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Nick Offerman is more than just his facial hair. For one thing, the actor made viewers weep with his Emmy-winning turn as Bill, a man who found unexpected love in “The Last of Us.”

Then again, Bill did have a great beard.

Fans who celebrated Ron Swanson and his mustache on “Parks and Recreation” have had much to enjoy with the two roles that earned Offerman Emmy nominations this year. As Chester A. Arthur, corrupt politician-turned-surprise president in Netflix’s limited series “Death by Lightning,” and retired professional wrestler and recovering addict Jinx in the Apple TV series “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” he had two powerful redemption arcs to navigate. As well as some mighty coifs.

“I pride myself on that,” he deadpans. “It’s not something you can learn. I literally come by it honestly because it’s what Mother Nature provided me. Benedict Cumberbatch got the cheekbones and the nimble, articulate language tools. I got whiskers, and shoveling, and slow talking. We all get our things.”

Nick Offerman as Chester A. Arthur in “Death By Lightning.”

(Larry Horricks/Netflix)

Speaking by video chat from the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, where he’s playing Eugene O’Neill opposite wife Megan Mullally’s Broadway diva in “Iceboy! The Musical,” Offerman is humble and erudite, poking fun at himself while praising colleagues. He is “sincerely gobsmacked” by the double nod. He is also fresh-faced, because he’s filming the Alex Garland film “Elden Ring” in London during his downtime. “Here is this meager little mustache that someone made me, and I glue it on every night,” he says, holding up two tiny hairy wings.

In contrast, Arthur’s mutton chops just won’t stop. “If a president is not thin and has facial hair, then it’s been suggested that I should play him,” Offerman says. “People send me all of them, you name it: McKinley, Harrison, Teddy Roosevelt.”

Of course, the actor goes beyond whiskers to create his roles. To play Arthur, he read “Destiny of the Republic” by historian Candice Millard, which the show is based on. He also read Scott Greenberger’s biography “The Unexpected President.”

But ultimately he found his character on the pages of creator Mike Makowsky’s scripts. “The incredible advantage of great writing is that they’ve answered a lot of the questions for you,” Offerman says, adding, “Makowsky told me that he had me in mind when he was writing it. Once you learn about Chester, you’re like, ‘That’s a mixed compliment.’”

Nick Offerman.

(Billy Delfs / For The Times)

He says working on “Death” was “exquisite,” likening the shoot to a camp for theater kids, delighting in the depth of talent in the cast, and recalling when he and star Michael Shannon, at the time performing plays together in Chicago, used to get up to youthful drunken shenanigans, “like climbing a building outside the L&L Tavern.”

Jinx would probably have enjoyed that in his early years. When we see him on “Margo,” he’s been brought low by pain, prescription drugs and a lost love (Michelle Pfeiffer), trying to make amends with his daughter Margo (Elle Fanning), who’s struggling with single parenthood.

“Jinx desperately wants to be a good guy, he wants to be a good dad, he wants to be a good lover,” says Offerman. “He wants to be the hero of any circumstance, but unfortunately he has these frailties that I know too well.”

Offerman trained for three months with bodybuilder Grant Roberts “to create the body of, thankfully, a former pro wrestler, so you don’t necessarily need terrific abs,” Offerman says. Then for three weeks during the shoot he worked with pro wrestler Chavo Guerrero Jr. “I’m a former fight choreographer for the stage, and I do my own stunts, so I’ve been waiting this whole time to play a swashbuckler. By the time we were done, I was flying off the top rope.”

The physical preparation helped him find his way into the role. “What I learned about pro wrestlers, who are incredibly generous and loving people, is that they are all hurt, all the time. They’re all performing through pain,” he notes. “So how can I summon everything I have to blow away this audience with superheroic energy, even though I’m just this dumb theater-school kid?”

Offerman with “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” co-stars Elle Fanning, center, and Michelle Pfeiffer.

(Apple TV)

Jinx’s look is also key to the portrayal. For present-day scenes, Offerman sports his own beard, with some color added. But for flashbacks, “they made my spray tan extra dark, gave me this gorgeous mane of hair and put some braids in my beard. I was just over the moon. People complain about three hours in the makeup chair. I don’t complain because someone is putting their masterpiece on my head. I have the tractor and the hay rack that they’re building their float on that’s going to win the Rose Bowl Parade. It’s such a privilege to get to drive their masterpiece around.”

He soon faced Fanning. “She’s such a badass professional. It was so fun because she inspires me to also be more flexible and creative.” He calls Pfeiffer “a cinematic Mt. Rushmore. That was very thrilling because I traditionally have not been cast as people who have heat with glamorous movie stars.” He giggles.

“I understand that I have value as a performer, but I still don’t get how I got this part,” he says, sounding a bit baffled. “This is the best part of my life. I’ve had some wonderful parts that I’m very grateful for, but I’ve never had scenes with such complicated emotional relationships.”

He adds a point that could apply to Chester Arthur as well. “It’s fun to be a protagonist who gets to indulge in human weakness, knowing that we hopefully will bring the audience back around to caring about you.”

A HIGHLANDER legend was rushed to hospital in an ambulance after collapsing at an event in America.

The actor and producer, 69, was also forced to scrap photo opportunities with fans as his health issue took centre stage.

Actor Christopher Lambert, who played Highlander’s main character Connor MacLeod in the 1986 movie, reportedly fell ill at the Steel City Con in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

According to TMZ, he had been signing autographs with fans before he collapsed and was whisked away.

The event organisers then took to their Facebook page to confirm: “Christopher Lambert had to leave the event due to a personal issue.

“Return time TBD. Photo op cancelled”.

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The Sun has gone to the Mortal Kombat actor’s rep for comment.

They did tell TMZ the screen star is “perfectly OK” – and his fall was due to low blood sugar after a lack of food.

In news that will delight fans – and suggest he is on the mend – event organisers also confirmed he will appear at the convention today [Sunday] as planned.

In a message posted to Facebook they wrote: “Christopher Lambert will be attending Sunday. He will be there at 11:30 AM. Lisa & Louise Burns will do 12 PM Panel. Also, Karen Gillan will be doing Solos and Duos on Sunday (with Arthur) as well”.

One fan was quick to comment: “Glad he’s okay. That was scary!”

A second put: “Very happy to hear this”.

A Facebook user then added: “Hope he’s going to be all right. Highlander is my favourite movie of all time, and I wish he didn’t have to go through that scare today”.

Previously, Christopher – who has also produced and penned scripts as well as acting them out – opened up on filming Highlander in Scotland.

The French actor, who starred alongside Sean Connery and Clancy Brown in the film, reminisced on shooting scenes as the immortal warrior in Scotland.

He previously said: “It was my first time in Scotland.

“Insurance people completely forbid drinking on set, but try that up there and you’ll get shot.

“I’m not saying Scottish people drink all the time, but if they drink, they drink.

“It’s not a sip of wine, it’s a quarter of a bottle of scotch.

“There were 1,000 extras for the battle scenes and they went at it for real.

“After each shot, the cries went up: ‘Doctor!’ ‘Nurse!’”

Highlander follows Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod, an immortal Scotsman born in the 16th century in Glenfinnan on the shores of Loch Shiel.

The film has garnered an enormous cult following over the years which spawned a TV series.

KATE Beckinsale has wiped her entire Instagram profile after being subject to “disgusting” body-shaming by online trolls.

The actress, 53, was recently left in tears after cruel comments – and she’s now decided enough is enough.

The opening page on the Pearl Harbor star’s account now simply reads “no posts yet” after she wiped off her snaps – but she did take to her Instagram Stories to explain why.

Kate re-posted a cruel comment which read: “Loosen up the Ozempic!! You were divine now you look anorexic!”

Kate then wrote: “As I’m sure you’re aware, anytime I post a photo of myself, I receive an enormous amount of comments telling me how disgusting I look and I’m anorexic or I’m on meth or that I’ve lost so much weight”.

She continued: “First off, I’ve lost my entire family, except my precious daughter, in a short amount of time.

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“The second thing is, I have a condition, which is an autoimmune condition called mast cell activation syndrome, and there’s another one called mast cell disease, and there’s mastocytosis.

“This is something I was diagnosed with 16 years ago, and I was really, really lucky that I had an amazing GP in London who called it and sent me to, at that point, the one guy in the world in New Jersey who was the expert in that”.

Kate lost her beloved mum Judy Loe, 73, in 2025 after a battle with cancer.

Kate first revealed her mother’s cancer diagnosis last year, shortly after the death of her famous stepfather Roy Battersby, who tragically passed away following a massive stroke.

The Serendipity star also lost her father Richard Beckinsale died at the age of five after he suffered a huge heart attack.

With regard to Kate’s health condition, according to the NHS: “Mastocytosis is a rare condition caused by an excess number of mast cells gathering in the body’s tissues.

“When mast cells detect a substance that triggers an allergic reaction (an allergen), they release histamine and other chemicals into the bloodstream.

“Histamine makes the blood vessels expand and the surrounding skin itchy and swollen. It can also create a build-up of mucus in the airways, which become narrower”.

Skin reactions, gut symptoms and muscle and joint pain can also be sparked as a result.

Previously, Kate has opened up on her condition on her page and said it is a “massive daily struggle” and she “reacts to hundreds of things badly”.

She then told online trolls – who accused her of having Botox – that she “can’t take the risk”.

In her upload this weekend, which came in a now-deleted 13-part video, she concluded: “Treat people just how you’d like to be treated yourself, give people a little grace. If you don’t have anything nice to say, maybe don’t say anything.

“It’s not necessary for everyone to know your opinion on what somebody else’s body looks like.

“You don’t want to be the last straw for somebody, you don’t want to be the thing that makes them more sick, just keep going, it’s not hard”.

TOMMY Fury is not impressed with Kim Kardashian’s parenting style.

The boxer – who shares two children with Molly-Mae Hague – expressed his thoughts about Kim’s need for “10 nannies”, after The Sun exclusively revealed that the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star uses a “24 hour rotation system” to monitor her four kids.

On his What The Fury podcast with his dad John, Tommy read out “10 nannies and mannies raising Kim Kardashian’s kids.”

“If you can’t look after these kids yourself, don’t have them,” John declared, and while Tommy said they “don’t know the full story, he went on to say: “I don’t understand people who just dump the kids with nannies and mannies all day…”

Branding it “ridiculous”, John added: “In my family, there was a lot of us and my mother looked after us all by herself.”

John explained that his mother couldn’t afford the extra help when he was young,

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Tommy then admitted he and Molly-Mae have a nanny to help with children Bambi, three, and Midas who was born in June.

He said: “I’m all for having some help on board and help you out – me and Molly, we have help.

“But we’re with Bambi every day, all day; it’s only if I’ve got to go on a call or Molly’s on a call or we’ve got to shoot out.

“The baby’s looked after all the time.”

This prompted fans to brand Tommy a “hypocrite” with many taking issue at the two men judging Kim as a mother.

“Leave the woman alone. I can do with 15 nannies as a busy working mother. Not easy. We need and can do with the help . Men judging a hard working business woman,” one scolded.

Another pointed out the irony, writing: “A man with a full time nanny judging a woman with a full time nanny!”

Another penned: “Men. Mansplaining what they have no clue about.”

While someone else wrote: “[Tommy and Molly] have someone on call 24/7 so his argument is completely invalid. Honestly, these people are deluded!”

Last year, The Sun revealed Kim, 44, has a squad of dedicated men and women who help raise the children she shares with ex husband Kanye West – North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm – with Kim heading up the military-style operation.

Insiders revealed that each nanny is assigned a brief on her child’s needs and Kim is staffed seven days a week – night and day.

There’s a strict regime in place for her little ones, so they never go without support while she juggles her billion-dollar empire.

A night nanny arranges everything for the mornings such as school supplies and football kits, and is on call in case anyone wakes up in the night.

Then the other nannies start at 6am on the dot and work 12-hour shifts.

Whether you care or not about your own college reunion, we all keep getting invited to the one for the comedy troupe Broken Lizard, whose movies are always the same thing: frat guys who never grew out of the same jokes, taunts and pranks. That isn’t to say “Super Troopers 3” doesn’t also exhibit genuine appreciation for a tight bond nurtured over time, but you need to have been there (that is, enjoyed one or two of these) to revel in tapping that aggressively overpumped keg of R-rated comedy nostalgia.

The gang’s longevity, well into late middle age, is indeed impressive, even if it’s relegated to reviving their most beloved incarnation, a quintet of adolescent-minded Vermont highway patrolmen who torment citizens, razz each other and routinely examine their stunted life choices when confronted with the noxious personality of the most extreme among them, Farva (Kevin Heffernan).

The boorish, puerile Farva — imagine an “Animal House” character its writers would have discarded as too crude — is the catalyst this time around by falling in love. His shock engagement to Sarita (Hannah Simone), the brainy, beautiful sister of de facto trooper leader Thorny (director Jay Chandrasekhar), pits brother against family and bro against bro, even if Farva doesn’t register his colleague’s disgust. Thorny will do anything to keep Farva from marrying into his family, which is admittedly one of the easier campaigns for an audience to get behind.

That’s not a sentiment against true love; it’s more a nod to strained credibility and a feeling of general exhaustion. “Super Troopers 3” hardly feels like some long-awaited third go-round in a franchise spanning 25 years. Rather, it plays like the 84th episode of a time-killing cable series that people forgot was still on the air. Whatever raw charm existed in the original underdog sleeper hit from 2001 (and found some purchase in the agreeably goofy 2018 sequel) has been hardened here into a piece of machine-stamped plastic, likely in the shape of a male organ sporting a traditional sherwani, considering the incessant swirl of infantile body humor and offensive-adjacent Indian culture gags on offer.

Besides the main storyline and a dull, time-padding smuggling operation to uncover, there’s little to do for the rest of the Broken Lizard team: Paul Soter, Eric Stolhanske and Steve Emme. Inexplicably, EV cars and food-ordering apps become running gags. Marisa Coughlan is back as a cop’s wife, and the joke must be that she never gets to be funny.

There’s good news in Brian Cox returning as their cranky superior, except it looks like two days of work, tops. The best new face is Nat Faxon as the station’s insecure captain. He gets more easy, unforced laughs than anyone, especially when it comes to a bout of “scromiting.” It still isn’t enough.

“Enough” is a good retort, though, for “Super Troopers 3” overall, except for the dispiriting promise before the closing credits that more mediocrity might be coming. But fans might want to savor this one, because according to Vermont law, highway patrol mandatory retirement age is 57, the age the youngest Broken Lizard member hits this month. Sorry, guys — can we have those badges back?

UNSEEN pictures from inside the hotel where Liam Payne died have revealed more details on the singer’s tragic final hours.

Haunting images show the One Direction star, 31, speaking to two call girls in the hotel lobby before leading them to his room as well as staff bringing him up chilled buckets of booze.

The troubled singer died after falling 46ft from his third-floor hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16, 2024.

Cops launched a probe into the tragedy – and collected CCTV footage and witness statements from call girls Aldana Serrano and Lucila Goitea.

The police dossier of more than 3,000 documents and photographs, obtained by the Mail on Sunday, gave a chilling glimpse into the One Direction star’s final hours.

Pictures show Liam swinging around a pole during an alleged booze-and-drugs fuelled bender the night before he fell from the balcony.

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Other photos from the day of his death show hotel workers delivering booze – believed to be champagne and whisky – to his room in buckets.

Further pics show two sex workers in reception before they are greeted by Liam and ushered towards his room.

Call girls Aldana Serrano and Lucila Goitea – who had consensual sex with Payne on the day of his death – told police the boy band star serenaded them with his own songs – before asking them for cocaine.

They also claimed the singer, who was worth £21m, argued with them over paying the agreed $5,000 (£3,700) fee for them to turn up at the hotel because he had no cash.

The star had been left alone in Buenos Aires after his girlfriend Kate Cassidy and friend Rogelio ‘Roger’ Nores both left the country.

The pair claimed he had been completely sober for the two weeks he spent with them – but in their absence the star quickly spiralled.

Receipts reveal the One Direction star ordered $600,000 worth of whisky to his room on the day of his death.

Family members seemed to know the singer’s fragile state of mind – and gave devastating accounts to police following his death.

Heartbroken father Geoff Payne told prosecutors his son was “not in control with what he did”, adding: “He was not Liam”.

Group chat messages in the police dossier show hotel staff were concerned about Liam’s “aggressive” behaviour.

In a “Reception” WhatsApp chat, hotel manager Gilda Martin wrote: “This person is going to be very intense throughout his stay.

“It’s important that we tell him ‘no’, always kindly and with excuses.”

A person replied: “Will do whatever we can.”

And when a waitress called Adri was summoned to deliver five bottles of whisky to Room 301, she was warned: “Take security with you.”

A receipt dated the day of his death reveal the One Direction star spent more than $600,000 on bottles of Johnnie Walker whisky.

Payne, who had a history of addiction, allegedly begged reception staff for drugs.

A toxicology report taken after his death revealed that the star had cocaine, alcohol and the powerful sedative Klonopin in his system at the time of the fatal fall.

Hotel worker Ezequiel Pereyra, 22, and waiter Braian Paiz, 26, have since been charged with supplying drugs to the singer.

They spent months in jail but were later released on bail. They deny the charges.

SPIDER-MAN star Tom Holland broke down in tears at his wedding when he saw bride Zendaya walk down the aisle.

The pair — spotted in a vintage green Jag in London three days after their wedding — got hitched at the Beaverbrook country estate, in ­Surrey, on Tuesday.

A close source told The Sun on Sunday the actor, 30, welled up because the big day was so “charged with emotion”.

It had been claimed by Law Roach, a long-time stylist for the actress, 29, the ceremony was a celebration of the pair’s secret wedding in March.

But we can reveal Tuesday was their wedding day.

The source said: “All the guests were left in no doubt that the wedding and the ceremony were the real deal.

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“All the rumours before were just encouraged to keep people off the scent and make sure the day was just about them and their closest friends and family.

“At first they [the couple] were annoyed that Law Roach had said that, but then they embraced it.

“They laugh about it now and he was actually at the wedding this week and they were all loving life.

“It was an incredible day full of love and charged with emotion.”

Meanwhile, Tom was seen driving the Jag, with Zendaya his passenger, in South West London on Friday — suggesting the motor may have been a wedding gift.

The kid in the candy shop is Eli Roth with a gore budget and in the “Hostel” director’s latest bloody romp, “Ice Cream Man,” there’s a decidedly childlike giddiness from behind the camera to accompany the sicko suburban carnage depicted onscreen. Where others might view a “Village of the Damned” scenario as dread-inducing, Roth hears the bell for recess.

That doesn’t necessarily translate to a successful film. Little things like style, narrative command and character still matter, and Roth, who wrote “Ice Cream Man” with Noah Belson and even gives himself a role, is decidedly more of a smart-ass vaudevillian than a skilled filmmaker. (“Thanksgiving” was better as an impish sideshow teased as a trailer in “Grindhouse” than as a standalone feature years later.) And while that same belief in the lasting entertainment value of jokey splat-itude gives “Ice Cream Man” its occasional well-churned moments, it eventually undercuts Roth’s own semi-worthy bid to rattle us as the best horror movies can.

With its sunny elevator-music-scored opening of cheery park scenes and leafy residential neighborhoods, “Ice Cream Man” sets itself up, not unappealingly, like a Norman Rockwell painting asking to be vandalized. Next comes the arrival of a tinkling blue ice cream truck manned by an eerily silent, smiling, wraith-like purveyor (Ari Millen) with a John Waters mustache. He hands out his goodies free of charge, and the town’s children converge excitedly, then head home with colorfully smeared faces and a peculiarly quiet demeanor — except for easily bullied Jared (Charlie Zeltzer), who’s lactose intolerant and nobody’s friend anyway, after losing the ballgame for his team.

But when his ice cream-eating schoolmates begin slaughtering their parents overnight, seemingly fueled by the wafting sound of the truck jingle and old-timey black-and-white animations invading their phones, Jared seems like the lucky one. At school the next day, the cold-eyed stares of dairy-slopped grade-schoolers befuddles the teachers (“Is this some sort of zombie pajama day challenge?” is one of the better reaction lines) as well as unsuspecting Jared, along with two other unaltered classmates, Mia (Kiori Waldman) and Tommy (Shiloh O’Reilly). Then the ice cream man returns to refuel his targeted customers, who try to convert our well-cast, engaging trio of young double-scoop holdouts. Things get sticky.

A daytime massacre, built around gleefully homicidal children in full kill mode against adults, contains visuals designed to forever alter how you see tetherball, rope-skipping and cat’s cradle (plus a quasi-amusing shout-out to “The Birds”). It’s clear Roth was aiming for a blood-and-guts tour de force, which this both is and isn’t. Even after Jared and the gang escape the slayground to a church where they get the ice cream man’s backstory from a cowardly priest (Benjamin Byron Davis), genuine scares aren’t really in play here, just taboo snickers.

Then again, the carefully calibrated blend of dark humor, weirdness and sheer terror that made last year’s “Weapons” a rapturous nightmare about creepy children isn’t what Roth is after (or cares to do). He’s got a super-soaker “Goonies”-meets-early-Peter Jackson mindset and a list of clever kills to execute. Time’s a wastin’.

So a pinch of surprising depth proves to be the most unwieldy move when Roth unveils a resonantly nasty surprise for his story’s endgame. The impact is muted because it instantly clarifies how needlessly trivial everything before it was. Maybe someday, Roth will temper his empty-calories instincts and make more of a meal out of his twisted ideas.

LORENZO Alessi appears to have finally learned his lesson after making sure he liked Julia Majchrzak’s latest Instagram photo.

The Love Island winner was previously called out for “embarrassing” Julia by liking other women’s posts while ignoring hers.

But he now appears to be making up for lost time after liking a glamorous new snap of the 26-year-old posing in a black lace dress.

Lorenzo also commented: “All over my feed.”

However, not all fans were convinced by his latest display of affection, with some taking to the comments to tease him.

“Seriously?” wrote one, while another added: “You’re late, so late.”

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Another cheekily tagged Lorenzo, writing: “@lorenzoxalessi, just tagging you in case you’re going to say it hasn’t popped up on your feed.”

A third said: “I understand you need time to figure it all out, and I genuinely hope you learn to love and treat her better as time goes on.”

Following their villa victory, Lorenzo was caught red-handed liking glamorous models’ pictures on social media.

In a joint interview last week, the Love Island winner defended his behaviour and confessed that he “didn’t think it would be picked up by the press”.

Speaking on Capital XTRA shortly after their “awkward” This Morning interview went viral, Julia said the whole furore was “not funny”.

She told the hosts: “Guys, this is not funny. He’s already embarrassed me online.

“He had no time to arrange a date in five days, but was sat in bed liking other girls’ Instagram pictures.”

Referring to her own posts, she added: “Did you even have time to like my photos? Guess what, guys, he’s not under my Instagram!”

Lorenzo later poked fun at the controversy by commenting “liked by Lorenzo” underneath Julia’s snaps.

The upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing, set to air starting from September, will feature three new hosts and a range of celebrities from actors to sports stars

Strictly Come Dancing is just weeks away, and fans are already excited to see a new set of celebrity contestants take part in the popular show.

After Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman stepped down from their presenting roles, a new trio of hosts – presenter Emma Willis, professional dancer Johannes Radebe, and comedian Josh Widdicombe – was announced. Judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke, and Head Judge Shirley Ballas will return for one more series.

So far, the BBC has confirmed 12 names for the class of Strictly 2026 – actress Lacey Turner, TV personality Dani Dyer, singer-songwriter Delta Goodrem, hair stylist Chris Appleton, social media star Cach Mercer, TV and radio host Will Best, paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, actress Jaime Winstone, actress Bethany Antonia, pundit and broadcaster Shaun Wright-Phillips, dog trainer Graeme Hall and actor Lawrence Robb. However, three more names have now been revealed, despite there being no official confirmation from the BBC.

According to The Sun, Gavin and Stacey star Melanie Walters will also be dancing in this year’s competition. The publication reported that BBC bosses are excited to have the actress, known for playing Gwen West in the hit series, on the show, given her popularity. Melanie, 64, also teaches pilates and is a personal trainer.

While the BBC hasn’t confirmed the speculation, it has also been claimed that YouTuber John Nellis, 33, is among the stars who will be taking to the dancefloor on the show. A source told The Sun that the content creator, whose passion for football has allowed him to meet some huge stars, including Erling Harland and Kylian Mbappeé, is set to bring a new audience to Strictly.

“John has a huge following online, which will boost Strictly’s presence on social media,” the insider said. “He has become loved among all the big names in football and is bound to be a hit with viewers. Bosses realise that YouTube stars can bring in a whole new audience and John will do just that.”

One more star rumoured to be joining the show is Olympic gold medallist Tabby Stoecker, who has also recently made her Gladiators debut. A source said of the Team GB star: “Signing with two of telly’s biggest shows is hugely prestigious. It is virtually unprecedented.

“It also means that she’ll be on our screens on a Saturday night for almost seven months in a row. Strictly runs from September to December and Gladiators airs from January and can go on until March.

“She’s likely to be invited on the Strictly tour in the new year too – so she’s going to be kept very busy and will see her profile soar.” After reports emerged that Tabby is joining Strictly, the BBC said: “We don’t comment on speculation.”

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BRITNEY Spears has revealed botched Botox has left her with a droopy eye for weeks as she issues a warning to fans.

The singer, 44, took to Instagram to share a video as she updated her fans about her health issue.

In the clip, the performer is seen wearing a plunging red top along with a black cowboy hat and a choker-style necklace.

She held onto her eye as she expressed: “He put so much Botox in this left eye that it drooped down like that.

“And it’s just now starting to raise up and be normal again. It’s so embarrassing, it’s like that,” as she pulled the skin over her eye down.

Britney then advised the girls who follow her to be more careful about who they get their Botox done from.

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“Girls, you have to be careful if you do Botox, these people and these doctors can really f**k your eyes up,” she explained.

“My eye was down like this for four weeks and it’s now starting to be fine again.

“Be careful with these people, they try to change your face, they try to f**k things up.

“Be careful with your bodies because it’s yours and you own it,” she concluded.

Britney captioned the post: “You can’t trust anyone!!!”

It comes a week after she showed off her risque dance moves to her fans on social media.

In a number of dance videos uploaded to the popstars Instagram page, Britney was snapped performing some racy dance moves for the camera. 

One clip saw her twerk around on the floor whilst whipping her long blonde locks back and forth. 

Dressed in a cropped pink T-shirt and mini black shorts, Britney shows off a fast paced dance routine as she moves to the track Mi Gente.

Another video showed the star outside in a bikini as she stares into the camera lens.

Britney pranced around to piano music before abruptly smacking her behind. 

The series of video clips then took an even raunchier turn with Britney posting a video of her topless. 

The singer edited symbols over her breasts to conceal her modesty as they flash on and off the screen. 

Britney went on to move her arms in a rhythmic style dance, sliding her hands across her breasts and stomach.

PEREZ Hilton is still in a serious condition and needs surgery after “significant blood loss” following a disturbing TikTok video, his family has said.

In a statement published on Hilton’s website, his family confirmed he “remains hospitalised under Florida’s Baker Act” and has a long road to recovery ahead.

The family said: “His communication has been extremely limited and confined to immediate family, medical providers, and others directly involved in his care.

“Perez’s condition remains serious but stable.

“He experienced significant blood loss and sustained additional injuries that will require surgery in the coming days. His treatment and recovery will be a long process.”

They added that his mother and sister went to the hospital on Friday to check up on the celebrity blogger.

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“As our family remains focused on Perez’s treatment and recovery, we also need the space and privacy to care for everyone affected by this situation,” the statement added.

The update comes after Hilton was rushed to hospital following what paramedics described as a “suicide attempt” at his Miami home.

Police received multiple 911 calls from concerned viewers who reported that the TV star was in severe distress during a livestream.

A family insider told the Daily Mail: “He’s a man in a lot of pain. I think right now he’s focused on the physical, but it’s all tied together.

“No one deserves the torment he’s going through.”

The gossip columnist is said to be “stable and alert” and was reportedly able to speak with his mother, Teresita Lavandeira, in the hospital.

According to the source, his first words to his mum were: “I need help.”

They added: “But I don’t think he’s quite self-aware enough yet [to realise what happened].

“He’s still in a dark place as I understand it. Just very, very sad.”

Hilton, whose real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., sparked alarm after experiencing a mental health crisis in front of thousands of viewers.

Emergency dispatch audio has since revealed the tense hours leading up to his rescue, as police attempted to make contact with him.

In one dispatch recording, two men can be heard discussing a “man down call” involving a “live streamer” who was broadcasting himself while in severe distress, leaving viewers “upset”.

Police are believed to have arrived at Hilton’s rental home at around 7.10 pm and spent several hours trying to make contact with him while speaking with concerned relatives.

A second dispatch recording, obtained by The U.S. Sun and timestamped at around 10.41pm, shows operators later classifying the incident as a reported “suicide attempt” while requesting additional assistance.

At around 11pm, officers said they were entering the home.

Hilton was transported to hospital minutes later.

Earlier this year, Hilton spent three weeks in hospital after battling sepsis, amid a series of health problems including an ulcer and blood clot.

The illnesses were reportedly linked to taking flu medication on an empty stomach.

Hilton shot to fame in the early 2000s with his celebrity gossip blog, where he offered his often controversial take on the biggest stars’ stories of the day.

He quickly became known for his outspoken opinions on the celebrities dominating the headlines.

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.

The last time I ate at McDonald’s was also the first time I tried a McGriddle.

Why am I thinking about a breakfast sandwich? Well, it’s morning, for starters. And my old friend Laurie Ochoa, who runs all things food at The Times, just had her own first encounter with a McGriddle, inspired by the item’s mention in the most recent season of “The Bear.”

Should McDonald’s have a Michelin star? “The Bear’s” pastry chef Luca thinks so. Laurie is a fan too. Me? Honestly, I ordered it by accident, hangry and delusional after driving too many miles on a road trip home. To this day, whenever my son, Sean, passes that Lost Hills McDonald’s, he snaps a picture and sends it to me, captioning it: “McGriddle?”

I’m Glenn Whipp, columnist for the Los Angeles Times and host of The Envelope newsletter. Does Rhea Seehorn dig McGriddles? She loves bread, so maybe the whole pancake-bun thing would put her off.

Cover story: Rhea Seehorn

(Ian Spanier / For The Times)

If you love great television, you know Seehorn from “Better Call Saul” and the new Apple TV series “Pluribus,” where she plays Carol, a sad woman forced to save the world from happiness and the hive mind.

But other than those two classics and a guest turn on the final season of “Veep,” I have not Seehorn in anything else. Which wasn’t for a lack of trying on her part, as I learned from talking with her for a recent Envelope cover story.

Seehorn moved to Los Angeles in 2003 after landing a lead role on the ABC sitcom “I’m With Her.” Seehorn played … well, I’ll let her describe the character.

“I was the naysaying, coattail-riding, bitchy, alcoholic little sister of Teri Polo’s character,” Seehorn says, laughing. “It was so much fun.”

The comedy ran for 23 episodes and was then summarily canceled, despite the season finale drawing about 11 million viewers. (“Can you imagine?” Seehorn says of the ratings. “You’d be a juggernaut now.”)

When she arrived in L.A., ABC put her up at the massive Oakwood apartment complex on Barham Boulevard, an (in)famous landing place for child actors, musicians and newcomers like Seehorn getting their start in Hollywood. On her way to work each day — she walked to the Warner Bros. lot because she didn’t have a car — Seehorn would pass older men wearing short bathrobes at 7 in the morning and “momagers” hustling their kids to an audition.

Says Seehorn: “It’s weird because you’ve landed a great job and you’re working, so, ‘Yay!’ But also, you’re staying in a one-room apartment that has a kitchenette and a Murphy bed that folds into the wall. When the bed’s folded down, it touches the couch and you can’t walk around. But when the bed is up, it’s a mirror, so you watch yourself have no friends, sitting there watching TV, eating a TV dinner. Then you’re like, is it less depressing to just sit in a bed all day, or should I watch myself sitting here?”

Needless to say, Seehorn moved as soon possible, landing in a fourplex apartment across from the Warner Bros. lot near the Taco Bell and Don Cuco on Riverside Drive. It was heaven. It had a second bedroom. And a window!

She lived there until the second season of “Better Call Saul.”

“The good news is, when you move to L.A. from New York, everything seems like a mansion,” Seehorn says, laughing.

Sitting on that Murphy bed at the Oakwood, was there ever a time when Seehorn wondered, “What am I doing?”

“I had come from supposedly being the receptionist at a construction office in Brooklyn, but what I was really doing was cleaning their bathrooms with like nine pairs of rubber gloves on because it was so disgusting,” Seehorn says. “That was my day job, and then I was working at Playwrights Horizons, a wonderful theater that I’d always wanted to work at, so I was thrilled. But theater doesn’t pay enough to live on. So life was always cobbling something together to pursue my passion, my dream.”

Read more of our ‘Pluribus’ coverage

During a holiday in the Dominican Republic in 2022, Freddie Bentley suffered liver failure – his health scare led to him being diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC)

TOWIE star Freddie Bentley has opened up on a horrifying health ordeal that left him fearing for his life.

The TV personality, who left the ITV reality show in February, was hospitalised after suffering liver failure during a boozy holiday in the Dominican Republic in 2022. Freddie, who was 24 at the time, experienced critical symptoms, including severe vomiting and his skin and eyes turning yellow from jaundice.

The health ordeal left him in hospital for six weeks. Sharing details of the incident on the official TOWIE podcast, You Alright, Hun?, Freddie said: “When I was 24, my liver failed. My bile ducts and my liver stopped working properly.

“I got jaundice, so I was in hospital for six weeks. A normal liver function level is meant to be, like, 125. Mine was 980. So, wow, I was critical, I was in a really, really bad… wow.”

Freddie’s condition meant he was “so poorly” and “couldn’t hold anything down, both ways” during the holiday. He explained: “The doctors were worried. They were like, ‘You’re 24 years of age, your liver shouldn’t be failing.'”

The reality sar, who has also appeared on The Circle, said the ordeal led to the discovery that he suffers from a rare liver disease called Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), a condition causing chronic inflammation and scarring of the bile ducts.

Although his medical team clarified that PSC is a genetic condition completely unrelated to alcohol abuse, Freddie acknowledged that heavy drinking aggravated his symptoms.

As explained by the Mayo Clinic, PSC, which affects up to one in 10,000 people, is a rare, long-term disease of the liver caused by inflammation of tubes in the liver called bile ducts. “Scarring and narrowing of bile ducts leads to liver damage,” the website explains. “Over time, the liver loses its ability to filter blood and support digestion.”

Freddie decided to completely change his lifestyle after his health scare – and he decided to quit drinking completely. “So I have to look after my liver now obviously,” he said. “So I don’t drink.” He added: “I’m actually a nicer person without a drink. I don’t need to have a drink to have a good time.”

Last year, the TV star celebrated three years of sobriety on TOWIE, which he said made him feel “honoured”. Speaking to OK!, he said: “It was amazing to be able to speak my truth about my sobriety journey on TOWIE. I think a lot of people don’t know about me being sober.

“It’s something I’ve really worked on and had my own personal journey with. It was a surreal moment to watch myself back, talking about it on the show. I feel honoured that they dedicated that segment to it.”

Opening up on the process of giving up alcohol, he explained: “The first year was the hardest. You grieve your old life – the nights out, the social side, especially in this industry where you’re handed a glass of prosecco the minute you arrive at an event. I barely went out at first, I didn’t feel ready. But over time, I became comfortable in my own skin and now I enjoy everything even more.”

He added: “Also, in hospital, I felt judged for being a gay man. The doctors immediately jumped to assumptions about unprotected sex and it was the first time I felt truly belittled for my sexuality. That was difficult, but it also pushed me to become stronger.”

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Growing up, filmmaker Fernando Eimbcke didn’t get to watch the scene in “The Breakfast Club” where the teenage characters smoke marijuana. That moment was removed from the VHS copy of the 1980s classic he’d rented because of strict censorship in Mexico at the time.

Drug use or not, that John Hughes movie, as well “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” impacted him profoundly. “Those were movies that spoke to young people, and in Mexico there wasn’t much cinema aimed at teens,” Eimbcke tells me in Spanish on a video call from Mexico City.

From his indie trench, Eimbcke, 55, has tried to fill that void in Mexican cinema — starting with his 2004 acclaimed debut “Temporada de patos” (Duck Season), about two teen boys spending a day without adult supervision. Since then, in films like “Lake Tahoe” (2008) or “Club Sandwich” (2013), the woes of adolescence have dominated his purview.

With “Olmo,” in theaters Friday, Eimbcke has adapted his career-long interest on the youth’s preoccupations to a story on this side of the Mexico-U.S. border for the first time.

Set and filmed on location in Las Cruces, N.M., his bilingual coming-of-age dramedy follows the titular Olmo (played by Aivan Uttapa), a charismatic Mexican American 14-year-old boy in the 1970s, whose bedridden immigrant father requires around-the-clock care.

The tightly written and humorously bittersweet narrative (co-penned by Eimbcke and Vanesa Garnica) unfolds over the course of a fateful Saturday. Nina Sandoval (Melanie Frometa), Olmo’s crush, invites him and his boot-wearing best friend Miguel (Diego Olmedo) to a party, with the condition that they bring a stereo. But Olmo has also been tasked with looking after dad Nestor (Gustavo Sánchez Parra), while his mother works.

Olmo must decide between fulfilling his duty or pursuing his age-appropriate impulse for fun.

Fernando Eimbcke’s new coming-of-age dramedy “Olmo” follows a charismatic Chicano teen in 1970s New Mexico.

(Andrew Bohn / Olma 2023 LLC)

It was during the six years that Eimbcke lived in Germany that Plan B, the American production company behind titles like “Moonlight,” reached out with an idea for him to write a screenplay about a Mexican American character. That project didn’t come to fruition, but Eimbcke took advantage of their initial interest to create his own story.

Eimbcke had long been interested in stories of migration, and in the dynamics that occur within “bicultural” families. His experience living abroad heightened this curiosity.

“I’m surprised to see the fear that governments and society have regarding migration today. It’s one of the best things that can happen to a culture,” Eimbcke says. “Everyone is talking about Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey,’ and the story of Odysseus is a story of migration.”

Among the key inspirations that shaped how Eimbcke and Garnica (who have been friends since they were 14 years old) conceived “Olmo” were Dominican American author Junot Díaz’s work, as well as Kevin Bubriski’s photography book “The New Mexicans: 1981-83.”

“He photographed Mexican Americans in the 1980s in New Mexico, and that gave us many ideas,” he says. “He has some incredible, truly beautiful photos of Mexican Americans.”

While scouting locations in New Mexico, the production interacted with local Latino families. In those households, Eimbcke witnessed immigrant parents speaking Spanish to their children who replied to them in English. Similar exchanges happen in “Olmo.”

“If communication is already difficult within a family when everyone speaks the same language, the idea of a family speaking two languages struck me as absolutely fascinating. Rather than an obstacle, I saw it as an opportunity to explore their relationship,” he explains. “Language isn’t always that important. When Olmo and Néstor argue over the stereo, you never really know if they actually understand each other through words or not.”

The complex intricacies of language manifested on Eimbcke’s first bilingual set.

During a scene where Olmo and Miguel finally fix the stereo and begin dancing, Eimbcke wanted a more rambunctious reaction. He started yelling, “More caos. More caos.” The assistant director looked puzzled, thinking the director was asking for “cows.” Eimbcke meant “chaos,” but pronounced it Spanish, which sounds like the farm animal in English.

“It was very difficult for me, because my English is far from perfect, it’s actually quite imperfect,” Eimbcke says sincerely.

For Uttapa, 17, these interactions seemed authentic; he is a second-generation Mexican American whose grandmother came to the U.S. from Mexico, while his mother was born here.

“My grandma speaks fluent Spanish, and she talks to me, my brothers, and my sister in Spanish, and we answer in English,” says Uttapa on Zoom. “That dynamic and that detail in the movie really did make it real to me.”

Fernando Eimbcke’s new coming-of-age dramedy “Olmo” follows a charismatic Chicano teen in 1970s New Mexico.

(Andrew Bohn / Olma 2023 LLC )

Based in Las Vegas, the fresh-faced Uttapa started acting at 12. He shared his interest in performing with his parents, who enrolled him with acting coach Frank Parillo. “I remember telling my mom, ‘I just want to entertain. I just want to be relatable and make an impact on people.’ If you can impact one person, then it pretty much is worth it,” he says.

Eimbcke cast him solely based on his self-tape after a long search for the right actor to become Olmo, primarily in Los Angeles and New York.

Since shooting “Olmo” when he was 14, Uttapa has appeared in the latest season of the hit medical drama “The Pitt,” playing Grady Barnhill, who has an asthma attack, in two episodes. Still, playing Olmo remains the highlight of his short but burgeoning career.

“I’ve gotten some auditions here and there about Mexican American or Latino characters, but if I’m being honest, none of them really clicked to me as much as it did with Olmo. I really felt a connection with the character,” Uttapa notes.

That Eimbcke set “Olmo” in the ’70s — based on his memories of watching “Saturday Night Fever” as a child and being enamored by disco music — helped Uttapa connect with the character. At several points in their adventure, Olmo and Miguel break out their best dance moves.

His mother, Uttapa says, thinks of him as an “old soul,” given his eclectic taste in music, from Elvis Presley and Del Shannon to AC/DC and Led Zeppelin.

“I was already familiar with cumbia, because my mom would always teach me,” Uttapa says. “The disco dancing wasn’t really that hard for me because I grew up loving ’70s music, so I’d always dance in my room to it. And being able to show it on screen was really special.”

Eimbcke says he has no secret technique to obtain wonderful performances from his teen stars; the only strategy that works is to lean into fun. “Teenagers are very willing to play. They are willing to take risks,” the director adds. “And I always love combining two schools of acting: the professional and the nonprofessional.” The actors who play Olmo’s parents, Gustavo Sánchez Parra and Andrea Suárez Paz, are seasoned Mexican thespians.

And while Eimbcke may very well be the Mexican John Hughes, there are certainly uniquely Mexican, and perhaps unexpected, references that were foundational for him as an artist.

“I also grew up watching a lot of telenovelas. They were really formative for me, specifically, the telenovelas on the local Channel 2,” Eimbcke confesses. “I remember there was one I followed religiously called ‘Quinceañera,’ starring Thalia. I loved it.”

EastEnders actress Kellie Bright has quit the BBC soap after 13 years, saying ‘now is the right time for me to say goodbye’ and teasing an ‘exciting’ exit storyline

EastEnders‘ Kellie Bright has quit the BBC soap. The actress, who played Linda Carter for 13 years, has said that she made the “tough decision” to leave over a year ago.

Posting the news to Instagram, EastEnders bosses wrote: “After 13 years, Kellie Bright is saying goodbye to EastEnders and her iconic role of Linda Carter.

“Kellie Bright burst onto our screens in 2013 as the loveable matriarch of the Carter family, and landlady of The Queen Vic, and has been at the heart of some of the show’s most explosive and iconic storylines since her character’s inception.

“From Linda’s journey with alcoholism, her integral role in The Six flashforward which saw her character responsible for Keanu’s Christmas Day murder, and Linda’s famed relationship with husband Mick Carter, Kellie has firmly cemented Linda as an EastEnders icon who is loved by the viewers and EastEnders company alike for her dedication to family, friendships and pink flamingos.”

They teased that her exit would be dramatic, saying: “Kellie and Linda’s exit is still a while away on screen, but with a rich history like Linda Carter’s, it would be impossible for her to leave quietly…”

Kellie, 50, first joined the show in 2013, as the new landlady of the Queen Vic when her husband Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) took over from the Mitchell family.

When she is set to leave the soap hasn’t been revealed yet, but she will be around until at least 1 January 2027, as Linda already appeared in the flashforward to that date earlier this year.

Sharing her decision to leave, Kellie said: “EastEnders has been my home for thirteen years and I have absolutely loved being part of the show, but I have decided that it is now the right time for me to say goodbye. I made the tough decision over a year ago, and after discussing this with Kate Oates and Ben Wadey, they asked me to stay on to be part of an exciting storyline they had planned, and I happily agreed to extend my stay. I will miss my friends and colleagues hugely, but I am looking forward to my next chapter and spending more time with my wonderful boys.”

Executive producer Ben Wadey added: ““Kellie has been at the beating heart of EastEnders for the past 13 years, and her characterisation of the fiercely lovable, protective, and brilliant Linda Carter has made her a favourite amongst the viewers and cemented her as a classic EastEnders icon.

Kellie has been involved in some of the show’s most explosive and iconic storylines, and everyone at EastEnders will miss Kellie and Linda dearly. When Kellie told us of her decision last year to leave, we already had big plans for Linda, so we were delighted that Kellie agreed to stay on to see them through. We’ve still got a long way to go before we say goodbye.”

The Sun quoted a source who said that Kellie felt it was time to look at opportunities elsewhere. The source also said that the “door is being left open” for Linda to return one day. As such, it is unlikely that she will be killed off – unlike Michelle Ryan’s Zoe Slater.

Zoe is thought to be set to die in a upcoming storyline after Michelle decided to quit earlier this year. A spokesperson said to the Mirror at the time: “We can confirm Zoe Slater will be departing EastEnders later this year. We wish Michelle Ryan all the best for the future. However, we never comment on future storylines as we don’t want to spoil it for the viewers.”

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BRITAIN’S Got Talent boss Simon Cowell is being sued over a £75million deal said to have been written on a napkin.

The TV and music mogul is accused by former business adviser Ian Rosenblatt of being unpredictable and “very difficult to speak to” as he refuses to own a mobile phone.

Mr Rosenblatt worked for Mr Cowell from 2018.

But he is pursuing him for millions after claiming a deal, originally hashed out over dinner on a serviette, was not honoured.

The pair are said to have met for dinner in London in October 2022 to discuss a way forward following a series of rows.

Documents submitted to the High Court claim that Mr Cowell offered an attractive fee arrangement for a deal he was working on at the time.

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The documents say: “The terms of that offer were written on a napkin which Mr Cowell then signed.”

It offered up to 15 per cent of any deal of more than £75million.

The deal was later formalised at a meeting at Mr Cowell’s Cotswolds home in February 2023.

Mr Rosenblatt claims to have not been paid at all for the agreement.

Lawyers for BGT and X Factor boss Mr Cowell are yet to respond to the claims.

The Sun on Sunday has contacted him for comment.

Does the arbitrary nature of our daily existence cohere into something resembling a story? And if so, how do we begin to tease out meaning from that story?

Valeria Luiselli posits these questions in her new book, “Beginning Middle End,” but mercifully she doesn’t weigh down her fiction with pedantry. Rather, Luiselli tucks her ideas into the folds of an all too human story about a woman, stinging from a recent divorce, and her younger daughter as they embark on a journey across Sicily. The book is written in fragmentary fashion, discrete chunks of prose that accrete into a greater whole, much like the ancient mosaics that are among of the novel’s thematic touchstones.

I recently spoke with Luiselli about Proteus, Pliny the Elder and Polaroid photos.

✍️ Author Chat

There are resonances of your last novel “Lost Children Archive” in “Beginning Middle End.” Certain character names are repeated, and there is also an audio-visual component, as there was previously. Additionally, a QR code in your new novel allows the reader to access audio recordings related to the book. Is this part of a larger project you have in mind?

I learned a lot about [sound and sound recording] when I was writing “Lost Children.” After I finished it I devoted the next five years to a work in progress called “Echoes From the Borderlands,” recording the sounds of the Mexican-U.S. borderlands. I think of “Beginning Middle End” as a book that exists both in its textual version and in its sonic translation.

The story is told in a fragmentary fashion, with short paragraphs that are separated by subheadings. And the last third of the book contains Polaroid pictures and postcards that relate to the story. There is also a mosaic tessera that is integral to the narrative. What is it that appeals to you about the notion of a story that is constructed from lots of discrete parts?

I’ve been interested for some time now in thinking about how to shorten the distance between process and result in such a way that the signs of the process can be read in the final project. When I’m working on something, I’m collecting postcards and archival material, and taking Polaroid pictures along the way, partly because I know that my process in writing is not linear. And I use Polaroids almost as Post-It notes, as another form of note taking.

Valeria Luiselli’s new novel, “Beginning Middle End,” is about memory and imagination.

(Clayton Cubitt)

It’s such a fascinating creative process.

It can be incredibly frustrating. Because sometimes it’s years before I know what language I’m going to be using in its final form.

Your book is about many things, but the act of storytelling is definitely a major theme. Not just in fiction, but in the way we shape our own personal narratives and how they are transmitted. And this notion of “the middle” as a space that hovers between two poles, the place where you are looking behind and ahead, between life and death, and so on.

The mother in the story is in the mess of the middle, trying to make sense of things and laying out events, but not really finding the deeper threads that tie life together and give it some kind of meaning. And it is only until her daughter arrives at the end of the book that you can read the novel backwards somehow, and understand in hindsight how she, the daughter, has seen a relationship all along between all these seemingly arbitrary events. She is the one that finds meaning in a sequence, where the mother sees only chaos.

The book is grounded in Greek and Roman Classical texts. Proteus and Pliny the Elder feature prominently. Where does your interest in the Classics come from?

The early pre-Socratic philosophers were the first to observe nature without the scaffolding of mythology, who were really just trying to make sense of it. And so that’s how I arrived eventually at Pliny, who has this 37-volume compendium of observations of nature that ask all the important questions about the oceans and rivers and mountains and the sky and the clouds. Pliny became a kind of ghost that led me through the years in which I was writing this novel.

Your novel delves into the relationship between memory and imagination.

What guides me are questions that press on me. I have little interest in plots early on. I become interested in plot as an emanation from questioning things. And one of those questions was about the relationship between memory and imagination. How are the two things connected? How much is our imagination shaped by our memory?

One of the writers that has best addressed that question is Jorge Luis Borges in the last story he ever wrote, “Shakespeare’s Memory,” where the protagonist has two consciousnesses inhabiting his interiority. When a train passes, he doesn’t know what it is, because he’s in Shakespeare mode. He doesn’t have a memory of the sound of a train. That story can be read as an allegory for how our memories and imaginations work as readers. We have all our life events that compose our being and our memory of life, but we also have everything we have read. And I think that that’s really where the discussion around imagination and memory gets very interesting.

This Q&A was edited for length and clarity.

📰 The Week(s) in Books

Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation of “The Odyssey” ignited a fire in the literary world, inspiring harsh critiques from Homer translator Emily Wilson and staunch defenses from Joyce Carol Oates and Susan Orlean.

(Illustration by Jim Cooke / Los Angeles Times; Source: Louis-Frédéric Schützenberger)

Chris Young was serving two life terms without parole for a low-level drug charge when Kim Kardashian intervened. The reality TV mogul successfully petitioned President Trump to commute Young’s sentence in 2021. Now Young has written “The Wound Is Where the Light Enters,” a searing memoir that “not only reveals the system’s horrors, but also celebrates the redemptive power of hope, intellect and community,” writes Julia M. Klein.

Justin Halpern, the co-showrunner of ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” has written his first novel, called “Get Lost,” and Stuart Miller talked to him about it. Of taking on the challenge of writing alone, Halpern told Miller that “I’m definitely still codependent, but the novel forced me to venture into waters that I never would have gotten into on my own.”

The battle over Christopher Nolan’s movie adaptation of “The Odyssey” rages on. In the wake of Homer translator Emily Wilson’s excoriating critique of the film, Emily St. Martin reports that Susan Orlean and Joyce Carol Oates have publicly rallied behind Nolan. In a recent post on X, Oates wrote that Wilson’s “tone of dismissal & haughty superiority strike a sour note.”

Steve Wasserman takes a deep dive into “Too L.A.,” a newly published collection of author Eve Babitz’s rich trove of mostly unsent correspondence. The letters “brilliantly reveal Babitz’s eye for the deep shallow as well as explore the porous boundary between the largely self-inflicted injuries of her private life and the glittering sheen of her public persona,” writes Wasserman.

📖 Bookstore Faves

Whitmore Rare Books in Pasadena caters to customers who value the physical experience of reading books.

(Pierre Galant Photography)

Although it lives on a busy Pasadena street corner, Whitmore’s Rare Books feels like something a book hound might discover in London or New York: an elegantly appointed space with a large bookshelf running along the length of one wall that contains some of the store’s inventory of antiquarian treasures. Founded by a former lawyer turned bookseller and Pasadena native Dan Whitmore, the store is doing brisk business among a younger clientele that still values the tactile pleasures to be found from beautiful books. I spoke with Whitmore about what’s selling in his store.

How long have you been in the rare book business?

I stumbled into a first edition when I was in law school in Philadelphia in 2006 and I was bitten by the bug to start a collection. I worked as a lawyer for a year out here in L.A. and quit my job in 2009 to pursue rare books full time. So we’re coming up on 17 years, which is a good stretch, although there are people who’ve been in the trade for 50 or 60 years.

How do you find your inventory?

You amass this database of knowledge over time, and there really isn’t a substitute for it. I know people think that the AI boom is going to just turn around and be able to do what we do, but it’s not quite that simple. You really have to understand the market and the way that the market tends to shift over time. More modern material can shift a bit faster. But a Shakespeare folio or Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” or Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations,” books that document important moments in history where something new is introduced to the world, will always have value.

We just bought a first edition of “Alcoholics Anonymous,” and a second edition that was inscribed by Bill Wilson. These are books that have had such a profound impact on so many people’s lives that there’s this really strong market for early AA books.

What is selling presently?

I would say things like fantasy, science fiction, especially some of the classics: “Lord of the Rings,” “The Hobbit.” Some of these iconic works are having a moment right now, such as “Dune,” “I, Robot” and the “Foundation” trilogy. There are new buyers coming in, and I think some of that is tech money — people who maybe grew up reading these books and find inspiration there.

Why should we spend a lot of money on old books, when we can buy new ones for a lot less?

I don’t think that everyone is a collector or should be. I think that there are people who love the physical objects. They love the connection to history, that feeling of thinking about what it must have been like when someone opened the book and read that for the first time, and they get to have that experience again.

Whitmore Rare Books is at 121 E. Union St. in Pasadena.

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THIS was the moment thousands of disappointed music fans were left drastically booing after an iconic music act’s gig was cut short.

Fans who had descended on Milton Keynes to see The Fugees perform were left stunned when the concert was pulled after less than an hour.

Sounds of boos echoed around the Milton Keynes National Bowl from disgruntled fans who were left saddended that the performance by Lauryn Hill and co. had been sensationally axed.

The venue was forced to end the concert early due to licensing restrictions which prevented it from continuing on past 11pm.

Lauryn Hill, 51, and Wyclef Jean, 56, took to the stage shortly after 10pm, following an introduction from comedian Dave Chappelle – leaving little time for them to complete their full performance.

Fans were left bitterly disappointed when the pair were unable to perform some of the group’s biggest hits, including their 1996 multi-platinum smash Killing Me Softly With His Song as a result of the venue curfew.

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The pair, who first reunited in London ahead of the music and arts festival, attempted to address the crowd but their microphones were switched off.

Moments later, the giant on-stage screens also went black at the 65,000-capacity venue.

Fan-shot footage showed the pair complain to the crew on stage, with Lauryn pleading to finish the set as boos rang out across the crowd.

Lauryn did remain on the stage, according to eyewitnesses, thanking fans as they broke into an impromptu a cappella rendition of her hit, Ready Or Not.

Speaking following the abrupt end to the show, Wyclef Jean told us: “We’re really sad how it ended.

“We was just getting started, so we’re hoping to continue next year.”

He added: “We had so much surprises on the line up and everybody showed up and we really felt the crowd, that love and that energy, it’s something that they need, something they feel, it just reminds you of unity.

“With so much division, the diaspora calling is just to remind everybody to come together.”

Prior to the disruption, Lauryn performed a packed set featuring tracks from her landmark 1998 debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, including Doo Wop (That Thing) and Ex-Factor.

She was also joined on stage by her sons, including Zion Marley and YG Marley — but some fans were left criticising the additional performances for eating into the Fugees’ already limited set time.

It has been revealed that Emmerdale star Lawrence Robb attended a dance school for years as he signs up for the next series of Strictly Come Dancing, returning in the autumn

The yearly debate on whether those with dance training should be allowed on Strictly Come Dancing is sure to be reignited now that it has been revealed that Lawrence Robb attended a dance school for two years.

Lawrence, who was the 12th celebrity announced for Strictly Come Dancing, is best known for playing McKenzie Boyd on Emmerdale, but from 2007-2009, he was a student at The Dance School of Scotland. Glasgow City Council shared a video message from the actor, 34, where he shared his dance experience.

In the message, he said: “I studied at Knightswood incorporating the Dance School of Scotland along with the musical theatre course back in 2007 and left in 2009.”

After adding that he then went to study at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, he praised his dance teachers for the “care” they had for their students. “If it had not been for the nourishment and the care and the love that the teachers put into teaching us,” he said.

“I’ve made friends for life at that place, it is up there with the two best years of my life. It gave me a wonderful springboard into the world of musical theatre and it’s just a magical place to be. My experience there is what shaped me into the performer that I am today.”

As a musical theatre performer, Lawrence is thought to have had more professional dance experience than the average Strictly celebrity contestant. West End stars have often come under fire for taking part in the show – just last year, musical theatre star Amber Davies‘ involvement in the show was heavily criticised when she proved to be a strong contender for the glitterball.

Likewise, Layton Williams was criticised for taking part given his experience performing in the West End. Actors who did dance training whilst at drama school have also faced backlash, such as Danny Mac and Nigel Harman, as have those who have competed in dance competitions or worked as dancers in non-ballroom or latin styles, such as Lewis Cope and Tasha Ghouri.

Year after year, fans are split between those who feel that such celebrities are afforded an unfair advantage and those who say that Strictly would be boring without these dancers providing high-scoring performances.

Strictly stars have often hit back at backlash, stating that the celebrities with dance experience have no advantages as ballroom is a different style. Speaking about it to The Sun, professional dancer Lauren Oakley said: “It’s a completely different experience, my friend is ballet trained but she’s had to unlearn a lot of things in order to do Latin. It’s a completely different discipline and you have to almost it’s not a blank page, you have to unlearn it before you.”

Despite Lauren’s words, celebrities who have dance experience consistently score highly and make the final. For instance, just last year, the winner Karen Carney danced as a child, Amber Davies made the final and Lewis Cope was often topping the leaderboard.

This year, Lawrence is not he only Strictly celeb to take part with prior dance experience. Cach Mercer, who won Love Island last year, is trained in hip-hop and often teaches dance classes. Bethany Antonia is also a West End star who played Eurydice in Hadestown on stage.

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AMY Childs has broken her silence after taking time away from social media following a break-in at her £1.7million mansion.

The former Towie star, 36, addressed concerned fans after the terrifying incident last week.

Amy wrote: “I’ve taken some time away from social media recently, so thank you so much for all the lovely messages and for checking in on me. I’m absolutely fine, I promise!

“I’ve just been enjoying some time with my family, slowing down a little and, behind the scenes, I’m working on something SUPER exciting.

“I can’t wait to share it all with you very soon!”

Amy is mum to Polly, nine, Ritchie, seven, and three-year-old twins Billy and Amelia, whom she shares with her husband, Billy Delbosq, 42.

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It comes after The Sun revealed that the former Towie star’s £1.7million Essex mansion had been “ransacked”.

The property is a stunning five-bedroom mansion complete with a cinema room.

The family had been enjoying a sunny holiday before returning to discover their home had been broken into.

A source told us on Tuesday: “Amy and her family returned from holiday to find that thieves had broken into her home and completely trashed the place.

“She’s absolutely heartbroken.

“She is just grateful that she and the kids were away when it happened, because it would have been terrifying if they had been there when the burglars came.

“She can’t even bear to think about that, but it’s still left her shaken.

“At the moment, she isn’t sure exactly what’s been taken as the place is totally wrecked and police have been there along with forensics.

“It’s a total nightmare and really freaked her out.”

A representative for Amy confirmed the burglary and said: “No one was hurt, which is the main thing. The police are all over it.”

MADONNA has paid an emotional tribute to William Orbit following his death aged 69.

The Grammy award-winning music producer – who died on July 23 but whose death was only announced on Friday – worked with the singer on her album Ray Of Light in 1998 – known as one of her most beloved musical projects.

Featuring hits such as Frozen and Nothing Really Matters, the record marked a change in style for the Queen of Pop, moving her into an electronica sound following previous albums of dance-pop and disco.

Taking to Instagram, Madonna shared a video of her winning a Grammy for the album, which she accepted with William next to her on the stage.

In the clip she admitted the record wouldn’t have been possible without him.

A montage then showed that era in her career, working with the producer, with the title track Ray Of Light accompanying it.

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She captioned the post: “Goodbye William Orbit – I had an epiphany when I met you and started working with you.

“I realized that music did not have to fit into categories or genres – so we created our own.

“You pressed a magic button inside of me and I fell into a galaxy of unrealized dreams.

“Your music gave me a magic carpet to fly on and I visited many places: Sad and Joyful, I sang in ways I’d never sung before – I used words without caring if they made sense or not.

“In many ways you were my Ray of Light -as was my daughter Lola who was born around this time – I was starting a new chapter, I was choosing another road to walk down – and you were right by my side with your crooked teeth and your genius way of hearing music.”

She went on: “The studio was often church like and I would sit in silence, waiting for your ideas to explode out of your keyboard or your guitar and then I would run with them… I miss those days.

“Only you could inspire me to write a song like Drowned World or Swim – you were so otherworldly, so singular.

“The years passed and I moved on to make music with other people, but I have never forgotten you or the magical time we spent together.

“Goodbye Billy Bubbles – I was so lucky to have known you and fallen down the rabbit hole with you.”

William’s resume featured a plethora of musical icons – including Britney Spears, Pink, All Saints and Blur.

But Madonna was often considered the pinnacle, garnering him the most fame.

Having initially worked with her on singles Erotica and Justify My Love, Ray Of Light then followed, with the pair also collaborating on 1999 track Beautiful Stranger for the Austin Powers franchise.

Speaking previously about working with William, Madonna hailed him as a “complete madman genius”.

She told The Guardian: “I’d come to him with an idea of where I wanted to go musically, hum melodies or read lyrics, and then leave him alone in the laboratory.

“Sometimes he’d go in the direction I wanted and sometimes he’d swerve off somewhere else entirely.

“We’d end up with trance tracks that were eight minutes long and then keep adding and subtracting until we had real verses and choruses.”

The pop producer was hailed for his “friendship and kindness” in a touching statement on his social media.

It read: “It is with profound sadness that the family and friends of William Obit announce that he passed away at home on July 23. We are deeply saddened by his passing. He will be greatly missed by us and by so many whose lives he touched through his music.”