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.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Megan Thee Stallion has been rushed to hospital after suddenly falling ill during a performance of Moulin Rouge on BroadwayCredit: GettyThe 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 treatmentCredit: Getty
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.
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.
Most read in Entertainment
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.”
Megan’s first show came on March 24 where she was congratulated for putting on an impressive act in New York CityCredit: GettyThere is yet to be any further update on her conditionCredit: Getty
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.”
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.”
British singer-songwriter Lola Young is opening up about the “breaking point” that steered her toward recovery.
The “Messy” hitmaker told Rolling Stone in a recent interview that she was grateful that she fainted onstage late last year, and framed the scary ordeal as a wake-up call. “What do you call that? Like, a breaking point which allowed me to then be able to be here today, allowed me to be better for my fans, better for the future, and better for myself,” she told the outlet.
In September, the Grammy winner collapsed onstage during a performance at the All Things Go Music Festival in New York City. Following the health scare — which drew speculation and worry from fans who’d watched the viral video of Young stumbling and dropping her microphone before falling backward — Young canceled the remainder of her tour, which included a 21-stop North American run.
The tour, in support of her third album, “I’m Only F— Myself,” was expected to conclude with two dates at the Hollywood Palladium in December. Instead, she spent two months seeking holistic addiction treatment in a facility that prioritizes psychotherapy. She’s now attending 12-step meetings and working with a sponsor.
When announcing that she would have to nix forthcoming performances to prioritize her health, Young told fans on social media that she was “going away for a while” and apologized, writing, “I love this job and I never take my commitments and audience for granted so I’m sorry to those who will be disappointed by this. … I really hope you’ll give me a second chance … once I’ve had some time to work on myself and come back stronger.”
Young told Rolling Stone that, naturally, some folks were really angry that she’d canceled her tour. “[I]t was a decision that I had to make, and it was sad that I had to do that. What else was I going to do, die? That was the reality of where my addiction was heading.”
This wasn’t the first health incident for Young, who is known for her chart-topping breakout hit, “Messy.” The budding megastar performed at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in 2025, and during her Weekend 1 performance, she struggled to get through. The heat lingered around 100 degrees, and while Young danced and sang, she began to visibly gag and retch before running off the stage and asking for a bucket.
The acclaimed artist has been candid about her struggles with cocaine and alcohol addiction and often explores those struggles in her lyrics. In the song “d£aler,” a bouncy goodbye letter to her drug dealer, she sings about spending the day trying to be sober but feeling miserable nonetheless: “I wanna get away, far from here / Pack my bags, my drugs, and disappear.” … “Pack my bags and tell my dealer I’ll miss him.”
Young also sat down with the Times UK and said that she didn’t want to say too much but confirmed that she was in recovery for drug addiction. “But what I would say is that recovery is an ongoing process. I’m not the finished article, but I’m doing a hell of a lot better.”
BBC bosses were tonight urged to say why they kept Scott Mills on air while he was probed for sex offences with a boy under 16, only to fire him seven years later.
The Beeb also remain tight-lipped over what changed since their original decision not to act — knowing the star, 53, had been quizzed under caution between 2018 and 2019.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
BBC bosses have been urged to explain why they kept Scott Mills on air while he was probed for sex offencesCredit: Darren FletcherAllegations are reported to relate to events between 1997 and 2000, when Mills was in his 20sCredit: BBC
The allegations are reported to relate to events between 1997 and 2000, when Mills was in his 20s.
Broadcasters and MPs demanded answers over the latest of multiple scandals to rock the corporation in recent years.
TV presenter Piers Morgan said: “I don’t understand. He was investigated by police 10yrs ago over alleged offences 25+ years ago, but no action was taken and case was closed.
“Now he gets instantly fired over same thing? The BBC needs to explain why, surely?”
Insiders have claimed the BBC moved swiftly over Mills following criticism they were slow to act over shamed newsreader Huw Edwards.
Discussing the cases yesterday Radio 2 host Jeremy Vine said: “There is a thought here they decided to treat Scott how they wish they’d treated Huw. Which would be a bit unfair would it not?
“Regarding the inconsistency here, we were told Huw Edwards couldn’t be sacked because he was in a fragile mental state, everything I have read about Scott’s history today goes back to his own anxiety and depression and everything else but there doesn’t seem to be the same break cut for him.”
Tory Shadow Crime Minister Matt Vickers told The Sun: “This pattern of failure by the BBC is letting the public down whilst the institution continues to protect its own reputation over addressing serious internal concerns.
“Time and again, the public are asked to place their trust in an institution that too often seems unwilling to come clean when it matters most.
Mills was sacked as the £360,000-a-year host of Radio 2’s Breakfast ShowCredit: BBCAllegations about Mills were first reported to police in 2012Credit: PAMills is understood not to have spoken to colleagues or pals since being axedCredit: PA:Press Association
“For a broadcaster funded by the public and serving audiences of all ages, any failure to act on safeguarding concerns is unacceptable.”
Mills joined Radio 1 in 1998. Allegations about him were first reported to Hampshire Police by a third party in 2012.
The force logged the details and later passed on information to the Met’s Operation Winter Key.
In December 2016 Winter Key cops launched an investigation.
At that time, Mills was the Drivetime DJ for Radio 1 and hosted the Official Chart Show, which has a target age range of 15-plus.
Mills was interviewed under caution in July 2018 and denied the claims against him.
In March that year The Sun on Sunday revealed how an investigation was being carried out into an unnamed radio presenter.
A file was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which ruled there was insufficient evidence to charge. The investigation was then closed in May 2019.
BBC bosses, including Ben Cooper, the then-controller of Radio 1 and 1Xtra, chose not to take Mills off air despite the investigation.
“Scott said he denied the allegations that had been made against him. Ben stood by Scott and allowed him to continue working while the police investigated.
“Given how serious the complaint was, it raises questions about why the BBC decided to keep him on air on Radio 1 — whose target audience is teenagers — rather than removing him while the police continued the investigation.”
The BBC have now removed Mills from a Race Across The World podcast and pulled scenes he filmed for EastEndersCredit: PAScott Mills joined Radio 1 in 1998Credit: PA
Mr Cooper left his position as the controller of Radio 1 in 2020 after nine years.
Yesterday the Met issued a new statement and confirmed: “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. These were reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000.
“As part of these enquiries, 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.
“Following this advice, the investigation was closed in May 2019.”
A source said: “The BBC’s second probe into this saw them speaking to Scott, as well as individuals with knowledge of Scott’s dealings with the police in 2018.
“Whatever they discovered this time around clearly was treated more seriously, or given more credence than when it was first discussed with Scott in 2018, as this time they decided to sack him.”
The Sun revealed Huw Edwards paid a teenager thousands of pounds for explicit imagesCredit: PA
KEY MOMENTS IN COPS’ INVESTIGATION
1997-2000:
The alleged incidents take place, with Mills joining BBC Radio 1 in 1998.
DECEMBER 2016:
The Metropolitan Police start looking into claims regarding Mills.
JULY 2018:
Mills is questioned under caution by police about historical serious sexual offences against a teenage boy.
He tells the BBC about the investigation and denies the allegation.
MAY 2019:
The investigation ends as the CPS decide there is not enough evidence to charge.
OCTOBER 2022:
He joins BBC Radio 2, taking over the afternoon slot from Steve Wright.
JANUARY 2025:
Mills takes over as new Radio 2 Breakfast Show host after Zoe Ball stepped down — calling the role his “dream job”.
MARCH 24 2026:
He signs off “See you tomorrow,” in his slot only to be taken off air the following day.
MARCH 25 2026:
An investigation begins at BBC into the 2016 complaint.
MARCH 30 2026:
The BBC announce Mills is sacked and no longer works for the BBC.
MARCH 31 2026:
Metropolitan Police confirm the boy at the centre of the investigation was under 16 at time of the alleged offences.
APRIL 1 2026:
Insiders tell The Sun the BBC was aware of the investigation in 2018 after Mills told them about it and denied the allegations.
Insiders at the BBC also pointed to Channel 5’s documentary, Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, as a possible reason for the complainant to contact the BBC.
It came after The Sun revealed Edwards paid a teenager thousands of pounds for explicit images.
The source added: “With the timing of the Huw film it makes sense why the person at the centre of the original (Mills) complaint may have decided to speak to the BBC again.
“Many in the BBC are saying the timing doesn’t feel like a coincidence.
“The drama showed actions do have consequences.” Separately, The Telegraph reported former BBC presenter Anna Brees contacted the Beeb in May 2025 to say she had received information about alleged “inappropriate communications” involving Mills.
She also asked whether the BBC had ever received any “formal or informal complaints” about Mills “relating to safeguarding, inappropriate conduct or harassment” and whether it had ever conducted an internal investigation into him.
She did not receive a response. The BBC admitted her information “should have been followed up and we should have asked further questions”.
There is no suggestion the inquiries by Ms Brees related to the same alleged victim whose complaint to the police led to Mills being questioned in 2018.
BBC bosses were left with “no choice” but to sack Mills after being passed compelling new information, it was claimed last night.
The Mirror reported the fresh details are different to the claims probed by police in 2016 but relate to the same complainant.
Yesterday charity Neuroblastoma UK dropped him as a patron. Dermot O’Leary who hosts the Saturday morning Breakfast Show, said yesterday: “This was a shock to everyone. It came from nowhere.”
Insiders said the BBC were now discussing who would take over the Breakfast Show – which in the latest round of Rajar figures in February revealed Mills had 6.5million listeners.
Amanda Batula and West Wilson weren’t being coy — not “purposely” anyway.
The stars of the Bravo reality series “Summer House” — where a group of friends spend their summer weekends in the Hamptons and drama ensues — were just letting the romance percolate. And now they’re making it official.
The pair shared statements on their Instagram stories that they “wanted to provide some clarity” as rumors swirled about their status.
“It was never our intention to purposely hide anything. Given the complicated relationship dynamics involved and the scrutiny that comes with being on a reality show, we need a little space to process things privately before speaking on it,” the couple wrote. “We’ve shown up for each other as friends over the years, through all the highs and lows, and what’s developed recently was the last thing either of us expected.”
Over the course of the series, which debuted in 2017, relationships have become intertwined.
Wilson dated fellow “Summer House” co-star Ciara Miller, a close friend of Batula, in 2023.
And Batula was married to series co-star Kyle Cooke. In January, she announced their split, writing on an Instagram story that the couple had decided to “mutually and amicably” end their relationship. They married in 2021 and documented their struggles on “Summer House,” including when Cooke cheated on Batula in 2019, and spent the night at a fan’s apartment in 2025.
The pair explained that they chose to wait to publicly announce their relationship “to take time to understand” what they felt.
“Our connection grew out of a genuine, long-standing friendship, which made it especially important for us to approach this with care,” they wrote. “We also recognize that this has had an impact beyond just us and never wanted our actions to cause any hurt or be perceived as careless.”
Wilson previously insisted that Batula was just his “home girl” on an episode of “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.”
“We were just hanging out in New York. She’s single, I gotta show her the streets a little bit,” Wilson said on Friday. “But if it’s not clear, that’s a very important person to me, and I care about her a lot.”
While on “Watch What Happens” in early March, Cooke said he found the rumors about Batula and Wilson “ outrageous,” and that he didn’t think “there’s any merit to it.” Although he denied the rumors, he still voiced his support for Batula.
“It would certainly catch me by surprise and feel a little reckless. And I think I’d probably be the last person people would be worried about,” Cooke said. “But if it made Amanda happy, I think I just would have to vote ‘yay.’”
HOLLYWOOD actress Vanessa Hudgens’ sister was keen to make a bold impression with her latest selfie.
The influencer sister of Vanessa, Stella, left little to the imagination as she showed off her very full bust in a lacy bodysuit.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Vanessa Hudgens’ sister Stella put on a very busty display in new picturesCredit: Instagram / stellahudgensThe star showed off her body in a variety of snapsCredit: Instagram / stellahudgensShe wore a lacy bodysuit for the snapsCredit: Instagram / stellahudgens
Stella’s plunging number featured a translucent design that made sure all eyes were on her.
The glam star’s hips were also on show thanks to the bodysuit number which showed off her snatched waistline.
Stella struck a variety of poses for her Instagram upload which included her appearing to playfully writhe around her seat as she enjoyed a few cocktails at a bar.
In one shot, she manovered her arms to squeeze her chest as well as flashing a model-like post with her hand behind her head in another.
Stella’s fans were quick to react to the jaw-dropping selfies.
One fan wrote: “Baddest ever.”
Another added: “My heart just stopped.”
A third went on to state: “Hot as hell.”
Before a fourth wrote: “Them hips don’t lieeeee babyyyy.”
Stella is best known for her online career as a social media influencer as well as being a regular live-streamer.
She has broadcast her life on Twitch since 2022 as well as hosting her own podcast, That’s Crazy, as she aims to follow in her sister’s famous footsteps.
Stella has also attempted to carve out an acting career with minor appearances in a number of films since 2016.
Vanessa is best known for her roles in the High School Musical franchise.
She has since held a number of high-profile acting roles as well as a successful music career.
Stella appeared to be having an epic nightCredit: Instagram / stellahudgensShe struck her best model like posesCredit: Instagram / stellahudgensStella is the sister of actress VanessaCredit: GettyShe often gets racy onlineCredit: Instagram / stellahudgens
Long Covid is when the symptoms of Covid-19 – extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, joint pain, aching muscles and brain fog – last longer than 12 weeks
Zara Zubeidi Deputy Showbiz Editor
00:01, 01 Apr 2026
(Image: courtesy of ‘Prima / Sarah Brick’)
Hermione Norris has revealed she has suffered from long Covid, which left her concerned about her ability to take on physical challenges. The Cold Feet star, 59, said she is now much better but the change to her body has been a “shock”.
Norris is one of seven celebrities who embarked on a pilgrimage through north-east England to one of Britain’s most important pilgrimage sites, Lindisfarne, for new BBC series Pilgrimage: The Road To Holy Island.
She was joined by stars including Ashley Banjo, Patsy Kensit and Tasha Ghouri for the programme but said she had concerns about her health before setting off.
She told Prima magazine : “I’m not great at extreme discomfort. I had long Covid a few years ago, so I was worried about my physical fitness and the demands of walking so much every day, plus carrying the backpack. But we did a couple of massive walks and I was fine. I was pleasantly surprised.”
She added: “Having been ill [with long Covid], my focus is on being well and healthy. It’s about exercising, not to make me look good but to keep me strong. I stretch a lot, and I’ve really got to start lifting weights.
“I also use an infrared sauna for my autoimmune condition. I get really stiff joints. I’m so much better after the long Covid, but I feel different, physiologically. It gave me a shock, as I’ve always been quite fit and strong.”
Long Covid is when the symptoms of Covid-19 last longer than 12 weeks, according to the NHS website. Symptoms include extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, joint pain, aching muscles and brain fog.
Norris, best known for her role as Karen Marsden in cult 90s drama Cold Feet, said she has also noticed significant changes since going through the menopause, telling the magazine: “Menopause talk is everywhere now. But the alchemy that happens is unquestionable. The masks drop.
“I feel like a different person from who I was in my 40s – mentally and physically – in a good way. Now I enjoy simple things. My morning coffee, a walk, my doggies, beautiful skies. The joy is in the day-to-day of living, not the big things.”
Read the full interview in the May issue of Prima , on sale now
Pilgrimage: The Road To Holy Island airs on BBC2 5-7 April
Earlier this year, the Bronx-born Dominican actor reprised her breakthrough TV role as Carla Espinosa on the reboot of the beloved ABC medical sitcom, “Scrubs.” For just four episodes, she returned to Sacred Heart Hospital as head nurse and an exhausted mother of four daughters, whom she parents alongside her onscreen hubby, chief of surgery Dr. Christopher Turk (played by Donald Faison).
While fans only caught a quick glimpse of Carla — who is said to be picking up extra shifts elsewhere — her name lingers in the script.
“I’m like the Lord,” said Reyes on a recent video call with The Times. “Just when you think you’re getting away with something, there’s Carla!”
In reality, Reyes has been splitting her time on set with another ABC workplace drama. Now in its second season, “High Potential” sees Reyes leading a top-notch team of crime solvers as Lieutenant Selena Soto, opposite Kaitlin Olson and Daniel Sunjata. “I don’t know any other way to be!” she said of the role. “Latinos are lieutenants and nurses and doctors, et cetera!”
When The Times connected with Reyes, she was crouched down backstage at the Lovinger Theatre at Lehman College in the Bronx. We spoke merely hours before the debut of “Freestyle: A Love Story,” a stage production that follows two lovers who meet at a freestyle show — then reconnect at a concert 20 years later.
Created and directed by George Valencia, with Reyes as one of the executive producers, the story interlaces the history of freestyle music: a Latin hip-hop and pop hybrid genre popularized in the 1980s by acts like Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, George Lamond and Judy Torres.
“Our very existence is political no matter what. Our joy is a problem for a lot of people,” said Reyes. “It’s really important for us to tell our stories.”
Between the passion project and two highly-rated Hulu shows, which continue to stream on the platform despite eventual plans to merge into the Disney+ app, Reyes is not taking her spotlight for granted — especially amid a sinking Hollywood industry model that’s made it difficult for some to find work — “I’m milking it for all it’s about,” she said.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
How were you able to film both the “Scrubs” reboot and Season 2 of “High Potential”? ABC was willing to make it work. “Scrubs” had been in the works for a long time. From Zach Braff and Donald Faison doing their podcast [during the pandemic], to the T-Mobile commercials … A whole new generation became interested in and got hitched to “Scrubs.”] It just so happened at the same time that “High Potential” was happening. My manager was wonderful about making sure [filming] was accommodating.
“I’m so honored and so thrilled to be part of what I consider a television history,” said Judy Reyes of her role as Carla Espinosa on the ABC medical sitcom “Scrubs.”
(Jeff Weddell / Disney)
Did it feel natural to return as your character Carla on “Scrubs”? It did. They did right by making all these characters older. We were all older with each other. We’re all friends that don’t necessarily talk to each other every day [except] Zach and Donald — they’re pretty much married — but it was like we never left.
What has changed in Carla — and what hasn’t changed? What’s changed in Carla is that she’s got four kids and she’s tired and she’s older. The consuming passion of her work is not what it used to be because it’s physical. Life is catching up. Her kids are older, so everything changes and she’s not able to work her ass off the way she used to and she has to confront that.
In season 2 of “High Potential,” your character Lieutenant Soto faces a moment of defeat when she’s not chosen to be captain. What thoughts popped into your head as you rehearsed the scene? It’s extremely well-written. Defeat is very relatable as a woman — [and] as a woman of color, as a woman of a certain age and as a woman of a certain position. I think we can all, as actors, relate to not getting something you are sure you deserved. But there’s also the surrendering. It’s opening up to all the [possibilities] because if you don’t do that, then you get paralyzed. It stops you in your tracks. “Well, what if I feel this defeat again?” You might, you know, but what’s your alternative? You gotta eat s— to move ahead.
Judy Reyes portrays Lieutenant Selena Soto in “High Potential,” leading a top-notch team of crime solvers opposite Kaitlin Olson and Daniel Sunjata.
(Jessica Perez / Disney)
There are some moments in “High Potential” when your character is holding up a mug with the Dominican Republic flag. How do you find other ways to incorporate your Latinidad in the story? When we did the “High Potential” pilot, the props department said I got a mug in the scene and if I wanted anything on it. I was like, “Hmm, no one ever asked me before. Can you do a Dominican flag?” That was in Vancouver and I’ve had it since. The Dominicans lose their f— minds on social media and I love it. It fills my heart.
The other stuff is just being me, which is the purpose of being an artist. I don’t know how much sense it makes to throw in the Spanish word, unless you have other Latino people with you.
Latinos haven’t historically been represented as leaders in Hollywood. Has it evolved? Things progressed before DEI collapsed. There was an active attempt and pursuit of putting people of color in leadership roles. I’m grateful it’s happened. I’m sad it’s retreated a little bit, but I think it has to start behind the camera. We need to champion writers, directors, producers and the stories or get risky and daring with casting.
What has changed in Hollywood and what has not changed in your perspective? Many things have changed from the way we view television. Everything is streamed. Now everything is a limited series. There’s such a political impact in what gets seen and what doesn’t. It’s very hard for people right now and I feel challenged to say how it is better, because I’m working. I see how hard it is. The best thing I can do is seize the platform and connect with other creatives who want to go ahead and take a chance and make investments in stories.
Now with the growing monopolies in the entertainment industry, I’m sure that’ll likely change Hollywood too. It continues to affect the workforce. The workforce is gonna be severely impacted. The more you merge, the more people you fire and the more machines you put in their place. It’s a frightening moment.
I’m grateful I saw Noah Wyle represent against the [Paramount-Warner Bros.] merger. I’m motivated, because I think we ultimately have to protect each other and protect the art for as long as we can.
What grounds you and your art in an era that is often trying to strip you away from your creative liberties? My company GoodTalk Films, myself and my partner and husband George Valencia are working with the Watford F.C. Women’s League to launch a Latina Women’s Football Club here in L.A.. We [want to] train Latinas to be coaches. That’s another way to reach out to the community and help people see themselves. That keeps you grounded in the creative process.
I see a lot of theater. I make a lot of trips to New York. I just saw [the Broadway adaptation of] “Dog Day Afternoon,” produced by Stephen Adly Guirgis. My kid is in the arts and I hang out a lot with him and help him sing and perform. The process is what brings joy in working with other people interested in the same thing.
One of which is the third and final season of The Comeback which revolves around the turbulent career of sitcom star Valerie Cherish (played by Lisa Kudrow).
12 years after series two, Valerie takes on a new sitcom written by AI in a bid to try and salvage her dwindling career but it’s not exactly plain sailing.
Of course, Kudrow is famed for portraying Phoebe Buffay in the unforgettable 1990s comedy Friends but The Comeback’s co-creator Michael Patrick King insists she’s “a lot more than Phoebe”.
Opening up to Reach Plc, King, who is best known for directing Sex And The City, shared: “First of all, the thing I really want to say about Lisa Kudrow is she’s a brilliant writer.
“You know she’s a brilliant actress. All you have to do is look at the contrast between Phoebe and Valerie and you can see her amazing range.
“She’s a very, very, very good writer. She has a scientific mind. She has a degree from Vassar [College] in biology.
“So she’s a lot more than Phoebe. And what’s great about working with her is she’s smart and hilarious and discerning. Very, very discerning.”
Kudrow recently spoke to CBS Sunday Morning about the reason why she’s still happy to be known for Friends, despite the show ending in 2004.
She said: “I never went through that period of ‘no I don’t want to talk about Friends. I have to move on, I want to play other characters and no, you have to know me from -’.
“No, no, that’s fine. Because Friends gave me everything.
“It just did. And I loved being Phoebe. I loved the whole experience and I don’t need to move away from it.
“I had done independent films and played different characters and, whether you’ve seen it or not, that’s fine.
“And it’s fine if all you know I’ve ever done with Friends, how could I not be OK with that?”
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to suspend its construction of a $400 million ballroom where it demolished the East Wing of the White House, barring construction work from proceeding without congressional approval.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington granted a preservationist group’s request for a preliminary injunction that temporarily halts President Trump’s White House ballroom project.
Leon, who was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, concluded that the National Trust for Historic Preservation is likely to succeed on the merits of its claims because “no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have.”
“The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!” the judge wrote.
Leon suspended enforcement of his order for 14 days, acknowledging that the case “raises novel and weighty issues, that halting an ongoing construction project “may raise logistical issues.” He also recognized that the administration is likely to appeal his decision.
The judge ruled that any construction work that’s necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House is exempt from the scope of the injunction. Leon said he reviewed material that the government privately submitted to him before concluding that halting construction wouldn’t jeopardize national security.
Trump, in a social media post, criticized the trust for suing him over a project that he said is being built at no cost to taxpayers. “Doesn’t make much sense, does it?” he wrote.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling.
The preservationists sued to obtain an order pausing the ballroom project until it undergoes multiple independent reviews and receives congressional approval.
The White House announced the ballroom project over the summer. By late October, Trump had demolished the East Wing to make way for a ballroom that he said would fit 999 people. The White House said private donations, including from Trump himself, would pay for the planned construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom.
Trump proceeded with the project before seeking input from a pair of federal review panels, the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts. Trump has stocked both commissions with allies.
On Feb. 26, Leon rejected the preservationist group’s initial bid to temporarily halt the ballroom’s construction. He said the privately funded group had based its challenge on a “ragtag group” of legal theories and would have a better chance of success if it amended the lawsuit, which it did.
The administration has said above-ground construction on the ballroom would begin in April.
“We are two weeks away,” plaintiffs’ attorney Thaddeus Heuer said during a March 17 hearing. “The imminence is now imminent.”
During the hearing, Leon sounded skeptical of what he referred to as the government’s “shifting theories and shifting dynamics” for its arguments in the case.
“I don’t think it’s a new theory,” Justice Department attorney Jacob Roth told the judge.
Leon expressed frustration at Roth’s attempts to equate the massive ballroom project with relatively modest construction work at the White House under previous administrations.
“This is an iconic symbol of this nation,” the judge said.
The administration argued that other presidents didn’t need congressional approval for previous White House renovation projects, large and small.
“Many of those projects were highly controversial in their time yet have since become accepted — even beloved — parts of the White House,” government attorneys wrote.
Kunzelman writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.
NELLY Furtado has silenced body shamers in a curve-hugging strapless red gown, as she was honored with a Hall of Fame award.
The iconic singer, 47, has faced cruel comments about her figure since her return to the spotlight, but defied the haters to accept the coveted achievement.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Nelly Furtado looked incredible as she was inducted into the Canadian Hall of FameCredit: GettyThe singer looked stunning in her red dress as she made her speechCredit: GettyThe singer wowed on the red carpet at the beginning of the nightCredit: GettyNelly first launched to fame in the early noughtiesCredit: Getty
Nelly looked stunning in her dress, as she was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 2026 Juno Awards.
The stunning star oozed sex appeal in the incredible dress as she collected her gong.
The Grammy Award winning artist wore her brown locks tied back, and she accessorised with huge earrings.
Nelly beamed and threw her arms in the air as she walked on stage to be inducted into her native country’s Hall of Fame.
Addressing the audience, the thrilled star said: “Honestly, I’m just really proud to be Canadian. I live in Canada.
“I make my music in Canada.
“I work with Canadian musicians, songwriters, producers because I totally believe in the Canadian dream.
“Please believe it, too.”
Most read in Entertainment
It comes after Nelly revealed how she was retiring from performing, after 25 years in the spotlight.
Taking to Instagram last October, the Grammy winner made an emotional post expressing gratitude for her career but that she felt it was time for a change.
Addressing fans, Nelly said: “I have decided to step away from performance for the foreseeable future and pursue some other creative and personal endeavours that I feel would better suit this next phase of my life.
“I have enjoyed my career immensely, and I still love writing music as I have always seen it as a hobby I was lucky enough to make into a career.
Nelly showed off her fabulous curves in her stunning dressCredit: Getty
“I’ll identify as a songwriter forever.”
Nelly shot to fame in 2000 with her debut album Whoa, Nelly!.
The record was a huge success and spawned the single I’m Like A Bird which went was played on radio stations around the world.
The star is also well known for her song Promiscuous as well as her collaboration with singer James Morrison on Broken Strings.
Another huge hit for Nelly was her chart topping song Maneater.
Nelly recently revealed she was retiring from performingCredit: Splash
TAKE That’s Howard Donald has revealed he is selling off his beloved campervan home for a FIVE figure sum, and said that ‘it saddened” him to part with it.
Take That’s Howard Donald is selling off his beloved campervanCredit: Instagram/@howarddonaldThe singer wants a whopping £50K for the VW camperCredit: Instagram/@howarddonaldThe cosy van has been restored to look like an original VWCredit: Instagram/@howarddonaldThe star has been in Take That since the early 90s – and has earned a lot of money thanks to thisCredit: Getty
The minted star, who has made his millions from touring and making records with Take That, is now giving fans the opportunity to snap up the luxury motor.
For £50K, Howard‘s loyal followers can buy the campervan from him.
The star shared the news on Instagram with a slew of pics of the cosy looking vehicle.
In one snap, Howard is seen standing next to the campervan, as he got ready to say goodbye to it.
Among the collection, the singer owns a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG, which he uses to drive his family, a 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SE Cabriolet, and a 1959 Chevrolet Brookwood.
Howard previously revealed he believes he has around 17 supercars – but that he finds it hard to store them all.
The Take that star has an eye-watering car collectionCredit: Rex FeaturesTake That were the biggest boyband in the 90sCredit: Getty
The star told the Fuelling Around podcast in 2023: “It’s come to a point where you’re trying to put them in other people’s garages and you’re thinking, “No, it’s too ridiculous’.”
At the time he said that he was planning to sell some of his cars to pay for his children’s education.
“One day, it’ll come to the crunch where Take That probably will stop eventually, and then you think, ‘I’m going to have to sell one of my cars’,” the star said.
He joked: “I really hate my kids for that, though.”
Howard shot to fame in the early 90s as one of the five original members of Take That.
Howard has built up a fortune thanks to his long career as a popstar – seen here in the 90sCredit: Getty
The ex-Made in Chelsea star is set to join Clare Balding and Ade Adepitan to host The CHANEL J12 Boat Race this Saturday (April 4).
Broadcasting live from the banks of the River Thames, they’ll be stationed in a fresh studio at the starting line in Putney.
Oxford University Boat Club and Cambridge University Boat Club will battle it out oar-to-oar in one of the globe’s oldest and most prestigious amateur sporting events.
Alex Jacques will helm lead commentary, with Olympic gold-medal winning rower Martin Cross and Olympic silver-medal winning rower Jess Eddie as co-commentators, while three-time Olympic gold medallist Pete Reed OBE will serve as pundit, reports OK!.
Broadcaster and mathematician Hannah Fry will also be present to delve into the science of rowing, as well as championing Cambridge Men and Women in her capacity as Professor of Public Understanding of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge.
Coverage of The Boat Race will air from 13:30 to 16:30 on Channel 4 and Channel 4 Streaming, where Oxford and Cambridge Men and Women will tackle the iconic Championship Course, a 4.25-mile stretch of tidal Thames from Putney to Mortlake.
In addition to broadcasting the historic races between the two universities, Channel 4 will also spotlight the Youth Boat Race for the first time on British TV.
The Youth Boat Race, backed by the Oxford and Cambridge Rowing Foundation, is scheduled for Friday 3 April, with coverage included in Saturday’s broadcast.
Discussing his new role, Jamie confessed he “can’t wait”, stating: “The Boat Race is always such a brilliant day, it’s London’s party by the river. Joining Clare, Ade and the team to present coverage of such an iconic occasion is a pure thrill.”
The presenter and podcaster further added: “I can’t wait to meet the incredible athletes taking part and get in amongst the action with the fans on the banks of the Thames and at the finish line to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of the crews.”
This news comes as Jamie and his wife Sophie Habboo prepare to offer their fans a sneak peek into their private life in a new reality show.
The couple, who got hitched in April 2023, are set to feature in a brand new series on Disney+, which is slated to premiere on Thursday (April 2).
The programme will track the reality star couple during Sophie’s pregnancy and the birth of their son Ziggy. Ahead of the three-part series’ release, fans have been given a preview of what they can anticipate from the show.
In a teaser clip, the pair are seen having a heated argument, with Sophie labelling her husband’s behaviour as “unacceptable”. Jaime is shown standing in the doorway as Sophie becomes tearful during the dispute.
He stated: “I’m stressed, I am tired.” Sophie could be heard retorting: “But you just go behind my back, that’s so unacceptable.”
Elsewhere the couple were dealt a “bad news” blow during a hospital visit. Jamie revealed: “Bad news is that the baby, his arm is through the cervix. She (Sophie) needs to have an emergency c-section.”
The smitten duo are seen tearfully supporting each other during the birth of their first child. Jamie tenderly kisses Sophie’s forehead, reassuring her with the words, “It’s alright you got this. You got this”
The CHANEL J12 Boat Race 2026 will air on Channel 4 on Saturday, April 4 from 1.30pm and Raising Chelsea is available to watch on Disney+ from Thursday, April 4
The series, which arrived on Netflix on March 26, focuses on a troubled Oslo police detective (portrayed by Tobias Santelmann), who must grapple with both a horrific serial killer and his corrupt colleague.
“Created by one of the greatest storytellers in crime fiction, Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole is a whodunnit serial killer mystery led by famed anti-hero Harry Hole,” the official synopsis teases.
“Underneath the surface, this series is a nuanced character drama about two police officers – and supposed colleagues – operating on opposite sides of the law. Throughout the season, Harry goes head-to-head with his long-time adversary and corrupt detective Tom Waaler,” reports the Express.
The description concludes: “Harry is a brilliant but tormented homicide detective who struggles with his demons. As the two navigate the blurred ethical lines of the criminal justice system, Harry must do all he can to catch a serial killer and bring Waaler to justice before it is too late.”
Joel Kinnaman portrays Tom, alongside Tobias Santelmann as Harry. Pia Tjelta, Peter Stormare, Anders Baasmo Christiansen, Ellen Helinder, Simon J. Berger, and Ingrid Bolsø Berdal also star.
Jo Nesbø has a devoted following, with his novels selling 60 million copies globally, including 5.6 million in Norway – exceeding the nation’s total population. It appears the series has proved to be just as successful as the books, with Detective Hole climbing the Netflix UK rankings just one week after arriving on the streaming service. It currently sits as the fifth most-watched TV programme, and presently maintains a 90% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
Critics have lavished praise upon the series, with Collider stating: “A roundhouse-kick of a thrill ride that lives up to the promises baked into the thriller subgenre’s name, Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole delivers virtually everywhere it should – which is nothing less than what a modern legend deserves.”
FandomWire contributed: “Stylish, gritty, and suspenseful, Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole is a knockout and Nordic noir done right,” while The Times remarked: “So much plot, so much incident, plus heatwaves, tropical thunder and sweat. As rides go, it’s certainly rollicking.”
Fans have also expressed their enthusiasm, with many devouring all nine episodes in one go. One individual posted on IMDb: “Excellent adaptation of Jo Nesbø’s The Devil’s Star. As an avid reader of the books, I found this to be absolutely spot on with its recreation and casting of the Harry Hole universe. So atmospheric, capturing the style and tone of Jo Nesbø’s writing. Excellent acting and riveting storyline, this was an easy binge. I sincerely hope there will be more seasons as there is a wealth of material to tap into.”
Another chimed in: “A gripping Norwegian masterpiece that stays with you. Just finished bingeing the new Norwegian Netflix series Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole (based on the Harry Hole novels), and wow – what an intense, atmospheric ride… By the finale, I was emotionally drained in the best way.”
They went on to say: “If you love smart, character-driven crime dramas with heart and moral weight (think The Killing or The Bridge but with Jo Nesbø’s signature edge), drop everything and watch Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole. It’s binge-worthy perfection. 10/10 from this amateur reviewer – easily one of the best new international series I’ve seen in a while.”
A third viewer described the series as “absolute perfection,” while a fourth fan likewise commented: “Detective Hole is a gripping, unforgettable series that captures the raw brilliance and dark originality of Jo Nesbø. With its intense atmosphere and a deeply flawed yet magnetic protagonist, it pulls you straight into a world where crime, emotion, and truth collide.”
Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole is available to stream on Netflix
Who are Last One Laughing’s Ellie White and Natasia Demetriou? – The Mirror
Need to know
Last One Laughing UK features Ellie White and Natasia Demetriou in a guest appearance.
Romesh Ranganathan had to face off against the intimacy coordinators(Image: PRIME VIDEO)
Everything you need to know about Last One Laughing intimacy coordinators Ellie White and Natasia Demetriou
Comedy stars Ellie White and Natasia Demetriou have left Last One Laughing season 2 viewers in stitches after appearing as the show’s hilarious “intimacy coordinators.” The acclaimed duo guest starred in episode five of Jimmy Carr’s Prime Video comedy challenge series, where comedians must make each other laugh whilst keeping straight faces.
They appeared as mock intimacy coordinators to wind up the contestants including Bob Mortimer, Joe Lycett and Judi Love. The pair told the comics: “We’re intimacy coordinators. We’re hired by the show to come into very toxic work environments.”
White and Demetriou, who have their own BBC sketch show Ellie and Natasia, are comedy partners known for their surreal humour. White has appeared in major productions including Wonka with Timothée Chalamet and Channel 4’s Stath Lets Flats.
Demetriou is best known for her role in What We Do in the Shadows, which earned her a Critics’ Choice Award in 2021. She’s also received BAFTA nominations for both Stath Lets Flats and Ellie and Natasia.
Contestant Romesh Ranganathan praised the pair, calling them “two of the most talented character performers around.” Last One Laughing airs its season 2 finale on Prime Video on April 2.
Legendary street artist and activist Shepard Fairey was omnipresent at the High Desert Art Fair, which unfolded in and around Pioneertown over two unseasonably hot days last weekend. Founded more than seven years ago by art dealer Nicholas Fahey and artist manager Candice Lawler, the event has morphed from a few dozen people in Lawler’s living room to a few thousand roaming the dusty, sunny environs of the kitschy Old West town, with ancillary events in Twentynine Palms and Joshua Tree.
Fairey, who bought a home in the area during the COVID-19 pandemic, DJ’d a spirited opening night party at the Red Dog Saloon — spinning punk, post-punk and new wave hits by Joy Division, Fugazi and Black Flag to a packed house of art fans wearing paint-splattered DIY couture — and he spoke during the weekend’s most anticipated panel alongside Devo frontman and gallery owner Mark Mothersbaugh in a conversation moderated by singer-songwriter Harper Simon, son of folk icon Paul Simon.
Artist Shepard Fairey DJ’d the opening night party of High Desert Art Fair at the Red Dog Saloon in Pioneertown. The set was heavy of punk, post-punk and new wave.
(Jessica Gelt / Los Angeles Times)
Fairey was forthcoming about his opinions on art, politics and technology, drawing applause at one point for saying that using AI in art is not something to be afraid of. His assessment came after he lamented the fact that social media algorithms punish “decency” and reward “flamboyant narcissism and controversy.” He then joked that the “algorithm’s gonna love this. S— is gonna go nuts,” before talking about his recent collaboration with the digital artist known as Beeple who’s notorious in the art world for selling an NFT of his art in 2021 for $69.3 million.
The Red Dog Saloon was packed with art and music fans during the Friday night opening party of the High Desert Art Fair, which drew thousands of people to Pioneertown during the last weekend in March.
(Jessica Gelt / Los Angeles Times)
“He’s either the vanguard of a new way of working, and a maverick, a trailblazer, or he’s the worst thing that’s happened to art ever, or in between, or both, or neither,” Fairey said as the crowd laughed. “That’s totally my opinion.”
During a late-March event held in Fairey’s hometown of Charleston, S.C., Beeple Studios presented “Shepard Fairey: Obey and Resist,” which leveraged AI to help guests create their own Fairey-inspired paintings. During the panel, Fairey called the results “almost idiot-proof.”
He then elaborated on his feelings about AI’s encroachment on the art world, saying that if he were part of the “traditional art world thinking” he wouldn’t dare “go over to the dark side of digital art and AI, because that’s cheating.”
“All those same people a few hundred years ago when Da Vinci was using the camera obscura were like, ‘Get your proportions right, just by eye. Don’t use a cheating tool,’” Fairey said before taking the analogy to cave paintings and noting that those same types of naysayers would’ve been unhappy when it was discovered that horse hairs at the end of a stick were useful for distributing pigment and might have said, “That’s not keeping it real, bro. Use bloody elbow like everyone else.”
Fairey called that type of thinking “idiotic.”
“A tool in service of someone with a genuine vision that bends the tool to their will, rather than having themselves bent to the tool — that’s what creativity is about,” Fairey said.
The conversation about AI art started when Mothersbaugh, who was headlining a music set at Pappy & Harriet’s later that night, admitted that he was “fooling around with AI” and “just making myself laugh, like mutating old Devo photos and videos. It cracks me up. … I don’t know what is ever going to happen with it. Maybe they’ll just always live on my phone and eventually get thrown away or lost or something.”
The stage is set for an experimental music show by the General, featuring the stylings of Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh.
(Jessica Gelt / Los Angeles Times)
It’s a rock ‘n’ roll art fair
The idea that AI won’t cannibalize artists and their work on a massive scale is refreshingly utopian, but in many ways so was the fair itself. It takes magical thinking to grow anything in the harsh desert environment, which is why artists have been making the trek for decades. There was a youthful, rock ‘n’ roll vibe to the proceedings that was punk in quality but earnest in its quest to be seen.
Mothersbaugh’s gallery, MutMuz, occupied one of 20 rooms reconfigured as show spaces at the Pioneertown Motel, as did Gross!, a Chinatown gallery founded by former Liars drummer Julian Gross and populated with the work of musicians such as Karen O, O’s costume designer Christian Joy and TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe.
A work of painted fabric by Karen O‘s costume designer Christian Joy hangs in Gross! Gallery at the Pioneertown Motel during High Desert Art Fair. The gallery is owned by former Liars drummer Julian Gross who features plenty of work by fellow artists.
(Jessica Gelt / Los Angeles Times)
Desert pioneers are key to the spirit of the place
The fair featured tours of a number of the most interesting attractions in the area, including the Noah Purifoy Desert Art Museum of Assemblage Art in Joshua Tree and artist Andrea Zittel’s arts outpost and residency program, High Desert Test Sites.
Old computers are stacked at the center of an installation titled “Carousel” (1996) by Noah Purifoy at the Noah Purifoy Desert Art Museum of Assemblage Art in Joshua Tree.
(Jessica Gelt / Los Angeles Times)
Purifoy’s fantastical assemblages made of found objects and unloved detritus provided the most fitting example of the creative desert mindset. Outsider art in every sense of the word, and laden with scathing political and social commentary, Purifoy’s installations morph and change in the elements. A nonprofit exists to preserve them, but tour guide Teri Rommelmann said preservation efforts aren’t meant to alter the course of nature and time, but rather to save the work from sinking into the sand.
Noah Purifoy’s 2001 installation “White/Colored” is the most frequently vandalized piece in the outdoor Joshua Tree museum dedicated to his work.
(Jessica Gelt / Los Angeles Times)
Another aspect of the preservation work is erasing vandalism, which happened most during the pandemic, and was quite telling in its main target: An installation featuring a water fountain marked “White” next to a toilet affixed with a water fountain mouthpiece and labeled “Colored.”
Noah Purifoy’s sculpture “Ode to Frank Gehry” (2000) stands in the sand as part of the Noah Purifoy Desert Art Museum of Assemblage Art. The piece was once featured in a show at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and transporting it can be quite tricky.
(Jessica Gelt / Los Angeles Times)
At High Desert Test Sites, Zittel’s famous A-Z West escape pods are no longer used for camping after the city said the nonprofit would have to attain a commercial camping permit to continue. Nonetheless, the organization’s 80 acres are home to a variety of artist residencies, which use the windswept isolation of the desert to activate dormant ideas. It was just announced that environmental artist Lita Albuquerque will have a residency at the site.
Andrea Zittel’s famous A-Z West escape pods at High Desert Test Sites can no longer be used for camping, but they still dot the nonprofit’s 80 acres of land as an example of the creativity that the desert environment unleashes.
(Jessica Gelt / Los Angeles Times)
The tiled kitchen that artist Andrea Zittel designed for the main residence at High Desert Test Sites, which she lived in for nearly 20 years and can now be rented by artists in residence.
(Jessica Gelt / Los Angeles Times)
Art is everywhere in the desert — and growing
The success of this year’s High Desert Art Fair bodes well for the future of the area as a cultural destination.
Next year will see the return of Desert X, which for the first time will keep its large-scale, site-specific installations up for six months, timed to coincide with other SoCal cultural happenings including the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and Frieze. There are also semi-permanent art installations everywhere in the area, including along driveways and the roadside. This includes a hair salon and museum in Joshua Tree, and the recently opened Reset Hotel in Twentynine Palms features dozens of rooms in retrofitted shipping containers, some with outdoor bathtubs and firepits. The hotel has also carved desert trails in its backyard, with plans to build an art park filled with installations.
The shipping container rooms at the new Reset Hotel in Twentynine Palms feature outdoor living spaces with firepits and bathtubs. Some overlook trails that will lead to a planned art park on the property.
(Jessica Gelt / Los Angeles Times)
An influx of artists, collectors and art fans will surely have an impact on an area that is already wary of gentrification and the rising cost of living that accompanies it. But there will be no stopping progress, only a utopian, Fairey-like hope that those who come will be inspired to keep and nurture the magical qualities of the place.
Celebrity Ex on the Beach returns for Season 4 with an all-star cast including Helen Flanagan and Jedward’s John Grimes
Daisy May Cooper will be the new narrator for Celebrity Ex on the Beach(Image: Paramount+)
A brand new and explosive series of Celebrity Ex on the Beach has returned to screens with an all-star cast searching for romance.
The popular reality dating programme has made its eagerly awaited comeback to Paramount Plus today (Tuesday, March 31) for its fourth series with Daisy May Cooper as the new narrator.
As the heat intensifies in Tenerife, eight single celebrities are seeking love, but there’s a catch. Their former partners will be lurking, poised to appear at any point.
An official synopsis states: “This season, temperatures rise as eight single celebrities touch down on the stunning shores of Tenerife in search of love but as ever, their exes are waiting in the wings, ready to crash the party.”
It continues: “Celebrities including Corrie actress Helen Flanagan, TOWIE’s Dani Imbert, Love Island star Toby Aromolaran, and pop phenomenon Jedward’s John Grimes, are among the famous faces diving headfirst into the drama and putting everything on the line for a real shot at love.”
The synopsis adds: “With exes such as Curtis Pritchard, Ronnie Vint and Rogan O’Connor ready to make their dramatic entrance into the Villa, how will the singles cope when faced with their former flames seeking closure, truth or even worse, revenge?”
Celebrity Ex on the Beach episode release schedule
Series 4 has launched on Paramount Plus today (March 31) with the programme streaming exclusively on the platform, reports OK!. Episodes will subsequently be released weekly, every Tuesday. This season has seen the release of 10 episodes, with the episode release dates as follows:
Episode 1 – Tuesday, March 31
Episode 2 – Tuesday, April 7
Episode 3 – Tuesday, April 14
Episode 4 – Tuesday, April 21
Episode 5 – Tuesday, April 28
Episode 6 – Tuesday, May 5
Episode 7 – Tuesday, May 12
Episode 8 – Tuesday, May 19
Episode 9 – Tuesday, May 26
Episode 10 – Tuesday, June 2
Celebrity Ex on the Beach cast
Amy Kenyon, 28, known for: Married at First Sight UK
Chase DeMoor, 29, known for: Too Hot to Handle
Dani Imbert, 27, known for: The Only Way is Essex
Freddie Powell, 32, known for: Love is Blind UK
Helen Flanagan, 35, known for: Coronation Street
Izzy Fairthorne, 26, known for: Too Hot to Handle
John Grimes, 34, known for: The X Factor
Toby Aromolaran, 26, known for: Love Island
Celebrity Ex on the Beach trailer
Content cannot be displayed without consent
A thrilling first look trailer was previously unveiled, showcasing the eight celebrities making their grand entrance on the beautiful beaches of Tenerife in pursuit of romance. The intense snippets provide viewers a glimpse into the drama and turmoil they can anticipate, complete with numerous reconciliations and splits.
The trailer, filled with anticipated jaw-dropping twists, features Curtis Pritchard confessing he was “telling the truth”, while another clip shows Helen Flanagan questioning: “Am I just being deluded?”
Celebrity Ex on the Beach can be watched on Paramount Plus.
Gemma Atkinson is now in a happy relationship with Strictly pro Gorka Marquez, but she didn’t mince words about one past flame, whom her mum described as having “bad energy”
Gemma Atkinson(Image: ITV)
Gemma Atkinson has shed light on the actions of a “horrible” ex-boyfriend, whom her mum once described as having “bad energy”. We’ve all experienced youthful missteps in love, and it appears the former glamour model is no different, having suffered a painful betrayal at the hands of an opportunistic former partner.
Gemma is now in a happy relationship with Strictly Come Dancing star Gorka Marquez, with whom she shares two children, Mia and Thiago, but she didn’t mince words about this one past flame.
Indeed, when she and Gorka were asked if they’d ever had a partner that their parents hadn’t “got on with”, she hit out at one boyfriend from her past and described him as both a “b*****d” and a “cretin”.
Speaking in a short clip for the Lost in Translation podcast, in collaboration with Hits Radio, Gorka revealed that his mum tended to like “every partner” until they were no longer together.
Gemma said: “I dated one lad years ago; I was only about 17, 18. He was a b*****d. He’s the only person who’s ever sold a story on me. He was such a cretin. I introduced him to my mum.
“And, as soon as he left, my mum went, ‘I don’t like him; he’s got a bad energy about him’. Of course, I kicked off with her, ‘You’re wrong!’ Introduced him to the girls….
“Laura went, ‘Don’t know what it is about him, Gemma, but I just wanna batter him’. I was like, ‘Why? You’re all wrong’. A year later, turned out to be a right cretin. Sold a story on me, took money, was horrible.
“They were all right, so my advice, if your mum doesn’t like a partner on the first meeting, there might be a good reason for it. They say mums know best.”
Gemma also advised people to always trust a dog’s judgement if it “doesn’t like a person”, before adding that she doesn’t trust people who don’t like dogs, as Gorka proceeded to add a touch of humour to the chat.
He joked that he’s “never liked dogs”, has faked it for eight years, and that, in fact, his “name is not Gorka”.
Gemma, who played Lisa Hunter on Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, developed a romance with Gorka when they met on the Strictly set back in 2017; four years later, Gorka popped the question, and they got engaged in 2021.
She has reportedly had something of a colourful romantic life, being linked to actors and sportsmen, including footballers Marcus Bent and Cristiano Ronaldo. Sadly, Gemma claimed that she was cheated on in the relationship she had prior to Gorka.
Not naming names, Gemma told Hits Radio: “It wasn’t that long ago, it was my fella before Gorka, we went on holiday.
“We met in the Bahamas and while we were there I took a picture of a sunset because it was a really lovely sunset, and I put it on me Instagram. I thought nothing of it.
“He put the same picture as his WhatsApp profile picture and a few days later I got this message on Instagram from this girl and she was like, ‘Woman to woman, can I ask you were you with (him) recently?’
“‘Because my boyfriend told me he was in Florida with the lads and the picture you put on Instagram he has put as his WhatsApp profile pic’.”
Is there room in corridos tumbados for a little bit of R&B soul? Linea Personal is betting on it.
For three years, the música Mexicana band Linea from Stockton has been perfecting its sophomore album, “Todo ø Nada,” a 13-track project that incorporates elements of melodic trap, R&B, blues and corridos tumbados.
“It’s slow music, the lyrics transmit good feeling and it’s moody,” said frontman Gustavo Raya Garcia following the album’s release on March 26. “Our R&B style is a lot different from these [corrido] artists.”
At its core “Todo ø Nada” is a sad sierreño escapade that heavily has boisterous elements of corrido tumbados — often through wailing high-pitch strumming from a requinto and thunderous tololoche plucks, most notable in tracks like “Motorola” and “Tarot.”
But most distinct from the LP is the blues-infused “Caperuzita,” which kicks off the album with an ethereal, pitch-shifting cry that wades through the backdrop as an omniscient spirit — an interpolation inspired by Future’s “Wait for U” (featuring Drake and Tems) — while sounds of a banjo speckle about. The band also isn’t afraid to tap into other genres by infusing a drunken, jazzy trumpet into the sex positive “Ülala” — whose infatuating lyrics were partially inspired by the chorus line in Luther Vandross’ ”Never Too Much.”
“R&B is our original sound and we wanted to bring that back to this album but a little different,” said Raya Garcia “We wanted it to have a little bit more feeling to it. That’s why we added new instruments.”
For the group — which includes frontman Raya Garcia, his brother and secondary voice Aidan Raya Garcia, requinto player Jorge Ontiveros Zúñiga and guitarist Edgar Lozoya Verduzco — bringing “Todo ø Nada” to fruition was a total slow burn.
The band — who gained traction through their 2024 hustler melodies “Holanda” and the melancholic “Hennessy” — was often stuck in lengthy creative meetings at Street Mob Records, the record label founded by Fuerza Regida’s Jesús “JOP” Ortiz Paz, who signed the band in 2021.
“It taught us a lot of patience and a lot of faith in God’s timing,” said Raya Garcia. “We really wanted this album to come out a year ago, but things happened for a reason.”
To help fuel their creative flow, the group went down to a beach retreat in San Carlos, Sonora, right Mexico’s Gulf of California. They compiled a total of 50 songs, then narrowed it down to the 13-track list.
“What we look at is the lyrics,” said Edgar Lozoya Verduzco, the group’s producer. “The one we were not too sure about was ‘P— Alcohol’ because it was too explicit.”
But at the end of the day, Lozoya Verduzco wanted to push against the grain with the obscenity-laced track whose lyrics’ double meaning are reminiscent of those in Lil Wayne’s 2008 “Lollipop.”
“We’re not scared to try something new,” said Lozoya Verduzco.
(Cat Cardenas / For De Los)
With the release of “Todo ø Nada,” Linea Personal hopes it can continue to build on the momentum achieved by many of its Mexican American contemporaries — including corrido tumbado forefather Natanael Cano and its mentor, Fuerza Regida. According to Spotify, corridos accounted for 77% of all música Mexicana streaming in 2023.
“We are inspired a lot [by these acts], we see their mentality,” said Lozoya Verduzco. “We need need to be exactly like that or work 10 times harder.”
A dream team has assembled to bring a scripted series based on the book “Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story” from the drawing board to the small screen.
Oscar-winning actor Laura Dern has signed on to portray Miami Herald investigative journalist Julie K. Brown, whose tireless reporting on the Epstein sex-trafficking case exposed how federal prosecutors approved what many have referred to as a “sweetheart” plea deal for Epstein in 2008.
Per Variety, the official description of the series reads: “An explosive account of an investigative reporter exposing the secret plea deal between Epstein and federal prosecutors. Drawing from Brown’s experience as a groundbreaking reporter for the Miami Herald, the book and the limited series follow her relentless years-long investigation that identified 80 victims, persuaded key survivors to go on the record, and led to Epstein[‘s] and Ghislaine Maxwell’s arrests.”
In 2008, the financier was charged with luring underage girls to his Palm Beach, Fla., mansion for sex. Under the plea agreement with then-U.S. Atty. for the Southern District of Florida Alexander Acosta, Epstein avoided a federal trial — where, if convicted, he could have faced a potential sentence of life in prison — and pleaded guilty instead to two state felony solicitation charges.
He served 13 months in a county jail but was allowed to go to his office six days a week on a work-release program.
Co-showrunners for the project are Eileen Myers, known for “American Hostage,” and Sharon Hoffman, best known for her work on “House of Cards” and who is adapting Brown’s book for television. Dern will also executive produce, along with Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, known for “The Big Short,” “Don’t Look Up” and “Succession.” Brown is also executive producing.
Although Sony Pictures Television is still pitching the series to networks and streamers, industry insiders predict that, with Dern and McKay on board, a green light is on the horizon.
Last week, Brown joined veteran journalist Katie Couric live on Substack to discuss her reporting on Epstein, and how the disgraced financier and his camp underestimated her. “I don’t think he worried about the little old reporter from the Miami Herald,” she said.
“When you have a sex predator of children who is — at the time I wrote this story, he was out there, you know, he was free — and he was still, as we now know, harming children,” Brown told Couric. “And so my goal at the time was to look at how this happened.
“Where was the breakdown? Was there someone who … was powerful who let him off the hook, and I just thought it was a good time to take a new look at it like a cold case detective would.
“By the time I decided to reopen the case, these women, these victims who were 13, 14, 15 years old, were now in their late 20s and early 30s, and Donald Trump became president right around this time. And ironically, as I was already looking at this story, he nominated Alexander Acosta to be his Labor secretary, and I knew at the time that he was the very person who had let [Epstein] off the hook. And so that’s where I started looking at this case.”
Malcolm in the Middle star Justin Berfield spent years playing older brother Reese in the beloved American sitcom and he has now given his first interview in almost 20 years ahead of its reboot
Liam McInerney Content Editor
08:17, 31 Mar 2026
Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) with Reese (Justin Berfield) (Image: Carin Baer/FOX)
The actor who famously played Reese in Malcolm in the Middle has broken his silence after 20 years — and revealed the real reason he quit Hollywood.
Justin Berfield is back on our screens next month with the four-episode revival of the popular show that ended two decades ago. And he has now revealed why he has remained so quiet since then.
Speaking on The Joe Vulpis Podcast, Justin, now aged 40, was asked whether he had done any other podcast or interview since the sitcom ended.
He replied: “No, like podcasts weren’t a thing and I’ve always just said no because like I wasn’t working on anything. I’m just like a stay-at-home dad! So, why am I going to do a podcast?
“Because I’m just chilling at home with my kid. So unless I had something to talk about, I’m like, I don’t want to go on a podcast.”
He then explained that he has remained in the industry by working behind the camera as an onset producer and writer on various projects.
And he added: “I was just like, I don’t care (about going on podcasts). I’m enjoying my life. Unless I have something to talk about current. I don’t want to go back in time and talk Malcolm.”
However, he is now more than happy to talk about the beloved sitcom, given Hulu’s Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair is set to land on Disney+ in April.
The final episode of Malcolm aired in May 2006 and Justin revealed in the rare interview why he quit Hollywood soon after.
He said he moved to Colorado with his wife, Liza, after filming because he just wanted a change of scenery.
Giving an insight, he said: “Lots of fly fishing. I still miss it. I love it because I just loved being somewhere so secluded. I was still living in Denver so I was like in the city because I still like access to sports teams and good restaurants and things like that. So I wasn’t living in the mountains or anything like that, even though I went to visit them quite often.
“But I kind of separated from Hollywood and I just got to live somewhere else for once because I grew up here and I just wanted to live somewhere else.
“At that time I had no kids, so I was like, this is the perfect time to do this. So we lived there for three years and then we moved back to LA.”
He also revealed that he quit acting and was never “in demand” after the show.
However, he said he never had the intention of becoming the next Leonardo DiCaprio and that he has loved being a stay-at-home dad to his two children in recent years.
The new series of Malcolm in the Middle will see Justin return as the older brother of Malcolm, played by Frankie Muniz.
Malcolm’s other brother, Francis, played by Christopher Masterson, is also set to return, as are Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek who play parents Hal and Lois.
And asked what it was like being back on set with his old colleagues, Justin said it felt like no time had passed at all.
He added: “It felt like a really, just a really long hiatus. When we were filming the show, you’d film for like eight months and then you’d take like two, three months off, and then kind of go back and do some things again and start seeing everyone, and that was like your year for seven years straight.
“And then we did this, it was obviously like 20 years since we’d seen each other for most of us. And you just kind of, it felt like time stopped, like we just got right back into it.”
The synopsis to the upcoming revival reads: “After shielding himself and his daughter from his family for over a decade, Malcolm is dragged back into their orbit when Hal and Lois demand his presence at their 40th anniversary party.”
Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Not Fair arrives on Disney+ on April 10
Coronation Street newcomer Ben Driscoll will be left ‘absolutely devastated’ in the fallout to a sickening plot, while another bombshell leads to him hitting the bottle
Coronation Street newcomer Ben Driscoll will be left ‘absolutely devastated’ in the fallout to a sickening plot(Image: ITV)
It’s a tough time ahead for the Driscolls on Coronation Street, especially newcomer Ben.
Actor Aaron McCusker who has played him since October has spilled on two big moments ahead for his character. Ben will be left “devastated” in the fallout to his teenage son Will Driscoll’s grooming ordeal.
But Ben will also be left blindsided about a DNA twist that sparks heartache for him, tearing apart his relationship with his mother Maggie. It’s not yet clear if Ben will find out his real father is former character Jim McDonald, but we do know that Ben learns the man he thought was his father actually wasn’t.
Actor Aaron teased of what is ahead: “Ben and Maggie are having a row and in the heat of the argument, Maggie says something that just doesn’t make sense to Ben. Maggie tries to backtrack and pretends she didn’t know what she was saying but Ben won’t let it go.
“It’s digging at him, why did she say that, and he just needles at her till eventually she says right here’s the truth. Maggie’s also being blackmailed by Ben’s ex Melanie who knows the truth from Ben’s brother who witnessed things, and is using this to try to force Maggie to convince Ben to let Will go live with her.
“Eventually it all just gets too much for Maggie and she makes the decision to tell Ben herself. Then the truth comes tumbling out.” On the impact of the paternity news, Aaron went on: “He’s stunned and he’s also livid, made worse by the fact he can’t go back and talk to the man who he always thought was his dad because he’s dead.
“He also finds out that Alan knew he wasn’t Ben’s dad and still stuck by Maggie and that endears him to Alan even more. He has a huge argument with Maggie then he goes straight out to the bar and gets stuck into the whiskeys.”
Aaron hinted that it could be it for Maggie and Ben. He said: “Let’s be honest he’s forgiven his mum for quite a lot already! He threw her out of the house on Christmas Day, then let her back in.
“He sits back 50% of the time and lets her get away with how she treats Eva and he does realise that she was a single mother and sacrificed a lot to bring him and Fin up. But maybe it will go a different way this time, I think it will take a while to get over this but time’s a healer so I hope in the end they will be alright.”
He then discussed the plot involving Ben’s son Will, who has been sexually abused by his athletics coach Megan Walsh. With Will still manipulated into believing they are in a relationship, and with Megan pregnant with his child, ben is left blaming himself.
Aaron explains: “He’s absolutely gutted, he’s been through a stage of blaming himself, maybe he’s been too wrapped up in the move to Weatherfield, been stuck in the middle of the war between Maggie and Eva, focusing on his two other kids and it just slid by him. He’s disappointed in himself and he’s going out of his way now to try to make things better but with a teenage son it’s not easy and he’s going to have to work hard to repair the relationship.”
