show biz

On the first night of Passover, Ye — the superstar rapper, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, the man who once threatened in a tweet to go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE” — performed for what looked like a full house at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium.

The first of a pair of Ye concerts this week at the gigantic NFL palace, Wednesday’s show came two months after the 48-year-old musician apologized for his past antisemitic comments, attributing his behavior to injuries he sustained in a 2002 car crash.

More to the point, perhaps, the gig came on the heels of last week’s release of “Bully,” Ye’s first solo LP since 2022’s “Donda 2,” which the trade journal Hits predicts will enter the album chart at No. 2, right behind the latest from BTS.

In other words, Ye’s trying to get a comeback going — and, to judge by the very warm reception he got at SoFi, he might prove successful.

Wednesday’s concert — Ye’s first full live performance in Los Angeles since a 2021 gig at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum — lasted about two hours and featured guest appearances by Don Toliver and Ye’s 12-year-old daughter, North.

The rapper performed atop an enormous dome set up on the stadium’s floor; for much of the night, a spinning globe was projected onto the dome so that Ye looked to be — well, on top of the world is how he might’ve put it.

Early in the set, Ye asked his technical crew to “make the earth move slower,” which somebody made happen.

Accompanied by what sounded like prerecorded backing tracks, Ye opened with a handful of songs from “Bully,” which seeks a middle ground between the soulful, sample-heavy sound of his early work and the gloomier, synthed-up vibe of more recent records like “Donda” and his and Ty Dolla Sign’s “Vultures 1” and “Vultures 2.”

After an extended version of the new album’s “All the Love,” he reached back for an assortment of oldies, including all-timers like “Father, Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1,” “Mercy,” “Black Skinhead” and “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” which he stopped and restarted after telling the crew to mute the music during the song’s line about getting his money right so that he could hear the crowd join in.

He also did his and Jay-Z’s collaborative 2011 hit — the one whose title contains the N-word — which made you think about how he and his old frenemy are both mounting comebacks at the same time, Jay-Z as a kind of retiree’s victory lap and Ye in hopes of moving past a mess of his own making.

Other classics Ye performed included “Bound 2” and “Heartless,” to name two of his most emotionally potent songs, though thick smoke in the stadium made it hard to feel a sense of connection with him as he moved back and forth atop the dome.

Ye brought out Don Toliver to perform “Moon” and Toliver’s “E85,” then cycled again through the “Bully” tracks he’d done earlier. North West came out to perform “Talking” and “Piercing on My Hand,” after which Ye did his and Ty Dolla Sign’s “Everybody,” which prominently samples the Backstreet Boys’ “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”

Then he finished with a sprint through some of his most beloved hits: “All Falls Down” into “Jesus Walks” into “Through the Wire” into “Good Life,” which he restarted several times because he said the lights were “corny.”

“Is this like an ‘SNL’ skit or something?” he asked when nobody made the changes he was looking for.

Ye ended the show with “All of the Lights,” which got a huge pryo display, and “Runaway,” his epic 2010 warning to anyone foolish enough to consider falling in love with him.

“Run away fast as you can,” he sang, and the crowd roared right along.

EXCLUSIVE: Kieran McCartney has revealed what fans don’t see on The Apprentice including what Lord Alan Sugar, Baroness Karren Brady and Tim Campbell are really like

Kieran McCartney has revealed what the BBC bosses don’t show on The Apprentice.

The estate agent from East London is one of the eight remaining candidates in the running to become Lord Alan Sugar’s next business partner.

Last week, he put his neck on the line by cutting a dramatic “win or walk” deal with the business tycoon to save himself from being fired.

He’s the first contestant in the BBC show’s 21-year history to make a pact with Lord Sugar that he would lead the next task to victory – or walk away.

As fans wait to see the outcome of the bold move, Kieran’s shared some behind-the-scenes secrets including what Lord Sugar and his aides Baroness Karren Brady and Tim Campbell are really like.

“Those boardroom showdowns are as real as it gets,” he explained, before adding: “Everything is done in one take and they film everything once and once only. It’s all real and raw.

“What you see is what you get. Karren’s [Brady’s] very strong but a big softy and she grows on you.

“[Lord Alan] Sugar had lots of banter and I love that so I was giving it back to him. I don’t think anyone’s ever given back to the way I did and Tim’s just a lovely guy.”

Baroness Brady joined The Apprentice as one of Lord Sugar’s aides in 2010 replacing Margaret Mountford and Tim won the first series of The Apprentice in 2005 taking over Claude Littner in 2022.

Kieran went on to share exactly how much time he spent with Lord Sugar’s trusted advisors during the process.

He added: “When you split into your two teams, you then go into further two teams so there’s four groups overall.

“Karren and Tim spend the morning with one group and the afternoon with the other and then you see them in the boardroom.

“They kind of just sit there but I’m not sure they actually write anything down like you see on camera.”

To remember his ultimatum, Kieran has had a tattoo on his leg of Lord Sugar, Baroness Brady and Tim’s faces with the words “The Apprentice 2026” and catchphrase “win or walk”.

Addressing his thinking process behind his bold offer, he joked: “Lord Sugar will either love my tattoo or send me a legal letter.”

He continued: “I’d love to sit here and say it was all part of a bigger plan but it was a total impulse.

“I thought I was a goner and was going home, it was a last resort and I just came out with it.

“I had to make that deal with Lord Sugar to survive and I put my neck on the line. It was a one-off, never been done and that’s a bit of me.”

Kieran McCartney was speaking to BestBettingSites.co.uk – the leading comparison site for casino sites and The Apprentice airs Thursdays on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 9pm

“Bob’s Burgers” voice actor and comedian Eugene Mirman was pulled from a fiery car crash and hospitalized with serious injuries.

Before noon on Tuesday, Mirman’s Lucid Gravity struck the Bedford Toll Plaza in New Hampshire as he was traveling northbound on the F.E. Everett Turnpike. Callers reporting the crash said the vehicle had caught fire and the driver appeared to be trapped inside. New Hampshire State Police said that while units were responding to the 911 calls, Gov. Kelly Ayotte and her security detail came upon the crash and stopped to help.

A trooper assigned to the governor’s detail and two others pulled Mirman from the burning car through a window before first responders arrived. Gov. Ayotte retrieved a fire extinguisher, according to State Police Col. Mark Hall.

“Certainly, their actions were heroic in what they did,” Hall said. “Without hesitation, they put themselves in danger to render aid to someone who was in need of it.”

The actor was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital with serious injuries. Videos of the incident show the vehicle badly damaged and engulfed in flames.

“Eugene was in a very scary car accident,” Mirman’s agent, Jay Glassner, confirmed in a statement Wednesday. “He wants to thank the bystanders, state police, first responders and hospital staff who saved him. He is grateful to be on the mend. At this time, we kindly ask for privacy for Eugene and his family as he focuses on recovering from his injuries.”

The crash remains under investigation.

The animated series “Bob’s Burgers,” which centers on a family that runs a restaurant, celebrated its 300th episode, titled “Grand Pre-Pre-Pre-Opening,” when the Fox favorite premiered its 16th season in the fall.

Often referred to as a “comfort show,” the series features Mirman as kid brother Gene Belcher.

“It’s just a mix of warmhearted and funny and sort of grounded,” the actor told The Times last year.

“There’s a sibling camaraderie that is really lovely,” Mirman continued. “It reminds me of the camaraderie on TV and movies in the ’80s. That era of the stuff I grew up watching.”

The Associated Press and Times staff writer Tracy Brown contributed to this report.

The life of a showgirl wouldn’t be complete without a few lawsuits, and who knows that better than Taylor Swift and Elizabeth Taylor?

On Monday, the “Bad Blood” singer was hit with a trademark infringement lawsuit regarding her most recent album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” Real-life Las Vegas showgirl and writer Maren Wade, born Maren Flagg, alleges that Swift knowingly disregarded her claim to a similar name.

According to the lawsuit, Wade launched the column “Confessions of a Showgirl” in the Las Vegas Weekly in 2014. The column eventually became a live show, which became a touring production. “Over the course of a decade, Confessions of a Showgirl grew into a brand encompassing performances, writing, and digital media — built by one person, city by city and show by show,” reads the lawsuit, which adds that Wade took the show across the country, and used the brand when appearing on television and podcasts.

Wade as a performer herself respects Swift’s right to creative expression, according to the suit, “and nothing in this action challenges it.” The filing argues that “whatever [legal] protection might attach to creative expression, it does not immunize Swift’s separate decision to adopt a confusingly similar designation as a trademark, affix it to goods, and deploy it as a source identifier in commerce.”

In 2015, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office registered “Confessions of a Showgirl” and named Maren Flagg as the owner. And according to the suit, in November 2025, the office refused an attempt by Swift’s team to register “The Life of a Showgirl” based on a likelihood of confusion with Wade’s established brand.

Patent attorney JD Harriman told The Times in a statement that although the trademark office did reject Swift’s mark, she voluntarily suspended the “Life of a Showgirl” application while a separate trademark application for “Showgirl” moved forward.

“This case isn’t about the music, and it may not even be about confusion,” Harriman said. “Wade’s own complaint concedes she’s not challenging the album itself — only merchandise. And before filing, she was publicly hashtagging Swift’s album and calling herself a fan.”

Jaymie Parkkinen, an attorney for Wade, told The Times in an emailed statement that Maren spent more than a decade building Confessions of a Showgirl.

“She registered it. She earned it. When Taylor Swift’s team applied to register The Life of a Showgirl, the Trademark Office refused, finding Swift’s mark confusingly similar,” Parkkinen said. “We have great respect for Swift’s talent and success, but trademark law exists to ensure that creators at all levels can protect what they’ve built. That’s what this case is about.”

Wade’s team argues that since Swift’s 12th album dropped last year, search results are dominated by Swift, and even though Wade established her own showgirl brand a decade ago, her brand is now seen as affiliated with Swift’s.

“The Life of a Showgirl is one designation among more than 170 active or pending trademark registrations managed by Defendant TAS on behalf of Swift, spanning names, phrases, and commercial designations across one of the most extensive trademark portfolios in the entertainment industry,” reads the suit.

Swift’s broader enterprise “does not depend on the continued use of any single designation,” the suit continues. “By contrast, Confessions of a Showgirl is the sole trademark under which [Wade] has built her professional identity for more than a decade. It is not one mark among hundreds. It is the only one she has. The continued erosion of that mark threatens the entirety of Wade’s brand.”

In other Swift news, the Grammy winner dropped the music video for “Elizabeth Taylor” on Tuesday.

The video features archival film clips of the latter starlet — also known for high-profile legal battles, media scrutiny aimed at her love life and larger-than-life fame — rather than the songstress herself, who does not appear in the video.

The video, which has been exclusively released via Spotify Premium and Apple Music, includes scenes from “Father of the Bride,” “Rhapsody,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Cleopatra,” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” among other classic films starring Taylor. The homage also has old press footage of the Oscar winner.

Back in October, Swift told BBC radio that if she mentions a real person in her songs, she warns them ahead of time, and in the case of someone like the late movie star, she asked the Taylor estate for permission to pay homage with the song.

“If it’s Elizabeth Taylor,” she said, “we go to their family and her estate and let them know, and they were lovely about it.”

EXCLUSIVE: I Love LA has landed in the UK with the launch of HBO Max and it features the daughter of a Hollywood star.

An I Love LA actress has shared the unexpected familial link her father has with one of her co-stars.

HBO Max has finally made its way to the UK, dropping an abundance of hit shows, including I Love LA, a sitcom about Maia (played by Rachel Sennott) whose life becomes chaotic with the return of her influencer friend Tallulah (Odessa A’zion).

They are joined by other stars such as Jordan Firstman, Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester, as well as actress True Whitaker as Maia and Tullulah’s close friend Alani Marcus.

Film buffs may best recognise Whitaker though as the youngest daughter of actor Forest Whitaker, famed for movies such as The Last King of Scotland, The Butler and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

But it wasn’t until True got to the set of I Love LA that she discovered that her dad was already very well acquainted with one of her co-stars.

Speaking to Reach Plc, Whitaker explained: “My dad in the show, Keith David, is a friend of my dad’s.

“When I was on set shooting the last episode, I Facetimed my dad being like ‘Hey, do you know this guy? This is my dad.’

“And he [Forest Whitaker] was like ‘Keith?!’ and Keith was like ‘Forest!’

“And apparently my dad is the reason Keith moved to LA. They did Platoon together when they were in their 20s so it was kind of cute to see them reminisce.”

Also starring actors William Dafoe and Charlie Sheen, 1980s film Platoon followed the story of a young American volunteer as he deals with the horrors of warfare in Vietnam.

While Whitaker was behind the role of supporting character Big Harold, actor Keither David played veteran soldier King.

True also shared her famous father’s pride at her landing a major role in I Love LA after first featuring in his drama Godfather of Harlem.

She explained: “He’s extremely proud of me. Even his assistant pulled me aside and was talking to me and got emotional and was like ‘you have no idea.’

“My dad apparently had just been gloating to everybody and was stoked to see me in this light.

“And for me to be able to use my comedic skills, because obviously in the house I’m annoying and loud and funny but now I can actually utilise it.”

I Love LA is available to watch on HBO Max.

Sources claim that the current senior management took swift action after finding out for the first time that Mills’ accuser was under 16

The BBC was unaware of the full extent of the police investigation into Scott Mills including the accuser’s age, sources claim. The presenter – who today broke his silence to thank his former listeners – was interviewed by police in 2018 under caution after being accused of serious sexual offences against a boy under the age of 16. Mills and his agent spoke to some senior BBC figures about the claims at the time. Mills was never charged with any crime because of a lack of evidence.

At the time, Director general Tony Hall was not aware of the “full picture” including the accuser’s age., although it’s unclear if other managers did. However after learning about the age in the last week, the newer management took swift action.

It comes as the BBC admitted yesterday they had known about the police investigation in 2017 but were “doing more work to understand the detail of what was known by the BBC at this time.”

Insiders say it was also difficult for the BBC to have made their own inquiries into the investigation, and that they were “limited” in what the police would tell them. Last night Mills issued a statement via his lawyers in which he thanked well-wishers.

He said: “I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have reached out to me with kindness, my former colleagues, and my beloved listeners, who I greatly miss.”

He also opened up about the police investigation. He said: “The recent announcement that I am no longer contracted to the BBC has led to the publication of rumour and speculation. In response to this the Metropolitan Police has made a statement, which I confirm relates to me. An allegation was made against me in 2016 of a historic sexual offence which was the subject of a police investigation in which I fully cooperated and responded to in 2018. As the police have stated, a file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges.

“Since the investigation related to an allegation that dates back nearly 30 years and the police investigation was closed 7 years ago, I hope that the public and the media will understand and respect my wish not to make any further public comment on this matter. The BBC had hours earlier issued their own statement, confirming our story yesterday that it “acted decisively” after receiving “new information” in the weeks prior to his sacking.

A BBC spokesperson said: “Scott Mills had a long career across the BBC, he was hugely popular and we know the news this week has come as a shock and surprise to many. We also recognise there’s been much speculation in the media and online since Monday. We hope people understand that there is a limit to what we can say because we have to be mindful of the rights of those involved. What we can confirm is that in recent weeks, we obtained new information relating to Scott and we spoke directly with him. As a result, the BBC acted decisively in line with our culture and values, and terminated his contracts on Friday March 27.”

The BBC added that iit “made a significant commitment to improve its culture, processes and standards”, and added that it set out “behavioural expectations for everyone who works with or for the BBC” and was “clear action would be taken” if they were not met last year, following an independent culture review.

Mills last hosted Radio 2’s Breakfast Show on Tuesday March 24 and signed off with “see you tomorrow”, before being replaced by Gary Davies. In an email sent to staff on Monday, Lorna Clarke, the BBC’s director of music, acknowledged the news was “sudden and unexpected, and therefore must come as a shock”. It has also been announced that children’s cancer charity Neuroblastoma UK has decided to “part ways” with Mills, who had been a patron since 2021.

A statement from the charity said: “Following his dismissal from the BBC, Neuroblastoma UK have taken the decision to part ways with Scott Mills and he is no longer a patron of our charity.” We have gone to Mills’ team for comment.

BBC expert Rebecca Wilcox has warned people may want to opt out of Winter Fuel Payment from April 1 to avoid paying double monthly deductions back to HMRC due to a change this year

A BBC expert has warned that millions of individuals may need to take action on or after 1 April, or risk paying ‘double’ back to HMRC. Consumer specialist Rebecca Wilcox told BBC Morning Live viewers that anyone with a taxable income exceeding £35,000 might want to opt out of the 2026 winter fuel payment to avoid repaying ‘£33 each month’ due to the change.

She cautioned that from April, millions of households will be contacted by HMRC and informed they may need to repay their Winter Fuel Payment. She further clarified that some might want to act to prevent receiving the money and thus bypass the repayment process.

Ms Wilcox highlighted that a significant change later this year would result in people repaying double the full amount. On the topic of early cancellation, she explained: “If you know your personal income is going to be over the threshold of £35,000 then opt out of it for the next year and then you don’t have to worry about the next payment. You cannot do this until 1 April. The reason you’ll want to opt out is because the payments are going to double just for one year.

“This is because the taxman is in debt, he’s in arrears, because he’s paid out all this money and it wants to claw this money back. For one year it is going to charge everybody double on their repayments so it can get back into the normal process of taking the money from you and then returning it. It wants to have its money so for one year it is going to charge you, say you were doing, for example we were talking about, of £17 per month tax deductions, it’s going to charge you double, £34 per month for that one year and then it will go back to £17.

“So that’s why you might want to opt out if you know you’re going to be earning £35,000 and above. If your income then drops just be aware you will have to opt back in to receive the winter fuel payment.”

Ms Wilcox told BBC Morning Live viewers: “The Winter Fuel Payment was a lump sum that was paid out to help you with your fuel bills during the cold months of November and December. That’s when the payments were made. What happened was they paid everybody who was over the age threshold. You were eligible to keep it if you were born before 22 September 1959 – that’s for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Or the 21 September 1959 in Scotland.

“If you’re born before that and you earn £35,000 exactly and under you can keep it. If you earn even a penny over the £35,000 of your personal, taxable income, then you will need to pay back this payment. The payment was between £100 and £300 and that number was calculated on your circumstances, your household circumstances and how old you are.

“For some this is going to be the first they’ve heard about repayment. And there’s a reason that this is happening and it’s because HMRC can do many things but it cannot predict the future. It has no idea how much you’re going to earn in that future tax year. So it’s just given it to everybody and then when it knows how much you’ve earned whic” h is April, it will reclaim the funds that were paid to you in November.

“If you earn over £35,000 and are within the age bracket you will be required to pay this back in full.” She noted that HMRC has an online checker available for those uncertain whether they exceed that threshold.

Winter Fuel Payments, referred to in Scotland as Pension Age Winter Heating Payments, are annual financial grants designed to assist with winter energy costs. For the current payment, eligibility extends to individuals born before 22 September 1959 in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, and before 21 September 1959 in Scotland.

The payment amount varies from £100 to £300 depending on age and household situation. HMRC cannot determine final income until the tax year concludes. Since payments must be distributed before winter, the system operates by paying everyone of qualifying age initially, then contacting those who exceed the income threshold afterwards.

In most instances, the money will be recovered automatically through the tax system. HMRC will modify the individual’s tax code in the 2026 to 2027 tax year. The repayment shows as an underpayment, resulting in slightly higher tax deductions each month.

No interest is charged on the sum being repaid. For instance, someone who received £200 might see their monthly income reduced by approximately £17 while the repayment is collected.

Individuals who complete a Self Assessment tax return will instead have the repayment added to their tax bill for the 2025 to 2026 tax year. Anyone who believes the calculation is wrong can dispute the decision with HMRC.

From 1 April 2026, households can decline the 2026 to 2027 payment by contacting the Winter Fuel Payment Centre or filling in a form online. You will need your National Insurance number to do this.

Once you opt out, you will not receive future payments unless you choose to opt back in. The primary reason to opt out if you expect your income to remain above the threshold is because from the 2027 to 2028 tax year, HMRC plans to recover payments in advance rather than in arrears, meaning deductions could be roughly double.

For a typical £200 payment, this could mean around £33 a month being taken through the tax system instead of about £17. The deductions are expected to return to the lower monthly amount in the following tax year.

BBC Ambulance viewers were left feeling emotional during the latest instalment of the popular series

Ambulance viewers were left in tears as they watched the “heart-wrenching” moment the parademics helped an elderly man on end of life care.

During Wednesday’s (April 1) instalment of the BBC hit series, which follows ambulance crews in Yorkshire, viewers saw an emergency team receive a call to attend to a 91-year-old man Terry, who was struggling to breathe.

Halifax crew 1671 Siobhan and Ellie rushed to the scene and found Terry lying in a hospital bed in his living room.

It was clear that Terry was uncomfortable as he struggled to breathe and was getting choked up when coughing. To help with the pain, he was given medication.

In a heartbreaking moment, Terry admitted that he didn’t want to go to hospital so Siobhan made a few calls to confirm he was able to do so.

Visibly moved, Siobhan said: “The most valuable job that I go to is an end of life job. They require a level of care and calm and cup of tea making. A hospital is not the place for everybody.

“Sometimes when we go to a patient who is dying, you have to be that patient’s advocate, following somebody’s wishes and keeping them comfortable and happy. No matter how difficult that is.”

Terry was able to stay in the comfort of his own home as Siobhan admitted that “there is nothing more we could do”.

While sitting in the ambulance, She turned to Ellie and said: “I’ve met Terry before and Terry that we went into was so different but I don’t think there is nothing more we could do.”

Ellie replied: “I think we have done the right thing there. He didn’t want to go to hospital and when someone is on palliative care is it the right thing to do – take them out of their nice warm home. Bless him.”

At the end of the show, it was revealed that Terry had spent three days in hospital before returning home, where he died in line with his wishes.

Viewers were left feeling emotional over the heartbreaking scene as they rushed to social media to share their reaction.

One fan wrote: “#ambulance Aw Terry. Heart wrenching.” Another said: “Terry is breaking my heart #Ambulance.” Someone else commented: “The hardest thing is watching people you love gradually fade away. #Ambulance.”

A fourth fan admitted: “It’s a tough watch tonight #Ambulance. One emotional viewer said: “Sobbing watching this #Ambulance.”

Meanwhile a fifth person added: “Tonight’s episode is just…. tough to see the elderly people nearing the end of their lives and all the paramedics being so caring & dignified in treating them.”

Ambulance airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Wednesdays at 9pm

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Lindsey Buckingham was attacked by a woman in Santa Monica on Wednesday morning.

The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that a woman with a history of stalking Buckingham, 76, tossed an unknown substance toward the former Fleetwood Mac guitarist and vocalist from a container as he entered a building for an appointment. According to law enforcement, Buckingham was not harmed; the woman is known to the musician and had been the subject of prior action with the LAPD threat management unit.

Police believe the woman found out when and where Buckingham had scheduled his appointment. She was not apprehended Wednesday morning, but an arrest was expected soon.

Santa Monica police and the LAPD are investigating the incident.

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

In December 2024, Buckingham filed a request for a restraining order against Michelle Dick, who was 53 at the time of that filing. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Scully granted the order, which mandates that Dick stay at least 100 yards away from Buckingham, his wife and his son. She was also ordered not to harass or attempt to make contact with him in any way.

In 2018, Buckingham split with Fleetwood Mac and a legal battle over lost wages with his former band ensued. Then, in February 2019, Buckingham suffered a heart attack and had to undergo triple bypass surgery. During the process, the insertion of a breathing tube damaged his vocal cords, leaving him questioning whether he would ever be able to sing again, he told The Times in 2021.

He spent much of the pandemic focusing on his recovery.

“I’ll tell you what: Between the Fleetwood Mac stuff and the heart attack, it’s all been humbling,” Buckingham said. “I’ve never suffered from a lack of confidence, and sometimes could get carried away with that in the process of leading the band. But everything has pulled me in a little bit. I’m not as aggressive a person as I was before, which is probably not a bad thing. It made me look around more — and become less self-involved, hopefully.”

After seven weeks on strike, members of the Writers Guild Staff Union are losing their healthcare.

The staff typically has access to the same plan offered to the Writers Guild members through the Producer-Writers Guild of America Health Plan. Employees represented by the staff union earn coverage on a month-to-month basis if they worked 31 hours per week the previous month. But since the group — which includes over 100 workers across legal, communications and residuals departments — has been on strike, they are no longer eligible.

The staff union wrote on social media that it learned about the coverage loss through an online portal “just hours before this goes into effect.”

“This puts children, spouses and their own employees into a further state of crisis. We are in week seven of our strike. This is just the latest attempt by WGAW to bust our union and break our strike,” the union wrote in the Instagram post.

WGA West confirmed employees who receive health coverage on a month-to-month basis are no longer eligible for it as of April 1. The guild said in a statement that striking employees can elect COBRA continuation coverage if they want to be covered in April and that they “cannot make contributions on behalf of staff employees who did not work in March and have no earnings.”

The work stoppage was first called on Feb. 17, after the staff union alleged that management had no intention to reach an agreement on the pending contract. Negotiations between the WGA and its staff union started last September.

The staff union strike has also coincided with the WGA’s ongoing contract talks with Hollywood’s major film and TV studios. Their members’ current contract is set to expire on May 1. The guild hopes to improve its members’ healthcare plans, increase streaming residuals and expand AI protections. This is the first time the labor group has sat down with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, since both WGA and SAG-AFTRA went on a historic strike in 2023.

Last week, the staffers sent a complete collective bargaining agreement to the union’s management, which they said was “designed to bring this strike to a resolution.” Key sticking points in the negotiations include seniority-based layoffs and promotions, as well as the right to strike mid-term in the contract.

WGA wrote in a statement that it has “negotiated a contract with the staff union that offers generous economic improvements and workplace protections that are among the best for any union staff in Los Angeles.”

And there might be an eighth one too – with bosses staying tight-lipped on how many take the £1million this time around

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is to get its seventh UK jackpot winner in the new series – and the eighth could also follow as TWO contestants make it all the way to the the £1million prize question.

While one player will definitely triumph, producers are not yet revealing what happens the second time. ITV bosses have promised that the 36th series, which starts later this month, will be one of the most dramatic ever seen.

Only six players have previously taken home the life-changing £1million prize – starting with Judith Keppel 26 years ago in 2000. She was followed by David Edwards and Robert Brydges the following year, Pat Gibson in 2004 and Ingram Wilcox in 2006. Donald Fear then became the sixth winner in the ITV show’s history in 2020, after an agonisingly long gap of 14 years.

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The revelation means the upcoming series, which starts on ITV later this month, is guaranteed to contain highs – but there will also be lows. One contestant will lose £186,000 with a single answer – one of the biggest losses in the show’s history.

One insider said: “The new series will see not one but two contestants make it all the way to the £1million question – putting them just one answer away from the big prize. One of them definitely takes it home.. But does the other one? Viewers will have to watch to find out. And the tension in series 36 will be off the scale as one player also gambles a huge amount – and loses.”

Bosses are not revealing where the wins – and the big loss – will come during the run. Hosted by former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, the nail-biting new series will again see contestants attempt to climb the Million Pound Money Ladder, using their four lifelines – Ask the Audience, 50:50, Ask the Host and Phone a Friend.

Clarkson said: “I think this may be my favourite series so far. Seeing two people get to the £1 million question was extraordinary. When they’re sitting there on that final question the tension in the studio is incredible, you can really feel it. Can’t wait for people to watch it.”

Last year one contestant broke the record for the biggest amount ever lost on the show. Nicholas Bennett, a data analyst from London’s West Hampstead, got all the way to the £500k question without using a single lifeline – leaving host Clarkson hugely impressed.

But things then took a turn for the worse on the £1million quesion. As he approached the previous one, worth half a million pounds, the host told him that he seemed “quite relaxed”, to which Nicholas responded: “It’s not relaxed inside my head.”

He was asked: “Which of these long-running US sitcoms had the most episodes? a) The Big Bang Theory b) Friends c) The Office or d) Seinfeld. Unsure of the answer, he asked the audience who thought it was Friends – but only 37% – so not wanting to take chances , he used 50/50, which left The Big Bang Theory and The Office (which meant the audience was wrong). At this point, he felt that he knew it was The Big Bang Theory – and he was right.

But then came the £1million question. Clarkson asked: “Which of these words, each coined by a famous writer, was derived from the title of a fairytale about three princes? a) Pandemonium b) Serendipity c) Utopia or d) Yahoo.”

After mulling for some time – and asking a friend, who didn’t know – Nicholas decided that the answer was “yahoo”. But sadly for him, the computer then revealed the answer to be serendipity, coined by Horace Walpole from The Three Princes of Serendip.

As Clarkson admitted he’d be “sobbing on the floor” if he’d just lost £375,000, Nicholas took it on the chin, saying philosophically: ”I’ve still got £125,000.”

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The Brazilian dystopian thriller has been hailed a ‘rare gem’ and ‘masterpiece’ by fans

The concluding series of the universally loved dystopian thriller, The Handmaid’s Tale, has been over for some time, leaving devotees hunting for their next television fixation.

Fans of thrillers are similarly captivated by a relatively obscure dystopian series titled 3%, showcasing a young ensemble and situated within an intriguing offshore community.

This Netflix offering from 2020 has accumulated numerous glowing reviews since its debut, with audiences declaring it “Tremendously Underrated”.

One IMDb critique states: “I was really surprised by the fact that this show is really unknown. It is a great TV series that definitely deserves more recognition.”

Another subscriber commented: “Cinematically and visually stunning, a political, Hunger Games-esque storyline with believable acting, and I thought very interesting, lifelike characters. The script is intelligent, the characters are strong, and the interaction is elegant in its simplicity and natural air”, reports the Express.

The narrative of this Brazilian thriller revolves around merely 3% of the population inhabiting luxury on an island, while the remaining citizens endure poverty on the mainland. Upon turning 20, ordinary people are given a single opportunity to join the elite 3% through a brutal competition dubbed ‘the process’.

Deliberately ruthless and potentially lethal to contestants, the competition concludes with most candidates returning to deprived circumstances – sometimes too incapacitated to even carry on.

While the series hails from Portugal, numerous English-speaking audiences have been captivated by the programme, eagerly watching every episode through subtitles or dubbed versions.

One enthusiast even labelled the show a “rare gem”.

They remarked: “3% is one of those rare shows that only gets better and better as it goes. Season 3, so far, is shaping up to be the most enthralling season yet, which, let me tell you, is absolutely saying something!”

“The world continues to be fleshed out, and the already quite complex characters are only getting more interesting. Do yourself a favour; watch at least to episode three before you pass judgement. You won’t regret it!”

Another viewer commented: “This is truly an outstanding dystopian/post-apocalyptic series. The acting, the shots, the pace, the character development, the storyline… Everything is on point! Seasons 1, 2 and 4 were, for me, all riveting.”

Boasting a Brazilian ensemble, the performers in this production are relatively unfamiliar but deliver an “outstanding” showing, according to audiences.

João Miguel portrays Ezequiel in the series, the Process’s leader, alongside Bianca Comparato, who appears as Michele Santana, and Michel Gomes as Fernando Carvalho. Reflecting on the performances in 3%, one viewer commented: “I watched this out of boredom, but boy, was I glad that I did. It totally caught me off guard by how wonderful this show was. It is intelligent, futuristic, and well acted; all in all, absolutely amazing.”

Whether you’re eager to discover what all the fuss is about, or simply on the lookout for something to watch after completing The Handmaid’s Tale, 3% is currently available to stream on Netflix.

Covered marquees. Downed statues. Painted-over murals. A canceled holiday.

California has effectively exorcised César Chávez from the public sphere just weeks after a New York Times investigation found two women who said the legendary labor leader sexually assaulted them when they were teenage girls in the 1970s. Just as explosive was the revelation by his longtime lieutenant, Dolores Huerta, that he raped her in the 1960s.

My prediction for the next place we’ll see a Chávez purge: books about him, which number into the dozens and span from academic treatises to children’s tales. But before critics relegate those texts to the banned section, folks should read some of them to see how writers helped establish the Chávez myth and propagated it for decades.

The books that created the Chávez legend

The tendency to elevate him above other activists was there from the start. In 1967, John Gregory Dunne published “Delano: The Story of the California Grape Strike,” which saw the author (and husband to Joan Didion) capture the essence of el movimiento in its earliest days through on-the-ground reporting and interviews with Chávez, whom Dunne described in the introduction as “the right man at the right place at what was, sadly, both the right and the wrong time.”

Famed writer Peter Matthiessen cemented Chávez’s image as a humble hero fighting a lone, brave battle against philistine farmers with a two-part New Yorker profile that became the basis for 1969s “Sal Si Puedes: Cesar Chavez and the New American Revolution.” That narrative continued with Jacques Levy’s 1975 release “Cesar Chavez: Autobiography of La Causa.” Talk about getting too close to the subject: The author’s archived papers disclosed he served as Chávez’s literal notetaker during the 1970 negotiations that ended the grape strike and led to the UFW’s first union contracts.

Chávez came under strong scrutiny

Rose-tinted biographies tellingly stopped around the time Chávez created a commune in what’s now currently the César E. Chávez National Monument in Keene and began to target perceived enemies within the UFW. Critics instead appeared in the media — one of the first was a 1979 Reason article that alleged he was misusing federal funds and contained the prescient line, “Many people will be reluctant to believe anything that could cast a shadow over this man.”

Other critical dispatches included pieces in the L.A. Times, Village Voice and one in the Sacramento Bee so damning in its indictment of how Chávez had, on his own, sabotaged the movement so many associated with him that its author, Marcos Breton, recently wrote how Chávez was left “hostile and angry” by his simple questions.

In the wake of Chávez’s decline and eventual death in 1993, authors created a new genre: Saint César. Titles like “Cesar Chavez and the Common Sense of Nonviolence,” “Conquering Goliath: Cesar Chavez at the Beginning” (by his mentor, Fred Ross Sr., the most important California organizer you’ve never heard of) and “The Rhetorical Career of César Chávez” pushed forth the gospel of their subject as a plainspoken prophet out of the Good Book.

Chávez inspired millions — but those books will now forever read as hollow and sadly myopic.

Rethinking the Chávez myth

True reappraisals of Chávez and his work wouldn’t start until after former Times editor and reporter Miriam Pawel published a 2006 series for this paper that showed the ugly, domineering side of Chávez and the UFW’s decline. Six years later, longtime activist Frank Bardacke simultaneously praised and damned Chávez in his “Trampling Out the Vintage: Cesar Chavez and the Two Souls of the United Farm Workers.” Though a good read, it pales in importance and poignant lyricism to two double whammies that dropped in 2014: “From the Jaws of Victory The Triumph and Tragedy of Cesar Chavez and the Farm Worker Movement” by Dartmouth College professor (and my distant cousin!) Matthew Garcia and Pawel’s own “The Crusades of Cesar Chavez: A Biography.”

Garcia and Pawel are now making media appearances and writing essays to opine on where they think Chávez went wrong. Expect updates to all of these books and so many others in the months and years to come — if they’re ever published again.

Today’s top stories

Red diamond rattlesnakes are among species in the Golden State. One reptile expert who relocates snakes says her phone has been “ringing off the hook.”

(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

Weird rattlesnake season

• Unseasonably warm March weather triggered an unusually active rattlesnake season in California, with experts fielding record calls about sightings statewide.
• Two fatal bites in Southern California in March and 77 Poison Control calls in three months far exceed typical annual patterns.

Life after California

• A new UC Berkeley study found that people who moved out of California dramatically improved their financial conditions.
• Those former Californians said the move saved them almost $700 in monthly housing costs, and they became 48% more likely to own a home in their new state.

Minimal snow in California mountains

More big stories

Commentary and opinions

This morning’s must read

Other great reads

For your downtime

(Stella Kalinina / For The Times; Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times; Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times; Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)

Going out

Staying in

A question for you: How are you celebrating Easter this year?

Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.

And finally … the photo of the day

Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani delivers during the second inning of a 4-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night.

(Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)

Today’s great photo is from Times photographer Ronaldo Bolaños at Tuesday night’s Dodgers’ game. Shohei Ohtani battled through the rain to throw a one-hit gem in the Dodgers’ 4-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend reporter
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.

The Irish drama has already been compared to Line of Duty

The BBC have added new episodes of ‘television’s most stressful thriller ‘ to their iPlayer service as it prepares to return to our screens this weekend.

All episodes of Hidden Assets are now available to stream at no extra cost on the platform. This includes its recently released third season, which was previously only available via Acorn TV late last year.

Those who are caught up to the most recent chapter of Hidden Assets can settle down to the latest episodes as they air each Saturday on BBC Four at 9pm. Otherwise, the complete collection is already available to stream on iPlayer right now.

The series is actually a joint Irish-Belgian-Canadian production. It is developed and written by Peter McKenna who previously penned other hit crime dramas including Kin and Gangs of London.

Each season contains six episodes, meaning those who have yet to watch any of it have plenty to catch up on. However, it should be a quick binge watch with fans and critics claiming it does not take long for viewers to be hooked.

For those that have yet to see any of the series, the first season is set in present day Shannon, County Clare, Ireland, its Free Zone and airport, and the port of Antwerp, Belgium. The plot focuses on the Irish Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and the Belgian Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU).

The second is also set between Antwerp and County Clare (Limerick, specifically). Meanwhile, the third series is set in Dublin and Bilbao where CAB joins forces with Ertzaintza detectives.

According to the synopsis, the narrative begins when evidence from a raid links a small-time drug dealer to a series of bombings in Belgium. This leads to Irish detective Emer Berry heading to Antwerp, where she’s confronted by Christian de Jong of the anti-terrorism squad. Together, they begin to untangle an international conspiracy involving drugs, terrorism, and corrupt business and political leaders.

While it hasn’t received enough professional reviews to warrant a score on Rotten Tomatoes, plenty sing its praises. The Guardian simply labelled it as ‘television’s most stressful thriller’ upon its return while one reviewer called it “a first-rate Irish crime drama series with Scandi-noir twists.”

Fans have been just as vocal for the series and recommending it to others. One posted online: “Brilliant Irish police thriller so much better than the BBC’s Northern Irish attempt, ‘Blue Lights’.”

Another added: “Compelling drama. Well written , directed and acted. Could not wait to see next episode and good ending. Definitely recommend. As good as Line of Duty.”

While someone else claimed: “Ever since Love/Hate we’ve been waiting for a gripping Irish Crime series to come along and here it is.” And another commented: “Right away you get sucked into the storyline and get caught up in the action. The acting is first class from all. I’m already looking forward to the next episode.”

Hidden Assets airs Saturday at 9pm on BBC Four and is streaming on BBC iPlayer.

Hardcover fiction

1. The Night We Met (Indie Exclusive Edition) by Abby Jimenez (Hachette Book Group: $30) Friendship, missed connections and life-altering split-second decisions converge after one fateful night.

2. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (Crown: $28) A lifelong letter writer reckons with a painful past.

3. Kin by Tayari Jones (Knopf: $32) The bond between two lifelong friends in the South is tested as they take different paths in life.

4. Heart the Lover by Lily King (Grove Press: $28) A woman reflects on a youthful love triangle and its consequences.

5. Vigil by George Saunders (Random House: $28) A spirit guide must shepherd the soul of a dying, unrepentant oil tycoon into the afterlife as he confronts his legacy of corporate greed all while supernatural visitors demand a reckoning.

6. Brawler by Lauren Groff (Riverhead Books: $29) A collection of short stories tackling the relentless battle between humanity’s dark and light angels.

7. Judge Stone by James Patterson and Viola Davis (Little, Brown & Co.: $32) The bestselling author and Oscar-winning actor team up for a small-town legal thriller.

8. Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy (Ballantine Books: $30) A teenager embarks on a secret relationship with her teacher.

9. Once and Again by Rebecca Serle (Atria Books: $27) A family of women have an astonishing gift: the ability to redo one moment in their lives.

10. Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict (St. Martin’s Press: $29) A young woman in the 1920s unearths the truth about a forgotten pharaoh, rewriting both of their legacies forever.

…

Hardcover nonfiction

1. A World Appears by Michael Pollan (Penguin Press: $32) An exploration of consciousness and a meditation on the essence of our humanity.

2. Strangers by Belle Burden (The Dial Press: $30) A woman explores her marriage, its end and the man she thought she knew.

3. The Best Dog in the World by Alice Hoffman (editor) Fourteen authors celebrate the life-changing bond with their canine companions in a collection of essays. (Scribner: $22)

4. Young Man in a Hurry by Gavin Newsom (Penguin Press: $30) The California governor tells his origin story.

5. You with the Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate (Little, Brown & Co.: $32) The actor opens up about her tumultuous childhood, her five-decade-long career and the MS diagnosis that upended it all.

6. Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! by Liza Minnelli (Grand Central Publishing: $36) The entertainment legend shares her story.

7. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad (Knopf: $28) Reckoning with what it means to live in a West that betrays its values.

8. Lessons From Cats for Surviving Fascism by Stewart Reynolds (Grand Central Publishing: $13) A guide to channeling feline wisdom in the face of authoritarian nonsense.

9. History Matters by David McCullough (Simon & Schuster: $27) A posthumous collection of essays from the Pulitzer-winning historian.

10. Writing Creativity and Soul by Sue Monk Kidd (Knopf: $29) A look at the mysteries, frustrations and triumphs of being a writer.

…

Paperback fiction

1. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (Ballantine: $22)

2. Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (Atria Books: $20)

3. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman (Ace: $20)

4. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (Vintage: $20)

5. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (Transit Books: $17)

6. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (Ecco: $20)

7. Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid (Carina Press: $19)

8. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (Vintage: $19)

9. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (Grand Central: $20)

10. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Riverhead Books: $19)

…

Paperback nonfiction

1. The Beginning Comes After the End by Rebecca Solnit (Haymarket Books: $17)

2. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (TarcherPerigee: $24)

3. The Wager by David Grann (Vintage: $21)

4. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (Simon & Schuster: $20)

5. All About Love by bell hooks (William Morrow Paperbacks: $17)

6. The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson (Crown: $22)

7. Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton (Vintage: $21)

8. Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $18)

9. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Milkweed Editions: $22)

10. When the Going Was Good by Graydon Carter (Penguin Books: $22)

SCOTT Mills’ “work wife” Tina Daheley has revealed the “real reason” she was missing from Radio 2 this week.

It was revealed this week that fan-favourite host Scott had been fired from his Radio 2 Breakfast Show over allegations surrounding his “personal conduct.”

The Sun understands that his contract was terminated within five days of the complaint being made.

It then came to light how Scott’s sacking was linked to a complaint about a 2016 police probe into historic “serious sexual offences” against a teenage boy, with the timeline of proceedings showing the BBC took seven years to act.

Scott’s co-presenter Tina took to social media on Wednesday to admit that it’s been an “awful week” after she went “missing”.

She shared a photo of herself in bed with a cup of tea and wrote: “Good morning! Just about recovered from this awful cold/flu.

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no trace

Scott Mills’ podcast disappears as he’s dropped by charity after Radio 2 sacking

“I’ve had for the past week (being parent to a primary school aged child is like having a subscription service to viruses!).”

Tina then revealed when she would be returning to her hosting duties.

“Good news is I’m over the worst of it and looking forward to spending two weeks with my family over the Easter hols from tomorrow after what’s been an incredibly difficult past week,” she said.

“I’ll be back on the radio Tuesday 21st April.”

It comes after Scott’s podcast was pulled by the BBC.

His Mercedes-Benz Vans Under the Bonnet: On the Road podcast has also been taken off Spotify.

The four part series created in 2025 with the Under the Bonnet report, shone the spotlight on varying issues for van drivers including everything from road conditions to mental health.

Scott has previously opened up on his own mental health battles and the podcast saw him reveal how 65 per cent of drivers had also struggled.

Yet when users search for it on Spotify, from a Google link that previously worked, a caption now states: “Couldn’t find that podcast.

“Search for something else?”

The BBC have also removed him from a Race Across The World podcast and pulled scenes he filmed for EastEnders.

Yesterday, we exclusively reported how charity Neuroblastoma UK dropped him as a patron.

Recently, we reported how Scott had been wiped from the BBC’s social media.

It comes after it was confirmed the Scott Mills Bridge at the M3 service station was now set to be re-named.

Additionally, The Sun was first to report how his Eurovision replacement is his fellow BBC Radio 2 DJ, Sara Cox.

Since 2011, he has commentated on the semi-finals, which air on BBC One on Tuesday and Thursday in the week leading up to the grand final.

• Scott Mills has been sensationally sacked by the BBC in a “tense” meeting with bosses
• The sudden axing is understood to be linked to a 2016 police probe into historical sex offences involving a teen boy
• Mills was questioned by police under caution in 2018 but the case was dropped in full due to a lack of evidence it is understood
• The race is now on to find a replacement for Mills, with fellow BBC DJ Gary Davies standing in
• And uncertainty now surrounds his future projects

In recent years, he has been joined by Rylan Clark to commentate on the shows, as well as the final live on Radio 2.

It comes after it transpired the broadcaster was questioned by police under caution in 2018 – when he was in his 40s, the Mirror reports.

The interview was related to alleged offences which took place between 1997 and 2000.

The case was dropped in full due to a lack of evidence.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told The Mirror: “In December 2016, the Met began an investigation following a referral from another police force.

“The investigation related to allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy.”

The spokesperson said a man, who was in his 40s at the time of the interview, was questioned by police under caution in July 2018.

“A full file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, who determined the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges,” the Met said.

“Following this advice, the investigation was closed in May 2019.”

The allegations, which did not result in any charges, were reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000.

Scott began at Radio 1 in 1998 presenting the early morning slot before earning his own breakfast show The Scott Mills Show.

Scott’s pals have also claimed they “can’t reach him” amid the “teen boy sex probe”.

A BBC spokesperson told The Sun: “While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted to work with the BBC.”

When the world is topsy-turvy, the theatergoing public seeks explanations. Arthur Miller provides something better: moral intelligence. He doesn’t tell his audience what to think but challenges them to think harder.

There’s clearly a hunger right now for Miller’s work. His plays are back in high demand in Los Angeles, New York and London.

A new revival of “Death of a Salesman,” starring Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf, is in previews on Broadway. And a less starry production of Miller’s masterpiece opened last weekend at Pasadena’s A Noise Within.

“All My Sons,” Miller’s breakthrough play about capitalism’s warped ethics in the guise of a domestic drama, just finished a successful run at Antaeus Theatre Company in Glendale. And National Theatre Live will screen the recent London production, starring Bryan Cranston and Marianne Jean-Baptiste, in April and May courtesy of Boston Court Pasadena and L.A. Theatre Works. (Late last year, I caught a screening at the Wallis of another London revival, the 2019 production starring Bill Pullman and Sally Field.)

Dana Dewes and Scott G. Jackson in “The Price” at Pacific Resident Theatre in Venice.

(Ian Cardamone)

“A View From the Bridge,” a play whose revenge plot hinges on a tip to immigration authorities, could hardly be more timely. The same could just as unnervingly be said about “The Crucible,” Miller’s parable about the McCarthy witch hunts. The play, always front of mind when power is being abused, has given rise to a modern feminist riposte, Kimberly Belflower’s thrilling “John Proctor Is the Villain,” which is coming to the Mark Taper Forum next year.

Not to be missed right now is a small, exquisitely acted production of “The Price” at Pacific Resident Theatre. Miller’s 1968 play, written during the agonizing days of the Vietnam War, concerns the disposition of the remains of a once-illustrious estate. As two estranged brothers working with an 89-year-old appraiser try to put a price on the antiques and personal effects their father — a casualty of the Great Depression — left behind, the family history they both tried to bury explodes.

Miller’s plays compel theatergoers to connect the dots not only between the past and the present but also between the political and the personal. His dramas set domestic conflicts against the backdrop of societal systems that insidiously warp the playing field for their characters.

Miller is often contrasted with Tennessee Williams. And while it’s true that Miller is more of a social realist and Williams is more of a dramatic poet, Miller’s carefully carpentered plays are emotionally supple and Williams’ lyrical dramas are acutely mindful of the power dynamics of our collective life.

The realism of “The Price” is as heavy as the old wooden furniture that the Franz brothers, Victor (Scott G. Jackson) and Walter (Jason Huber), are trying to profitably offload.

(Ian Cardamone)

Director Elia Kazan was drawn to both playwrights because he understood that they were as interested in the stories of individual Americans as they were in the larger tale of America itself. Kazan found in both writers more than enough poetry and grit to satisfy the new breed of realistic actor he was showcasing on stage and screen.

“Death of a Salesman” and “The Price” are vastly different plays. The former, which Miller once considered calling “The Inside of His Head,” is fluidly constructed, playing fast and loose with time as it tracks the disintegrating mental life of down-and-out salesman Willy Loman. “The Price,” by contrast, is set inside what looks at first glance to be a crowded antique shop but turns out to be the apartment once inhabited by the Franz family after the market crash changed everything.

The realism of “The Price” is as heavy as the old wooden furniture (stacked and sorted on Rich Rose’s eye-catching set) that the Franz brothers, Victor (Scott G. Jackson) and Walter (Jason Huber), are trying to profitably offload on a shrewd antique dealer named Gregory Solomon (Richard Fancy). “Salesman” is more limber in its dramaturgy, shifting locations and blurring chronologies. But it too depends on the ability of actors to embody the biographical weight of its finely detailed characters.

Arthur Miller’s 1968 play “The Price,” written during the Vietnam War, concerns the disposition of the remains of a once-illustrious estate.

(Ian Cardamone)

“The Price,” directed by Elina de Santos, thrives in the intimacy of Pacific Resident Theatre’s main stage. There’s not a moment in the play that isn’t deeply inhabited by a cast that understands the value of listening.

The drama builds toward a confrontation between Victor, a cop who dropped out of college to support his dad, and Walter, a wealthy doctor who made no such sacrifices and resents the guilt that he’s spent a lifetime trying to elude. Miller gives both characters some claim on the truth, making the twisting argument that breaks out between the brothers enthralling to follow.

But just as insightfully handled are the complicated emotional dynamics between Victor and his wife, Esther (Dana Dewes), who is frustrated by her husband’s resignation and blunted ambition but loyal to him and prepared to fight for his due. As for Solomon, the scene-stealing appraiser who dispenses old world wisdom while toting up an estimate for the furniture haul in between bites of a hard-boiled egg, is deliciously brought to life by Fancy, who has starred in both “All My Sons” and “Death of a Salesman” at PRT and enlivens this production with his veteran experience.

I saw “The Price” on Sunday after having been dismally disappointed at the Saturday night opening of “Death of a Salesman” at A Noise Within. That production, directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, seems completely deracinated on a set by Frederica Nascimento that registers no Brooklyn ZIP Code or locatable address anywhere.

Deborah Strang, Ian Littleworth, David Nevell and Geoff Elliott in “Death of a Salesman” at A Noise Within.

(Craig Schwartz)

But the bigger problem is that the performances are ungrounded. Geoff Elliott, who shares the title of producing artistic director at A Noise Within with wife Rodriguez-Elliott, doesn’t so much play Willy Loman as try on various accents, none of them remotely convincing to this native Brooklynite. Are the Lomans meant to be Irish immigrants or is that a Boston dialect that is being affected when the cartoonish New Yorkese takes a breather?

The house needn’t be fleshed out to be made to seem real, but since it plays such an important role in the play, its presence onstage ought to at least be palpable to the characters. At one point near the play’s tragic climax, Willy is feverishly planting seeds in the backyard, but Elliott gives no credibility to any of his character’s actions. Willy might as well be delivering newspapers or mopping the kitchen floor, so disconnected are his gestures.

It’s true he’s not in his right mind, but it’s just another instance of the casual disregard of the character’s moment-to-moment reality. Willy’s world never comes into being onstage, and the rest of the cast seems to wander in the limbo that’s left behind.

“Death of a Salesman” is more limber in its dramaturgy, shifting locations and blurring chronologies.

(Craig Schwartz)

As Linda Loman, Deborah Strang, normally so reliable, tries to follow the lead of husband Willy, but that turns out to be a dead end. Ian Littleworth’s Happy, the dissolute son always looking for an easy way out, seems unsettled not only in his bearings but in his command of the script.

David Kepner’s Biff, the prodigal son who rediscovers the reasons he ran off in the first place, delivers the most centered performance. It’s at least possible to believe what his character is supposed to be feeling, but the placelessness of the production doesn’t give him enough to dig into. The emotional combustion of his climactic scenes with Willy fail to reach cathartic levels.

Still, I found myself listening attentively to the warning Miller was issuing about buying into the salesman ethos. Willy’s belief that good connections matter more than skill and that blarney and bluff can substitute for hard work explains a good deal about our current national disorder.

David Kepner, who delivers the most centered performance, and Ian Littleworth in “Death of a Salesman.”

(Craig Schwartz)

But Miller’s dramatic vision requires actors to relive the experiences of their characters, the way they do in De Santos’ production. “The Price” might not be an indisputable masterpiece like “Death of a Salesman,” but its solid construction reveals tremendous complexity when the human story is scrupulously observed and the societal forces shaping our lives are suddenly thrust into view.

Peaky Blinders fans were left baffled over Arthur Shelby’s glaring absence.

Peaky Blinders’ Arthur Shelby actor has finally opened up about his absence from The Immortal Man.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is on Netflix and the follow-up film explores Tommy Shelby’s (played by Cillian Murphy) redemption arc as he attempts to right his wrongs.

The Peaky Blinders film, which sees Barry Keoghan star as Tommy’s son Duke Shelby, focuses on the father and son relationship as Duke begins to head down a dangerous path.

Tommy, reluctant to return to his family, is forced to face the demons of his past following an unprecedented tragedy and viewers discover some hidden secrets about Tommy’s life in the events between the series and the film.

The film begins with Tommy living away from his family in a derelict mansion, which features a graveyard he regularly visits.

Viewers were shocked to see Arthur Shelby’s name written on one of the gravestones, and here is all you need to know about actor Paul Anderson’s absence.

Why is Paul Anderson not in The Immortal Man?

Arthur Shelby was last seen in season six of the flagship series, while he was battling an opium addiction following a relapse.

Paul Anderson played Arthur in all six seasons of the show, and is one of only three stars to have appeared in every episode, besides Cillian Murphy and Sophie Rundle.

Anderson opened up on the film and his absence to LADbible, explaining: “Well, what can you do eh? It is how it is. I thought I’d just leave them to it. I think it’s great. I [wasn’t] very nice to people in it [the series]. But people loved me.”

Creator Steven Knight said there were no plans to bring Anderson back, telling The Hollywood Reporter his character had been written out of the film.

He explained: “What I’ll say is that the story determines the cast, and the story was set. I knew that Tommy needed to have done something that he couldn’t forgive himself for.

“Therefore, that’s why the plot went in that particular direction. But in terms of Paul, all I’ll say is that he’s a fantastic actor.”

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What happened to Arthur Shelby in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man?

In the sequel film, Tommy was seen living in isolation as he was haunted by the ghosts of his past, including his brother, Arthur.

He often visited his brother’s grave, though it was not mentioned for a long time how his brother really died.

At first it was suggested he had died by suicide, but by the end of the film Tommy revealed what really happened as a flashback played out on screen.

He explained how he had killed his own brother in a drunken fit of rage, while they were both in a car together.

Tommy was seen strangling Arthur during a struggle, which ended with Arthur laying lifeless and Tommy almost instantly regretting his actions.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is on Netflix

SCOTT Mills was first investigated over sex offences against a teenage boy seven years ago – but only now the BBC has acted.

In a sensational move the BBC pulled Mills off air last Tuesday – with it emerging days later that the axing was linked to a complaint about the 2018 probe into the 53-year-old.

Mills was questioned over allegations of “serious sexual offences” against a boy who police confirmed was under 16 at the time of the allegations.

The case – said to have taken place between 1997 and 2000 – was later dropped in full due to a lack of evidence.

Last night we revealed that BBC bosses had known Mills was being investigated in 2018, Mills informed the corporation but denied the allegations.

And, in March that year The Sun on Sunday revealed how a probe was being carried out into an unnamed radio presenter.

DARK DAYS

Scott Mills’ troubled Radio 1 years that saw star go on-air drunk after tragedy

SCOTT SHOCK

Teen boy at centre of Scott Mills ‘sex offences’ probe was under 16, cops say

Officials decided to keep Mills on air for seven years after he informed them of the investigation before suddenly dismissing him on Monday.

It was only after a complaint was made regarding the police probe that Beeb bosses gave Mills the boot.

Mills’ £360,000 a year contract was terminated within five days of the complaint being made.

But the BBC has since apologised for not taking action on an allegation against Scott Mills raised last year. So, as the scandal unfolds, here is what was known and when.

1997 – 2000

The alleged “serious sexual offences” against a boy under 16 take place with Scott Mills joining the BBC in 1988.

Mills initially joined the corporation as a presenter on BBC Radio 1, presenting the early morning slot before earning his own namesake programme The Scott Mills Show.

December 2016

The Metropolitan Police launch a probe into allegations regarding Scott Mills.

The investigation, which related to allegations of serious sexual offences, followed a referral from another police force.

July 2018

Mills is questioned by police under caution about historical sexual offences against a teenage boy.

The former BBC Radio 2 star told the corporation about the investigation and denied the allegations.

May 2019

After it was decided there wasn’t enough evidence to bring charges against Mills the investigation is closed.

The case was dropped in full.

October 2022

Mills moved from BBC Radio 1 and joined BBC Radio 2, taking over the coveted afternoon slot from Steve Wright.

January 2025

Mills then moves on to take over the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, where he would stay until he was dismissed.

The former presenter took over after Zoe Ball stepped down — calling the role his “dream job”.

March 24, 2026

Mills signs off his show with “see you tomorrow” with his slot taken over the next day by Gary Davies.

Davies would continue to fill in for Scott after being named as the interim breakfast show host.

March 25, 2026

A BBC investigation is launched following a complaint regarding Scott Mills and the historic police probe.

March 30, 2026

In a sensational story, it is announced Mills had been sacked by the Beeb.

BBC Director of Music Lorna Clarke circulates an internal letter to staff informing them of the sacking.

March 31, 2026

The Metropolitan Police confirm that the teen boy at the centre of the allegations was under 16 years old at the time of the alleged offences.

April 1, 2026

The Sun reveals that the BBC was aware of the investigation as far back as 2018.

We revealed how Mills told the corporation in 2018 but was kept on air for another 7 years before suddenly being fired.

This story contains spoilers for “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.”

Everybody’s favorite fearless and super capable princess is back for another adventure — along with the denizens of her kingdom and a pair of New York plumber brothers — in “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.”

Now in theaters, the follow-up to the 2023 blockbuster “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” sees Princess Peach, Mario, Luigi and Toad joined by some new yet also very familiar faces as they try to thwart yet another evil plan by a member of the Bowser clan. The result is some intergalactic travel and family-friendly action.

Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, who also helmed the first film, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” formally introduces into Nintendo’s movie universe the cosmically powerful Rosalina and her flock of star-shaped Lumas, Bowser’s ambitious mini-me, Bowser Jr., the insatiable dinosaur-like Yoshi, ace pilot Fox McCloud and more video game fan favorites. (That includes Mr. Game & Watch, one of Nintendo’s earliest playable characters.)

These introductions, of course, don’t stop when the film’s main story ends.

Much like the first installment, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” features a couple of bonus scenes that are shown after the credits begin to roll. The first is a mid-credits scene that involves a breakout character from “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” and the second, shown after the credits end, introduces another Nintendo royal.

Many Lumas appear in “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.”

(Nintendo and Illumination)

The mid-credits scene is justice for Lumalee

Lumalee quickly won audiences over in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” with his cheerfully nihilistic one-liners while imprisoned by Bowser. The blue Luma doesn’t appear during the main story of “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” but the star-shaped creature steals the mid-credits scene.

The bonus scene takes place sometime after the movie’s main story ends at the prison where Bowser and Bowser Jr. have been locked up. After Fox teases a possible sequel or “Star Fox” spin-off by mentioning he is finally “heading home” as he approaches his ship, audiences get a glimpse of what’s in store for the Bowser duo’s foreseeable future.

Peace may not be an option, because their prison guard is former Bowser captive Lumalee. And the role reversal — complete with uniform — doesn’t appear to have changed Lumalee’s outlook on life in any way.

The blue Luma said it best in the first “Mario” movie: “Life is sad, prison is sad, life in prison is very, very sad.” Just how sad things might get for the Bowsers will be up to Lumalee.

Peach fights off some Ninjis in “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.”

(Nintendo and Illumination)

The second post-credits scene introduces a new princess

The final bonus scene in “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” is more of a teaser for what could come in a future “Mario” installment.

This stinger takes place back at the hub known as the Gateway Galaxy. The mischievous thieving monkey Ukiki is once again trying to make off with the belongings of a passerby when he is stopped by another traveler: Princess Daisy.

Daisy is a character that first appeared in the 1989 Game Boy game “Super Mario Land.” Much like Peach in the first “Super Mario Bros.” video game, Daisy was the princess players were trying to rescue. She has since become a Nintendo regular, being featured as a playable character in “Mario”-related titles including in the “Mario Kart,” “Mario Party” and “Super Smash Bros.” series of games as well as the latest main series installment, “Super Mario Wonder.”

Although Daisy does not have any lines in the film, the video game incarnation of her is known to be energetic and feisty.

This brief glimpse of Daisy is another indication that there is more to come in the Mario movie franchise. Audiences will have to wait to see if (or when) a third movie is officially announced.

MEGAN Thee Stallion has been rushed to hospital after suddenly falling “very ill” during a performance of Moulin Rouge on Broadway.

The 31-year-old rap star managed to get through the opening scenes of the hit musical in New York before the show had to be halted so she could get treatment.

Megan, who plays Zidler in the beloved Broadway production, was quickly taken to hospital and is still undergoing an evaluation, it is believed.

A representative of the Savage rapper told TMZ: “During Tuesday night’s production, Megan started feeling very ill and was promptly transported to a local hospital, where her symptoms are currently being evaluated.”

There is yet to be any further update on her condition.

Megan’s personal hairstylist and close friend Kellon Deryck has come out since to ask fans to say “a prayer” for the rapper.

MEG-A SEXY

Megan Thee Stallion suffers wardrobe malfunction in completely see-through dress

Megan is due to appear in Moulin Rouge! The Musical until May 17 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

Her casting as Zidler marks a history making moment for the star as she becomes the first female-identifying performer to play the role in any production of Moulin Rouge worldwide.

Concerned audience members said they were told to “stay inside and seated” while medics assessed Megan off stage.

After she left the theatre, the show continued as a male performer took on the role of Zidler.

Megan’s first show came on March 24 where she was congratulated for putting on an impressive act in New York City.

Earlier this year, the Hot Girl Summer artist spoke about how big of an honor it is to be able to perform on Broadway.

She released a statement when she was announced for the musical saying: “Stepping onto the Broadway stage and joining the Moulin Rouge! The Musical team is an absolute honor.

“I’ve always believed in pushing myself creatively and theatre is definitely a new opportunity that I’m excited to embrace.

“Broadway demands a different level of discipline, preparation, and storytelling, but I’m up for the challenge and can’t wait for the Hotties to see a new side of me.”

After his October 2015 overdose at a Nevada brothel, Lamar Odom says, he had “12 strokes and six heart attacks. All my doctors say, like, I’m a walking miracle.”

Now, more than a decade later, the Love Ranch brothel has been demolished, but Odom is still around.

The former Laker and onetime husband of Khloé Kardashian is telling his story for “The Death and Life of Lamar Odom,” the newest episode of Netflix’s documentary series “Untold,” along with Kardashian, former coach Phil Jackson and others who were around during his Oct. 13, 2015, health emergency. The episode premiered Tuesday.

“You know what’s funny?” the 46-year-old former player told Sports Illustrated in an interview published Monday. “I haven’t even watched it yet. You know why? Because I lived it.”

Odom, who just got out of another month of rehab in February, insists that the 2015 episode was not a mere overdose but a “hit,” an attempt on his life.

“Right when I signed the divorce papers, I was like, ‘I’m gonna get it in.’ The Bunny Ranch I used to always see on TV, but I don’t have any coke to take,” he says in the documentary. “ … It’s crazy when you think about [how] one decision, so big or so minor, could be so pivotal to you and to people that you really love.”

The late Dennis Hof, owner of the Bunny Ranch, where HBO’s “Cathouse: The Series” was shot, owned other Nevada brothels. Odom set off that October for Hof’s Love Ranch in Crystal, about 80 miles outside of Las Vegas.

“It was pretty rare that a celebrity — certainly anybody above the D-list — would be actively trying to come out to one of the brothels,” former Love Ranch manager Richard Hunter says in the “Untold” episode. “This was kind of a myth. This was something Dennis perpetuated.”

But, Hunter said, “Lamar Odom actually began contacting several of the girls from the Love Ranch on Instagram. … Being a professional athlete, there’s a lot of easier ways to do this than to drive an hour outside of the city into the desert, walk into a brothel, such as it was, and want to live there for a few days.

“As the days progressed, I remember that him or one of his handlers … actually contacted the brothel and wanted a car to pick him up. So it definitely became real when he gave us the address of where he was at.” The driver called the Love Ranch and let them know his passenger really was Odom. They put him in a house behind the brothel, Hunter said, where they put folks who were “spending enough money.”

Odom told USA Today in an interview published Monday that what transpired at the Love Ranch — which was demolished in November 2024, after Hof’s 2018 death — “was like a hit. Obviously they missed. I don’t know if they want to finish the job.”

Hit or not, Odom infamously wound up overdosing on alcohol and various drugs including over-the-counter erectile-dysfunction supplements. He says no cocaine was involved.

Kardashian explains in the episode that her divorce from Odom came as a result of an ultimatum she was told to deliver during a planned intervention: a three-month rehab stint or a split. Odom surprised them, she said, when he said that all he wanted was his passport — and the divorce.

“I was like, looking around like, ‘Wait. Wait. I — I don’t want the divorce,’” she said. “‘You guys [who assembled for the intervention] told me I have to say this.’”

Odom and Kardashian had signed their papers before the OD, but a judge hadn’t yet signed off on the dissolution, which allowed her to keep him insured and, as his wife and next of kin, to make decisions regarding his health. Kobe Bryant, Odom’s Lakers teammate and Kardashian’s close friend, flew to Nevada to help her decide whether to proceed with surgery to fix Odom’s lung that had collapsed. She said yes, even though there was only “like a 10% chance” that it would work and that he would survive the procedure.

Odom made it through, recovering at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Bryant died in a helicopter crash less than five years later.

After the OD, Kardashian never left the hospital. She put their divorce — finalized in 2016 — on hold. When Odom awakened from his coma, he couldn’t control his bowels and needed six hours a day of dialysis, according to the documentary. “So you can understand the humility … I’ve won two championships. I’m Lamar Odom. I can’t walk, can’t talk. And they come in to check my diaper.”

He was 35 at the time. The next summer, he was removed from a flight at LAX before takeoff while drunk and vomiting, having been seen earlier slamming beer and whiskey in the Delta Airlines lounge.

So what would Odom tell his younger self, if he could, after suffering a dozen strokes and six heart attacks after that visit to the Love Ranch?

“Stay away from your weakness. And my weakness, obviously, was drugs because I’m a drug addict,” he told SI. “It could have been passed down to me from my father. But I’m not blaming anybody. Makes no sense to blame anybody. On or off the court, you have to work with what you’ve got. And I had an incredible stat line in terms of skills and how to play the game.

“And just work on being the best player that you can be. Anybody who offers you that s—, drugs, whether it be coke, pot, alcohol, they probably ain’t your friend. And to choose my friends wisely, because they could affect you on or off the court.”

Odom also wasn’t sure why Netflix had tapped him at this moment, but hopes that by telling his story he might help other people who are trying to get out of addiction.

“I was telling my girlfriend on the way here, it’s like swimming in a cesspool of trauma,” he told USA Today, mentioning a partner who has not been identified. “And I’m trying to get out of it, but the story reels me back into that pool every time. But I just know I’m bigger than the situation, and I hope to help a lot of people by giving my testimony. Not just with the story, but just in life, that we can all overcome addiction.”

That and, well, “Netflix had a good paycheck, bro,” he told SI with a laugh. “No, but it’s a time and place for everything. I don’t know what made me relevant now.”