show biz

Actor Hayden Panettiere, the child actor who rose to stardom in television and also spoke with raw frankness about her struggles with fame and mental health, died Sunday, according to her family. She was 36.

Panettiere’s father, Skip, announced the actor’s death in a statement shared with The Times on Sunday.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen,” his statement said.

No other details were released.

She starred on “Nashville” (2012-18) and, before that, “Heroes” (2006-10). Her early work included roles in the 1990s on the soaps “One Life to Live” and “Guiding Light.” She was a model and a singer, having released several singles.

Panettiere also starred in the “Scream” horror movie franchise as well as in hits “I Love You, Beth Cooper” and “Remember the Titans.”

She first gained major attention with “Heroes,” where she played a cheerleader with superpowers. On “Nashville,” she played a troubled country music star, doing her own singing and performing on tour.

Panettiere has been candid about her struggles while living so much of her life in the public eye.

Panettiere gave birth to her daughter, with boxing champ Wladimir Klitschko, in 2014 and battled postpartum depression. She gave up custody of the child in 2018, a decision she called “heartbreaking.”

In May, the actor published a memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” in which she opened up about her alcoholism and depression after the birth of her daughter.

In interviews about the book, she reflected on the scrutiny and cruelty she faced as a young actor.

“It blows my mind that people could be so cruel,” she told the New York Times. “Looking back as an adult and a mother of a daughter, it’s hard to believe that grown adults were OK with ripping you apart at such a tender age. At any age, really.

“I just can’t believe I made it through alive,” she added.

Panettiere started in movies at the age of 9 when she voiced Princess Dot in the 1998 Pixar movie “A Bug’s Life.” Two years later, she made a splash in the role of a young football-obsessed fan and daughter of assistant coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton) in the biographical drama “Remember the Titans.” The actor told “ET” in 2023, “If I had a wish to go back to any time in my life, it would be going back to ‘Remember the Titans.’ … There were so many stars made from this movie.”

Panettiere was passionate about animals and began advocating for whale conservation in her teens. She came out as bisexual earlier this year, telling Us Magazine that she was sad to have waited until age 36 to do so.

She spoke up about her experience with domestic abuse after a public altercation in Los Angeles in 2022 involving a then-boyfriend. Brian Hickerson was on probation at the time following multiple domestic violence charges that dated back to 2018.

In 2025, her brother, Jansen Panettiere, died suddenly of complications from a heart problem. He had struggled with substance abuse and she got him into treatment, she told Us Magazine.

At the height of her fame on “Heroes,” she was regularly followed by the paparazzi and was the focus of much tabloid attention. Looking back on that time recently, she told a podcaster: “It was just sheer terror.”

In the statement on Sunday, Panettiere’s father said the family asked for privacy “as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

THE tragic last post of Hayden Panettiere paid tribute to “good times and good friends” just weeks before she passed away aged 36.

The Heroes and Nashville actress died on Sunday, her father said this morning.

Hayden’s final Instagram post was made on July 27, only 21 days ago, as she smiled alongside photographer pal Randall Slavin.

The carefree and happy snap shows the pair smiling at each other as Panettiere winks playfully at the camera.

In a caption accompanying the snap, which appears to be from a busy event, the Scream star wrote: “Good times and good friends.”

The post has 40,000 likes from Hayden’s one million followers.

Responding to his friend’s death, Slavin, 56, shared the photo on his own Instagram page.

He wrote alongside the black-and-white snap: “Peace be with you, H”.

Other fans flocked to her social media pages to leave their own tributes.
One said: “Rip to the most beautiful soul ever.”

Another wrote: “This just brought me intense sadness.

“I’ve followed your work since I was a little girl, and have been following you for years because you seem like such a wonderful person who deserves so much better in life.”

Sources told TMZ that the mother-of-one had complained of back pain in the months before her death on Sunday.

Hayden’s father, Skip, confirmed the tragic news.

In a statement, he said: “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden.

“She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her – and to the millions who watched her onscreen.”

He asked for privacy “as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss”.

The star’s family did not give a cause or location of death, however TMZ reported both Panettiere and boyfriend Brian Hickerson had flown out of Los Angeles on Saturday.

The website also reported that police responded to an “incident” and that an investigation is ongoing.

ARIANA Grande left fans stunned after bringing out a special guest for a ‘mesmerising’ duet on the second night of her London tour shows.

The singer and actress, 33, is performing at The O2 for the UK leg of her Eternal Sunshine Tour.

On the second night, Ariana had a big surprise for the audience as Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo joined her on stage.

The pair portray Glinda and Elphaba respectively in the smash-hit musical films.

An onlooker told The Sun: “The crowd absolutely lost their minds when Cynthia came on stage for the Wicked reunion.

“Cynthia and Ariana couldn’t stop beaming as they were reunited to sing For Good.

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“It was almost the end of the concert and everyone was shocked.”

They then went onto sing another song Called Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again

It comes after Ariana revealed she felt “overwhelmed” with emotion on stage as she thanked her fans for their support.

At the opening night of the UK leg of her Eternal Sunshine Tour, the American singer said: “London, I love you so much.

“As you know, London is my final stop on this tour.

“And I just wanted to say I’m going to savour every last second of these last ten shows with you guys. As this is one of my favourite places in the world.”

Telly star Vicky McClure has shared an insight into the upcoming series of Trigger Point and she’s hinted that fans can expect high-powered storylines

She is perhaps better known for Line Of Duty, but Vicky McClure is in the line of fire again during her ITV drama Trigger Point.

The fourth series kicks off with her troubled character Lana Washington on the front line with Counter Terrorism Command as the capital is hit by a wave of devastating bombings.

It’s shocking on screen and the 43-year-old admits it keeps her on her toes. Vicky says: “I think it’s a really great start, and it was the right place to start with Lana’s personal situation. If you’ve been a fan of the show, you’ve got to deal with her, and she’s got to put herself first eventually, for the job as well as for herself. You just cannot keep going. Especially with what’s to come. So yeah, there’s a lot going on.

“But I don’t think anyone will ever know Lana inside out bless her. There’s a numbness to her because of the amount of tragedy that she’s faced. Whether it be close family or a stranger in you know a situation, she doesn’t feel, and that must be such a disconcerting and scary place to be.”

Vicky and the team of bomb disposal officers – known as EXPOs – begin the new series jumping onto a truck as she tries to keep the capital safe from explosive devices and terrorist threats.

Although it is serious and tense on screen, the high octane opening episode was also mixture of fun and fitness for Vicky. She joked she does a lot of prep in the gym before adding:”No I don’t! and I’m not going to lie about it because I don’t.

“It’s my gym! It’s happening while I’m working, and it is it is long days, and it is physical, and it is a lot to take on. But, I know it might get said a lot, but I mean it, this was one of the best jobs.

“And y’know as much as there’s a lot of running, there’s like running, and then it’s like okay, we’re going to change lens. I’m like ‘I’ll see in 20 minutes’. So I’ll go and have a cup of tea and sit down and catch my breath and go again.”

Vicky is joined on the show by returning fellow cast members Eric Shango who plays Danny, Nabil Elouahabi who stars as Hass, Natalie Simpson who is DS Helen Morgan and Maanuv Thiara who is DCI Batra. Director Jennie Darnell, who also worked on Line Of Duty also got to use guest stars including Julie Graham and Jonas Armstrong.

They hope to build on the success of the third series which averaged 7 million viewers, with the launch attracting 7.4million

The main problem the team had for the explosive opening episode was shooting in London and all its landmarks, which is not easy as its a city that is never quiet or empty.

Director Jennie said It was “very exciting” but added: “How of you track a device on a lorry through London in almost real time. We had to work through that. What makes it complex and difficult is if we were going to say it was set in London, we needed to be in London.

So we needed to know those landmarks and know how we could use them, know which ones we could have access to using, and then piece that together from there.”

The result is an extraordinarily tense and exciting opening episode, although actor Vicky is at pains to keep all the details secret.

Writer Chris Brandon teased: “This show thrives on its on its cliffhangers and and and its surprises, and there’s plenty more to come.”

Before promoting this ITV series, Vicky has also just finished filming new Line Of Duty scenes for the BBC and is sworn to secrecy on that action too, although she thinks some measures by TV bosses to keep things under wraps can be a bit over the top.

She said: “ I do think sometimes it’s a bit dramatic, the industry, it’s a bit MI5. Oh sign an NDA for this script.

“Like we’re gonna copy it and get a green light tomorrow, which is impossible ever. So I do think sometimes it’s excessive.

“But then, for the audience’s sake, I wouldn’t dream of saying anything, because, you know whether you’re gonna binge it, whether you’re gonna go week by week, whatever way you want to approach telly now, which is in so many different ways, people have a choice, and that’s great.

And it’s such a shame when sometimes it is you know given out, and therefore you kind of can’t miss the spoilers. But that’s that’s the way it is now.

“I wouldn’t dream of sort of saying too much. I think if my family ask, yeah, they probably know a lot. So don’t approach them!”

* Trigger Point Series 4 starts on ITV and ITVX on Sunday August 30 at 9pm.

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ROMANTIC David and Victoria Beckham returned to the hotel where they sealed their love on a first holiday in 1997.

The couple went back this weekend to the retreat where they holidayed in secret 29 years ago before making their relationship public.

Posh and Becks shared a photo of themselves on a balcony overlooking the Med at the Splendido hotel in Portofino on the Italian Riviera.

Mum-of-four Victoria, 52, wrote next to the image: “Back in Portofino where we began in 1997.”

David, 51, also shared a video of his wife walking into the £2,000-a-night hotel and wrote: “29 years ago we came to Portofino to this hotel before anyone knew we were dating and here we are back again.”

In a Netflix documentary, Victoria revealed a never-before-seen picture from the 1997 trip, saying it was the first time they had met away from a car park where they secretly dated.

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She said: “I know, it makes it sound like we’re really dodgy. We’d already fallen in love before then, but it was definitely the first time that we’d been somewhere so romantic and so private.”

They got engaged the next year.

On their current trip, the pair stopped for a drink before returning to their yacht moored at Portofino.

They are holidaying with son Cruz, 21, and daughter, Harper, 15.

MILAN, Italy — Thieves stole four works attributed to Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina worth millions of euros from the regional museum in the city of Messina in Sicily while crowds gathered across town for the traditional Assumption holiday celebrations, cultural officials and Italian media said Sunday.

The thieves bypassed alarm and security systems on Saturday evening at the MuMe museum, making off with three of the five surviving panels of the San Gregorio Polyptych, dated to 1473, as well as the double-sided panel depicting the Virgin Mary and the dead Christ in Pietà, which was removed from an armored display case, the news agency LaPresse reported.

They removed all five panels of the San Gregorio Polyptych from their frame, but abandoned two behind a wall while fleeing.

Art expert Alberto Fiz estimated the value of the stolen works at $81 million to $92 million.

“We are devastated by what happened. They were two of Antonello da Messina’s most important and best-known works. It is a tremendous loss for the museum, the city, the community and the art world,” MuMe director Marisa Mercurio told the news agency ANSA.

Mercurio said that the theft occurred just before 10 p.m., and that the alarms were working and the guards were on site. She described the works as central to the region’s heritage.

“These are not merely works by Antonello da Messina,” she told Sky TG24. “They are works that hold considerable significance in terms of our identity, as well as, of course, their artistic and cultural value, because they are works by our very own Antonello da Messina.”

Messina’s top culture official, Enzo Caruso, called the theft “more than a loss” and “a disaster.”

“Messina without Antonello is deprived of the very essence of the greatest artist of the European Renaissance,” Caruso told Sky, calling for the swift recovery of the stolen works.

Caruso noted that international interest in the artist had intensified since Italy’s Culture Ministry acquired Antonello’s devotional painting “Ecce Homo” for $14.9 million through negotiations with Sotheby’s in New York this year.

Lynda Albertson, an art crime analyst, said the works are instantly recognizable, impeding any effort to sell them through reputable channels.

“Stealing an Antonello may be far easier than selling one. If these are ordinary thieves, they will soon discover that — to their cost,” Albertson, who is the chief executive of the ARCA art crimes research association, told the Italian daily La Repubblica. She said such famous artworks often pass from one criminal to another, serving as collateral for other illicit activity.

The museum was closed Sunday while investigators gathered evidence. Neither museum officials nor the Carabinieri national gendarmerie could immediately be reached for comment.

The Ferragosto holiday, which marks the feast of the Assumption of Mary, marks the height of the Italian summer holiday season, and was being celebrated in Messina with a procession that culminated in prayers and a blessing in the main Piazza Duomo around the time of the heist.

The theft comes just days after police in the northern Italian city of Parma announced that they had recovered three stolen artworks by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse worth about $11.5 million. Five people have been detained in the March 22-23 theft from the Magnani Rocca Foundation located in the Parma province.

Barry writes for the Associated Press.

IT looks like The Beatles are getting back to where they once belonged — at the famous Abbey Road zebra crossing.

The cast of the upcoming Fab Four biopics recreated the iconic cover image of the 1969 Abbey Road album.

Harris Dickinson led the way as John Lennon, followed by Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr.

Paul Mescal was bare-footed Paul McCartney and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison.

Period vehicles were also seen on the street near the North London recording studios.

It is the first time Barry has been seen since reportedly throwing a strop while filming in Kent.

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The four Beatles biopics are due out in April 2028.

The friction between Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in 1970 will be brought to life in the upcoming Beatles biopic.

But we reported in June how there was tension among the two actors playing the pop legends, too.

A source said: “Barry has been rubbing people up the wrong way.

“His timekeeping is not always up to scratch and he often references that he is a parent — despite not living with his son.

“He also brings his brother Eric on set as his assistant, which doesn’t always bring out the best in his character.

“Barry is professional and can bring out the best in any script.

“But he can test the boundaries off-camera.”

Paul and Ringo, the last surviving members of the band, clashed in 1970, shortly before the group split in April that year.

JOHNNY Depp is in talks to return for a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film – after launching his big-screen comeback.

The actor, 63, became a worldwide star with his role as swashbuckling pirate Captain Jack Sparrow in five films from 2003 to 2017.

Almost a decade on from the last instalment, new reports suggest Johnny will reprise the beloved character yet again.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer told Deadline Hollywood at D23: “We’re talking with Johnny (Depp), we’re working on a screenplay, and hopefully we can get this done.”

Sources also told the publication that the next film would reportedly follow a protagonist played by Margot Robbie, with Jack in a supporting role.

Other key cast members throughout the films include Orlando Bloom, Kiera Knightley, Geoffrey Rush and Kevin R. McNally.

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It comes as Johnny is making his big screen comeback with the title role in upcoming film Ebenezer.

Inspired by Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol, it sees Johnny star as the infamous miser Ebenezer Scrooge.

The star-studded cast also includes Ian McKellen, Rupert Grint, Daisy Ridley, Andrea Riseborough and Sam Claflin.

Directed by Ti West, the film is set to be released in cinemas on November 13.

Depp sued his ex-wife for defamation over an opinion article she wrote for the Washington Post, alleging she was a domestic abuse victim, though it did not mention him by name.

His former spouse Amber Heard counter-sued.

Following this, jurors awarded Depp – who had denied abusing Heard – $15m (£12m) of compensatory and punitive damages.

Meanwhile, Heard was awarded £2m in compensatory damages, having won one of three counter-claims against Depp.

Stephen A. Smith received the equivalent of a failing grade Saturday from the National Assn. of Black Journalists, which blasted his consistent takedowns of Black female politicians.

Predictably, the outspoken sports pundit, who also weighs in with sharp takes on politics and popular culture, is not pleased with the assessment and is planning a fiery response: “Now y’all started something.”

The organization at its annual convention on Saturday presented the ESPN “First Take” host with its annual “Thumbs Down” award, saying he has “established a recurring public pattern of disparaging commentary directed at prominent Black women across politics, sports and media.”

The statement continued, “Such commentary reinforces harmful narratives, undermines the fair and respectful representation of Black women in public discourse and stands in direct conflict with NABJ’s longstanding commitment to accurate, responsible and inclusive portrayals of Black communities.”

The ESPN “First Take” commentator lashed back in an X post: “This is the epitome of Christmas arriving early. The @NABJ wants to call folks out, fine! You had your turn, now mine is coming. And make no mistake…..,I’m coming. Let’s see who REALLY deserves a Thumbs Down award when it comes to the Black Community, after I say my peace! Remember …you asked for it. I’ve shut my mouth for years. Now y’all started something.”

The clash signifies a significant break in the relationship between Smith and the NABJ, which hosted Smith and live broadcasts of his show at its 2024 and 2025 conventions.

The “Thumbs Down” dishonor is the latest backlash against Smith from Black media figures and others.

He accused Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas last September of using “street verbiage” in her frequent criticisms of President Trump. Comedian Kevin Hart quipped during a recent Comedy Central roast that Smith belonged on the “Mt. Rushmore of racism” alongside Kid Rock and Hulk Hogan.

He also has clashed with former MS Now anchor Joy Reid and is engaged in a longstanding feud with NBA star LeBron James.

Although he and Trump have called each other names, he also praised the president, and said last week that Trump-backed Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds might prompt him to change his political affiliation from Democrat to Republican.

Smith has hinted in past months that he is considering a presidential run.

Others who received a “Thumbs Down” from the NABJ included Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission; DuJuan McCoy, Circle City Broadcasting president and chief executive; CBS; and the Washington Post.

NEW YORK — It was 2023 when Laufey, the Icelandic singer-songwriter known for her neoclassical jazz-pop, decided to create a global fan event. Her second album, “Bewitched,” was soon to be released and she wanted to do something big to celebrate it. But more than that, she says, she “wanted to find a way to get my fans out of their homes, and to really follow an itinerary of my perfect idea of a day and have the music from ‘Bewitched’ follow it.”

And thus, “A Very Laufey Day” was born. Each year, the Grammy-winning singer curates itineraries for different locations across the globe for her listeners to follow. It’s “anywhere I have been and loved,” she says. It allows them to live what she refers to as “a perfect day,” but also to connect with their community offline and in person. And as she approaches its fourth edition, it has only grown larger.

“It became much bigger than I anticipated, really,” she says. She sought to inspire her audience to find “third spaces,” and explore some of her favorite locales: museums, bookstores, cafes, concerts and the like, and foster community in the process. And each year, it has only grown bigger, with fans dressing up in their favorite Laufey-themed vintage fashions to celebrate the unofficial holiday.

And Aug. 23 will mark the fourth annual “A Very Laufey Day.”

“It is a fun puzzle every year,” she says.

‘A Very Laufey Day’ 2026

This year, “A Very Laufey Day” will include experiences in 75 cities across 25 countries, centering on the theme of “A Celebration of the Arts.”

“Wherever in the world you’re spending your day, I hope you feel inspired and invigorated,” Laufey wrote in a note on her “A Very Laufey Day” website.

Fans can expect performances spanning symphony orchestras, ballet, jazz, opera and theater as well as events with libraries, bookstores, coffee shops, yogurt/ice cream shops and more. Her concert film, “A Night at the Symphony: Hollywood Bowl,” will be screened at select theaters. And she’s partnered with many museums around the world, including New York City’s Guggenheim, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, London’s Tate Modern and National Gallery, Chile’s Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Seoul’s Daelim Museum and more. At some participating businesses, fans will be able to acquire limited-edition merchandise and Laufey-themed specialty drinks.

LACMA is offering a discount code, AVLD, for museum visitors on Aug. 23. As of Aug. 16, the code took $2 off tickets. “Come spend the day enjoying something beautiful,” LACMA wrote on Instagram.

“This year it was really about focusing on the arts and culture and finding ways to bring this barrier of entry down between my audience — which is mostly Gen Z and Gen A — and these kind of so-called high cultural experiences,” she says. “Whether it’s going to see an orchestra show … museums or galleries, we really want to find ways to connect with those institutions.”

Some of these spaces can be intimidating for younger fans, and Laufey says this year was all about making these rooms, some of her favorites, inviting to her audience.

“It doesn’t have to be this scary thing. And so, I’ve kind of made it my life’s mission to make spaces like that fun and accessible,” she says.

Sherman writes for the Associated Press.

POP star Pixie Lott has morphed into Hollywood golden girl Marilyn Monroe for a new West End role.

Taking the titular part in Who Killed Marilyn? Pixie has wowed early audiences with how uncannily she embodies the pin up, in a play about her life and death.

Images from the show see Pixie, 35, showcasing Marilyn’s iconic look, complete with platinum blonde wig and a slick of bright red lipstick.

The star slipped into a white satin dress (based on the gown Marilyn wore in The Seven Year Itch in 1955) and kissed a hunky co-star in scenes from the show, which debuted on Saturday and has been lauded by theatregoers.

The West End run is a deep-dive into the woman behind the legend, inviting audiences to “experience the mystery, the glamour and the raw emotion of Who Killed Marilyn?” following decades of conspiracy.

The starlet was discovered dead in Los Angeles on August 5, 1962, aged just 36.

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The actress’ death was officially ruled a probable suicide from a barbiturate overdose, but playwright Sharleen Cooper Cohen and director Philip Wm. McKinley have told theatregoers to “get ready to question everything you thought you knew…”

History has been rife with theories about the star’s demise, thanks to her links with former US President John F Kennedy, his brother Robert, and rumours of a mob cover up.

The synopsis reads: “Who Killed Marilyn? dares to challenge the most enduring myth surrounding one of the twentieth century’s most iconic women.

“Drawing on decades of documented evidence, conspiracy and cover-up, the production presents a vivid and provocative re-examination of the life and death of Marilyn Monroe, placing her at the centre of a web of power, politics and desire that reached the highest levels of American government and organised crime.

“Who Killed Marilyn? restores Marilyn Monroe to her rightful place, not as a victim, but as a woman of extraordinary intelligence, wit and force, whose story has never been fully told. Until now.”

Pixie – who is married to model Olicer Cheshire and has two sons – recently said of the role: “I have always loved Marilyn, she is such a fascinating, timeless legend, and bringing her complex story to life on this beautiful stage and being her every night is an absolute dream come true for me.”

GILLIAN Anderson has opened up about a ‘secret’ early relationship with ‘an older girl in high school.’

The Sex Education and X-Files actress, 58, has been open in the past about her relationships with women.

In a new interview, Gillian discussed her youthful romance and the sensitivity around it.

She told The Sunday Times: “One of my first relationships was with an older girl in high school.

“It felt secretive and illicit and wrong and we had to hide.

“Later on I had a boyfriend who found out and broke up with me.”

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Continuing, Gillian said she’d had “a couple of boyfriends”, so didn’t think of herself as gay.

She added: “But I definitely felt I didn’t have the language for it.

“Even later on when I had other relationships with women I’m not sure I ever thought of them as being potentially for ever.”

She concluded: “The person I consider my life partner happens to be male.”

Gillian has reportedly been in a relationship with screenwriter Peter Morgan, 63, on and off since 2016.

Peter is perhaps best known as the creator and showrunner of Netflix smash-hit The Crown.

Before Pam Ferris picked up a religious habit as Sister Evangelina, she won the hearts of sitcom fans in another historical drama

Call the Midwife icon Pam Ferris is a world away from Sister Evangelina in this 90s classic television show.

The 78-year-old actress is famed for playing tough-talking nun Sister Evangelina on the BBC series, who dedicated her life not only to her religion but also to serving the poorest communities in London as a senior midwife.

Sister Evangelina is an original character introduced during the first episode, which aired in 2012. But only four years later, the beloved nun died suddenly in her sleep after suffering a stroke, leaving Fred Buckle (Cliff Parisi) to find her lifeless body in her chair.

Earlier this year, during the series 15 finale, Pam Ferris reprised her role as Sister Evangelina to guide her dear friend Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt) into the afterlife in a very emotional scene.

However, before Ferris ever picked up her wimple and adopted constant words of wisdom, she was known by sitcom fans for her role in another cosy period drama, The Darling Buds of May.

The much-loved ITV series debuted in April 1991 and is an adaptation of the H. E. Bates novel of the same name.

The show told the story of the Larkin family and their lives in rural Kent during the 1950s, and was led by a small cast, including Sir David Jason as Pop Larkin, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Mariette, and Philip Franks as Cedric.

It quickly became a feel-good ratings success and will surely always be seen as a ‘90s classic – despite only running for 20 episodes.

The Darling Buds of May is currently streaming for free on ITVX and has been hailed as a must-watch by fans who have enjoyed the show for decades.

On IMDb, one person dubbed the show “So endearing, funny and perfect!”, while a second added, “If only there was more.”

A third stated: “It doesn’t get much better! I purchased the whole series a few years ago and then watched the whole series within a few days.”

“One of the most beloved British comedy-dramas of the 1990s, The Darling Buds of May remains a comforting television classic — full of warmth, countryside charm, and unforgettable performances”, wrote one person on Facebook.

“Loved it…. easy watching….like All Creatures Great and Small”, commented one viewer while another confessed: “I absolutely love this programme and always watch when it’s on the television no matter how many times I watch.”

Over the years, Ferris has gained more fame on the big screen as the wicked Miss Trunchball in Matilda, floating Aunt Marge in the Harry Potter franchise, and kind-hearted headteacher, Mrs Bevan, in Nativity!

She went on to feature in a number of costume dramas, such as Middlemarch, Jane Eyre, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and popular crime serials, such as Marple, Rosemary & Thyme, and Luther, and even appeared as Cath in the BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey.

Call the Midwife is available on BBC iPlayer

CRUZ Beckham left fans blindsided as he shared a throwback photo with his two brothers Romeo and Brooklyn.

In what at first appeared to be a regular post of recent snaps, Cruz included a photo of when he and his brothers were children, posing together while on holiday.

The photo of happier times was simply captured “Brothers” with a blue heart emoji.

This surprised his followers, given Brooklyn is currently estranged from the rest of the Beckhams amid their very public fall-out.

Brooklyn has not been pictured with the rest of the family since then – but Cruz’s inclusion of the childhood throwback set tongues wagging in the Instagram comments.

“Brothers forever Cruz!” one person penned, followed by another who wrote: “Precious memories forever!”

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Elsewhere, Cruz’s sister-in-law Nicola Peltz also shared a series of snaps, captioning them “summer magic”.

Amid a slew of snaps featuring luxury homes and bouquets of flowers, was a picture of her husband Brooklyn, grinning happily.

Brooklyn declared in January that he was not speaking to his family, claiming they had tried to interfere with his marriage to Nicola, and that they “humiliated” him at their 2022 wedding.

He stated that he was not interested in reconnecting with mum and dad Victoria and David Beckham, and his siblings Cruz, Romeo and Harper Beckham were seemingly dragged into the feud as a result.

Just last week, fans believed Cruz had taken a swipe at Brooklyn in a TikTok post.

Cruz’s clip showed him cracking an egg into a pan, before removing and throwing away the shell.

He struggled to crack the egg, having to scoop out pieces of shell with his fingers.

Cruz captioned the post: “The shell is the best part.”

Meanwhile, the lyric “I wanna wear you down” from Cruz’s single Wear & Tear played over the video.

Cruz’s followers believed he was referencing aspiring chef Brooklyn’s own cooking videos.

This includes fans recently being left baffled with Brooklyn’s bizarre cooking hack on a yacht, when he used seawater to cook tomato pasta during a holiday with his wife.

Writing underneath Cruz’s video, one fan penned: “Second best cook in the family after ya dad….”

While another added: “It took me a minute, but this has to be a dig. The cooking and the song lyrics.”

Earlier this month, David and Victoria missed bumping into Brooklyn by minutes after the whole clan holidayed in St. Tropez separately.

The Beckhams enjoyed a summer break away in the South of France but estranged son Brooklyn was enjoying his own outing with wife Nicola Peltz just around the corner.

The clan have been split for over a year with Posh and Becks attempting to extend an olive branch on numerous occasions.

INFLUENCER Perrie Sian is known to her millions of followers for her fashion and hilarious sense of humor.

But she recently went global after sharing a video of her accidentally sharting while doing an outfit reveal on holiday in Antalya.

The clip has been watched almost 20 million times in ten days, with her bottom blooper making the news in the US, Australia and even Turkey.

And Perrie told The Sun it was Stacey Solomon’s dad Dave who persuaded her to post the viral moment.

She said: “I wasn’t sure I had recorded it because my phone is always filming for my vlogs, but I watched it back and then heard it and I was in hysterics,” Perrie explains.

“I was on holiday with Stacey Solomon  and her family, and it was her dad Dave who said post it.

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“The internet can be such a negative place and I thought, if this can make someone smile then it’s worth it.

“If you want some entertainment, go read the comments, there are over 4,000 and they are brilliant.”

Of the global reaction to the clip, Perrie adds: “National TV in Turkey, I’m obsessed. And the New York Post. Imagine this being your entry into America, them writing about your shart.

“But it’s been giving people such a laugh, it’s worth it. The memes are so good, my podcast Can I Be Candid posted one that said, ‘total eclipse of the shart,’ after the eclipse last week.

“I’m actually really just glad that I did post it. It’s made my family and friends laugh, it’s made so many people laugh now across the globe.

“I don’t think any video I do will come close to this annoyingly. I might try but I don’t think it will.”

If you’ve yet to catch this moment of comedy genius, check out @perriesian on TikTok and Instagram.

Countryfile’s Adam Henson has highlighted a worrying issue facing Britain’s farming industry after a set of figures left him deeply concerned

BBC Countryfile presenter Adam Henson has highlighted a serious concern facing the farming industry after new figures revealed a sharp rise in the number of people dying at work.

The farmer, who runs Cotswold Farm Park, said the statistics had prompted him to think carefully about the risks faced by those working on farms and whether more could be done to prevent fatal accidents.

Writing in BBC Countryfile Magazine, Adam said: “There’s so much bad news around that it’s easy to be numbed by the torrent of negative stories in the media. But occasionally something hits the headlines that stops me in my tracks – and that’s what happened when the latest figures for deaths in the workplace were released.”

Figures showed 33 people died while working in agriculture during the 2025/26 financial year, compared with 23 the previous year and 27 in 2023/24.

Adam pointed out the disproportionate number of deaths in the sector, noting that agriculture employs only around 1% of the British workforce but accounts for approximately one in five workplace fatalities.

The figures also prompted him to reflect on safety procedures at his own farm, where both employees and contractors carry out a wide variety of work.

He explained that risk assessments and training were already part of everyday operations, but said the figures were a reminder that it was worth looking again at how hazards were identified and managed.

Adam stressed that there was no single reason behind the number of deaths and that every incident had its own circumstances. However, he highlighted the nature of agricultural work as one possible factor.

Long days, physically demanding jobs and working alone can all create additional risks, particularly when there is nobody nearby to spot a problem or intervene.

“If there are no colleagues around and no chance of a second opinion (or a crucial second pair of eyes), it’s easy to imagine how something potentially dangerous could go unnoticed,” he wrote.

Farming also involves a huge variety of potentially hazardous tasks, with workers dealing with livestock, machinery, chemicals and other equipment.

Adam said the rural setting could sometimes make it easy to forget that a farm is still a workplace, and compared it with more conventional working environments such as factories and workshops.

He also recalled Apaches, the notorious public information film from the 1970s which highlighted the dangers children could face on farms. Adam described the film as “terrifying to watch”.

Research by the Farm Safety Foundation found that 88% of farmers surveyed believed complacency, including overconfidence and a false sense of security, was a major contributor to accidents on farms.

Several initiatives are attempting to improve safety, including the Foundation’s Yellow Wellies campaign, which provides advice and training. Meanwhile, charity RABI has developed FarmersAid, a free app intended to support people who are alone after a serious accident while they wait for emergency assistance.

Adam’s comments come after he recently raised another concern affecting the farming industry during a Q&A with fellow farmer Olly Harrison at Cotswold Farm Park.

Asked what they wanted from the Government, Harrison argued that farming needed to receive greater attention.

Adam subsequently discussed food fraud, saying he had been told by someone at the Food Standards Agency that the problem was worth £9 billion in the UK.

He said: “I was with someone from the Food Standards Agency and food fraud in the UK has a value of nine billion pounds. So stuff that is on a glass or a packet or says it’s something that it’s actually not.”

He went on to claim: “Huge amount of food coming into the country that is, you know, meats that is unlabelled or out of date or not fit for human consumption. Honey, olive oil and dairy products are the three biggest fraudulent foods.”

But it was the farm safety figures that left Adam with a simple hope for the future.

“Like everyone, I’m hoping and praying for zero avoidable deaths on our farms in the future.”

Sunny Nights has arrived in the UK and fans have been on the “edge of their seats”.

Sunny Nights is here and fans are eager to find out who stars in this dark comedy crime drama.

After its initial release in Australia and the US, Sunny Nights has made its way to the UK with the entire eight-episode season released on ITVX today, Sunday, August 16.

Having made a fresh start Down Under in Sydney, Australia, brother and sister Martin and Vicki Marvin open up their tanning shop but unfortunately, they don’t get the happily ever after they were looking for.

Instead, they accidentally get involved in a blackmail that puts them on the radar of Sydney’s criminal underworld.

Sunny Nights cast in full

Martin Marvin – Will Forte

Martin is usually a law-abiding citizen who can’t help but analyse risks but was pushed to make the big move to win back his estranged wife.

Actor Will Forte will be remembered for starring in the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2002 to 2010, as well as for series The Four Seasons on Netflix and The Last Man on Earth.

Vicki Marvin – D’Arcy Carden

Vicki is Martin’s loose cannon sister who has a far more laid back attitude when it comes to risk and danger.

Actress D’Arcy Carden earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for her role in the NBC sitcom The Good Place but she’s also known for starring as Greta Gill in A League of Their Own.

Mony – Rachel House

Ruthless syndicate crime boss Mony is out for revenge after the siblings accidentally ruin her life.

Mony is brought to life by actress Rachel House who has been in Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Time Bandits and is the voice of Gramma Tale in the Disney movie Moana.

Susi – Jessica De Gouw

Susi quickly entraps Martin and starts to blackmail him for as much money as she can get out of him.

Arrow fans will best recognise actress Jessica De Gouw as Helena Bertinelli, The Huntress, in the superhero drama.

She has also starred as Mina Murray in the NBC series Dracula and Elizabeth Hawkes in the historical series Underground.

Joyce – Ra Chapman

Joyce moved to Sydney to start over but her past soon catches up with her when her estranged husband Martin also moves to Australia.

Korean-Australian actress Ra Chapman will be remembered for her roles in Knowing, White Fever, Dear Life and Wentworth as Kim Chang.

Terry Torres – Willie Mason

Terry is Mony’s enforcer when she needs a heavy hand to take care of business. He is played by former Australian rugby league player Willie Mason who makes his acting debut in Sunny Nights.

Other cast members include Megan Wilding as Nova, George Mason as Dreadlock Pete and Matuse as Dentist Dave.

Sunny Nights is available to watch on ITVX.

GORKA Marquez has admitted he sometimes “can’t be a*sed” to have sex with fiancée Gemma Atkinson as he made yet another joke about their private life.

The Strictly dancer made the candid confession on the couple’s Lost In Translation podcast.

Gorka, 35, said: “Sometimes when Gemma says, ‘Do you want a cheeky one?’ I just think, ‘I can’t be bothered. For f***’s sake, Gemma!’”

He then quickly added: “But I bet she thinks that about me.”

The saucy exchange was sparked by a listener asking whether the couple ever don’t feel like recording their podcast.

They admitted there are days when they aren’t in the mood – prompting Gorka to compare it to their sex life.

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He later swapped back to talking about the podcast saying: “It’s like going for a run. You never feel like doing it, but you always feel better for it afterwards!”

Gemma, 41, chipped in: “You have to have those days where you think, ‘For eff’s sake,’ because then you appreciate the other days.”

It comes shortly after Gorka made headlines with another series of racy remarks to Gemma during a previous episode.

The loved-up pair were answering the question: “Who is fitter out of you both? And what are your strengths and weaknesses in fitness?”

Gorka then decided it was the perfect opportunity to make a string of cheeky comments.

As part of her answer, Gemma said: “I stretch every day. You’ve got to as you get older.”

Gorka winked and replied: “I stretch her out,” before asking: “Can I pipe you tonight?”

Gemma and Gorka met during the 2017 series of Strictly Come Dancing and announced their engagement in 2021.

The smitten pair share two children – Mia, six, and Thiago, two.

ARIANA Grande appeared to show off a mysterious new tattoo as she kicked off the first night of her London tour.

The new inking is thought to match one recently seen on boyfriend Ricky Álvarez, sparking speculation that the couple may have got identical designs ahead of Ariana’s ten-day residency.

Taking to the stage at the opening night of her Eternal Sunshine Tour, her first tour in the UK since 2019, Ariana appeared to have the words “I do love you” tattooed across her collarbone.

Ricky reportedly has the same phrase inked on his chest.

The rekindled couple first dated in 2015, when Ricky worked as one of Ariana’s backing dancers.

Their last public appearance as a couple was in 2016, shortly before they went their separate ways.

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He was later namechecked in her 2018 hit Thank U, Next, in which she sang: “Wrote some songs about Ricky, now I listen and laugh.”

Rumours of a reunion first began swirling in June after Ricky was spotted at Ariana’s birthday concert in Austin, Texas.

During the show, she changed the original lyric to: “I know he’s still got my back.”

She fuelled speculation further at a later show in Brooklyn, singing: “We always find our way back.”

The pair appeared to confirm they had rekindled their romance last week when Ariana shared two photos of them together in an Instagram carousel and tagged Ricky in both.

The pair are believed to have reunited last month, with Ricky appearing to make their rekindled romance Instagram official by sharing a carousel of photos on social media.

The new design joinig around 50 other tattoos Ariana has, including a matching “For Good” design she shares with Cynthia Erivo in tribute to their time filming Wicked.

Last month, Ariana announced she would be withdrawing from the spotlight after her latest music video for Petal sparked concern among fans over her health.

Despite insisting onstage that her break from the spotlight was planned “a long time ago” she axed plans to star in the West End revival of the classic Stephen Sondheim musical Sunday in the Park with George.

It’s also been rumoured that she’ll no longer be taking part in the press tour for her upcoming movie release Focker-In-Law.

Her representative said at the time: “Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour.

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

Sunny Nights is the dark comedy drama that ITV fans have been impatiently waiting for.

Sunny Nights is ready to binge-watch with viewers keen to get a full breakdown of its filming locations.

Following the chaotic story of brother and sister duo Martin Marvin (played by Will Forte) and Vikki Marvin (D’Arcy Carden), Sunny Nights sees the pair leave their lives in the US behind to start over again in Australia.

As Martin also hopes to win back his estranged wife, they set up their own tanning shop but their lives are upended when they accidentally anger a ruthless syndicate crime boss.

Martin also gets himself caught up in a blackmailing plot so their once peaceful future quickly looks a lot more complicated.

As Sunny Nights dropped on ITVX today, Tuesday, August 18, here’s everything there is to know about where the series was filmed.

Where is Sunny Nights on ITV filmed?

Sunny Nights was filmed in New South Wales, Australia, with the comedy drama set in the iconic city of Sydney.

Coastal walks and the beautiful scenery in Bondi are particularly featured in the beginning, including spots like the Bondi Icebergs and the suburb of Tamarama.

Other Sunny Nights filming spots include the coastal residential suburb of Malabar, Botany Bay featuring heritage sites like Bare Island and Frenchman Bay.

The historic pools of Wylie’s Baths can also be seen along with the stunning views of the Blue Mountains.

Heading up the cast as Martin Marvin is Saturday Night Live icon and Netflix ’s The Four Seasons star Will Forte.

Opening up to Rolling Stone, Forte shared that it was a life-changing prospect working on the show.

“It was really after only two episodes were written that I had to make this decision: Am I bringing my whole family down to Australia on the chance that these other six episodes are going to be as good? With [Australian filmmaker] Trent O’Donnell, you say yes to that.

“Looking back, it is the greatest decision of my life.

“Marrying my wife, deciding to have kids, those are all other ones up there as well, obviously, but everything about this show turned out to be the best version.”

Sunny Nights is available to watch on ITVX.

In this week’s episode of The Envelope podcast, Chase Infiniti discusses her meteroic rise, her Emmy nomination for “The Testaments” and nurturing the ambition to become an actor since age 10.

Kelvin Washington: Hello, everyone, and welcome to this week’s episode of The Envelope. You have myself, Kelvin Washington, alongside my usual suspects, Yvonne Villarreal, Mark Olsen as well. It’s been a week, so I’m trusting everybody’s good. Yvonne, we’re coming to you here because you’re going to help us break this down. Don’t bug the eyes. Yes, we’re coming to you. The [TV] Academy, they’re making some changes when it comes to the live broadcast, and it can be a little bit confusing. That’s why we got you here. Tell us more.

Yvonne Villarreal: They announced that they will be moving five categories that are usually handed out during the ceremony, the Primetime [Emmys] ceremony, to a week prior and handing them out during the Creative Arts Emmys’ weekend. They say the decision is sort of to make space to innovate the live show and incorporate new things. You know, viewership is always something that they’re after. But it’s causing a stir in Hollywood because we’re losing some mainstays of the show, and that’s writing for a variety series, but also taking a big hit is the limited series or movie categories. We’re losing supporting actor, supporting actress, but also writing and directing. And people have a lot of thoughts. Mark, I want your thoughts. Kelvin, I want your thoughts.

Mark Olsen: I feel like there’s a disconnect between the people who watch award shows and the people who make and produce award shows, where I feel like those of us who watch them, we just want more sort of genuine moments from the talent, from the nominees. I want more speeches! And so taking away five categories, there’s going to be that much fewer speeches. I just can’t help but think of like Linda Cardellini, who’s one of the people nominated, she was on our roundtable earlier this year and just like a great presence, a stalwart TV actor, and to have to take away that chance for her to potentially get up onstage be really genuine, why would you not want that as part of your show instead having these kind of like canned comedy bits or, you know, hacky reunions plus canned comedy bits that nobody particularly wants.

Villarreal: It’s an awards show.

Washington: True, but maybe I’m Nobody in this case. We were talking about this a little bit earlier, you guys were making fun of the 1990s reunions there. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed seeing, I think it was maybe two years ago, when they had “Martin” up there and they had never been invited; they were kind of joking, “Oh, we never got invited” or “We never won an Emmy.” And so I think it’s been pretty cool. And I will say that this is the challenge for productions, when you’re trying to appease everyone. Is it about the awards? It is about the length of time — just speed this thing up? Is it about having the magical moments? And then you see the Grammys try to get these things right as well. You’re never gonna be able to please everyone. So I think it’s always a difficult balance. So we’ll see how it works out this year. But I’m looking at you, Mark, some people might enjoy those. And you too, those nerdy little reunion shows.

Villarreal: But in a time when it’s already hard to get a show visibility in this marketplace, and so many people don’t know what’s nominated anymore, when you’re taking away an access point for them to discover something or not tell them about a show, it’s a short-sighted change I think.

Washington: The only response I would add to that is that’s kind of where we are. Even if you keep up with television, movies and music, it seems to be a lot more word of mouth than historically where things are plastered everywhere. And even if you didn’t care about the particular thing, you saw it, you heard it. Now it’s like word of a mouth and just watercooler or just the algorithm telling you what to like.

With that being said, somebody who’s having a great run right now, Chase Infiniti. I know you had a chance to speak with her. Of course, “Handmaid’s Tale” did so well. Then there’s the spinoff, “The Testaments.” Tell me a little bit more about your chat with her.

Villarreal: Talk about, like, a breakout nomination this year. Chase has really been a star on the rise. She made her debut in Apple TV’s adaptation of the legal thriller, “Presumed Innocent” playing Jake Gyllenhaal’s daughter. And in recent projects, she’s played this young revolutionary, both in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” and now in “The Testaments,” which takes place after the events of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” She’s the daughter of a high-ranking commander, but she’s also the biological daughter of June, who’s Elisabeth Moss’ character. And this show is really about seeing the rebellion of young teenage girls and how they are sort of key to the inside resistance of toppling this regime. And so we talked a little bit about that.

Washington: All right, well, you got me a little nervous. You’re talking about the rebellion of teenage girls. You know, I’ve got a 9, a 7, and a 5-year-old, so that could be my future.

Villarreal: Let’s hope it is. They’re the future.

Washington: You’re right, you’re right. Yvonne and Chase, here they are now.

Chase Infiniti, photographed in late March ahead of “The Testaments” premiere.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Yvonne Villarreal: Chase, thanks so much for being here. Congratulations on your Emmy nomination. What do you want to remember about this moment, this feeling?

Chase Infiniti: Oh. I don’t know. I’m trying to take little pictures in my brain of everything and remember all of the influx of emotions that I felt that entire time, but also throughout the whole journey of making Season 1 of “The Testaments.” There’s so many things about it that I’m like — I just never want to lose that feeling. There’s a lot of [memorable] moments I had on set and also during the press tour and then even finding out about the Emmy nomination, which feels very crazy to say. But even finding out about that, there’s so many little things that I’m like, “I never want to lose that feeling. I want to keep it in my brain forever.”

Villarreal: Is it as thrilling as what you remember feeling when you booked that first role in a local production of “Hairspray,” when you were 10?

Infiniti: It definitely does. I also feel very grateful that with my job and with everything I get to do, I really try to keep intact how much I love the work and how much I love creating. That’s what helps it keep that same energy as me finding out I’m playing Crystal in “Hairspray” versus me finding out that I have an Emmy nomination.

Villarreal: Were you on Cloud 9 getting the news of Crystal?

Infiniti: Oh, yeah. I was so happy because I was it was the first time I ever had a name in a musical. And I remember when I was a kid, I watched the movie version of it every night for six months. Not a lie. Me and my sister would turn it on religiously after school and we would start singing “Good Morning, Baltimore.” It got to the point where we knew almost every line in the movie.

Villarreal: I feel old asking which version of “Hairspray”… Zac Efron? What was it about it?

Infiniti: It’s just catchy — everything about it. It just makes me happy, When I hear “Run and Tell That,” I just want to do twirls in my room. I love musicals so much and they make me so happy. If I’m ever down or need a little pick-me-up, I’ll literally just blast that soundtrack. I blast the soundtrack to “Pippin” or … “Shrek: The Musical.” I remember being in the production and it kind of brings me back to those happy memories I had ,or productions that I saw that I was like, “Oh, my gosh, this really makes me want to work towards being in something like that.” I love musicals.

Villarreal: It was just two years ago where the general public was starting to learn your name with your debut in Apple TV’s “Presumed Innocent.” Since then, you’ve navigated the film award season with “One Battle After Another,” and now the TV awards season with “The Testaments.” How do you make sense of what this moment is? Are there still things you’re getting used to? What have you enjoyed about this part of the job?

Infiniti: There’s a lot of things I’m still getting used to. Especially with “One Battle,” I think the biggest adjustment I had was people knowing me before I walked up to them — people that I’m massive fans of. I met Angela Bassett at something, and she came up to me and said my name, and I was like, “You’re Angela Bassett, and you know who I am?” That was like an “Oh, my gosh” [moment]. I’m still really adjusting to that. I feel like there’s a disconnect in my brain between like what I think people know of me versus what reality actually is. And my friends bring it up all the time and they’re like, “Chase, these people know who you are.” But I can’t wrap my head around that. It’s very strange, especially going from like a 0 to 100 situation. That’s something that I’m still trying to find an adjustment on in my brain.

[What have I] enjoyed about it? I’ve gotten to meet all of my superheroes, in a way. All the people that I’ve grown up watching on the screen and on the stage, [I’ve encountered at] all of these different events and in passing, and everyone could not be kinder and just getting to meet them and just pour into them how much they’ve shaped my life and shaped the creative work I want to do. Another adjustment thing is hearing them pour back into me too. That’s something that I’ve been getting used to. But meeting the superheroes of it all in my brain has been something I’ve really loved. Also getting to meet people who’ve watched “The Testaments”; like younger girls who’ve watched it and then really found a connection point with it, and it’s had an impact on them and their friends. That’s something I really cherish about getting to do what I get to do. I had it with “One Battle.” It’s really cool to see it happening again with “The Testaments.” That’s a very wonderful gift.

VIllarreal: Before we delve further into “The Testaments,” I do want point out this moment onstage at the Academy Awards. When “One Battle After Another” won best picture, Paul Thomas Anderson singled you out, calling you “My American girl” and the “heart of this movie.” Place me in that moment as Chase.

Infiniti: Well, I didn’t hear him. I just heard him say my name. I remember he was going down the list and saying names of different people, and I thought that it was something like that. I was touched that he even mentioned me onstage. Obviously, that movie has quite literally changed my life and that entire cast. And I love Paul so much. So I didn’t hear him onstage, and it wasn’t until afterwards that my parents had sent me a screenshot of the [closed] captions from that night. They were like, “This is what Paul said about you.” I just remember feeling so honored that I got to be a part of something that changed my life, but [it was a film that] also really, I think, changed a lot of people’s lives as well; they connected with it. I can distinctively remember every single day on that job. I just remember feeling such a rush of emotions after reading [what he said] because I love that movie and I love Paul so much. I could not be more grateful for that opportunity and for the opportunity to play Willa, let alone get to be a part of the crazy world that is a Paul Thomas Anderson set. But I learned so much. There’s so much I could say about it.

Villarreal: How did playing Willa inform how you thought about Agnes, who’s also this young revolutionary in the making, as you were putting yourself on tape for “The Testaments”?

Infiniti: I signed on to it with one script in mind. Obviously, I had read the book beforehand, so I had an idea of what she was going to go through, but I didn’t necessarily know how it was going pan out onscreen. The biggest help Willa [provided] beforehand going into that is, I feel like I, by nature, have a little bit of a rebellious spirit, but I really had to turn it up with Willa. I think that being able to access that through Willa and then shape it differently for Agnes, given the circumstances of where she is, was the biggest key between the two. They do share the strong sense of rebellion. Granted, Agnes doesn’t know where it comes from. She doesn’t really know how to handle it, necessarily. But I think that that was a nice way into Agnes and creating her world mentally of where she is and also the inner turmoil of, “I know that there’s this thing happening inside me, but I don’t really understand it.” I think [that] was the biggest cheat code from Willa to Agnes.

Villarreal: What was it about “The Testaments” that spoke to you and made you want to tackle the material?

Infiniti: Just from that one script alone that I read before I signed on, it was hidden that it was “The Handmaid’s Tale,” but you can get a sense of what the world is based off of that initial script. I just fell in love with how detailed it was. It didn’t feel like there were any question marks in the world, and I think that diving into something [like] that felt very interesting because it’s not otherworldly but it feels otherworldy in the sense of the way that they speak and the way Gilead itself looks on paper versus on the screen. That was something that I found to be very interesting. But I think with Agnes specifically, I really love the amount of love that she has for her friends, because that’s something that I feel very strongly about. My friends and my family, but especially my friends, are the people I cherish most in my life. My loved ones are near and dear to my heart, and I will do anything for them. That’s something that I really loved about Agnes. That makes me very happy to see, that even in a world that’s so dark and so dim — even if she doesn’t view it as that, it is dark and it is dim for a young girl in Gilead —she still has so much love and so much hope for her friends. And I found that to be very inspiring.

Villarreal: Did you have any hesitation about the heaviness of this fictional world?

Infiniti: I don’t think that that necessarily terrified me, because I think that I have this very privileged ability to step into this world that seems like it’s so far outside of what we are, I guess, used to — but it’s really not. Nothing that Margaret Atwood writes is fiction. It is all based off of history or things that are happening at the time that she’s written it. I knew that it was going to be very relevant. I’m in this very privileged position where this isn’t my reality, but this is the reality of so many women around the world. And I thought when I read this script that this was a way for people to not, I guess, become desensitized to seeing these things, because I think that we’re in a world where it’s so easy to just turn off your phone, scroll past something, and just ignore what’s actually really happening. With “The Testaments” and with the things that these girls go through, I truly feel heartbroken. But if this in any way can wake people up, can help people continue to ask questions and really question their own environments, that was something that I wasn’t scared of. And I really felt empowered to join something that was doing that. And I am also grateful that on that set, it never felt like the material was too heavy for a day because our entire cast and our entire crew kept the energy on set very light. And if there was ever a point where a day was extra heavy, I knew that I could turn to Lucy [Halliday, who plays Daisy] and she would always be there for me. I know that I can turn to one of the directors and they would always be there, or even one of the [production assistants]. Everybody on set was very forthcoming with kindness and always very open. That was something that helped to keep the heaviness of the subject matter [from] going home with us.

Villarreal: Agnes has only known obedience and repression. She’s very controlled with her emotions. As somebody with roots in musical theater, did you have to curtail some of those instincts that you might’ve had to be a little more expressive? How was it settling into Agnes?

Infiniti: It was honestly pretty easy because you get into the space, you get into the world, and you instantly are transported and you get little context clues based off of the things that you see in Agnes’ room versus the things that you’ve seen in the school — or the absence of things. The absence of things really helped to start to put me in a box in a way — not the negative connotation of that — like putting the costume on. It really helped for me to feel the restriction of the world to understand what Agnes’ mind is, and getting to see that from the outside and then getting to step into it. It wasn’t that hard to shut off that part of my musical theater brain, but I think part of that is also I’ve learned how to maneuver through that just based off of “Presumed Innocent” and “One Battle,” because both of those parts are also very, very much so not musical theater-y at all. So I think that was also something that I had the privilege of learning on both of those sets.

Villarreal: Something that stands out with Agnes is we’re witnessing her awakening. Gilead is all she’s ever known. And she’s very dutiful to the practices of that society. But she’s grappling with coming into her identity and feeling this gap of her internal thoughts and feelings and what society tells her to be. What was important to you in having those two realities live side by side?

Inifiniti: The one thing I never wanted her to lose was her sense of love. She is a character who that is at the root of most of her decisions, especially when it comes to the final episodes with Becka [played by Mattea Conforti]. I think the love that Agnes has in this world is something baseline I never want to lose. I really tried to maintain that throughout.

There’s so much that you keep to yourself — your inner thoughts, your inner personality in a way — versus what you outwardly show the world. I just had to turn up the extremes when it came to Agnes, and really make sure to keep those things that she keeps close to her heart guarded. And put on this almost armor in a sense of what she views to be the most perfect version of herself for the outside world. And then watching that kind of crumble, those layers are peeled apart based off of what happens to her and what she sees happen to her friends. But also, there’s a point in everyone’s life where they realize, “Oh, what I had been raised under the belief of is actually not the reality. Whether it be something like that or whether it be an idea or an ideal that you have about the world or about yourself or your morals, just based off of what you’ve been raised with. I think that everybody has a point in their life where they have to face a version of reality that they’ve been told versus what actually is reality. There’s things that I’m still learning, and there’s still things that I’m questioning just based off of what I see in my personal life, and then also with my friends or what my family goes through.

Villarreal: A key character in the show is menarche and the menstrual cycle. We see how it’s weaponized, but we also see how it gives these young girls their power. What was it like to explore that?

Infinti: The thing I honestly really enjoyed about it is the openness of it. Like, you know when you go to the bathroom — and this is perfect podcast talk — and you’re taking your pad or your tampon to go change, but you’re hiding it because you’re like, “I don’t know if I want anybody to see it” [or hear] the crinkling of everything. But I think that the openness of everything in the show — granted, circumstances are completely different — but the openness that they have with it, I found to be very freeing and refreshing in a way. That was something, especially when we started shooting, that we all talked about, because we were like, “We’ve never been in a place where it didn’t feel like there was a stigma against it.” It felt like we were almost encouraged to talk about it. Getting to put this show out into the world and letting girls see that there isn’t something that they should be afraid of, but also letting them see that this is normal. This is not something that we should be scared of, let alone try to hide, because it’s a part of womanhood. It’s also a part of girlhood and a point of connection between younger girls. Getting to see it on the screen and see the way that these girls talk about it, ignoring the society of Gilead and the amount of pressure that the men put on them in this society, that connection that they have with those few things that span across culture, that is something that we were all very happy to kind of have that openness with something that we’ve felt so scared to talk about, especially at like 14 and 15.

Villarreal: Scared to experience too.

Infiniti: I remember when I got my period for the first time I was like, “What is happening? I don’t know what is going on.” The first person that you call, if it’s not your mom or another maternal figure in your life, is your friends. Because they’re normally the person closest to you in proximity if you’re at school or if you were at an after-school activity or something like that. Getting to have that openness felt very refreshing to have on set.

Villarreal: There was so much openness that there was a menarche playlist curated by director Mike Barker. Tell me the backstory on this.

Infiniti: We did. I’m trying to remember how we found out about this playlist. We were doing a camera test for the costumes, and I remember Mike just putting on this playlist and he’s like, “I like putting up these songs for everyone to listen to” because there was no dialogue in this little camera test between me, Mattea, Rowan [Blanchard], Lucy, Brad [Alexander], Amy [Seimetz] and Mabel [Li] — I can’t remember if I might be forgetting somebody else, and I’m so sorry if I am. But it was a bunch of the cast and then there was also some pinks in there just to see how everything looks on camera. And we were hearing all these different songs playing. We’re like, “Wow, this is great. Thanks for putting together a playlist, Mike.” At some point, Lucy went to grab his phone to look at what the song was and his playlist was open, and she’s like, “Why is the playlist called ‘The Menarche Playlist’? And after that, it just became us trying to get him to approve a song that we would suggest.

Villarreal: I remember you telling me Britney Spears’ ”… Baby One More Time” was on it. But I had wondered who else made the cut.

Infinti: “… Baby One More Time” was on it. I think that was the first song on it, but there would be points in lunch — we’d all eat lunch together — and we’d be like “OK, Mike, what about this one for the menarche playlist, or what about about this one?” We would all secretly hope that they would get added to the show.

Villarreal: Did one of your suggestions get added?

Infiniti: There are songs on there that I don’t even remember. So one of them probably did get added. I just don’t remember what it was.

Villarreal: Agnes is somebody that doesn’t really experience culture. We don’t know what kind of music she likes, what kind of TV or film she likes. And you’re someone that’s very much into culture, at least from what I’ve seen. Were you thinking about what she might like? How did you think about her backstory with that kind of absence?

Infiniti: I was really just relying on what you saw of her in “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and that was the extent of what I would let a part of her backstory be because she doesn’t remember much about her childhood. Once she becomes conscious, in a way, in Gilead, all I did was rely on the things that I knew that she liked and really try to remind myself, “She doesn’t know what a movie is. She knows what ‘Jaws’ is, but she doesn’t really have an understanding of what watching a movie is like. She doesn’t know what YouTube is, she doesn’t know what a phone is.” I had to keep reminding myself, especially at the beginning, to not put those things in the forefront of our minds, unless, of course, like you’re a Pearl girl who has prior knowledge of everything. A lot of it was just reminding myself, “You don’t know what this is, she doesn’t know what this is.” If I were to meet Agnes right now, she would probably think I was crazy because she just doesn’t understand a lot the things I’ve seen, and the things that we use in our day-to-day life, and I really tried to make sure to keep that intact, but also relying on the bits of information that I had from “The Handmaid’s Tale” going back to the show. And also, of course, we had Bruce Miller, so I could ask him anything.

Villarreal: What would you, Chase, expose her to? If she were to come to you, what she should be listening to or watching, what’s the guide you’d give her?

Infiniti: The crash course to being 14? I would show her One Direction. I’m sorry. That is something that is so quintessential to being a 14-year-old, especially me being 14. I would be like, “Agnes, I see the things that you love and you’re obsessed with. I’m going to show you the thing that I was in love and obsessed with when I was your age.” I would be very curious to see how she would react to hearing One Direction for the first time; hearing “What Makes You Beautiful,” that would be interesting to see. I would show her something that is representative of me being her age. I still am a fan. I’ve always been a fan my whole life, but especially One Direction, that’s probably something I would show her.

Villarreal: Who was Chase at 14? You talked earlier about having a little bit of that rebellion in you. And after playing these two characters back to back, what have you sort of learned yourself, about your power or finding your voice, especially in an industry like Hollywood?

Infiniti: Something that I realized when I was probably about 13 or 14 is, I used to be very upset when people would underestimate me. I found a way to, I guess, not make it my superpower … but use it as opposed to [letting it be] something that would defeat me. [I would] use it as something to continue to motivate me to work towards the goal that I already had because there’s always gonna be people that underestimate you. There’s always going to be people in the world that want to pour negativity into you when you’re truly just living your life, working towards the things that you want. That was something that I realized pretty young because I knew at 10 that I wanted to be an actor. And so at that point, I kind of made a shift in my mind where I was like, “OK, I need to start working towards the thing that I want to do.” At 13, people were like, “Why are you so motivated to do this? It’s a bit embarrassing that you want to be an actor. What makes you think you can do that?” And I was like, “Because I want to do it.” I never had a doubt in my mind that this would be the thing that I would get to do because that was something that my parents always told me. They were like, “Dream big because the dreams that you’re imagining can be your reality, especially if you work hard enough towards it.” And I feel very lucky that I get to do the thing I’ve always dreamed of doing.

Villarreal: How does that live side by side with also learning how to deal with rejection so young?

Infiniti: It’s a lot of tears, a lot of sad days, sad weeks, conversations with my friends, conversations with parents. But from being underestimated, I remember my dad being like, “You have to get comfortable with ‘no.’ And it’s not going to be fun. It’s not gonna be something that you’re excited to hear, because no one’s excited to hear that they didn’t get something that they really wanted.” Now I’m at a point where I’ve really learned how to process it and not let a no or a rejection affect my view of myself or affect my view of a performance or my abilities to do anything. It took a long time to learn, and I’m still nowhere near perfect, but I’m definitely at a place that’s better than when I was 13 because it is hard for somebody that young to get that amount of rejection. It’s also hard for somebody at my age to handle that level of rejection, especially when you get so close to something. I have to give that credit to processing those things to my parents because that is all them. I had many tear-filled nights when I was a kid because I was so sad that I didn’t get a solo in something, and they’re like, this doesn’t mean that you’re not talented. I’m also somebody who believes the right things will find you. And they’re [my parents] also the people that kind of instilled that in me too.

Villarreal: Does that reframing of no also give you the confidence to approach Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio del Toro and say, “Will you make a TikTok with me?”

Infiniti: It honestly was like a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. I was very specific. I did lots of research because I also was like, “I want it to be something that they can look at and also laugh at.” They can enjoy it.

Villarreal: Do you think you’ll get there with Ann Dowd? A TikTok?

Infiniti: I would love to. I don’t know what it would be, but I would love to make a TikTok with Ann Dowd one day. If it could be like all the girls on set making a TikTok, I would be very happy. I do have some planned. So, we’ll see.

Villarreal: Margaret Atwood makes a cameo in the finale of Season 1. How do you even talk to Margaret Atwood when you meet her? What was that experience like for you?

Infiniti: The person who was probably the most shocked was Lucy because Lucy Halliday is the biggest Margaret Atwood fan I think I’ve ever met. I had the gift of getting to witness Lucy meeting Margaret for the first time. But meeting her — she’s so kind. [Producer] Warren Littlefield says this all the time where he’s like, “You can’t talk to Margaret Atwood and not learn something with every conversation.” I just remember being very quiet and listening to her talk and listening to her ask questions of me, ask questions of Lucy, but we would just pour into her and be like, “Thank you so much for your work because you truly have touched millions.” She’s also so funny and so witty and very charismatic. I remember being very nervous beforehand, but she made it very easy for our nerves to go away. The highlight was getting to see Lucy meet Margaret.

Villarreal: You’re about to head out to Canada to start production on Season 2. You’ve seen two scripts. What do you hope to see for Agnes in Season 2?

Infiniti: I hope Agnes is happy, and I hope that she can continue to push and find her happiness. I hope that she doesn’t lose her spark, and I hope that’s something that she continues to explore and understand why she is the way that she is. Those are two hopes that I have.

ARIANA GRANDE revealed she felt “overwhelmed” with emotion on stage as she thanked her fans for their support.

At the opening night of the UK leg of her Eternal Sunshine Tour, the American singer said: “London, I love you so much.

“I feel overwhelmed right now. I’m so grateful to be doing this with you all.

“As you know, London is my final stop on this tour. And I just wanted to say I’m going to savour every last second of these last ten shows with you guys. As this is one of my favourite places in the world.”

There was no hint of any underlying upset as Ariana took to the stage at The O2 London despite her shock decision to take an extended break from the public when her ten-night stint in the capital ends.

She seemed excited to be back, having spent so long living and working here during filming for the Wicked movies.

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Ariana said: “I lived here for a while so it will always have a special place in my heart.

“I want to say thank you to my fans for being the most incredible, loving beings and a presence in my life. I’ll always cherish you.”

Perhaps Ariana had something else to smile about.

Her boyfriend, Ricky Alvarez — who she first dated a decade ago before recently rekindling their romance — was watching at the side of the stage.

Ariana’s powerhouse vocals were pitch-perfect throughout her 26-song set, and the choreography was flawless.

But this show, her first since 2019’s Sweetener World Tour, felt like a deep exploration of her inner psyche.

It was littered with references to her childhood, ballet and old Hollywood-style glamour.

Enjoy your stint here, Ari, we’re grateful to have you.