from a fate worse than death”” before footage showed Mr Trump attempting to kiss her on the cheek — only to be blocked by the hat.
Graham looked back at the highlights — and low points — of 2025 on the festive edition of his programme. His savage swipes came minutes into the episode of the BAFTA-winning chat show, pre-recorded ahead of its BBC One and iPlayer broadcast.
Tom Hiddleston, Laura Dern and Will Arnett, alongside Owen Cooper, Carey Mulligan and Tim Key joined Graham on the red sofa to ring in the new year. Alison Limerick provided the night’s music by performing her dance classic Where Love Lives.
The BBC recommissioned the programme for three more series earlier this year. Speaking at the time, the broadcaster said the programme remains one of its biggest entertainment successes, averaging 2.9 million viewers per episode across its most recent run and continuing to pull in huge numbers across social platforms including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.
Graham, born in Dublin, Ireland, said hosting the programme remained both “a pleasure” and a “privilege”, teasing that the team were already looking ahead to welcoming more global stars onto the sofa.
This year’s New Year’s Eve line-up reflected that star power, with Hollywood names, British comedy favourites and breakout TV stars all joining Graham to look back on 2025.
A magnet for drama – especially at Christmas – every few years Coronation Street cafe worker Shona Platt’s life seems to hang in the balance. But could this time see her leave the show for good?
Christine Smith and Hannah Britt Features Editor (Advanced Content)
21:00, 31 Dec 2025
Coronation Street actress Julia Goulding(Image: PA)
Back in 2019, Corrie’s Shona Platt was left in a coma, fighting for life when she was shot by crazed gunman Derek Milligan, while hiding in a giant present intended for a treasure hunt. To add to the rollercoaster of Platt family dramas, doctors have now discovered a possible cancerous growth on the neck of the unborn baby she is expecting with husband David.
As a distraction they decide at the last minute to go to Debbie Webster’s wedding in a minibus taking guests from Wetherfield – only to end up in an almighty crash. And the much feted storyline on January 5 brings the cast of Coronation Street and Emmerdale together for one episode, dubbed ‘Corriedale.’ Rumour has it someone is killed and Julia Goulding, who plays Shona Platt, isn’t ruling herself out.
Julia, 40, tells The Mirror: ”I can’t say if she or David survive the crash or not, but it’s safe to say Shona is in a very delicate position. They both do get knocked out and it’s touch and go. If they are both affected, the stakes are going to be very high.”
Despite the precarious fate of her character, Julia was honoured to be cast in the extraordinary episode – the first time the two iconic soaps have come together. She says: “I was over the moon to be asked. I was very excited.”
Debbie’s wedding feels like something “normal’ to do, as Shona and David struggle to cope with their fears concerning their baby. Julia says: “Shona and David are in limbo. They know the baby has a mass on its neck, but they don’t know yet if it’s cancerous or not. Shona wants the wedding to take her mind off everything and thinks it’s a chance to enjoy the freedom while they can.”
For Julia it meant working with legendary Emmerdale stars like Emma Atkins, who plays Charity Dingle, and Chris Chittell, who plays Eric Pollard. She says of Emma: “It was absolutely brilliant working alongside her, as it was Chris. “There is a scene with Ken [Barlow] and Pollard and Shona and David. It was so surreal!
“I can’t say whether these scenes were before or after the crash, but it was a real pinch me moment.” While she is used to seeing Emmerdale actors at awards ceremonies, Julia hasn’t worked with them before.
She continues: “There is no rivalry between us all. It was so nice to finally work together. “Emma is a class actress and she is such a lovely person. We sat chatting in between scenes having a natter and we got on like a house on fire. “
Clearly impressed by the cliffhanger episode, she continues: “We’ve got Duncan Foster directing the episode. He has done some of Corrie’s biggest episodes and Emmerdale’s too, so you know you are in safe hands. He knows both casts and crew very well. It was so exciting to shoot.”
Meanwhile, Julia, who has two children – Franklin, six, and Emmeline, three, with her husband, Ben Silver, who she married on stage at Manchester’s Albert Hall in February 2019 – is grateful to have had much easier pregnancies than Shona. “It was tough filming the scenes when Shona found out about the mass,” she says. “It’s every parent’s worst nightmare and you don’t have to stretch yourself emotionally when you hear news like that. Thankfully, my own pregnancies were a hell of a lot smoother than what Shona is having to face.”
Slim Julia has been wearing a prosthetic bump made from rubber and prosthetic breasts, to make Shona’s pregnancy look more convincing. She says: “I was more comfortable when I was pregnant in real life. They are made from rubber and the bump is heavy and sweaty. I have had a bad back for the past eight weeks because it is so heavy!”
Despite the uncomfortable costume, Julia enjoys playing Shona now just as much as she did when she first stepped on to the cobbles nine years ago. After training at London’s prestigious RADA, it was her first TV role. “I love playing her,” she says. “Every day is different and exciting. Nothing is ever the same. You might be crying in the morning about your baby being sick, but then laughing and joking in the afternoon filming Christmas scenes.”
And she and Jack P. Shepherd, who plays David, are great friends. “We have been together in the soap for nine years,” she says. “Who has heard of a nine-year relationship in a soap? We are good mates and it’s a laugh a minute working with him. He is a funny soul. When the going gets tough, we both switch it on, but you also need to have the lighter moments. It’s so important to have down times on set and we have a lot of fun filming together.”
Julia has just enjoyed a brilliant family Christmas away from Corrie, recharging her batteries. “Now we have got children, Christmas is all about them,” she says. “I didn’t go wild present wise, as my children are not materialistic. But we had a lot of fun in the run up, doing things like glow walks. We love family stuff like that and it’s nice having time off. I feel lucky we do get given a holiday, as it is so important to spend it with your family.”
But she has no plans for making New Year’s resolutions. “I don’t often make them, because like 99 per cent of the population I fail in about a week! Although, this year I would like to get to the gym more, be active and healthy.”
And she has no intention of following her screen husband into the Celebrity Big Brother house. She says, firmly: “I would not do Celebrity Big Brother. It is one of the most terrifying thoughts ever to be that exposed for 24 hours on TV. Plus, I prefer to remain firmly behind a character, rather than to be myself. Give me a script me any day over live reality TV.”
Outside work, she says she has both sets of her kids’ grandparents to thank for helping make it possible for her to be a working mum. She says: “We are very lucky. We have got grandparents who can help. But it’s always then nice to get home to my babies.”
Returning her thoughts to Corriedale, Julia says: “It is going to be such a special episode. If Shona is lucky enough to survive the crash, I would love it if there was another Corriedale special episode at a future point. And I would be begging for Shona to be part of it. But I really do fear for Shona ahead of this first Corriedale episode…” Maybe Shona’s nine lives will finally run out.
*Corriedale will air on Monday 5th January at 8pm. Coronation Street will then air every weekday at 8.30pm on ITV1. Episodes can also be downloaded on ITVX
Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh who plays Lady Danbury, has made big promises ahead of series four and revealed that her husband Howard Cunnell has never seen the show
Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh says husband has ‘never seen a second’ of hit show(Image: LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX)
Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh says husband Howard Cunnell has ‘never seen a second’ of the hit Netflix show, despite it being the network’s “biggest series ever”.
In 2021, the streamer said 82 million households around the world tuned into the show in its first 28 days online. It hit the number one spot in 83 countries, including the US, UK, India, France and Brazil.
Series four will hit screens in January, with the network confirming the storyline will zoom in on the friendship between Adjoa’s character, Lady Danbury, and Golda Rosheuvel’s Queen Charlotte. But in spite of its success, Adjoa says the show isn’t her husband’s “thing”.
She told Good Housekeeping: “My husband has never seen a second of Bridgerton. It’s not his thing.” The star, 62, promises viewers will get “more bang for [their] buck” when the new series drops on January 29th.
She said: “Everyone knows it’s Benedict’s story, but I can also say that we’re expanding the ‘Bridgeverse’ in terms of where the focus is storytelling-wise. If you love Bridgerton , you’ll get more of the same – but you’ll also get more bang for your buck. Take that as you please.”
She also reflected on the show becoming an overnight hit back in December 2020. She explained: “Everyone was at a low ebb that Christmas. The combination of Covid, the success of platform streaming and the particular brand of storytelling adopted by [Shonda Rhimes-founded production company] Shondaland made Bridgerton this remarkable thing. And, of course, there was the sex!
“It had historic frothiness, it looked incredible and the casting was unprecedented; the genie is out of the bottle with Bridgerton ’s way of framing historical romantic drama. The rest of the streamers have caught up now, but Bridgerton is still holding its place in the market, which is quite something.”
Adjoa Andoh previously called for Black women in the entertainment industry to “celebrate who they are as artists” and remember that they are not just there to “fly the flag” for others.
Speaking at the Pride of Britain Awards, Adjoa praised the next generation of young Black women for being “very thoughtful and wise”, but warned they shouldn’t forget they are also just “creative human beings” in their own right.
She said: “We are there to say, ‘a door can open wider’, we are there to say, ‘stay in it’, ‘keep going’, ‘pick your battles’, ‘think about who you want to be’.
“But also: ‘celebrate what you do as artists, you’re not just there to fly the flag, you’re there as a creative human being’.”
The full interview can be read now in the February issue of Good Housekeeping UK.
