show biz

JAMES Bourne is made of sterner stuff. The Busted rocker stepped back from the public eye in September after falling ill and ten weeks ago told his fans was awaiting major surgery to extend his life.

And now, James tells me he’s used his time to finish a project which has been 13 years in the offing – and on July 1 will release new album Murder At The Gates, which he created for a brand new musical with legendary American playwright Steven Sater.

“I didn’t want my health to stop me from promoting this project because I’ve put 13 years of my life into it,” James tells me from his home in the UK.

“There was a fear of not finishing it. But I knew I had to finish it and give this to the people. “There’s like a few people that have been waiting for it. There are hardcore fans who show to up for everything – and I have been speaking about this for a long time.

“It feels so good to now have this as a finished product. And it’s the first album I’ve ever produced. So I’m proud of it.”

James, who has racked up eight top ten singles including four No1s with Busted, pulled out of the McFly V Busted tour last September citing his health.

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But rather than wallowing, James threw himself into the 13-track album – which features big name screen stars, including Stranger Things actor Gaten Matarazzo, on vocals.

“This album definitely has a different feeling to all the others,” James explains.

“With everything going on with my health, I have been given the gift of time.

“I was given a lot of time back when I wasn’t touring. It was like turning a negative into a positive. It was such a shame to have to drop out from the tour, because I love touring so much.

“But  you have to turn negative into positive. They’re the conversations I’ve had with my closest friends.

“I wanted to take the time I’d been given and deliver this album.”

James’s last musical, Loserville, earned an Olivier nomination back in 2013 and when he was tapped up by Steven, who earned a Grammy and a Tony award for his cult-hit musical Spring Awakening, he jumped at the chance to get involved.

“Musicals are a very difficult thing to do well and to do properly and to develop properly,” James explains.

“And this one’s been developed on the highest level with the most talented people.

“Steven was looking for a composer and that is when Loserville was in the West End.

“He invited me to his place and I knew immediately how I would do it.

“I’d never done a project where someone else did the words because he’s a lyricist.

“But as I was reading the lyrics, I could hear the music. And we partnered on the project.

“To work on this with someone on Steven’s level has been a dream.”

Of the score he’s created, James adds: “I knew I wanted it to be a very solid piano vocal score to begin with and I knew I wanted it to be orchestral but with a rock band at the heart of it.

“But I don’t think it is a rock musical in the way that rock musicals are presented.

“Rock musicals like We Will Rock You or Rock of Ages tend to veer more towards classic rock and this isn’t what Murder At The Gates is.

“I think a big part of what sold Steven’s show Spring Awakening so well was how contemporary the score was.

“The music is very customised. This is tailormade for Steven’s words and the world that he imagined and the characters that he imagined

“The score had to represent that world, you know.”

James adds: “We wrote about 50 songs for the show and whittled it down to 13.

“Some are old, some have been rewritten, some are completely new.

“It’s a long process that you can’t complete unless there’s a lot of passion involved.

“With songwriting in the pop world, you can blag it. Go into the room with a producer you’ve never met before and come out with something amazing.

“But if you don’t get anything great, you’ve not lost much. With a project like this, it’s a life commitment.”

James admits all of his spare time since 2013 has been dedicated to this project, with him missing dates on the McBusted tours with One Direction in 2014 and 2015 to get his teeth into it.

After stepping back from their tour last September, James was able to focus fully on getting the project finished – and spent time flying from his home in the US to New York to record the tracks.

“We’ve got amazing people like Gaten on board, he was definitely one of the top people on our list,” James explains.

“It was a total cherry picking situation. Steven has so much recognition from Spring Awakening – he’s like a rock star in his own right. He is a genius.

“All of the people who sang on it were busy, many of them were on Broadway so I would fly to New York for each vocal.”

And like all the best projects, James had kept his cards close to his chest – with not even his Busted bandmates Matt Willis and Charlie Simpson hearing the finished product.

“They might have heard something a very long time ago when we were doing promo for one of our tours,” James explains. “But apart from that, I haven’t played it for anyone.

“Even the actors who have done workshops with us over the past decade haven’t heard it.”

Once the record is released, Steven will get to work with James in getting the production green lit.

And James admits he is excited to see what comes of the project.

“We don’t have an opening night yet for the show but we’ve got the album and we’re saying, ‘This is a great representative of what the show is,’”James explains.

“There are still some bonus tracks to come later on. I’m just incredibly proud of it.

“When you do these projects, you strive to create things that can be timeless in a way.

“Classic musicals go on for years and years, and we’ve definitely been really striving to create something amazing.

“When I make albums with Busted, you’re making music for yourself to perform.

“With a project like this, you’re giving something to the community. This show is original, memorable and I don’t think there’s another show like it.

“I just can’t wait for people to hear it, then see it.”

LEE Andrews says he has undergone a “reinvention” by getting a fresh haircut.

Katie Price’s husband was released from Dubai’s notorious Al Awir prison on Friday with what appeared to be a fuller head of hair.

After allegations he had used a filter on his video, Lee shared new footage of himself in the barber’s chair.

The former glamour model’s controversial husband said: So this is when you try to reinvent yourself..

A wet through messy look. We’re getting there, guys. Slowly, slowly getting there.

“Not too bad is it? Massive reinvention. Love it.”

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He then thanked his hairdresser for the cut.

Lee added: “It seems to be a bit on the pineapple side, but I don’t mind. It seems to do the job. I’ll play around with it a bit, making take it back or forward.

“Good job, isn’t it? Looking like an Abercrombie model.”

Lee’s hair stole attention when he returned to social media for the first time since leaving prison.

Many were convinced it was AI or a filter had been used to create a fuller head of hair.

Since then, a Dubai-based trichologist from Hair Repair Club claimed to The Sun that Lee had visited his salon on Monday to enquire about a permanent wig. 

He declined their services when he was told he would require a patch test and “colour matching” before being able to purchase.

GREG James has confirmed his Radio 1 show return and revealed that he’s ‘exhausted’ as he shared an update on his dad’s recent open heart surgeries.

The radio star, 40, was missing from the Radio 1 Breakfast, which airs weekdays from 7am to 10:30am, on Wednesday and Thursday (18 June 2026).

Greg took to his Instagram story this morning to reveal the heart-breaking reason why – and admitted that he’s “in no fit state” because his father Alan Milward has undergone heart surgery.

Then this afternoon, he decided to give his 1.3m followers on the social media platform an update.

Sharing a selfie from a sauna, Greg wrote: “Hello from the sauna! I felt daft updating on all of this but because it was such a loud part of the comic relief challenge, I feel like it’s nice to be honest about it all.

“Just to say, my dad is responsive, just about conscious and being looked after amazingly.

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“Obviously, after two open heart surgeries in three months, he’s not out of the woods by a long way, but we’re hopeful he’ll be fixed and we can all just get on with life.

“Which is what I’m gonna try and do.

“I won’t keep updating on here about it all as quite frankly, we’re all exhausted by it and it’s going to be a long road to recovery.”

He then went on to share exactly when he’ll be back on the radio – and fans don’t have long to wait.

Greg continued: “I’ve wanted to make sure my mum is OK so it’s been nice to spend loads of time with her and my big sis, but I’m back to the show tomorrow and I can’t wait.

“Thank you again for the most amazing load of messages.

“It’s genuinely very comforting.”

It comes after Greg told fans yesterday: “Hello from my mum’s garden! I wasn’t on the breakfast show today as my dad was in for another go at heart surgery (it’s been a wild few months and I didn’t want to bore you with it all). 

“But here we are. Back to square one. Waiting for news and staying distracted and keeping calm by making water features. 

“All being well, back on tomorrow morning.”

However Greg later revealed Alan’s surgery took “much longer” than they’d expected so he would be taking another day off. 

He said: “What a great day! An absolute hoot in ICU. 

“Surgery was much longer than everyone hoped. Big up my mum and my big sis. And the surgeons. And the NHS. What a gang. We’ve all gone mad. 

“Real talk, surgery went ok but he’s far from out of the woods so I’m gonna take it easy tomorrow and hopefully back on Friday. 

“Plus, I’m in no fit state to be on the radio. I mean, look at me, I’m posting photos from intensive care ffs. Thank you for your lovely messages.”

In March Greg had to cancel his show and rush home after Alan suffered a stroke during a planned heart operation.

He later opened up about his dad’s struggles during his 1,000km tandem bike ride for Red Nose Day.

Undertaking the mammoth task just a week after Alan’s stroke, Greg got emotional talking about the man he calls “Big Al”.

He said: “I feel elated. I feel a bit overwhelmed by all these people who just turned up out of nowhere. I just burst into tears as I was going up to Blaenavon. It was all a bit much.

“Just thought about… I just thought about everything. Just thought about my dad, thought about my mum. It got way too much. It’s so silly. It must have been the altitude.”

DISGRACED actor John Alford’s cause of death has been revealed after he was found dead in his prison cell just weeks after being caged for sexually assaulting two teenagers.

The disgraced actor died less than three months into the sentence at Category C HMP on March 13 this year – and now the cause of his death has been revealed.

John Alford – who played Robbie Wright in the BBC series Grange Hill – was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting two teenage girls, 14 and 15.

The victims had been at a pub before heading to the home of a pal whose dad had been drinking with Alford, real name John Shannon.

The paedophile bought £250 worth of food, booze and cigarettes from a petrol station, including vodka the girls drank later, a trial at St Albans crown court was told. Once left alone with the girls, Alford had sex with the younger girl in a garden and a toilet.

The trial heard he asked her “Do you want this babe?” to which she answered “No”. He assaulted the other teen twice while she was “dozing off” on the sofa.

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Following the horror, The older girl said Alford “destroyed my mental wellbeing”. The other said the assault “affected me and my family in every way”.

The disgraced TV star made his mark on BBC school drama Grange Hill in the 1980s and found fame as fireman Billy Ray in London’s Burning in the 1990s before his fall from grace.

Grange Hill ran for 30 years until 2008 and launched the careers of several famous faces we know today. It covered major issues from drug use to teen pregnancy, HIV and knife crime.

The show’s characters became some of the most recognisable faces on TV, but where are the actors who played its young stars now? From sex assault scandal to star who traded acting for a very ordinary job, fate has dealt the former stars varied hands.

John Alford – Robbie Wright

Towards the end of his Grange Hill stint, Alford later admitted he was drinking up to 18 bottles of beer and nine spirits shots a night.

But he went on to earn a new army of fans as fireman Ray in London’s Burning from 1993 to 1998. However, this didn’t last long either, as John was sacked two years later after he was convicted for supplying cocaine and cannabis. He served six weeks of a nine-month sentence in 1999.

But this wasn’t his only encounter with the law. Back in 2019 John pleaded guilty to smashing a windscreen in a bin lorry ‘hijacking’ and resisting arrest. A hearing at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court heard how a refuse worker spotted the shamed TV star who had broken into the Veolia lorry while it did its morning rounds near his home in Holloway, North London.

Police attended and noted that John was seemingly under the influence as he began resisting arrest. First, John argued with attending officers Police Constables Darren Baker and Miranda Narcin and claimed he was trying to stop the vehicle rolling back, but they all fell to the ground as he resisted their attempts to restrain him, Irish Mirror reported at the time.

The sick predator, who had been in a psychiatric hospital before his September 2025 trial, was found dead in his prison cell earlier in March. The provisional cause of death for Alford has now been publicly recorded as ischaemic heart disease following an inquest opening.

George Armstrong – Alan Humphries

He starred as Alan from the first episode of Grange Hill in 1978 until Series five in 1982.

Among Armstrong’s other roles was that of PC Driscoll in The Bill in 1989. He later gave up acting and became a theatre manager at a public school.

Unfortunately, the former TV star passed away in 2023 following a “long battle with leukaemia“. His former co-stars paid tribute to the actor, describing him as a “true legend”.

Lee Whitlock – Bevis Loveday

Alan’s sad death came just months after the passing of Lee Whitlock, who played Bevis Loveday in series 16 in 1993, in February.

Prior to that, Lee launched his career in the popular TV series Shine On Harvey Moon as Stanley Moon in the 1980s.

London-born Lee, who died aged 54, went on to appear alongside some of the biggest names in the movie industry – Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter – in the 2007 film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Other film credits included Wish You Were Here, Jack the Giant Slayer, Cassandra’s Dream and Wild Bill. Lee also had cameos in Casualty, EastEnders, Lovejoy, Boon, The Bill, London’s Burning and Solider, Solider.  

Paula-Ann Bland – Claire Scott

One of the show’s most iconic characters, Claire – played by Paula-Ann Bland – was a child of overprotective parents. Following the trailblazing drama series, Paula, now 54, continued her acting career and portrayed Kelly Brice in Only Fools and Horses, as well as Sylvie in Vanity Fair.

The mother-of-two, who posed topless for lads’ magazine Mayfair, also moved to Los Angeles for a time before returning to London to set up a publicity firm.

Despite finding enormous success, Paula’s life was thrown upside down after she found out she had stage three triple-negative breast cancer in 2018.

In an interview in the Sunday Express at the time, Paula revealed: “When you hear the word cancer, you can’t hear anything else, everything else becomes just white noise.”

The actress, who was considered the British Kylie Minogue thanks to her version of The Locomotion, lost part of her breast during her procedure.

She added: “I understand it had to be done to save my life and this is better than the worst scenario of a double mastectomy and removal of the ovaries. But the procedure still leaves you without an important part of your identity as a woman.”

Terry Sue-Patt – Benny Green

Benny Green, played by Terry Sue-Patt, made his screen debut when Grange Hill premiered in 1978. “There weren’t many black actors about on TV at that time. I had a great time, getting time off school to play football. It was a bit of a dream come ”true”, really,” he told the Daily Mirror.

After his tenure at the London school ended in 1982, Terry went on to star in Channel 4 comedy Desmond’s, set in a Peckham barbershop, and also the 1989 film The Firm. Tragically, Terry was found dead at his London home in 2015 at the age of 50.

The family of the actor released a statement revealing his struggle with personal challenges before his passing. Police feared his body may have lain there for a month before it was found.

John Holmes – Luke ‘Gonch’ Gardener 

Luke ‘Gonch’ Gardener was portrayed by John Holmes, who starred in the show for four years from 1985 before wisely deciding to return to education.

He committed himself to his studies at the University Of East Anglia, where he served as president of the student union for several years.

As reported by The Express, John, who is now 56, left the acting world to manage a casino.

Susan Tully – Suzanne Ross

Susan Tully, known for her role as Michelle Fowler in EastEnders, began her acting career as Suzanne Ross in the BBC series.

The 58-year-old has since applied her talents behind the camera as a successful television director of shows including Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, Lark Rise To Candleford and Getting On.

Millions have watched her work as a director on episodes of Line Of Duty, as well as of EastEnders and the ITV thriller Too Close.

Lee MacDonald – Samuel ‘Zammo’ McGuire

The class clown was at the centre of one of the most talked about storylines on the series when his character developed a dangerous heroin addiction in the mid-80s.

Lee, now 55, tried his hand at professional boxing after leaving the show, but a car accident in the early 90s left him unable to return to the ring.

He had been running a locksmiths and key-cutting business since retiring from telly, but in 2019 he made a surprise comeback 32 years after playing Zammo by joining EastEnders.

In 2020, he got engaged to his long-term partner, Jess. Just three years later, in 2023, the former child star broke down in tears when he feared he had cancer. But although he was given the all-clear, Lee was then diagnosed with a pre-cancerous spot called keratosis after noticing another mark on his face last year.

After leaving Grange Hill, Lee used sunbeds to feel more confident, but regrets using them following his diagnosis.

He explained: “Without a shadow of a doubt, if I look back now, obviously, because of my complaints, I wish I’d never, ever gone near them if I knew now what I knew, then I would not have touched them. I would not not go near them.”

Michelle Herbert – Trisha Yates

Trisha Yates’ Michelle Herbert left the series in 1982, concluding five memorable series. Moving her life to Dundee in the 90s, the mother-of-two and her husband manage All Glass and Glazing business.

But like many other former Grange Hill alumni, she has had her share of obstacles. While she was in a hotel room, during a family holiday in Rome, Michelle spotted a small dimple on her breast in May, 2015.

She was subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo a mastectomy – but luckily, the 61-year-old has since received the all-clear.

Following the ordeal, Michelle has been adamant on raising public awareness around the lesser-known symptoms of breast cancer, urging women to check for dimples.

Erkan Mustafa – Roland ‘Roly’ Browning

Fans of the series all adored Roland, didn’t they?

Roland was the lovable character who, despite horrific bullying, eventually found the strength to confront his tormentors after enduring years of abuse.

Post-Grange Hill, Erkan Mustafa, 56, appeared in the holiday favourite Blackadder’s Christmas Carol and later captivated music fans as a host on E4 Music. he starred in Lenny Henry’s 90s sitcom Chef! and Blackadder and also made appearances on Soccer AM and Celebrity Juice.

Sean Maguire – Terence ‘Tegs’

Sean Maguire was only 11 when he joined the cast of one of the most famous schools on TV. He later starred as Aidan Brosnan in EastEnders and also had roles in The Bill, crime series Scott and Bailey, and Holby City.

In the 90s, Sean moved away from acting to kick-start his pop career with two albums and an impressive eight singles that broke into the Top 30. His venture into film, however, wasn’t as successful, with his movie, Meet the Spartans, winning a meagre 2.8-star rating on IMBd.

Undeterred by this hiccup, Sean rebounded when he secured the role of Robin Hood in the American TV series Once Upon a Time. Sean, now 50, married police officer Tanya Flynn in 2012 and they have two sons, as well as a daughter. They now live in the US where the former child star has become a citizen.

Simone Hyams – Caroline ‘Calley’ Donnington

Simone appeared in the first episode of Grange Hill and played the role of Calley in Grange Hill.

In 1991, Simone, now 54, landed a role in the film Dirty Weekend, but it wasn’t released until two years later because it was deemed too violent.

She then went on to star in The Bill before shifting careers to become a corporate events manager for Virgin.

Todd Carty – Peter ‘Tucker’ Jenkins

Todd was just 14 when he joined the BBC cast and went on to be one of the show’s most famous faces.

He was so popular as the lovable rogue Tucker that he got his own successful spin-off series, Tucker’s Luck, for three years. After Grange Hill, Todd played Mark Fowler in EastEnders until 2003 before joining The Bill as evil Gabriel.

Todd, now 62, also famously appeared on Dancing On Ice in 2009 where he became an internet sensation in 2009 after losing control and skating out of the studio.

Since then, he has featured in a range of TV shows, including the comedy A Touch of Cloth, Celebrity 5 Go Caravanning, and the short film The Drive.

SHAKIRA has sparked dating rumors with hunky actor Manuel Garcia-Rulfo.

The pair were seen leaving a hotel together in Los Angeles on Monday, days after Shakira turned up the heat at the World Cup opening.

Hips Don’t Lie singer Shakira and Manuel, who is known for starring in Lincoln Lawyer, were waiting at a valet stand outside the Sunset Tower Hotel.

As they waited for their vehicle in West Hollywood, the pair were seen smiling and chatting.

The photographs show that once their car arrived, Manuel proved chivalry isn’t dead.

He was ever the gentleman and politely opened Shakira’s door and waited for her to get in before he closed it.

Mexican hunk Manuel then walked around to the driver’s side and got in before driving off.

Shakira, 49, wore a simple outfit comprising of a black tank top with some blue jeans and some black boots.

Meanwhile, 45-year-old Manuel wore blue jeans, a black T-shirt and a matching jacket.

The couple looked incredibly content in one another’s company, and as they drove off they were both beaming.

The snaps were quick to circulate online, with fans rushing to react.

“Truth is, the dude really is hot. Even if it’s casual, I’m glad. Good for Shaki,” said one person on X.

“Omg what an upgrade,” penned a second.

While a third wrote: “The way those photos look like they’re from 2000 omg Shakira ages like wine.”

Someone else then echoed: “If you tell me it’s from 2002, I’ll believe you.”

And a fifth said: “Baby, doesn’t it feel like you’re seeing an old photo? It looks the same.”

Shakira has most recently been romantically linked to Lucien Laviscount.

Back in February, she took to Instagram to hard launch her relationship with the actor.

The relationship began after they met in early 2024 on the set of her music video for Puntería, in which he played her love interest.

But ahead of the World Cup, Shakira noted that she has “no space or time” for a relationship.

“Oh no, no romance for me for now,” Shakira told The Times recently, hinting she and Lucien were no longer an item.

“There’s no space or time in my life for that. My plate is quite full.

“My kids are my priority. And my career. Strangely enough, I’m in love with my career like I’ve never been in my life. I’m enjoying my time alone as well.”

LOVE Island Australia’s Gabby McCarthy, the reality star with the show’s biggest ever boobs, has almost fallen out of her skin-tight dress.

The buxom lass, 22, took to Instagram to share a series of pictures from her night out as her grey and white dress struggled to contain her 34G chest.

She took pictures of herself sitting on a hotel bed as well as standing in front of a luggage trolley.

Gabby posed up a storm as her boobs glistened, thanks to the oil she put on them.

The zip on her dress went up as far as it could go as she nearly had a nip-slip.

In one snap, Gabby got on her knees on the bed as she stared seductively into the camera.

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She captioned the post: “In your dreams.”

Her followers flocked to the comments section as one gushed: “SHE THE BADDEST AND SHE KNOWS IT!!! Stunning as per Queen Gabs.”

Another person commented: “Ooh I’m obsessed.”

Somebody else said: “You are not from this Earth I swear.”

Yet another asked her: “You just get hotter?”

While a fifth added: “Actually unreal,” with love heart eyes emojis.

This isn’t the first time she’s threatened to spill out of her dress and it certainly won’t be the last.

Back in February, she left little to the imagination in a short black dress.

She posted the sizzling pic which accentuated her natural curves.

Gabby accessorised with shades, silver jewellery and knee-high boots to complete her look.

She shot to fame on the seventh series of Love Island Australia which aired last year.

She appeared as the very first bombshell on day one and immediately caused a stir with her confident personality.

The content creator was enjoying a connection with Jotham Russell but after their relationship fell apart, she decided to quit the show.

While on the show, she was accused of lying about surgery after claiming her boobs were natural.

Fans of the programme spotted old photos of her modelling trainers and lingerie and began doubting her chest was as natural as she claimed.

One person wrote on Reddit: “I thought they were natural until I saw pictures of her a few years ago being a b-c cup at best.

“Unpopular opinion, but I believe she has teardrop implants. Natural boobs jiggle and move a lot when you’re walking and running but hers are way more ‘stiff’. Her surgeon did an amazing job making them look natural though.”

Another wrote: “I admit I was searching for the truth on her boobs, only cuz she claimed they were natural. Sparked a bit of debate amongst friends.

“Hard one to call. They look fake to me and don’t believe weight gain caused them to grow.”

During her introduction video, she said: “My name is Gabby, I’m 21 years old and I’m from the Gold Coast.

“I get this question every single day of my life, my boobs are natural guys!

“If I want a guy, then I always get him. I’ve got the teeth, I’ve got the face, I’ve got the body, and I’ve got the boobs.”

Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie will be back at the box office this weekend, delivering what could be the biggest film debut of the year.

Analysts expect the fifth installment of Disney/Pixar’s “Toy Story” franchise will pull in at least $150 million in the U.S. and Canada, with some predicting as much as $175 million — either of which would set a franchise record, topping the nearly $121-million opening of 2019’s “Toy Story 4.”

A strong showing for “Toy Story 5” will further fuel a recovery of the box office this year from the post-pandemic doldrums.

Domestic ticket sales are up over last year, and Roth Capital Partners forecasts the second quarter will climb 6.5% to $2.8 billion — a post-pandemic high.

“Toy Story 5” is the first of several family tentpoles this summer, ahead of Universal and Illumination’s “Minions & Monsters” and Disney’s live-action “Moana.”

“Right now we’re on pace for the best opening of the year,” said Daniel Loria, editorial director at Box Office Co. “This is a performer.”

The timing also is fortuitous for Walt Disney Co. at a moment when its other once-reliable franchises such as “Star Wars” and Marvel have faltered. The recent “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” dropped sharply at the domestic box office after its late-May opening, bested by low-budget horror films “Backrooms” and “Obsession.”

“People love these characters from ‘Toy Story,’ ” said Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Comscore. “It’s just as appealing as ever.”

Indeed, across four films and 30 years, “Toy Story” has grossed more than $3 billion worldwide. It is the most-watched franchise on Disney+, with more than 2 billion hours streamed. Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie have spawned 19 theme park rides, four themed lands, two hotels and roughly $1 billion a year in global retail sales.

The production budget for “Toy Story 5” is about $150 million to $200 million. A crew of about 300 people worked on the film at Pixar’s Emeryville, Calif., headquarters.

For Pixar, the reliance on “Toy Story” reflects a shift away from originals that used to be its lifeblood.

February’s “Hoppers” managed a respectable $372 million worldwide, but the surer money now comes from sequels.

“Inside Out 2” grossed nearly $1.7 billion in 2024, and both “Toy Story 4” and “Toy Story 3” crossed $1 billion globally.

Still, the franchise label is no guarantee: The 2022 spin-off “Lightyear” stalled at $226 million worldwide after straying from the formula, recasting Buzz as an actual sci-fi hero — voiced by Chris Evans rather than Tim Allen — and sidelining Woody and the rest of the gang.

“Toy Story 5” stays closer to home but wades into new territory: the explosion of tech in everyday life. The toys must contend with Lilypad, a tablet that captures the attention of their owner, Bonnie — a premise that grew out of a tech-toy character originally written for “Toy Story 4” and scrapped for time. Disney is betting the underlying tension is universal.

“What parent hasn’t had anxiety over tech versus toys with their kids?” said Andrew Cripps, head of theatrical distribution for Walt Disney Studios.

Disney is betting that this universal concern will drive audiences to the film.

The fifth installment also arrives with an unusually high-wattage assist: Taylor Swift wrote and performed an original song, “I Knew It, I Knew You,” and made a surprise appearance at last week’s premiere, performing it after the credits before joining longtime franchise composer Randy Newman for “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.”

“It means the world to me to be a small part of the universe of these films,” Swift told the crowd.

The expected blockbuster opening for “Toy Story 5” would be a full-circle moment for the long-standing franchise; Pixar animators in 1995 hadn’t even considered the possibility of a sequel while working on the first “Toy Story.”

“There was so much learned on that first film, specifically our iterative process,” Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter said in a phone call last week from Madrid, shortly before the film’s Spain premiere. “A lot of things that we discovered having worked on that film have just continued to inform every movie that we make.”

“Toy Story” revolutionized the movie business as the first computer-animated feature film. But its enduring appeal was in the bonds between the characters, Docter said.

Docter, who supervised animators and helped with character design and writing on the original “Toy Story,” added: “It certainly had some new technology, but it was really up to the story and characters to carry the audience.”

The franchise’s longevity is also due to its ability to capture generations of fans.

“Having parents now that say, ‘I grew up with “Toy Story,” and now I’m showing my kids,’ has been really gratifying,” Docter said.

In this week’s episode of The Envelope podcast, Rachel Sennott discusses finding the voice of “I Love L.A.” — and finding her footing as series creator — during a tumultuous time in her life.

Kelvin Washington: Welcome to The Envelope, Kelvin Washington alongside you know who, Yvonne Villarreal, Mark Olsen. Always great to have you two here and spend some time with you. We talked about it earlier, we had Emmy season — a few weeks ago we discussed it. But now Emmy nominations are on the way. Yvonne, I’ll start with you, just maybe someone, a show, a couple of things you’re looking at saying, “Hey, I would love to see this or that person nominated.”

Yvonne Villarreal: I wanna give some shout-outs to the women right now. I was really frustrated when Rhea Seehorn didn’t get love until the final season of “Better Call Saul,” and I’m hoping — and I do have a lot of hope — that she will be recognized for “Pluribus.” [I] was a really big fan of “The Comeback” this season. I would like to [see] Lisa Kudrow get in there. Show-wise, I would like to see “The Testaments” in there. I don’t know how much of a dark horse that one is, but that’s my pick for show.

Washington: You’ve been riding “The Testaments.” What about you, Mark?

Olsen: I’m sort of leapfrogging over nominations, and I’m just thinking about what would be exciting on the show. And last year, I remember Stephen Colbert won for talk show kind of right after his show had been canceled, and that seemed like a very exciting moment. And so this year, with Jimmy Kimmel, where this is the first Emmy cycle since he had his suspension last year, and really has been in the news, I just think if he were to be nominated and then to win, that just would be such an exciting moment at the show. What’s he gonna say? I just would really love to see that.

Washington: Yeah, he seems like he would have some things to say, right? Because just kind of the nature of who he is. We’ll have to wait and see. And just for me, a couple of people. Just a fan of this particular person, Janelle James is hilarious to me. She plays in “Abbott Elementary.” She plays that role great. And then this one is no real surprise, probably 50-plus-year career, but Martin Short. Every time I see him, he’s amazing, steals the scene. So those are folks that just jump off on the radar for me.

All right, I’ll get to you, Mark. You had a chance to sit down with Rachel Sennott of “I Love L.A.,” creator and star of it. Tell me a little bit more about that.

Olsen: She’s been kind of a real, like, bright light on the comedy scene for the last few years in films like “Shiva Baby,” “Bodies Bodies Bodies” and “Bottoms,” and, you know, she also was like a writer as well as a performer. And so with “I Love L.A.,” which is a look at sort of like the young creative class in Los Angeles, she is the star of the show, she created the show, she writes on the show, she’s executive producer, she actually made her directing debut with one of the episodes. And so it’s just exciting to see her sort of really like come into her voice and come into her own with this new show.

Washington: Kind of reminds me a little bit of, you know, now maybe a decade ago Issa Rae’s surge in L.A. and comedy creating, and then Riz Ahmed, who you spoke with last week — same thing creating and starring and stuff. Seems like that’s the energy [we’re] getting from a lot of the young talent. Well, here is Mark and Rachel now.

Rachel Sennott, creator and star of HBO’s “I Love L.A.”

(Evan Mulling / For The Times)

Mark Olsen: We’re here with Rachel Sennott, creator, executive producer, writer, star, and for the first time, director on the show “I Love L.A.,” as well as co-creator and writer on “Big Mistakes.” That’s a lot.

Rachel Sennott: When you say it like that, I’m like, “Oh, my God.” And I’m also a friend, daughter, let’s not forget girlfriend. Yeah, those are all things that I am doing. And I am so grateful and having so much fun doing that.

Olsen: Hopefully this isn’t something that just I get a kick out of, but we’re here at the L.A. Times offices in El Segundo, and the Randy Newman song “I Love L.A.,” one of the first lines in the song is “Rolling down the Imperial Highway.” And we are in fact on Imperial Highway.

Sennott: We’re here right now. We’re living it.

Olsen: Tell me about the title of the show, its relationship to the song and what was it that you liked about having the show called “I Love L.A.”

Sennott: We were between two titles for a while, “I Love L.A.” and “Climbers,” and the reason we went with “I Love L.A.” is because in the process of making the show, I moved here from New York and I had a hard time when I was first here. And in the process of filming the pilot, I really fell in love with L.A., and I think getting to make something here, I all of a sudden saw L.A. through this lens where everything was like a movie. I would go on my walks that I usually go on. I would walk through my neighborhood, I would go to my spots, and I just saw it through this different lens, and I was really falling in love with it in the process of making the show. And I think with “Climbers,” that title fell a little bit — it was a double meaning of like social climbers and then also, being the age that I am, where I feel like ever since I got to college, ever since I became an adult, there’s been this chaotic energy in the world and uncertain ground where things never felt expected. It was always unexpected events. Graduating into COVID and then there was a strike and everything. So I feel like Sisyphus, where you’re always pushing the rock up the hill and it’s never enough. But we were worried that “Climbers” would seem too negative … We didn’t want to set people up already judging the characters.

Olsen: And then what has it been like for you learning to be a showrunner in making “I Love L.A.”? It’s funny, your co-showrunner Emma Barrie, she mentioned how you were very organized, but she was struck that you had everything in a pink binder with horses on it. So it was you trying to learn this new thing while also holding on to your essence.

Sennott: I feel so grateful for everyone who works on the show with me. I learned a lot from Emma. I learned from Lorene [Scafaria], who inspired me so much as a director. Aida [Rodgers], our producer, Amy [Gravitt] and Allie [Wasserman] at HBO; Max [Silvestri], who’s one of our EPs and writers. Showrunning is a million different jobs, and some of the jobs I’d done before, some of them I hadn’t, and I felt like I got to see different people shine in certain things, people who are more talented or more skilled at structure than me, people who have directed before, people who understand shots and basically learn from everyone and see that everyone wants the show to be the best it can be. They’re bringing stuff to the table. And so I benefited from everyone else’s skills and talents and just being like, “If you know how to do this better than me, I’m gonna learn from you and watch you and hopefully take from that so I can do my job better.”

Olsen: In a lot of the press as you’ve been talking about the show, you’ve been talking a lot about the concept of the Saturn return and this sort of chaotic period people have in their late 20s. You yourself now are 30 —

Sennott: Yes, I made it. I literally just finished. I was relieved, but my Saturn return was the process, getting the show picked up and the first season of the show. That was my Saturn return.

Olsen: Can you already feel that something has settled or things are different somehow?

Sennott: Yes, a thousand percent. My Saturn return, the dates that it was the strongest were the month around when the show got picked up. Making the pilot was so amazing and I learned so much. And then I was in this moment where I had to pick — basically, I couldn’t take on acting jobs because I was gonna hopefully do the show, but I didn’t know if the show was picked up yet or not. And so I had to say no to certain things and kind of take this leap. At the same time I went through a breakup, and then I got arrested for having CBD in the Cayman Islands. And it was just a very chaotic month of my life where I was like in jail for six hours on a break with my boyfriend, so he, like, had no idea where I was, and I was like, I don’t even know if I have a show, I just said no to this other thing. I just felt like I didn’t know what was happening. I’m someone who it’s hard for me to take risks sometimes, and that was a big risk and leap into what I thought I should be doing. And then the rest of it was learning for the first season how to do a job I’d never done before. Obviously, I still have more to learn, but I think that was a big Saturn return for me, the roller coaster of it.

Olsen: It’s so interesting to hear you say that you think of yourself as a person who’s afraid of risk, because that’s not my impression of you.

Sennott: You’re like, “Stop taking risks. Chill on the risks, every second.” No, I think it’s more [that] I didn’t necessarily believe in myself as a creator on my own, and that was really scary for me. That was the risk, I think.

Olsen: Because especially in building up to making “I Love L.A.,” in your career, I feel like you’ve created this comedic persona for yourself. What is the biggest distinction between the Rachel I think I know and like the actual you?

Sennott: You mean the characters that I play? Or like the persona?

Olsen: These sort of hard-charging, very ambitious, but maybe not always understanding of themselves characters, and you. I’m just interested in how you see the distinction between that persona and the actual you.

Sennott: Well, I hope that the characters that I’ve played have been somewhat different from each other. I think “Shiva Baby,” that character, was a little bit more anxiety-inward. Alice in “Bodies” was way more outward and kind of no filter, said every inside thought. Maia on “I Love L.A.,” I think, is kind of bitter in the beginning of the first season and is pinning her failures, blaming them, on her friend. All of those characters, I always draw on some element of myself. I think all actors, you have to find some connection to the character. But I think I’m hopefully more grounded and balanced and mature than the character. I hope.

Olsen: You’ve talked about how “I Love L.A.” really explores the foibles and challenges that people have leading these very, like, online lives and the way that people nowadays are really sort of tethered to their phones all the time. Is that something that you feel like you grapple with yourself? Is it something you yourself have had to kind of get over?

Sennott: I would say I started my career on the internet, and I grew up on the internet, and basically, I created a different sort of persona on the internet that was based in truth of a time when I was in my early 20s in New York, and it was a lot more messy and a little chaotic, and I was just going through things in my life at that time [that inspired] — I say “writing,” but like the tweets, the jokes, the videos, whatever, that were coming out of me. And then I felt I changed, but I still wanted to kind of project that character. And so I actually ended up putting that character into Tallulah [played by Odessa A’zion]. And I think Maia was a little bit more the version of myself when I first moved to L.A. and I felt isolated and it was during COVID, and I felt I was kind of gripping onto my friends in a codependent way. And so I think the show is sort of dealing with, whether or not you’re an influencer or person online, anyone who’s grown up on the internet is projecting some sort of version of themselves. So I think it was that I was trying to explore.

Olsen: You mentioned that the character of Tallulah is this version of you that you used to be. So what was it like for you creating this character that was almost like your id unleashed?

Sennott: It felt like I was separating myself from her. At first, [it] maybe could have felt like a caricature. And then when we cast Odessa, who is so talented and just, as an actor, she has such depth and range, and I think she asked questions and brought so much to it. Then it actually made me sever myself from the character, and the character became its own thing that she brought to life.

Olsen: Your character, Maia, in some ways is the audience surrogate, she’s kind of the most “normal” character on the show. And considering that in “Bottoms” or “Bodies Bodies Bodies” you often were the outrageous character, what has it been like for you to play this character that’s a little more self-contained?

Sennott: It’s been fun. I think we sort of found her during the first season. I feel that Episodes 6 through 8 are really where the show finds its footing and where we find what’s the comedy of Maia. It takes a little for her to kind of crack open, what’s funny about her as a character, but also I think Tallulah is almost like an agent of change for her — Maia was set in her ways and sort of struggling and depressed, and I think Tallulah puts her on track, and she’s going through her Saturn return and all that stuff. And so I think we get to see at the end of the season and just having been writing Season 2, I think that we get see her do a lot more fun stuff.

Olsen: It’s funny, as viewers, a lot of times people say, “Oh, you know, there’s this show you should watch, it really gets going on like Episode 3” or whatever. And I don’t think I’ve ever heard a creator say before, like, “Oh, 6, 7, and 8, we figured it out.” Do you feel you knew that in the moment, or has that only come to you as you’ve been working on Season 2?

Sennott: I think as we were editing the first season. Tone is something that you can say, like, “We want it to be like, this needs this, and it’s that and that and the tone of that.” But tone is what you find in the edit. I think you shoot different versions of a line, of a scene, and then you piece it together. And I think for me, that’s when I felt like, “This is the tone of the show. This is the world of the show.” And in writing Season 2 as well, just living more in that world.

Olsen: You kind of touched on this, but the characters on the show, they kind of skirt this line between being endearing and annoying. What is it that you like about that?

Sennott: Because I think that’s how people are. I am not interested in seeing perfect people or people who are flawed in a way that’s not actually real. So I love all the characters. I think Alani [played by True Whitaker], for example, is someone where you could really easily be like, “Oh, a nepo baby, she’s so privileged, whatever.” I think she’s the character with the biggest heart. She’s the best friend out of the whole group. She cares for everyone. She’s so deeply sensitive. And she’s actually been through a lot of s— and she drops these little things, these clues where you’re like, “Gee, she went through something crazy but is choosing to look at life half-full,” and I think that’s fun. I like the characters who make you feel or expect something of them and then show you another side. Charlie [played by Jordan Firstman] I think does that as well, where you meet him and you think he’s a little acerbic, he’s a little judgmental, and then he goes through loss and grief when Lukas, spoilers, Lukas Landry dies, RIP Lukas. That’s really hard for him. I’ve been friends with Jordan for so long, and I love him so much. I think he’s so talented. But I think he showed a totally new side of himself with the character.

Olsen: I agree. I found those scenes very touching. There’s an emotion there that’s kind of unexpected. Another moment that I really like in the show is Odessa’s character, she wants to change a dinner reservation to five people at 8 o’clock. And then you have to spend hours trying to make that happen. And I really appreciated how it’s something that sounds like it should be simple, and for some people it’s no big deal. But then for other people, it’s the biggest hurdle imaginable. Did you like that the show explores this sort of proximity to ease? Sometimes you end up at this party in a big, big house, but it’s not your house. Was that something you wanted to explore about life in L.A.?

Sennott: Totally. There’s also something specific to L.A. and specific to the industry we’re exploring — which is the internet as opposed to Hollywood — that I would say is relatable to me, to anyone in their late 20s, early 30s. When you’re in your early 20s, everyone’s sort of grouped together or feels like they’re in the same bucket. It’s like, “Oh we’re all doing this same thing, we’re all roommates, we’re all in school together, we’re all whatever.” But people make decisions that you don’t even see. I feel like the first time I found out that one of my friends had a SEP IRA, I was like, “When did we all decide that we’re getting SEP IRAs?” And it was a friend who loves to party, and I was thrown. Now I’m panicking I didn’t do that. Or who’s getting in a serious relationship, whatever. People start making decisions in their late 20s, all of a sudden everyone’s off on different paths. It’s like, “Wait, you’re getting married, but you’re still partying the way that we did when we were in college.” This person is moving, this person is changing their career path. And so you all of a sudden feel a little bit betrayed or on your own, and it’s isolating, and that is something that, yes, we’re doing it through a specific lens of L.A. and this world and these characters, but I think it’s really relatable to people at that age.

Olsen: I’ve heard you describe yourself as a zillennial cusp.

Sennott: Yeah, I’m cusp, and I feel like I relate to a little bit of both.

Olsen: But do you feel a pressure for the show to feel like some sort of a generational statement, to capture these kind of big-picture things?

Sennott: No. Ayo [Edebiri] and I were texting each other because there’s always an article that’s like, “Turns out these b— are 30. Yeah. They’ve been lying the whole time. They said they’re Gen Z.” I’m like, “I didn’t say anything. I was born in ’95. I’m 30.” Call me what you want, but I was just writing to what I feel at the time. I think people who grew up on the internet in the way that I did will relate to it, but I think you can relate too if you’re older or you’re younger.

Olsen: As people are writing about the show, they very frequently are referencing “Girls,” “Insecure,” “Sex and the City.” But I’ve heard you reference “Entourage” quite a bit. Could you explain that?

Sennott: “Girls” and “Sex and the City” and “Insecure,” all of those shows, all HBO shows, are formative to me as an artist. I remember watching “Girls,” I was in high school and looking at colleges with my dad and we went and toured [New York University], and in the hotel room that night, he was like, “I heard so much about this new show, ‘Girls,’ we should watch it. And it was the episode with Patrick Wilson where they f— in his nice apartment the whole time, and we turned it on and my dad was like, “OK, you can watch this later on your own, this is for you.” And I remember going to bed being like, “I’ve gotta go to New York, like whoa, this is crazy.” I think naturally those were already gonna inspire me. “Entourage” and “Atlanta,” those were two references that I mentioned a lot when we were making the show. “Entourage” because I feel I got to come up in this industry with my friends, and when I’m with my friends I feel completely invincible, and so there was that aspect. It was like, “I wanna see ‘Entourage’ but from a different point of view and perspective and a slightly different industry.” And then “Atlanta,” there is already having a family relationship and friendship on top of managing. Like how [Earn] manages Paperboi. And then I think “Atlanta” did such a great job of capturing a city that has almost magical realism elements to it. And L.A., a lot of the time, there’s things that happen here that are crazy, that feel almost unreal, but they are real. So that was a big inspiration for the show as well. Like the opening of the show, sex during an earthquake. That’s happened to me, but it also feels a little ridiculous, but it happens in L.A.

Olsen: You mentioned earlier that in waiting for the show to come around, you felt you were having to turn things down or you were really having to sort of change your mindset in a way. Can you talk a little more about that? With the show “Big Mistakes” that you created with Dan Levy, is that one of the things that you had to step away from or readjust how you were gonna be involved because of the fact that you were going to have “I Love L.A.”?

Sennott: I was more talking about acting roles. When you step into a creator role, it’s a different mindset than acting jobs and you have to commit to a longer time period. When you’re just acting in things, you can pop in, pop out and you leave set and you’re like, “I love you guys so much. I’ll see you in a year at the premiere,” which is fabulous too — love doing that. But when you are creating something, you’re in it from beginning to end, and you really wanna give your all to it. So I think I was more talking about just, like, betting on myself as a creator, as opposed to just acting.

Olsen: And how has that felt now that you’re on the other side of it, with one season of “I Love L.A.” made? How do you feel about having made that decision, having bet on yourself like that?

Sennott: I think it’s changed me, in a way where I’m so happy I did it. And it’s sometimes harder and there’s more parts to it, but I feel more in myself creatively than I ever have before, I think.

Olsen: It changed you how?

Sennott: Just because you all of a sudden see all the different parts of the process of making something and all these different jobs that maybe I wasn’t as aware of before. And I think there’s also something beautiful about popping into something and acting and just being like, “I am present as my character. This is what I am thinking about. I’m thinking about what does the character want.” And that’s amazing too. But I feel so lucky to have been able to experience other parts of making something.

Olsen: What was it like learning how to switch hats, especially during production? I would imagine you have a producer brain, you have an actor brain, then for one episode you have a director brain.

Sennott: I had to like sort of take it day by day. There are days where it’s a lighter scene for me and I can be on the side approving locations, taking meetings during lunch. There was a day where I had two sex scenes, for Episodes 6 and 7. So we shot the end of 7, the fight scene with me and Josh [Hutcherson], and the sex scene where it’s Maia and Dylan but she’s fantasizing about Ben. It was a lot. And so I was like, to Emma and Max and Aida, “Let’s not do any other meetings today in the middle of the day,” and they were like, “Totally got you.” That day I was more focused. I really needed to be present in the scene and have this be my main focus. And then on a day where I’m shooting like, “you’re texting on your phone” and “you’re walking on your walking treadmill,” I can do other stuff. So I think it was just taking each day as it comes and having so much support from the rest of the team.

Olsen: It’s wild to think of just one day providing all this material for the show. Just a single day could be so pivotal.

Sennott: Yeah, totally. A lot can happen in a day and then other days you’re like, “I’m just opening doors.” You never know.

Olsen: How did you come to conceive of how you kind of wanted to depict the online world, how people text, whether they’re FaceTiming and things like that? The show obviously exists with that world, as part of it, but you didn’t spend a whole lot of time animating texts. How did you come to conceive of how to depict people’s online life?

Sennott: I wanted it to feel how it does in the real world, which is the internet is just a big part of everyone’s life, but people aren’t explaining it to each other all the time. So we wanted to have the internet feel like the real internet, but our own internet. We didn’t want to ever reference anything that would date us because the internet moves so fast. So, like, Coke Larry, for example, when Dylan gets made into a meme, whatever, that’s our own thing, but it moves the same way as the internet does. And we tried not to have too much phone screens, texting, whatever. Like for example you [just] see snippets of Tallulah making videos or posting or whatever. In “Entourage,” you don’t really see that much of Vince acting. You see all the stuff around it. So that was sort of our model for the show.

Olsen: You directed the final episode of the season. Do you expect to be directing more in Season 2?

Sennott: Yeah.

Olsen: And how did you find the experience? What did you like about it?

Sennott: I loved it. You’re just in every aspect of the process. You are thinking about everything, and it was so engaging and exciting, and afterwards I felt fried, and I like crawled onto the edit couch and I was like limp and it took a lot out of me. People describe it like giving birth. And then you’re like, “I gotta do it again.” So that’s kind of how I felt on the other end.

Olsen: Can you talk a little about that final episode? The show is called “I Love L.A.” You send the main characters to New York for the final episode, which has turned into kind of a controversial decision. A lot of people have talked about that. Can you talk just a little about deciding to end the season in New York?

Sennott: I think it was because it was sort of addressing the fact that these girls went to school in New York together. They lived in New York and they chose to move to L.A., and I think when you do that there’s always going to be the push and pull of the two cities, and going back to New York, it was almost like getting a chance to get back together with your ex and being like, “You know what, there’s a reason it didn’t work out.” And they end the episode with, “I miss L.A.” So I think that’s kind of what we were aiming to do.

Olsen: And then before we wrap up, I should be sure to ask, is there anything that you could tell us about Season 2? What can people look forward to?

Sennott: It’s sort of what we were talking about earlier, Episodes 6 through 8, I think, I just feel we’ve locked in to our tone, we get to see other sides of characters we haven’t before, we go deeper on certain characters. And I think there’s some fun stuff that we set up in the finale that we get to explore.

GREG James has revealed the heartbreaking reason he’s been missing from his Radio 1 show for two days saying he’s “in no fit state” to be on air. 

The 40-year-old was absent from his Radio 1 Breakfast show on Wednesday and also missed Thursday’s edition. 

Greg took to social media to tell fans he’s been supporting his family while his father Alan Milward undergoes heart surgery. 

Writing on Instagram, the presenter said: “Hello from my mum’s garden! I wasn’t on the breakfast show today as my dad was in for another go at heart surgery (it’s been a wild few months and I didn’t want to bore you with it all). 

“But here we are. Back to square one. Waiting for news and staying distracted and keeping calm by making water features. 

“All being well, back on tomorrow morning.”

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However Greg later revealed Alan’s surgery took “much longer” than they’d expected so he would be taking another day off. 

He said: “What a great day! An absolute hoot in ICU. 

“Surgery was much longer than everyone hoped. Big up my mum and my big sis. And the surgeons. And the NHS. What a gang. We’ve all gone mad. 

“Real talk, surgery went ok but he’s far from out of the woods so I’m gonna take it easy tomorrow and hopefully back on Friday. 

“Plus, I’m in no fit state to be on the radio. I mean, look at me, I’m posting photos from intensive care ffs. Thank you for your lovely messages.”

In March Greg had to cancel his show and rush home after Alan suffered a stroke during a planned heart operation.

He later opened up about his dad’s struggles during his 1,000km tandem bike ride for Red Nose Day.

Undertaking the mammoth task just a week after Alan’s stroke, Greg got emotional talking about the man he calls “Big Al”.

He said: “I feel elated. I feel a bit overwhelmed by all these people who just turned up out of nowhere. I just burst into tears as I was going up to Blaenavon. It was all a bit much.

“Just thought about… I just thought about everything. Just thought about my dad, thought about my mum. It got way too much. It’s so silly. It must have been the altitude.”

Jeremy Clarkson, the British television host best known for BBC’s “Top Gear,” revealed this week that he is battling prostate cancer.

The 66-year-old personality unveiled his diagnosis in the two most recent episodes of his farm-keeping series “Clarkson’s Farm,” which streams on Prime Video. He detailed his condition to co-hosts Kaleb Cooper and Charlie Ireland during a filmed discussion about the upcoming harvest at his Diddly Squat farm.

“I’ve got cancer,” he tells his co-stars, after informing them he will need to take some time away from his farm duties. “It’s aggressive but it’s really early.”

Clarkson also told Cooper and Ireland, who seemed visibly stunned about the health revelation, that he has known about his cancer diagnosis since May. The second part of the series’ two-part finale, released Wednesday, concludes with the “Clarkson’s Farm” crew recapping the ups and downs of their harvest year and with the show’s namesake back in a hospital bed. The season began with Clarkson discussing treatment he received for a coronary issue.

“Some of the treatment’s gone a bit awry … so I’m gonna be here for a little while,” he tells the camera crew.

He adds: “If this is all successful, I’ll see you for Season 6, and if it isn’t, I won’t. Take care everyone.”

Clarkson warned of the somber mood of the two episodes on Instagram, informing fans in a video post that they would be anything but “bucolic and charming, and cheerful.”

“They’re a difficult watch,” he says, “they’re really, really difficult.”

Before “Clarkson’s Farm” debuted in June 2021, Clarkson was best known for co-hosting BBC’s popular car show “Top Gear.” BBC fired the host after he was involved in a physical altercation with a producer. Clarkson went on to co-host “The Grand Tour” on Prime Video alongside Richard Hammond and James May, who departed “Top Gear” shortly after their co-host’s firing.

PERRIE Edwards has shared a behind-the-scenes wedding video, as she officially changed her name after getting married.

The stunning singer, 32, tied the knot with footballer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, also, 32, over the weekend in a lavish ceremony in Portugal.

For her big day, Perrie had six bridesmaids which included her sister Caitlin, her cousin Ellie, twins Lucy and Lydia Connell, manager Sam Cox and dancers Claude and Renae.

In a video shared on TikTok, they were first seen all dancing by the pool in their matching white pyjamas to Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, by Cyndi Lauper.

Then in a quick transition, which saw Perrie go towards the camera and flash her HUGE engagement ring, the camera zoomed out to show the star now in her stunning wedding gown.

The singer was then seen dancing on a staircase with her bridesmaids, who are now wearing blue satin gowns.

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It comes as Perrie has also officially changed her name to reflect her new marital status as Alex’s wife.

On social media, the singer now goes by Perrie Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Meanwhile, joining Perrie on her big day were her two Little Mix bandmates, Jade Thirwall, 33, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock, 34.

Jade proved the ultimate multi-tasker, staying to watch the I Dos but leaving early into the evening celebrations to perform 335 miles away at Primavera Sound in Porto.

Leigh-Anne remained at the ceremony, with newlywed Perrie telling Vogue they hit the dancefloor together.

She told the publication: “We were absolutely going off to En Vogue… we still remembered all of our harmonies and the choreography!”

Other showbiz guests included ex Arsenal footballer Carl Jenkinson and Fulham‘s Harrison Reed.

Perrie and Alex wed in the Igreja Matriz de Estoi church, close to where they own a villa.

After their nuptials they headed to their wedding reception at the nearby restaurant Parrilla Natural.

The newlyweds shut down the Faro venue for the lavish event, which saw the place transformed with fresh flowers and white linen.

A source told The Sun: “Perrie and Alex’s wedding day could not have been more special.

“It was intimate and emotional.

“Perrie and Alex’s son Axel had a special role to play in the ceremony. It was adorable to see.

“She looked absolutely radiant and Alex didn’t stop smiling. It was a truly beautiful day.”

Insiders revealed Perrie and Alex had chosen to wait until after the birth of their daughter Alanis to wed.

“Perrie and Alex love the Algarve and have a home there, so they knew they wanted to get married there,” a friend added.

“Their guests were driven from their hotel to a top-secret venue for the ceremony, before being taken to Parrilla Natural for the reception.

“The weather was absolutely perfect too. The pictures are amazing.”

Insiders also said that generous Perrie and Alex put their guests up at the five star hotel Conrad Algarve, where it costs up to £2,800-a-night.

The newlyweds have been dating for over ten years and were engaged four years ago, after Alex proposed on a beachfront while they were on holiday.

They share two children – Axel, four, and Alanis, six-onths.

The pair first started dating back in 2016, with their big day falling close to their 10-year-anniversary.

Actor and racing driver Michael Fassbender is returning this month as CIA Agent Martian in season two of The Agency. He talks sociopaths and obsessive preparation on set.

Leading a double life is nothing new for Michael Fassbender, who is returning as CIA agent Martian in season two of spy thriller The Agency. An actor and a professional racing driver, Michael, 49, has reached an optimum level in both careers. Yet, despite this enviable skill set, achieving success and fitting in perfectly in two very different worlds, it would not mean he would make a perfect spy.

For that, according to a real life agent, who he spoke to while researching his role, Michael would need to be a sociopath. He says of this revelation: “That was a real gateway into the character for me.”

The Agency, starring Michael as Brandon Colby, codenamed Martian; Jodie Turner-Smith as his lover Dr Samia Fatima and Richard Gere as CIA chief James Bradley, launches season 2 on Saturday June 21 on streaming service Paramount+. A dramatic trailer for the series hears Martian saying: “I betrayed my country, did I cause harm? Yes. I lied to my friends, my colleagues. I sacrificed people. I deserve my fate. If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t hesitate.”

Season one saw CIA covert operative Martian being suddenly ordered to abandon his long-term undercover assignment in Ethiopia – where he fell in love with Samia – and return to London. In Africa he was working under the false identity – known in the world of espionage as a ‘legend’ – of Paul Lewis.

Michael picks up the story in season two, saying: “Then she [Samia] arrives in London. Then he meets up with her, which he shouldn’t do and then he compromises her. She gets captured and his new objective is to basically get her to safety. But by doing that, he becomes a double agent and betrays his country, becomes a traitor and the walls are closing in on him.”

Born in Heidelberg, Germany, Michael’s mum, Adele, hailed from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, while his dad, Josef, was a chef, who had worked at The Savoy in London. Together with his older sister, Catherine, now a neuropsychologist, the family moved to Kilarney in County Kerry when he was two, where his parents ran a local restaurant, West End House.

A Catholic altar boy when he was young, Michael says this trained him to perform to an audience. And, after initially harbouring ambitions to be a heavy metal guitarist – growing his hair and listening to thrash metal – aged 17, he appeared in a local play and changed direction.

Relocating to London, aged 19, he enrolled at the Drama Centre, but dropped out before completing his third year to start his professional career in a touring production of Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov. Launching his film career in 2001 in Steven Spielberg’s Band of Brothers, his credits since include Hunger (2008) Shame (2011) 12 Years a Slave (2013) – for which he was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar – and X-Men (2011).

He was also nominated for a best actor Oscar for playing the Apple co-founder in the 2015 movie Steve Jobs. Married to Swedish actress Alicia Vikander, 37, the couple and their two young sons live in Lisbon, Portugal, but retain strong ties with London, where they spent many years.

Known to completely immerse himself in a role – for example, losing 40 lb to play an IRA hunger striker in Hunger – when preparing for the role of Martian, he also met up with two genuine spies. Speaking on The Arts Hour, he says: “The first guy I talked to, I felt like I wasn’t going to need dirt or negative aspects, let’s say. Then I spoke to another guy. We were going through the character and I was like ‘is this guy a sociopath?’ And he was like ‘well let’s go through the characteristics of a sociopath.’”

Clinically diagnosed as antisocial personality disorder, sociopaths have a persistent disregard for the rights, feelings and safety of others – feeling neither empathy, nor remorse. Returning to his conversation with the spy, Michael continues: “We went through the list [of characteristics] and he was like ‘we’re ticking a lot of boxes here.’ I was like ‘yes, ok, so he is.’ And he was like ‘well, it’s a good thing to be in that job.’”

In the new season of The Agency, Martian will be seen desperately trying to claw back some semblance of humanity after being out on his own, as a covert operative, for 7 years. Michael explains: “A lot of spies work in the embassy, so if the heat comes on them, they have a passport and they can get out. But a non-official covert doesn’t have that.”

Describing Martian’s relationship with Samia and with his daughter in London, who he hasn’t seen for many years, he continues: “It’s sort of his fight for humanity. He’s been in the business for about 20 years, so he’s quite jaded. He’s crossed a lot of moral lines he didn’t think he’d do at the beginning of his career.”

As for his own career, for 10 years, Michael has pursued parallel interests in racing driving and acting. Between 2019 and 2023, he stepped away from Hollywood, pursuing a serious career as a professional sports car racer. Joining a development programme with Porsche back in 2018, his greatest racing achievement has been completing the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance classic in 2022.

The 2023 documentary Road to Le Mans follows his journey. Michael has said of racing: “My first dream has always been to go racing. Even before acting.” Someone who doesn’t do anything by halves, it is unsurprising that Michael would never have been content to keep racing as a hobby. His desire to give everything his personal best applies both to racing and acting.

Reputed to have read the script for Shame around 350 times, so he could get inside the head of a sex addict, he claims to have reined in his obsessive preparation for The Agency. He laughs, saying he read the script “150 times.” He says: “I try and do it 10 times a day.”

Explaining the need for this degree of intensity, he shrugs: “I’m a slow learner! It’s just something I’ve always done. If I keep reading it, I feel like the dialogue is seeping into the bones and I’m thinking about the character as I’m reading.”

Hugely professional, Michael adds: “I just don’t want to turn up on set unprepared. A lot of things can fall through the cracks that are out of my control, but the worst thing is if I leave set and I’m ‘oh I messed up because I didn’t do my homework.’“ An anathema to the average sociopath, this sense of duty and consideration for others would probably make Michael a lousy spy.

*This interview has been adapted from The Arts Hour on the BBC World Service, available on BBC Sounds.

MUSIC icon Jon Bon Jovi has revealed that he’s “fully recovered” four years after having vocal surgery to fix a damaged cord.

The Livin’ on a Prayer hitmaker, 64, previously said he would quit music if his singing continued to struggle after a vocal injury.

But now the singer has shared that after four years of vocal coaching and exercising his voice, he has “fully recovered”.

Bon Jovi said: “It was longer than I’d ever expected, but it had to be right. We never lost faith.”

He told People: “I’d often joked and said the only thing that’s ever been up my nose was my finger. I never did anything to hurt the cords; I didn’t have any excesses. I’m a trained vocalist. I’ve practiced the craft.

“So when a doctor had to explain to me that one of the cords was literally atrophying, it was confusing.”

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He praised keyboardist David Bryan, percussionist Everett Bradley, bassist Hugh McDonald, guitarist John Shanks, drummer Tico Torres and guitarist Phil X for standing by his side during his recovery.

“They never doubted [me] and never looked for work or decided to retire,” Bon Jovi said.

“The sacrifices that each one of them have made to be there for me is on a whole another level.”

The musician previously said that he would retire from music if his voice never recovered.

In 2024, he shared: “If the singing is not great, if I can’t be the guy I was, I’m done.

“And I’m good with that.”

Bon Jovi added: “There is a big difference between being in a studio and going out on the road.

“We have just recorded a new album. I sing in vocal therapy every day.

“But I want to perform for 2½ hours a night, four nights a week — and put it this way, I don’t ever need to be the fat Elvis.”

BROOKLYN Beckham spoke about struggles he was facing with his hot sauce business, Cloud23, just weeks before his controversial World Cup ad.

The aspiring chef appeared to have cashed in on his ongoing family drama this week as a new advert to promote DoorDash – a food delivery service – was released.

The big-money ad – which saw Brooklyn hint at his reason for not attending the World Cup, which his dad is currently enjoying – has been widely received as a swipe at his famous family.

Swipe or not, the payday could have come at a good time for Brooklyn, who revealed just weeks before its release that he was ‘figuring out’ things in his business.

The eldest child of David and Victoria launched hot sauce brand Cloud23 in October 2024, and has admitted he has faced ‘ups and downs’ with the brand since.

Speaking at the Tribeca Festival in New York last week, Brooklyn explained of his company: ‘I didn’t really know what I was getting into when I was creating this.

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“There have been a lot of ups and a lot of downs. There are things we’ve had to figure out.

“I’m still learning every single day. I’m going to continue to learn forever.”

Brooklyn also detailed how he wanted the brand to be much more than his famous name, which was built by his footballer dad and popstar mum.

“When I was creating this, I didn’t want to create another celebrity brand. I wanted to create the cleanest hot sauce there is with the most beautiful bottle,” explained the 27-year-old.

Brooklyn’s DoorDash ad has been widely seen as a nod to his estrangement from famous parents David, 51, and Victoria, 52, as well as his brothers and sister and wider family for over a year.

In the ad, he says to the camera: “You’re probably wondering why I’m watching the FIFA World Cup 2026 from home…”

Smirking Brooklyn then laughs: “It’s a long story.”

He goes on to throw down his tickets onto the coffee table.

The advert then says: “It’s complicated. More soon.”

Beloved England player Becks famously played in three FIFA World Cups in 1998, 2002 and 2006.

He’s out in America promoting the World Cup – watching the opening match with Tom Cruise.

Lil Nas X says he feels “less fear in my heart” as he opens up about receiving treatment for bipolar disorder and moving forward from the mental health episode that landed him in hot water with law officials last year.

The Grammy winner (real name Montero Lamar Hill) addressed last year’s events in a video Wednesday morning on Instagram. Lil Nas X, 27, informed fans that he has been in a rehab program “for a few months,” spending time with family in Atlanta and with friends in Los Angeles. Since last year’s incident, the singer said he has been focused on “trying to ground myself down to Earth and get out of my head.”

Lil Nas X was hospitalized and arrested in August after he was seen strolling in only his underwear and white boots through Studio City, eventually shedding those items as the night progressed. The singer received treatment at a nearby hospital for a possible overdose but was accused of assaulting police officers.

He was charged with four felony counts: three counts of battery with injury on a police officer and one count of resisting an executive officer. Police accused the singer of assaulting the officers who were trying to take him into custody. Lil Nas X pleaded not guilty to all those counts.

In Wednesday’s video, Lil Nas X explained that he has also started seeing a therapist and psychiatrist to help address his mental condition — one he initially refused to accept. The singer, smiling and standing against a blue sky in his video, told fans that he was hesitant to take medication that would help address his bipolar disorder and joked that living with mental illness would add more to his plate: “I mean I’m already Black and gay…I’m like already living life on extreme hard mode.”

According to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, bipolar disorder is a treatable mental health condition marked by extreme changes in mood, thought, energy and behavior. Manic episodes, marked by elevated changes in mood or behavior, are a symptom of the condition. People with a bipolar disorder diagnosis more commonly experience depressive episodes.

Lil Nas X spoke candidly about his diagnosis months after a Los Angeles judge in April granted the “Industry Baby” and “Old Town Road” singer’s motion for diversion, ordering the musician to enter a two-year mental health program. TMZ reported at the time that the musician would be cleared of his four felony counts if he complies with treatment and commits no other crimes.

The singer assured fans on Wednesday: “I’m doing better, I’m feeling better, I’m creating freely and there’s less fear in my heart and I’m just like smelling the roses.”

He also reflected on his career thus far — he quickly ascended to fame in 2019 with his viral hit “Old Town Road” — and teased that new music is on the way. Lil Nas X concluded his video by thanking fans for their support and for “holding it down.”

“I love you, and all I wanna do is continue to try to make you proud and make myself proud,” he said. “Let’s go dreamboy, let’s go.”

ADAM Thomas has revealed that he was ROBBED in a local corner shop by the owner.

The actor, who appeared on the latest I’m A Celebrity All Stars, explained that he was charged £100 for a couple of bags of sweets.

Adam was left stunned when he confronted the shopkeeper, who told him he didn’t think the soap star “needed the money” after his latest stint on the ITV jungle show, where he received a sizeable fee for his appearance.

The Emmerdale star said he spotted the error on the card reader after he had already paid for it.

Speaking on At Home with the Thomas Bros podcast, Adam said: “I got robbed the other day!’

“Listen right, so I went to my local off-licence, I was buying some sweets for the kids, and I went to pay for it, and I paid for it, and then I looked at the card machine, and it said £100, and I was like ”bro what are you doing?” 

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He went: ”Come on you don’t need it!” and I was like ‘what do you mean I don’t need it?’”

Adam went on to say that the owner told him: ”You’ve just come off the jungle man, you don’t need it’.”

He continued: “I looked him dead in the eyes, and don’t get me wrong I had a banter with this guy, we have a little bit of a laugh back and forth and everything. I was just a bit caught off guard.

“That’s what I think, he’s getting his money back. But I was like ‘bro you can’t do that’.

‘He said ‘oh come on man, you don’t need, I need some money, I need some.’

“I said ‘I listen, I like you and everything, but don’t take the p**s out of me’.”

The Waterloo Road star revealed that the owner finally paid him back and apologised for it.

“Weeks passed and everything, and I sort of forgot about it, and I was walking through my village again, and I went in there, and he was like ‘bro where have you been? You’ve not been back, I’ve been wanting to give you the money, come in, come in, come in,’ and he was so apologetic. 

“Like counting the money out, and he was giving it to me, and he was like, ‘I’m so sorry, like I was just doing it as a joke. I didn’t really mean to offend you or anything like that.”

“And I felt really bad, and at one point I was gonna go ‘you know what, keep the money, it’s not about the money.”

“And anyway, he gave me my money back, and then I ended up giving him the bacon roll, and the croissant.”

The actor found himself at the centre of a catastrophic row during his time I’m A Celeb as he clashed with co-stars Jimmy Bullard and David Haye.

Last month, Adam said he had finally moved on from his I’m A Celeb feud drama, saying “a weight has been lifted” from his shoulders.

On a recent episode of their podcast, Adam’s brother Scott noted: “Ever since all this jungle stuff, you’ve become a proper man, mate, you’ve got a different presence. You’ve god a new strength, mate, about you.

“Even the way you talk, everything.”

Admitting he agreed, Adam responded: “I don’t know, I feel like, for months, I just feel like there was a big dark cloud over me.

“It was for a while until after the final. And then, literally, about a week and a half after the final, I was like, ‘Oh my god, it’s gone’.”

As Scott, Adam and brother Ryan continued to discuss the tough time, the jungle winner admitted he was finally feeling back to his best.

“I just feel like a big weight has been lifted.

“Even when I did the podcast when I first came out, it was straight after as well so I was resenting it a lot, I was angry a lot, I was sad.

“But now I can see the light between the trees a little bit. I just feel like, you know what? It was what it was, it was meant to be, that was my journey and I feel like a better man for it.”

Following the chaotic I’m A Celeb live final, which saw boxer David and former footballer Jimmy stand against Adam, the actor broke down on tears on his podcast with Ryan and Scott.

At the time, he said: “I’m just tired, I want it all to go away and just be forgotten about.

“The sad truth is that everyone will go on with their lives but for me, this will be in for me the rest of my life”.

Koe Wetzel brought his brawny yet soulful new country-rock album, “The Night Champion,” to the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on Monday night. It’s the 33-year-old Texas native’s follow-up to 2024’s hit “9 Lives,” which spun off a chart-topping single in “High Road”; it’s also his first LP since the birth last year of his daughter, Woods. After the show — in which he was accompanied by his producer Gabe Simon, who’s also known for his work with Noah Kahan — I spoke with Wetzel about the album’s inspirations and about the food-court staple that rhymes with his last name.

My favorite song, you didn’t play it: “I’ll Lock Up.” That’s a song where your vocal is mournful, but you’re resigned — it’s an emotionally sophisticated song. How’d you write it?
We kind of came into it to be as realistic as possible. When people go through stuff like that — through breakups, whatever it is — no matter what it is, I’m probably still gonna take you back at the end of the day. And I think kind of being in that situation, kind of going back on past relationships, we just took a lot of past experiences from different folks and made it what it was. The scornful sadness from it, that might have came from a couple bottles of wine that I had before I got in the vocal booth.

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You write about toxic relationships, but now you appear to be in a stable relationship with the mother of your child. Have you lost the juice?
I don’t think so — I think it’s always gonna be there. Those are the easiest songs to write. It’s really hard for me to write a love song. And who knows, maybe this is the turning of the tide. I’ve got almost 12 years of toxic relationship songs, so maybe these next 10 years is the love, happy-go-lucky songs.

You’ve talked about cleaning up your act a little bit: drinking less, eating better, working out. Was there an animating head-on-the-floor moment?
I think whenever I found out that I was gonna be a dad, that was obviously a moment for me. I’d started cleaning up before she got here. And then when she got here, it was like, “All right, you got to get your s— together.” Not to say that I’m completely reformed — I still have my nights.

Back in your dark days, best bar in L.A.?
I never really went out a whole lot.

Drinking in the hotel room, huh? Dark.
That’s where all the songs come from.

You have two bar-restaurants, Koe Wetzel’s Riot Room — one in Fort Worth, one in Houston. I want to have a salad tonight. Should I have the blackened chicken Caesar or the grilled chicken Cobb?
Grilled chicken Cobb, for sure.

OK, great.
Do we serve those at the restaurant?

Biggest mess you’ve ever gotten into as a restaurateur?
I don’t know, honestly. I’m more on the party side of things, so they don’t ask me about, “Hey, we’re gonna make this tweak to the menu — what do you think about it?” It’s more like, “What are the bottle girls wearing tonight?”

One more food-service-related question: You’re at the mall, you want a pretzel. Auntie Anne’s or Wetzel’s Pretzels?
Wetzel’s Pretzels all day, man. Go get you some — I get a little royalty there.

According to Mediabase, your song “High Road” was the most-played song on country radio in 2025. In what month did you start changing the channel when it came on?
I started changing it before it even came out. We finally got the new record out, and I’m sick and tired of it, because I’ve been listening to it for a year and a half now. But that’s pretty much how it was with “High Road.” So grateful for all the success — it’s really cool that people have jived with it and listened to it the way they have. But whenever I hear it now, I kind of turn a deaf ear to it, if that’s possible.

Your friend Morgan Wallen had a viral moment recently where he tipped over a piano. What instrument have you smashed?
Quite a few. Depending how much Jack Daniel’s I drank onstage, I was definitely smashing the bottle — glass everywhere. I destroyed the drums. There was actually a shirt we had that says “Koe Destroys Everything.” My bass player and guitar players, they know that whenever I get that stare, it’s kind of like: Protect your s—, or I’m gonna come smash it.

By my count, you say “f—” nine times on this record. Is that your favorite four-letter word?
It’s a pretty good one, man. Only nine times on the record?

Seems low to you.
I’m a big Tarantino and Scorsese fan, so I don’t know. I think it’s just such a fun word.

Last one: Your current radio single is called “Hurts Like You.” I’m gonna give you three songs that have “hurt” in the title, and you have to pick your favorite.
OK.

“Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails or Johnny Cash. “Hurts So Good” by John Mellencamp. “Everybody Hurts” by R.E.M.
“Hurt,” Johnny Cash.

I’m sorry, that’s not right.
It’s not? What is it? Is there a right answer?

Your favorite song is John Coug, “Hurts So Good.”
OK. [Sings] “Hurts so good…” Is that my favorite song?

Yeah.
All right. Let’s go, Coug.

TV presenter Ashley Cain has been accused of using sexual and misogynistic language to describe women in a series of historical social media posts and now the BBC has spoken out on the matter

The BBC says it is taking accusations that presenter Ashley Cain used explicit sexual and misogynistic language to describe women online in historical social media posts “very seriously”.

The broadcaster is thought to be unaware of the remarks prior to an investigation led by The Guardian which claimed the TV personality frequently referred to women on X, formerly Twitter, using abusive terms and sexualised language, including “sl*gs”, “sl*ts” and “psychos”.

A BBC spokesperson said: “We are very clear we expect the highest standards of behaviour from everyone who works with or for the BBC. “When allegations are brought to our attention we take them seriously. We will consider this information carefully and do not intend to comment further at this stage.”

The former Coventry City football player, 35, is best known for fronting the BBC Three documentary series Ashley Cain: Into The Danger Zone where he explores issues affecting young men born into a life of criminality.

The newspaper reported on Wednesday that before Cain worked for the national broadcaster he was a prolific user of social media. In 2014, in response to a since-deleted tweet he perceived to be homophobic, Cain is accused of telling a woman online that she should “go and choke on a c*** you sl**”.

Cain’s X account appears to have been removed from the platform. The broadcaster is understood to have asked the independent production companies that hired Cain to review the social media checks conducted at the time.

Cain appeared last year on the BBC’s spin off cooking programme, Celebrity MasterChef. Transmission details of Into The Danger Zone series two are yet to be announced.

The star also gained respect from the public following the tragic death of his daughter Azaylia, Ashley and his then-partner, Azaylia’s mum Safiyya Vorajee, documented their extraordinary efforts to try and save her life – including raising £1.5 million to fly her to Singapore for specialist treatment.

But sadly, the child died on April 25, 2021. Ashley and his former partner went on to form The Azaylia Foundation, which supports families dealing with childhood cancer.

Five years on from the devastating day of the youngster’s funeral, dad Ashley shared an Instagram post. Alongside solemn images from the funeral, Ashley wrote: “Today I cried for the first time in a long time. As soon as I turned into the cemetery and saw her resting place, I couldn’t control the emotions that had obviously built up inside me.

“The truth is, I cannot believe it has been 5 years since we laid her to rest, and I still can’t seem to accept it. “But my time spent with her today was peaceful, it was beautiful, and it was one of those moments where time stood still… where I could reminisce about all that she was, and every moment I was privileged and blessed enough to spend with her.”

He went on: “May you continue to rest in eternal paradise my princess, and until we meet again… I will love you with the entirety of my heart, forever and always.”

The Mirror has contacted Ashley’s representatives for comment.

THE daughter of a legendary Hollywood director and her husband have been mysteriously found dead inside a running car parked on a highway.

Judith “Judy” Wyler Sheldon, 84, and her husband Wylie Sheldon, 86, were discovered unresponsive in a Jeep Compass on Interstate 5 near Redding, California.

A California Highway Patrol officer made the grim discovery on the shoulder of the northbound carriageway, just north of Fawndale Road, at approximately 5.46pm on Monday.

Judy, a prominent San Francisco arts patron, is the daughter of famous filmmaker William Wyler.

She was found behind the wheel, while her husband was in the passenger seat.

Despite emergency medical personnel attempting life-saving measures, both were declared dead at the scene.

The circumstances surrounding the tragedy remain unclear, and investigators are working to determine what happened inside the vehicle.

The California Highway Patrol’s Northern Division Investigative Services Unit has taken over the case.

While authorities have not publicly disclosed any indication of foul play or a medical emergency, the deaths occurred during a period of extreme heat.

The National Weather Service had issued a warning for the Redding area, where temperatures soared to 109 degrees Fahrenheit (43C) on the day the couple were found, though investigators have not confirmed if the weather played a role.

The news has stunned California’s arts and film communities, where Judy spent decades championing silent-film preservation.

She was the long-time chair and former president of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival.

Anita Monga, the festival’s artistic director, said the community was “reeling” from the devastating loss.

“Judy and Wylie were very dear to us, supportive and a positive presence at all our events,” she said, recalling how the couple regularly opened their home to visiting film archivists and musicians.

“Judy would allow, actually encourage, our visiting guests to pose for pictures with her father William Wyler’s Oscars.

The perfect hosts.”

Born Judith Wyler in Los Angeles, she briefly appeared on screen during the 1950s with credits in The Errol Flynn Theatre, The Buccaneers, and BBC Sunday-Night Theatre.

However, her lasting legacy was behind the scenes.

Judy’s passion for film preservation intensified after attending a 2007 retrospective of her father’s silent-era films in Pordenone, Italy.

Her cultural influence also extended to other institutions, including serving as a gala co-chair for San Francisco Performances.

The tragedy carries a deep resonance due to Judy’s family’s monumental place in cinema history.

Her father, William Wyler, remains one of the most acclaimed directors in American film, directing classics such as Roman Holiday, Ben-Hur, The Best Years of Our Lives, Mrs. Miniver, and Wuthering Heights.

William won three Academy Awards for Best Director, a feat achieved by only a handful of filmmakers.

In this week’s episode of “The De Los Podcast,” hosts Fidel Martinez and Suzy Exposito sat down with actor Xolo Maridueña to chat about his East L.A. upbringing, the importance of Latino representation in his career and a litany of projects he has in the works.

Born and raised in El Sereno, Maridueña was exposed to the arts at a very young age through local community arts hubs Casa 0101 and the Boyle Heights Art Conservatory, where his mother, Carmelita Ramírez-Sánchez, now serves as executive director.

The 25-year-old actor credited his mom, who also previously worked as a radio DJ for decades in L.A., for encouraging him to explore a creative career.

“She was in the music world at a time when that wasn’t really a thing as a Latina woman,” Maridueña said. “She met so many roadblocks and overcame those that when it came time to for her to eventually raise her own family, she understood the want to try something that was outside of what the education system would deem successful. As a Latina, she also instilled these values of remaining curious, questioning certain traditions and the ways our experiences are affected by some systems that are larger than ourselves.”

He also touched on what it was like being the first Latino lead in a live-action superhero film in “Blue Beetle” — and the importance of continued Latino representation in Hollywood.

Xolo Maridueña is featured on “The De Los Podcast.”

(L.A. Times Studios)

“It was such a wild ride doing something like ‘Blue Beetle,’ that was the first in a lot of categories… But once the movie came out, it was so heartwarming to see that there were already like 10 other Latino superheroes that were making their debuts on the screen,” Maridueña said. “[Filming the movie] was the first time I had witnessed some much of the crew being Latino, or just being diverse — there were a lot of women and queer folks on that set.”

Having worked on hit series like “Parenthood” and the Netflix phenomenon “Cobra Kai” in addition to his theatrical roles, Maridueña wants to help provide an avenue for fellow Latino artists to succeed.

“I just hope [that] with this body of work, I can help open the door and prop it open for everyone else,” he said.

The conversation with Maridueña wrapped with him discussing the litany of projects he has coming out in the near future, including a leading role in the film “Dog Years” alongside Xochitl Gomez, a part in the Al Pacino-led movie “Killing Castro” and a spot in the upcoming season of Netflix’s live-action adaptation of “One Piece.”

He will also feature alongside Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in the upcoming sequel to the witchy 1998 film “Practical Magic,” which is set for release Sept. 11.

“It’s been a blessing to expand not only the types of people I’ve gotten to work with, but [also] the genres and types of characters I’ve gotten to bring on to the screen,” said Maridueña. “Projects like ‘One Piece’ are so wonderful for the reach and then movies like ‘Dog Years’ and ‘Killing Castro’ are just as fulfilling in the sense that because they get to be smaller productions, the cast and crew have a bit more ownership of what they’re doing.”

Walter Parazaider, the saxophonist and co-founder of the rock group Chicago, has died. He was 81.

Parazaider died June 17 of complications from Alzheimers disease. In a statement posted to social media on Wednesday, the band said that “Chicago is heartbroken at the sad news of Walter Parazaider’s passing this morning. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and countless Chicago fans who are all grieving his loss today.”

His daughter, Felicia Helen Parazaider, also posted on Facebook that “I love you poppy, my Pal…You coloured our world.”

Born in Maywood, Ill., Parazaider began his music career as a clarinetist, before founding Chicago with childhood friends in the group’s namesake city. The band’s pop hits like “25 or 6 to 4” and “Saturday in the Park” were staples of the ‘70s and remain beloved fixtures of classic rock. His diverse woodwind skills helped give the band its regal sound, adding saxophone riffs to hits like “Just You ‘n’ Me” and a poignant flute solo on “Colour My World.”

While Chicago’s lineup changed often, Parazaider remained with the group until retiring in 2018. In April of 2021, Parazaider wrote in a statement on Chicago’s website that “I was diagnosed with Alzheimers disease. Needless to say, my wife, daughters and myself were shocked and devastated. It has taken awhile to process this news and the fact is, we still are. The good news is we have a wonderful medical facility here and I have a very good doctor. I am working hard and not going to give up.”

Chicago gave credit to Parazaider for conceiving of the band’s distinct instrumentation, and the work ethic that made them stars. “A Rock & Roll band with horns was Walt’s idea,” Chicago’s statement continued. “He put the band together and they rehearsed in the basement of his mother’s home. He is also the one who did the hard work to book shows for the young, unknown band, performing top 40 covers at local bars in and around Chicago.

“We are forever grateful for his contribution,” they continued. “Perhaps his greatest gift was bringing people together. This amazing music may have never been heard had it not been for Walt’s vision.”

Parazaider is survived by wife JacLynn and daughters Laura and Felicia.

Stephanie Shih, “梅國 (Still life with chamoy and Dirty T Tamarindo),” 2025/2026. Archival pigment print on wood panel, varnish, glue, acrylic, frame. 38.25×48.25×3.75.

(From the artist)

Much has been written about the experience of aimlessness in the new David Geffen Galleries at LACMA, but it is another thing to experience it firsthand. The meandering floor plan, with its rooms of various sizes and orientations alongside their resulting passageways and corners, demands that you wander, not map, your perusal of the galleries. As a result, a visitor can easily feel disoriented, or in my case, a touch deconstructed. A little depersonalized, if you will.

Fortuitously, I was there to meet with multidisciplinary artist Stephanie Shih, whose photo-based compositions have the opposite effect, grounding the viewer in their personhood and experience. Her still lifes are made both beautiful and meaningful through their intentional arrangement of specific food, florals and ephemera, touching on diasporic understandings of self, Western and European appropriations of the “exotic” and the juxtaposition of the natural with the fabricated. In other words, to view a Shih piece is to collaborate with the artist on reconstructing or, in some cases, reclaiming an understanding of place and self.

We were talking about, and in front of, Shih’s new piece, “梅國 (Still life with chamoy and Dirty T Tamarindo),” which was not only commissioned by LACMA, but created in a temporary studio Shih constructed within the gallery itself over the course of two weeks late last year. The image features two ceramic vessels, one slightly in front of the other, within a traditional still life scene. The background jar stands alone, while the piece in the foreground overflows with a rainbow of plants, flowers, fruit, chamoy candies, gummies and a single real butterfly. To get to the small but sunny corridor that houses the work, one might make a few indirect turns and cross the gallery containing Andreas Gursky’s “Ocean” series. Flanked by four wall-size photographs of vast, overhead perspectives of the deep blue Indian Ocean, it’s easy to feel small among the giant panels. Luckily, when I met Shih at LACMA, she intercepted me outside and led us confidently up the Geffen’s dramatic exterior staircase and to “The Global Appeal of Blue-and-White Ceramics” installation — no crossing of oceans necessary.

After our conversation, I stayed to wander the galleries for a few more hours. I am a completist and I wanted, no, needed to see everything. Without the prescribed navigation I was accustomed to in a museum, this became a fool’s errand. I got physically lost and a bit lost to myself. Had I already seen that statue or did it just look like another visage also rendered in marble a few galleries back? I was pretty sure I had already taken these two rights and then a left before, but what if I hadn’t and would then miss a whole other room? The 360-degree curved glass walls encasing the galleries offered many glimpses of a face that belonged to me but somehow wasn’t mine. Who was I? I felt like I would never see everything on display, but also maybe never again exist beyond the funhouse of the Geffen Galleries. In my confusion, I passed by “梅國 (Still life with chamoy and Dirty T Tamarindo)” more than once and was reminded of Shih’s ability to articulate complex reconstructions of self through her exquisite, serene compositions. It was enough to reassure me that I could find myself again, if only I slowed down and considered my context with curiosity instead of fear.

This curiosity led me to “Shaping Dutch Identity: The Mr. and Mrs. Edward Carter Collection.” It was a serendipitous encounter for two reasons: One, the visual and symbolic correlation between Shih’s painterly use of shadow in her food- and floral-centered compositions, and the still life masterpieces of the 17th century Dutch. And two, because much like her work itself, our interview included layered discussion of constructing and shaping identities. Take the new Peter Zumthor-designed building in which we found (and in my case, lost) ourselves, which builds upon the existing galleries of LACMA while redefining the museum’s identity. Or Shih’s in-situ studio, which was created for creation’s sake, then taken down with only a photo of its contents remaining — contents which were constructed by the artist, too.

There was also the progression across cultures and continents of blue-and-white ceramics, which mirrors the evolution of chamoy, a pickled fruit condiment in Mexican cuisine that, along with a blue-and-white Talavera jar, is at the center of Shih’s piece. Both the ceramic and the chamoy traditions symbolize layers of culture as shaped by globalism and localism.

At one point in our conversation, I was momentarily embarrassed when I couldn’t recall the Filipino term for dried sour plums (kiamoy), a precursor to Mexico’s chamoy. It was an aspect of my identity as a third-generation Filipina that was also irretrievable to me that day. Shih was understanding and gracious in her response: “One of the really fun parts of the work I get to do is learning a lot of these histories that get hidden from us.” Given Shih’s academic background — she holds a PhD from Stanford University in linguistics — it makes sense that she brings deep research to her practice. Her art is rich with symbolism and history. But Shih’s work is also playful and, much like her response to me, generous in the invitation it extends to viewers to bring their own identities to her pieces in order to construct meaning for themselves. I may have felt unmoored among the Geffen’s myriad corners and paths, but never when I was standing in front of Shih’s piece.

Installation view of the inaugural presentation in the David Geffen Galleries, April 2026, featuring (top) Stephanie Shih’s 梅國 (Still life with chamoy and Dirty T Tamarindo) (2025- 26) and (bottom) Jar (c. 1700-50).

(Museum Associates / LACMA)

Claire Salinda: Your composition captures flowers, chamoy and other candies and fruit sumptuously arranged in and around a ceramic jar from LACMA’s permanent collection. How did you decide on chamoy as a subject? And how is it contextualized within the new David Geffen Galleries?

Stephanie Shih: “梅國 (Still life with chamoy and Dirty T Tamarindo)” is on display in “The Global Appeal of Blue-and-White Ceramics.” The gallery presents a condensed history of blue-and-white ceramics globally in dishes, starting in the Middle East with a 9th century Iraqi piece. From the Middle East we really got the use of cobalt in designs, and that married with the introduction of porcelain from China. We also have the Iznik kilns in Turkey, which are still operating today, and influences into Southeast Asia, and so on. Later on, the influence spread farther afield into Japan and France, where they started adding even more to it. The blue-and-white tradition has really spread globally, so this gallery is a nice microcosmic story of the effects of globalism before modern globalism.

For a long time I’ve been wanting to make a piece about chamoy and was just waiting for the opportunity to do so. The story of chamoy really parallels this journey of blue-and-white ceramics, which got to Mexico because of Spanish colonialism and then was adopted by local artisans. They really made it their own in the Talavera tradition. Chamoy similarly comes from Asia through pickled plums, particularly China via the Philippines. Filipino laborers came to Mexico via colonialism, and adapted and adopted champoy with spices and chilies from Mexico to become chamoy.

The curator, Susie Ferrell, gave me a whole list of blue-and-white surveys that they were looking at. We went to storage and to the conservation labs to look at all the pieces and we ended up choosing two pieces to work with. The one in “梅國 (Still life with chamoy and Dirty T Tamarindo)” is a Mexican Talavera jar from the 1700s. It’s the first non-Asian origin institutional ceramic I’ve gotten to work with in my career, which is the reason that I gravitated toward it.

Chamoy has been used by a lot of modern day food makers and chefs with American nostalgic candies, like peach rings and gummy worms, and my personal favorite, Gushers. One of these food makers, Alana Solis, who’s based in Tucson, runs Dirty T Tamarindo, a chamoy candy business she started during the pandemic. It was from her that I learned the history of chamoy, and so I wanted to do a piece with her candies for a long time. And this is just a really perfect opportunity with the Talavera jar.

I had pitched to Susie that it might be nice to have a second ceramic in the piece, a companion that demonstrates the origins and precursors of the blue-and-white ceramics in Mexico, a Chinese piece or something. She actually picked the one pictured here, which is also from the LACMA collection. It’s a 12th century Qingbai ware prunus vase, a meiping jar. When Susie pitched it to me, I didn’t even realize how perfect it was: A prunus vase is usually what they put plum blossoms in, and meiping means beautiful plum vase. It just ended up being a really, really good pick from her.

CS: You built a studio space within the gallery to create the piece. I’m curious about the constraints and what was surprising for you.

Artist Stephanie Shih’s makeshift set in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) David Geffen Galleries for her two-week commission project residency; Light test detail.

(Stephanie Shih)

SS: I was here for two weeks. I had a friend build a wall, we painted it downstairs and then brought it in and had it in the gallery with the light coming in through the windows. They gave me a refrigerator to store all the food, because I wasn’t supposed to have it out in the gallery space. We built out work tables too … it’s hard to kind of imagine with all the other stuff here now.

It was in December, and so the building was in several stages of installation with the art. There were just stacks of crates and boxes, which is amazing — it was very cool to just see statues half unpacked.

And actually, seeing everything get installed affected my thinking about the frame. Originally I wasn’t going to do a framed piece, it was just going to be on a panel. But then as I saw everything else go up, there was a weightiness to the way everything was framed and thought about. A lot of the frames are gold gilded, which are incredibly beautiful and historical. I wanted something that played off of that tradition, but using a red frame made it really obvious that it’s not 100% within tradition.

CS: How does this commission fit into your practice?

SS: My work started out really thinking about the artistic references we get as people working in food and still life. So many of the references are of this very Eurocentric art historical tradition. But if you look at that tradition, many things are taken from other cultures and used to symbolize the access and wealth and value that was assigned to these objects from the perspective of European imperialists, to put it nicely. It wasn’t until very recently that people were even thinking, “Well, where are these things from? What other artistic traditions does that mean that we’ve sort of borrowed from?” And so a lot of my work thinks about responding to that, but also taking back some of that tradition to tell stories of diaspora communities today here in the U.S.

From there, I’ve really started thinking a lot about the construction of identity and how we get to the things that symbolize who we are, and how we use symbols as we move through the world. As a cognitive scientist and linguist, a lot of my research training is about symbols and about the construction of identity in that way.

CS: Do you think that this piece could have been made anywhere else?

SS: No, I don’t think so. There’s something so special about the mission with the new building, how it’s so much more fluidly built and how LACMA is trying to think curatorially outside of the silos that have been set up by traditional art history. Thinking about that really, really influenced my approach to these pieces in terms of trying to collapse in each piece the timescales of historical influences and contemporary identity, but also the locality.

There’s stuff in “梅國 (Still life with chamoy and Dirty T Tamarindo)” that’s very global and far away, but also hyper local and here in L.A. For instance, the butterfly was found by my friend just a couple miles north in WeHo while I was working at LACMA. It’s native to California.

Do you know who Rachel Ruysch is? She was one of the big Dutch still life painters and in some of her later work, she was able to access flowers and plants from the American West, which was really rare at that time. She has a piece with prickly pear cactus as well as datura in it, which is crazy. We see those plants right here, but not in England and the Netherlands, where she was working at the time. Seeing that piece was part of the influence as well. In my piece, we have candy stripe ranunculus, which I was able to find for the candy. The cactus is from my backyard. There’s marigold and chamomile for their significance in Mexican culture, and the hibiscus flower, which has a long history across the Pacific Rim, tracing a lot of the places that ended up with chamoy and sour plums. I wanted a little nod to Hawaii with the pineapple because that’s where we also get salted plum culture.

Artist Stephanie Shih poses on set.

(From the artist)

CS: As we stand and chat in front of “梅國 (Still life with chamoy and Dirty T Tamarindo),” I can’t help but notice folks stopping to take it in. How is it being here and seeing people interact with the work?

SS: Oh, really fun!

CS: Do you ever want to interrupt them to answer a question you overhear?

SS: No. I think my favorite part of watching people interact with the pieces is what they bring to it. Some people see the chamoy immediately and they recognize their experiences in it, which is really lovely to see. Like, I can see someone’s been pointing at it, there’s a nice fingerprint mark. That’s funny. Some people recognize the candy in it. Kids often ask me, “How did the gummy butterflies fly?” and that’s really fun to answer. I appreciate that everyone brings their own experiences to it, and that sort of completes the piece for me.