How do you find inspiration? Say you’re doing your holiday shopping and you’re struggling to find the perfect gift for that difficult person on your list — parent, partner, paramour. How do you let your mind drift to a place where the clouds part and you achieve a sort of awakening?
I’m Glenn Whipp, columnist for the Los Angeles Times and host of The Envelope newsletter, back in your inbox for the next few months as we sail through the atmospheric river of awards season. Climb aboard.
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Cover story: The best six minutes in movies this year
(Bexx Francois / For The Times)
You might remember how much I love “Sinners,” Ryan Coogler’s audacious, genre-defying blockbuster that explores the intrinsic power of American blues music and Black life in the Jim Crow South within the context of a vampire horror movie.
So I was thrilled to talk with Coogler and his longtime department heads — a movie family that includes Oscar winners who have been with him since his 2013 debut, “Fruitvale Station” — for The Envelope’s first cover story of the season. There were a dozen different ways I could have gone with the piece, but our conversations kept coming back to the scene in the juke joint when young Sammie (Miles Caton) conjures spirits from the past and future onto the dance floor.
How did Coogler summon this scene? It goes back to that question I asked at the outset: How do you find inspiration?
For Coogler, “Sinners” began on Nov. 17, 2021, a date fixed in his mind because it was the day one of his favorite rappers, Young Dolph, was murdered. Coogler was devastated. And his mind drifted back to Nipsey Hussle, the L.A. rapper gunned down outside his South L.A. clothing store in 2019. Coogler was living in Los Angeles at the time, trying to get a “Space Jam” sequel off the ground.
“I felt like I had my heart ripped out, bro,” Coogler told me. “I have two younger brothers I’m really close with, and I remember reading an article in the L.A. Times about his older brother recounting what happened. It just broke me. And then I get the news that Dolph’s been killed in his hometown, and I just remember feeling, ‘I’m done with rap, man.’”
Later, Coogler spoke with his friend, “Black Panther” producer Nate Moore, lamenting that rappers who talk about their lives, beating the odds and escaping hardship, sometimes end up succumbing to the thing they thought they left behind. Moore isn’t a rap guy, but told Coogler that his favorite music, grunge, was just like that — in this case, artists addressing their struggles with depression and addiction and then, on occasion, overdosing or taking their own lives.
Toward the end of that day, Coogler was driving back from the set of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Passing through Byron, Ga., the Oakland native looked out his window and saw, for the first time in his life, a cotton field. During our interview, Coogler pulls out his phone and finds a video his sister-in-law shot of him taking it all in and picking a sprig of cotton. Coogler kept it, eventually putting it on his work desk at home.
“That was a part of finding ‘Sinners,’” Coogler says. “The other thing that happened was I started listening to grunge music, taking a break from rap. And as soon as I put the music on, I was like, ‘Yo, this feels like my uncle’s. It led me right back to his record collection.”
That uncle, James Edmonson, loved the blues. Coogler’s cousin, Edmonson’s youngest daughter, told the filmmaker about a Bill Withers’ song, “I Can’t Write Left-Handed,” written from the perspective of a Vietnam veteran. Coogler listened to it, and it reminded him of “Rooster,” the Alice in Chains song written by guitarist Jerry Cantrell for his father, who served in Vietnam.
“So I’m playing these two songs one after another, and I’m like, ‘These genres that you wouldn’t find next to each other at a Tower Records back in the day, they’re so close,’” Coogler says. “And studying the history of it, it’s people playing it different, but it’s the same idea.”
“And that’s when I realized I had to make ‘Sinners.’”
Coogler scrolls through his phone and shows a picture of the cotton sprig on his desk. He dedicated “Sinners” to his uncle, who died about a decade before it arrived in theaters.
“So many cosmic moments came together for this movie,” Coogler says. “I was always like, ‘All right. I just gotta make sure I don’t f— it up.’”
Balvinder is a lifelong fan of Strictly who has wanted to take part for 20 years – let’s help her to enjoy Blackpool this weekend
13:25, 17 Nov 2025Updated 13:25, 17 Nov 2025
Balvinder has survived four dance-offs – now it’s someone else’s turn(Image: BBC/Guy Levy)
Spare a thought for Balvinder Sopal. When she said last night that she just didn’t want to do the Strictly dance off, you’d have to have a heart of stone not to feel sorry for her, after she failed to get enough votes for the FOURTH time.
She’s now equalled 2015 contestant Jamelia for the all-time record she never wanted to hold – of having to fight for survival more than anyone else in the show’s history. One more, and she will take the title.
But surely, in Blackpool, the voting public needs to give the EastEnders star the support she deserves and let her just sail through to the following week without needing to perform twice? After all, in the jungle Ant and Dec have brought in new rules to stop the same people doing the Bushtucker Trials over and over again, so it seems only fair that Bal is also given a break.
The first time she was in the dance-off, against Ross King in week two, you could see it had massively knocked her confidence the following week. Since then she has also competed, and won, against rugby player Chris Robshaw, model Ellie Goldstein and now reality star Vicky Pattison.
The poor woman must be wondering how on earth she is still in the competition and also why it keeps on happening. But one thing is sure. Even though the situation is inevitably making her feel a bit unloved, it’s also making her fight. And boy, is she proving good at that.
Balvinder should also take heart over how judges have picked her to stay time and time again, showing that when she’s on the ropes, she can find something a little bit extra to impress them all. Craig said on Sunday that he’d noticed a “massive improvement” after her second go at the American Smooth – and so did the audience.
Of course today there are lots of people moaning that Vicky Pattison should have stayed in the competition – but the simple truth is that she and Kai were out of synch at times and it was all a bit messy while Balvinder and Julian went up a notch. They absolutely deserved to stay.
One fan lamenting Vicky’s demise moaned: “It’s crazy Balvinder got through – four times in the dance off, what does that tell you?” Well, what it tells me is that she’s got some resilience to come back each time and see off her opponents. Both women had the same score on Saturday, with 27 points apiece, but Bal did far better in the dance off. In the end, the decision was simple.
Balvinder is the perfect Strictly contestant – she’s not a trained dancer but she’s giving it her all and showing real signs of improvement each week. So let’s give her the treat she deserves for Blackpool – as a huge fan of the show for many years she’s bound to be hugely excited to make it to the iconic Tower Ballroom.
The Walford veteran many get to dance the Argentine tango that she’s long been dreaming to do this week – here’s hoping – but whatever she does, if it goes well, let’s stick some votes on her.
I’m backing an idea I saw being suggested by a fan who sensed she was “absolutely crushed” at the weekend. They said that if a few George Clarke fans threw Bal a side vote, she could have a week away from the dreaded red zone. “George would still avoid the dance off due to the apparent huge size of his fanbase and Bal could get a much needed break,” they said. Sounds like a plan to me.
So come on all you EastEnders fans. Suki needs you!
The Palestinian experience has been a mainstay of global cinema for decades. Despite countless obstacles, the Palestinian Ministry of Culture has submitted 18 titles for the international feature Oscar since 2003, earning nominations in 2006 and 2014. But this year, at a pivotal moment in its history, three films from acclaimed female filmmakers, each set in war-torn Gaza, are up for Oscar consideration: Annemarie Jacir’s Palestinian entry, “Palestine 36,” Cherien Dabis’ “All That’s Left of You,” representing Jordan, and Kaouther Ben Hania’s “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” selected by Tunisia. It’s a remarkable field, one that Jacir believes is more a coincidence than a reflection of the political climate.
“I think that there’s so many Palestinian filmmakers and people have been doing a lot of work for a long time,” Jacir says. “I remember when I made my last film, there were three films shooting at the same time.”
From the outbreak of the Arab revolt in 1936 to the generational trauma of the capture of Jaffa during the Arab-Israeli 1948 war to the current Israel-Hamas war, each film has a distinct and important story to tell. Notably, both “Palestine 36” and “All That’s Left of You” were scheduled to begin production in Palestine just days after Israel began an aerial assault in October 2023 in response to the Hamas-led attack Oct. 7.
After struggling just to get the movie off the ground, Jacir says the real-time events made it difficult to “keep going emotionally, mentally, financially.”
“Nothing was clear,” she says. “We just didn’t know if we would really be able to shoot, if we would be able to start something, if we would be able to finish … We were just making it up as we went along and hoping for the best. It’s sort of a mix of, I would say, stubbornness and perhaps stupidity.”
Saleh Bakri and Cherien Dabis in “All That’s Left of You.”
(Watermelon Pictures)
Concurrently, Dabis had been prepping with a Palestinian crew for five months with the intention of shooting the entire project there, only to be forced to make the “devastating” decision to shift production to Jordan, Greece and Cyprus. (Hopes of eventually returning were dashed.)
“In a way, the movie lived what most Palestinians live: war, exile, fleeing,” she says. “All of the uncertainty, the financial and logistical crisis of it all. I think that what really grounded me during that time was just knowing that the movie was more relevant than ever, and that it had to get done.”
The stark reality of the civilians under constant fire, and in a much worse position than Jacir, motivated her team to continue with “Palestine 36.” She bluntly observes, “We had no right not to, you know what I mean? It’s like we are the privileged ones, actually. We’re not in Gaza. It didn’t feel like it was an option for any of us to stop because they weren’t stopping and it was like, ‘Well, we do it for them too.’”
Depicting the humanity of the Palestinian people, who have suffered mightily under the current occupation, is one reason why Ben Hania felt such urgency in bringing the harrowing final hours of 6-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab to the screen less than a year and a half after her death under Israeli fire.
Dhafer L’Abidine and Yasmine Al Massri in “Palestine 36.”
(Watermelon Pictures)
“There was something about silencing their voices [that] was completely abhorrent for me, and I know that cinema is the place for empathy and the place where you can put face and raise the voice,” Ben Hania says. “So, for me it was part of saying, ‘Stop this dehumanization of Palestinian victims.’ You see the pain in this movie, you can feel the sense of what is happening.”
Despite critical accolades and, in the case of “Voice,” a record standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, none of these submissions were able to secure major distributors in the U.S. “Voice of Hind Rajab” is being released by relatively new player Willa, while both “Palestine 36” and “All That’s Left of You” are set for release by Watermelon Pictures, traditionally a production entity. (Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land” was self-released in cinemas and, last month, on streaming platforms.) Ben Hania says that is nothing new: Films about Palestine simply don’t reach U.S. audiences.
“I’m frustrated because as a filmmaker, when you do a movie, you want everybody to see it, especially this one,” Ben Hania says. “So, I mean, yeah, it’s a huge frustration, but I can’t put a gun [to a] distributor and tell them, ‘Distribute my movie.’ When you do movies, you have several obstacles, and this is one of them.”
Despite the hurdles, Jacir says she has never had so many people want to know the historical background behind one of her movies.
“People are curious,” Jacir says. “Before people used to say, ‘Oh, it’s very complicated and let’s leave it. I don’t want to know because it’s too complicated.’ I don’t think people are like that anymore. I don’t think the new generation is like that anymore. I think people really want to know, and they want to see these stories and they’ll make their own judgments and thoughts, and they’ll have their own feelings about it.”
The internet personality and comedian has landed his TV debut in Robin Hood.
Henry Rowley of TikTok fame has landed his first major TV role in MGM+’s Robin Hood, which also stars Sean Bean.
He plays the character Will Gamewell, and took to Instagram to say he was “so excited” for the “amazing project”.
Originally from Leicester but now living in London, the star is the youngest of three brothers, who studied English literature at the University of Bristol.
He uploaded his first TikTok video in October 2021 and some of his sketches have received millions of views.
One of his most famous videos includes an uncanny impersonation of Keira Knightley. The star is seen re-enacting some of the Hollywood actress’s scenes from the film Love Actually. On Instagram, the video has more than 180,000 likes.
Speaking to Square Mile, he admitting there was nothing showbiz about his childhood.
“Mum’s a counsellor, dad’s a doctor,” he shared, and as for his brothers: “Nick works in PR and Alex is an accountant.”
Never did he dream he would appear in an epic adventure drama with A-list stars like Sean Bean.
On landing his Robin Hood role, he said: ” It was the best experience of my life, far and away.
“For me that’s been a lifelong dream, to get a professional acting role and to be on a proper set with the cast and full crew and everything.
“Being there was better than the expectation. On my first day on set, I was giddy. I couldn’t stop smiling and saying to everyone, this is the most fun I’ve ever had.
“It’s just play with more stakes.” After sending over an audition tape, he landed the role and was told he would fly out to Serbia for filming three days later.
“Cancelled my trip to Mexico, went to Serbia, and had the best time ever,” he said.
He quit his job in marketing to pursue comedy and acting full-time and has since performed at a number of Edinburgh Fringe shows.
Henry admitted he did not know what TikTok was when he first started using it, thinking it was just “kids dancing”.
It was his friends who encouraged him to post his impressions on the platform and they “lost their minds” when the videos started garnering 30,000 views a day, in particular Minty, the posh girl at the afters.
JENNIFER Lopez and Sydney Sweeney lead the star-studded glamour at last night’s Governors Awards in Los Angeles.
The Hunger Games actress Jennifer Lawrence also turned heads at the 16th annual bash, held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom.
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JLo stunned in a grey and black ball gownCredit: GettySydney put on a busty display on the red carpetCredit: GettyJennifer Lawrence also joined the star-studded glamorCredit: GettyAriana turned heads with her ensembleCredit: GettyShe was joined by her Wicked co-star CynthiaCredit: GettyMia Goth looked gorgeous in a pale blueCredit: GettyWhile Emma Stone struck a smile for snappersCredit: GettyDakota Johnson looked just as equally glamorousCredit: Getty
It honours achievements recognised by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Jenny from the Block hitmaker JLo, 56, stunned in a grey and black ball gown ensemble with a plunging neckline, elevated with black velvet opera gloves.
Euphoria’s Sweeney, 28, kept the glam going in a glittering sleeveless gown, leaving little to the imagination with her gorgeous getup.
Also, American Hustle star Lawrence, 35, showed off her legs wearing an off-the-shoulder cream number, with a thigh-high slit, by Dior.
Ariana Grande, 32, was also in attendance, taking a pastel route in a pale pink vintage Dior one-shoulder gown by John Galliano.
The Wicked star styled her hair in a clean, elegant updo.
She was joined on the red carpet by her co-star Cynthia Erivo, 38, after being grabbed at their premiere event in Singapore.
Erivo went more avant-garde in a Givenchy coat dress that swung with movement.
Also in attendance was Elle Fanning, 27, wearing a soft pink sleeveless gown, while Anya Taylor-Joy, 29, sported a white Maison Margiela look.
Zoey Deutch, 31, chose a crisp white buttoned dress finished with a sweeping black train, while Natalie Portman, 44, opted for a pale blue mini dress.
Dakota Johnson, 36, also chose blue, wearing a simple fitted gown in an icy shade.
Mia Goth, 32, joined them in the colour theme with a pale blue dress of her own as Emma Stone, 37, stayed understated in an off-the-shoulder black Louis Vuitton dress with subtle sparkle.
Gwyneth Paltrow, 53, and Kristen Stewart, 35, both appeared in unconventional black outfits as Kate Winslet, 50, kept things sleek in a tailored black suit.
Regina Hall, 54, flashed her toned pins in a daring black gown, and Rita Wilson, 69, shone in metallic green.
Octavia Spencer, 55, went feminine with a floral dress as Kate Hudson, 46, brought a pop of colour in a slinky green silk number with cutouts, arriving with Hugh Jackman.
As for the men, The Bear favorite Jeremy Allen White, 34, wore one of the more unusual menswear looks: an unbuttoned white shirt tucked into high-waisted black trousers.
Leonardo DiCaprio, 51, and Brendan Fraser, 56, arrived in classic black suits, as did Austin Butler, 34, Joe Alwyn, 34, Benicio del Toro, 58, Colin Farrell, 49, and Jason Bateman, 56.
Gwyneth Paltrow rocked an all-black ensembleCredit: GettyWhile Natalie Portman sported a little blue numberCredit: GettyElle Fanning stunned in pale pinkCredit: GettyAnya Taylor-Joy looked elegant in a flowing gownCredit: GettyKate Hudson arrived alongside Hugh JackmanCredit: GettyQueen Latifah rocked a bold all-red momentCredit: GettyEmily Blunt did the same alongside Dwayne The Rock JohnsonCredit: GettyBlake Slatkin arrived with singer Ed SheeranCredit: GettyLeonardo DiCaprio wore a signature all-black suitCredit: APRami Malek mixed things up a bit in velvetCredit: GettyHonoree Tom Cruise posed onstageCredit: GettyAdam Sandler stepped out with his wife JackieCredit: Getty
Rami Malek, 44, mixed things up with a red velvet blazer, while Jacob Elordi, 28, leaned into a retro vibe with a vintage-inspired suit.
Adam Sandler, 59, made a rare appearance in a proper suit alongside wife Jackie, and Jeremy Strong, 46, paired a brown suit with trainers and a bowtie.
Blake Slatkin and Ed Sheeran posed together on arrival.
An accessible set for all requires intention. There are practical needs, of course — ramps for restrooms and extra-bright neon tape on the ground to better light up and mark cues and equipment for low-vision performers and crew members. But there’s also a need to weave accessibility into the production so seamlessly that it doesn’t feel tacked on or burdensome.
On a sweltering day in June at the Van Nuys Elks Lodge, the cast and crew of “The Hog Queen,” a short film starring “Wicked: For Good’s” Marissa Bode, were doing just that: re-creating a drag show at a small-town Texas gay bar, yes, but also modeling what a set that puts accessibility and inclusion at its center can look like.
“I have been lucky in the way that ‘Wicked’ was an incredibly accessible set,” Bode tells me later over Zoom, looking back on her experience making writer-director Katherine Craft’s short horror film. “I didn’t really have to think at all about my own accessibility. However, I know that’s not the same for all my disabled peers.”
Nor is it common practice on any given set.
“Honestly, even prior to ‘Wicked,’ the No. 1 question I’m always asking when I’m collaborating with somebody is, ‘Have you worked with disabled people before? If not, how are you accommodating for that?’” Bode says. “Even when I signed on to my agency — or even my PR team, or even my manager — that was one of the first questions I asked. That’s always at the top of my mind.”
That’s what made “The Hog Queen” so rewarding. This was a production that made accessibility a priority. “I just felt taken care of in a way with this process that I have not in others,” Craft says.
Craft’s short film is part of Inevitable Foundation’s Visionary Fellowship. The yearlong program, supported by Netflix, was designed as an incubator for disabled filmmakers. Since its founding in 2021, Inevitable Foundation has supported disabled writers at various stages of their careers. But with this latest and most ambitious fellowship, founders Richie Siegel and Marisa Torelli-Pedevska wanted to put the emphasis on directors with feature-length projects ready for production.
Director Katherine Craft, left, producer Shelby Hadden and assistant director CJ Palmisano go over logistics for a scene on the set “The Hog Queen.”
(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
Each of the projects selected has been carefully scaled down to a short length to guarantee they could be produced within the yearlong fellowship; all five are set to be unveiled at a showcase in November.
Craft and the other members of the fellow inaugural Visionary cohort — Zayre Ferrer, Monica Lucas, Filipe Coutinho and Alys Murray — each received $55,000 in funding for their respective short films, including a production grant, health insurance, access to an experienced crew as well as marketing support and financial aid for access and travel.
Rather than merely focusing on mentorship, networking or community-building, the Visionary Fellowship was designed to give these filmmakers the production experience they’ll need to thrive in the industry. More than just a pipeline, the 12-month program is an explicit investment in disabled filmmakers and the stories they’re eager to tell. And to arm them, in turn, with an encouraging environment that aims to reframe the way accessibility is often understood.
“I think there’s this misconception that making a set accessible is going to be a huge pain in the ass, that it’s going to cost a ton of money, and it’s going to slow you down,” Craft, who has low vision, explains. “I don’t think any of that has to be true. The other thing is people think of it as something that is going to benefit someone else. But when you start looking at it through a lens of accessibility and inclusivity, you’re benefiting everyone.”
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1.Bode makes her way onto the set.2.Christian Zamudio performs during a drag show scene.3.The slate lights up with a digital time code.(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
Siegel and Torelli-Pedevska knew they needed to bake that philosophy into their process. That meant setting money aside for any accommodations early and having a line item for accessibility in the budget templates they were creating to make sure it was something they could anticipate, measure and track.
“A lot of it goes to starting early,” Siegel says. “But more importantly, it’s about rejecting the belief that [accessibility] comes at the expense of the creativity in the final product. Saying the opposite, in fact, which is: if everyone feels like this is a safe set and they can do their best work, the work will just be better.”
Bode agrees — and sees Inevitable Foundation’s approach as one that can be replicated across the industry.
Before shooting, the entire cast and crew of “The Hog Queen” received a form that sought to garner information about their needs. “It asked about everything under the sun in terms of disability,” Bode explains. “‘Do you get overstimulated? Would you need a room to go to if you do get overstimulated? What are your physical access needs? Do you need a ramp? Do you need this? Do you need that?’
“I really think that should just be standard on sets. I don’t think disability accommodations are a luxury. I think everybody should be taken care of.”
Comedian Ruby Wax and social media star Morgan Burtwistle, known as Angryginge, will be the first celebrities to face an eating challenge on this year’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly told campmates the bushtucker trial will take place at “revolting restaurant” (Image: James Gourley/ITV/Shutterstock)
I’m A Celebrity fans have been left furious after they encountered issues with voting on the app during last night’s show.
The ITV1 show, filmed in Australia, began with five of the celebrities flying over a beach in a helicopter, which they were told they would be jumping out of. Spandau Ballet’s Martin Kemp, model Kelly Brook, rapper Aitch, comedian Eddie Kadi and former EastEnders star Shona McGarty were all seen skydiving in the programme.
The five celebrities were then made to enter a wooden structure and wade through offal and slime to find a key fob that would gain them access to a getaway car taking them to camp. Aitch, real name Harrison Armstrong, and Kadi won the challenge and got in the car where they were met with cocktails.
The three other celebrities entered the Cockie van which had a giant beetle structure on top of it.
The five other campmates – Wax, Burtwistle, soap star Lisa Riley, TV presenter Jack Osbourne and sports broadcaster Alex Scott – missed out on skydiving and arrived at a luxury villa before battling it out for a seat in the getaway car.
The celebrities had their heads placed inside boxes filled with snakes and were asked to put their hand in a box of green ants to unscrew bolts and release the fob for the car. Osbourne and Burtwistle won the challenge, while Brook, Kemp, McGarty, Riley, Wax and Scott were left riding in the Cockie van, alongside Kiosk Kev.
After arriving at camp, Jack cooked a steak dinner with mushrooms and avocado for Eddie, Aitch and Angryginge while the others were given emu neck to eat.
Fans were then able to vote for the first Bushtucker trial of the series but some viewers have branded the show a fix and claimed the app wasn’t working.
Taking to X one person moaned: “ I’m a celebrity is a fix. Can’t vote cos the app doesn’t work.” A second said: “Would be nice if they sorted this app out, it didn’t work for a lot of people and we weren’t able to vote.” While a third asked: “Is anyone having issues with the voting app? Why isn’t it letting me vote??”
Comedian Ruby Wax and social media star Morgan Burtwistle, known as Angryginge, will be the first celebrities to face an eating challenge on this year’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly told campmates the bushtucker trial will take place at “revolting restaurant” The Divey, during Sunday’s debut episode.
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! airs daily at 9pm on ITV1.
KIM Kardashian broke down in tears and sobbed in the days leading up to her law exam.
The reality TV star, 45, finally took the California bar after seven years of studying but she was ultimately unsuccessful.
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Kim Kardashian was left in tears in the days leading up to her bar examCredit: Instagram/kimkardashianShe could not stop crying as she spoke on the difficulties of her law journeyCredit: Instagram/kimkardashianThe vlog showcased her final two weeks studying for the examCredit: Instagram/kimkardashian
It was revealed earlier this month that she hadn’t passed but Kim has remained determined to try again in the hopes of qualifying as a practising lawyer.
Now, the All’s Fair actress has shared an intimate look at her two weeks leading up to the exam in which she shunned all other work commitments to focus on her studies.
The nine-minute social media vlog features an emotional scene in which a bare-faced Kim can be seen sobbing in bed after a long day of studying for her exam.
Heavily emotional, Kim spoke to the camera as she opened up about her law journey difficulties.
Kim said: “F***, I’m gonna film this because oh my god I am just so tired.
“It is like every time I feel like I am a step ahead, something happens to try and stop me from doing this.
“A part of me just wants to stop.
“I feel like my brain is going to explode and i still have so much more to go.”
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Whilst Kim didn’t expand on what was stopping her from studying, she was clearly suffering with problems relating to her back during the two-week period the video was filmed.
She confirmed her back had “given out” and was causing her pain.
Kim wore a large back brace throughout most of the clips in the video in order to help with the pain.
She also revealed she had undergone an MRI scan which confirmed she was dealing with some issues relating to the discs in her back.
Despite her initial worries, she admitted she was feeling confident the day before the exam and was looking forward to taking on the challenge.
The news that Kim hadn’t passed the bar exam came at the same time as her hotly-anticipated legal drama, in which she plays a lawyer, Allura Grant, premiered across the world.
Kim leads the show alongside a cast of stars including Glenn Close, Sarah Paulson, Naomi Watts and Nicey Nash.
Confirming the news earlier this month, the billionaire said: “Well… I’m not a lawyer yet, I just play a very well-dressed one on TV.
“Six years into this law journey, and I’m still all in until I pass the bar. No shortcuts, no giving up – just more studying and even more determination.”
Kim was working hard to attain her goal of being a lawyerCredit: Instagram/kimkardashianThe Hollywood icon took two weeks off work to fully dedicate herself to practiseCredit: InstagramKim has been on her law journey since 2018Credit: Getty
Inside an office in Hollywood, not far from the Walk of Fame and the Sunset Bronson Studios, Netflix executive Alain Tascan revealed new content coming soon to the platform — but it’s not a TV show or a movie. It’s a new game where U.S. viewers compete to win thousands of dollars.
The game show, called “Best Guess Live,” will run on weekdays at 5 p.m. PT, where hosts Howie Mandel and Hunter March will unveil a set of five clues. Mobile game players tune in to make their best guesses. The earlier they can guess correctly with fewer clues, the higher the chances they can win more of the prize money. The show, filmed in Van Nuys, is Netflix’s attempt at appointment gaming for its audience of more than 700 million viewers.
“Can you imagine where you not only can go and play a game, but you could win a life-changing amount of money each and every day, and it takes no time, it’s easy, and you just have your phone?” said Mandel, widely known for his hosting turns on NBC’s “Deal or No Deal” and “America’s Got Talent.”
The goal is to make playing games on Netflix “as simple as streaming a movie on a Friday, using the same innovative mindset that led Netflix to transform itself from a company shipping DVDs to streaming movies, shows and now games,” Tascan said.
Netflix has been investing in its games vertical for the last four years, with mixed results. Last month, the streamer’s co-CEO Greg Peters gave the company’s gaming efforts a B- grade. Under Tascan’s leadership, the division has focused on some key areas, including narratives based on Netflix programs, games for children, social party games and mainstream titles like “Grand Theft Auto.”
The changes appear to be working. The number of downloads for Netflix games has increased 17% to 74.8 million from January to October of this year compared to the same period in 2024, according to data from app analytics firm Appfigures. The company is also releasing fewer games, adding 16 titles this year compared to 35 last year, Appfigures said.
Netflix declined to comment on the Appfigures data.
The company has also removed games in part due to low customer engagement. Netflix has released 142 games, with 78 of them still active as of October, according to Appfigures.
Its two most popular mobile games were released on Netflix in the last two years, including “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas,” which came on the platform in December 2023 and achieved 44 million downloads. The streamer released an original, the multiplayer party royale title “Squid Game: Unleashed,” last year with 21 million downloads. The game had tie-ins to the popular series’ second season where players could earn cash or wild tokens in the game if they watched a certain number of episodes.
Some analysts say there is still room for improvement.
Journalists participate in a games demo at a Netflix office on Wednesday.
(Netflix)
“It still seems pretty experimental,” said Ross Benes, senior analyst at research firm Emarketer. “I don’t get the impression that they are on gamers’ list of their go-to sources of entertainment.”
On Thursday, Netflix said its first slate of five games for the TV, including Tetris Time Warp, Boggle Party, Pictionary: Game Night and LEGO Party! are now available. Prior to the new slate, subscribers could only play Netflix games on their mobile devices.
When consumers load up the TV games, they will see a QR code they can scan on their devices and use them as controllers in the game. For example in Netflix’s version of Pictionary, users draw on their phones.
“A big switch in the strategy is really to make sure that we are eliminating any friction that somebody can encounter when they want to play,” Tascan said in an interview. “We believe that on TV, in particular, where people enjoy their different shows, is the best place to offer something very easily approachable.”
The TV games are the latest iteration in Netflix’s effort that began four years ago. The company had beefed up its staff after acquiring four gaming businesses — Glendale-based Night School, Boss Fight Entertainment out of Allen, Texas, Finland-based Next Games and Spry Fox based in Seattle.
Netflix shut down Boss Fight Entertainment last month.
The gaming division efforts were first led by Mike Verdu, a former Facebook and Electronic Arts executive. He later transitioned to a role focusing on transforming game development and player experiences with generative AI in November 2024 and left Netflix earlier this year. Tascan, a former executive at Epic Games, was named Netflix’s president of games in July 2024.
Games has been an attractive area of investment for some companies, as younger audiences spend a lot of time playing titles like Roblox, Fortnite and Call of Duty. Tascan estimates there are 3 billion gamers in the world and with Netflix having an audience of more than 700 million people, “the Venn diagram is pretty large.”
The streamer on Thursday also announced new mobile games for kids, including digital coloring book “Barbie Color Creations” and a hairstyling game, “Toca Boca Hair Salon 4.”
It can be challenging for companies to get into the space. For example, in 2023, Google shut down its gaming service Stadia after it failed to gain traction with users.
Tascan said Netflix is not competing against traditional gaming consoles but is looking to innovate and find new ways to reach its customers.
Tascan said he is encouraged by the reactions he has seen.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” he said. “But at the end, how many people are going to have the same reaction? We are a company driven by data, and our main data is, how many people are going to engage?”
Tascan said he thinks it will be a few short years before Netflix becomes the Netflix of games. He hopes the division can improve from Peters’ grade of a B- to a higher level.
“What I hope is, by the end of the year, we’ll upgrade to an A, hopefully A+,” Tascan said.
Times editorial library director Cary Schneider contributed to this report.
Anya Garnis, who shares two young children with her husband Sunna Van Kampen, recently tried to rent a property in Devon, but she was rejected from doing so because of a Home Office blunder
Anya Garnis (r) has lived in the UK on rolling temporary visas without any major issues since 2013(Image: @anyagarnis/Instagram)
Former Strictly star Anya Garnis fears she may be left homeless after a Home Office blunder rejected her right to live in Britain.
The Russian-born Latin dancer started dancing at the age of 10 and began competing professionally with her dance partner, Strictly’s Pasha Kovalev, in 1998. The pair moved to the US in 2001 to start her professional dancing career.
They reached the final of the US Open Ballroom Championship on a number of occasions and have also appeared in US series So You Think You Can Dance. Anya, who is a US citizen, has performed at the Emmys and the Oscars and even headlined the Broadway show Burn The Floor.
The 43-year-old, who shares two young children with her husband Sunna Van Kampen, recently tried to rent a property in Totnes, Devon, but she was rejected from doing so because of a Home Office blunder.
Baffled by the situation Anya investigated and discovered the Home Office’s landlord checking system suggested she did not have permission to live in the country, despite being here since 2013.
The Home Office said her application for leave to remain may have been lost – rendering her ‘illegal’. Speaking to the MailOnline she said: “I was absolutely shocked and devastated. We have to leave the place we’re living now in a couple of weeks, but have been told we can’t rent or buy anywhere else.
“In effect, this will leave us homeless in Britain. If we leave the country, my visa application will be dismissed entirely, but we may have no choice.”
Anya came to the UK on a temporary UK visa in 2013 to work for Strictly. She married Mr Van Kampen in 2017 and they later had two children, now aged three and one.
Since 2013 Anya has lived in the UK on rolling temporary visas without any major issues until she applied to renew her permission last September.
After applying she heard nothing for months so chased her application up on the Home Office website which suggested her application was being processed. When she tried to call, they told her they couldn’t discuss individual cases on the phone.
Home Office guidelines state that applicants have automatic leave to remain while their applications are being processed, so she thought nothing of it. After applying again she was shocked to still be turned down by the LCS.
She said: “I can’t buy or rent a property, but I also can’t leave the country while I’m waiting for a decision. I know highly skilled Americans who have been forced to give up on a life in Britain and move back home because of this catch.”
The Home Office said it would not comment on an individual case.
MUSIC legend Gary Numan has sparked concern after breaking down in tears on stage.
The 67-year-old is reported to have started weeping while performing Please Push No More at the O2 Academy Birmingham on Saturday evening.
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Gary Numan broek down in tears on stage late night – pictured here last yearCredit: GettyThe singer’s wife Gemma is said to have rushed to be by his sideCredit: Getty
According to The Mirror, his wife Gemma O’Neil rushed onto the stage to comfort him.
He is reported to have told the crowd he’d received the “worst news ever” that morning and would share it with fans once he had time to process it.
Gary is expected to appear on stage in Bristol tonight, but did cancel his meet and greet beforehand.
His fans rushed to comment on his wellbeing, with one person writing: Rough to see him so upset during PPNM – not looking forward to hearing the reason in the coming days. Can’t be good. Absolute pro to battle on.”
Someone else remarked: “He broke down – he had some bad news yesterday. Gemma came onstage and hugged him. Crowd were amazing, so supportive. Hope he’s ok.”
After it was revealed he would be playing again this evening, another person speculated: “I just hope he’s not overstretching by carrying on with the concert.”
Gary started his tour earlier this week, which celebrates the 45th anniversary of his seminal album Telekon. He is still due to play in Bournemouth, Brighton, London and various other venues.
The Cars singer and his wife, 55, married in 1997 and re-located to LA with their three children in 2012.
The move was the backdrop to documentaryAndroid In La La Land, where cameras followed them and saw him open up about his Asperger’s and depression.
Gemma was originally a member of Gary’s fan club before they found love.
Gary previously said of their relationship: “This is going to sound corny, given that it’s 30 years and four days since our first date, but I miss her even when she’s in a different part of the house.
“She’s everything I am not – which is most things, really.”
Gary is currently touring the countryCredit: Getty
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Jack Osbourne has admitted he feels ‘very nervous’ as he joined other famous faces on I’m A Celebrity, but said his late father Ozzy would have encouraged him to do his best
22:59, 16 Nov 2025Updated 22:59, 16 Nov 2025
Jack Osbourne has joined I’m A Celebrity(Image: ITV)
Fans of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! have all been saying the same thing about Jack Osbourne, who has joined the show in Australia. Ozzy Osbourne’s son has joined the likes of comedian Ruby Wax, Spandau Ballet’s Martin Kemp, model Kelly Brook and Emmerdale star Lisa Riley on the show, presented by Ant and Dec.
Completing the line-up are rapper Aitch, comedian Eddie Kadi, EastEnders actress Shona McGarty, sports broadcaster Alex Scott and social media star Morgan Burtwistle, who is known as Angry Ginge.
As viewers enjoyed the first episode this evening, many complemented Jack on his looks, with a person writing on X: “Is Jack Osbourne a bit handsome??” Another wrote: “I fancy jack osbourne so much.”
“Jack Osbourne looks really good,” a third posted. “Ok… why is Jack Osbourne kinda hot?” another viewer tweeted, while another said: “Jack osbourne looks so gorg in im a celeb”.
A viewer was more hesitant, posting: “Hear me out but… jack osbourne is hot?” Another said: “God i love jack osbourne.” Other proclaimed the TV star their winner from the very first episode.
Jack shared he was joining the show with “very mixed emotions” but added that he thought his dad would tell him to “just f***ing do it.” The TV personality has been very open about his grief following his father’s death, talking about it on his podcast with his mother, Sharon, and sister Kelly.
Announcing he would be joining I’m A Celeb, Jack posted on social media on Tuesday: “Hey folks! Well I was told to keep this a secret but the cats out of the bag now. I’m headed into the jungle for a few weeks. Why you might ask?
“I guess I’m just a sucker for punishment hahaha. My team will be managing my social media while I’m away, so don’t worry, they will be keeping you all updated. Wish me luck cause I’m gonna need it. Before I go, does anyone have a good recipe for how to cook a crocodile?”
Earlier this week, Jack told us he only learnt he was heading Down Under a couple of weeks ago, which he described as a “last-ditch effort” after someone else seemingly dropped out of the show. “I only knew I was coming out here like 10 days ago. So it was literally 10 days,” he said.
Before heading to the jungle, he spent a few days loading up on comfort food. He said: “I stocked up on some chocolate digestives and some Pot Noodles… I’m going to live the high life.” The TV star, 39, admitted he expects some personal topics to come up as the cast bond, but said there are limits on what he is prepared to share on national television when it comes to family matters, including his late dad Ozzy, who passed away aged 76 in July.
Asked whether he will open up during the late-night chats the show is known for, Jack said: “I mean, it’s hard not to. I mean, I’ve done my fair share of projects with people in situations like this, like Adrenaline Junkie or things like that. I think it’s just a natural part of bonding with people.
“And I think this show would fall under the trauma bonding kind of category. I think things will naturally come up and I’m not necessarily going to stray away from too many things. But obviously there are certain things that I probably won’t discuss on a nationally televised TV show that’s filmed 24/7.”
Jack, who recently celebrated his 40th birthday, said he is “not a big bug person” and feels “very nervous” for the show. The TV presenter said his mother Sharon and sister Kelly have given him their full support. He added: “Mum and Kelly, yeah they are absolutely going to be watching. They are supportive.”
Isla Fisher has opened up about her ‘challenging’ divorce from Sacha Baron CohenCredit: John Russo for NewBeautyHer comic ex was recently linked to a woman half his ageCredit: BackGrid
“I definitely feel like there’s something about the divorce club that anyone in it understands in a way other people don’t. It’s a different grief.
“I feel like creating a new identity after your divorce is so fun, though. You get to reflect on your values and goals, explore new interests, focus on what you want and rebuild your sense of self.”
Isla made her comments in an interview for New Beauty magazine, for which she also posed in a series of outfits.
Sacha and Isla in 2013Credit: GettyCommenting on her split from actor Sacha Baron Cohen, Now You See Me star Isla Fisher, 49, said: ‘I’m not going to lie, it’s been a really challenging time.’Credit: John Russo for NewBeautyAussie star Isla made her comments in an interview for New Beauty magazine, for which she also posed in a series of outfitsCredit: John Russo for NewBeauty
By Annie Leibovitz with essays by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Susan Sontag and Gloria Steinem Phaidon Press: 493 pages, $100
If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores.
Annie Leibovitz strides onto the Wiltern stage to the thunderous cheers of 1,500 mostly female fans. She takes her place at the podium, a small, casually dressed figure on a big stage. On the screen behind her are images of the matching covers of her new two-book set, “Annie Leibovitz: Women.” Volume 1 is her 1999 collection. Volume 2 has 100 new photos captured in the 25 years since. Taken together, the slipcased set zooms in on the past quarter century of American womankind, rendered in 250 images of dancers, actors, astronauts, artists, politicians, farmers, writers, CEOs, philanthropists, soldiers, musicians, athletes, socialites and scientists.
“The book was Susan’s idea,” Leibovitz says on Tuesday, referring to writer Susan Sontag, her partner until Sontag’s death in 2004. “I thought doing a photo book about women was a bad idea, like going out and photographing the ocean. But then I heard what Hillary Clinton said at the U.N. Conference on Women in 1995 — ‘Women’s rights are human rights, and human rights are women’s rights’ — and I reconsidered.” Applause shakes the Wiltern rafters.
An image from Volume 2 appears, featuring a somber-looking Sontag. “This is the last formal portrait of Susan,” Leibovitz says. “You could think she’s projecting a sense of strength, but really, she was mad at me for making her go outside to take the picture.” The crowd roars with laughter.
Think of Leibovitz, and some legendary photographs spring to mind. Whoopi Goldberg submerged in a milk-filled bathtub on the cover of Vanity Fair, July 1984. Also on VF covers: Michael Jackson, fittingly clothed and shot in black-and-white, in 1989. Demi Moore, fully pregnant and fully naked, two years later. But the photo that remains Leibovitz’s most iconic to date is the January 1981 cover of Rolling Stone featuring a nude, fetal John Lennon wrapped around Yoko Ono. “John showed up naked,” Leibovitz tells the audience. “Yoko wanted to wear clothes, so she’s fully dressed.” Leibovitz took the Polaroid on Dec. 8, 1980 — a few steps away from, and a few hours before, Lennon was shot and killed by former fan Mark David Chapman.
Joan Baez in Woodside, Calif., in 2007, from “Annie Leibovitz: Women.”
(Annie Leibovitz)
In Volume 2, we find a barefoot Joan Baez sitting in a tree strumming her guitar; a pregnant Rihanna draped in jewels and fur; Billie Eilish dreaming over a journal with pencil in hand; Shonda Rhimes with her feet up on a desk as massive as her oeuvre; and an uninhibited Michelle Obama as we’ve never seen her before: chin raised, eyes closed, hair tossed back, T-shirt and jeans parted to reveal her midriff. “I was in shock,” Leibovitz says. “But the first lady’s assistant was standing next to me, shouting, ‘That’s my first lady!’”
Familiar faces dominate, but woven between them are portraits of “regular” American women. A botanist precedes Oprah Winfrey, a philanthropist and a rabbi surround the founder of a Skid Row nonprofit, the reproductive rights activists of Moms Demand Action share space with a nude Lady Gaga. “I told her to bring a slip,” Leibovitz comments. “I’d rather people keep their clothes on at this point in my life.”
Volume 2 includes one essay each from activist Gloria Steinem, Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Leibovitz herself. Steinem writes, “This book will help us to discover our adventurous true selves. … We are atoms whirling in place, affected by and affecting those near and far from where we are.”
Adichie agrees. “Taken as a whole,” she writes, “these photographs create a deeply moving experience, they refute the singular lens, they revel in plurality’s power, and because of — or perhaps in spite of — their wide range, they are infused with a spirit that is communal, collective, even unifying — and ultimately hopeful.”
Leibovitz concludes the second book. “For this volume I thought about issues that are important today,” she writes. In 2016, when she was beginning work on Volume 2, the notoriously cloistered Leibovitz told a New York Times reporter about the nationwide “talking circles” she and Steinem had organized, in which women shared their experiences with issues including sexual violence, technology and human rights. “Talking in groups like that, it brings me to tears,” Leibovitz told the reporter, adding that the new work she was making for Volume 2 was more “democratic.” Volume 2 is indeed more diverse, possibly in response to a widely discussed critique of Leibovitz’s photographs of Black women.
No celebrity survives fame without acquiring a layer or two of tarnish. In the decades between Volumes 1 and 2, Leibovitz’s representations of Black women painted Leibovitz with hers. A 2022 Guardian story was headlined, “Annie Leibovitz proves yet again: she can’t photograph Black women.”
“Leibovitz’s photographs are what happens when Blackness is seen through a white gaze incapable of capturing its true beauty,” contributor Tayo Bero wrote, referring to a list of Leibovitz subjects including Simone Biles, Viola Davis, Serena Williams and Rihanna. Bero wrote, “In all cases, she manages to make her subjects look dull, ashy, pained and sad, a far cry from the lively and graceful people that they usually are.”
Bero and others particularly criticized an image Leibovitz made for Vogue, depicting Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson at the Lincoln Memorial. In the photo, the snow-white marble statue takes center stage, overlooking Brown Jackson on the lower left. At the Wiltern, when that image appears, Leibovitz speaks of her own experience shooting it, not the controversy surrounding its publication. “I was skeptical about that idea,” Leibovitz says. “But she walked into the rotunda and she started reading Lincoln’s words that are engraved into the wall. It was such a moving moment.”
Two years later, the controversy was reawakened by Leibovitz’s depictions of Zendaya, also in Vogue. An April 2024 piece on the website Screenshot Media reiterated the photos’ failure to accurately reflect “the beauty of melanated skin tones, with poor lighting that often results in lackluster portrayals.”
In her introductory essay to Volume 2, Adichie, on the other hand, praises Leibovitz’s sensitivity. “The first time Annie photographed me, more than ten years ago at my home, she sensed my discomfort right away and knew it was not merely about my general awkwardness with being photographed. It was specifically about my belly, which was newly postpartum, although I would probably still have worried even if it wasn’t. … Annie’s sanguine reaction was a relief. There was no divisiveness, no judgment.”
Rihanna at the Ritz Hotel, Paris, in 2022, from “Annie Leibovitz: Women.”
(Annie Leibovitz)
Leibovitz, her representatives and her publisher, Phaidon Press, declined to comment on the critique. In an email interview with Phaidon Vice President Deborah Aaronson, who worked on four Leibovitz titles, Aaronson said, “‘Women’ reaffirms Annie Leibovitz’s place in the photographic canon. In the ‘Women’ series, she captures a breadth of experience and people who live and work in different spheres that’s unparallelled. I believe the series makes her the most important chronicler of women over the past 50 years.”
Annie Leibovitz entered the San Francisco Art Institute at 22, intending to be a painter. But a night photography class she took on a whim changed her medium, and her life. While still a student, manifesting the confidence that would characterize her career, Leibovitz pitched a Lennon shoot to Rolling Stone. Three years later, rendered immortal as the final photographer of Lennon and Ono, Leibovitz became Rolling Stone’s chief photographer.
In 1983, Leibovitz joined the staff of Vanity Fair, where her field of exploration, and her social sphere, expanded to include actors, athletes and politicians. In 1991, she became the first woman to have a solo show at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. She was designated a Library of Congress Living Legend in 2000.
In 2001, at age 52, Leibovitz gave birth to her first daughter, Sarah Cameron Leibovitz. Sontag was at her bedside. In May 2005, via surrogate, Leibovitz became the mother of twin daughters, Susan (named for her beloved painter sister) and Samuelle. In 2009, Leibovitz was commissioned to make the official portrait of the first family — President Barack Obama; his wife, Michelle; and their daughters, Sasha and Malia — continuing the relationship that began in 2004 when she photographed Obama in his run for the U.S. Senate.
“I want to photograph the White House,” Leibovitz says, “but I don’t think there will be much of it left when I get to it.” The evening ended as it began: with the enthusiastic applause of her audience.
Manchester rapper Aitch, 25, is among the famous faces on I’m A Celebrity this week and while introducing him, presenters Ant and Dec mocked him for his stage name
Ant and Dec have mocked Aitch while introducing him on the show(Image: ITV)
Ant and Dec mercilessly mocked Aitch as the rapper joined I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! in the Australian jungle. The 25-year-old, whose real name is Harrison James Armstrong, rose to fame in 2018 with the track Straight Rhyme. The rapper’s debut studio album, Close to Home, reached number two on the UK Albums Chart.
Introducing Aitch on the show, Dec said: “We’ve got one of the biggest names in British music – H.” Ant then joked: “H from Steps, that’s a good booking.” But Dec replied: “No, it’s the rapper.” Co-host Ant then said it was a “tragedy” that Ian Watkins – best known by his stage name of H from Steps – wasn’t on I’m A Celeb.
“H from Steps is rapping now. What a tragedy,” Ant said, before Dec continued: “On a diet of rice and beans Aitch is probably worried he’s not going to rap for three whole weeks.” Ant concluded: “That’s rap, with a capital C.”
Among this year’s contestants alongside Aitch are reality TV star Jack Osbourne, comedian Ruby Wax, Spandau Ballet’s Martin Kemp, model Kelly Brook and Emmerdale star Lisa Riley. Completing the line-up are comedian Eddie Kadi, EastEnders actress Shona McGarty, sports broadcaster Alex Scott and social media star Morgan Burtwistle, who is known as Angryginge.
Aitch joined Eddie, Shona, Kelly and Martin skydiving from a helicopter on to a beach. The five celebrities then had to wade through offal and slime to find a key fob to get access to a getaway car taking them to camp.
As the rapper joined the celebrities on the show, fans have been left wondering if he will cause as much controversy Down Under as he has throughout his career. One of Aitch’s most infamous moments came in 2022, when an advertisement for his debut album Close to Home mistakenly covered a mural of Joy Division icon Ian Curtis in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
The artwork, which was painted by street artist Akse P19, had become a local landmark, and its disappearance sparked outrage among Mancunians. Aitch was blindsided by the backlash, and told BBC Breakfast: “I felt like the most hated person in Manchester for about 40 minutes.”
He recalled discovering the mistake on social media, saying: “I seen it on Twitter, that was the first time I seen it…There was an outrage burst of like, ‘What’s Aitch doing putting his album over Ian’s mural’, and then I was like, ‘Oh god, what’s this?'”
The rapper moved quickly, contacting Amazon and Akse P19 to stop the billboard from being erected and arrange for the mural to be restored. “We just put a stop to mine straight away,” he added.
HE may be growing old very, very gracefully, but George Clooney is worried about ageing too fast – and forgetting his lines.
The Hollywood heartthrob, 64, was taken on a surprise walk down memory lane after shooting his latest film Jay Kelly, in which he plays a fictional famous actor.
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George Clooney, pictured in Italy last year, had to face getting olderCredit: GettyGeorge and wife Amal at the Venice Film Festival in AugustCredit: GettyGeorge as superhero in 2017’s Batman & Robin
Unknown to him, director Noah Baumbach had added snippets of George’s previous movies at the end of the Netflix release.
And watching the years roll by on screen was an eye-opener for the silver fox, not least when he was met with milestones he would rather forget.
His dodgy Eighties haircut in sitcom The Facts Of Life was one, as well as just how young he was when he starred in hospital drama ER in the Nineties.
George, whose hits include Ocean’s Eleven and Gravity, says: “It was really fascinating, because you go through all the things we all go through, which is you watch yourself age, which you have to make peace with.
“You also look at some f***ing horrible mullets. And you have to kind of get through all that.
“And you do get this thing of, ‘God, that was just yesterday, wasn’t it?’. That I was on ER or something. It really does go by fast. And the older you get, the faster it seems to go.”
Having dropped out of university, where he was studying journalism, he sold insurance and shoes while also trying his luck as an extra on TV.
Sequels cancelled George recalls: “I came from Augusta, Kentucky, where I was a tobacco farmer. And you go on all these auditions and you go, ‘Well, I took a shot’. And if it doesn’t work out, it’s easy when you get older to go, ‘Yeah, I gave it a shot. It didn’t work out’, which happens.
“But you can’t do it when you’re old and you didn’t try. That’s regret.”
Back when opportunities were thin on the ground, George did take some roles he now recalls ruefully.
That includes the first movie he was cast in, called Grizzly II: Revenge, which suffered financial problems.
Backers pulled out of the 1983 low-budget horror flick, which also featured Charlie Sheen and Laura Dern, so the cast were stuck in Hungary for weeks while the funding was sorted out.
George reveals: “It was funded by these Hungarians. And then they lost the money.
“And so we got stuck there for, like, two months. And it was Laura, Charlie Sheen and me. It was all our first films.
“And we’re stuck there for two months. And we can’t get home. We don’t know what to do.
In Grizzly II, we get eaten by a bear in the first scene. It never comes out, thank Christ. Then some schmuck finds it. Now it’s ‘starring George Clooney’ and I get worst reviews of my life
George Clooney
“And literally, we get eaten by a bear in the first scene and so it never comes out. Thank Christ.”
Although the movie was not completed at the time, it was finally finished and released in 2020, with George given a top billing, even though he only appeared briefly.
He continues: “Some schmuck finds it and he gets a bunch of old footage of s**. And he puts it together.
“And now it’s like, ‘Starring George Clooney’. And it comes out. And after 40 years, I’m getting the worst reviews of my life.”
George’s screen breakthrough came in 1994 when he began playing paediatric doctor Doug Ross in ER, which was a global success.
It led to major movies including From Dusk Till Dawn two years later, and Batman & Robin in 1997.
George as Jay Kelly and Adam Sandler as Ron Sukenick in Jay KellyCredit: Peter Mountain/NetflixGeorge and Laura Dern in Grizzly IICredit: Alamy
The star is able to laugh off his much-panned version of the caped crusader, which was such a flop that the sequels were cancelled.
And he jokes that his eight-year-old twins Alexander and Ella will be left traumatised by the Batman outfit he wore.
The actor says: “We know they’re going to be in therapy no matter what, just from Batman & Robin. ‘My dad had rubber f***ing nipples’. Disaster.”
George, who was married to actress Talia Balsam, 66, for four years until 1993, dated a string of beautiful women, including Renee Zellweger and British TV presenter Lisa Snowdon, before settling down with lawyer Amal Alamuddin.
She is the mother of his children and the couple have been married for 11 years.
They have homes near Reading, Berks and in Kentucky, US.
It is clear that George is very content, unlike his latest character.
He says of the fictional Jay Kelly: “He regrets his relationship with his father. He regrets the relationship with his kids. “He regrets the relationship with the women in his life and not spending enough time with people you love. I don’t have much of that. I mean, I have kids that still like me.”
Even so, fans might have some difficulty separating fiction from reality when they see George in his latest role.
He is, after all, playing a Hollywood star who has experienced plenty of ups and downs.
When Noah Baumbach, who is married to Barbie director Greta Gerwig, wrote the script, he thought George was the natural choice for the lead role.
But the actor hopes he did not see any of Kelly’s nasty streak in him.
People will be like, ‘Oh, you’re just playing yourself in this’. And I go, ‘Well, I hope not, because the guy’s a d***’
George Clooney
He jokes: “People will be like, ‘Oh, you’re just playing yourself in this’. And I go, ‘Well, I hope not, because the guy’s a d***’.
‘I was scared’
“But, you know, maybe they’re telling me something. When he said, ‘I wrote this with you in mind,’ I was like, ‘F*** you’.”
This will only be George’s seventh movie in the past ten years. He has not received many scripts that interested him — and some of the roles he did take failed to “challenge” him.
That includes the 2024 Apple+ action comedy Wolfs that he made with Brad Pitt and the romcom Ticket To Paradise with Julia Roberts in 2022.
George says: “For the last ten years or so, for the most part, I was directing because I was more interested in telling stories and I wanted to continue to be a storyteller. But the parts I was getting offered weren’t all that interesting.
“And so I hadn’t really been in a film. I did a couple of movies. I did a movie with Julia Roberts and I did a movie with Brad, which were fun and they’re fun to work with and people that I know. But it’s not challenging yourself.
“We know what the audience wants delivered for those films.”
Neither of those movies were well received by reviewers and George hasn’t had a critically-acclaimed film since 2016’s Hail, Caesar!
Out of the nine movies he has directed, Good Night, And Good Luck was the biggest success, picking up Best Picture and Best Director Oscar nominations at the 2006 awards.
And while 2014’s The Monuments Men was a box-office hit, other offerings such as Leatherheads in 2008 lost money.
George is sanguine about any setbacks he has faced. “I was friends with Gregory Peck and I was friends with Paul Newman. Even those guys, and they were the biggest movie stars in the world, even their careers don’t just go like that,” he explains pointing upwards.
Making a rollercoaster motion, he continues: “Their careers do this, that’s how they ride. And my career has had many of those, many failures and many things that I wish I’d done better.”
I was friends with Gregory Peck and Paul Newman. Even those guys, and they were the biggest movie stars in the world, even their careers don’t just go upwards. My career has had many failures
George has taken risks by getting up on stage on Broadway, recreating Good Night, And Good Luck as a play earlier this year.
It received five Tony nominations, including best actor for the star himself.
Not bad for a man who struggled to remember the script.
He admits: “I hadn’t done a play in 40 years. And so I was nervous. And every night, you know, I was worried because as you get older, it’s hard to remember your lines.
Theater veteran Elizabeth Franz, who won a Tony Award for her bold reinvention as the wife of the everyman title character in the 1999 Broadway revival of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” has died. She was 84.
The actor died Nov. 4 at her home in Woodbury, Conn., after a battle with cancer, her husband, screenwriter Christopher Pelham, told the New York Times. Pelham also said Franz’s cause of death was cancer and a severe reaction to the medication being used to treat her.
The Ohio-born actor’s take on Linda Loman, the wife of Brian Dennehy’s Willy Loman, in the 50th anniversary production of “Death of a Salesman,” was a departure from the character’s usual defeated energy that took even playwright Miller by surprise: “She has discovered in the role the basic underlying powerful protectiveness, which comes out as fury, and that in the past, in every performance I know of, was simply washed out,” Miller said in a 1999 interview with the New York Times. The production, which originated at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre before Broadway, eventually made its way to L.A.’s Ahmanson Theatre.
Alongside Dennehy, Franz later reprised the role of Linda in Showtime’s TV adaptation of the play in 2000, which earned her an Emmy Award nomination.
She previously received a Tony nom in 1983 for her turn as Matthew Broderick’s onstage mother in Neil Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs.” And later earned another nod in 2002 for “Morning’s at Seven,” in which she played the youngest of four Midwest sisters. Her other stage credits include “The Cherry Orchard,” “The Cemetery Club” and — in her final role on Broadway in 2010 — “The Miracle Worker.”
Franz’s TV credits included “Judging Amy,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Roseanne” and “Homeland.” A generation, though, came to know her as Mia Bass, the owner of the Independence Inn in Stars Hallow, in a Season 2 episode of “Gilmore Girls.” The minor, but essential-to-the-lore character was later recast in Season 7. She also appeared in the films “Sabrina,” “School Ties,” “A Fish in the Bathtub” and “Christmas With the Kranks.”
In addition to Pelham, Franz is survived by a brother, Joe.
Married At First Sight UK’s Bailey and Rebecca were dubbed the ‘strongest couple’ but have now announced their break-up
Katy Hallam Audience Editor and Dan Laurie Deputy Editor of Screen Time
19:21, 16 Nov 2025
MAFS UK’s Rebecca and Bailey were one of the experiment’s strongest couples
Bailey and Rebecca have called it quits just days after Married At First Sight UK viewers witnessed their romantic display at the show’s reunion.
Bailey, a dad-of-one, was absolutely besotted with wife Rebecca but has now confirmed their love story has reached its conclusion and they’re no longer together.
The reality star revealed he had brought their relationship to an end in a heartfelt statement. Sharing a new snap on Instagram, he confirmed the break up.
Bailey penned: “Unfortunately it’s time to share that Bec and I are no longer together.”, reports Birmingham Live.
“We tried our best to navigate life after the experiment, and although we spent a lot of great time together on the outside, unfortunately the relationship came to an end.
“I still have a lot of love for Bec and I’m grateful for the amazing relationship we shared.I had fallen for Bec completely and it really was a true love story.”
Bailey continued: “I won’t lie, watching us fall in love all over again on screen has been ridiculously hard to go through and it’s something I’m still struggling with now. But I wouldn’t have changed any of it!”.
“Sadly I also have to address the various different false online allegations constantly being spread about me since the start of MAFS, which have been hard to deal with.
“I want to make it very clear, I never cheated on Bec at any point. I didn’t handle our break up well and for that I’m truly sorry to Bec, but I was completely loyal the whole way through our relationship.
“I’m not perfect, I don’t claim to be and I take responsibility for my part in why the relationship didn’t work.”
He wrapped up his statement by saying: “Making the decision to end things was heartbreaking and not a decision that I took lightly.
“I’m still heartbroken, but I wish Bec all the best and I always will.”
The reality TV star had previously shared countless snaps with Rebecca from both during and after the experiment before revealing the devastating news of their split.
Married at First Sight UK is available to watch on Channel 4 online
BELOVED actor Dick Van Dyke has issued a concerning health update as he shares his secrets to a long and happy life ahead of his 100th birthday.
The award-winning star revealed on Sunday that he feels “diminished” and is becoming increasingly housebound as a result of his frailty.
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Dick Van Dyke has issued an update on his health as he prepared to turn 100 in a few weeksCredit: GettyThe iconic actor and entertainer has shared some of his rules to live by for a long and joyful lifeCredit: Getty
The father-of-four is set to celebrate his 100th birthday on December 13.
Ahead of the celebrations, he penned an essay for The Times, issuing an update on his health and opening up about the secrets to a long and happy life.
Reflecting on some of his most iconic roles as aged men, the TV icon accepted, “I’m not playing a super-old any more. I am a super-old”.
“I am now a stooper, a shuffler and a teeterer. I have feet problems and I go supine as often as is politely possible,” he wrote.
“I have trouble following group conversations and complain frequently about my hearing aids.
“At mealtime I spill stuff, and when my wife, Arlene, asks me to put on an unstained shirt before we go out, I get impatient.”
The TV icon revealed that he is becoming increasingly housebound as a result of “physical decay”.
“It’s frustrating to feel diminished in the world, physically and socially,” he said.
“I get invites to events or offers for gigs in New York or Chicago, but that kind of travel takes so much out of me that I have to say no.
“Almost all of my visiting with folks has to happen at my house.”
Despite his physical ailments, the Mary Poppins star is relentlessly positive about life, praising his wife for keeping him young as well as seeing the world and his experiences of it like a “giant playground”.
“Boiled down, the things that have kept my life joyful and fulfilling are pretty simple: romance, doing what I love and a whole lot of laughing,” he wrote.
As well as still going to the gym three times a week, being part of a singing group, and always dancing, Dick has a number of rules to staying young at heart while making it to 100.
Trying not to let negativity take over is one of the key tenants of his life.
He has praised his wife Arlene for keeping him young and movingCredit: Getty
While he admitted that he can “spiral into anguish over the mayhem and cruelty” of the world, and turn into a stereotypical grumpy old man, “that’s not the essence of me,” he says.
Instead, he recommends embracing all life throws at you – the good, the bad, and the ugly – without giving into it.
Dance, sing, and be able to laugh at yourself, he said, if you can’t do the latter, “you’ve got big problems”.
Two other rules he lives by are to always be playful and to refuse to live in the past.
Last year he even joked that he “hopes he makes it to 99th birthday” as he was seen running errands in Malibu.
Now, as he prepares to reach a century, he is showing no signs of slowing down with his new book ‘100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist’s Guide to a Happy Life’ being released on November 18.
Dick says he always tries to stay playful, refuses to let negativity get him down, and that music and dance are key to longevityCredit: GettyThe actor will turn 100 on December 13Credit: Getty
