show biz

BBC Breakfast took a brief pause on Sunday morning for a ‘significant’ update

BBC Breakfast was briefly halted for a ‘significant’ update about the forthcoming budget during Sunday morning’s programme (November 23).

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to present the much-anticipated Autumn Budget on Wednesday, which might include manifesto-breaking tax hikes.

The Chancellor has previously promised that the new budget will “deliver on the priorities of the British people” by reducing NHS waiting lists, the national debt and the cost of living.

Although she has reportedly decided against raising income tax rates, there are rumours that she could announce an extended freeze on income tax and National Insurance thresholds, meaning more people would pay it as wages increase over time.

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There might also be a new tax introduced on high-value homes, of which there are roughly 2.4 million in England. This could impact properties in council tax bands F, G and H, reports the Express.

Roger Johnson and Sarah Campbell were presenting BBC Breakfast today when the show took a brief pause.

“I’m not sure there’s ever a quiet week in politics these days but this week is particularly significant with the budget on Wednesday,” Sarah started.

She then handed over to Laura Kuenssberg who was ready in a separate studio to outline what was coming up on her Sunday morning politics show, momentarily interrupting BBC Breakfast’s schedule.

Speaking about the upcoming episode of Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Laura stated: “It really is, we are now just a few days away from Rachel Reeves’ huge moment in the House of Commons.

“A massive moment for the country, a massive moment for the economy and a massive moment for this government that has had such a turbulent few months.”

She continued: “This morning we’ll be giving you everything you need to know in the final days before the big moment itself.”

BBC Breakfast is broadcast daily from 6am on BBC One and iPlayer.

VICTORIA Beckham is embracing her Spice Girls past more than ever – leaving many convinced she’s sewing the seeds for an announcement that will send fans into meltdown. 

For years Victoria, 51, has been The Grinch of the Spice Girls, refusing to join Mel B, Emma Bunton, Melanie C and Geri Horner on tour in 2019 and making several comments about how she’s moved on from the group. 

But the fashion designer has dropped many hints in recent months that Posh Spice is coming out of retirement. 

The biggest clue yet came when she uploaded a clip of her make-up free and singing a live acoustic version of one of their biggest hits, despite being open about insecurities surrounding her voice. 

Next year marks three decades since Spice Girls took over the world with debut single Wannabe and – with Scary, Baby, Sporty and Ginger keen to mark the occasion in a big way – here’s all the clues Victoria will finally perform with them again. 

Stadium temptation

For music fans, this summer was dominated by the historic Oasis reunion tour which saw brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher perform together for the first time in 16 years. 

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Demand for tickets was so high that thousands of people were left gutted to miss out – but Victoria wasn’t one of them.

She attended one of the Wembley Stadium gigs with husband David, 50, and their children and the iconic show clearly had her feeling nostalgic.

Victoria shared a clip of David enjoying himself at the concert and tagged all of her former bandmates, adding: “Tempting…”

During their 2019 reunion tour, Spice Girls sold out 13 stadium dates – including three nights at Wembley – which grossed an estimated £55million.

So you can’t blame Posh for wanting a slice of it this time around…

Posh residency

Since launching her eponymous luxury fashion brand in 2008, Victoria has made it clear it’s her priority professionally.

Discussing her decision not to join Mel B, 50, Emma, 49, Melanie C, 51, and 53-year-old Geri on tour in 2019, she told Vogue Germany: “It took me a lot of courage not to go on tour with the Spice Girls again.

“But to be the one who says, ‘You know, I’m not doing it because things feel different now than they used to’.”

She added: “I’d rather concentrate on my family and my company. I’m 45 now and very happy to be the woman I am…”

But, while touring all over the world may be out of the question for Victoria and her business, she recently confessed the idea of a Vegas residency is one that appeals to her.

Speaking to Andy Cohen on Sirius XM, she said: “It would be tempting.

“But could I take on a world tour? No I can’t. I have a job…

“How good would the Spice Girls be at the Sphere! I love the idea of it. I mean I don’t know if I could even still sing, I mean I was never that great!”

The 20,000-capacity concert hall features wraparound screens and has hosted residencies from U2, The Eagles and Backstreet Boys, with No Doubt set to reunite there for 12 dates next May.

Spice Girls forever

Right from the start, Victoria was labelled as the ‘Posh one who doesn’t sing’.

And it was all because – due to a prior family commitment – she missed the final recording session for Wannabe, meaning she was the only member without a solo.

Writing in her 2001 autobiography Learning To Fly, Victoria recalled trying to write the track over the phone with the girls – calling missing the session one of her biggest regrets.

She wrote at the time: “It did make a difference, because by the time it came to recording, performing and singing it, all the parts had been divided up between the rest of them.

“And every time we performed it I just felt like a gooseberry standing at the back not doing anything. 

“And I used to say to my mum, ‘God, they’ll say I’m the one who doesn’t sing’. And she’d say, ‘Don’t worry, Victoria, no one will notice’.

“But they did notice. And to this day it’s what always gets thrown at me: Posh Spice, the one who doesn’t sing.”

Victoria has always been ahead of the joke about her vocals and recently quipped: “[My voice] wasn’t off-key, but it was small. Sometimes, they just turned my mic off.”

But she almost broke the internet when she sat down for a stripped back acoustic performance of Viva Forever with son Cruz, 20.

The incredible video sent fans wild, with one writing: “My fave song ever. Goosebumps listening it on your beautiful voice!”

And another said: “This gave me goosebumps… so iconic.”

But it was Melanie C’s comment that set tongues wagging, as she wrote: “Love this. Getting a head start on rehearsals.”

Mum guilt

Despite her reservations about singing with the girls again, Victoria has always been proud of their legacy.

Speaking in her recent Netflix documentary she admitted she “wouldn’t have been who I am now if it wasn’t for the Spice Girls, 100 per cent”.

Victoria added: “People love the Spice Girls. I love the Spice Girls. I’m so proud of that.”

And the mum-of-five joked David “mum-guilted” her into joining the group for their 2007 world tour.

In the series, he said: “Our kids weren’t around to see their mum be a Spice Girl!”

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And Victoria quipped: “He mum-guilted me!”

And, given Cruz’s recent duet with his former pop star mum, there’s no doubt David and the kids will be encouraging Victoria to dust off her little Gucci dress at least one more time.

“Suffs,” Shaina Taub’s musical about how women finally secured the right to vote in America, won Tony Awards for its book and score. It lost the best musical race to “The Outsiders,” but the respect it earned when it opened last spring on Broadway made it an unequivocal winner.

The show is having its Los Angeles premiere at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in a touring production that is smooth and smart. Taub’s work deserves nothing less than an A. The cast is excellent, the staging is graceful and the political message could not be more timely.

The show might not have the crackling vitality of “Hamilton” or the bluesy poignancy of “The Scottsboro Boys.” It’s a good deal more earnest than either of these history-laden musicals. There’s an educational imperative at the heart of “Suffs,” which deals with a subject that has been marginalized in schools and in the collective consciousness.

The 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, was ratified in 1920, a little more than a century ago. The history isn’t so distant yet I’m sure I wasn’t the only one at Wednesday’s opening who was learning about the forceful tactics that helped Alice Paul and her fellow suffragists push their movement over the finish line.

“Suffs,” a musical for the public square, is as informative as it is uplifting. It is above all a moving testament to the power of sisterhood. The struggle for equality continues to face crushing setbacks today, but Taub wants us to remember what can happen when people stand united for a just cause.

Alice (a winning Maya Keleher) doesn’t seem like a rabble-rouser. A bright, well-educated woman with a polite demeanor, she looks like a future teacher of the year more than a radical organizer. But she has an activist’s most essential quality: She won’t take no for an answer. (Keleher lends alluring warmth to the role Taub made her Broadway debut in.)

Marya Grandy and the company of the national tour of “Suffs.”

(Joan Marcus)

She’s rebuffed by Carrie Chapman Catt (Marya Grandy), the president of the National American Woman Suffrage Assn., whose motto (“Let your all-American mother vote”) is the basis for the show’s opening number, “Let Mother Vote” — a distillation of the old-guard approach that has yet to yield women the vote.

Alice wants to organize a march in Washington, D.C., to force the president’s reluctant hand, but Carrie prefers a more genteel strategy. “Miss Paul, if my late great mentor Susan B. Anthony taught me anything, it’s that men are only willing to consider our cause if we present it in a lady-like fashion.

“State by state, slow and steady, until the country’s ready” is, after all, NAWSA’s fundamental creed. But Alice points out that if they continue at this glacial pace they’ll be dead before they can ever cast a vote.

Swinging into action, Alice teams up with her friend Lucy Burns (Gwynne Wood), who worries that they haven’t the experience to take on such a momentous mission. “We’ve never planned a national action before,” she objects at the start of their duet “Find a Way.” But undaunted Alice has the bold idea of recruiting Inez Milholland (played at the opening night performance by Amanda K. Lopez), and a way forward miraculously materializes.

Inez has just the right glamorous public image that Alice thinks will give their march the publicity boost it needs. Studying for the bar exam, Inez is initially reluctant but agrees if she can lead the march on horseback.

This image of Inez on a steed becomes central both to the movement and to director Leigh Silverman’s production, which finds simple yet striking ways of bringing revolutionary change to life. A chorus line of activists wearing suffragist white (kudos to the luminous tact of costume designer Paul Tazewell) eloquently communicates what solidarity can pull off.

Brandi Porter, left, and Jenny Ashman as President Woodrow Wilson in “Suffs.”

(Joan Marcus)

An all-female and nonbinary cast dramatizes this inspiring American story. Taub takes some fictional license with the characters but largely sticks to the record.

Notable allies in Alice’s organization include Ruza Wenclawska (Joyce Meimei Zheng) a Polish-born trade union organizer with a no-nonsense grassroots style, and Doris Stevens (Livvy Marcus), a shy yet undeterred student from Nebraska who becomes the group’s secret weapon secretary.

Ida B. Wells (Danyel Fulton), an early leader in the civil rights movement, takes part in the march but resists being used as a prop in what she calls NAWSA’s “white women convention.” Mary Church Terrell (Trisha Jeffrey), a fellow Black activist, by contrast believes that it’s only through participation that representation can move forward.

President Woodrow Wilson (Jenny Ashman), who makes promises to the suffragists he is hesitant to keep, is a crucial target of Alice’s pressure campaign. Her group’s access to him is aided by Dudley Malone (Brandi Porter), Wilson’s right-hand man, who becomes smitten with Doris.

The score marches ahead in a manner that makes progress seem, if not inevitable, relentless in its pursuit of justice. The songs combine the patriotic exuberance of John Philip Sousa and the American breadth of Broadway composer Stephen Flaherty (“Ragtime”). The note of pop accessibility in Taub’s music and the satiric humor of her lyrics add to the buoyancy. You won’t leave humming a tune, but the overall effect (while ephemeral) is pleasing in the theater.

With the history already determined, the book can’t help resembling at times a civics exhibition. Dramatic tension is hard to come by. Alice and her cohorts suffer grave disappointments and indignities (including a harrowing stint in prison), but the eventual outcome of their struggles is known.

“Suffs” sometimes feels like a history lesson neatly compartmentalized into Important Episodes. There’s a whiff of PBS to the way the musical unfolds. This is cultural programming that’s good for you.

But the teamwork of the performers honors the messy yet undeniably effective cooperation of Alice and her freedom fighters — women who changed the world by not staying silent in their prescribed place.

SHE was known for late-night partying with showbiz pals during her ladette days and Sara Cox admits that behind doors she was full of energy too.

The DJ says “no surface was safe” when she was at home with her advertising executive husband Ben Cyzer, who she has been with for two decades.

But flash forward to today and the 50-year-old mum of three says that “every surface is safe” and they often sleep in separate rooms because she can’t stand his snoring.

Sara said: “When I sometimes get on my little stool in the kitchen to reach for some Tupperware, I do think, ‘Oh, look, my fun area is really parallel with his face right at the moment’.

“But as the kids get older, you just can’t be doing that — they’d never get past it.

“I mean, when you’re in your early 30s and stuff, no surface is safe in the kitchen or the bathroom, is it? But now pretty much everywhere is safe.”

Sara, who has just completed the equivalent of five marathons in five days to raise an astonishing £10million for Children In Need, opened up about their sleeping habits at home in North London.

Just days before the epic fundraiser, she told The Teen Commandments Podcast: “This is my issue that I’ve got with Ben in the night.

“Just general breathing — just him breathing is annoying. Not during the day, I have to point that out. I just mean any slight noises.

“You know on a wildlife documentary where they have a shot of an animal that’s on high alert for a predator? I think I’ve got that kind of feeling in the middle of the night.

“Like, if I just hear the tiniest sound, it’s so magnified in the middle of the night — I think there’s a bit of anxiety in there.

“Because I remember in my 20s, if I woke up at 1.30am — well, I probably wouldn’t be in bed at half one — but if I woke in the middle of the night and it was like 3am in my 20s, I’d be, like, ‘Yeah, I’ve got loads of time to sleep, amazing’.

“And now I’m 50, I just go, ‘F**k, it’s three, I’m not going to sleep’. I nudge him and he’s really patient — he’s great about it. But we keep sleeping in ­separate rooms, which is a bit depressing.”

Bolton-born Sara doubtless needs plenty of rest after running a total of 135 miles from Kielder Forest in Northumberland to ­Pudsey in Leeds earlier this month — carrying the annual Beeb telethon’s mascot ­Pudsey Bear on her back.

During her Great Northern Marathon Challenge, the star was sent a message of encouragement by Prince William, who said: “Keep going — you’ve done fantastically well and the nation’s so proud of you.”

Sara says she was inspired to raise money for vulnerable kids after recalling the bullying she suffered at school from “two girls who made my life hell”.

This week she revealed she battled through the challenge by listening to tracks by rapper Stormzy and said it was a lot tougher than she ever expected.

Behind-the-scenes footage shown on Sara Cox: Every Step Of The Way For Children In Need, on BBC One on Wednesday, revealed the heartbreaking reason she decided to take on the challenge.

And now I’m 50, I just go, ‘F**k, it’s three, I’m not going to sleep’

Sara said: “My brother David died suddenly in 2019 and it completely destroyed the family — like, it came out of nowhere and he was a real athlete who ran countless Ironman competitions.

“I don’t think he’d believe I’m doing this, I think he’d be super-proud. I’m hoping that I’ve just got a bit of strength from him today.”

Sara’s children are now nearly the age she was when she found fame. Her eldest, Lola — from her first marriage — is 21, while Isaac and Renee are 17 and 15 respectively.

Sara had been working as a model when, at the age of 22 she landed her first TV job hosting The Girlie Show on Channel 4.

Two years later she became a presenter on The Big Breakfast and a year on, in 1999, it was announced she would take over the Radio 1 Breakfast show.

Known as “Coxy” back then, she worked — and partied — hard. Her pals included fellow broadcaster Zoe Ball, model Gail Porter, actress Donna Air and TV host Jayne ­Middlemiss.

They became notorious for their wild nights and were dubbed ladettes — a term Sara has always hated, saying it suggested they were “just trying to be like the boys . . . and we were never trying to be like the boys”.

Her lifestyle changed dramatically when she became mum to Lola in 2004, a year before she separated from her first husband DJ Jon Carter, who she had married in 2001.

Sara began dating Ben, now 50, in 2005 and they married in 2013 a year after she signalled another shift by quitting BBC Radio 1 to host the breakfast show on its more mature sister ­station, Radio 2. ‘Mind-boggling behaviour’.

She has admitted: “Yes, I used to drink loads. I thought nothing of ­having wine with lunch then going to the pub later, but they were ­different times. It all stops when you have children, to be replaced with other things that are just as pleasurable.

“The first ten years of my career I was out a lot more and the second decade I was explaining my ­behaviour in the first decade and apologising for it.”

And she said she never felt pressure to bring back her “Coxy” alter ego, because she had “buried her with some vodka and Marlboro Lights”.

The first ten years of my career I was out a lot more and the second decade I was explaining my ­behaviour in the first decade and apologising for it

Now her work has changed too. The BBC Radio 2 presenter has been hosting the station’s Drivetime show since January 2019 and next up is a new BBC One series, starting on December 1, about professional model-makers, called The Marvellous ­Miniatures Workshop.

When she’s not on the TV or the radio, Sara is busy hosting The Teen Commandments podcast with her best friend Clare Hamilton, who she has known since they were ­children.

The pair launched the podcast in January, having raised five teenagers between them.

The show casts light on the “mind-boggling behaviour” of their ­youngsters and how they tackled it with “wisdom that only comes from being rule-breakers themselves”.

On this week’s episode, Sara reveal­ed she has been trying to break her family’s addiction to mobile phones.

She confided: “I just feel like a st mum because I am not stopping it, and I feel completely powerless.

My brother David died suddenly in 2019. He was a real athlete. I don’t think he’d believe I’m doing this, I think
he’d be super proud

“I did suggest something, but it was immediately . . .  I mean, the faces I was met with . . .

“I should have really got Ben more on side because what can happen sometimes is that I will suggest something for us to do as a family, and Ben will immediately side with the teenagers and undermine me.

“I told him that I wanted to do something where we start having more time together as a family and we put the phones away.

“So over dinner, I was like, ‘Right, this weekend, can we do it where we just have four hours without our phones or our laptops or anything?’

“Immediately, Ben piped up, ‘That’s too long’. I’m giving him daggers when the youngest pipes up that she’s got to revise. She needs her phone. Fair enough.

“But I’m really worried that we’re not living our lives together as a family, where we look at each other and where we chat and where we do things and hang out.

“So I’m just, like, ‘Whether we go out on a big dog walk or we just do something as a family, let’s put the phones away for four hours’.”

Sara is unlikely to be popping out for a stroll any time soon as she complains she cannot walk following her fundraising efforts.

But she still feels like she is in the best shape of her life, explaining on her podcast: “It’s good on this side of 50, I’ve got to say.

“I think — especially when you’re a woman — it’s always like, ‘How do you feel about turning 50? What are you going to do?’ But this age seems better than the alternative, babe.”

A federal judge has temporarily blocked OpenAI’s use of several monikers, including “Cameos” and “CameoVideo,” for elements of its Sora artificial intelligence video generation products and marketing.

U.S. District Judge Eumi K. Lee on Friday issued a temporary restraining order to prevent the San Francisco AI giant from using names that are part of an ongoing trademark dispute.

The Northern California judge also set a Dec. 19 hearing to delve further into the matter.

The lawsuit was brought late last month by Chicago-based tech business Baron App, which also goes by the name of its product, Cameo. The eight-year-old firm sued OpenAI, alleging trademark infringement and unfair competition.

In its Oct. 28 lawsuit, Baron said it has secured several U.S. Trademark Registrations for its Cameo product, which enables fans to engage celebrities to make personalized videos to wish friends a happy birthday or other greetings.

Snoop Dogg, Tony Hawk, Jon Bon Jovi and Donald Trump Jr. are among celebrities who have participated, connecting with fans through Cameo, the company said in its complaint against Open AI. Cameo said its posts have been popular, attracting more than 100 million views in the past year.

The legal dispute began after OpenAI announced an update to its text-to-video tool Sora in September. The update included the launch of a new Sora feature that it called Cameos.

OpenAI’s fall product update gave consumers on the Sora app the ability to scan their faces and allow others to manipulate their facial images in AI-generated environments. YouTube influencer and boxer Jake Paul, who is an investor in OpenAI, participated in OpenAI’s Cameos’ rollout. In less than five days, the Sora app hit more than 1 million downloads.

“OpenAI is now using Cameo’s own mark, CAMEO, to compete directly with Cameo,” Baron wrote in its lawsuit against OpenAI.

Lawyers for the two companies argued their positions in a Tuesday hearing.

Lee’s decision forbids OpenAI and its “officers, directors and employees from using the mark ‘Cameo,’ or any other mark that includes or is confusingly similar to ‘Cameo,’ ” according to her order. “Defendants are ordered to show cause why a preliminary injunction should not [be] issue[d].”

The temporary restraining order expires Dec. 22.

“While the court’s order is temporary, we hope that OpenAI will agree to stop using our mark permanently to avoid any further harm to the public or Cameo,” Cameo CEO Steven Galanis said in a Saturday statement. “We would like nothing more than to put this behind us so that we can focus our full attention on bringing talent and fans together as we head into the holidays.”

An OpenAI spokesperson responded in a statement: “We disagree with the complaint’s assertion that anyone can claim exclusive ownership over the word ‘cameo’, and we look forward to continuing to make our case to the court.”

The move comes as OpenAI has faced blowback in Hollywood as images of celebrities and dead newsmakers were manipulated without their consent.

Bullseye returned to ITV earlier this month with Freddie Flintoff as host

Bullseye is back for another fun episode on Sunday night as three more pairs made up of keen darts player and quizzing partners compete against one another to win points and prizes.

Hosted by Freddie Flintoff, this weekend’s episode sees professional darts player Fallon Sherrock team up with Freddie, 47, to try to complete a charity challenge.

In an exclusive clip obtained by the Mirror of this Sunday’s episode, it sees a simple Coronation Street question cause confusion amongst the players.

Freddie asks: “The winner of Celebrity Big Brother in 2025, Jack P Shepherd, is a star of what soap?” to which contestant, Scott, wrongly guesses: “EastEnders?”

Freddie is quick to respond that his answer is sadly incorrect as he then asks the same question to the fellow players, Brian and Stuart.

Brian is quick to buzz in but before he can give his answer he hilariously admits: “What was the question?”, leaving the audience in hysterics while a confused Freddie responds: “Hey?”

However, Brian quickly remembers the questions and delivers the correct answer of Coronation Street.

It comes as Bullseye has returned for a new series and a 2025 Christmas special following last year’s one-off Bullseye festive special, which drew in audiences of over 8.6 million.

The original Bullseye aired from 1982 until 1995 and was hosted by the late Jim Bowen.

Meanwhile, Freddie will not be using his real name as the former England cricketer hosts the ITV quiz show.

The 47-year-old has always gone by Freddie but is actually named Andrew.

Cricket icon Flintoff has always been known as Freddie ever since his school days. He was given the nickname because his surname was similar to that of cartoon character Fred Flintstone.

“It’s strange, isn’t it? Because obviously, my name is Andrew, and then – since I was about 15 – I’ve just been called Fred or Freddie,” he said in a self-titled documentary on Disney+.

“Because Andrew is probably more a reflection of me. Quite introverted. Just like his own space.

“But that would never have survived the world of professional sport. I knew that pretty quickly.”

Bullseye airs Sundays at 8pm on ITV1.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kaya went solo in 2004 and Carmit left in 2008.

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

Canadian officials are investigating the death of actor Spencer Lofranco, who died Monday.

The British Columbia Coroners Service confirmed its investigation on Friday, days after the “Gotti” and “Unbroken” actor’s brother announced his death on social media. Lofranco died Tuesday at age 33.

“My brother. You lived a life only some could dream of. You changed people[‘s] lives, and now you are with God,” Santino Lofranco wrote in a Facebook statement shared Thursday morning. “I will always love you and miss you BEAR. RIP.”

The statement did not include a cause of death. A spokesperson for the British Columbia Coroners Service did not share additional details, pending the ongoing investigation.

Spencer Lofranco most notably shared the screen with John Travolta in the critically-panned John Gotti biopic “Gotti” and appeared in Angelina Jolie’s Oscar-nominated World War II-set drama “Unbroken.” His credits also include films “At Middleton,” “Jamesy Boy,” “Dixieland” and “King Cobra” and the 2015 short film “Home,” according to IMDb.

In his “Jamesy Boy” review for The Times, critic Martin Tsai wrote, “newcomer Lofranco deserves credit for carrying the film.” Starring as ex-convict-turned-filmmaker James Burns, Lofranco “holds his own against vets” Ving Rhames, Mary-Louise Parker and James Woods, Tsai added.

Lofranco, born Oct. 18, 1992, told Interview in 2014 that he became interested in acting at age 17 despite his father’s wishes for him to be a hockey player or lawyer. His mother was a dancer, musician and actor and would often take him along to auditions, he said.

Amid his brief acting career, Lofranco faced legal trouble for running over a cyclist with his SUV in Hollywood in 2013. The cyclist suffered severe injuries, including a broken hip and several fractures, according to CBS News. Officials said Lofranco got out of his vehicle after the accident to apologize to his victim before leaving the scene.

A judge, after his victim’s urging for a harsher sentence, sentenced Lofranco in 2015 to 50 days of community service, two years of probation and $161,000 in restitution.

Over the last year, Lofranco often posted to Instagram, sharing photos of his outfits, tattoos and graffiti art. In his final Instagram post, a black-and-white selfie, Lofranco seemingly wrote about starting a new chapter of his life.

“Period the best is yet to come,” he said, after encouraging fans to follow his OnlyFans account. “The hair is on it way it’s got held up customs. Crazy.”

When he spoke to Interview more than a decade ago, Lofranco said his future path included doing “real-life, candid films.”

“I don’t want to be thrown into anything that could jeopardize my career. I want to be wise about what I choose,” he said. “Actors whose choices I’ve liked are Sean Penn, Leonardo DiCaprio, River Phoenix.”

LIAM PAYNE’S family is set for more heartbreak as his ex-fiancée Maya Henry is making a documentary about their relationship and break-up.

It comes just over a year after the One Direction singer tragically died.

American model Maya, who was in a relationship with Liam from 2018 to 2022, is working with HBO and an independent production company to make a film about her time with him.

I am told that contributors are being invited to film in Texas, where Maya was born and raised, with those from overseas being flown over.

A source said: “This documentary is going to be hugely upsetting for Liam’s family, who are struggling with unimaginable loss.

“There is also concern within the industry that it is going to be one-sided.

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“Of course, Liam is not here to give his side of the story or his version of events. It all just feels terribly sad.”

It comes after disgruntled Maya has already penned a fictional book, Looking Forward, rumoured to be based on her tumultuous romance with the star.

Meanwhile, another mole revealed that Maya will also touch upon trolling she received from 1D fans.

An insider said: “The social media comments were vicious and Maya wants to open up about what she went through and the dark side of dating a world-famous pop star.

“‘It wasn’t just the strain of the relationship itself. She also faced relentless trolling from the band’s fanbase, receiving hateful messages almost daily, which made moving on even harder.

“She hopes the documentary will finally give her the chance to share her experiences and tell her side of the story.”

Last month details of Liam’s emotional second album — which he had finished before he died and features a poignant track called Safe In Heaven — were released.

One industry insider explained that the follow-up to his 2019 debut LP1 was the most self-reflective piece of work he had ever done.

On the few occasions I met Liam he was genuinely a lovely bloke, I think his legacy should be treated with respect . . . 

LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, ZARA

ZARA LARSSON lit up Norway in this bright yellow skirt on Friday night.

The Swedish pop star flaunted her incredible figure on stage as part of her Midnight Sun Tour.

Aside from the tracks on her new album, Zara played her hits Lush Life and Never Forget You.

Next week sees her head to Finland for a couple of gigs before a homecoming night in Sweden.

RONNIE ’N’ ZACH LOVING IT

LOVE Island: All Stars is upon us and I hear two former lotharios are busy pressing their trunks for a villa comeback.

Semi-professional footballer Ronnie Vint is hoping it’s third time lucky as he finds himself single again.

The hunk, who originally appeared in the 2024 summer series and then in this year’s All Stars show, is single again after splitting from Harriett Blackmore.

I’m also told that 2023 contestant Zach Noble is giving love another chance after his relationship with Molly Marsh broke down earlier this year.

A source said: “Love Island: All Stars 2026 is shaping up to be a sizzling cast and bosses have scouted these two rebound hunks keen to find love.

“Both lads were fan favourites, with bags of personality and a decent following on social media.”

Female contestants rumoured to be taking part include Millie Court and Andrada Pop.

I can’t wait to watch the chemistry crackle . . . 

PARTY of the WEEK

THE ZYN Rolling Stone UK Awards at The Roundhouse, North London, on Thursday.

Who was there: Sir Bob Geldof, Danny Dyer, FKA Twigs, Lewis Capaldi and Louise Redknapp.

What we ate: Smoked salmon, lamb and chocolate pears.

What we drank: M&S beer and Rockferne English sparkling wine.

Goodie bag: Percy Pigs.

PIPING HOT, BILLIE

BILLIE PIPER looked a sheer delight as she belatedly celebrated her 43rd birthday in this lacy black dress.

The actress, who turned 43 in September, was partying with pals including Dominic Cooper and Richard Madden at Upstairs At Langan’s in central London.

Billie recently starred as music teacher Isadora Capri in season two of Netflix show Wednesday.

She said: “I’ve always wanted to play a sort of floaty, liberal musician or art teacher.”

IT’S TIME FOR 007 AARON

THREE years ago, I revealed that Aaron Taylor-Johnson was the frontrunner to be the next James Bond.

And now the British actor has given the biggest clue yet that he will be taking over the reins from actor Daniel Craig to be the next 007.

Aaron has been announced as an ambassador for Swiss luxury watchmaker Omega, which is Bond’s favourite timepiece.

Since 1995, the secret agent has worn an Omega Seamaster in every film – with special tribute watches made to honour the character.

Aaron said: “My interest in watches first began with my dad, who introduced me to Omega, if you can believe it.

“He was working class and saved his earnings to purchase an Omega watch.”

In 2022 I revealed that Aaron had completed a top-secret screen test at Pinewood Studios, the home of James Bond movies.

Aaron is currently filming in Dartmoor alongside Lily-Rose Depp for upcoming horror film Werwulf, which is scheduled for release next year.

Sounds like the time is ticking for the next Bond to be formally announced.

OLLY: I WOULD GIVE A BOXING BOUT A SHOT

HIS new album Knees Up is about having a good time with your mates – but Olly Murs has revealed that instead of sinking pints down the pub, he prefers throwing punches in the boxing ring.

Olly has struck up a friendship with super-welterweight champ Sam Gilley and now has a “burning desire” to get fighting fit.

Chatting to Bizarre’s Emily at his album launch in East London on Friday, left, Olly said: “I train twice a week without fail. I love it.

“I wanted to learn how to punch properly and move, and I wanted to learn the fundamentals of boxing. Am I open to a fight? Yes. Whether or not my wife lets me is another question. I just know there is definitely a burning desire for me to get into the ring and give it a shot.”

Olly added: “I think it is something in my blood. I did Who Do You Think You Are? on the BBC and I learned so much about my grandad.

“He was Latvian and came here in the Second World War. He was an amateur boxing champion.”

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Olly, whose eighth album has been inspired by British ska, said it had “reignited my love for music again­”.

I can safely say the single Run This Town has been in my head all week.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane … it’s a Superman comic beyond most of our price range!

A pristine copy of “Superman” No. 1 sold for $9.12 million at Heritage Auctions on Thursday, making it the most expensive comic book ever sold at auction. The closing price smashed the record previously set by another Superman-related comic, a copy of “Action Comics” No. 1, which sold for $6 million through Heritage Auctions in 2024.

The first issue of “Superman” was among a small trove of comic books found by three brothers in Northern California who were sorting through their late mother’s belongings. The collection had been tucked under a pile of old newspapers and cobwebs in the attic of their family home, according to a press release from Heritage Auctions.

The copy of “Superman” No. 1 was graded 9.0 on a 10-point scale by the Certified Guaranty Company (CGC), a third-party service that authenticates and grades collectibles, including comics, trading cards and video games. It’s the highest-ever graded copy of the 1939 comic book. (That newspapers helped preserve the comic’s condition would make reporters Lois Lane and Clark Kent proud.)

Superman made his comic book debut in 1938 in “Action Comics” No. 1. The anthology comic is often credited as kicking off the superhero genre in comics. The popularity of the Man of Steel — created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster — led to the launch of his own comic book series in 1939.

In addition to the launch issue of “Superman,” the mother’s comic book collection included issues of “Action Comics” Nos. 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21.

According to Heritage Auctions, this copy of “Superman” No. 1 is one of just seven known copies with a CGC grade of 6.0 or higher. A CGC graded 8.0 copy of “Superman” No. 1 sold for $5.3 million in 2022.

Sherrie Hewson has revealed which of her Loose Women co-stars jokingly kicked her under the table when she recently went back to the ITV chat show panel after almost a decade away

Sherrie Hewson has claimed that a Loose Women star kicked her under the table. The actress spent more than a decade on the panel of ITV’s lunchtime panel show, putting the world to rights alongside other long-serving stars such as Jane McDonald, Carol McGiffin, and Denise Welch, amongst a whole host of other familiar television faces. The actress, 75, was probably best known for starring as Maureen Holdsworth on Coronation Street in the late 1990s when she landed the job, and was yet to experience further success as hotelier Joyce Temple-Savage on the sunny sitcom Benidorm.

The former Emmerdale star announced in 2016 that she would be stepping down from the panel after a total of 13 years on air, having worked alongside anchors such as Andrea McLean, Carol Vorderman and Kate Thornton, and had appeared in more than 800 episodes by the time she left.

She has now claimed that while she did have intense debates with co-stars like Janet Street-Porter, everything was normally okay once the cameras stopped rolling, but she returned a few months ago for a guest appearance and was ‘kicked’ under the table by one long-serving star in particular.

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She said: “I don’t recall anyone back then being offended by what we said or did. Nobody was rude. Yes, we had rows. I had awful ding-dongs with Janet Street Porter – I’d tell her to shut up because I thought she was talking rubbish. But we’d both end up laughing and thinking it was very funny. She was talking rubbish – and maybe I was, too!

“But you have rows and you make up – that’s life! It was never about deliberately creating an argument for the sake of it, like you get on some shows. I don’t mean about it being horrible and nasty, but like: ‘Do you know what? I don’t agree with you. Let’s agree to disagree’. We all have different opinions. And we should be allowed to say them!

“I went on Loose Women a few months ago and I said something slightly outrageous – can’t remember what it was now – and Coleen [Nolan] kicked me under the table!”

During a chat with The Sun, Sherrie went on to say that she told I’m In The Mood For Dancing songstress to not do that to her, and recalled that Coleen simply replied: “But I like kicking you.” But she insisted that was the “kind of banter” that was needed and insisted that there was “no hard feelings” between herself and the former Dancing On Ice star.

The actress recently spoke out about the much-discussed revival of Benidorm, which initially ran from 2007 until 2018 and also featured the likes of Steve Pemberton, Siobhan Finneran, and Tony Maudsley amongst its stellar cast. Several big-name guest stars also made an appearance over the years, including Dame Joan Collins, Hi-de-Hi legend Su Pollard and the late Cilla Black.

On the subject of a comeback, Sherrie told the Mirror: “We’re always the last to know when it comes to Benidorm! But wouldn’t it be brilliant? It would be fabulous, wouldn’t it? It still gets great ratings you know, I sit and watch it all the time! I don’t know the answer to if it’s coming back but of course I’m up for it.

“I was lucky because Joyce was a brilliantly written part. Derren Litten could really write for women and you can’t say that about a lot of people.

“He wrote that part and it was such an amazing gift. I had so many incredible years on that show – five months in Benidorm every year, you can’t get better than that, can you? I’d jump on the plane now if they were bringing it back.

“We had the likes of Martin Kemp, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Bananarama, and Tony Hadley come out. None of them wanted to go home. Of course I want to do it again, and it’s the same with Corrie. I’d love to link up with Tony Maudsley [George Shuttleworth] who played Kenneth in Benidorm, could you imagine?”

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BILLE Piper just celebrated her birthday in style alongside a host of other celebrities, including Fearne Cotton and her new beau.

The actress and former singer turned 43 on Friday night and celebrated the occasion with a joint birthday party thrown for her and her long-time friend, Jeremy Langmead.

The guests of honour gathered together with their pals at Upstairs at Langan’s in London for the do, filled with drinks, laughs and good company.

Billie looked absolutely gorgeous in a daring black minidress.

Floral lace details scattered over the skimpy sheer number covering up her body, though in certain snaps you can see she’s sporting flesh-coloured undergarments and nipple pasties.

Underneath the venue’s warm lighting, embroidered beads sparkled and shone as Billie moved.

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She finished off the look by bundling up her auburn tresses into a chic bun and added a matching black choker around her neck.

Meanwhile her friend Jeremy – brand director of luxury men’s fashion retailer Mr Porter – kept things simple yet handsome in a suit and white shirt.

Other famous faces in attendance included Richard Madden, Jenna Coleman, and David Tennant, as well as two of Billie’s sisters – Harley and Elle.

Fearne Cotton, 43, was also spotted enjoying the evening with her new boyfriend, film director Elliot Hegarty.

The couple looked ever so loved up in their matching party outfits, with Fearne donning a navy dress with light blue flowers and Elliot, 53, wearing a navy suit.

They posed for a series of snaps together, all smiles as Elliot’s arm wrapped around Fearne’s waist.

Fearne’s signature blonde hair now features stunning soft brunette highlights, flowing down from her shoulders.

Though blonde money pieces frame her face beautifully.

Fearne and Elliot started dating after Fearne’s marriage from Reef guitarist Jesse Wood ended in December of last year.

They tied the knot over a decade ago in 2014, after three years of dating, and share two children.

Fearne’s other half has since moved on with Made In Chelsea star Gemma Gregory, becoming Instagram official back in April.

Though Fearne quickly found her own happiness post-divorce, being first spotted out and about with Elliot just two months after her life with Jesse came to a close.

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The pair were seen by paparazzi locking lips and holding hands in Soho.

In his riveting book “The Insider: Malcolm Cowley and the Triumph of American Literature,” veteran book editor Gerald Howard makes a strong claim for Cowley as a crucial catalyst for the efflorescence of American fiction in the years following World War I. He’s not wrong: Working as a critic, author, essayist and editor, Cowley often provided a lone voice in the wilderness for neglected masters.

As consulting editor for publishing house Viking Press in the ‘40s, Cowley resuscitated William Faulkner’s career at a time when most of his books were out of print. Cowley also ushered in Jack Kerouac’s seminal novel of the Beat Generation, “On the Road,” working for seven years to get it published and finally succeeding in doing so in 1957.

For this week’s newsletter, I spoke with Howard about Faulkner, Kerouac and the death of criticism.

✍️ Author Chat

Your book details Cowley’s seven–year odyssey to get Kerouac’s “On the Road” published in 1957 and point out that, contrary to Kerouac’s criticisms regarding the editing, Cowley, in fact, had nothing to do with changes that straightened out his prose.

Cowley took a lot of crap from the Kerouac crowd because Kerouac, in a drunken moment, blamed all his troubles with Viking on Cowley when Cowley was innocent. The Kerouac scholars and biographers don’t quite grasp that a good part of the editing job was assigned to other folks at Viking. They added all those commas in the manuscript that Kerouac was so upset about. Cowley was not an advocate of making big changes to the book; he thought Kerouac’s voice was so vital, so fresh.

Perhaps Cowley’s greatest contribution to 20th century American literature is his rehabilitation of Faulkner’s career at a time when all of his books were out of print. In 1944, he was down and out; six years later, he won the Nobel Prize. Cowley had a lot to do with that.

There was something going on in Europe at the time that was somewhat disconnected from what was going on in the United States. Faulkner’s reputation in France in particular was very high; Andre Gide and Sartre were admirers. But in the United States, Faulkner didn’t sell, he had a very mixed reputation, and he was not well understood. Cowley’s first intention was to write a very long essay about Faulkner’s work, which was serialized in various publications, and then to assemble “The Portable Faulkner” for Viking, which sold well. So the ground was prepared by Cowley.

Critics are “so central to a useful, fruitful culture. I myself don’t particularly care to live in a culture that doesn’t have them,” veteran editor Gerald Howard tells The Times.

(Penguin Random House)

What’s remarkable is the catholicity of Cowley’s taste. He studied Racine at Harvard, but then recognizes the greatness of a disparate group of writers: Faulkner, John Cheever, Kerouac, Ken Kesey, all of whom he shepherds into print.

He didn’t have a program or a thesis. He had taste. He was just a pure creature of literature, immensely versatile and conversant with everything that seemed to matter in the literary universe. Up until the ‘60s, he had his radar up and running. He didn’t believe in a fixed canon.

Cowley was an editor of the New Republic from 1929 to 1944, a small-circulation magazine with outsized influence, featuring critics like Edmund Wilson that generated the cultural conversation. Critics have no such sway anymore. Do you feel there has been something lost from that diminishment of the individual critical voice?

We can let all the online measurements determine the things that people like and allow those things to rise to the surface. But I think the role of the critic is to sort through a vast amount of material to find the things that are really valuable, really interesting. Not just books, of course — also movies, art, music. They’re so central to a useful, fruitful culture. I myself don’t particularly care to live in a culture that doesn’t have them.

Is a maverick editor like Malcolm Cowley possible now?

Probably not. The world that he moved in was a closed world. There wasn’t a lot of room for people who were not white, male and heterosexual. It’s disappointing that he was not more interested in African American literature. He should have been. There are plenty of those people around that he knew. And just appreciating Ralph Ellison was not enough.

(This Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

📰 The Week(s) in Books

(Los Angeles Times photo illustration; Cover by Macmillan)

Robert Allen Papinchak was enthralled by Margaret Atwood’s memoir, “Book of Lives,” in which the author of “A Handmaid’s Tale” unpacks “the challenging symbiotic relationship between life and art.”

You may have seen the Netflix series about the “OneTaste” sex cult, but that’s not even the half of it, according to Ellen Huet’s book “Empire of Orgasm,” which Julia M. Klein calls a “deeply troubling” narrative of coercion and financial ruin.

Bad Religion guitarist and overall punk legend Brian Baker has a new book of photographs called “The Road,” and Josh Chesler chatted with him about it: “I think I have a knack for being at the right place at the right time.”

Photographer Annie Leibowitz has dropped a “stunning” new book of pictures called “Annie Leibowitz: Women,” according to Meredith Maran.

📖 Bookstore Faves

Arcana has served the L.A. market for over 40 years, currently occupying space in the Helms Bakery building in Culver City.

(Joshua White)

Given the vicissitudes of the retail book market, it’s a minor miracle that Arcana: Books on the Arts has survived 41 years. Arcana, which since 2012 has occupied space in the Helms Bakery building in Culver City after a long run at the Third Street Promenade, is the best art bookstore in L.A., offering a vast selection spanning photography, painting, fashion, graphic design and much more. I spoke with owner Lee Kaplan about what is hot in his store right now.

What books are selling right now?

We are closing in on the Holidays, so lots of great new titles are showing up daily. A small selection of those which are selling well include “Bruce Weber. My Education,” “Kerry James Marshall: The Histories,” “William Eggleston: The Last Dyes” and “Jane Birkin: Icon of Style.”

Is there any particular kind of book that tends to do well for you?

Perennials tend to be more comprehensive, hardbound volumes of well-known artists such as Edward Ruscha, Andy Warhol, John Baldessari and Jean-Michel Basquiat; photographers Robert Frank, Todd Hido, William Eggleston, Ed Templeton; architects Frank Gehry, Herzog & De Meuron, Johnston Marklee, and Fashion brands like Comme des Garcons, Supreme, Dior, etc. That noted, we sell a lot of inexpensive zines by creators few have heard of, yet.

Arcana has survived a lot of the ups and downs of the retail book business. What do you think is the secret to your longevity?

Moving to a large, beautifully designed space in Culver City’s Helms Bakery in 2012 (after decades on Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade) turned out to be a fortunate decision. We have room for scores of thousands of books that we have amassed over the years situated in a lively, artistic and design-conscious neighborhood.

Given the internet, why do people still value looking at art in books?

These are two vastly different experiences, and for me, there is no substitute for holding a book as a tangible, tactile object. Thankfully, there are still many, many visitors daily that seem to feel the same.

Arcana: Books on the Arts is at 8675 Washington Blvd. in Culver City.

(Please note: The Times may earn a commission through links to Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores.)

La Voix has had a ‘sad day’ coming to terms with the fact that she will not be competing in tonight’s edition of Strictly Come Dancing but has been cheered up by a bouquet of flowers

La Voix has had a ‘sad day’ coming to terms with the fact that she will not be competing in tonight’s edition of Strictly Come Dancing. The Drag Race star, 45, has had to pull out of the much-anticipated Blackpool heat of the BBC Saturday night favourite after sustaining a foot injury.

The star, whose real name is Christopher Dennis, took to social media on Saturday in the countdown for the live show to take place, to reveal that she had been presented with a bouquet of flowers that had cheered her up amid the tough time.

Alongside a picture of the gift, the TV star wrote on Instagram: “Thank you so much Darlings @blossom_and_ivy. This really is a gorgeous surprise on an otherwise sad day of not dancing in Blackpool.”

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While La Voix was set to perform in Strictly’s highly anticipated Blackpool special, Strictly announced earlier this week that she was unable to compete after injuring herself. A show spokesperson said in a statement: “Due to injury, La Voix has been advised by doctors to rest and, as a result, will not dance in this weekend’s Blackpool specials.

During an appearance on It Takes Two on Wednesday evening, Christopher opened up about the issue that has been troubling her since earlier in the competition. “This has been ongoing since the foxtrot. I felt a little niggle in my foot hence comments about me being flat-footed. I was thinking this will be fine, but it got gradually worse…” the star told viewers.

La Voix added: “Until on Saturday we had to change shoes, I couldn’t wear heels. I had to wear those awful flat shoes.” Attempts to rehearse on Monday proved the injury was too severe to push through.”

She continued: “We tried on Monday, and it was really clear I was struggling in pain, so we decided to be professional and call this, hoping with some rest I can be back.”

Under strictly rules, the pair will automatically advance to next week’s round, buying La Voix time to recover. When asked whether she expected to return after the Blackpool special, she replied: “I hope so. Some people have said online that it’s just because I wanted to get out of doing the samba. I was desperate to get to Blackpool and do the samba. The production that was planned is going to be incredible.”

Despite the setback, the performer emphasised her love for the show, describing Strictly as a “happy place” and adding: “I am really hoping it continues.”

In a BBC statement released earlier this week, La Voix said: “My heart truly breaks knowing I won’t be dancing in such an iconic venue. I am devastated not to be joining the rest of the cast on that famous dancefloor, but my focus now is on recovery. I’ll be cheering on all the amazing couples this weekend.”

She also addressed her followers directly on Instagram, writing: “As many of you know, I injured my foot last week. With the help of an incredible team — and a whole lot of sparkles and determination — I was able to keep going and perform.”

However, she acknowledged that she now has no choice but to prioritise healing, saying she needed to “listen to her body” after “it became clear that the injury wasn’t improving”.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

THIS former Disney Channel star had her first taste of stardom back in 2016 appearing in hit teen drama Backstage.

But it was her dazzling vocal talent that really piqued people’s attention with her most popular hit, the viral Princesses Don’t Cry, going on to rack up over 250 million streams.

But despite her notable accolades, child star Aviva Chiara Mongillo, who released music under the name ‘CARYS’, is now back living at her parent’s house.

The now 27-year-old, who played Alya Kendrick in Backstage, shared a candid moment about her current living situation with fans online.

Aviva took to TikTok to share a meme about the complete U-turn her life seems to have taken, while simultaneously expressing gratitude for the way her life is today.

“When you were on Disney channel, signed to a major label and had a viral song before the age of 20 and now you’re 27 living with your parents,” the actress-turned-musician quipped, smiling at the camera in a red jumper.

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She quipped: “To be honest, I don’t know what happened but we need a re-do”.

There didn’t seem to be any real ill feeling towards her current lifestyle though, as Aviva thoughtfully captioned the post to say she “wouldn’t change a thing”.

“for real though… I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m grateful that this is my life.”

The post has currently been liked around 90,000 times, with fans flooding the comments section with praises.

“Aviva Mongillo you will always be famous to me,” gushed one user in a comment Aviva has hearted.

“Backstage is one of my favourite disney shows ever!!!,” exclaimed another.

Though one of the most common comments was people shocked to learn that Aviva was the voice behind Princesses Don’t Cry, as she wasn’t recognisable.

“YOU’RE THE ONE WHO MADE PRINCESSES DONT CRY???,” said one of the post’s top comments with over 4,200 “likes”.

The star simply responded with “YOU BETCHA”.

Princesses Don’t Cry came out in 2019 and immediately gained popularity through TikTok and other social media platforms.

Sung under the artist name CARYS, the song subverts traditional fairy tales by asserting that princesses are strong and independent, not “crying over boys with pretty eyes”.

Meanwhile, Aviva’s stint on Backstage saw her star in sixty episodes where she frequently sung and played guitar.

Initially, Aviva was discovered by a music producer who was looking to craft music to feature on Backstage.

But later on she was encouraged to audition for a role instead, eventually landing the part of Alya Kendrick.

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Aviva ultimately left backstage in season two to go on tour with the cast of La Boheme.

After her Disney days, Aviva went on to star in comedy-drama Workin’ Moms as the recurring character Juniper.

I was a bit skeptical when an emailer suggested touring Torrance as a way to appreciate this South Bay hidden gem. As a San Gabriel Valley product, I’ve enjoyed excursions to the iconic Rose Bowl or the historic San Gabriel Mission.

But Torrance? Really?

I’m a fan of the divine paradise cakes baked at two King’s Hawaiian locations in Torrance and am aware that Compton-based hip hop group N.W.A recorded “F— tha Police” in a city music studio.

Yes, that’s all fine and notable, but is this city of 140,000 actually tour worthy?

Debbie Hays, a resident and Torrance Historical Society docent, was up to the challenge of proving it certainly was when we met for a tour this week.

History meets Hollywood

We started at the Torrance Historical Society. Inside, visitors receive a quick lesson about the city’s creation, from a Spanish land grant to its founding by financial broker Jared Sidney Torrance in 1912.

A good portion of the talk centers on one of the city’s heroes, Louis Zamperini, known as the “Torrance Tornado.”

The Olympic and USC star, who competed in the famed 1936 Games, was a larger-than-life pillar captured in book and film, the latter the 2014 movie “Unbroken.”

“Louis was a bit of a misfit in his early days and his story is one of redemption and finding his purpose,” Hays said. “It started with track and of course he’s most known about his role in the war.”

“No other place in the world has more information and pieces of history tied to Louis than we do,” Hays says.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Zamperini was a U.S. Army Air Force bombardier in 1943 when his B-24 Liberator went down in the Pacific on May 27 with 10 additional crew members.

Zamperini floated on a life raft for 47 days, battling sharks and hunger before being picked up by a Japanese patrol boat.

He was tortured for two years before he was finally freed.

Hays showed off heirlooms, trophies and files donated by the Zamperini family, including more than 60 pounds of notes and awards, used in production of the movie.

“No other place in the world has more information and pieces of history tied to Louis than we do,” Hays said.

The ‘Ramen Capital of Southern California’

One of the more surprising details about Hays’ tour was the number of excursions the city offers.

You can take one of several self-guided tours of the city’s dozen or so microbreweries and craft beer tasting sites that highlight a burgeoning craft industry.

The most delectable tour, however, may be shown on the city’s Ramen Trail map, which declares Torrance the “Ramen Capital of Southern California.”

The town boasts a population of roughly 15,000 people of Japanese descent, so I’m sure they know something about good ramen.

As for locales, the film and television map tour denotes more than 200 locations where movies like “Scarface,” “Boogie Nights” and “Horrible Bosses” and television sitcoms like “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Barry” were filmed.

“We aren’t Hollywood, but we have many spots worth visiting,” Hays said. “All they’re all relatively close together.”

The Buffy home

One of her most popular excursions is the Fall Tour of Old Torrance, held annually in October.

Hays offers architectural and historic showings of Tudor, Mission and Spanish Colonial revival homes often butting up against each other. Most homes are over 100 years old.

“It’s a very eclectic tour that you don’t see every day in every town,” Hays said. “We’re not a cookie-cutter neighborhood.”

Yet, it’s the No. 4 spot on that tour, a 1914 Craftsman-style home at 1313 Cota Ave., that draws a pilgrimage year round.

The 2,296-square-foot home is forever known as “the Buffy home,” where the popular television show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” was filmed.

The four bedroom, two bathroom home served as the home of main character Buffy Summers, played by actress Sarah Michelle Gellar.

“I’ve led private tours to the home, with sometimes as many as 80 people,” Hays said. “Fans come to the house, they cry, they take pictures, they hug the tree. They love it.”

Paradise cakes, ramen noodles, craft beer and Zamperini memorabilia. You don’t have to love Buffy to appreciate Torrance.

The week’s biggest stories

A pedestrian braves the rain in Venice Beach.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

SoCal’s stormy weather

Olympic updates

Crime in L.A. County

UCLA vs. the Rose Bowl

Homeless services in L.A.

What else is going on

Must reads

Other meaty reads

For your downtime

Cynthia Erivo, left, and Ariana Grande in the movie “Wicked: For Good.”

(Giles Keyte / Universal Pictures)

Going out

Staying in

L.A. Timeless

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I’m A Celebrity fans are feeling sorry for TV presenter Alex Scott and ex EastEnders actor Shona McGarty after the stars were involved in the ITV show’s latest twist

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here stars have been left worrying about stars Alex Scott and Shona McGarty following the ITV’s show’s latest camp twist. Last night’s episode saw Ant and Dec return to camp to deliver the news that those who had received a badge from their new camp leaders – Vogue Williams and Tom Read Wilson – would be enjoying a cooked breakfast away from the camp.

“We promised you would be rewarded for your badges – you will be heading out of camp for a delicious, slap-up breakfast,” the duo revealed, to cheers from the campmates. However, Alex and Shona were the only two not to receive a badge, which meant that they had to take part in the next Bushtucker trial with Vogue and Tom.

“However, Alex and Shona unfortunately for you you weren’t awarded with a badge which means there’s no breakfast for you and you have to take on today’s trial,” they added. Shona and Alex looked disheartened upon hearing the news, with Alex saying: “No way.”

Now, fans have taken to social media to demand that they’re made the camp leaders after the “mean” twist. “Poor Alex and Shona having to miss out on the breakfast at least they both get more airtime doing another trial #ImACeleb,” one fan wrote.