show biz

“Crazy Rich Asians” will officially be back on screen, with some familiar faces joining for the ride.

HBO announced on Thursday that it had ordered an original drama series of the same name based on author Kevin Kwan’s book series eight years after director Jon M. Chu’s “Crazy Rich Asians” film adaptation marked a watershed moment for Asian representation in Hollywood. The series will see stars Constance Wu and Henry Golding reprise their roles as lovebirds Rachel Chu and Nick Young; Ronny Chieng as Nick’s cousin Eddie Cheng and Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh as the hard-to-please Young family matriarch, Eleanor.

Although not exactly the movie sequel some fans were hoping for, the series will pick up after the events of the 2018 film and will be based on Kwan’s books, HBO announced. Adele Lim, who co-wrote Chu’s 2018 film, will serve as showrunner and will executive produce the series alongside Kwan, Chu and “Crazy Rich Asians” movie producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson.

HBO announced its series order just days after parent company Warner Bros. Discovery closed its $111-billion deal with Paramount Skydance.

The official series order comes more than a year after Golding shared that he and some of his “Crazy Rich Asians” collaborators had reunited to discuss the future of the franchise, including a meeting with Lim. The Times confirmed last year that the series was in early development.

The “Crazy Rich Asians” series could fill the void left by the onetime promise of a “Crazy Rich Asians” sequel. Prospects of a sequel crumbled in 2019 when the Hollywood Reporter broke news that Lim left the sequel over pay disparity.

FANS of Michael Jackson will be looking at the competition and hoping to beat it when his latest memorabilia goes under the hammer. 

The late King of Pop’s original Thriller jacket and Motown 25 glove are being put up for Auction in Abu Dhabi.

On December 7, the iconic garments will headline Julien’s Auctions’ Fashion Legacy Evening Sale.

Created by Deborah Nadoolman Landis, the red leather jacket was one of two created for Michael’s 1983 video – with the other shredded for the zombie scenes and now on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Estimates for the jacket up for auction are only available upon request by interested bidders. It last sold in 2011 for almost £1.4million.

Michael wore the white rhinestone glove, tipped to fetch £700,000, the same year at the taping of Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever.

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In 2022, a massive collection of Michael Jackson memorabilia was being auctioned with an estimated value of £2.5million.

The 32,000 items linked with the King of Pop were being sold as a single lot in a private online auction on behalf of an anonymous owner.

The collection was originally intended for a museum in Los Angeles, but plans fell through and it was auctioned through House of Consultants.

The owner said: “This is a rare opportunity to buy cultural heritage from the most influential artist of the century.”

Minka Kelly and Dan Reynolds have ended their four-year relationship.

A source close to the couple confirmed the breakup, People first reported on Wednesday.

The “Friday Night Lights” actor and Imagine Dragons frontman first met in 2022 through a mutual friend — although their first month interacting was over phone calls as Kelly, 46, was in the U.K. for work and finishing her memoir, “Tell Me Everything,” which delved into her complex relationship with her mother.

Reynolds, 39, asked to read the book.

“You’ll either be terrified and run for the hills or you’ll see the beauty in all of it,” Kelly shared on “The Drew Barrymore Show” in November 2025. “He fortunately was the latter.”

The pair was first publicly spotted in November 2022 leaving Cafe Stella in Silver Lake; a month earlier, Reynolds announced his split from his wife, indie singer Aja Volkman, whom he married in 2011. His divorce from the Nico Vega vocalist was finalized in March 2024.

Although the “Euphoria” star and “Believer” singer kept details of their personal life under wraps, they were often photographed cozying up at sports events including the 2024 Super Bowl, the Inter Miami soccer match against the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2024, and the UFC 303 event in 2024.

In July, Kelly shared an Instagram post of Reynolds featuring his four children (whom he shares with Volkman) at Disneyland, with the caption, “No place I’d rather be.”

In a 2024 interview with People, Reynolds shared that his kids had grown fond of Kelly.

“We view it as kind of bonuses to the family: more people to love, more people to help. We’ve just been really careful with that and slow with navigating how to bring Minka into that conversation,” he said. “She’s done a really incredible job of being sensitive and careful on her end as well.”

In 2025, Reynolds made a guest appearance on the first season of Netflix’s “Ransom Canyon,” which starred Kelly as Quinn O’Grady, a former concert pianist, opposite Josh Duhamel, who played rancher Staten Kirkland.

The show was canceled after two seasons this September.

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ release date has been pushed back following allegations of a plush prison lifestyle.

The disgraced music mogul is currently serving a 50-month sentence after he was convicted of transporting prostitutes across state lines for drug-fueled sex performances known as “freak-offs.”

While earlier October reports indicated that the artist and producer would be released on Jan. 21, 2028 — which shaved months off his original June 2028 discharge — an updated search on the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate database reveals his new revised date as March 2, 2028.

News of his release date comes as the “Bad Boy for Life” singer was reportedly placed and remained in solitary confinement at FCI Fort Dix, a low-security federal prison in New Jersey, following allegations of a pampered prison lifestyle.

On Sept. 29, an NBC report detailed the accounts of four anonymous inmates who claim that the 56-year-old had been paying men for special services.

Sources told NBC News that Combs paid inmates to clean and cook special meals for him, including curry chicken, pizza and empanadas, and that the hip-hop and R&B music producer also receives Chinese-style massages.

To pay for the labor, inmates allege that individuals outside of the prison are depositing thousands of dollars into the commissary accounts of those waiting on the “Satisfy You” singer.

The news outlet also published an image of Combs using a contraband phone, a prohibited item across state and federal prisons; multiple inmates said that he uses it to scroll Instagram and view explicit nude content shared by an old girlfriend.

Two sources also shared that Diddy has access to a “jailbroken” tablet where he watches movies and documentaries, including “Sean Combs: The Reckoning,” the Netflix docuseries produced by his adversary Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.

Sources also allege that Combs is smuggling an illegal stash of alcohol and purchasing an antidepressant drug known as Remeron, or “rem-roms,” from other inmates.

“This is not some normal s— you see in jail. This is some rich s—. It looks crazy, but again, it’s Diddy,” one source told NBC.

The Times reached out to Combs’ representatives, but did not hear back.

A representative from the Federal Bureau of Prisons said they “do not comment on the conditions of confinement for any incarcerated individuals, including quarters assignment, release plans, or whether a particular individual is the subject of allegations, investigations, or sanctions.”

Legal troubles hit a high note last year for Combs when he was involved in a lengthy and public trial involving allegations of sexual assault and other violence. His former girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones lodged civil complaints against the music tycoon.

In July 2025, Combs was found guilty on two counts of a prostitution-related charge, but not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, which carried heavier penalties, including a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Halle Berry has several loved ones in her corner amid her contentious custody case with ex-husband Olivier Martinez, who accused the Oscar winner of physically abusing their 12-year-old son. Among the actor’s supporters is Nahla Aubry, the 18-year-old daughter Berry has kept largely out of the public eye.

Aubry, whom Berry shares with ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry, spoke against her former stepfather Martinez and in support of her mother in a declaration filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court. In his request for a restraining order filed last week, Martinez accused Berry of physically abusing their son, Maceo, “putting her hands around his neck, and choking him” during a Sept. 26 incident. Martinez was granted the restraining order and is seeking sole legal and physical custody. Nahla Aubry said in her declaration, obtained by The Times, that Martinez’s allegations left her “shocked, very sad, and very upset.”

“The statements Olivier claims my mom made are wholly inconsistent with the values she has taught me my entire life,” Aubry said. She added elsewhere in her declaration: “I have never witnessed her act violently toward anyone.”

A legal representative for Martinez did not immediately respond on Thursday to The Times’ request for comment.

In her declaration, Aubry spoke about her experiences splitting time between her mother and father’s homes amid their separation and and said her mother “consistently provided me with stability, support, guidance” and that she “never heard” the actor speak negatively about her family or her ex-boyfriend. Aubry said she lived with her brother for most of her life and has “never heard my mom say anything about Olivier” to her brother, contradicting claims Martinez raised in his request for a protective order.

Martinez pointed to an alleged 2023 incident when Berry is accused of telling their son, then 9, that his father is “ ‘a white b— trying to rob a Black woman’ due to child support issues,” according to court documents. She added that Berry has “always” encouraged her children to keep “loving relationships with our fathers.” Aubry also said in her declaration that while Berry can be strict, she is also “warm, supportive and deeply involved in our lives.”

“I have never witnessed her act violently toward anyone, however, I do remember Olivier beating up my father in our driveway when I was little,” she said, referring to a 2012 brawl between Gabriel Aubry and Martinez.

In addition to denying the claims of abuse against her mother, Aubry spoke about her stepbrother’s behavior, writing in his declaration he can be “very impulsive” and “often acts without thinking and then refuses to take responsibility for his actions.” Aubry noted she last spoke to her brother a day after the alleged September incident and that he did not seem upset, and that the current restraining order prohibits her from contacting her brother.

Berry’s fiancé, Van Hunt, and her attorneys also filed declarations in favor of the “Monster’s Ball” actor. Attorney Marina Z. Beck in her declaration accused Martinez of refusing to provide information to Berry about their son and his education, of interfering with their son’s therapy and of refusing to follow therapist recommendations. The court documents also include screenshots of text message exchanges between Berry and Martinez and an email from their son’s school about his disruptive behavior days after the alleged incident.

Berry and Martinez were married from 2013 from 2015. Their divorce finally ended in August 2023, when they agreed to joint custody of their son and Berry agreed to pay Martinez $8,000 a month in child support.

In his request for a restraining order, Martinez also asked that Berry refrain from drinking or partaking in other substances during her visitation time and asked that she complete sobriety testing “before, during and after” her visitation, according to court documents. The judge denied those sobriety testing requests until a further hearing for the order on Oct. 16.

Patrick Baghdaserians, an attorney for Martinez, told The Times last week the welfare and safety of Berry and Martinez’s child remains paramount.

Nimesh Patel’s stock in comedy has been on an upswing lately. From sold-out shows to a skyrocketing social media following and the release of his first Netflix special, “Buy the Dip,” last month, it’s been amazing the difference a year makes. The new hour filmed in Washington, D.C., delivers surgically precise, dryly delivered jokes and personal stories about America falling apart from the heart of our nation’s capital.

Despite the dire circumstances, it’s in our country’s DNA to believe in the power of the rebound. So does Patel, who’s seen one play out with his own career after taking an unexpected hit. Last fall, the comedian faced public backlash for his decision to accept — and then reject — a spot on the controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival, for which he’d been offered $125,000 to perform along with major names like Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Sebastian Maniscalco, Whitney Cummings and many more. The rollout of a comedy festival in Saudi Arabia, a nation whose government has been accused of human rights abuses and, according to U.S. intelligence, the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at its consulate in Turkey, lead to a war of words on the internet aimed at the comedians on the lineup. Hearing the scrutiny loud and clear and ultimately deciding the money wasn’t worth it, Patel decided to pull out and tell the world via Instagram that he wasn’t going, opting instead (and somewhat grudgingly) to make up for the lost bag with 40 extra shows added to his nationwide theater tour. The response to his video announcement drew even more ire from comedy fans. Looking back on it now, he admits his delivery at the time, looking tired and somewhat annoyed by his own decision, wasn’t the greatest.

“People read that as sarcasm and like woe is me,” Patel said in a recent conversation with The Times over Zoom. “I can see why they thought that I was a poor actor in the video that I posted. But everyone acts better than the person they see on the screen until it becomes their life and then they’re like, ‘Oh s—, yeah, I probably would have done the same thing.’ So, f— them!”

Despite the roasting he received, Patel stuck to his word and did the shows. Stepping on stage night after night to earn the money he had planned on making last year from one canceled gig in Saudi Arabia gave him the reps he says he needed to perfect the new hour of material. The title “Buy the Dip” is a nod to the remnants of his former career in finance — it’s stock market terminology about buying a failing asset with the hope that it will go up in value again. But it also describes the optimism from which he now makes his decisions as a parent and as someone who still believes that things can get better, even at their lowest.

“I have to be an optimist, I have to believe the world is getting better, because otherwise, what the f— did I do by having a kid?” he said.

In his Netflix debut special, “Buy the Dip,” comedian Nimesh Patel turns personal setbacks and a troubled America into sharply observed jokes grounded in unexpected optimism.

(Courtesy of Netflix)

His belief in positivity followed him to D.C. to record the special, the town where he says he got his first big breaks as a comedian opening for major acts like Maz Jobrani at the Warner Theatre, headlining the Bier Baron and the DC Improv and even the Kennedy Center — “or the now-defunct Trump whatever you’re supposed to call it,” he joked. When it comes to his comedy trajectory, taking the long view is essential to realizing that Patel’s path to this special started over a decade ago when Chris Rock discovered him while on stage in Brooklyn and helped him get writing gigs on “Saturday Night Live” and the 2016 Oscars ceremony, two opportunities that solidified his resolve to go into comedy full-time after he lost his job in finance.

As an Indian American comedian, he knows there is a spotlight of cultural representation on him, which he notes in the special and even makes fun of. That kind of attention isn’t on just him but also on Indian Americans in even higher-profile jobs, such as, say, the first Indian American director of the FBI, the chronically embattled Kash Patel.

“Let me be clear, it’s really difficult to both be proud of Kash and despise him at the same time,” Patel says. On the one hand, there’s the astonishing feat of going from being one of the few Indian kids in Virginia amid post-9/11 racism to becoming head of the nation’s domestic intelligence agency. On the other there’s a career riddled with gaffes and allegedly immoral conduct that makes him an easy punching bag for the writers at “SNL” with the help of his late-night TV doppelganger Aziz Ansari.

“For him to go from that to then be serving the country at this level, that is an incredible achievement, and it’s just so sad that that is who our representative is at the moment,” Patel said. “Just like when an Uber driver says to me, ‘Your last name is Patel? Like Kash?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, just like that, but not like that at all, you know?’”

Patel revisits the backlash he faced after accepting, then withdrawing from, Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Comedy Festival, and how dozens of extra tour dates helped shape his new material.

(Courtesy of Netflix)

While trying to distance himself from one person who shares his family name, when it comes to his actual family, Patel has plenty of jokes of being too close to them. Like many millennials, he’s squeezed tight between caring for aging parents and raising a child. At 40, he says in the special that people in his age bracket have become the “Sandwich Generation.” Though, to be fair to his toddler, keeping track of his parents is a much harder task at times.

“They won’t take help. They’re very independent, and I imagine I was the same way when I was growing up,” Patel said. “So it’s that in itself is just like the Progressive commercial that we’re all becoming our parents, but in real life and not driven by a corporate marketing team. It’s just funny to see that play out.”

Whether the obstacles he faces in life are laugh-out-loud funny or career hurdles that threaten to topple him into the abyss, the idea that he can always bounce back is the key to staying unfazed during the highs and the lows of life. And to the extent that anyone can take a lesson from Patel in the art of staying even-keeled, he hopes the special will make people feel a little less bad about the country being on the brink of destruction.

“Everyone knows that we’re not in a good spot right now,” he said. “The dip is here now. I fully believe that we can recover, I hope that we can. It’s going to be a lot of pain. I don’t know if we’re at the bottom just yet, but I’m optimistic, and I have to be. Otherwise, I don’t know what I’m doing.”

As viewers tuned into tonight’s episode of The Celebrity Traitors, the Mirror takes a look at some of the strong ties that bind this year’s batch of stars, which could take them all the way to the end

The Celebrity Traitors is well underway and it’s already brimming with wild twists and turns – including a self-confessing traitor and a weird adversion to physical touch.

We’re only two episodes in, but fans will have already spotted that a number of stars seem chummy even before getting themselves settled in the iconic Scottish Highlands castle.

Friendliness isn’t always a superpower on the show – the sneakiest often prevail once it really gets going – but loyalty can go a long, long way.

As we’ve seen in previous seasons (Hello Rachel Duffy and Stephen Libby), forging an alliance can make all the difference when all eyes are on you at the Round Table. And it sometimes takes just one strong ally to sway the opinion of the group.

Here, the Mirror takes a look at some of the strongest bonds in Celebrity Traitors this year, and how they might shake things up…

Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan

Starting off with possibly the best-known connection in the show, comedians Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan already feel like a package deal, with their friendship dating back to their early days on the 2010 comedy circuit.

Rob first learned of Romesh’s comedic talents through a friend and headed out to see his set at his dad’s pub. His initial feeling was that of annoyance, having “wanted to be the only good one at comedy”. But this irritation quickly blossomed into a friendship that would see them right to the top of their profession.

Both feeling like “outsiders” in a middle-class industry, Rob and Romesh secured a solid bond before hitting the big time. Reminiscing in a 2021 address to the Royal Television Society, Rob, now 40, shared: “Coming up through comedy and telly, which is quite a middle-class world, we bonded because we both felt we didn’t belong. We really did get on…Having a mate that you can share the madness with was great.”

Having built impressive careers independently, becoming familiar faces on the likes of A League of Their Own, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Mock the Week, and Taskmaster, it soon became clear that viewers loved the pair’s natural on-screen dynamic.

In 2019, Rob and Romesh were snapped up by Sky Television for Rob and Romesh Vs…, a series which sees the two funnymen plunged into unfamiliar territory together.

One episode saw the pals perform a country song in Nashville after meeting Shania Twain, while another followed them as they performed Hollywood-style stunts for Hollyoaks.

Summing up their relationship as the Traitors’ games began, Rob quipped: “I know Rob very, very well. I mean, I’ve sat next to him as he’s had a colonic.”

It’s clear nothing much fazes the duo, who are able to adapt to pretty much any situation imaginable – from dancing in Swan Lake to training with the NFL. Will their bond and shared chameleon abilities prove to be one of this season’s greatest weapons? We’ll have to wait and see.

Richard E. Grant and Jerry Hall

Another friendship that has also come under the spotlight is that of Richard E. Grant and Jerry Hall. Neighbours over in swanky Richmond and friends for 30 years, Richard was a guest at Jerry’s 2016 wedding to media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, whom she divorced in 2022.

Jerry has spoken fondly of the fun she shared with the Withnail & I thespian on the set of the 2004 kids’ fantasy film, Tooth, which delves into the lives of tooth fairies living in ‘Fairytopia’.

Describing the critically reviled movie as “ridiculous” ahead of their Traitors reunion, Jerry chuckled: “We had such a laugh, and I went on holiday with him earlier this year, just after Christmas, to Africa with some friends. And we danced all night. We had so much fun! Little did we know back then that we’d both be here!”

Richard, 69, had viewers’ jaws firmly on their living room floors after proudly outing himself as a traitor in the very first episode, followed by plenty of backtracking. While many faithfuls were less than convinced by the Academy Award winner’s subsequent performance, supermodel Jerry stood firmly by her pal.

Jerry, 70, insisted: “I just don’t believe Richard’s a Traitor. I know Richard, I’ve known him 30 years and he’s my neighbour. He says and does eccentric things. He’s an amazing guy, but I think he’s acting out because he’s not been chosen.”

While en route to their shipwreck challenge, Jerry was quick to agree with Industry actress Myha’la, who said, “I really, really genuinely do not think he’s a traitor,” declaring, “I don’t either.”

This show of loyalty may prove very useful to Richard when it comes to quashing some very understandable doubts over his faithfulness.

Of course, fans of a more cynical bent could also argue that Richard and Jerry could have discussed tactics beforehand in one of their neighbourly chats, and that a long game could well be afoot to see them both splitting the prize…

Bella Ramsey and Sebastian Croft

Having braved the tangled feudal webs of Westeros together, Bella Ramsey and Sebastian Croft will likely feel prepared for the cloak-and-dagger world of the Traitor’s Castle. And their established friendship could prove to be a powerful alliance.

Bella, now 23, was just 11 years old when they astonished Game of Thrones fans with their portrayal of the pint-sized yet formidable head of House Mormont, Lyanna Mormont.

Sebastatian, known as ‘Bash’ to pals, made his Thrones debut in 2016 – the same year as Bella – giving a brief but memorable performance as a young Ned Stark.

While the pair never got to share a scene, Sebastian, 24, could barely contain his excitement as he pictured the two of them plotting together. The star, who is known to be a huge Traitors buff, enthused: “I love Bella! Imagine us in the turret together. That would be the dream.”

Being well-used to sticky endings in their former shared set, you can guarantee that these two won’t be too horrified by increasingly frequent dispatches of their castlemates. But they also know that sometimes it’s the ones you care for the most who can leave you with a Valyrian steel sword in the back.

In a private castle exchange in episode two, Bella admitted, “I go back and forth on you, Bash”, making their suspicions clear. Bash was quick to refute this, signalling their closeness as he argued, “I genuinely think you’d know if I was.” Bella considered this and noted that they thought Sebastian would know too, if it were the other way around.

Both actors pledged to have each other’s backs, but it was evident that neither one of them left the conversation feeling 100 per cent at ease. During a piece to camera segment, Bella shared: “I know Sebastian, who I know as Bash. We met quite a few years ago, I think at an awards thing we were both at. I mostly trust Bash, but there’s something just a little bit unsettling that I just have to keep in the back of my [mind].” They added, “I can’t trust everybody. This is a game. Nothing is personal”

Sebastian, too, is erring on the side of caution, telling the camera: “I love Bella, and I’ve tried to make myself as little of a threat to them, but as much of an asset, because Bella is a formidable player. That’s someone I’m definitely keeping an eye on.”

Joe Lycett and James Acaster

Joe Lycett and James Acaster are also good pals, with their friendship dating back to their days on the pub circuit nearly 20 years ago. The comedic pair, who have appeared on numerous panel shows together, have a running joke about people frequently getting them mixed up.

Back in 2021, Joe, 38, cheekily riffed on this by putting James’ face on posters for his tour, causing some confusion amongst comedy fans. Clarifying that this wasn’t an awkward error on the part of the printers, Joe issued the following statement via X: “I would like to publicly apologise to Mr Acaster and his team for this.

“The posters were an experiment to see if my face was a deterrent to the British public and if his face would sell more tickets for my show.”

He proceeded to jest: “It is with great disappointment that I have discovered sales have shot up. Mr Acaster’s legal team contacted my representatives, and after talks we have agreed on an out-of-court settlement.”

Will the similarities between the duo prove to be a help or a hindrance this season? We shall certainly see.

Maya Jama and… half the castle

A natural leader, fans were no doubt thrilled to see Maya Jama don that infamous green cloak and make it look like a fashion moment. And it’s likely the presenter’s natural people skills will prove to be a real asset here.

Maya, 32, has crossed paths with a number of fellow Traitors celebs in the course of her work. In 2020, she competed against James Acaster on The Big Fat Quiz of the Year.

Memorably, James dislodged a safety partition screen in an humorously chaotic attempt to stop Maya’s team from seeing his written answer. It’s likely she won’t have forgotten the comedian’s competitive streak.

In March 2021, Maya appeared on Romesh’s podcast Hip Hop Saved My Life, where she discussed developing her early love of hip hop through her mum’s Eminem CDs. She also offered Romesh some tips on his makeup techniques.

Then, in February 2024, Maya was seated in the front row at Italy’s Milan Fashion Week, right next to Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock. More recently, Maya co-presented the Artist of the Year award at the BRIT Awards 2026 with none other than You’re Beautiful singer, James Blunt.

While there will be few unfamiliar faces here for Maya, she has played down any significant connections, asserting: “I’ve met a few people in the cast, but nobody really knows me, so we’re all starting from scratch.”

Nevertheless, these various brushes over the years will surely come in useful when it comes to keeping a careful eye out at the round table.

The Celebrity Traitors returns tonight at 8 pm on BBC One.

Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com.

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SYDNEY Sweeney has discovered she is related to fellow blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe.  

The Housemaid and Euphoria actress’s family tree reveals she is a ninth cousin once removed of the ­Hollywood icon. 

Researchers found the stars’ fathers were both descendants of a Massachusetts settler called Ezra Perry who died in 1689. 

Sydney, 29 — who starred in a controversial advert for American Eagle with the tagline Sydney Sweeney has great jeans — has often been compared to Marilyn, born Norma Jeane Mortenson. 

She had huge hits with movies such as Some Like It Hot, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and The Seven Year Itch.

Marilyn died aged 36 in 1962. 

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The research was carried out by MyHeritage.

Spokesman Roi Mandel said: “People have always drawn parallels between Sydney and Marilyn Monroe.

“Uncovering their shared branch was incredible.” 

The startling discovery is bound to excite Sydney, who has worn several outfits similar to ones sported by Marilyn. 

In February she wore a vintage dress inspired by the late Hollywood icon to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. 

The slinky Ceil Chapman design was startlingly similar to one which Marilyn wore on the cover of Life magazine in 1952. 

Spotify on Thursday said it renewed its deal with Joe Rogan, who leads the audio company’s most popular podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience.”

Rogan’s podcast, which has 18 million followers on Spotify, has been the company’s top podcast since 2020. The terms of the multiyear licensing deal were not disclosed. The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, reported the deal had an estimated earn out of $250 million.

“The partnership with Spotify has been an amazing fit, and they’re incredible to work with,” Rogan said in a statement. “I’m extremely happy and excited to continue with them for years to come.”

Rogan first entered into an exclusive multiyear podcast deal with Spotify in 2020 in a deal said to be worth $100 million. The partnership was key to driving podcast audiences to Spotify, which at the time was mostly known for as a streaming music service.

In 2024, the company extended its partnership for “The Joe Rogan Experience” to be distributed on other platforms, which has continued in its current deal. Rogan’s show was ranked as the top podcast last year on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Podcasts.

“Joe has built something incredibly enduring, and his show continues to resonate with a massive global audience because there’s simply nothing else like it,” said Jordan Newman, head of content partnerships at Spotify in a statement.

“The Joe Rogan Experience” has run into controversy, spurring a Spotify boycott in 2022 led by Neil Young over concerns that Rogan and his guests were spreading misinformation related to the COVID-19 vaccine. Rogan also received criticism over how he used the N-word on past episodes of his show, which he later apologized for.

After the backlash, Spotify posted its content moderation rules and said it would add content advisory labels on COVID-related podcasts. Rogan also said he would do a better job of balancing different perspectives.

Young later returned to Spotify in 2024.

OLIVIA Bowen has revealed her four-year-old son came within millimetres of losing his eye after a freak accident at nursery.

An ambulance was called to rush little Abel to hospital after he impaled his eye with a stick while playing outside last year as part of forest school.

Olivia, 32, described the phone call informing her as the “scariest” of her life and she immediately made her way to the school to be by her son’s side.

Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Olivia said: “It was probably his first big accident, and when we got there, he just had a patch over his eye, there was blood everywhere.

“We didn’t know whether it had gone right into his eye and touched his eyeball, if it had missed it, if it was stuck, we had no clue, because he wouldn’t let us open it.”

Abel needed surgery to fix the wound, which included a sliced tearduct, and had a stent fitted to help with drainage during recovery.

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Love Island runner-up Olivia, who is also mum to Siena, one, said it was a “pure miracle” that Abel could still see and a follow-up eye test found he had 20-20 vision.

“I’ve never really thought about how important eyesight is, it’s something we take for granted every single day, especially with the kids, starting school, learning to read, it’s something I’ve never particularly thought about until that moment,” said Olivia.

The terrifying ordeal was the motivation for the mum-of-two to back a new campaign with The College of Optometrists that encourages parents to take their young children for free eye tests before they start school.

New research has found that just five percent of under-fives had an eye test last year.

Now, in a new drive to diagnose conditions early and achieve the best possible outcomes, The College wants parents to book appointments for their little ones.

In the UK all children under 16 are entitled to free eye tests, and this rises up to 19 for those still in full-time education.

And the research shows under-16s fare better than the preschoolers, with close to half having tested their eyes in 2025.

“The opticians, they’re just so kind,” said Olivia. “This is their job, this is what they do, and they want us to be going, because catching things in kids’ eye health early is so important, especially at that stage, before they start school.

“It’s daunting enough starting school, imagine if your child has got an issue with their eyesight? It’s going to make it even harder, so catching it at that point is probably the biggest piece of advice that they want to get through to everyone, and then follow up appointments, every one to two years.”

Welcome Faithfuls, come on in Traitors, and a special hello to anyone who claims to be both (Richard E Grant, we see you there in your Burberry scarf).

Celebrity Traitors is back on screens tonight for episode 3 and we dive straight back into the first banishment with the Faithfuls hoping they’ve caught a Traitor.

But it’s a battle between people taking Richard E ‘I’m a Traitor’ Grant at his word and the others that think he’s a Faithful on a wind-up, which is proving an increasingly tricky position to take.

Will he survive? Can’t see how, but this is Celebrity Traitors and Alan Carr, who couldn’t even say “I am a Faithful” without cracking up, won it! Anything could happen.

BECKY Hill has taken a swipe at The Voice bosses as she opened up about how she has missed out on becoming a coach on the show.

The Loose Control singer, 32, shot to fame on the first series of the ITV show back in 2012 when she was 18-years-old.

The current series of The Voice is airing on our screens, with coaches Sir Tom Jones, will.i.am, Kelly Rowland, Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones.

Capital FM host Jimmy Hill was interested to know if Becky would ever return to the singing programme after it was revealed Sir Tom was axed last month.

Jimmy asked her: “Would you ever go on The Voice as a coach?”

Becky replied: “I don’t think the show would have me on.”

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She continued: “Because I had an interview with them a few years ago because they were having a fifth chair.

“And in the interview I said well I’m the only success story from The Voice and there is a reason for that because you have talented people on your show.

“You make a TV show out of them, and then you don’t help them out afterwards.

“I remember being 18 and having to knock on so many doors when I was that age, but there were so many people on that show in my year, that were contestants that didn’t have that experience, kind of came off the show feeling like they had a normal job.

“They were then shoved on TV in front of 12 million people and then they were just spat back out.

“And I would wonder whether me saying to The Voice I would like to help artists. I don’t just want to be employed to be like ‘When it was me, I know how you feel’.

“Because I know that that’s what they’re going to try and get me to do.

“I would love to help people out and make people into, introduce them to people.

“Never got a callback. So I don’t think it’s a case of ‘Would you do The Voice?’

“I think it’s a question of would The Voice do me?”

When Becky appeared on The Voice in 2012 the show aired on BBC One and was presented by Holly Willoughby and Reggie Yates.

The coaches were will.i.am, Sir Tom Jones, Jessie J and Danny O’Donoghue.

The series was won by Leanne Mitchell.

The Voice has now aired 14 series since then and it recently hit headlines after it was revealed that Sir Tom Jones was axed.

A source told us at the time “ITV absolutely love Sir Tom and they’re working very hard behind the scenes to make this work.”

The Sun previously revealed rapper Aitch was to replace McFly duo Danny Jones and Tom Fletcher, who are leaving the show.

Former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl is also set to make her primetime TV comeback as a coach, while rapper will.i.am is returning with Kelly Rowland.

A source said: “Everyone loves Sir Tom but there was a feeling that the upcoming series needed a major refresh.

“With Aitch and Cheryl coming on board and Kelly returning with will.i.am, there just wasn’t a seat going.”

Becky is best known for songs such as Remember, Crazy What Love Can Do, Gecko (Overdrive) and Wish You Well.

Rachelle Goulding, Jacob Batalon and Georgia Waters in “Reginald the Vampire.”

(James Dittiger / Syfy)

Based on Johnny B. Truant’s “Fat Vampire” book series, this Syfy series brings to light the (some would say preposterous) idea that a vampire could look like an average human. Created by “Twin Peaks” veteran Harley Peyton, it also hits on an important, body-affirming message: Reginald, who was played by Jacob Batalon, wasn’t super strong or super fast. But he was super smart.

Josh Hartnett and Charlie Heaton know how to brood.

The actors both found fame in their early 20s playing characters prone to pining and sulking: Hartnett became a heartthrob in the late ’90s and early 2000s with mellow roles in films including “The Virgin Suicides,” “Pearl Harbor” and “Black Hawk Down.” Heaton, meanwhile, spent most of the last decade embodying the introverted Jonathan Byers on “Stranger Things.”

But now, the duo are wearing their hearts on their sleeves in “Below,” a six-episode Netflix miniseries now streaming, in which they play a father and son living in a misty Newfoundland fishing village that is increasingly terrorized by something mysterious in the iceberg-filled waters.

As Calvin and Wade Penney in “Below,” the actors are passionate and emotional. They get into animated family arguments and gleefully celebrate when things (occasionally) go their way.

“It’s all on the page,” Hartnett said. “All I had to do was show up and feel those things toward Charlie.”

Filmed on location in Newfoundland, Canada, “Below” is the latest unexpected project for Hartnett, 48, who has been cultivating a career renaissance in recent years with roles in “Black Mirror,” “Oppenheimer,” “Trap” and this month’s “Verity.”

Charlie Heaton as Wade, left, and Josh Hartnett as Calvin in Netflix’s “Below.”

(Netflix)

Heaton, 32, has likewise been diversifying his post- “Stranger Things” portfolio. He played an ill-fated financial journalist in the fourth season of “Industry” and will next star in a “Peaky Blinders” sequel series.

“I like trying to surprise people, and maybe surprise myself too,” Heaton said.

When they convened for a joint video interview in late September, Heaton had recently returned to his London home from a music video shoot. Hartnett had just finished putting his four children (with wife, the actor Tamsin Egerton) to bed at their countryside home in Hampshire, England. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

What attracted you both to this project?

Hartnett: I was in “Black Mirror” a couple of years ago, and Jessica Rhoades, who produced “Black Mirror,” sent me the [“Below”] script probably about two months before production was supposed to start. I loved the script but I had some questions, so I had to speak to [creator] Jesse [McKeown] and a couple of the other EPs, just to get the lay of the land. After that conversation, I was like, this sounds really fresh and nuanced and organic.

Heaton: It seemed to have so much warmth and mystery. I do remember having a conversation with my agent because, obviously, I’d come off “Stranger Things,” and there was a little concern of, “Is it too similar?” But Wade is such a fun character. I’m from a working-class fishing town [Bridlington, England]. He’s also working class. Everyone knows somebody like Wade.

Hartnett: Willow Kean, who plays my sister, his aunt, saw Charlie on set when he first arrived. He was in his outfit and smoking a cigarette, and she was like, “I think somebody’s on set who shouldn’t be” — because he looked like a local. He fully embodied the mood of this character immediately.

How did the two of you meet? Had you crossed paths in the industry before?

Hartnett: We hadn’t. We met on Zoom. We did a bunch of stuff with the full cast, and it was more to learn the accent than anything else. Once we started to get into the accent work together, just shooting the s— online, it was great.

Heaton: We wanted the family to all sound like they were from the same place. But the accent is so hard to hear in the beginning. So, we were all getting it wrong together.

Heaton and Hartnett hadn’t crossed paths before being cast in “Below,” but they created a rapport by trying to learn the show’s Newfoundland accent together.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

What was the biggest obstacle with the Newfoundland accent?

Heaton: I’ve done a fair amount of accents, but it’s hard to understand the rules of this one. It’s like, well, that word’s Irish, that word’s kind of American. It took me a while to be able to hear it. We had Ali [Alison Kelly], who was our voice coach, and a lot of the extras that we had on set also were local artists, so you could really lean on them.

Hartnett: Everybody was so welcoming. The most difficult part for me was hearing the rhythm of it. So, I listened to this thing called “The Broadcast,” which used to be called “The Fisheries Broadcast.” It’s a radio show that’s been on since 1951. Every day they’re talking to someone about something that’s happening on the island, so you’re getting all these different versions of the accent, but you’re also getting an overall perspective of how people speak in Newfoundland. It was really revealing.

How familiar were you with Newfoundland before doing “Below”?

Hartnett: I knew very little. I knew the “Come From Away” story about all the people stranded in Gander after 9/11. I knew that it was where Leif Erikson landed a long time ago. I knew that it was the closest place in North America to Europe, so when people would do transatlantic flights up until relatively recently, they would stop in Newfoundland. I knew there were puffins.

Heaton: I’m going to be very honest. I hadn’t even ever heard of it. But I learned a lot. We were there for a long time, and Newfoundlanders are extremely proud of their history and their culture, and they love talking.

What was it like shooting on location and out in nature?

Heaton: It was powerful and beautiful. Where we shot, Snook’s Arm, was this bay called Brigus South. You’d come down in the morning, and just that sheer amount of nature every day I found really moving.

Hartnett: One of the first days we were there, they took me out on a whale-watching tour. I was like, “Oh, cool. That sounds touristy but fun.” It was a spiritual experience. I’ve never been anywhere where I felt so small and insignificant next to another animal. These humpback whales, they’re right underneath these tiny little boats, and if they wanted to, they could just flick their tail, and you’d be off in the sea. I had never experienced nature in the sea the way that I experienced it there.

You play father and son, but you’re not that far apart in age.

Hartnett: Fifteen-and-a-half years! I did the math.

Heaton and Hartnett play father and son in “Below,” but in reality they’re just shy of 16 years apart. (Netflix)

How did you develop your onscreen dynamic?

Hartnett: Charlie was so in character as Wade, it was very easy to feel a real sense of protectiveness and an incredible amount of love.

Heaton: What I really admired about working with Josh [is] he is such a leader. You really care, and you’re so generous with everyone, and I got to see your family, and I got to see how you are as a dad. So, those projections weren’t that difficult to come up with in my head, honestly. It’s cool that I get to be your son.

Hartnett: So sweet, man. Thank you.

Charlie, do you remember any of Josh’s past work that stood out to you?

Hartnett: [Pretends to cover his camera] I’m just going to turn this off.

Heaton: One of my favorite films for a while was “Lucky Number Slevin.” When I was younger, I used to watch that quite a lot. I might rewatch that, Josh. It’s been a while.

Hartnett: Well, tell me if it holds up.

Josh, were you familiar with Charlie’s work?

Hartnett: I was a big fan of “Stranger Things,” and I saw “Industry.” Then, when he came on the first Zoom as Wade and was so already intact as a character, I was like, “He’s a star, man. This guy’s a star.”

Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers in “Stranger Things.” Hartnett says he was a fan of his work.

(Netflix)

You both found fame in your early 20s, but at very different points in the industry. What are your memories of first realizing, “Oh, people know who I am offscreen and something has shifted?”

Heaton: I remember the exact moment. I was shooting a movie in a small town in Asturias in the north of Spain. “Stranger Things” had been out for only a couple of days. I was in this little town, and a family came up to me that could barely speak English, but they recognized me. Then, I walked down the street a little further and another kid came running up to me.

The show blew up overnight, and before you knew it, you’re going to the Emmys and the BAFTAs with all these people who you have admired. I think we all felt impostor syndrome. Like, what am I doing on a carpet where Bryan Cranston and Helen Mirren are? If I think back to it now, it’s very overwhelming. I don’t really know if I processed how that changed so fast and how you are expected to know how to deal with it.

Hartnett: It was a long time ago for me. There was no social media, obviously, but we did have a pretty intense paparazzi problem. So, the initial success of films like “The Faculty,” “Halloween: H20” and “The Virgin Suicides” was a nice level of, like, people knew who I was and I was able to get more work, but there wasn’t a crush of paparazzi waiting outside the hotel.

When “Pearl Harbor” came out, that changed. I was in Morocco shooting “Black Hawk Down,” and I had to come back to do press for “Pearl Harbor.” Suddenly, that’s when I couldn’t go anywhere. That was an odd thing to encounter because I was 22, and I was not ready for it. Right after I finished “Black Hawk Down,” I decided to get back to Minnesota, where I grew up … There’s no paparazzi in Minnesota. That’s where I stayed for about two years.

Heaton: Those seismic changes are such a strange thing to go through. I always felt like, I haven’t changed but everyone else around me has changed — and that’s a weird thing to get used to. But there are great opportunities and great things that come out of it.

Hartnett: One hundred percent. My life is so much better now than it probably would have been had all that not happened.

Josh, you’ve said that you felt celebrity culture was “vacuous” and that you didn’t want to do things like “Cribs” or “Punk’d.” Did you feel like you were being pushed to fit a certain mold as a teen heartthrob?

Hartnett: That stuff wasn’t for me. Being a young celebrity, you’re always going to be pushed toward the cusp of insanity, the stuff that people are going to look back on and cringe not too far into the future. I was lucky enough to avoid that side of it.

In our business, it’s about surviving your 20s to get to the place where you have the respect of the people on set that you’re working with, and they allow you the leeway to create characters the way that you want to create them.

Charlie, how are you approaching your post-“Stranger Things” career?

Heaton: After wrapping the final season, I wanted to do “Industry,” which felt extremely different to me. I got to use my own accent. It’s a much more adult show than I’ve ever been in. And playing a man was important. I’d been playing a perpetually 21-year-old for like 10 years. I keep getting older. [Jonathan] stays the same. He gets further away from me. But I just want to do things that hopefully allow me to show range.

Matt Baker and his family will be back on screens very soon and fans are thrilled about it

Countryfile star Matt Baker has shared some “big news” with his followers.

Matt Baker has thrilled his Instagram followers by sharing that he will be back on screens very soon with a brand new series. The Countryfile star confirmed he will be back next week with a new series called Our Farm In The Dales.

Alongside a picture of his family, Matt wrote, “Hi all, got some big news for all of you who enjoyed ‘Our Farm In The Dales’ (the series based on our family farm). We’re back with a new series, but with quite the twist. We’re calling it ‘Our Barn In The Dales’ as Nicola and I are converting the barn, stable, and granary at the end of the courtyard into a cottage…

“We’re deep in an epic adventure which will be spanned across 2 series, the first starting in a couple of weeks, is all the building and conversion stuff, and another series next year will be the interior bits and bobs. Hopefully full of all the things you loved in previous series with the animals, Mum Dad and of not forgetting his classic car – spoiler we finally finish it!”

He concluded the post, “A massive thanks to all our friends and new builder mates who are making our dream happen. See you in a couple weeks on More4 starting Tuesday 13 October 9pm!”

Matt’s followers were delighted by the announcement and took to the comment section to share their thoughts. One wrote, “We can’t wait for you to see it!”

“Ahhhh, great. We love seeing you all together,” another said while a third added, “That’s brilliant, I can’t wait to watch it. When will it be on TV?”

Someone else added, “Yay!!! Ah this is great news @mattbakerofficial. Lush family viewing. My son, in particular, loves you and wants to be a farmer. He’s in Butsfield YFC! You inspire him so much.”

“Great news! Looking forward to watching the new series,” one fan commented. This isn’t the only TV role Matt has announced recently, as he is returning to the BBC with his first solo series, Matt Baker: Life With Dogs.

The series, produced by his own company Big Circus Media, will explore the diverse roles dogs play in human lives – from working farm dogs to therapy dogs and assistance dogs for those with disabilities.

Matt told The Mirror: “Dogs have been a lifelong passion of mine, and I’m so excited to be making this series about the bond between humans and dogs. The show comes after the 48-year-old recently lost his beloved border collie Bob, leaving him heartbroken. He described Bob as “the ultimate companion through some of the greatest chapters of my life”.

The series will examine how dogs can be trained for medical detection, warning owners of oncoming seizures, as well as their roles in therapy and police work.

Our Barn in the Dales airs on October 13 on More4.

Celebrity Traitors star James Blunt made a major move at the Round Table in the latest episode of the BBC show, which left Hannah Fry and Jerry Hall vulnerable for murder

James Blunt has admitted to some serious skulduggery on Celebrity Traitors that only fan managed to rumble.

The You’re Beautiful crooner, 52, is among a slew of stars who have signed up for the second series of the BBC show, which kicked off this month.

Last week, James made a very subtle move at the Round Table, while his co-stars, Hannah Fry and Jerry Hall were vulnerable for murder to save the one he wanted to stay in the game.

After the rest of the Faithfuls received a shield to keep them safe, the singer claimed in front of the cast that he was suspicious of maths whizz, Hannah, while dramatically declaring that the ‘most obvious solution is often truest’.

Musing over the likelihood of one murder and a recruitment, James proposed the perfect plan would be to murder one threat to the Traitors – Amol Rajan – and recruit an even bigger threat – Hannah.

The nail-biting episode ended on a cliffhanger. However, James has now taken to Instagram admitting that mentioning Hannah was actually a ruse to stop her from being murdered as he needed her on side.

One eagled-eyed viewer posted: “I’d like to think it’s a tactic to keep her in the game. If her name is brought up the Traitors are less likely to murder her.”

Confirming that this was his game plan all along, James replied: “Bingo!”

We don’t know if Hannah, stays or not, however some fans reckon she must have survived another night on the show after James appeared to let the cat out of the bag online.

Fans are also wondering if thespian Richard E. Grant has been given the chop after the tense Round Table ended without any votes.

Richard was in journalist Amol’s bad books after being the first murder of the actor last week.

Speaking on Radio 4 today, Amol said that Richard, 69, apologised to him and admitted that he went “completely mad” filming the BBC show.

“Absolutely [I played it all wrong],” he said. “There is generally a tactic that is applicable and effective – you’ve got to try and stay schtum. And the one or two things I might say in my defence are: you know how these things work—it’s all in the edit.

“Also, lots of people were having a go at Richard, we all had a go at him because he said he was a traitor, which has never happened before and is a completely ludicrous thing to do.”

Revealing the pair had lunch together to clear the air, Amol concluded: “So it wasn’t just me doing it. I actually had a lunch with him (it was all filmed in Spring) a few weeks ago, and I did ask him and he said, ‘I’m so sorry, I went completely mad and thought you were a threat.'”

SURELY, he can’t survive?

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Johanne has addressed Big Brother viewers for the first time since leaving the iconic house

A controversial Big Brother star has been flooded with support following their eviction.

Last week (October 2), Johanne Cade was the third Big Brother housemate to be evicted from the show after going head-to-head with Rochelle in the public vote. The pair had continued to clash and butt heads since the start of the show last month, with explosive rows often breaking out.

Viewers would take sides on who they believed was in the wrong at the time, with many complaints pouring in to Ofcom. Johanne herself was issued a formal warning from Big Brother after a particularly explosive row with Rochelle, in which Big Brother deemed her “tone and body language as unacceptable”.

But the star remains a talking point, as some viewers say she should return to the iconic house and that she should not have left in the first place. But despite her exit, the chaos and drama persist as tensions rise.

Nowadays, after leaving the show, Johanne has spoken out about her time in the iconic house as she is seen fighting back her tears in an emotional social media clip.

Taking to TikTok, Johanne shared a video captioned: “Still taking it all in. Thank you for loving me, laughing with me, and embracing every bit of JOHANNE.

“The love you’ve shown me means more than you know. Thank you for seeing me. P.S. This is my ONLY official page. Please report any fakes.”

In the clip, the star became emotional as she said: “I don’t want to cry, so I actually wrote this down so I can just say it in one take. To every single person who watched me, supported me, defended me, laughed with me, shouted at the TV because of me, voted for me and allowed me to be unapologetically Johanne, thank you.”

Fighting back tears, she added: “Walking into the Big Brother house was one of the craziest most incredible experiences of my life. I went in there determined to be myself. Loud, opinionated, emotional, glamourous, messy, funny and completely imperfect and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Speaking about the “overwhelming support” after the show, Johanne then broke down in tears as she said: “It has meant more to me than you guys will ever know.

“I may have left the Big Brother house, but trust me, I am just getting started. There is so much more to come.” The Big Brother star then fought back tears as she admitted she “would not change a thing” and thanked her supporters once more.

The support came pouring in as one person wrote: “Girl, we need you to get a (good) agent so you can stay on our screen!” Another said: “YOU WERE SOOOOO FUNNY. That house is boring now.”

A third commented: “You are the peoples winner”, as a fourth added: “You are the greatest housemate in 20 years and you deserve the world.”

A fifth replied: “OMGGGG IS IT REALLY YOUUUU JOHANNE I WANTED YOU TO WIN IVE BOYCOTTED BIG BROTHER I STOPPED WATCHING IT NOW YOURE GONE I ONLY STARTED BECAUSE OF YOU, I saw your Aries tattoo so if you are than girl slaaaàaaaaayyy wanna see more of you but girl I love you so much.”

Over on Instagram, Johanne received support from famous faces including Alison Hammond and former Big Brother star Kerry Riches.

Big Brother continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX

Away from the TV sets and shows, Stephen Mulhern’s had his fair share of drama and heartbreak over the years

He’s one of the country’s beloved presenters, but Stephen Mulhern has faced his fair share of drama and heartbreak in real life.

The TV star and magician has become a staple on screens since shooting to fame. His big break came at 20, when he appeared on The Big Big Talent Show, hosted by Jonathan Ross in the late 90s.

Since then, he has remained booked and busy: from hosting Dancing on Ice and the reboot of Deal or No Deal, to performing magic shows up and down the country.

Away from the TV sets and stages, though, what do we know about Stephen’s life? Who is his famous ex-partner? What was the ‘worrying’ illness he had to endure? Here’s everything we know about Stephen Mulhern.

Stephen’s shock suspension

Before becoming a national treasure, Stephen Mulhern started out as a keen magician and was the youngest member of the Magic Circle. The iconic magic organisation broke with tradition and allowed a 17-year-old Stephen at the time into their ranks

However, Stephen ended up getting suspended from the organisation after he broke one of their rules – never reveal your tricks. The presenter taught viewers a card trick on the TV show ‘Finger Tips.’ His membership was later reinstated.

“The trick was to put a box on your head and turn this ratchet so it looks like your head is spinning, so I did it on Fearne, and then showed them how to make it,” he told Heat Magazine in 2015.

Stephen added, “Well, the Magic Circle deemed it too good to reveal, so they suspended me.”

Stephen’s father’s death

Stephen was left devastated in November 2024 when his father, Christopher, died at the age of 76. Stephen developed an interest in comedy and magic from his father, who taught him tricks as a child.

“Magic was my dad’s hobby — and he was great at it,” he told The Sun in 2025 before adding: “Rather than a bedtime story, he would do a magic trick. He’d make a handkerchief vanish and appear under the pillow.”

And during an appearance on his ITV show, The Accidental Tourist in 2025, Stephen opened up about his father. Before setting off on his adventure, Stephen confided in the cameras: “If I were to tell my dad this, my dad passed away at the start of the year.”

Overcome with emotion, he had to pause the interview, apologising with a simple: “Sorry.” He then added, “[My dad] wouldn’t believe it. I hope he would be proud.”

Stephen’s health crisis

In November 2024, just weeks after his dad’s death, Stephen found himself in a health scare after reportedly collapsing at a Pizza Express and was subsequently rushed to the hospital.

Stephen was suspected of having had an adverse reaction to medication, which was exacerbated after consuming alcohol with his meal. He had also undergone a procedure earlier that day, which required anesthesia.

A source told The Mirror at the time: “Stephen has had an incredibly tough time over the past few weeks. His beloved father recently passed away, which has hit him hard and has been understandably very stressful.

“In addition, he had a procedure which took place yesterday (Wednesday). Following the anaesthetic that was administered, he had a few drinks, which made him unwell, and he was taken to the hospital as a precaution. He is now back home recovering.”

Furthermore, a similar medical emergency in March 2022 saw him hospitalised again and needing several weeks to recover under ‘doctor’s orders’. This sparked concern among fans who noticed his absence from episodes of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

After missing three consecutive weeks of TV, Stephen took to X, previously known as Twitter, to provide an update to his followers: “Hello all, Sorry I’ve been quiet on here recently, and thank you for all your lovely messages. I’ve had some time off and been resting up on doctor’s orders.”

Stephen’s famous ex

Stephen previously dated EastEnders star Emma Barton, who plays Honey Mitchell. The pair reportedly met during a 2008 pantomime production of Snow White, where Barton starred as the titular character and Mulhern played Muddles.

Despite keeping their romance under wraps, they parted ways amicably in 2011. Stephen also spoke about the relationship reaching a “natural end” in a candid chat with Celebs Now back in 2018.

He shared, “Last time I went on a date was about four years ago. That makes me sound really sad! I need a life. I need to stop working so much.”

Meanwhile, in 2024, Stephen was romantically linked to This Morning’s Josie Gibson after they were seen hand in hand outside a studio during the finale taping of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

The duo, Stephen and Josie, appeared rather close, igniting rumours of a secret romance. However, Josie addressed the rumours and told OK! Magazine that she and Stephen are nothing more than “best friends”.

Deal or No Deal airs Monday to Friday at 4pm on ITV1.

VOGUE Williams has clapped back at people mum-shaming her after she was accused of ‘breaking maternity laws’.

The Irish presenter welcomed her son Remy Valentine last month and has since returned to some of her work commitments, including co-hosting both of her podcasts.

Chatting with comedian and Celebrity Traitors star Joanne McNally on this week’s episode of My Therapist Ghosted Me, Vogue‘s little one made an appearance.

Joanne said: “There’s the baby. Look at the baby. Forgot about him.”

Vogue then revealed that a fan accused her of breaking a maternity law by being out with her baby so soon, and clapped back at them with a healthy dose of sarcasm.

The star said: “Someone left a comment on my and Amber’s pod and they were like “a mother should not be out with their baby at all from a month old” blah blah blah. Like going on this rant about there’s a maternity law.

past love

Vogue Williams reveals her ’embarrassment’ over divorce from ex Brian McFadden

Bouncing back

Vogue Williams flashes her rock-hard abs THREE weeks after giving birth

“I was like, there’s no maternity law! And then I was like, hang on a second, I’m quite clearly in my bedroom with the baby as well.

“Anyway, I told her I agreed with her and that women should stay at home for at least one to two years with the baby after giving birth.

“She deleted the comment.”

The clap back comes shortly after Vogue flaunted her unbelievable body three weeks after birth.

Vogue has somehow already gained back the definition in her abs, which she flashed on Instagram while showing off a new clothing collection.

Remy came into the world on September 6, which Vogue announced in a post online.

Taking to Instagram, Vogue captured her baby son dressed in a blue cardigan as he slept soundly in his cot.

She also included pictures of her three older children with Spencer, Theodore, seven, Gigi, five, and Otto, three, as they surrounded their baby brother.

She captioned the post: “Remy Valentine Matthews.”

Confirming Remy’s arrival earlier that week, she wrote: “Our beautiful baby boy has arrived safely… The house is bursting with excitement, love and happiness and we couldn’t be more delighted.”

ALISON Hammond has hit out at critics of her 22-year age gap with her Russian boyfriend, saying it’s insulting to give her a “wildlife classification” by calling her a “cougar”.

The This Morning host, 51, has been dating massage therapist David Putman, 29, for three years and insists they are happy together because they “make each other laugh.”

However, she said she faces more criticism as a “cougar” – a slang term for a woman dating a younger man – than older men who date younger women.

Asked about whether she found the term offensive, she said: “It depends who’s saying it and how they’re saying it.

“Sometimes I think it’s funny. Sometimes I think, ‘Darling, I’m not a cougar. I’m a whole safari!’

“But there is definitely a double standard. A man dates a younger woman and everyone goes, “Good for him.”

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“A woman dates a younger man and suddenly she’s been given a wildlife classification. Let women enjoy themselves!”

Speaking in the November/December issue of Attitude magazine, which is on newsstands today, she was also asked whether she has a message for those who judge their age difference.

The Great British Bake Off host said: “Mind your business! No, genuinely, I think people spend far too much time worrying about other people’s relationships.

“If two consenting adults are happy, loved,respected and making each other laugh,what exactly is the problem? People will always have an opinion.

“I’ve learned that you can’t live your life according to everybody else’s opinions because you’ll end up exhausted and miserable. Love who you love.”

Praising her partner further, she explained: “I love that we can make each other laugh. That’s the big thing for me.

“Life is too short to be in a relationship where you can’t laugh together. We’re different in lots of ways, but sometimes those differences are exactly what makes it interesting.

“And let’s be honest, I bring the life experience and he brings the youth. It’s basically a human multi-generational home!”

She received the Honorary Gay gong at Wednesday evening’s Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards at London’s Roundhouse, but missed the event after suffering a health scare last Friday which saw her rushed off This Morning to hospital.

In a comment on Instagram on Monday she admitted she “thought it was a heart attack, it was very scary,” although she has since been given the all clear.

JOOLS HOLLAND is recording a one-off TV special with Fontaines D.C.

Their fans crashed the website after he hinted at the band’s new record, Dopamine Chamber, without naming them as he announced the intimate show in London on October 12.

MODEL Irina Shayk raises the roof in a terracotta-coloured swimsuit from a new collection.

The 40-year-old was in Ibiza to help promote British swimwear brand Hunza G’s Resort 27 line.

Her square-neck zebra metallic terracotta one-piece features a crinkled fabric pattern.

Mum-of-one Irina said: “I’ve loved Hunza G for years, so working together felt natural.

“The collection is sexy and playful, with a noughties nostalgia I love.

“Shooting it in Ibiza, surrounded by friends, made it even more special.”

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Irina was engaged to footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.

She also has a daughter with Hollywood actor Bradley Cooper and has also been romantically linked to footballer Tom Brady.

She has become one of the modern modeling industry’s greats after being discovered in her small Russian hometown of Yemanzhelinsk. 

Irina, whose full name is Irina Valeryevna Irinahlislamova, received international recognition when she became the first Russian model to appear on the cover of the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. 

She has become a runway staple, working with prestigious fashion houses worldwide.

Kacey Musgraves is taking another trip to “Uncertain, TX” — this time with a little bit of Tejano flair courtesy of a legendary South Texas band.

On Tuesday, Musgraves released a Spanish version of her critically acclaimed track featuring Tejano group Intocable — a song she originally recorded with country star Willie Nelson, which debuted at No. 50 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs after the May 1 release of her seventh studio album, “Middle of Nowhere.”

“Having a song with the legends of Intocable is such a thrill for me,” said Musgraves in a press release on Tuesday. “As a Texan, I am proud of the cultural melting pot that makes our state so great and this collaboration is such a fun example of that.”

According to Intocable lead singer and accordionist Ricardo “Ricky” Muñoz, who spoke with The Times via Zoom, Musgraves had first thought of including the great conjunto accordionist Flaco Jiménez, who passed away in August 2025, to join in on the original track with Nelson, a fact that the country gal herself confirmed on the Zane Lowe interview series on Apple Music in May.

“Flaco Jiménez’s son told me that Kacey wanted to do an all-Texas thing where Willie Nelson was in the song and Kacey also invited Flaco to play accordion,” said Muñoz, who heard the original demo. “I believe at the time, Flaco was not good, health-wise, so he wasn’t able to do it.”

Muñoz, who has always been a fan of the “Rainbow” singer, said the song was “orbiting” around him. Three weeks ago, he received a call from Musgraves’ team to help with the Spanish version.

“I was very conservative on the accordion part. I just played little parts here and there,” said Muñoz. “Then they call me back and they go like, ‘No, give me some more of that.’”

This isn’t Musgraves’ first collaboration with a música mexicana artist. In August 2025, the 38-year-old singer-songwriter joined forces with Carin León for the cross-cultural ballad “Lost in Translation.”

Muñoz considered the collaboration a “perfect fit.”

“We’re representing the Tejano community,  and I’m proud of that,” said Muñoz, who comes from a long line of Texas-born Mexicans. “ Once we meet in person and we get to play together, it’s even gonna be a better connection to the song.”

On Thursday, the two acts will perform together for the first time for Musgraves’ Middle of Nowhere tour at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas.

The iconic Tejano band formed in the border town of Zapata, Texas, in 1993, and rose to fame thanks to Tejano pop hits like “Fuerte No Soy,” “Soñador Eterno” and “Estás Que Te Pelas.”

In July, the “¿Y Todo Para Qué?” group received its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. At the ceremony, hitmaker and songwriter Edgar Barrera, who grew up in the same borderland area, said that Intocable “showed the world what música mexicana could be.”

But the Grammy-winning band isn’t resting on its laurels. Of the Walk of Fame star, Muñoz said, “that’s just part of the journey. It’s awesome, but I haven’t really paid any more thought than the day I was there.”

Instead, the “Enséñame A Olvidarte” act is looking ahead. The group is preparing for the release of its 16th studio album next year, “Nostalgia Radical,” a project inspired by Muñoz’s mental health journey , which he said has allowed him to show up as his most authentic self.

“I was exploring myself, being vulnerable and asking questions,” said Muñoz. “ To me, going to therapy every Tuesday is like taking out the trash.”

This November, the band — which is currently zigzagging between Mexico and the U.S. for its Cultura Tour — is also up for a Latin Grammy for regional song for their country-fused pro-immigrant anthem “Estamos Todos.”

“We’re all asking all these questions, and we’re not getting the right answers or any answers. We’re just being danced around with the answers,” said Muñoz. “But in the meantime, we’re all together in this.”

The band’s pro-immigrant stance is another thing it has in common with Musgraves, who in May invited invited three teen mariachi brothers previously detained by ICE to open for her sold-out, three-night residency at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Texas, the oldest dance hall in the state..

The country singer also asked fans to donate to the Young Center for Immigrant Rights, which helps children whose parents have faced deportations, during the opening night of her tour in Chicago back in August.

“We need more people to talk about this and not stay quiet. Kacey is coming from another community and stepping up, I mean, that’s big, man. That’s huge.  I commend her for that,” said Muñoz.