show biz

KATIE Price’s husband Lee Andrews has revealed she could soon be set for a return to the road in Dubai — after she was handed her seventh driving ban in the UK.

The former glamour model, 47, has been stopped from getting behind the wheel for six months after failing to respond to police letters about an 80mph speeding ticket.

She was clocked breaking the law in a Ford Capri on the A64 in North Yorkshire back in October ahead of a theatre gig in Scarborough with Kerry Katona.

But today her Dubai-based husband Lee, 41, told The Sun that she will soon receive her UAE licence issued by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority.

He added that she will also be granted her Golden Visa via spousal sponsorship. The long-term residence visa allows foreign nationals to live and work in the country for a period of five or 10 years.

A key requirement of the visa application process is to provide a marriage certificate attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in the UAE.

BLIND FAITH

Katie Price’s awkward reply as Junior asks ‘why did you get married so quick?’

STAYING PUT

Katie Price reveals why she’s taking break from Dubai after hubby bombshell

Katie and Lee had a symbolic ceremony in January in Dubai, before making it official in Abu Dhabi’s judicial department weeks later.

This month marks a move to make the digital links between the DVLA in the UK and the RTA stronger.

It means Katie may face new hurdles to a road return in the Middle East.

If the licence was issued prior to her ban, she could be allowed to drive in Dubai, though she will be legally required to disclose her UK ban to her insurer. Failure to do so could lead to deportation, a fine or even jail time.

However, if the application was submitted after the ban was handed down and the RTA checks the status of her foreign licenses it will be rejected.

When asked if Katie would be eligible to drive in Dubai, a spokesperson said: “I have no idea. It’s something she’ll have to look into.”

Katie was first banned for six months in December 2010 after admitting a speeding charge. She was then disqualified for a year in 2012 after failing to respond to speeding tickets, and she received another six-month ban in February 2018 after being caught speeding.

In January 2019, she was in court again to admit driving while disqualified, leading to a three-month ban.

And just a month later she was convicted by a judge of being drunk in charge of a vehicle when it was seen by police to veer off the road and hit a grass verge.

Katie claimed that a mystery man had been at the wheel and left the scene before officers arrived, but a judge concluded her evidence was “not plausible”.

Later in 2019, she was convicted of failing to disclose the name of the driver following a car crash, which led to her receiving an 18-month road ban.

And in 2021, a judge condemned Katie for “one of the worst driving records I have ever seen”, as she was given a 16-week suspended prison sentence for drink-driving while disqualified and without insurance.

Katie had flipped her car and told police at the scene: “I took drugs, I should not be driving, I admit it all.”

The incident landed her with a two-year driving ban, as well as 100 hours of community service and up to 30 rehabilitation sessions.

In 2024, Katie was fined £880 for driving without a licence and insurance in Northamptonshire, but she was spared a ban for those offences.

Her latest conviction and driving disqualification was dealt with last week in the Single Justice Procedure, a secretive court process where magistrates deal with criminal cases behind closed doors.

This week saw the publication of The Times’ tremendous package on the imminent opening of Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s new David Geffen Galleries. The nearly $724-million new building designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor, which opens to members on April 19, with general admission beginning May 3, has been a lightning rod for split opinions for nearly two decades — and it seems not much has changed.

We ran five stories: architecture critic Sam Lubell’s review of the building; art critic Leah Ollman’s roundup of 17 must-see artworks currently installed in the galleries; my report on how, exactly, the $724 million was spent; and an up-close look at the reinstallation of Alexander Calder’s fountain sculpture, “Three Quintains (Hello Girls),” which was among the museum’s very first commissions when it opened in 1965. We also included a handy map to the new campus.

Each article attracted its fair share of reader comments — for and against — the new building. I’m rounding up nine that best reflect reader consensus. (Note: Comments don’t have formal names attached.)

1. “Ugh. I hate that building. It does nothing to activate the street itself and Wilshire should be an active urban street with thousands of people walking. The design is a puddle of oil seeping high above and across the boulevard that conflicts with its surroundings. For all of that gross amount of money spent it should be universally positively recognized. But it’s not and most of the citizens that have commented about it don’t appear to be too happy with a building its creators expect to exist for hundreds of years. What a blotch.”

2. “One will always wonder: what would Frank have done if he had ended up with the commission for replacing LACMA’s core campus. Did he ever venture to tell anyone what approach he might have pursued?”

A high priest of design has given Los Angeles a plebian concrete maze (period) which demands that visitors ascend one story above the ground plane for the sake of art. Rather than the prospect of random wandering, this respondent wonders whether Mister Gehry may have otherwise had no fear of paying homage to the classical idea of hierarchy, would have elevated our better angels and given us a singular or particular reason (aspiration) to go upwards at a far greater extent, first off, then return to the ground plane mixing formal and random paths.

With Disney Hall he became an emotional hierarch of the city and his discountment from this project will always remain a great tragedy. He understood us.”

3. “I love LACMA’s collection and have been going several times a year for a long time. Very excited to check out the new galleries. Contrary to a lot of other commenters, I find the architecture of the new building fresh and exciting, and I appreciate how it hangs over Wilshire in a manner that incorporates the museum directly into the city.”

4. “I loved the old museum. I really hope I’m wrong, but I’m afraid the new one will be disappointing. Less display space, chaotic organization and galleries that on paper look like warehouse spaces make me wonder how successful the new museum will be. I look forward to visiting and finding out for myself.”

5. “I’m amazed that it is almost 11:00 AM and I am posting the first comment here. Does nobody reading the L.A. Times care about this very expensive reimagining of our County Art Museum, $125 million of which was funded by our taxpayers? What I want to know now is whether any these 17 pieces are adjacently-placed in some idiosyncratic curatorial thematic scheme that will elude both common sense and intuition of most museum visitors? How is this reduced gallery capacity with ever-changing displays providing access to art to the people that helped to fund it?”

6. “I look forward to visiting this museum and experiencing its uniqueness.”

7. “It’s one of the worst decisions in art-world history. Destroy perfectly functional galleries and spend hundreds of millions on smaller galleries. And they are ugly. It’s a mockery of art to place a beautiful painting on those concrete walls.”

8. “I knew there would be a bunch of negative Nellies in the comment section lol. I LOVE the new building and interior spaces (as pictured) I can’t wait to see and experience the unique curatorial displays!”

9. “How exciting for Los Angeles! I can’t wait to see it and love that we now have such a world class forward thinking art museum in L.A. Money well spent.”

I’m Arts editor Jessica Gelt, getting the conversation started. Here’s your arts and culture news for the week.

The week ahead: A curated calendar

FRIDAY
Blue Kiss
An SAT tutoring session takes unexpected twists and turns when a teacher learns his student is not who she claims to be in this drama by playwright Stephen Fife. Directed by Mike Reilly.
8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays, through May 17. Ruskin Group Theatre, 2800 Airport Ave., Santa Monica. ruskingrouptheatre.com

Camerata Pacifica
Principal pianist Gilles Vonsattel performs his second solo recital of the season featuring three piano sonatas by Beethoven.
7 p.m. Friday. Music Academy of the West, 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara; 8 p.m. Sunday. Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. cameratapacifica.org

Danish String Quartet and Danish National Girls’ Choir
Two of Denmark’s cultural treasures team up for an evening that includes a new work by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang.
7 p.m. Friday. Granada Theatre, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. artsandlectures.ucsb.edu; 8 p.m. Saturday. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. philharmonicsociety.org

Lise Davidsen and Freddie De Tommaso
The celebrated opera singers return backed by an all-star orchestra of classical musicians.
7:30 p.m. BroadStage, Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center, 1310 11th St. broadstage.org

History of the Tango
Violinist Martin Chalifour, in musical dialogue with guitarist Mak Grgic, reveals the evolution of Argentina’s iconic style.
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. sierramadreplayhouse.org

Installation view, “Instant Theatre: Rachel Rosenthal and King Moody,” 2026. Roberts Projects, Los Angeles.

(Paul Salveson/Courtesy of the artist and Roberts Projects)

Instant Theatre: Rachel Rosenthal and King Moody
Archival material and design elements set the scene for this exhibition exploring the experimental theatre movement founded by Rosenthal in 1955 and continued with her husband into the 1960s, an antecedent to the performance art of the 1960s and 1970s.
Through May 23. Roberts Projects, 442 S. La Brea Ave. robertsprojectsla.com

Spectacular Brooding
Writer, dancer and experimental filmmaker Harmony Holiday explores Black grief in this multimedia exhibition involving the preparation of a solo dance piece. On Wednesdays at noon, Holiday will take Katherine Dunham Technique classes with choreographer Bernard Brown in the gallery.
Noon-6 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday; Through July 5. REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., downtown L.A. redcat.org

Turangalîla
Australian conductor Simone Young leads the L.A. Phil, featuring Jean-Yves Thibaudet on piano and Cynthia Millar on the theremin-like 1920s instrument ondes martenot, in Olivier Messiaen’s symphony inspired by the tragic romance of Tristan and Isolde.
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com

Tyshawn Sorey Trio
Featuring the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and multi-instrumentalist, pianist Aaron Diehl and bassist Harish Raghavan, this modern jazz ensemble riffs on original compositions and breathes new life into the American Songbook.
8 p.m. UCLA Nimoy Theater, 1262 Westwood Blvd. cap.ucla.edu

SATURDAY
The Baptist Witches of Shelbyville
Mamie Gummer and Gigi Bermingham star in a new Southern Gothic comedy written by Julie Shavers and directed by Daniel O’Brien.
8 p.m. Saturday; April 17-18, April 25, May 1. Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks. whitefire.stagey.net

The Ifugao people of the Philippines leaving a harvest, from the immersive exhibition, “Mountain Spirits: Rice and Indigeneity in the Northern Luzon Highlands, Philippines.”

(Fowler Museum)

Mountain Spirits: Rice and Indigeneity in the Northern Luzon Highlands, Philippines
An immersion into the world of the Ifugao, an Indigenous Filipino group known for high-altitude farming, via this exhibition’s carved guardians, ritual bowls, woven blankets, farming tools, soundscapes and video installations.
Opening, 6-9 p.m. Saturday; Walkthrough, 1 p.m. Sunday; “Decolonizing Philippine History” talk, 6-8 p.m. Wednesday. Fowler Museum at UCLA, 308 Charles E. Young Drive North. fowler.ucla.edu

Mutate
L.A. Dance Project presents this selection of multi-medium performances curated by Masha Cherezova, whose relationship to dance changed dramatically when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. The evening includes performances from Skylar Campbell, former principal dancer of Canada National Ballet, and dancer Jaclyn Oakley, USC BFA student Garris Munez in a world premiere choreographed by Cherezova, and comedian and breast cancer survivor Julia Johns, plus film screenings from various artists. All profits will be donated to Blood Cancer United.
8 p.m. 2245 E. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles. ladanceproject.org

OperaFest LA
The diverse festival returns to celebrate the city’s rich opera community. Participating companies and venues include Beth Morrison Projects, LA Opera, Long Beach Opera, Overtone Industries, Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater, Synchromy, the Industry, the Wallis, and USC Thornton School of Music. The opening week features selected performances from various groups and a panel discussion at the Wallis; Long Beach Opera commemorates the release of the first commercial recording of Anthony Davis’ Pulitzer Prize-winning opera “The Central Park Five,” which was commissioned and premiered by LBO in 2019 and remounted in 2022; and the Industry presents composer Veronika Krausas and Her Rogue’s Gallery performing selections from her work, including “Hopscotch,” “Ghost Opera,” “The Mortal Thoughts of Lady Macbeth.”
Kickoff Panel & Performance, 4 p.m. Saturday. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. 6 p.m. Saturday. “Celebrating the Central Park Five Opera,” 440 Elm, 440 Elm, Long Beach. Veronika Krausas, 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Monk Space, 4414 W. 2nd St., Los Angeles. OperaFest LA continues through May 30. operafestla.org

Temporal Echoes
The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and music director Jaime Martín are joined by violinist Anne Akiko Meyers for the West Coast premiere of Eric Whitacre’s “The Pacific Has No Memory” and Vaughan Williams’ “The Lark Ascending.” a timeless ode to lyricism and light. Music Director Jaime Martín unveils Juhi Bansal’s celebratory new work for Sound Investment’s 25th anniversary, followed by the searing intensity of Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony and the sparkling brilliance of Prokofiev’s “Classical” Symphony. A program of passion, poetry, power, and unforgettable resonance.
7:30 p.m. Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laco.org

A Weekend with Bong Joon Ho
The Oscar-winning filmmaker hosts screenings of the 2007 thriller “Zodiac,” with special guest, director David Fincher, and his own 2025 sci-fi satire “Mickey 17.”
“Zodiac,” 7:30 p.m. Saturday; “Mickey 17,” 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Academy Museum, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. academymuseum.org

SUNDAY
Chamber On The Mountain
The duo Dyad — violinist Niv Ashkenazi and bassoonist Leah Kohn — performs their own arrangements of selections from Ernest Bloch, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Niccolo Paganini, Irving Berlin, Bruce Babcock, Johann Sebastian Bach, Camille Saint-Saëns and George Gershwin.
3 p.m. Logan House at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, 8585 Ojai-Santa Paula Road, Ojai. chamberonthemountain.com

Eat Me
The world premiere of a play, written by Talene Monahon and directed by Caitlin Sullivan, about a group of foodies in search of fulfillment; part of SCR’s annual Pacific Playwrights Festival.
Previews, 2 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; Opening night, 7:30 p.m. April 17; continues through May 3. South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. scr.org

Poetry in the Garden: Scores
National Poetry Month and Earth Month find a natural juncture at this free, daylong event, co-presented with Dublab, featuring live poetry and music inspired by “The Scores Project: Experimental Notation in Music, Art, Poetry and Dance 1950-1975 .” The project is shaped by midcentury experimental artists like Yvonne Rainer, John Cage and Benjamin Patterson. Performers include contemporary DJs. musicians and poets.
11:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m. 1200 Getty Center Drive, L.A. getty.edu

MONDAY

Ruben Ochoa, “Class: C.” The Ochoa family’s former tortilla delivery van transformed into a mobile art gallery.

(Ruben Ochoa)

Breakdown/Breakthrough: Art and Infrastructure
Part 1 of this two-part exhibition probing the ecological cost of L.A.’s human-made landscape presents the photography of Ruben Ochoa alongside works by Carlos Almaraz and Pat Gomez. Part 2 is “Class: C,” a pop-up gallery created by Ochoa, who transformed his family’s Chevy van into a mobile studio and exhibition space while a student at UC Irvine, and now repurposes it to present work by the school’s current students and alumni. An artist talk with Ochoa is scheduled for April 18.
“Breakdown/Breakthrough: Art and Infrastructure,” 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays–Saturdays, through May 16. UC Irvine Langson Museum Interim Gallery, 18881 Von Karman Ave., Irvine. “Class: C” pop-up gallery, Monday-April 18 at the Irvine Barclay Theatre Plaza, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine; Artist Talk with Ochoa, 2 p.m. April 18. UC Irvine Langson Museum, 3333 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa. imca.uci.edu

TUESDAY

John Waters

(The Luckman)

Going to Extremes: A John Waters 80th Birthday Celebration
The boundary-pushing cult filmmaker and raconteur holds court with behind-the-scenes tales and commentary on the brink of his becoming an octogenarian (April 22).
8 p.m. The Luckman Fine Arts Complex at Cal State LA, 5151 State University Drive. theluckman.org

THURSDAY

An image from Barbara Kopple’s “Harlan County, U.S.A.’

(American Cinematheque)

This Is Not A Fiction
The American Cinematheque’s celebration of documentary filmmaking kicks off with the 50th anniversary premiere of a 4k restoration of Barbara Kopple’s L.A.”Harlan County, USA” and a Q&A with the filmmaker. The festival continues with screenings and appearances by Ross McElwee (“Sherman’s March,” “Photographic Memory”) and Gianfranco Rossi (“Notturno”), plus anniversary screenings of “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping” and “Jackass Number Two” and more.
7:30 p.m. Thursday. Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. The festival runs through April 24 at the Aero; Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd.; Los Feliz Theatre, 1822 N. Vermont Ave. americancinematheque.com

Arts Everywhere

New and recent releases of arts-related media.

Alice Neel: I Am the Century
The catalog for the American artist’s first major retrospective in Italy, presented by the gallery Pinacoteca Agnelli in Turin through May 4, provides an artistic and biographical profile of the Pennsylvania-born painter (1900-1984). Neel defied the abstract expressionism of her contemporaries with a distinctive style of portraiture that exposed the psychological truth of her subjects. The bilingual text (English and Italian) features contributions from curators, scholars and artists, alongside 60 of Neel’s works and archival documents. Mousse Publishing: 272 pp. $50.

Daniel Radcliffe, left, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez in the movie “Merrily We Roll Along.”

(Sony Pictures Classics)

Merrily We Roll Along
Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez star in Maria Friedman’s film of her acclaimed 2025 revival staging of the Stephen Sondheim musical that originally flopped in 1981. “Captured at the Hudson Theatre last year during its Tony-winning Broadway run, this ‘Merrily’ is stirring evidence of a hit production,” wrote Robert Abele in his December review for The Times when the film had a theatrical run. Its story, of a “tight-knit trio of New York creatives whose friendship, depicted backward across decades, feels like a shattered vase being reassembled so that we appreciate the cracks and cohesion.” Netflix, streaming.

Tyshawn Sorey

(John Rogers / Fully Altered Media)

The Susceptible Now
Can’t get a ticket to the Tyshawn Sorey Trio’s gig at the Nimoy tonight? No problem. Check out their latest album from 2024, which features covers of some of Sorey’s favorite music. The four tracks, which range from 15 to 22 minutes in length, include “Peresina,” the McCoy Tyner classic from the album “Expansions”; Joni Mitchell and Charles Mingus’ collaboration, “A Chair in the Sky,” from her album “Mingus”; “Bealtine” from the Brad Mehldau Trio; and contemporary soul group Vividry’s “Your Good Lies.” Pi Recordings: Available on vinyl ($35), CD ($14) or digital download ($13).

— Kevin Crust

Culture news and the SoCal scene

Compton artist Fulton Leroy Washington — known as Mr. Wash — at his studio.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Painter Fulton Leroy Washington — known as Mr. Wash — recently opened a new exhibit, “The City of Compton: Then & Now,” which serves as a fundraiser for a $15-million community arts center that Mr. Wash plans to build on his property. “The Art by Wash Studio & Community Center … is being designed to provide housing, studio space and support for formerly incarcerated artists with artistic talent,” writes contributor Jane Horowitz about the Morphosis Architects-designed complex.

Gallery 1988, which opened in 2004 and proclaimed itself “the first pop culture-focused art gallery in the world,” is closing at the end of April, writes contributor Marah Eakin. The beloved gallery often attracted lines around the block for its openings featuring “art-focused campaigns around properties such as ‘The Avengers’ and ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’ while also launching solo shows from artists like Scott C, Luke Chueh and Tom Whalen.” Some fans believe that AI is to blame for the closure.

Times classical music critic Mark Swed got the scoop on the latest Los Angeles Philharmonic appointment. “With Gustavo Dudamel’s final season as music and artistic director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic reaching its homestretch, the orchestra has announced the appointment of its latest not music director. Anna Handler, a former Dudamel fellow and rapidly rising young conductor, will be given the new title of conductor-in-residence for the next three seasons,” Swed writes.

On a recent trip to New York City Swed noticed how much the Big Apple owes to L.A. for its current cultural offerings. L.A. artists are reshaping New York’s major institutions, Swed writes, noting that Gustavo Dudamel is revitalizing the New York Philharmonic and Yuval Sharon of the Industry is directing the Met’s “Tristan und Isolde.”

Director Knud Adams is photographed at the Wallis in Beverly Hills.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Times theater critic Charles McNulty sat down for an interview with theater director Knud Adams, who has staged world premieres of back-to-back Pulitzer Prize-winning plays — both of which are heading to Los Angeles. “English” opened Thursday at the Wallis Annenberg Center, and “Primary Trust” will land at the Mark Taper Forum on May 20. “He has become one of the most prized directors of new work in the country, and now Los Angeles will get a sample of his textually nuanced, scenically surprising excellence,” McNulty writes of Adams.

Finally, Malia Mendez wrote a piece about the upcoming two-year closure of the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits. Your last day, to visit is July 6. “Prior to closing, the Tar Pits will host a free public KCRW Summer Nights event June 12 and a members-only, disco-themed dance party June 27,” Mendez writes, noting that the closure will facilitate the “first significant overhaul in [the museum’s] 50-year history.”

CineVita near SoFi Stadium is staging “Teen Beat Live,” an immersive concert experience, through May 17.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Remember CineVita — the 15,000-square-foot Spiegeltent at Hollywood Park next to SoFi Stadium? It’s staging a glitzy tribute to the upbeat, universally loved (or at least known) music of 1980s cinema, running through May 17. Called, “Teen Beat Live,” the immersive concert experience is sure to have you racing to find your old VHS copies of John Hughes films.

Did I tell you about the golden toilet installation on the promenade near the Lincoln Memorial? It was placed there by the satirical arts group Secret Handshake as a criticism of President Trump’s White House renovations. “This toilet, spray-painted gold and set on a faux-marble pedestal, is the latest in a series of protest artworks and installations taking aim at President Donald Trump and his administration. A plaque on each side of the structure reads: a Throne Fit for a King,” writes the Washington Post.

— Jessica Gelt

And last but not least

This headline about the Artemis II journey fills me with longing.

Sabrina Carpenter famously works late, so it might come as a surprise to some that “Espresso” songstress’ headlining set at Coachella 2026 is comparatively early in the night at 9 p.m.

But that shouldn’t be an issue to music festival fans enjoying the festivities from home on Coachella’s YouTube livestream.

“Couchella,” as it’s affectionately called, is back this year to beam some of the biggest performances, including Sabrina Carpenter and Anyma on the Main Stage, Dijon, Turnstile and Disclosure at the Outdoor Theatre, and Bini, Devo and Blood Orange at the Mojave.

You can also watch via Coachella’s livestream app on iOS and Android.

Here’s who you can watch on Friday’s livestream feeds (times presented in PDT):

Main Stage

5:30 p.m. Teddy Swims; 7 p.m. The xx; 9:05 p.m. Sabrina Carpenter; 12:00 a.m. Anyma

Outdoor Theatre

4 p.m. Dabeulll; 5:20 p.m. Lykke Li; 6:40 p.m. Dijon; 8:05 p.m. Turnstile; 10:35 p.m. Disclosure; 11:55 p.m. “Bonus Set from Do LaB”

Sahara

4:00 p.m. Youna; 4:50 p.m. Hugel; 6:15 p.m. Marion Hofstadt; 8 p.m. Katseye; 9:15 p.m. Levity; 10:50 p.m. Swae Lee; 12:05 a.m. Sexyy Redd

Mojave

4:15 p.m. Bini; 5:30 p.m. Central Cee; 6:45 p.m. Devo; 8:10 p.m. Moby; 9:20 p.m. Slayyyter; 10:35 p.m. Ethel Cain; 11:55 p.m. Blood Orange

Gobi

4 p.m. Bob Baker Marionettes; 4:45 p.m. NewDad; 5:30 p.m. Joyce Manor; 6:15 p.m. CMAT; 7:20 p.m. Fakemink; 8:25 p.m. Holly Humberstone; 9:50 p.m. Joost; 11:05 p.m. Creepy Nuts

Sonora

4 p.m. Wednesday; 4:50 p.m. Fleshwater; 6 p.m. The Two Lips; 7:10 p.m. Ninajirachi; 8:25 p.m. Cachirula & Loojan; 9:15 p.m. February; 10:00 p.m. Hot Mulligan; 10:55 p.m. Carolina Durante; 11:50 p.m. Not For Radio

Quasar

5 p.m. Tiga; 7 p.m. Deep Dish; 9 p.m. Pawsa; 11 p.m. Disco Lines

Note that there have been livestream delays in past years, so don’t worry if your favorite artist is a few minutes late.

THERE was a time a while back when, whenever the gossip mags wrote about Jennifer Aniston, they’d always preface her name with ‘Sad’.

Sad Jen Aniston – it was like one of those three-part names like Sarah Jessica Parker or Sarah Michelle Gellar, and call me a cynic, but I’m convinced we haven’t seen the last of her.

For someone who was allegedly one of the most desirable women on earth, this must have been extremely annoying, especially when a quick roll-call inevitably followed, ticking off the regiment of men it took to award Aniston, 57, her nickname; Brad Pitt, John Mayer and Justin Theroux, for starters.

But now she is apparently planning to marry someone called Jim Curtis who she has been dating since 2025; celeb-years are like dog-years when it comes to relationships, so this is like a decade for the rest of us.

He looks like one of those men who habitually whispers ‘Rock Star’ at his reflection every morning.

He appears to have the aw-shucks charm of Pitt, the narcissism of Mayer and the pretentiousness of Theroux – without apparently having the independently successful careers of all of these, having only come to public notice when Aniston fell for his charms.

To be fair, she has rarely looked lovelier, and Curtis, 50, is wolfishly handsome.

But ‘wellness coach’ Mr Curtis – who has reportedly encouraged Aniston to ‘look inward (unfortunate suggestions of a colonoscopy there) – has a distinct whiff of snake oil about him, or rather, of woo-woo.

As a friend says: “They’ve done intensive regression therapy together, and Jen and Jim believe they met in a past life.

“They feel their souls were destined to find each other again in this timeline to complete their journey. It’s all very woo-woo and spiritual, but it absolutely works for them.”

What is woo-woo? Boiled down to its sticky residue, it’s extreme silliness masquerading as spirituality.

Woo-woo is especially attractive to disappointed women of a certain age; crystals, Goddess workshops and having a shaman on Skype speed-dial.

Gong baths, forest baths, any bath that doesn’t feature water; meditation, mindfulness, manifestation, and ‘cacao ceremonies’ where menopausal women pay other menopausal women to make them a hot chocolate in a flask while they watch the sun rise; call it a cacao ceremony and pay a hundred quid for the privilege.

Past-life regression: a couple I knew told everyone they met that in a past life, and that the woman was apparently the husband’s mother in Ancient Rome.

Their ageing whippet was also with them in Rome, which explained why, at 8,000 years old, he sometimes struggled on his daily walk.

Curtis himself was ‘regressed’ on a television talk show as a youngster and discovered that he was a Native American who was murdered.

The Wonder Of You

It’s funny how regressions bring up such dramatic results – no one’s ever just a bank clerk bored with their daily commute.

Until she saw sense and started showing off what her mama gave her again on Traitors, the most flagrantly silly face of homeland woo-woo was probably Charlotte Church, who in 2022 turned her very big house in the country into a ‘wellness retreat’ complete with a shower which the singer described as akin to a ‘very large and unusual-shaped vagina’, and a ‘womb room’.

According to planning documents, Church aimed to create ‘a system of non-hierarchical participatory democracy’ inside the property.

‘The Dreaming’ was due to open in 2022 – but was postponed due to a problem with too much sewage, which unkind souls might say is the overriding impression that one got from the whole daft enterprise.

But one can see why high-maintenance women might go for men like Mr Curtis.

After the parade of go-getting career-driven arch-narcissists Aniston has been left high and dry by, it might be refreshing to look into the limpid eyes of some smooth-talking guru who only wants to talk about The Wonder Of You.

The only Woo Woo I’ve got time for is this one: ‘Mix vodka, peach schnapps and cranberry juice, and garnish with a lime wedge’

On the other hand, knowing how prevalent stealth-narcissists are on the dodgy borderline where self-care meets self-advancement, there’s an equal chance that Dr Love is simply staring into your eyes in order to see his own reflection.

Falling for a snake-oil smoothie is the modern equivalent of those women who used to fall for vicars, and hang around making themselves useful in church in the hope that earthly love might eventually get a look-in.

Perhaps in a decade’s time, all this meditation, mindfulness and manifestation will be seen for what it is – old-fashioned eccentricity with a self-improving spin.

Personally, the only Woo Woo I’ve got time for is this one: ‘Mix vodka, peach schnapps and cranberry juice, and garnish with a lime wedge’.

First Dates returns to Channel 4 tonight with more hopeful singles looking for love

One First Dates star opened up on her incurable condition that left her living in fear of illness.

A First Dates star was informed she wouldn’t survive beyond the age of 16 following a diagnosis with an “isolating condition”.

The BAFTA-winning dating programme is scheduled to return for a brand new series tonight (Friday, 10th April), tracking singletons searching for romance as they embark on their first date at an upmarket restaurant in Bath.

Making its comeback to Channel 4 with its opening episode tonight at 10pm, the optimistic singles remain unaware of who their prospective match might be as they meet for the first time at the restaurant, overseen by French maître d’ Fred Sirieix and his team.

Featuring awkward encounters and flourishing romantic connections, the programme has become enormously popular with audiences since it initially premiered in 2013.

This evening’s episode will feature a yoga teacher meeting a mindfulness coach, alongside a former Lioness turned firefighter, reports OK!.

A synopsis states: “First Dates returns with a brand new series as Fred and the team match hopeful singles looking for love. From a yoga Instructor and a mindfulness coach navigating an age gap to a returning dater hoping for a better chance, sparks are flying.”

It continues: “A former lioness meets a cat lover, and a doctor faces her nerves with a self confessed geek searching for the one.”

During the episode, one First Dates star revealed details about a degenerative condition which led her parents to be told she wouldn’t survive past 16. Briefly pausing her date, 27 year old Nicole from East Sussex informed 24 year old Matthew she needed to take some medication before revealing: “I actually have cystic fibrosis. It’s a life long condition, you’re born with it, there’s no cure.”

Nicole continued to explain she had been a healthy child until the age of seven before experiencing a chest infection that persisted for three years, while being admitted to hospital every three months.

Characterising it as an “isolating condition”, the 27 year old said she would consume 30 tablets daily, living with the anxiety of contracting an illness.

Speaking to producers, the First Dates star revealed: “My parents were told that I would only live until I was 16. I think I have mentally blocked it out as a way of coping.”

Nevertheless, in encouraging news, Nicole shared with her date: “In 2020 this brand new modulator therapy came about and it was a big turning point to me, touch wood I have been pretty well ever since. Last year I started paying into a pension.”

Meanwhile, one Lioness-turned-firefighter became emotional during her date. Abbie, 32, from Manchester, was matched with 27 year old dental nurse Charlotte as they quickly began discussing their professions.

Abbie disclosed she had been a firefighter for one year, but previously had been a footballer for Manchester City, Manchester United and Leicester – even representing England.

However, she became tearful as she revealed that a tragic accident, which resulted in her breaking her leg, marked the end of her football career. She confided to producers: “It ended my career, which was heartbreaking. I’m going to get upset now… sorry.”

First Dates returns to Channel 4 tonight at 10pm.

The Towie star opened up about his horror health ordeal in his first TV interview since being hospitalised on Good Morning Britain.

Jordan Brook has opened up about his horror health battle in his first TV interview since returning home from hospital.

Towie star Jordan Brook was hospitalised with meningitis for 22 days, and is still recovering from the viral disease, which was unrelated to the Kent outbreak.

He had originally been told his symptoms were a migraine, and was sent home before returning to his GP as his pain increased, and was rushed to A&E.

Jordan, 31, and his pregnant partner Sophie Kasaei were left fearing the worst, and though he has now thankfully returned home, he’s still recovering and struggling with some symptoms.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain today, Jordan recalled the horror ordeal as he and Geordie Shore star Sophie, 36, spoke to hosts Ranvir Singh and Kate Garraway.

He began by saying this was the first day he’d had that gave him a “sense of normality”, after fearing that “would never happen” just a week ago.

He recalled life being “great” after turning 31, preparing for their baby to arrive, but was struck down with what he thought was a fever and an “extreme” headache at the beginning of March.

At the time, Sophie thought Jordan had “man flu”, but his pain intensified, leading him to ring 111.

“I felt like someone had a hot corkscrew out of a fire and was screwing it into my temple. I was in agony. It was making me sick, I was projectile vomiting all over the house, in the bed, bright yellow because I wasn’t eating,” he said.

Paramedics initially told Jordan he had a migraine, but two days later, he was blue-lighted to the hospital, though his scans all came back clear, including for meningitis.

“I’ve never trusted the saying ‘trust your gut’ more. I knew something was wrong,” he went on.

Jordan returned to the hospital after visiting his GP a few days later, where he had a lumbar puncture and a CT scan. “This is when we realised something was wrong,” he said.

At the time, Jordan didn’t have any of the symptoms they thought were linked to meningitis, like a rash or a stiff neck.

Sophie was also banned from visiting him in hospital, because if Jordan had been infected with bacterial meningitis, it would have been a risk for her and their unborn child.

Doctors also had to warn Jordan of all the worst-case scenarios, and he grew emotional remembering the words they told him.

“This makes me so emotional,” he told Ranvir and Kate. “Doctors said, we can’t rule out brain cancer, because they have to tell you every worst case.”

For Sophie, the scariest moment came when Jordan wasn’t able to speak to her.

“You do not think these things will ever happen to you,” she said. “At 31, Jordan is so fit and healthy, he’s always on the go, and to hear that.”

She went on: “Jordan was non-verbal for a bit, and that was the really scary part.”

On his return home last week, Sophie took to Instagram to express her gratitude for the outcome.

She said, “Watching you walk out of those hospital doors felt like getting my whole world back.

“These past weeks have been the hardest I’ve ever known. But you never stopped fighting, not just for yourself, but for us, for your family, for our little boy growing inside me.

“The goal was to be home for Easter, and you did it! Having JB home, hand on my bump, smiling again means more than words will ever be able to say.

“We are blessed, grateful, and whole again. Happy Easter from us. Enjoy it with loved ones, sit back, and soak it up. Life is a precious gift.”

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1 and ITVX.

Dilapidated buildings and decaying signage may put off the casual observer. But for Redlands-based artists James McClung and Marcus Mercado, the gritty patina of the Inland Empire urban landscape conjures memories of life in the region.

Honoring these unassuming entities is the main focus of a new community exhibit, titled “Our Empire,” at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture.

A total of 29 acrylic, mixed media paintings and drawings by McClung and Mercado will be on display at the Altura Credit Union Community Gallery until Oct. 23.

“James and Marcus’ artistic excellence, deep local roots and passion to tell the stories of their neighborhoods aligns with the vision of the Altura Credit Union Community Gallery — a space dedicated to providing opportunities for SoCal artists to showcase their work and uplift the people and places of our region,” said Valerie Found, interim executive director of Riverside Art Museum.

“A lot of people that grew up in these communities see some of these locations and they’re very relatable to their upbringing,” says McClung. “Things have transformed this area as well.”

Take for instance the San Bernardino Santa Fe smokestack, a towering 189-foot-tall structure from the 1920s that fueled the nearby railway power plant until 1994.

(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)

For McClung, who grew up drawing comic book strips with his brother, the historic tower conjures memories of being in transit — after all, it is not far from the San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot, which links the city to other Southern California locations by train.

“I would go out to L.A. in my early 20s, just go off on my own and have a little adventure day,” says McClung. “Santa Fe structure stands out like a monument in the city.”

McClung depicts the tower with rigid orange triangles and hints of dewy sun-kissed hues, alongside a pencil-drawn image of the old Mt. Vernon Avenue Bridge, an 86-year-old structure that connected communities on the west side to the downtown commercial district. The bridge reopened last August under a $244.8–million project.

An elderly man holding a cane is also shown in the upper left area of the painting.  ”Who knows, he probably walked that bridge most of his life,” says McClung, who says he began to appreciate where he grew up following the pandemic.

“When I was a kid, I just remember driving around, looking out the window and observing the area around me,” says McClung. “I think growing up here teaches you to accept the small things and appreciate them too, appreciating small businesses and local establishments.”

Mercado’s interpretation of the Santa Fe tower is subtle, with the smokestack laid out behind the long-stretching freight trains carrying J.B. Hunt and FedEx shipping containers that pass below the renovated Mt. Vernon Avenue Bridge — an industrial crossroad between old and new San Bernardino.

“It’s mostly a reflection of your starting point heading towards L.A.,” he said.

Mercado notes that he took an interest in painting familiar, neglected sites about four years ago. His subjects include the sun-faded hamburglar at the Historic Original McDonald’s Museum in San Bernardino, located at the site where brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald established what would become the largest fast-food chain in the world.

(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)

The defunct Redlands Mall, which is set to be demolished this year, is also a central subject in his artwork.

“I remember specifically being there, memories of the nail salon chemicals. There was a record shop and a hot dog on a stick,” says Mercado of the mall, which opened in 1977. “You’d go during Redlands Market Night, people would be hanging out, so all your friends would kind of meet up for that one night a week.”

When Mercado acquired photos from inside the vacant Redlands Mall from a friend, he saw his beloved hot dog on a stick shop, which he frequented in his middle and high school years, now in a desolate state with empty soda boxes and graffiti that depicted workers as stick figures. He painted it as such.

“To me, it is just a reflection of how we treat our memories or how we remember things,” says Mercado. “Is it the same as what we remember? Is it something that we wanna leave behind, or is it just, like, a ruin?”

Two extinct malls are referenced in the “Our Empire” exhibit, though the second might be hard to decipher unless someone remembers a mystery flute man who used to frequent the Carousel Mall in San Bernardino, which was demolished in 2023 after closing in 2017. McClung painted the flutist after hearing him in an empty parking structure beside the shopping center.

(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)

“I was driving around places in the [Inland] Empire that I wanted to capture. I would go out and take reference photos,” says McClung. “I park in a big parking structure at Carousel mall and I hear this flute. Come to find out he would go there weekly because of the acoustics in the area.”

A quick online search will prompt a flurry of Reddit and Facebook discussion about where the flute man — dubbed the mystical flute man by many — is located now. Besides some streamer vlogs in the area, no formal article or website has ever recognized the elderly man as an idol. His memory, as it exists in McClung’s painting, is reserved for those who share a unique collective experience.

Perhaps others in the area have stumbled upon the mysterious flute man themselves, or can recall the smell of monomer from a nail salon at the Redlands Mall. Or perhaps Inland Empire residents can recognize home from the towering Santa Fe smokestack.

“I want people to come and feel like they are part of this as well,” McClung says. “We have our own memory of what that space was for us, but other people have their own story, too.”

OLIVIA Attwood has hinted at the shocking reason she didn’t legally marry Bradley Dack, as their split gets even messier.

Olivia, 34, and ex-partner Bradley, 32, broke up in January after she claimed that he was unfaithful to her.

The Loose Women star is at the centre of wedding fakery row, after it came to light that she and Bradley were never legally married.

The Love Island legend left ITV bosses “blindsided” when it was revealed that their marriage was never made official, despite the broadcaster airing their wedding on TV.

Now, Olivia has hinted at why she never signed the official paperwork, which would have made her legally wed to Brad.

It came when she “liked” a video on Instagram which explained that by choosing to stay unmarried and not signing a wedding licence, Olivia would never have had a prenup with Brad.

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The clip was captioned with: “Failing to sign on the dotted line was not an act of irresponsibility or forgetfulness… Olivia Attwood was doing what men have done for MILLENIA (protecting her [money emoji]).”

The star has made a HUGE fortune, and is a millionaire many times over, thanks to her rise to fame on Love Island in 2017.

Since then, she has become the darling of ITV, making documentaries left right and centre, as well as a slew of reality shows.

Olivia is also a radio star and podcaster, and is an ambassador for many lucrative brands.

All of this has boosted her bank balance massively, so it appears she made a decision to protect it and not get legally wed.

Meanwhile, Olivia and Bradley held their £200,000 ceremony for 80 guests at the five-star Bulgari hotel in London’s Knightsbridge in June 2023, two months before ITV aired it on their reality show, Olivia Meets Her Match.

She had even changed her name to Olivia Attwood-Dack, using that in her frequent appearances on ITV1’s Loose Women.

Yet it was recently revealed how they never had a legal marriage, as the union has not been logged with the General Register Office, the archive of all marriages and civil partnerships for England and Wales.

Olivia’s camp has claimed that the couple had planned to complete paperwork at a register office near their home in Cheshire six weeks after the wedding.

But they failed to ever sign anything as “Olivia uncovered a number of mistruths” and that her inability to trust Bradley “forced her hand in not being able to legally bind their union”.

A telly source said: “There were crisis meetings at ITV yesterday after this bombshell sent shockwaves around the network as bosses were under the impression that Olivia was married legally and it looks as if they didn’t do their due diligence.

“She always acknowledged him as her husband and used his name, so there was never any need to question the matter.

“ITV would never dream of intentionally trying to deceive their viewers and appreciate the severity of the revelation.

“The show now looks like a cash grab from Olivia and Bradley and makes a mockery of her fanbase”.

Despite the fallout from the revelation that ITV‘s “golden girl” was never legally married, Olivia has jetted to another country on work commitments.

Meanwhile, it comes just days after Olivia said she felt like a “f**king idiot” and admitted covering and lying for the footballer in a fiery statement.

Last week, Gillingham player Brad spoke out to defend her on social media while we exclusively told how her family had cut ties with him.

While attempting to get on with her life, with a work trip to Seoul, Olivia re-posted an inspirational quote to her Instagram page.

On it she added the caption: “I’m in love with this sentence”.

It read: “Forgive yourself, for not knowing earlier what only time could teach you”.

Olivia and Bradley’s split was revealed in January, with sources confirming at the time it was due to a “breach of trust” on the latter’s side.

And earlier this month, we were told by pals that Bradley had been unfaithful to Olivia, hence the break-up.

The blonde bombshell has now confirmed that she is dating again after being seen kissing Pete Wicks.

SABRINA Carpenter has reached the dye point of her career with her biggest show so far.

The Espresso singer, 26, ditched her trademark blonde locks to go brunette for a retro photoshoot.

In one snap the US star wears a red checked shirt and tiny white tasselled skirt while another sees her in a yellow Sixties-style outfit.

Sabrina, who stars in The Muppet Show 2026 special on Disney+, is also kneeling while rocking a long black wig for Perfect magazine.

It comes as she prepares to headline Coachella Festival later this month.

She will be playing to 125,000 fans in the Californian desert.

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When Beyonce headlined in 2018 she had more than 100 dancers.

Sabrina revealed planning started seven months ago and said: “It’s the most ambitious show I’ve ever done.

“It’s probably the most time I’ve ever had to actually just sit down and talk about a show as I’m building it.”

Sabrina played there in 2024, in the 5.30pm slot, on the day Espresso came out.

She recalled: “I got to play that for the first time at Coachella.

“And now, two years later, we’re back.”

Malcolm in the Middle is officially back and the actor who played older brother Reese has revealed that he has ‘never watched the show’ despite being a leading figure in it

The actor who starred as Reese in Malcolm in the Middle has “never watched the show” back. Justin Berfield, now 40, has now returned to our screens for the reboot of the sitcom that ended two decades ago. He has lived a quiet life since then and recently revealed why he quit Hollywood.

But speaking on The Joe Vulpis Podcast, he confirmed that he had watched the four-episode revival, which was released on Disney+ today (April 10), but he still avoids the original episodes.

He said: “I watched it — and I never watched any of the Malcolm episodes.”

Host Joe, clearly surprised, pushed him further, and Justin continued: “I think I’ve, out of 151 episodes, I think I’ve just seen five… I just never watched them.

“I’m an actor… I cannot watch myself because I critique myself way too much.”

He was then informed that he was “great” as Reese but he responded: “I am like, I feel I didn’t hit that joke right, I feel like I messed that line up. I can’t watch myself.

“I’ll turn it on for my wife and kids and I’ll run away and leave the room. I’m like, ‘Let me know when it’s done.’”

He was then pressed on whether he will one day watch it back, given it might trigger some positive memories he had forgotten about.

Justin, who is now a stay-at-home dad who has worked as an onset producer and writer, said: “I don’t know… maybe. I just get uncomfortable watching myself. I know every actor is different and some people love watching themselves, I just can’t. I don’t know. I critique myself too much.”

The reboot sees Justin return as the older brother to Malcolm, played by Frankie Muniz.

He said it was interesting to see where all the characters ended up 20 years later — and he said Reese was still his “shortsighted but quick reacting” self.

Also returning is Malcom’s other older brother, Francis, portrayed by Christopher Masterson. And the siblings’ parents, Hal and Lois, played by Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek, are also starring in it.

The synopsis reveals: “After shielding himself and his daughter from his family for over a decade, Malcolm is dragged back into their orbit when Hal and Lois demand his presence at their 40th anniversary party.”

And as for what it was like being back on set after so long away from his former colleagues, Justin said: “It felt like a really, just a really long hiatus. When we were filming the show, you’d film for like eight months and then you’d take like two, three months off, and then kind of go back and do some things again and start seeing everyone, and that was like your year for seven years straight.

“And then we did this, it was obviously like 20 years since we’d seen each other for most of us. And you just kind of, it felt like time stopped, like we just got right back into it.”

Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair is streaming on Disney Plus from April 10

Afrika Bambaataa, the influential rapper and DJ who helped shape the culture of hip-hop via his legendary Zulu Nation block parties in the South Bronx, has died.

Also known for his electro-funk records including “Planet Rock” and “Looking for the Perfect Beat,” the musician — born Lance Taylor — died Thursday “from complications of cancer,” according to TMZ. He was 68.

A Bronx native and former member of the Black Spades gang, Bambaataa was most known for establishing his activist organization Universal Zulu Nation and hosting its block parties through the late ‘70s, gatherings that helped elevate rap from a genre of music to a cultural movement. The first Zulu Nation block party was held in 1977, set against a turbulent time for New York City — one marked by a historic blackout and a series of blazes across the South Bronx. The celebrations welcomed graffiti artists, DJs, emcees and other street performers, offering former gang members a positive outlet and laying the groundwork for what would become the four elements of hip-hop: deejaying, B-boy/girl dancing, emceeing and graffiti painting.

“Rap is about the gangs and the killings that went on until rap music and break-dancing helped end the violence. It brought people together,” Bambaataa told The Times in 1985.

Bambaataa, often named alongside DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash as a founder of hip-hop, concerned himself with community-building after a prize trip to Africa for an essay competition in 1974 shifted his worldview. He told the Red Bull Music Academy in 2017 that he was greatly inspired by “seeing Black people controlling their own destiny, seeing them get up and go to their own work.” He returned home, his new name a nod to a Zulu chief, with a new rhythm to his work.

The sounds of Bambaataa’s South Bronx block parties soon reached mainstream avenues, spreading beyond the community and eventually beyond New York. In 1982, Bambaataa launched into further fame with the release of “Planet Rock,” a Kraftwerk-inspired creation from him and Soulsonic Force, a group he co-founded. By 2006, he had released more than 20 albums, including compilations, and counted James Brown, Yellowman, John Lydon of the Sex Pistols, Boy George and Bootsy Collins among his collaborators.

Bambaataa’s recording career tapered off in the aughts, but he continued working as a DJ until his death. Bambaataa, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominee, was appointed as a three-year visiting scholar at Cornell University in 2012. Years later, he faced controversy when multiple men in 2016 accused the musician of sexual assault. He denied the allegations at the time. Zulu Nation distanced itself from its founder as the allegations went public but has since remained committed to its mission of hip-hop unity.

Among the accusers who went public with their claims was Democratic Party community advocate Ronald Savage, who alleged Bambaataa assaulted him when he was 14. Savage walked back his claims in 2024, saying he met the musician at a club he had entered using a fake ID.

An anonymous accuser raised additional allegations of sexual abuse and trafficking against Bambaataa in 2021. That case ended last year in favor of the musician’s accuser after Bambaataa failed to appear for a court hearing in New York.

Mere hours after gracing the “Euphoria” Season 3 premiere red carpet, disrobing to reveal a sheer top, beige corset bottoms and lace stockings that became the talk of the town, then jetting over to LAX to catch a red-eye to New York, Natasha Lyonne was reportedly removed from her Delta flight.

According to Page Six, the “Poker Face” star hadn’t changed out of her red carpet look before taking her seat in first class, where she promptly dozed off. Flight attendants tried to rouse Lyonne and asked her to close her laptop and fasten her seatbelt, but the outlet reports she was incommunicado and appeared to be zonked out behind her shades.

Onlookers said that, as several flight attendants tried to stir Lyonne, removed her laptop and asked if she needed medical attention, she seemed out of it, and asked, “Where are we?”

Attendants ultimately had to tell Lyonne the plane wouldn’t be going anywhere until the actor got off, to which she reportedly obliged.

Due to the series of events, Lyonne missed her scheduled Wednesday morning appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show.”

“My heart is with all the unpaid TSA agents at our airports,” she wrote on X alongside a pink heart emoji. “Sure was looking forward to speaking honestly with @DrewBarrymore yesterday but guess wasn’t in the cards.”

Fans of Lyonne commented on the post, worried and checking in with the actor, who has long been candid about her battle with addiction. After 10 years of sobriety, the “Orange Is the New Black” star revealed that she relapsed earlier this year in a social media post that has since been deleted.

In March, she checked in with her online followers again, reassuring fans she was on the mend.

“Proud to report this kid is doing a whole lot better & back on her feet. Want to thank our recovery communities & the fans who stood by & were so supportive,” she wrote on X. “Aiming to keep the journey somehow private, but look forward to sharing my experience, strength & hope as makes sense. My heart is with everyone ever going through it.”

Representatives for Lyonne have not responded to a request for comment.

I’m A Celebrity fans are wondering what has happened to Harry Redknapp and Jimmy Bullard and why they’re not on the show, after it had been announced they would be on the line-up

Harry Redknapp and Jimmy Bullard’s I’m A Celebrity debut, or lack of, has sparked questions on social media.

So where are the former campmates, and why have they not entered the South Africa camp? Stars including Gemma Collins, Beverley Callard and Craig Charles are already on the show.

That said, we already had late arrivals with Gemma and Craig joining the likes of Ashley Roberts, David Haye and Sinitta. But fans are now asking what’s happened to Jimmy and Harry after the news they too would be on the series.

Taking to social media, one fan said: “Where is Harry and Jimmy Bullard?” Another asked: “So no Harry?” as a third said: “Now we just need Harry!”

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Some viewers were quick to comment that they’d heard the pair would be late arrivals. It seems the arrival of both stars could be very soon if a TV guide is anything to go by.

While hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly have yet to address it, Radio Times’ TV guide states that there are two new arrivals entering during Monday’s show. While it doesn’t name the newcomers, it seems only Harry and Jimmy are missing from the current line-up.

Viewers had been confused, as both Harry and Jimmy were named by the show as stars on the line-up on their social media accounts. So when they did not appear with the others, they questioned what had happened.

But rest assured, Harry and Jimmy are on the show and will join very soon, likely Monday if that TV guide is anything to go by. It’s been hinted by Ant and Dec that the arrivals of both stars will be teased at the end of Friday’s show.

Unlike the normal series, I’m A Celebrity South Africa will not air across the weekend. So it seems the arrival of Harry and Jimmy will be teased on Friday, and air on Monday.

Ant had said: “We’ve got two more late entries coming at the end of this week. Then, from week two, it just goes off again to another gear. It’s just got everything.”

The series was filmed last September in South Africa, so most of the series is pre-recorded. There will be a live episode for the final though later this month, taking place in London.

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! South Africa airs every night at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Lord Sugar has chosen his 2026 finalists after the candidates faced several tense interviews

BBC’s The Apprentice has confirmed its 2026 finalists after eleven weeks of tough challenges.

Thursday’s (April 9) episode saw the final five candidates – Dan Miller, Karishma Vijay, Lawrence Rosenberg, Pascha Myhill, and Priyesh Bathia – prepare for the dreaded interview stage of the process, with Pascha and Karishma later advancing to the final.

Earlier in the episode, the business hopefuls were set to face a gruelling round of interviews with some of Lord Sugar’s toughest-talking business associates, Claude Littner, Claudine Collins, Linda Plant, and Mike Soutar.

Their business plans were picked apart, products were blind tested, and even a unique cocktail was prepared on the spot. Some contestants held their own, while others crumbled under the pressure.

Back in the boardroom, Lord Sugar had a tough decision to make, as only two candidates could make it through to next week’s grand final.

After a series of “brutal” interviews and debates in the boardroom, it was the end of the competition for Dan, Lawrence and Priyesh, while Pascha and Karishma sailed through to the grand finale.

Many viewers were delighted by the decision, with one person writing on X (formerly Twitter): “My final 2 are in the final!”

Another added: “Girl power final,” while a third said: “Best finalists they’ve had in a long time!” A fourth fan echoed the sentiment, saying: “Oh I am so pleased, an all female final. Well done ladies.”

However, some viewers were surprised that Lord Sugar didn’t choose to send Dan through, as he already runs a successful student recruitment company.

“I don’t think Dan should have been sent home,” one person wrote, with another adding: “Dan was robbed of the final 2.”

A third said: “I did not see that coming,” with another similarly sharing: “Gutted for Dan but if he can get control of finances he could be very successful in future.”

Recruitment consultant Pascha is proposing a new recruitment company within private healthcare. She aims to focus on supplying experienced, compliant, and compassionate professionals to private nursing homes, care homes, supported living services, and domiciliary care providers and nurseries within the UK.

Meanwhile, beauty brand owner Karishma is seeking investment to elevate her current business. Kishkin is a skincare-infused beauty brand that creates powerful and potent products that simplify a lengthy trend-driven skincare routine.

Next week, Pascha and Karishma will be joined by some of this series’ candidates as they launch their businesses to a room full of industry experts, and some legends from the last 20 years. This all comes before Lord Sugar decides who will become his next business partner.

The Apprentice is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

BROKEN Social Scene is more than just a band, it is a community.

The Canadian collective is at the beating heart of Toronto’s freewheeling indie music scene.

If you attempt to count the combined total of active and inactive members, you arrive at a mind-boggling approximation somewhere between 20 and 30.

“What I love about this band is that it’s an open door,” affirms singer and guitarist Kevin Drew.

Since forming Broken Social Scene in 1999 with Brendan Canning, Drew has been its lynchpin . . . albeit one with an unerringly democratic approach.

“We invited everybody in and we didn’t have rules,” adds the 49-year-old frontman. “And we went out and did our f***ing best.”

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Over the years, notable collaborators have included an array of Canada’s finest singers, including solo artist Feist, Amy Millan of Stars and SFTW’s other interviewee this week, Emily Haines of Metric.

Drew cemented his place at the centre of the scene by co-founding progressive label Arts & Crafts in 2003 and has known many of the artists since he was a teenager.

Now, Broken Social Scene are back with their first album in nine years, Remember The Humans, a typically multi-layered affair but one that never loses touch with a winning melody.

Through words and music, it serves as a telling reminder that in this dislocated tech-driven world, we are still mere mortals with very human feelings.

Drew is at home outside Toronto and I’m in London when we hook up for a video call this week.

Before we discuss Broken Social Scene’s welcome return to the fray, he balances his phone on a copy of Irma Rombauer’s hefty culinary classic, The Joy Of Cooking, to bring his face into full view.

He apologises for appearing a bit flushed and says with a big smile: “Sorry, I just took a sauna.”

I quickly discover that Drew is a disarming character with a refreshingly open take on life.

“My dad was from London originally,” he continues. “I said, ‘Hey Pops, I’m gonna speak to The Sun’, and he went, ‘Oh, my gosh, I remember The Sun — it used to have the pin-ups!’ ”

I inform Drew that one of my earliest reviews for SFTW was Broken Social Scene’s self-titled breakthrough third album, released in 2005. “So, we have a long relationship together, which I love,” he responds without a trace of irony.

Introductions out of the way, he’s ready for me to ask why it’s the right time for a new album, as well as a triple headliner tour with Metric and Stars, which is coming to the UK in September.

“We came to a realisation through playing shows after the pandemic that this IS our life,” he says. “This is something we have spent so much of our lives working on.

“We still find much joy in melody and we are part of the muscle memory business now.

“At the age we’re at and with what we’ve achieved already, we made a firm choice to continue.

“Between us all, we have had so much loss of family and friends, but we found that grief made us grateful for what we’ve got.”

Drew is thrilled to be heading out with his comrades from Metric (particularly Jimmy Shaw) and Stars, a trek that summons “the true spirit of what we have been from the beginning”.

Audiences can expect some band-hopping, meaning that Drew can’t really say how many people will be on stage with him.

“I haven’t a clue,” he says. “But I do know there will be a LOT.” The latest chapter in the Broken Social Scene story probably began in 2022 with a 20th anniversary tour of their second album, You Forgot It People, and its songs that still resonate today.

Drew and his fellow travellers realised they might provide some solace in a world where “identity is at war, fear is prominent at every turn” and where “hope is a very tired word”.

He says: “We thought, ‘Let’s do our tiny little protests, let’s continue to demonstrate community’. After all, it’s not hard for us to make music because there’s so many of us.

“Just by being around for 25 years, we have our own sound.”

One song from You Forgot It People — Anthems For A 17-Year-Old Girl, with Metric’s Haines on lead vocals — has acquired a new audience, as Drew explains.

“Thanks to the [2024] film I Saw The TV Glow, the trans community has brought that song into their lives and embraced it.

“It went viral on TikTok, then suddenly all our listens went up. It was the greatest award we’ve ever been given. We were so touched.”

For Drew, it was proof positive that “music helps to build your identity, to find your own people and to express yourself. Right now, that is something to hold on to”.

With its layers of horns, guitars and synthesisers as well as various distinctive voices, new album Remember The Humans is a triumph for freedom of expression.

There’s also a strong feeling of Broken Social Scene coming full circle, enhanced by the return of original producer David Newfeld.

Drew picks up the story: “I moved out of the city, just half an hour away from where Dave had moved 18 years ago.

“He started coming over for dinner and there was a lot of laughter. He’s so old school — still has a flip phone because he doesn’t think smart phones are smart.

“I reached out to him about working together again. I missed his sound and his passion, which were so unpredictable.

“Next thing I knew, I was on a two-and-a-half-year journey of starts and stops — and loss. I lost my mom and he lost his, so we bonded over that.”

It’s clear that the new album’s heartfelt opening song Not Around Anymore is, among other things, a product of their grieving process.

Drew adds: “Dave also latched on to the song And I Think of You. If you put it through headphones, you are hearing his grief over his mom. He records that thing, mixes it and he takes you on a journey.

“His mom was his world — they talked three times a day. Once he’d lost her, I realised it would help him to put love and loss into some of this music.”

We move on to other key contributors, firstly Feist, who resurrects What Happens Now, a song that reportedly didn’t make the cut for Broken Social Scene’s 2017 album Hug Of Thunder.

“Leslie Feist is a different entity because she’s so solo in her success,” says Drew. “There’s us, Metric and Stars, but she became the biggest of all on her own.”

He adds that Feist has “an open invitation” to be part of Broken Social Scene’s endeavours.

“I always tell her, ‘You’re welcome at this home any time you help build it. In fact, you’ve got your own wing!’ ”

Over acoustic strums, atmospheric electronica and occasional swells of horns, Feist’s ghostly delivery turns What Happens Now into a standout moment. “I’m honoured we were able to put it on this record,” says Drew. “It fits the theme.

“I love the cadence of Leslie’s vocals, the way it seems as if she is drowning before she becomes so clear. It’s so Feist.”

Another singer to make a significant contribution is Hannah Georgas, who became involved in Broken Social Scene’s world through being a support act.

Drew says she made Only The Good I Keep her own, and adds: “She neurologically removed my topline [lead vocal melody] — but we need people to have ownership.

“At first, I called Hannah and said, ‘This is great, but I’ve got something I can’t get in’. Two days later, I couldn’t even remember what I was saying and all I could hear was her version.”

Broken Social Scene regular Lisa Lobsinger brought the song Relief into the mix — providing another insight into the band’s democratic process.

Drew reports: “We got this email out of the blue from Lisa saying she kept singing a song in her head while meditating, and she thought it was by Social Scene.”

Lobsinger realised she was making up Relief by herself in that moment, so she submitted it.

“We sent it to the crew, and everyone loved it,” continues Drew. “So, I said, ‘Oh my God, Lisa, let’s do it!’ ”

Before we go our separate ways, Drew leaves me with telling observations about more general topics related to his home country.

Much as he appreciates iconic Canadian artists like Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young, he singles out some of the lesser-known trailblazers who inspired him — “Thrush Hermit, Sloan, Hayden and Godspeed You! Black Emperor”.

And he has this to say about Donald Trump’s wacky idea of making Canada the 51st US state.

“I say to the younger members of the band, ‘Don’t listen to this man. In fact, don’t listen to men in general — if they have a microphone, they won’t do you any favours, including rock singers!’ ”

It’s a typical comment from someone for whom community spirit means everything.

In Broken Social Scene, decides Drew, “we are empaths, not sociopaths. No one has their identity wrapped up in this band”.

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE
Remember The Humans

★★★★★

NICOLE Kidman commandos attention by going undies-free in a sheer-sided dress.

The actress, 58, wore the striking monochrome frock to the premiere of her Apple TV series Margo’s Got Money Troubles.

She also cuddled co-star Elle Fanning in New York.

Elle, meanwhile, blew out candles on a cake for her 28th birthday yesterday.

Nicole is planning a holiday with her teen daughters after her split last year from their country singer dad Keith Urban, 58.

She said: “I have teenage girls, and we want to have our whole summer (together).

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“We’re going to go have some summer fun.”

Nicole is growing close to a fellow Aussie actor after her divorce from country singer husband Keith.

The twice-married Hollywood A-lister was snapped clasping hands with Simon Baker, 56.

He plays her husband in Prime Video series Scarpetta in which she is a forensic pathologist investigating a series of murders.

The pair were seen cosying up at a screening of the series earlier this month in New York and stuck together at the after-party.

A source said: “Nicole and Simon’s closeness is definitely the talk of the town right now.

“They’re incredible together on screen and when you see them together in real life, that chemistry clearly wasn’t faked.

“At the after-party they stayed close all night and were deep in conversation.”

MODEL Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is awash with glamour as she poses under an outdoor shower in a cut-out swimsuit.

The British beauty, 38, was snapped for her latest fashion venture.

Former Victoria’s Secret Angel Rosie — who has two children with her tough guy actor fiancé Jason Statham, 58 — has teamed up with Brazilian brand ViX Paula Hermanny as a designer and global ambassador.

She and Jason have been together since 2010 and have kids Jack, eight, and Isabella, three.

Last month Rosie worked flat out for a sexy new photoshoot.

She stretched back in a Valentino sheer dress — and struck a similar pose on top of a Sydney skyscraper.

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She also told the April edition of Vogue Australia, out on Monday, of her love for Oasis, having seen them play live on tour last year.

She said: “It gets everybody to the dance floor or singing their hearts out.”

Action film star partner Jason Statham, 57, popped the question in 2016, but she later said getting married was “not a priority”.

A source said: “Jason might be 20 years older than Rosie, but they are on the same page with each other in so many aspects of their lives.

“Their love for each other, and their children, is incredibly reassuring and something their friends look up to.”

The couple recently teamed up for their first photoshoot together.

The popular detective series first aired back in 2024 and features David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin

There’s brilliant news for fans of the hit detective series Ludwig, as it looks as though it’ll be back for a third series.

The BBC crime drama initially premiered in 2024 and featured David Mitchell portraying twin brothers John Taylor and DCI James Taylor.

When John visited his sister-in-law, Lucy Betts-Taylor (Anna Maxwell Martin), events took a dramatic turn as he discovered his brother had vanished from their Cambridge residence.

As she revealed that James had been behaving oddly while working on a case, Lucy informed John that her husband had instructed her to escape with their son after he failed to return home one evening.

Nevertheless, she defied his instructions and enlisted his twin brother to assume John’s identity and pose as a member of the police force in a bid to uncover the truth, reports Cambridgeshire Live.

Despite his early reservations, he ultimately consented as his puzzle-solving abilities enabled him to recognise that the letter his brother left contained hidden messages.

Following a series packed with twists and turns, John eventually confessed that he wasn’t his twin brother. Yet, they received an unexpected voicemail from the real James.

Acknowledging he disappeared, James instructs his twin to carry on investigating the corruption in Cambridge.

While the second series is scheduled to broadcast later this year, it appears there could be additional episodes in the pipeline as TVZone reports that a third instalment has been commissioned.

The BBC declined to comment when contacted by Cambridge News. Discussing the second series, David Mitchell said: “I’m delighted that John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor has failed to escape the clutches of the Cambridge police and will have to continue to face up to the city’s alarming conundrum-based crime wave.”

Alongside David and Anna reprising their roles in Ludwig, audiences can also expect to see Dipo Ola (DCI Russell Carter), Dylan Hughes (Henry Betts-Taylor), Dorothy Atkinson (DCS Carol Shaw), Ralph Ineson (Chief Constable Ziegler) and Karl Pilkington (DI Matt Neville) all return to the screen.

The series has garnered widespread acclaim from viewers since its debut, with one fan declaring: “#Ludwig on BBC is amazing!” Another enthused: “Oh my goodness @BBCiPlayer – #Ludwig was absolutely incredible! When is series 2 out??!!”

A further viewer remarked: “Clever, witty and perfectly casted! Back to classic entertainment! Just what we need these days, and we need more of it.”

While another enthusiastic fan shared: “A WONDERFUL ENTERTAINING MURDER MYSTERY, EVOCATIVE OF MISS MARPLE HERSELF. Ludwig from the BBC, is a beautiful written mini series.”

The first series of Ludwig is available to watch in full on BBC iPlayer.

No actor in a movie this month is enjoying themselves more than Ian McKellen as an egomaniac painter in Steven Soderbergh’s slender pleasure “The Christophers.” Once, his Julian Sklar was the bisexual provocateur of the London art scene commanding millions for a single piece. Now he’s better known as the villain of “Art Fight,” a reality competition show where he took cruel pleasure destroying amateurs’ hopes.

Equally dismissive of his own output, Julian hasn’t wielded a paintbrush in decades. And so his adult children Barnaby and Sallie (James Corden and Jessica Gunning of “Baby Reindeer”) — two money-grubbing, untalented brats — hire a broke art restorer, Lori (Michaela Coel), to finish a stack of half-sketched portraits Julian made of his male ex-lover that were left abandoned in the attic. Don’t think of it as forgery, Barnaby assures Lori, “more like forging through them until they are completed.”

That’s a great line, and “The Christophers” has a dozen more almost as good. Nearly all get delivered by McKellen’s Julian, waving a champagne coupe while monologuing about humidifiers, cancel culture and a doctor who smells like radishes. He seems to imagine acolytes — or at least, television audiences — eagerly soaking up his bon mots. Meanwhile, Lori, a young Black woman hired under false pretenses as an assistant, stares mutely. If their first meeting as boss and employee were freeze-framed into a painting, it would be called “A Study in Contrasts.”

The script is by Ed Solomon, who also collaborated with Soderbergh on the more action-packed 2021 gangster movie “No Sudden Move.” This plot doodles along, rarely going where we expect. Mostly, Julian and Lori take turns thwarting his obnoxious kids and threatening to quit. I chuckled every time Corden and Gunning showed up for more abuse, including from Soderbergh, who shoots them like a wall of stupidity, blocking doorways as they stand side-by-side like Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

The inequalities of the art world are gestured to as fact. Lori, who might be every bit as technically gifted as Julian, ekes out a living serving egg rolls in a food truck while sharing a walk-up loft with three other struggling painters. Julian lords over not one but two swanky adjoining townhouses stuffed with antiques. Once, to flip off the establishment, he sold a work worth 2 million British pounds for the price of a used car. His version of disdain is her idea of a fortune.

One stick figure by Julian would be worth more than anything Lori’s ever done, which makes it extra maddening that he chooses instead to earn a little extra pocket money recording video messages for fans who only care about him as that mean guy on TV. In the glow of a ring light, he tosses off glib advice that might itself be worthless. Quit art school, he tells one, and “happy birthday, blah, blah, blah.” (Even imagining a popular TV show about art is, in itself, culturally aspirational for those of us who enjoy reruns of Bob Ross.)

Why is there such disparity between the value of Julian and Lori’s work? The reasons are so obvious that, to the film, they’re barely worth mentioning: age, gender, era, fame and skill. Julian would dismiss the first two, claiming that wokeness gives an old, white male like him the handicap. But it’s frustrating that the film doesn’t dig very deep into the rest, either. I especially wanted a scene where Julian must reckon with a no-name interloper’s ability to copy his genius, but comparing whether Lori is Julian’s equal would call the film’s bluff and force it to actually show us their art. The handheld camera prefers to lurk on the wooden side of the easel.

Really, I’m not sure Soderbergh even has an opinion on their clash. He just wants to be an eavesdropper in the room, standing back against the dusty brick-a-brack. Of course, if you squint, you can see what interests Soderbergh in this set-up. Like Julian, he’s been threatening to retire for years. He knows how irritated people are when an artist claims they don’t want to bother anymore. And like the neglected paintings in the attic — the Christophers of the title — every filmmaker has their own unfinished projects taking up mental space overhead, treasured ideas that will never emerge to their satisfaction.

Still, I suspect that even if Soderbergh personally identifies with the premise (even though he continues to release more movies in one year than his peers do in five), he still finds Julian’s paralysis a bit pathetic. Julian just needs paint, a brush and the will to create. Filmmakers, now those poor bastards need rich patrons.

Even so, Soderbergh likes to make movies as resourcefully as he can, doing his own editing and cinematography and, above all, prioritizing the act of invention. He can’t be copied because his own work is so eclectic. Have you ever heard of any director being called the next Soderbergh? You sense that, to him, forgery is as creatively dull as a factory-issued franchise sequel. (Except, of course, his “Magic Mike” and “Ocean’s” series, which are, at their best, closer to wacky Warhols.)

Tasked to play the foil to McKellen’s clown, Coel comes off stiff. She has the spine to hold her own against him, but it’s hard to play withholding, particularly when the film needs her character to be both the voice of reason and a politically correct scold. Only her carved cheekbones give off an impression of Lori’s hungry ambition. Still, when she does deign to speak, there’s a dynamite scene where she dresses down Julian critically and psychologically. Whether or not she’s the second coming of him as an artist, she’s more insightful than he ever was insulting watercolors of kittens on TV.

Really, we’re just watching McKellen give a bravura, scene-gobbling performance that doesn’t hold back one iota. My favorite detail he pulls off comes when he greets Lori at the front door undressed and, when she insists he wear clothes, ties on a trench coat that somehow makes him look even more pervy and naked in how McKellen wears it, leaving one bare shoulder roguishly exposed.

The film has plenty of funny little asides like that which make it worth your while. Angelenos will chuckle at a scene in which two characters verbally commit to a meet-up both know won’t happen — or, as we say here, let’s do lunch. Out of magnanimity, I’ll liken this trifle to a Rothko. The more I think about “The Christophers,” the more I imagine it has interesting layers. But I won’t fault anyone who just sees a simple square.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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