show biz

MEGAN Stalter has shocked the Emmys red carpet, transforming into a literal golden statue for the 78th awards ceremony.

The Hacks star turned heads in a gold bikini and matching body paint for the night’s boldest look.

In true eccentric style, Stalter covered herself head-to-toe in gold, complete with angel wings and a golden orb.

Stalter arrived with her Hacks co-star and bestie Paul W. Downs, who wore a sharp black tux.

The 35-year-old is up for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy for playing Kayla Schaefer in the fifth and final season of HBO Max’s Hacks.

It is her first Emmy nomination.

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Kayla, the over privileged and clueless assistant on the HBO’s hit series, was her first acting job.

Stalter is no stranger to outlandish red carpet attires.

In January she attended the Critics Choice awards with her co-star, mimicking Kylie Jenner’s all-orange look which she had worn with boyfriend Timothy Chalamet to the Marty Supreme premiere.

At last year’s Emmys, the actress opted for a simple pair of jeans and a T-shirt – in a deliberate non-statement.

In 2025 at the Las Culturistas Culture Awards, she wore a corset-style top made from actual Diet Coke packaging.

In April, the actress told Marie Claire: “Every red carpet appearance or anything that I get to do in front of people, I want to have fun and make the most of it because it’s my dream.

“We worked really hard to get here, and now I want to enjoy it.”

Stalter is up against her castmate Hannah Einbinder, who won the category last year, plus Janelle James for Abbott Elementary, Michelle Pfeiffer for Margo’s Got Money Trouble and Jessica Williams for Shrinking.

One amused commenter reacted to her look and said: “If they don’t give her the statue, she IS the statue.”

Hacks recently wrapped its fifth and final season which is up for 24 Emmy nominations at this year’s ceremony.

It is the second most nominated show this year, just trailing one award behind The Pitt.

This years Primetime Emmy Awards are being held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

It will air on NBC and Peacock and is hosted by Mariska Hargitay.

Mr Bean, the hapless character played by Rowan Atkinson between 1990 and 1995, will wreak havoc alongside Dennis the Menace, the Bash Street Kids and Minnie the Minx

He is clumsy, mischievous and causes chaos wherever he goes… so who ­better to run The Beano than Mr Bean?

The character, made famous by ­comedian Rowan Atkinson, will be taking the reins for four issues, wreaking havoc alongside Dennis the Menace, the Bash Street Kids and Minnie the Minx. And in his first act as boss, he renames the comic Mr Beano and promotes his brown knitted bear, Teddy, to “Teditor”.

His adventures will include rewriting the classroom rules when he accidentally ends up working at Bash Street School. And there are some back-alley shenanigans when his cat Scrapper meets Beano hounds Gnasher and Gnipper.

Rowan said: “I grew up reading Beano and always adored its anarchic style and tone – and as I regard Mr Bean as a natural-born anarchist and a child at heart, I’m surprised it’s taken us so long to explore a tie-up and finally exploit the Bean/Beano name connection. Its time has come.”

The eccentric character was first ­introduced to audiences in the eponymously named 1990s TV series before conquering Hollywood with Bean (1997) and Mr Bean’s Holiday (2007), as well as the ITV cartoon, Mr Bean: The Animated Series.

Mike Stirling, the Beano’s Director of Mischief, said: “Kids voted Rowan one of their top three mischief makers this year, so Mr Bean was always going to fit right in. Giving him the editor’s pencil was ­probably a terrible idea, but a funny one – as everyone will see.”

The collaboration is part of Beano’s Year of Mischief, marking the 75th anniversary of Dennis the Menace. The comic was first published in 1938 and is still created in its original Dundee HQ and printed in the UK.

The first issue will be available in supermarkets, newsagents and online from tomorrow.

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The Emmys “red” carpet is underway as television’s biggest stars descend on the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live.

Instead of the usual vibrant red, this year’s carpet is peacock blue in honor of the 100th anniversary of NBC, which is broadcasting the ceremony. Network stalwart Mariska Hargitay, who’s starred in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” for 27 seasons, will host the show. Hot off the heels of film awards season, Chase Infiniti is sure to take another red carpet by storm in her Emmys debut. She’ll be joined by fellow drama lead actress nominees and fashion mavens Keri Russell and Zendaya (whose red carpet winning streak is unmatched). Comedy lead actress nominees sure to rule the carpet include Quinta Brunson, Ayo Edebiri and Elle Fanning. Their limited series / TV movie counterparts Claire Danes, Carey Mulligan and Sarah Pidgeon will also dress to impress.

All eyes will also be on “Hacks” stars Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs, who are sure to coordinate their outfits again. Sterling K. Brown, Noah Wyle, Steve Carell, Matthew Rhys, Charlie Hunnam, Oscar Isaac and Colman Domingo are among the men to watch.

Here are the best looks from the 2026 Emmys, updating live:

Niecy Nash-Betts

Niecy Nash-Betts is ravishing in red.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Kristen Kish

Kristen Kish elevates the tuxedo shirt.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Adam Brody

Emmys, here he comes!

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Janine Rubenstein

TV personality Janine Rubenstein arrives at the Emmys.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Supriya Ganesh

Supriya Ganesh is among “The Pitt” stars taking the Emmys by storm.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Abby Elliott

Abby Elliott is pretty in pink.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Shabana Azeez

“The Pitt” actor Shabana Azeez trades in her scrubs for a gold gown.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Melissa Rivers

Melissa Rivers returns to the red carpet after nearly 20 years for “CNN & Variety Red Carpet Live.”

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Ciara Miller

“Summer House” star Ciara Miller, who will compete on “Dancing With the Stars” this season, also got the crop-top memo.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Keltie Knight

Keltie Knight, host of E!’s “Live from the Red Carpet,” opts for a white crop top and pink skirt.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Monty Python star Eric Idle appeared on Monday’s The One Show to talk about his new book Idle in Provence: A Brief History of Thyme

Monty Python star Eric Idle was left confused over a The One Show detail.

The actor, comedian, musician and writer, 83, appeared on Monday’s episode of the BBC programme to talk about his new book Idle in Provence: A Brief History of Thyme. It comes as a Monty Python ‘row’ has erupted between John Cleese and Eric in recent days.

As Eric was introduced to The One Show, the comedy star grilled hosts Alex Jones and Roman Kemp, asking: “Can I ask you a question? I mean, this is called The One Show, right?”

To which the duo confirmed this fact, a confused Eric then pointed out: “There’s two of you!” with Alex, 49, responding: “I know!” and Roman, 33, replying: “Fair, that’s fair!”

Alex then quipped: “I know, they need us both!” with Eric joking: “A spare? Is that what you said?” Alex then continued: “If one of us passes out, you know, there’s somebody else there.” Roman then joked: “I’m just a passenger, Eric, that’s all!”

Also on Monday’s show were Jack Whitehall and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Jack, 38, said of being on the sofa alongside Eric: “He’s an absolute icon! One of my comedy heroes and this is a privilege to be here with the great Eric Idle!”

During his time on the show, Eric spoke about his new book and his property in the south of France, which he purchased in 1971 and has spent 50 years renovating.

Over the years, Eric has hosted some very famous guests at his French home, including the late Robin Williams and David Bowie, as he recalled stories that included the duo on Monday’s show.

Host Roman said: “You mentioned so many other famous friends in the book as well and it’s your way, you say, of keeping their memory alive.”

To which Eric replied: “Well you know people say: ‘Oh, you’re name dropping!’ and I say: ‘Well, you’re not name dropping when they’re dead, it’s history’ and actually very interesting people both of them.

“Extraordinarily interesting people and David an extraordinary man. I mean polymath, he knew everything about music, art, literature, the whole lot!”

The One Show airs on weeknights at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Trigger Point is “reaching a shocking conclusion” in tonight’s season four finale.

Trigger Point season four is almost over and ITV has already confirmed what will be taking its place.

Line of Duty legend Vicky McClure won Best Drama Performance at this week’s National Television Awards and now the explosive series four finale is airing tonight, Monday, September 14.

Fans were left stunned by the penultimate episode when DC Neil Brenton (played by Tom Glenister) was fatally shot as he tried to track down DS Helen Morgan (Natalie Simpson) on his own.

Now, Expo Lana Washington (Vicky McClure) “must fight against the ticking clock to save thousands – perhaps even hundreds of thousands – of lives.”

But as the explosive final airs this evening, ITV has already confirmed what will be taking its place next week.

ITV thriller The Blame will be making its debut on Sunday, September 20, at 9pm, with its second episode airing the following night, Monday, September 21.

The official synopsis for the upcoming drama reads: “While investigating a murder, detectives Emma Crane and Tom Radley find evidence of serious misconduct within Wakestead police, uncovering a web of lies, institutional cover-ups and moral compromise.”

Based on the novel of the same name by author Charlotte Langley, The Blame stars Coronation Street and Our Girl star Michelle Keegan as Detective Emma Crane.

She is joined by The Sandman’s DI Tom Radley, Shetland star Ian Hart as DCI Kenneth Walker and House of the Dragon’s Gavin Spokes as DC Joel Stevens.

The Blame will consist of six episodes with two episodes airing every week on Sundays and Mondays.

Once the series premieres, the entire boxset will be ready to binge-watch on ITV’s streaming service ITVX.

But before The Blame can begin, there is Trigger Point’s grand finale to get excited about.

Its description continues: “Entering a space filled with enemies and the potential for devastating collateral damage, Lana is pushed beyond her limits to stop the bombers’ final plan from reaching a shocking conclusion.”

Trigger Point is available to watch on ITV and ITVX.

The Blame debuts on Sunday, September 20, at 9pm, on ITV.

GUY RITCHIE is casting the net wide for the third series of The Gentlemen – in the hope of Baggin’ two huge Hollywood superstars.

Insiders have told me the hotshot director is trying to sign up Lord Of The Rings actors Elijah Wood and Orlando Bloom for the hit Netflix show.

If he pulls off the move, it would reunite Orlando, who played Legolas, and Elijah, who starred as Frodo Baggins, two decades on from Peter Jackson’s hit film trilogy.

A source said: “The Gentlemen is the hottest TV show in town and Guy has big plans for the third series.

“Elijah is being courted to appear as a villain, while Orlando is also one of their key casting targets.

“For Lord Of The Rings fans working on the production, the idea of having Frodo and Legolas back together would be amazing. No deals are signed yet, but discussions are ongoing.”

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And those aren’t the only actors that Guy is lining up for a part.

Prince Harry’s wife Meghan’s name is being bandied about as a potential star of the third instalment.

And it seems Guy’s show needs a bit of a Hollywood rocket to give it a boost.

Streaming figures for The Gentlemen’s opening weekend of the second series were 50 per cent down on the initial run of shows, with 6.7million views in the first four days it was available to watch.

Season two saw Theo James reprising his role as aristocrat-turned-drug kingpin Eddie Horniman alongside Kaya Scodelario, who plays ice-cold crime boss Susie Glass.

Love Island host Maya Jama made her acting debut in the second series after being cast as mob wife Aisha.

And she is definitely back for the next run, admitting she loved working with Guy on set. Maya said: “He’s very personable and he would be like, ‘Yeah, you’re doing well’, and reassure me, which was really nice.

“He’s just really involved and kind of a genius to watch, because everyone’s practising their lines and then he says something that’s way better than the original.”

Avril, 77, was recently reunited with her daughter Eleanor after 60 years on Long Lost Family after being told she’d never find her child

A Long Lost Family star has made an emotional admission after being told for years that she would never find her daughter.

Avril, now 77, was only 15-years-old when she became pregnant, her mum then shipped her off to a mother and baby home in Carlisle, where she gave birth to a baby girl she called Michelle.

At only eight-weeks-old, Avril gave Michelle up for adoption and she was renamed Eleanor. Avril sought the help of Long Lost Family’s Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell, who travelled to Newcastle, to find her daughter, where she was emotionally reunited after 60 years apart on the ITV show.

However, this wasn’t Avril’s, who also has daughter Sharon, first attempt to reconnect with her first child, having previously contacted a rival programme to assist her in finding her long-lost daughter.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, Avril admitted that The Trisha Goddard Show rejected her because they believed they would never locate her. She explained: “I was listed on a couple of adoption agencies. I tried The Trisha Goddard Show, and she used to help people find their family.”

The ITV programme, which broadcast on Channel 5 from 2004 to 2012, regularly featured emotional family reunions, deep-rooted family secrets or disputes concerning adopted children.

But after reviewing Avril’s case, Channel 5 bosses conceded that even with the programme’s resources, they wouldn’t be able to trace her daughter, reports the Express.

She recalled: “Basically, I was told that I would never be able to find her because she had been issued a new birth certificate.

“So that led me to believe that there wouldn’t be an original birth certificate, and I was told that by two or three different professional people. But after 30 years, you just think, ‘Well, there’s not much else I can do. Hopefully, she might be able to find me’, but you just don’t know.”

The TV star went on to share that her other daughter, Sharon, proved to be her greatest supporter when she considered approaching another television programme for assistance. She said: “I have another daughter, Sharon, and I told her about Michelle.

“She was the one who said, ‘Yes, you should do it’. So that’s what I did. I wrote to Long Lost Family, and it went from there.”

The mother and daughter were eventually reunited on Eleanor’s birthday, with Avril telling her: “There aren’t any words to tell you, Eleanor. That I’ve always loved you and that you’re still mine. You’re my child.”

It comes as the reunited mother and daughter recently appeared on This Morning, where Avril said of meeting for the first time and if they had an instant bond: “Yeah, she was back in my arms where she belongs.”

It’s never too late to run away and join the circus.

That’s a major theme of the Tony-nominated musical “Water for Elephants,” and living proof is on stage at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre an hour before the curtain rises on opening night. The show — about a traveling circus — boasts an ensemble with as many acrobats as actors, all of whom must warm up prior to performing. This nightly routine is a show in and of itself, with acrobats stretching, tumbling and throwing one another in the air. Another ensemble member is juggling nearby as someone spins in a giant hoop at an unnatural speed.

The night includes a special treat: The company is breaking in a new piece of equipment known as the Chinese pole, a nearly 20-foot-high cylinder the performers climb up, slide down and generally defy laws of gravity on. This pole won’t be used just yet — it arrives with a texture that can be slick or uneven, so the troupe must spend a couple weeks prepping it for better gripping and friction.

Adam Fullick, of the touring production of Broadway’s “Water for Elephants,” practices using a Cyr wheel on stage at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.

(Ariana Drehsler / For The Times)

There’s an almost comically blasé way in which the performers — who are used to such spectacles — go about their work an hour before thousands of audience members will gasp and clap at the same tricks. That’s not to mention the gorgeous puppetry work done by another set of performers as the play reveals a series of detailed circus animals.

“It’s really fun to hear the audience react to this show,” says Serafina Walker, an actor and acrobat in the ensemble who also serves as circus captain. “There’s a lot of moments that come as a surprise, you can definitely hear the audience reaction, and that is what fuels us on stage as performers.”

Walker got into competitive gymnastics at the age of 3, and at 13 she began working with a Vermont-based traveling youth circus called Circus Smirkus. She graduated from École Nationale de Cirque in Montreal a year ago and is now on her first musical tour. She is one of several performers who play the roles known collectively as “Kinker & Roust,” slang terms for acrobats/aerialists and “roustabouts,” a.k.a. circus laborers. It’s a deceptively simple title for a role that will soon have her spinning from hoops and being thrown high into the air — not to mention singing, dancing and acting alongside the ensemble.

Actor and acrobat Serafina Walker backstage at the Pantages.

(Ariana Drehsler / For The Times)

Walker is one of many performers who has to blend specialty skills with traditional acting to form one flawless company. Co-choreographer Jesse Robb comes from a concert and theater background while his co-choreographer/circus designer Shana Carroll emerged from the circus world, having directed and choreographed for Cirque du Soleil. Carroll is also a co-founding artistic director of the acclaimed circus collective the 7 Fingers

“What makes the collaboration so special is that we don’t simply bring our separate perspectives to the table—we truly meld into each other in the work,” Robb says. “The boundaries between circus, Broadway, and concert language become fluid, and something new emerges from that intersection.”

Based on Sara Gruen’s 2006 novel, “Water for Elephants” tells the story of Jacob Jankowski, a 93-year-old man who reflects on his time in the 1930s with a traveling circus. As a young veterinarian student, Jacob loses his parents in a tragic accident and jumps a moving train that just happens to belong to the Benzini Bros. Circus. He is hired by the owner and ringmaster August Rosenbluth, but complications ensue when Jacob falls for August’s wife, Marlena, as they work together to train a stubborn elephant named Rosie for their star act.

Helen Krushinski and Zachary Keller perform in the touring production of “Water for Elephants” at the Pantages, which has as many acrobats as it does actors in its ensemble.

(Matthew Murphy)

The story was previously adapted into a 2011 film before being reworked as a musical with music and lyrics by PigPen Theatre Company, a book by Rick Elice and directed by Jessica Stone. After an Atlanta run in 2023, “Water for Elephants” hit Broadway in March 2024, where it earned seven Tony nominations, including best musical. The first national tour is in Los Angeles through Sept. 27 before playing the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa Nov. 10-22.

Also displaying massive versatility is Summer Severin, who, in addition to being an ensemble swing member, serves as dance captain and understudies the role of Marlena. While Severin had an extensive background in acting, singing and dancing, she has found herself learning skills she never imagined, from standing on people’s shoulders to aerial work.

Dance captain and ensemble swing member Summer Severin in her Pantages dressing room.

(Ariana Drehsler / For The Times)

“I’ve never trained in acrobatics or circus or anything,” says Severin, who had to learn a trapeze act for her part as Marlena. Severin says she came in “completely raw” and took four weeks to learn the routine. And while one might think her background in movement helped, she says it actually provided a challenge. “That was the most difficult thing to learn because, as a dancer, you have such a relationship to the floor and you have to dance with an apparatus that doesn’t quite move with you.”

Fortunately, Severin says everyone has been more than generous with their time and knowledge. “Circus performers are not gatekeepers in any way,” she notes. “They want to share what they love with everyone else, and it’s completely mutual. All of the different worlds [this show] bridges, it’s infectious.”

Co-choreographer Robb gives much of the credit for cast synchronicity and camaraderie to the director. “Our fearless leader, Jessica Stone, always believed that ‘Water for Elephants’ should feel like one company,” he says. “Everyone needed to feel like they were part of the same circus troupe traveling across the country. There weren’t separate camps of actors, circus artists, dancers, musicians, puppeteers or singers. ”

Tyler West juggles on stage ahead of the production.

(Ariana Drehsler / For The Times)

This philosophy also extended to his collaboration with Carroll. Though they had both worked with Cirque du Soleil, the two had never met when they entered into what he jokingly calls “an arranged marriage.” Fortunately, it worked. “We were constantly looking for the place where our disciplines could overlap and strengthen one another. The whole production became an exercise in that same idea: Take what you know, learn what you don’t, and trust the people around you enough to try something new.”

It’s one of the reasons the performers say they always feel safe, despite some of the death-defying acts seen on stage. While Walker admits two-show days can be tiring and she spends a lot of time concentrating on “energy conservation,” the performance itself is a joy.

Severin agrees, “There’s never really scary moments,” she says. “You know somebody’s going to catch you. I trust all of these people with my life, every day. It’s built into the choreography. It’s built into the nature of the show.”

Garth Brooks, Zach Top and Riley Green will headline 2027’s Stagecoach country music festival, organizers announced Monday, bringing together one of the genre’s veteran standard-bearers with two of Nashville’s ascendant stars.

The three-day event, scheduled for April 23-25 at Indio’s Empire Polo Club, will also feature Hardy, Brothers Osborne, Willie Nelson, Shaboozey, Stella Lefty, Charley Crockett, Stephen Wilson Jr., Turnpike Troubadours, Gretchen Wilson, Ernest, Hudson Westbrook and a reunited Florida Georgia Line.

Among the non-country acts on the bill for the annual show, which for years has been expanding its stylistic footprint, are Kelly Clarkson, Pitbull, David Lee Roth, Sean Paul, Flo Rida, Matchbox Twenty, the Fray and Journey, the last of which was scheduled to perform at this past April’s festival but whose set was called off after high winds temporarily shut down Stagecoach.

Brooks, who previously headlined Stagecoach in 2018, launched an arena tour last month, while Top and Green both just picked up nominations for November’s CMA Awards: Top for male vocalist of the year and album of the year (for his “Ain’t in It for My Health”) and Green for musical event of the year (for his and Carly Pearce’s duet “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay”).

Other acts scheduled to perform at next year’s festival, which takes place on the same grounds as Coachella the weekend after that event, include Carín León, Cody Jinks, Melissa Etheridge, Dasha, Waylon Wyatt, Tedeschi Trucks Band and Laci Kaye Booth.

Passes for Stagecoach, which start at $549 and go up past $4,000 for various VIP packages, will go on sale Friday. Goldenvoice, the Los Angeles-based promoter that puts on Stagecoach and Coachella, announced last week that its inaugural Ocean Way festival, which was to be held on the beach in Santa Monica on Sept. 26 and 27, had been canceled due to erosion caused this month by Hurricane Marie.

KILLER drug fentanyl has long had a vice-like grip on the US, devastating everyone from high profile celebrities to everyday families across the country.

Just today it was revealed that actress Hayden Panettiere, who died last month age 36, had allegedly taken a pill laced with fentanyl before she passed away.

The mum-of-one was found dead of a suspected overdose of oxycodone at a luxury AirBnB in South Carolina on August 17 just days before her 37th birthday.

Cops are said to be “zeroing in” on her alleged long-term dealer from whom she is suspected to have purchased several black-market prescription drugs from.

Toxicology reports are still pending but, according to the US news outlet, the working theory within law enforcement is that it was the suspected fentanyl-laced oxycodone pill killed Hayden.

But she is far from the first celebrity to have succumbed to the drug.

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Others include music icon Prince, who died age 57 from an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2016, long before many had even heard of the drug.

Rappers Mac Miller and Coolio, rock star Tom Petty and actors Michael K Williams and Angus Cloud all lost their lives to the drug, while singer Demi Lovato survived but was left with life-changing side effects.

And the fentanyl crisis is showing no signs of going away as dealers use it to lace other drugs to maximise their profits.

A former NYPD chief of detectives James Essig explained: “Fentanyl is relatively cheap while heroin is expensive. 

“You take a kilo of heroin and then add in a tiny bit of fentanyl and stretch it out for more profitability.”

Fentanyl is an opioid 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.

Opioid addiction became rife in America during the 90s when pharmaceutical companies flooded the market with super-strong painkillers.

But when the government began to crackdown in the 2000s, the Mexican drug cartels spotted a gap in the market and moved in with heroin, and before long they started adding fentanyl to juice up its potency.

Raymond Donovan, former Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) chief of operations, says: “That really started the wave of the opioid crisis that we are in now. 

“Very quickly it went from increasing the strength of heroin to pure fentanyl. You had kilos coming across the south west border.

“The Mexican cartels started buying fentanyl directly from China, pressing it into pills and then selling it as if it was a known opioid, like something that was made by a scientist in a laboratory, but it is not, it is a fake pill.”

It was two years after Prince’s death when investigators finally released their findings.

They had found counterfeit Vicodin pills in his house, laced with fentanyl – but police were unable to establish who had provided the drugs.

Prince’s death put fentanyl in the headlines, but it wasn’t long before another famous name was tragically linked to the drug.

The following year rock n roll legend Tom Petty was found dead – and two forms of illicit fentanyl were found in his system. 

He was also using a medically supplied fentanyl patch for pain caused by a fractured hip.

His family released a statement saying they wanted his death to act as a wake-up call in a bid to save others from suffering their heartbreak.

But the opioid crisis was only just starting. In 2018 more than 30,000 people died of fentanyl overdoses – up by 10 per cent – and in July that year singer Demi Lovato almost lost her life.

The star had been open about her struggles with drug addiction and had been in and out of rehab.

Entertainment journalist Chris Witherspoon explains: “Despite years of sobriety Demi Lovato went out with some friends in Hollywood, ran into a dealer she knew and she got some heroin that was laced with fentanyl.”

Speaking about her ordeal Demi said: “I had three strokes, I had a heart attack. I suffered brain damage from the strokes. I can’t drive any more.

Her survival was down to being given the drug Narcan in hospital which helps to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

It was a huge wake-up call with celebrities including Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake and Ariana Grande sending her public messages of support.

But another celeb was not going to be as lucky as Demi. Just two months later rapper Mac Miller was found dead at the age of just 26.

Like Demi he had been open about his own struggles with addiction, writing about it in his music.

Investigators discovered he had been looking to buy oxycodone, but ended up with something laced with fentanyl.

Miller’s drug dealer and the men who supplied him with the drugs were later jailed.

But it isn’t just celebrities that have fallen victim to the fentanyl crisis sweeping America.

Thousands of ordinary families have been left grieving the deaths of their loved ones, too.

Matt Capelouto lost his college student daughter Alex to the drug in December 2019.

“We didn’t know anything about fentanyl at the time,” he says. “Lots of things were going through my head and this was a period of shock.”

Alex, 20, had contacted a drug dealer on Snapchat looking to buy the prescription painkiller Perocet.

But what he, in fact, delivered to her was counterfeit pills made with lethal doses of fentanyl.

“My daughter took half of one of these pills before going to bed and my wife found her dead in her bed the next morning,” says heartbroken Matt. 

“I wanted to find out who this drug dealer was. Who sold my daughter death?”

They eventually got into Alex’s phone and discovered the identity of the drug dealer.

But the family were told that the dealer was unlikely to face any charges as California does not have a death by dealer statute that holds dealers responsible for users’ deaths.

But the case was taken over for federal prosecution, which has a different burden of proof, and the dealer, Brandon McDowell, was charged with one count of distributing fentanyl resulting in death and jailed for nine years.

Matt says: “Locking up a drug dealer won’t bring my daughter back, but it will save someone else’s child.”

Michael K Williams, star of TV series The Wire and Boardwalk Empire, was the next celeb to lose their life after taking fentanyl-laced heroin in 2021.

He had been open about his battle with addiction, and just five days before his death spoke on a podcast about how acting offered him a road to recovery.

Two weeks after he passed away the New York City Medical Examiner said he died from an unintentional overdose from a deadly mix of drugs including fentanyl.

In April 2023, drug dealer Irvin Cartagena pleaded guilty to selling the mix of heroin and fentanyl to Williams that resulted in his death. He was jailed for 10 years.

In September 2021 comedian and presenter Kate Quigley went to a party in Venice, California, where she and her friends thought they were using cocaine, but it contained fentanyl.

Kate passed out, fell over and was unconscious for 17 hours. She woke up disorientated, unable to move her legs, and then made a harrowing discovery.

Three of her friends were lying dead; comedian Fuquan Johnson, Natalie Williamson and Enrico Colangeli had suffered fatal overdoses.

The dealer was never identified.

Washington Post reporter Nick Miroff says: “One of the many tragedies of the fentanyl epidemic in the United States is this repeat of mass overdose events.

“A group of friends partying together and they think they are buying cocaine or some other drug, and they don’t know that what they are buying is laced with fentanyl and because they don’t have any opioid tolerance, they drop dead. 

“So that’s why we have seen horrible crime scenes with three, four, five adults on the floor at a party where they have literally died in a couple of minutes.”

In July 2022, cops discerned a shocking new twist in the fentanyl story. 

The drug was now being used as a weapon by robbery gangs, and a famous fashion designer was one of their victims.

Katie Gallagher, who had designed for Rita Ora and Lady Gaga, was found dead in her bed.

Police told her parents that Katie had died from an overdose – but she had been murdered.

Detectives had uncovered a robbery crew that was using drugs laced with fentanyl to incapacitate victims before using facial recognition technology to open their phones and empty their bank accounts.

Police believed Katie had been given what she thought was cocaine, but it was laced with fentanyl.

Police arrested and charged Kenwood Allen, 33, in relation to five deaths and a drugging and robbery spree targeting a total of 21 victims. 

He pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

In September 2022, rapper Coolio became the next victim of fentanyl. 

At first it was thought he had died of an asthma attack, but the medical examiner’s report revealed he had died from an accidental overdose of heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl.

The authorities are struggling to stop the flow of fentanyl from Mexico into the US.

The drug is so compact and so potent that it is easy for the cartels to smuggle it across the border.

In 2023, Homeland Security launched Operation Blue Lotus to try to stop the flood.

And the US targeted the Chinese suppliers that were selling fentanyl to the cartels.

But despite the Government efforts the fentanyl crisis continued to spread across America and claimed the life of yet another of Hollywood’s brightest stars.

Actor Angus Cloud was just 25 when he died at his family home in California.

He shot to fame playing a drug dealer in the hit series Euphoria. But his own struggle with addiction after suffering an ankle injury and losing his dad to cancer made him vulnerable.

He was found to have died of an accidental overdose of a cocktail of drugs, including fentanyl.

The Loose Women panel touched on the recent video showing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s new life in the UK.

The ITV star didn’t hold back.

During Monday’s Loose Women, presenter Christine Lampard spoke about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s move back to the UK with their two children after spending six years in America. Recently, the Duchess of Sussex shared a glimpse of their new lives on social media in a compilation of videos.

Christine highlighted that Meghan and Harry have been accused of hypocrisy in the past, having stated they wanted a private life and then giving snippets into their lives online.

The ITV star shared that the Duchess of Sussex has turned the comments off on the post as she asked the panel, “Is it time to let the couple live in peace?”

Kelly Brook commented, “I think when you have to turn the comments off, I think you know that she’s already expecting a backlash. There’s nothing in that video that I wouldn’t share on social media after a lovely weekend in the countryside.”

Meanwhile, panellist Coleen Nolan didn’t hold back on sharing her thoughts as she remarked that people need to leave them alone. She said: “For me, your question on whether we should just leave them alone and let them enjoy life, from my point of view, yes, absolutely.

“For people that are out there constantly criticising, constantly sla****g off, don’t follow it, don’t look at it, block it. Get it off your timeline. If you don’t want to see them, don’t see them, but there are equally people who will love seeing that.”

The ITV star shared she thought it was nice to see and has ‘no issue’ with Harry and Meghan. She added that while there’s an argument to be had about people putting themselves out there, it doesn’t give people the right to slam anybody.

She added: “There are things that I don’t like on social media, I will unfollow it or I’ll block it, or I’ll have my say about someone or something, but it will be to my family around the kitchen table, I wouldn’t dream of doing that on social media.

“So, it really, really offends me, and certainly, they’ve had their fair share. Some say, ‘they deserve it’. Maybe they do, but have that conversation privately. They’ve got people out there that love them, family and all of that, I just think it’s awful, just leave them alone.”

In the sweet video shared online, people got to see their children, Archie and Lilibet, chasing a flock of deer in the countryside.

Another snippet showed the couple holding hands, whilst one clip showed Harry teaching his children how to catch a fish, and another showed Lilibet sitting by a roaring fire.

Loose Women is available to watch on ITV weekdays from 12:30pm.

THE reboot of the musical Sunday In The Park With George has been axed after both its leading stars Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey dropped out.

The show, announced last year, was set to run at the Barbican in London next summer but won’t go ahead, with organisers instead hoping to launch a version with a different cast the following year.

In a statement, bosses said: “The planned 2027 production of Sunday in the Park with George at the Barbican will no longer proceed as scheduled.

“Empire Street Productions will retain the rights with a view to presenting the production in 2028. Further details will be announced when appropriate.”

Ariana announced her exit from the project as part of her hiatus from showbiz, at the beginning of August.

At the time, a rep for the singer and actress said: “Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour.

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“She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny.

“This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”

At the time, bosses at Empire Street Productions said her role would be recast.

They said: “We wish her nothing but the best. The production will open at the Barbican in summer 2027 as planned, and casting will be announced in due course.”

However, a month later, Jonathan, who she also starred opposite in both Wicked films, also left the show as a result of Ariana’s exit.

HAYDEN Panettiere took a pill that was allegedly laced with fentanyl on the day of her death.

The beloved actress died aged 36 of a suspected overdose at a luxury Airbnb in South Carolina last month.

Cops are said to be “zeroing in” on her alleged long-term drug dealer in Los Angeles, who she met before travelling to Greenville.

The Heroes and Nashville star is said to have bought several black-market prescription drugs from the dealer.

Days before her 37th birthday, Hayden allegedly took an oxycodone laced with fentanyl, sources told TMZ.

The mum-of-one had been in South Carolina with her on-off ex Brian Hickerson, who was arrested yesterday after an alleged incident at a bar.

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According to sources, the 37-year-old actor started yelling at officers about her death while cuffed and sitting on the pavement.

Hickerson has already met with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officials as they continue to investigate Hayden’s cause of death.

He previously told officers that Hayden had a “bag of medication” with her.

The drugs she was reportedly taken was redacted in the police report, although nine different types were listed.

Hayden has been open about her struggles with substance abuse, once revealing how her liver “gave out” due to a secret opioid addiction.

The actress told PEOPLE how her addiction issues severely worsened after the birth of her child in 2014.

To help cope with the postnatal depression, Hayden admitted she turned to alcohol.

Hayden ended up having to go to the hospital after her liver “gave out”.

A year after giving birth, she underwent her first stint in rehab while still filming for the hit show Nashville.

Years later, Hayden admitted she couldn’t stop drinking as she returned for treatment in 2021, enrolling in a 12-month program.

It took eight months of “intensive therapy” to help her move on past her addiction.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online

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Paramount Skydance Chief Executive David Ellison faces a pivotal decision: Should he uproot his Hollywood studio — the birthplace of such film classics as “Sunset Boulevard,” “The Godfather” and “Beverly Hills Cop”?

Paramount floated shifting its home base to Tennessee or Texas in July, hoping to deter California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta from waging a legal battle to block Paramount’s $111-billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Bonta rejected the tactic, calling it “blackmail.” His antitrust lawsuit, filed in collaboration with 11 other Democratic state attorneys general, has since stalled the largest Hollywood merger in decades and put Ellison in a jam.

The 43-year-old tech scion — a film aficionado who has spent two decades building his career in Hollywood — has told associates he doesn’t want to leave L.A. But he has signaled that he’s prepared to sell the historic studio lots and move Paramount’s and Warner Bros.’ operations from California if the merger isn’t finalized by next month, according to people familiar with the situation who were not authorized to comment.

The prospect has rattled a region already reeling from steep declines in film production, heavy job losses, empty soundstages and shuttered small businesses.

“It would be devastating,” Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, who represents a district that includes the Melrose Avenue movie lot and neighborhoods near Warner Bros. in Burbank, said of a Paramount move. “We need to do everything we can to protect these important jobs in California’s iconic industry.”

Paramount declined to comment.

Ellison is frustrated after securing approvals from more than 65 regulators worldwide for the mammoth merger that would bring HBO, CNN, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV and TBS under the same roof.

Bonta’s lawsuit stands in the way.

“California is the fourth-largest economy in the world and the best place to do business,” a spokesman from Bonta’s office said. “Strong antitrust enforcement is essential so everyone can benefit from a vibrant economy.”

A federal judge in Oakland temporarily blocked the deal, prompting Paramount to agree not to finalize the acquisition until after a trial or June 1, whichever comes first. Settlement talks collapsed in late August after Bonta accused Paramount of leaking and misrepresenting their discussions.

Paramount has plenty at stake. U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín set the trial for March, but the company urgently needs the valuable Warner assets to better compete against tech behemoths. And beginning Oct. 1, Paramount must increase its payout to Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders by $7 million a day, so-called ticking fees that will heap more debt onto the highly leveraged transaction.

Paramount asked the judge to require California and other plaintiff states, including Nevada, Oregon and New York, along with the Writers Guild of America (which also sued) to post a $1.88-billion bond that could compensate Paramount for ticking fee costs. A hearing is set for Sept. 24.

For weeks, Paramount’s most potent weapon has been its in-the-works plan to leave L.A.

Lobbying has been intense, prompting a parade of politicians led by Gov. Gavin Newsom, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and gubernatorial nominee Xavier Becerra to urge the two sides to settle the lawsuit.

“It’s a game of chicken,” Kevin Klowden, an economist and managing director at the Melcene Advisory firm, said in an interview. “But I’m not dismissing the threat because it is very real.”

Relocating from Los Angeles would allow Ellison’s cash-hungry media company to qualify for lucrative tax incentives offered by another state. Ellison’s short list includes Tennessee, Texas and Georgia. But leaving its longtime home would be costly for Paramount too, given how much of the talent and deal-making remains concentrated around L.A.

Tennessee’s Department of Economic and Community Development declined to discuss its negotiations with Paramount, but in a statement a spokesperson said the state “remains committed to working with companies across a wide range of industries that are exploring opportunities to invest and grow in Tennessee.”

Early this month, a pro-merger group was set to hold a news conference outside Paramount, but it moved its gathering to a warehouse a few blocks away after anti-merger activists planned a counterprotest.

The pro-merger organization, Neighbors for Strong Communities, was incorporated in Washington, D.C., in June and has lobbed text messages to Californians urging them to press Bonta to drop the case.

Speakers were concerned with just one issue: What would happen should Paramount pull out?

“What are we going to do with all these people who have invested their lives and many generations into building something here?” asked Keyla Wood, who moved from Mexico to L.A. about a decade ago after getting her start in Spanish-language soap operas.

“It’s been one thing after the other: The pandemic, the strikes and then it was the fires,” said Wood, who has worked as a stand-in for Eva Longoria and Salma Hayek. “So many people never work again.”

David Ellison is deciding whether to leave Hollywood.

(Bloomberg via Getty Images)

L.A.’s very identity is at stake, added Daniela Kelly, an actor and dancer who arrived from Brazil two decades ago.

“Everyone in the world sees Los Angeles and Hollywood as the platform for their dreams,” Kelly said. “Imagine if a huge studio with 100 years of history here just leaves? What will we be?”

Businesses like Kelly’s small Kreashen Studios USA, which provides video and podcasting space in Marina del Rey, depends on the region’s entertainment economy.

“It’s difficult financially right now to keep open,” she said. “So I’m pro having Paramount stay because this is the center, the heart of Hollywood.”

But deal opponents and some experts say the merger would actually worsen L.A.’s already bleak production picture.

Paramount has promised to cut $6 billion in expenses — a figure that doesn’t factor in the cost of ticking fees, which would add $650 million each quarter to the $81 billion that Paramount had anticipated paying Warner shareholders.

“We’ve seen from previous mergers that jobs have been lost,” L.A. City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian said at a City Hall event recently.

Combining Paramount and Warner could result in the elimination of nearly 4,500 positions over three years and put at risk an additional 5,865 jobs within businesses that serve the studios, according to an August report by the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity.

“When you look at the economic impact, it’s pretty staggering,” Kelly LoBianco, the department director, said in a recent interview. “An estimated $4 billion in economic output lost, and another $550 million lost in tax revenue at the local, state and federal level.”

The merger also could erase $79 million in tax revenue to Los Angeles County even if Paramount stays in L.A., she said.

But state and county tax revenue would plummet further should Paramount dispatch hundreds of its workers to Tennessee or some other state, Klowden said.

“If Ellison moves all the management out and all of the productions out, you’re talking about potentially tens of thousands of jobs,” Klowden said. “That, bluntly, isn’t just devastating to L.A. That becomes devastating to everybody.”

A report commissioned by Paramount from Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. predicted even steeper losses of at least 28,000 jobs should the studio move its entire operation out of state, according to a draft report given to Politico.

Under a less dire scenario, Paramount could shift its corporate headquarters to another state to qualify for incentives but still maintain large staffs in the creative hubs of Los Angeles and New York, where the company has its legal headquarters.

When the Ellison family acquired Paramount from the Sumner Redstone family last year, Ellison shifted operations to L.A., where he and other key executives work on the Melrose Avenue lot.

The threat to pull up stakes has created a disconnect after Ellison has spent more than a year touting how his family’s growing collection of media properties would strengthen traditional Hollywood.

The relocation campaign echoes a tactic used by software giant Oracle Corp., co-founded by Ellison’s billionaire father, Larry Ellison. For three decades, Oracle thrived in Redwood City, Calif., but in 2020, the company moved its headquarters to Austin, Texas, joining other California tech firms leaving in protest of the state’s high taxes.

The elder Ellison announced in 2024 that Oracle would be moving again, this time to Nashville, although that relocation hasn’t been finalized.

Paramount would risk leaving behind a skilled talent pool filled with experienced production workers and entertainment executives, Klowden said.

Fleeing L.A. could prompt “a talent bleed-out,” Klowden said. “Creative types are like: ‘Would I feel comfortable moving there?’ And, ‘What if I move there and something goes wrong? There would be nowhere else for me to go.’”

He pointed to Nissan’s 2006 U.S. headquarters move to the Nashville area from Gardena in L.A.’s South Bay, which dramatically reset the automaker’s workforce as fewer than half of its Southern California employees made the trek to Tennessee.

On Friday, a magistrate judge told both sides to identify dates in late October to meet for court-ordered settlement talks.

Each has motivations to settle — including avoiding a years-long court fight. Bonta has said Paramount must be willing to part with assets to alleviate market concentration, which could lead to a sale of Warner’s New Line Cinema, which has rights to “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Conjuring” franchises, and potentially cable channels such as CNN, Food Network or Cartoon Network.

Paramount, as part of a settlement, could abandon plans to leave L.A.

“All of the parties need to understand what this [issue] means to workers and small businesses,” Zbur, the local Assembly member, said. “I’m hopeful for a settlement that assures that Paramount and Warner Bros. will maintain their operations and remain a significant economic and employment force in Los Angeles.”

Times staff writer Cerys Davies contributed to this report.

As the scorching heat of the summer reaches its peak and the calendar brings hope of cooler temperatures, it’s time to fluff the pillows and settle in to enjoy the comfort of the new television season.

But before we turn the page, the Emmy Awards will honor the shows of the past year that had audiences crying, laughing and glued to their screens — some returning this fall, while others bid adieu last year.

The 78th Emmy Awards, honoring the standouts from the 2025-26 television season, will celebrate the shows that gave viewers plenty of reasons to stay in. Whether it was the nail-biting anxiety over the chaos in HBO Max’s drama “The Pitt,” the most nominated show with 25, or laughing at the silly situations of Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay,” which earned 19 nominations, television gave viewers different reasons to watch.

Some of the top contenders are already coming into the ceremony as winners after the first round of awards were handed out earlier this month. “Widow’s Bay” currently leads with eight Emmys, following by six for “DTF St. Louis,” and “The Pitt” won four. Notably, Rob Reiner received a posthumous Emmy for his guest appearance in Season 4 of “The Bear.”

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 Emmy Awards:

Where are the Emmys?

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will take place on Monday beginning at 5 p.m. PT at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles.

Earlier this month, a pair of ceremonies, formerly called the Creative Arts Emmys, honored artistic and technical achievements as well as some performance categories. Those ceremonies will be televised Saturday on FXX at 8 p.m. and stream next day on Hulu.

How can I watch the shows?

The live telecast will be broadcast on NBC and streamed simultaneously on Peacock.

Who is hosting?

Mariska Hargitay at the blue carpet rollout at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday.

(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

Mariska Hargitay, known for playing Olivia Benson on NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” will make her hosting debut at this year’s award show.

In an interview with The Times, the multihyphenate said she was excited to televise some “razzle-dazzle” and to become the first woman to host in 15 years.

“Am I scared? Of course I am; I’ve never done this,” she recently told The Times. “But at a certain point, you have to go: Why not me? Bring it on.”

When does the red carpet start, and how can I watch that?

The countdown to the award ceremony will begin at 2 p.m., with several opportunities to see your favorite stars arrive on the red carpet — which is actually blue this year in celebration of NBC’s 100th anniversary — at the Peacock Theater.

E! will get the party started with a programming block from 2 to 5 p.m. with “Live From E!: Countdown to the Emmys,” hosted by Erin Lim Rhodes with Lance Bass and Ciara Miller, and “Live From E!: The Emmys,” hosted by Justin Sylvester, Keltie Knight and Will Marfuggi.

People and Entertainment Weekly will be conducting interviews as guests arrive on their websites and social platforms throughout the day, while NBC will be livestreaming pre-show arrivals on the network’s official TikTok account from 4 to 5 p.m.

KTLA will air “Live From the Emmys,” hosted by Jessica Holmes and Melvin Robert with Megan Henderson reporting, from the blue carpet beginning at 3 p.m. And CNN will air “Red Carpet Live: TV’s Biggest Night” beginning at 2 p.m. It will be hosted by CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister and Variety co-president and co-editor in chief Ramin Setoodeh.

What shows and actors are nominated?

“The Pitt” will defend its drama series title against “The Diplomat,” “The Gilded Age,” “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” “Paradise,” “Pluribus,” “Slow Horses” and “Your Friends & Neighbors.”

Zendaya (“Euphoria”) is looking to become a three-time winner for lead actress in a drama. She is nominated alongside Carrie Coon (“The Gilded Age”), Chase Infiniti (“The Testaments”), Keri Russell (“The Diplomat”) and Rhea Seehorn (“Pluribus”).

Noah Wyle (“The Pitt”) is again nominated for lead actor in a drama, along with Sterling K. Brown (“Paradise”), Gary Oldman (“Slow Horses”), Mark Ruffalo (“Task”) and Rufus Sewell (“The Diplomat”).

“Hacks” earned the most nominations in a single year for a comedy, with 24. It’s nominated for comedy series, as is “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” “Nobody Wants This,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “Abbott Elementary,” “The Bear,” “Shrinking” and “Widow’s Bay.”

Jean Smart looks to win her fifth award for lead actress in a comedy series for “Hacks.” She is nominated alongside Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”), Ayo Edebiri (“The Bear”), Elle Fanning (“Margo’s Got Money Troubles”) and Lisa Kudrow (“The Comeback”).

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (“Wonder Man”), Steve Carell (“Rooster”), Matthew Rhys (“Widow’s Bay”), Jason Segel (“Shrinking”) and Martin Short (“Only Murders in the Building”) are nominated for lead actor in a comedy.

See the full list of nominees here.

Who’s going to win?

It’s looking like a year where the winners will be easy to decipher, according to awards prognosticators, which includes The Times’ award columnist Glenn Whipp. If you’re an actor attached to either the medical drama “The Pitt” or the horror-comedy “Widow’s Bay,” consider yourself the front runner. Noah Wyle and Matthew Rhys are both the leading contenders in their respective categories.

Jean Smart is predicted to complete her sweep of lead actress in a comedy for the fifth and final season of “Hacks.” In the leading actress in a drama, it’s a tight race between Rhea Seehorn for “Pluribus” and Keri Russell for “The Diplomat.”

The second season of “The Pitt” currently stands as the favorite for drama series, while the comedy series category is a battle between new series “Widow’s Bay” and departing series “Hacks.”

Harrison Ford could win his first major acting award, for supporting actor in a comedy for “Shrinking,” unless another veteran actor takes the spotlight — Stephen Root of “Widow’s Bay.”

Supporting actress in a comedy also comes down to the top shows, likely to be between Kate O’Flynn (“Widow’s Bay”) and Hannah Einbinder (“Hacks”).

Who’s going to present?

A number of nominees will present the awards throughout the night. Past and recent Emmy winners, including Linda Cardellini, Sally Field, David Harbour, Zendaya and Alan Cumming will take the stage.

The Television Academy will celebrate the 30th anniversary of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and bring together David Boreanaz and Sarah Michelle Gellar as presenters. They will also honor the 50th anniversary of “Charlie’s Angels,” and reunite Cheryl Ladd, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith.

Other presenters include Odessa A’zion, Macaulay Culkin, Jon Hamm, Marcello Hernández, Peter Krause, Dan Levy, Julianna Margulies, Annie Murphy, Niecy Nash-Betts, Keke Palmer, Amanda Peet, Amy Poehler, Florence Pugh and Rachel Sennott, with more to be announced.

Singer-songwriter Noah Kahan will cover Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” during the in-memoriam segment of the show.

The Great Celebrity Pottery Throw Down sees six stars take on a new challenge in the pottery barn.

Viewers of The Great Celebrity Pottery Throw Down have issued their verdict on host Liza Tarbuck.

The Channel 4 series launched on Sunday, September 13, with six celebrities taking on a new challenge. They include Lucy Beaumont, Fatiha El-Ghorri, Richard Herring, Paul Merson, Layton Williams, and Denise Van Outen.

With little to no pottery experience, they braved the pottery studio, hoping to impress judges Keith Brymer Jones and Rich Miller to earn a place in the grand final and be crowned winner. But unlike the original format, the celebrity edition has no weekly elimination rounds.

Channel 4 had earlier teased: “Viewers can expect a few wonky edges, and some cracking clay creations as each celebrity grows in confidence and ability. But who will be holding their breath, waiting to see if their muddy masterpieces emerge from the kiln intact, who will reduce Keith to tears with their creative ceramics, and who will crack under the pressure as the competition gets more competitive over the weeks?”

After being announced as presenter, Liza previously shared: “I knew I’d enjoy Keith and Rich’s company and I did. People flourish around emotionally intelligent people, and the boy’s encouragement and kindness really promoted a growth in our newbie potters that was a pleasure to witness. I absolutely loved being there.”

Viewers have now declared their support for the former BBC Radio 2 presenter, who announced her radio show exit earlier this year, saying that after 36 years, it was “time to go”. Demanding to see more of her on their screens, one fan wrote: “Liza Tarbuck is such a natural presenter, yet television companies consistently use the same faces. Liza is a great addition to #potterythrowdown.”

Another said: “LOVING Liza Tarbuck on #PotteryThrowdown Always loved her on Radio2.. but she is PERFECT for this! What a signing @Channel4.” Someone else wrote: “Never watched Celeb Pottery Throw Down before… It’s brilliant, loving Denise, Layton, Lucy, Richard, and Liza Tarbuck presenting is brilliant… she always is, why doesn’t she get more TV time?”

“More Liza Tarbuck on the telly box please!” one viewer added, as another said: “I’d love to see more of Liza Tarbuck – she’s absolutely hilarious! Make her the permanent presenter for #potterythrowdown.”

Another wrote: “Liza + Pottery Throwdown is a dream come true! But seeing the skill level they’re all starting this, I feel this is going to be an emotional journey of a series.” Yet another echoed: “@PotteryThrow great to see Liza on the TV again, funny lady, love her.”

Meanwhile, Liza spoke about working with judges Keith and Rich in an interview with The Guardian ahead of the new series airing. “Keith is fabulous,” she said. “A really good laugh. But trust me, Rich is the one slyly holding it all together.

“They’re both open-hearted and emotionally intelligent, which is a lovely quality in men of a certain age. That makes it a safe space and brings people’s barriers down. Celebrities aside – what a horrible label – they’re just humans. Keith said to me early on: ‘Just watch the clay work as therapy,’ and it really did.”

After being announced as the presenter of the series, Liza was flooded with support from fans. One person said: “Yay, so excited to see Liza Tarbuck!!”

Another said, “Yay, Lisa Tarbuck,” while a third added, “So excited to see this … and Lisa Tarbuck.” Someone else wrote: “Never watched this before… Liza Tarbuck appears- I’M IN!”

The Great Celebrity Pottery Throw Down is available to watch on Channel 4.

KATIE Price has begged her terminally ill mum Amy to “find the strength to stay” in an emotional Instagram post.

The 48-year-old star said she’s never loved anyone as much as seriously ill Amy, 74, who is living lung condition Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF).

She wrote: “Mum please don’t leave me, please find the strength to stay
with me longer on this earth your my EVERYTHING.

“And you know I’ve turned everything around and your so proud of me.
Your my eyes, my voice, my strength, my absolute Everything.

“You’re a warrior and I’m your baby girl always and you love me through everything and held my hand. I can’t lose yo, u not n, ow not EVE”R.”

Just days ago, Katie revealed on her podcast with sister Sophie that their mum Amy is in hospital and “very poorly”.

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Amy was diagnosed with IPF in 2017 and the chronic condition causes irreversible scarring of the lung’s air sacs making it difficult to breathe.

She had a lifesaving lung transplant in 2023 after drifting into a coma and being days away from death.

In July, Katie said she feared Amy might die while filming her recent autobiographical Sky documentary.

“There were so many times we thought we were gonna lose mum through the filming,” admitted Katie.

Sophie agreed, saying she didn’t think Amy was “going to make it.”

Katie went on: “She just keeps battling through and I never thought she’d make the BAFTAs [in February], none of us did.”