show biz

TAMERA Mowry fans couldn’t believe the star’s real age as she took to social media to mark her birthday.  

She and twin sister Tia are 90s sitcom icons after starring in the series Sister, Sister – which aired on Nickelodeon in the UK from 1994 until 1999. 

Today Tamera shared a clip on TikTok revealing the women are celebrating their 48th birthday, and fans refused to believe it. 

The clip showed her being presented with a cake decorated with ‘3’ and ‘8’ candles, before someone off camera switched the first for a ‘4’. 

After jokingly running away from the cake, Tamera stopped and pulled the candles from the cake before holding them up and smiling at the camera. 

She wrote: “We spend so much time running from our age. Well, this year, I’m dancing with it. 48 and grateful, because every year is a gift not everyone gets to unwrap.”

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Rushing to comment, one fan wrote: “Why did I think she’s actually 38? She looks amazing.”

Another said: “There is no way they’re 48!!!”

Someone else wrote: “Oh baby you look 28.”

And a fourth added: “Excuse me, 48? You don’t look a day over 20.”

It comes after Tia spoke out following long-running rumours of a feud between the two sisters.

Confirming there are issues between them, she told Entertainment Tonight: “Yes, there’s distance.

“But when something is important to you… you will make time for it.

“We’ve made a pact with each other that we’ll reach out once per week, and that’s on Sundays.”

The BBC has confirmed that David Mitchell’s comedy-drama Ludwig will return for a third series, even before its eagerly awaited second season premieres

The BBC has announced that David Mitchell’s popular comedy-drama Ludwig will be back for a third series.

Even before its highly anticipated second season launches later this year. The detective programme, which is ideal for fans of Death In Paradise, has become the broadcaster’s most successful scripted show since 2024, leading executives to commission another run for both BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Made by Big Talk Studios, in partnership with That Mitchell and Webb Company, the series is also a co-production with Germany’s ZDF. The programme’s first series proved an enormous ratings triumph, becoming the BBC’s most successful comedy debut since at least 2018, reports the Express.

Its initial run drew 9.5 million viewers within its first 28 days, while the opening episode has steadily grown its audience, achieving an impressive 11.8 million viewers in total.

Created and penned by Mark Brotherhood, the six-part mystery features David Mitchell as the unconventional puzzle-enthusiast detective Ludwig, with Anna Maxwell Martin portraying Lucy Betts-Taylor, the wife of the missing James Betts-Taylor. Both performers are confirmed to return to their roles when the series comes back.

Expressing his delight at the third series commission, actor David Mitchell told the BBC: “I am delighted that Ludwig will be returning to solve more of Mark Brotherhood’s brilliant mysteries. I can’t wait to get started and have renewed the subscription on my denouement-learning app.”

Meanwhile, Kenton Allen, Executive Producer and CEO of Big Talk Studios, said: “Ludwig has become one of those rare shows that genuinely cuts through – critically, commercially and internationally. We’re hugely grateful to the BBC, ZDF and ITV Studios for the confidence they’ve shown in greenlighting a third season ahead of the launch of series two.”

He went on to say: “What Mark Brotherhood has created is brilliantly original, hugely entertaining and deceptively distinctive in the way it blends smart comedy with a richly satisfying detective engine. At the heart of that success is the remarkable partnership between David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin, brought to life by an exceptional creative team.

“In a crowded global market, for audiences to have embraced Ludwig on this scale feels incredibly special. There’s clearly nothing puzzling about that.”

Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy Commissioning, added: “Ludwig is exactly the kind of smart, distinctive, audience-pleasing show we love at BBC Comedy. Sharp writing, a compelling story, big laughs and, naturally, a generous helping of puzzles. The team at Big Talk have crafted something truly distinctive and much-loved, and we’re excited to see what mysteries Ludwig tackles next.”

Ludwig is produced by Big Talk Studios in collaboration with That Mitchell and Webb Company for the BBC. The third series, comprising six hour-long episodes, will once again be penned by creator Mark Brotherhood, with Chris Foggin returning to helm the show as lead director.

Ludwig series one is currently available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

MAYA Jama looked stunning in a snakeskin co-ord on Tuesday as she arrived in New York to appear on US television.

The Love Island presenter, 31, used the TV appearance to reveal why she has been seen much less in the Majorcan villa during the current series of the ITV2 show.

The star donned a mini-skirt and top co-ord for the appearance, paired with black court heels, as she left her brunette tresses sleek.

She appeared on Good Morning America for her first ever television interview stateside, and divulged on the current season of Love Island on the show.

After Love Island fans noticed Maya has been in the ITV2 villa less this series, the GMA hosts quizzed her on it.

Explaining why she has been seen less, she said: “It’s not up to me, it’s up to the producers that you need to speak to!

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“I think this series has just had so much drama that they didn’t need me to intervene, it’s been so entertaining, so wild – as usual.”

It comes after Maya responded to fans asking where she had been, as one joked she was on a “zero hour contract”.

She said on Instagram: “Jokes aside it’s not up to me how often I enter the villa.

“I wasn’t even on a break, I love it over there.”

During her US TV appearance, Maya also touched on her recent stint filming Celebrity Traitors.

While she couldn’t give much away ahead of the show airing, she did say: “This is the first time I’ve ever been a contestant and not a host. And I can’t say much, because it’s Traitors – you’re not allowed to say anything.

“But I’m excited! We’ll see how I act. It’s the biggest, one of the biggest shows in the UK, and in America also.

“It’s so much fun, whether you’re a traitor or a faithful, what an experience to get to do that. So, yeah, fingers crossed it goes well.”

Ahead of the interview, Maya took to Instagram to share some snaps to her Stories.

“Going on live American TV for the first time, ABC and Good Morning America. Wish me luck,” she wrote over a mirror selfie in her hotel.

Last month, veteran Hollywood producer Roy Lee got three calls in a single day from executives at three different studios. Each believed they had found the next internet-native short poised to become a Hollywood blockbuster — an online monster named Siren Head — and each was ready to make an offer and wanted Lee’s help to develop a movie.

The frenzy traces back to the enduring global box-office runs of two low-budget horror films, Curry Barker’s “Obsession” and Kane Parsons’ “Backrooms,” which have earned $403 million and $349 million, respectively. Studios have become fixated on hunting down every short film, internet meme and indie video game with the potential to “put something new and fresh on the screen,” Lee said.

“In the past, whenever we were putting together movies with the studios, they would resort to going back to safer bets with filmmakers who’ve made movies before,” Lee said, whose L.A.-based horror production company, Spooky Pictures, secured three Barker films before “Obsession” hit theaters. “But because of the [ongoing] success, bosses are going to their lower-level executives saying, ‘You better find the next person and bring them to us.’”

The race for Hollywood to capture new-age internet intellectual property, or IP, is well underway. And, in some cases, it’s happening on terms decided by the online creators themselves, according to interviews with agents and producers.

A still of leading actor Chiwetel Ejiofor in “Backrooms.”

(A24)

A new kind of scouting

Mining the internet for the next big thing isn’t a new idea. What’s changed is how major studios approach the creators behind it. In the past, studios have plucked influencers from their online niche and slotted them into whatever mainstream production needed a face. Under the precedent set by Barker and Parsons, studios are now looking to acquire a fully developed idea from creators who already have a built-in audience, agents say.

The industry has long been criticized for leaning too hard on sequels, franchises and remakes led by well-seasoned directors. But after “Obsession” and “Backrooms” were released, it became clear what kind of story could still pull audiences into a theater. Both films came from digital-native storytellers in their 20s who arrived with sizable online followings already attached. In the wake of their success, Parsons is reportedly working on a “Backrooms” sequel for A24, and Barker has another horror movie in the works for Universal Film Group.

“Hollywood is realizing that they have to take more chances,” said Jordan Lonner, Barker’s agent at United Talent Agency. “You have to take those leaps to attract a younger audience. They can feel when something is authentic and that they’re being served something by filmmakers that actually understand them, versus when they’re being served by a big corporate giant.”

Creators are calling the shots

As Hollywood looks to the internet for answers, agents and executives say creators may soon have more leverage than ever at the negotiating table. For example, creators probably will retain ownership and control of their IP, said Ty Flynn, a partner and agent at UTA’s Creators division.

“[Creators] can really have the final say in the creative oversight of their project,” Flynn said. “It’s definitely something that is unique to the space, because they’re obviously the masters of their audience. They know better than anyone else how their audience responds. It’s in the best interest of any partner to [have it] play out, versus trying to control it from the start.”

“Obsession” stars Inde Navarrette and Michael Johnston.

(Focus Features)

While creators break into the mainstream, their representatives say traditional companies are growing more comfortable betting on digital stars. UTA‘s roster includes Alix Earle, Jake Shane and Markiplier — the last of whom recently landed his own box-office breakthrough with “Iron Lung.” The YouTuber, whose real name is Mark Fischbach, self-financed the horror film for $3 million, distributed it on his own and earned roughly $50 million in 4,000 theaters worldwide.

Creative Artists Agency is also teaming up with private equity firm TPG to buy creator-led companies.

Kori Adelson, president of North Road Films — one of the financiers behind “Backrooms” — predicts this shift also will change how studios weigh “price point to risk.” If major companies are willing to diversify their budgets, she said, it could open the door for small-, mid- and big-budget projects to reach a wider range of viewers.

“There’s a direct relationship between budget and authenticity,” Adelson said. “The bigger the budget, the more protections that are in place to ensure that it makes money, because the investment is so big, so you are by definition not able to take risks. And the lower the price point is, the more freedom you have to be bold and to take big swings and to be original.”

Even before the release of “Obsession” and “Backrooms,” multiple studios competed for the theatrical rights to the popular online video game “99 Nights in the Forest,” hosted on Roblox. Disney’s 20th Century ultimately won, with the game’s developers signing on as executive producers.

“Studio people were bending over backwards to make all these promises that would never happen in the past,” Lee said.

There are limits to this model, however

Replicating this success at scale won’t be easy, said Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Rentrak. Because major studios operate with far bigger budgets, he said, the low-budget, indie playbook doesn’t simply transfer over.

Buzz Lightyear and Woody in Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5.”

(Disney / Pixar)

“The whole point is that [‘Obsession’ and ‘Backrooms’] were made by independent filmmakers with very modest budgets,” Dergarabedian said. “It makes sense that everyone’s looking for what’s next, but it’s not an easy task. Both of those films came about very organically and authentically.”

Many studios will remain “inherently risk-averse,” said Darrell Miller, an L.A.-based entertainment lawyer — largely because of how much cash flow they need just to operate. He said, “Obsession’s” $403-million worldwide gross is a “big win” for Focus Features, the indie distributor backed by Universal, but it doesn’t compare to what a major studio needs from a tentpole release.

“Major studios have to generate over a billion to pay for the overhead, the operation and the size of their business model,” Miller said. “Blockbusters average between $200 [million] and $400 million [to make] and they’re spending another one to two times for marketing. The major studio game is much bigger.”

Every film, regardless of budget, carries a degree of unpredictability. Plenty of indie productions flop at the box office or never land distribution at all — just as plenty of big-budget releases continue to resonate with mass audiences. “Toy Story 5,” for one, has taken the 31-year-old franchise to new heights. The animated film, made with a budget between $150 million and $200 million, has earned upward of $763 million globally less than a month after its release.

Some creators are saying no

Even as studios chase internet-native IP, some of the most sought-after creators are turning them down. For Luke Pounder and Tristan Tales of L.A.-based TalesVision, traditional Hollywood isn’t the goal. The duo, known for fictional young adult content on YouTube, plans to keep leveling up their material while keeping it native to the internet.

“We never wait on a green light from anyone to tell the stories that we want to tell, and social media has already given us that opportunity,” Tales said.

The pair had been in talks with traditional studios about a few of their ideas, but timeline constraints and the potential loss of creative control steered them away. Even as creators become bigger stakeholders in these deals, for Pounder and Tales, that still isn’t enough.

Later this year, they‘ll launch their first premium series, “Lostlings,” with Lion Forge Entertainment. The eight-episode, half-hour series will premiere on their own YouTube channel.

“YouTube isn’t just like this discovery platform where you pluck the talent or the IP and then throw it into the traditional system. YouTube can be that next phase as well, where you take the talent or the IP and distribute it on there,” Pounder said. “YouTube has to catch up to its creators and their ambitions.”

Meanwhile, the competitive bidding war for the internet urban legend Siren Head closed last week, with Warner Bros. winning the theatrical rights for an undisclosed amount. The film will be directed by Brian Duffield (“No One Will Save You”) and co-written by Zach Cregger (“Weapons”). Trevor Henderson, the artist who created the monster online, will serve as an executive producer.

Lee, who will serve as a producer on the “Siren Head” movie, sees this as just the beginning.

“We’re talking about making films the traditional way using the talent that learns their craft either by doing shorts on YouTube, or doing things in a non-traditional manner.”

EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy has been in the public eye for decades, but there’s one project she wishes she never did.

EastEnders legend Natalie Cassidy has revealed the one project she regrets doing during her career.

The actress has remained in the public eye for decades, having joined the BBC soap aged just 10.

Best known for her portrayal of Sonia Fowler, fans have watched her depart and return to the soap numerous times, with her latest exit occurring last year.

Since then, she’s appeared in the BBC documentary series Natalie Cassidy: Caring Together, in which she undertakes training to become a qualified carer.

This isn’t her only venture beyond her EastEnders role, as she released a workout video back in 2007 called Then And Now, reports the Daily Star.

Yet, discussing the making of the fitness video with Ed Balls and Susanna Reid on Good Morning Britain, she admitted it’s a major regret.

She told the two ITV presenters: “Huge mistake, I never thought about my weight before that time.

“I was very happy-go-lucky, didn’t get on a scale, didn’t do anything. I was offered that job, go and do it, earn loads of money and lose loads of weight.

“I did that job, lost loads of weight and put it all back on again. It was really hard, which is why this campaign, what I’m doing at the moment, is really important to me.”

Natalie revealed to the GMB presenters that she doesn’t think people discuss their feelings about weight with genuine honesty, as Ed questioned what someone ought to have said to her when she was contemplating the DVD all those years ago.

She replied: “That it will change, you’ll start having food noise. I felt very alone after the DVD. I felt very alone. The job finished, and I was on my own. I wish I had someone to talk to, somewhere to go, wherever that would be.”

Susanna pointed out that people appear to be in a rather bewildered place currently when it comes to weight, given that a body positivity movement emerged just before weight loss drugs.

Natalie added: “The culture changes and shifts every 10 years; we have those ups and downs. But, I think what I’m saying is, it’s about being able to talk to somebody, be it a friend, family member, whoever, about how you’re feeling.

“How things are making you feel. It’s not just about getting on the scale and seeing a number and keeping that within you, feeling depressed all day and worrying about what you’re going to eat. We should have conversations about it.”

Good Morning Britain is available to watch weekdays on ITV from 6am

GREG James has revealed details from inside Taylor Swift’s Madison Square Garden wedding to Travis Kelce over the weekend.

The BBC Radio 1 host was one of the many A-listers to attend the lavish nuptials – after the singer publicly declared he could come along during an October 2025 interview, and stuck to her word.

Greg attended the New York City wedding with his wife Bella Mackie, joining stars such as Brad Pitt, Adam Sandler, Gigi Hadid and more.

And returning to the airwaves, the radio star finally divulged on what the nuptials were really like.

Beginning with his shock to actually be invited, he said: “I still can’t quite believe that it happened, it does feel like an amazingly strange but exciting dream.

“First things first, it was unbelievable fun, that’s the main headline, It was so fun.”

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“Everyone is texting saying stop playing songs, just give us the wedding tea, and we’ll do that now,” said Greg on his breakfast show, who went on to reveal he actually received the invitation back in March.

Greg then said he couldn’t tell anyone about the invite, other than his wife who was coming along.

Divulging on the day itself, he explained: “Then we got to the weekend of it, now obviously, I don’t want to be the guy that ruins this for everyone and then Taylor never speaks to me again.

“Because it was a wedding and there’s lots of nice family things that they did, so I don’t want to speak about all that stuff but I can give you some fun stuff.

“I did speak to Taylor and I spoke to Travis, but look, on a wedding you know the bride and groom are very busy, so imagine that, but the bride and groom are Taylor and Travis.”

Greg continued: “They were just having a great time, they both looked amazing, they were on the dance floor, it was great.”

When quizzed over what food was served inside the reception, Greg admitted he didn’t want to give too much away, but confirmed it wasn’t a traditional sit-down meal.

“It wasn’t a sit-down dinner, I’ll say that. There were multiple cakes, there were a thousand people, there were loads of cakes,” said Greg of the food.

And it was a free bar, too, as he laughed: “Great food, unlimited food and drinks. The first 10,000 drinks were free.”

Greg then revealed that there was a stage at the reception that guests were encouraged to dance on top of.

He said: “There was an open invitation to get up on the stage and dance while the DJ was on, and I did. All the songs.”

Greg also divulged that he was sitting with Hugh Grant to watch the ceremony part of the day.

Following the wedding, Greg admitted he was suffering from quite the hangover as he took to Instagram to confirm his attendance.

During the press run for her latest album Life of a Showgirl, Taylor stopped in for a chat with Greg, who has interviewed her a few times before.

At the end of their segment together, Greg joked that he would love to meet NFL star Travis.

Taylor then made the executive decision to jokingly invite him to their wedding – but it turned out to be legitimate as he got the invite months later.

At 7:30pm last Friday, legendary music venue MSQ was lit up by a colossal sign which read: “JUST&T MARRIED!” to confirm that Taylor and Travis had tied the knot.

Graham Norton, Ed Sheeran, Beyonce, Jay z, and Dua Lipa were also amongst the celeb guests.

As well as Hollywood’s biggest stars, nearly every NFL player made an appearance at the wedding.

Prime Video’s It’s Not Like That ended on the ultimate cliffhanger and fans are keen to know what happens next.

Prime Video has left viewers with plenty to say following the latest news about It’s Not Like That.

Streaming giant Prime Video has quietly axed a drama that fans hailed as an “emotional rollercoaster” after just a single season. Deadline reported that the eight-episode series, which follows a newly-divorced woman and a recently widowed man as they explore the possibility of a romantic future together, has been shelved.

The show only made its debut at the start of 2026, yet it has been widely reported that it will not be returning for a second run, leaving the couple’s fate hanging in the air. It’s Not Like That is the series in question, sitting alongside major hits such as Clarkson’s Farm.

Deadline noted: “The cancellation of It’s Not Like That is somewhat surprising. In addition to its strong reviews, it seems to have been doing well. Prime Video is not releasing viewership numbers, but it started putting out weekly Top 10 rankings, and the first one, which came out June 3, featured It’s Not Like That at No. 9 on the global series list.”

The Mirror has reached out to Prime Video seeking clarification on the cancellation, which has left devoted fans absolutely furious.

On X, formerly Twitter, one viewer raged: “@PrimeVideo what is this you are doing, cancelling #ItsNotLikeThat?! Great TV. Great writing! Great talent! We have loved this. Why are you doing this? ! Bring it back! Bring it back!”

Over on Reddit, another viewer added: “I actually found it charming and was hoping for more. It was extremely corny, though.”

The finale saw recently widowed minister Malcolm (played by Scott Foley) finally confessing his feelings for Lori (Erinn Hayes), though it emerged this was merely happening inside his own head.

Viewers will now never discover whether Malcolm ultimately chose to share his true emotions with Lori.

Prior to the programme’s axing, one fan wrote on IMDb reviews that they would be “absolutely devastated” if it wasn’t brought back. They said: “I love everything about this show, and will be absolutely devastated if it’s not renewed! It was a beautiful ride through faith, family, friendship, love, relationships.”

Another viewer remarked: “It’s not overly dramatised and doesn’t give you that feeling that the producers are trying too hard for ratings.

“Character development met with healthy emotional moments had me reflecting on my own life and really connecting with the families and their circumstances.

“It was a breath of fresh air in the sense that families of all ages could watch this together without having any inappropriate content to worry about.”

A final fan pleaded: “Please renew this! This show is so raw and emotional and everything I didn’t know that I needed right now. I cried, I laughed, I felt all the emotions with these 2 families.”

It’s Not Like That airs on Prime Video.

AN influencer has died after her BMW flipped and slammed into a tree in a horror crash.

Ayzia J, 22, was killed in the deadly collision in New Jersey alongside her friend.

Her friend Henrietta Carter, 22, was riding in the front passenger seat at the time of the crash and was killed.

A third person, who had been in the back of the car, survived the deadly collision with minor injuries.

The car left the road, then overturned and smashed into a tree, according to New Jersey State Police.

Police have launched an investigation into the deadly crash.

Ayzia’s family have launched a fundraising appeal to help them cover funeral costs.

The influencer has more than 300,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok.

Netflix is going bite-sized. In a pivot toward the short-form content dominating TikTok and YouTube, the streaming giant announced it will start hosting three- to 20-minute videos from top digital publishers right on its homepage starting Aug. 3.

The streamer said U.S. customers will see “fan-favorite videos” from brands run by digital publishers, including BuzzFeed Studios, Condé Nast, Hearst Magazines, PMX (a subdivision of Penske Media), People Inc. and Tastemade. The videos will cover a variety of topics, including gardening tips, travel and celebrity profiles.

The rollout comes as Netflix competes for audience time from YouTube and social media platforms such as TikTok that have viral videos that can occupy users for hours. By bringing series such as BuzzFeed Celeb’s “30 Questions,” on which celebrities provide answers, or Vanity Fair’s “Lie Detector,” on which celebrities are hooked up to polygraph machines, Netflix users can learn more information about the people they already watch on the streamer, but in shorter videos.

“Members don’t just want to watch a show or film and move on. They want to keep exploring the stories and personalities they love long after the final credits roll,” said John Derderian, a Netflix vice president overseeing the initiative. “These partnerships help us deepen fandom and create more ways for members to carry those stories with them throughout their day.”

Netflix said it will offer licensed archival and ongoing series, including Harper’s Bazaar’s “Burning Questions,” Billboard’s “24 Hrs With” and People’s “My Life in Pictures” that provide an inside look at celebrities.

The videos from digital publishers will also be available to Netflix customers in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand on Aug. 3.

The Los Gatos, Calif., streamer over time has been expanding its library of content, adding games, live programming such as boxing matches and football games, alongside movies and TV shows.

This World Cup has made unlikely international stars out of a plucky Cape Verde squad, further catapulted the status of gargantuan Norwegian striker Erling Haaland and firmly planted Lionel Messi as the greatest player of his generation.

But the players on the pitch haven’t been the only ones catching the eyes of soccer viewers.

Another legend among legends has also cemented his legacy during this run: Aurelio Casillas — the fictional drug kingpin and protagonist at the heart of the long-running Telemundo series “El Señor de los Cielos.”

The 10th season of the program finds Casillas reemerging to recover his narcotics empire after disappearing from his family’s radar. Familial drama ensues as betrayal runs rampant and Casillas embarks on a vengeful crusade against his enemies to regain and avenge the death of his love interest.

The image of Casillas, portrayed by veteran Mexican actor Rafael Amaya, has been plastered all across Telemundo’s World Cup coverage.

In the ads leading into games, Casillas is there. During most commercial rejoins, hosts spotlight the “El Señor de los Cielos” final season‘s Tuesday premiere.

The promotion has gone beyond what most U.S. audiences might be accustomed to as the network has cleverly implemented in-game ad reads that seem to flow freely into match coverage.

If Haaland coordinates a strike that helps Norway regain power in the game, a Telemundo game announcer might point out that decorated drug trafficker Casillas has also been known to schedule timely strikes to help him regain power in the dangerous world of narco warfare.

The incessant and cheeky ad reads served as more than just a gimmick as social media users have taken note of Telemundo’s marketing strategy. Many have joked about capitulating to the network’s advertising and giving the show a try. Others have humorously pondered about the contents of the program, while some have defiantly proclaimed that they will never fall for the series’ propaganda.

Hate it or love it, people can’t stop talking about it.

During halftime of Friday’s high-octane Argentina-Cape Verde Round of 32 match, Telemundo sportscaster Adriana Monsalve nodded to the online chatter the show has generated.

“We’ve read your messages on social media,” Monsalve said. “Between those who have said they’ve been convinced and those who admitted that they will be watching ‘El Señor de los Cielos,’ all we have to say is thank you. We await you all this Tuesday at 9 p.m./8 p.m. Central on Telemundo and Peacock.”

This type of over-the-top promotion model has long been used by the network as a way to convince advertisers that running commercials on its airways is worthwhile, noted University of Oregon advertising professor Christopher Chávez.

“They’ve really had to scrap it out over the years and so their product placement has always been overt, whereas in English-language media, there’s at least some attempt to make it creative or artistic,” Chávez, who also serves as the director of his school’s Center for Latina/o and Latin American Studies, told The Times. “There’s just this history of announcers and creatives really just going all in on marketing and almost not disciplining themselves, and because you have this global platform, people are just taking notice and they’re having fun with it.”

Telemundo’s executive vice president of marketing and creative strategy, Claudia Chagui, told The Times that the company had a game plan for how to approach the moment for “El Señor de los Cielos.”

“We had a very clear strategy going into the World Cup,” Chagui said. “We knew what we wanted to do in terms of how to protect our core fans and how to attract English-leaning Hispanics and maybe even general market fans to come and watch it in Spanish and all of that happened. We knew that this launchpad for ‘El Señor’ was going to be the strongest platform we could have.”

Chávez remarked that the Telemundo likely put a lot of stock in engaging Latinos online in the hopes that they would have fun with the marketing rollout.

“[Telemundo] knows that Latinos are younger and tend to be more proficient users of social media and more likely to share content,” Chávez said. “They’re very aware of that kind of market research, so whatever they put out there, hopefully it’s going to be meme-able or it’s going to be shareable. I think they’re pretty much banking on that.”

Chagui said that while much of the viral online chatter is beyond the control of the network, Telemundo’s social team has been locked in to the conversations regarding the show.

“We have our ‘El Señor’ account and even our Aurelio account — who is commenting on some of these conversations — and we’re making sure that our community feels like they’re being heard,” Chagui noted. “There is a real fan community around this IP and we take that very seriously. We want to take care of our fans.”

The show has been able to have such reach this World Cup cycle because more U.S. viewers are opting to tune in to Telemundo’s coverage than ever before.

In a recent social media post, Telemundo said that nearly half of all World Cup viewers stateside are watching its coverage.

NPR reported that 20% of Telemundo’s soccer audience speaks English as their primary language. Telemundo Deportes leadership told the outlet that the network’s telecast numbers have increased by 122% since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“It’s so much better when we’re watching it on Telemundo, because the announcers are not simply announcing the game, they’re engaging with the audiences themselves,” said Mari Castañeda, University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Commonwealth Honors College dean. “They’re really leaning into a more Latino aesthetic that is much more loose, open, joyful, kind of like a party atmosphere that changes the vibe and makes it become more celebratory, which it should be. The World Cup is meant to bring people together and it really seems to be doing that.”

That level of involvement from the commentators was something that Telemundo’s marketing team made sure to instill in its talent pool, Chagui noted.

“We work with our sports team and say, ‘These are the things that are top priorities for us from a promotional perspective,’ and our team creates all those mentions for those commentators and we work hand-in-hand with the sports team to make sure that there’s time within the games for them to be able to make those mentions,” she said.

“We tweak that messaging along the way to make sure that it doesn’t become too repetitive, that people don’t get tired of it. And now when the season starts, you’ll see that those mentions are going to be even more organic and will be more related to what’s happening on the show at the time.”

An unexpected added element that fell into Telemundo’s lap was the dream run of Mexico’s national team in the tournament.

“We prayed for that, but it’s been tremendous,” Chagui said. “[The Round of 32 game against Ecuador] had over 17 million viewers, so talk about a dream promotional platform. We really couldn’t ask for more.”

Chávez saw this current cultural moment as a great time for “El Señor de los Cielos” to potentially add a slew of new viewers, especially among English-first audiences.

“One of the things that streaming platforms like Netflix has done is that you’re starting to now see preferences change,” he said. “American audiences are starting to consume Korean dramas, for example, or Spanish-language dramas … [these] platforms have changed people’s comfort levels with consuming content that is not necessarily in English.”

Chagui also credited Telemundo’s streaming home, Peacock, as an important driver of popularity for “El Señor de los Cielos.”

“Now everybody watches content in any language, so I think the partnership with Peacock has been tremendous, because we know a lot of consumers don’t watch linear television anymore, and so if you’re not available on the streaming platforms, then you already hit a brick wall … we have to be available where our audiences are consuming content,” Chagui said.

If you’re one of the many people intrigued by the series, but find the idea of doing nine seasons of catch-up viewing daunting — there’s no need to fear, Telemundo has got you covered.

Seizing on the show’s newfound increase in popularity, the network created a special episode of “El Señor de los Cielos” that recaps all nine seasons of the series in under two hours.

“We needed a catch-up strategy because core fans are going to want to catch up before the premiere of the new season, but we’re going to bring in all these new eyeballs with the World Cup, and so we had to have something that is easy for them to understand what the series is about so they can hit the ground running,” Chagui said. “That’s where we had this idea to do this 90-minute recap of all nine seasons and so since we launched that on Peacock and the consumption has been off the charts.”

But the appeal of the “El Señor de los Cielos,” which began airing back in 2013 and is inspired by the real-life escapades of Mexican drug lord Amado Carrillo Fuentes, goes beyond just the viral marketing.

“I think for a lot of the folks that were not watching it, but that now are interested and fascinated by the show, [the appeal] is that it’s based loosely on a true story,” Castañeda said. “That’s one of the things that in talking to some of the elders in the community is what connects them to the story itself, it feels like it’s something relevant and contemporary because it’s based on the potential of a true story that’s taking place.”

Castañeda added that the program’s high production value and explosive action scenes make “El Señor de los Cielos” seem like “a fun show to watch.”

Amaya’s turn as the sinister yet family-focused Aurelio Casillas has drawn comparisons to James Gandolfini’s portrayal of mob boss Tony Soprano — a distinction the actor dubbed an “honor” as “The Sopranos” is one of his favorite series.

In a conversation with The Times, Amaya embodied the corporate synergy that has piqued interest in his show.

“Our World Cup are TV series and I think that we’ve scored a bunch of goals during the decade that we’ve been telling a story that always been buzz-worthy and that has passed from generation to generation,” Amaya said. “All that is thanks to the viewers and to the characters who have evolved and remained relevant.”

In addition to the plethora of ads, the “El Señor de los Cielos” lead actor contributed to Telemundo’s World Cup coverage through a special program titled “Diarios de Fútbol con Rafael Amaya.” The show follows Amaya around L.A. as he speaks with soccer legends about the transformative power of the sport.

When asked what new viewers of the show should expect, Amaya kept it simple.

“They’re obviously going to see a series filled with adrenaline, betrayal, unexpected turns,” Amaya said. “In this 10th season there are a lot of changes, and I think it’s the best season yet.”

ROCKERS Oasis will be back on stage next year — including a 12-date residency at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.

They are also set to do a record-breaking run of six concerts at Knebworth.

An insider said: “Oasis’ schedule is booked.

“It’s 12 nights at the Etihad over six weeks starting in June.

“They will then play Knebworth six times over a three-week period in September.

“Dates could be added but for now that’s the master plan.”

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Brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher put their long-running feud behind them to re-form the band for the 41-date Oasis Live ’25 tour last year.

The band had split up in 2009 amid rows.

A source said: “Noel and Liam always planned for the tour to have a second run.

“There were discussions about announcing [it] during the World Cup because of the connection between Wonderwall and the Three Lions in this tournament.

“But they’ve settled on August.

“It’ll give the country something to shout about — whether we’re celebrating or commiserating.”

The Etihad is the home of Manchester City, the team the brothers support.

Oasis’ gigs at Knebworth will break the record for the most times an act has played there.

Over their six gigs the band are set to play to 750,000 people.

They performed two shows there in 1996 to 250,000 fans.

A source said: “Knebworth is a special place for Noel and Liam.

“The shows in 1996 broke records as 2.6million people applied for tickets.

“It was the largest demand for tickets in British music history.

“They broke that with Oasis Live ’25.

“Now they’re going to become the only act to have played Knebworth six times.”

The shows would take the band’s tally to eight and Liam’s to ten — as he did two solo shows at the Hertfordshire venue in 2022.

Demand for the new Oasis gigs will be astronomical.

Noel, 59, and Liam, 53, are set to stick with the same line-up as their shows last year — including guitarist Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs, 61, who had to take time off from the tour after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

There is speculation there will also be shows outside England, including in Rome and Celtic Park in Glasgow.

The Sun has campaigned for the band’s 1995 anthem Wonderwall to become the soundtrack to England’s World Cup campaign.

Louise Lasser, the star of “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” Norman Lear’s satirical soap opera, has died. She was 87.

Lasser’s friend Susan Charlotte confirmed to the New York Times the actor’s death on Monday in Manhattan.

Lasser was born in New York City on April 11, 1939, to parents Sol Jay Lasser, a tax specialist, and Paula Lasser, a designer. She attended Brandeis University, where she majored in political science and performed in musicals and cabaret. She dropped out her senior year to pursue acting.

“My career started almost too easy,” she told the Times in 1975. “In New York the first agent I met sent me on my first audition, and I was signed for a show-stopping part [a replacement for Barbra Streisand in ‘I Can Get It for You Wholesale’]. After that there was a flood of offers.”

She told the Times that she found it frightening to hit it big with such little training.

“I had to feel prepared,” she said. So, she studied under actor and acting teacher Sanford Meisner and worked hard.

“I feel so strongly that what is worth doing is worth doing the very best you can. But it’s so important to know what you want to do. How you can develop your potentials to the highest, live your life to the richest and fullest.”

Lasser joked in a 1976 article in the Times that her role as Mary Hartman might merit identification beyond being Woody Allen’s ex-wife. The two met in 1962 on a double date — with other people — but their chemistry was potent, and they began working together on various projects, including in her first project for television, “The Laughmakers,” an unaired pilot penned by Allen.

“When we met, I was seeing a friend of his. It was one of those things, well if you think you’re complicated, you should meet so-and-so. And it was Woody,” Lasser told the Toast in a 2013 interview. They “were meant to be in the same playpen,” she said. “Immediately we just connected. He was with somebody … oh, he was married, that’s right. … So, I met him, and it was so clear the whole night the four of us were there, and neither of us are talking to anyone else, do you know what I mean? … We really understood what the other was saying.”

The two were married from 1966 to 1970. Lasser acted in Allen’s “Take the Money and Run” (1969), “Bananas” (1971) and the 1972 film “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask).”

Through the early ’70s, she appeared in various TV movies and television shows including “The Bob Newhart Show” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” Somewhere along the way, the biggest producer in television caught wind of Lasser’s chops and wanted her for his pet project, a parody of sudsy daytime dramas called “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.”

During an interview featured in an oral history of American TV by the Television Academy Foundation, Lear said he’d brought the script for the series to a colleague, and they read it and said, “You can’t do this without Louise Lasser.”

“She came in my office, started to read the lines, and forget it,” Lear said. “There’s only one Louise Lasser.”

Lasser, put off by the soap opera nature of the show, turned down the role five times.

“I kept saying, no, it’s just not right,” she said during a 2000 reunion for the show. “I had no job, no money. … I just was that way, so after the fifth meeting, I said to my manager, ‘You mean he’s not going to call again?’

“Then my friend said, ‘You know, I think you really don’t want to say no.’ So I thought to myself my rationalization was, well, maybe it’d be really good for me to work for 52 weeks out of a year.”

Lasser starred as Hartman in 315 of the show’s 325 episodes over the course of an 18-month run.

After 52 years of providing the Inland Empire with mini golf, roller skating and go-karting, Fiesta Village Family Fun Park is shutting down.

The Colton amusement park said in a statement Tuesday that it will remain open to the public for its final days this weekend.

“This decision has not been easy. For decades, Fiesta Village has been a place where families gathered, friendships grew and memories were made,” the company said in the statement.

Owner Michelle O’Brien said that rising operation costs and declining attendance were the main reasons behind the closure.

“It’s been a privilege to be the steward at the park. It’s devastating to have to close it, but you get to a point where there are no other options,” O’Brien said. “We’re so grateful that Fiesta Village carried a place in people’s hearts.”

The park first opened in 1974, with a mini golf course, waterslides and go-karts. O’Brien purchased it in 2002 and has operated it ever since. Under her and her husband Patrick’s ownership, the park added attractions such as the Scrambler and Tilt-a-Whirl, along with laser tag and a roller skating rink.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the theme park industry has struggled to fully rebound. Rising costs and a lack of tourism have made the business increasingly difficult to sustain.

Last year, California’s Great America, a Silicon Valley park operated by Six Flags Entertainment, had to cut its workforce and shorten its season. Even theme park giants such as Disneyland are seeing slight downturns in attendance. Disney previously said its U.S. theme parks saw a 1% drop in attendance compared with the prior year, which the company attributed to “continued softness” in attendance by international visitors. Disneyland’s Anaheim park also recently began offering $71 tickets to draw more local visitors.

For parks like Fiesta Village, the rising cost of essentials such as food ultimately makes survival harder, said Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services, a consulting firm. He added that competition from nearby parks is also drawing business away. As a Southern California venue, Fiesta Village sits within driving distance of destinations such as Knott’s Berry Farm and Disneyland.

“It’s hard for smaller parks to compete with the big entities that surround them. Particularly now as we continue to see this amazing growth in technology for rides and attractions,” Speigel said. “Big attractions are very expensive propositions for parks to put in, and parks like Fiesta Village can’t keep up with that.”

Given the current economic uncertainty, Speigel said, theme parks will probably see a “flat year” — meaning no major growth or decline industrywide.

After Fiesta Village’s final celebration with the public on Friday and Saturday, the park will host a private event Sunday before shutting down for good. It’s unclear what will happen to the property afterward.

“Thank you for allowing us to be part of your lives and your family traditions,” the company wrote. “We will always cherish the role Fiesta Village has played in bringing people together.”

Times staff writer Samantha Masunaga contributed to this report.

Storied norteño group Los Tigres del Norte announced Tuesday that they are teaming up with departing L.A. Philharmonic conductor Gustavo Dudamel for a special performance Aug. 21 at the Hollywood Bowl.

The show is part of a series titled “Celebrating Gustavo at the Bowl,” which looks to send off Dudamel in style as he transitions into his new role as the music and artistic director of the New York Philharmonic. The “Jaula de Oro” artist’s appearance is part of “Gustavo’s Fiesta,” which will also feature performances by other prominent Latino artists.

The norteño act has sold 37 million albums and recorded 500 songs over a career that’s spanned five decades. They have seven Grammy Awards, eight Latin Grammys and have had 66 songs land on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, the most of any Latin music act ever.

In 2018, Los Tigres del Norte became the first norteño act to headline at the Hollywood Bowl.

Recently, the “La Puerta Negra” hitmakers were immortalized in U.S. pop culture history when its members appeared in animated form in a December 2025 episode of “The Simpsons” and performed an original corrido about the escapades of Homer Simpson and Pedro Chespirito (also known as the Bumblebee Man).

Also featured on the Aug. 21 lineup are Grammy-winning singer Lila Downs, the all-female Mariachi Reyna de Los Ángeles, the explosive cumbia group La Sonora Dinamita and the legendary Mexican bolero trio Los Panchos.

The show will serve as Dudamel’s third-to-last performance as the music and artistic director of L.A. Philharmonic. On Aug. 22, he will be in concert with Foo Fighters. His farewell weekend will conclude Aug. 23 and will serve as a benefit for his homeland of Venezuela, which suffered catastrophic losses from twin earthquakes in late June.

Donations will benefit Dudamel’s Earthquake Recovery to Support Venezuelan Communities fund, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean fund.

RAPPER Cardi B pays homage to the late Amy Winehouse with a style just like the Brit singer’s — including her trademark beehive.

The US star, 33, sported winged eyeliner, similar to Amy’s signature look, along with a purple, figure-hugging dress to a party at Paris Fashion Week.

Amy also wore a purple frock to the premiere of the film Psychosis in London in 2010.

This month marks 15 years since the Back To Black singer’s death at the age of just 27.

During her career, Amy had a string of showbiz spats, including mocking singer Dido and putting an Alexander McQueen dress on a barbecue after a fall-out.

She also called US rapper Kanye West the C-word on stage at Glastonbury in 2008.

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Now Cardi has revealed her own feuds have cost her lucrative brand deals, following ding-dongs with fellow rappers Nicki Minaj, Latto and BIA.

The New York-born star told her followers on X: “No lie, last year when I went off, I lost about three deals.

“I lost about three deals when I was bugging out and violating, and giving b*****s the f***ing business.”

Paris Fashion Week will continue until tomorrow evening, with a series of A-listers travelling to the French capital for a schedule of high-end events.

Fresh from attending Taylor Swift’s wedding to Travis Kelce in New York on Friday, Jennifer Lopez, 56, was photographed heading to a party on Monday in a halter-neck evening gown.

Meanwhile, singer Sabrina ­Carpenter, 27, wore a white dress to Dior’s haute couture autumn/winter fashion show held on the same evening.

One Wednesday evening in May, at the boutique hotel Dream Hollywood — located just off the Walk of Fame — a young hotel staff member shuffled over to her co-worker to discuss a special guest on the top floor. Together they exchanged whispers about an artist’s unknown whereabouts and whether or not they would catch him on his descent to the first floor.

The name “Tito Double P” slipped out, referring to the Mexican corrido singer who happened to be in town promoting his latest album, “Acomodo.”

I met the 28-year-old on the top floor, where he opted for a warm, friendly hug in lieu of a firm business handshake. We were quickly rushed into a side room to conduct his last interview of the evening.

Those who’ve followed Tito Double P’s musical journey since 2023 would likely describe him as a chaotic force, with weathered vocals, off-the-cuff ad libs, riotous pelvic thrusts and suggestive tongue expressions.

Come Sunday, he’ll bring the ruckus when he headlines Belico Fest in L.A.’s BMO Stadium. But when we spoke about his second solo album, “Acomodo,” the Nayarit-born, Sinaloa-raised singer, whose real name is Jesús Roberto Laija García, arrived polished, perfumed and poised.

“After this LP, don’t be surprised if you see different things from me,” said Laija García.

Released on May 28, the LP contains 23 corridos, which see Laija García strike the commanding tone of brazen CEO. In its focus track, “Me Vale V,” the singer firmly declares he is manifesting his dreams and not paying anyone else mind. Its lyrics reveal it all: “Ya van tres días que no paro, pero bien trabado” (I’ve been going nonstop for three days now, but I’m totally locked in).

But listeners also get a more vulnerable side of the músicana mexicana singer, who agonizes over heartbreak in “La Fama” — while simultaneously voicing his vice for women and boozy escapades. Throughout the record, the singer sprinkles in the catchphrase, “Bélico pero no tanto, mija,” which translates to “warlike, but not too much, my dear” — striking a balance between his hard-shelled exterior and inner tenderness, namely in the yearning jazzy corrido “Pase y Pase,” in which he pleads for a late-night booty call.

Most notably, “Acomodo” boasts no features whatsoever, a rarity in an industry where artist collaborations play a key role in bringing in bigger audiences (and bigger payouts).

“Many people called me to ask why they weren’t going to be on [the record],” he said. But the solo move marked a milestone achievement for Laija García, who had no designs of becoming an international musical marvel.

“I was never the child who sang, who played the guitar in school festivities or at family parties,” said Laija García in a calm tone — occasionally referring to his stage name in the third person.

The singer still can’t fathom his own success. He cut his teeth by penning career-defining songs for his famous cousin, Peso Pluma — including anthemic corridos like “El Belicon,” “Siempre Pendientes” and “AMG.” These standout ballads touted a rugged lifestyle with elements of organized crime, which aided his primo’s ascent to the mainstream.

Tito Double P released his second solo album “Acomodo.”

(Adan Ornelas Anta)

In the process of composing his cousin’s Grammy-winning 2023 album, “Génesis,” Laija García asked him if he could also release his own material. “Let’s go!” he recalled Peso Pluma saying. “Your first song will be a duet with me.”

The plan was to debut Tito Double P with “La People,” a fiery narcocorrido that details the inner life of a cartel’s tactical security guard, who narrowly escapes a police raid.

But Laija García’s rollout plan took a detour when an unmastered version of his track was leaked to TikTok in spring 2023 — a bouncy tune he later renamed “Dembow Belico,” which is characterized by a Dominican-style boom-chi-boom-chick rhythm and raw, spitfire lyrics. This party track introduced audiences to a version of Tito Double P that radiated a lighthearted madness — fueled by Skyy vodka and Old Parr whiskey, as per the song’s lyrics.

“I liked it, it was something new,” said Luis R. Conriquez, who called up the new singer to be a collaborator. “What makes him special is his voice, his sound. He’s his own person.”

Together with Conriquez and Joel De La P, “Dembow Belico” was released on June 5, 2023, and became Tito Double P’s official debut in the music world — even giving life to one of the most viral clips of Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez, who can be seen awkwardly dancing to it.

“From there on, Tito Double P was another persona,” said Laija García. Throughout his lively retelling of the story, he added a series of sound effects to move the story line — among them, wacha, pum, pum, pum, gol. “More than anything, Tito Double P came across as a character, because that guy was totally crazy, he didn’t give a damn.”

“More than anything, Tito Double P came across as a character, because that guy was totally crazy, he didn’t give a damn,” said Jesús Roberto Laija García, better known as Tito Double P.

(Adan Ornelas Anta)

In real life, Laija García considers himself a timid, camera-shy guy. That’s why he chose an illustration for the cover of his 2024 debut album “Incómodo,” rather than a real-life image of himself; the LP title directly translates to “discomfort.”

“I was going to be one of those artists that [only] releases songs, because [I thought,] ‘How embarrassing would it be if I got up on stage?’” he mused. “But now, I dominate the stage from head to toe. And I don’t want to come down.”

The debut record also served as an experimental project for Tito Double P, whose hard-won swagger elevated every sound he toyed with — whether it was on the brass-heavy banda song “La 701” with Luis R Conriquez, the techno thump of “La Bandolera,” the heavy-hitting urban track “Linda” with Neton Vega and the guitar-powered ballad “Los Cuadros” ft. Peso Pluma).

Featuring collaborations with established acts, such as Natanael Cano, Junior H and Grupo Frontera, the album peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 chart and helped the rising star distinguish himself from his high-profile cousin — who he toppled from the No. 1 spot on the Top Latin Albums chart, five weeks after his debut release.

Although Laija García hasn’t shied away from embracing that familial tie either; in May, both Tito Double P and Peso Pluma concluded their “Dinastía” tour following their joint 2025 album of the same name.

“I still see comments on TikTok where people are surprised that we are cousins,” remarked Laija García.

Now with “Acomodo” — which debuted at the top of both Spotify Top Albums USA and Top Global Charts across all genres — Tito Double P affirmed his rightful place in música mexicana upper echelons.

“That’s why it’s called ‘Acomodo,’ because everything is aligning itself as it should be,” he said.

As Tito Double P made his way to the lobby, a member of the Dream Hollywood valet — who likely bore witness to Hollywood A-listers and other luminaries — asked if he could take a picture with the singer. “Tito, Tito, a photo please!” asked the employee.

Laija García flashed a friendly smile. Thankfully for the attendant, Tito Double P is always camera-ready.

Junior and Princess Andre give a joint interview as part of a new series about the life of their mum Katie Price.

The emotional children of Katie Price have broken down in tears as they recalled how their mother’s drug use meant she was unable to look after them properly and left them feeling “lonely” and unloved.

Junior, 21, and Princess, 19, have grown up in the spotlight since their parents Katie and Peter Andre split up when they were very young. And they’ve also dealt with the fallout afterwards which saw Katie struggle to cope and at one stage turn to cocaine to try to deal with her problems.

Junior says: “I remember missing her so much. This one time in particular, I was in her bed waiting for her to come back, and I woke up probably 3:30am to some loud noises, and I see her come in the room, and I’ll never forget the look on her face, she was obviously on stuff, right?

“I could see it in her eyes, and I was.. it scared me, because I’ve never seen my mum look like that. She’s there, but she’s not there, you know.”

Junior adds: “She wasn’t in the right headspace, she really wasn’t. And she wasn’t being a mum, she wasn’t being the mum that I knew from when I was a little boy.

“The amount of love she gave me was so immense that that’s what I missed so much. Mum was on drugs, and she could not look after us, and that is the reality of it. She couldn’t.

“And then I got fed up. I clocked on that this was a very unhealthy environment, and I needed to get out. I did leave. I think I was about 14 or 15, Thank God that my dad was stable, because that’s the house that I went to and gained my sanity back, you know.

“While I was wishing and hoping that my mum would come back and turn herself around. It made me feel like I wasn’t good enough, because she wasn’t fixing herself for me.”

His sister Princess says: “She’d give me a blanket, and she sprayed all her perfume on it, and that was like that was my, my attachment to Mum. So I remember after school I used to go home and just feel so like lonely in a way. I used to just cuddle to the blanket and just cry.”

She adds: “I stayed. I always wanted to be there for her, and I always wanted to show her that, like, she has me, she has us, but she didn’t understand that at the time, because she was so hooked up in her own problems.”

The pair, who break down in tears in the joint interview, also say they had to learn how to fend for themselves including making microwave meals and “looking after each other”. In a new Sky documentary series, Katie also is open herself about her drug use in the past. It came around decade after her split from husband Peter Andre in 2009, and coincided with a series of failed relationships including a troubled marriage to Kieran Hayler who she wed in 2013.

“It was the only thing that blocked everything out,” Katie says of drugs thinking back to the worst period of her life. It will take out that pain, it will take out any worry, it will take out the noise.”

She was regularly using cocaine and staying out late and not putting her family first. Looking back she says: “When I hear what the kids, how they saw it, it breaks my heart. But they were still always looked after, I still had people around me looking after them, like helping me.

“But that’s not good enough. Kids need their mum, kids need their mum’s love, their mum’s hugs, and I thought I was given that, but obviously I wasn’t. It must have been horrible for them, horrible for them, and I’m just sorry to them that I put them through that and thought I was doing the best I could with them, but what could I have done?

“I was unwell. I couldn’t even look after myself. I was more than rock bottom. I didn’t want to be. I wanted to die. I felt worthless, suicidal thoughts all the time.”

After one night of taking drugs and drinking, she crashed her car whilst feeling suicidal in September 2021. At the crash scene before being taken to the hospital, and then a police station, she had told her mum she “wanted to be out of it”.

“I remember when they put me in a cell it was like peace. Peace and quiet. I found that quite comforting. It is quite sad to think that,” She recalls.

Thankfully she also credits six weeks in The Priory after this incident with saving her life and helping her to learn to look after herself in a better way. Her relationship with Junior and Princess has improved as a result.

The new documentary covers the whole 30 year career of Katie, beginning as a glamour model who at her peak could command six figure fees for photoshoots or appearances on shows like I’m A Celebrity, where she met Peter Andre in 2004.

But since then she has been made bankrupt and is less in-demand to be on TV.

She is currently married to Dubai businessman Lee Andrews and her family express their shock on screen at the fact she again married someone in January she had known for just weeks.

On the documentary her stepdad Paul Price recalls a conversation he had before her fourth marriage.

“I said what’s she going to Dubai for? ‘To see a bloke’. I said ‘what’s the catch?’ And then we find out she’s getting married. I said ‘you’re off your head’. And then the geezer is in the paper pretending to be a millionaire.”

Asked if he was angry with her, Paul replies: “100 percent”.

Son Junior adds: “This is the most silliest stupidest thing, marrying a guy she doesn’t even know. This is my mum, this is what she does.”

Her mum Amy Price ends the film with a simple dream that her daughter will fine happiness and less drama in her life at some stage as she gets older.

Amy says: “In some ways, she’s still like a child. But she’s a good daughter. I hope she really does find someone to love and be happy.”

* Katie Price: Nothing to Hide, a four-part Sky Original series, will be available on Sky and streaming service NOW on 8 July.

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BBC viewers have called the cosy detective series the ‘best TV show of all time’

Death in Paradise fans looking for their next fix need look no further.

BBC viewers have gone wild for ‘one of the best’ detective series, calling it a ‘real gem hidden in the daytime schedules’.

Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators first aired in 2018 and is now in its sixth series. It stars EastEnders legend Jo Joyner as Luella Shakespeare and Waterloo Road star Mark Benton as Frank Hathaway.

A synopsis for the show reads: “After the death of her fiance, Luella Shakespeare joins Frank Hathaway, a private detective, to help him solve some bizarre cases in Stratford-upon-Avon.”

The series has been a huge hit amongst fans who have likened it to Death in Paradise, Beyond Paradise and Midsomer Murders.

One person said: “I don’t know what this show is doing in the day time section, I would have missed it, had it not for the fact that I logged into iPlayer. It reminded me of ‘Death in Paradise’ but set in Warwickshire. They have filmed in really scenic locations, and I love the cast.

“The two leads have very good on screen chemistry and their side kick, the “RADA Grad” is pretty funny. I have watched six episodes so far and I can’t wait to finish it.

“I hope BBC renews it because it is pretty cheerful and feel good show. I am a little tired of gritty and dark dramas so this is pretty much right up my stream!”

Another show watcher put: “Just binge watched the first and second series of this show on demand! I can’t believe I’d never heard of it or even seen it advertised.. I absolutely loved it! Light hearted, clever writing, witty loveable characters, I could go on and on…”

A different viewer said: “I have watched both seasons of this sweet, light hearted and funny show. I think it should be on in the evenings, it’s very much like Death in Paradise except set in Stratford Upon Avon.

“Hope it’s renewed for season! It’s a witty sweet show and some of us like light-hearted programmes!”

Another fan commented: “This show is much better than I hoped. I was looking for something on Britbox once I had watched the last episode of Death in Paradise and decided to give this a try. What a complete gem.”

While a different viewer added: “If you are a fan of exquisite British murder mysteries in the vein of Midsommer Murders you will be hooked! Fun characters, engaging comedic elements and very interesting plot twists make this a winner!! LOVE IT!!!”

Made In Chelsea royalty Jamie Laing and his wife Sophie Habboo have reportedly landed a second series of their Disney+ show Raising Chelsea, in a deal said to be worth £500,000

Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo are reportedly adding a second Disney+ series to their TV empire. The former Made In Chelsea star and his wife are said to have landed a second series of their show Raising Chelsea.

Jamie, 37, and Sophie, 31, allowed cameras to follow their lives as they prepared for the birth of their son Ziggy during the first three-part series of the show.

The second series would focus on their lives now that Ziggy, who is seven months old, is here. Producers are said to be hoping to film enough content to make the next edition span more than three episodes.

A source told The Sun that Disney bosses were “delighted” with how audiences responded to Raising Chelsea, adding that Jamie and Sophie “secured the hearts of Disney subscribers” with how “authentic and vulnerable” they were. “The deal’s done,” the source continued. “And filming is set to start soon.”

According to the insider, the couple have been offered £500,000 to continue sharing their lives with the public. Jamie and Sophie were previously on Made In Chelsea. He spoke to the BBC about how he wanted their return to screens as a couple in Raising Chelsea to feel “real”.

He said: “If there are three cameras and a set-up, it feels forced. We wanted to capture everything and I wanted to make sure it was really real so you see everything. Even when things happened that were intense we kept it in because we made a deal. There is nothing off limits – I don’t like the idea of a filtered version of ourselves, it’s not true, authentic or real.”

Sophie also told the publication that doing the show felt “natural” as they’d already been on reality TV. But, she continued, there were moments when she forgot they were filming as just one camera was involved in capturing content.

During the show, a camera was even permitted into the delivery room as Sophie gave birth to Ziggy, who was born in December 2025. The anaesthesiologist filmed it on Sophie’s phone. She shared that she didn’t initially want that recorded, but ultimately decided that it was part of the story and should be included.

Jamie has also landed another TV role. According to reports, the newly married father of one, has now landed a role as a guest investor on BBC’s Dragon’s Den alongside veteran business entrepreneurs including Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones.

He is reported to be joining the judging panel for the 23rd series, following in the footsteps of other celebrities who have guest judged, including Joe Wicks and Gary Neville.

Away from the telly, Jamie is quite the businessman. He co-founded a successful vegan confectionary business, Candy Kittens in 2012, which sells sweets in flavours including Eton Mess and Sour Watermelon. Back in 2024, his company had a £15million turnover and this was later followed up by the £36million acquisition of healthy snack bar Graze.

The Mirror contacted Jamie and Sophie’s reps for comment.

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Tuesday’s episode of EastEnders ended with an explosive showdown between Bea Pollard and Honey Mitchell as the ‘Misery’-esque villain’s past is exposed

EastEnders‘ Bea Pollard’s past has come to light, as the BBC soap aired a dramatic showdown between the villain and her kidnapping victim, Honey Mitchell.

Throughout Tuesday’s episode, Bea (Ronni Ancona) showed how obsessive she had become. The villain, who fans have likened to Misery’s Annie Wilkes, took Honey (Emma Barton) hostage in a cottage out in Fordwich, Kent.

Honey had been unconscious after Bea knocked her over in Albert Square, but she woke up in the cottage and discovered all the doors and windows had been locked.

While there, Bea revealed that the cottage belonged to an ex-boyfriend of her mother. She explained that her mother had always blamed her for the breakdown on her relationships, finally revealing the tragic backstory that may have made her so angry at men.

Bea also tried to convince Honey to run away with her, and forced her to transfer £10,000 from the Minute Mart accounts. But clever Honey made the reference Fordwich, tipping off Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal), Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) and Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) as to her whereabouts.

When a holidaymaker turned up at the cottage, Bea locked Honey in a cupboard, though she was able to get out and escape through a window. After stumbling through the countryside, she was found by Suki, Nicola and Linda, who took her home.

Honey’s ordeal wasn’t over though as Bea snuck into the B&B and held a corkscrew to Billy Mitchell’s (Perry Fenwick) neck. She told Honey that she hated being lied to and the two ended up brawling on the floor. Honey soon got the upper hand and held a heavy ornament above Bea’s head, threatening to beat her with it.

The police then swooped in and arrested Bea. She was carted away in the back of a police car. Fans have been split on whether this is her last episode.

One said: “I don’t think this is Bea’s last episode (either she escapes, trial, or let go due to insanity).” Another agreed: “Not convinced this is the conclusion to the Bea story though.”

But a viewer said they thought this was the end: “I’m guessing it’s a goodbye to Bea in the coming days.” And a commenter added: “An enjoyable episode and good conclusion to the Bea saga. Loved to see Linda, Nicola and Suki banding together to save Honey.”

A fan suggested the ending, with Bea being taken away in a police car, was reminiscent of Janine Butcher. This comes as Charlie Brooks teased Janine may return soon. In a chat with Richard Arnold on Good Morning Britain, it was mentioned that Janine, who has been in prison for her involvement in Mick Carter’s (Danny Dyer) death, is due to be released in a year.

Host Susanna Reid said: “OK! Out in about a year… sounds like Richard knows about the future script!” To which, he cryptically replied that Janine could be released “earlier” and “you never know” with EastEnders.

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Lauren Bennett, the British singer who told millennials to “put yo’ hands up” in LMFAO’s megahit “Party Rock Anthem,” and a member of pop group G.R.L., has died. She was 37.

G.R.L. members Emmalyn Estrada, Natasha Slayton and Paula van Oppen announced Bennett’s death on Monday via social media.

“It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our beloved Lauren,” G.R.L.’s statement read.

“Our hearts are broken, and we cannot begin to express how much she meant to us. We will forever cherish the love, laughter, and countless memories she gave us. Her beautiful spirit touched so many lives, and she will be deeply missed and forever loved. Rest peacefully, sweet Lauren. You will always be in our hearts.”

Bennett’s cause of death has not been revealed.

The British singer first splashed onto the music scene when she appeared on the U.K. “X Factor” in 2006. She was eliminated before the live show round of the series, but the following year she was recruited to join Paradiso Girls, a group launched by Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin. In 2009, they dropped “Patron Tequila,” featuring Lil Jon and Eve. The group disbanded in 2010 and their debut album was never released.

In 2011, Bennett joined forces with electronic dance duo LMFAO on “Party Rock Anthem.” The track spent six weeks topping Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and became wildly popular globally. Billboard ranked the megahit second on their official “Top Hot 100 Songs of the Decade” list for the 2010s, behind Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk.”

In 2012, she and Antin teamed up again, forming pop group G.R.L. (Girls Rock Life) with founding members including Bennett, Estrada, Slayton, van Oppen and Simone Battle. The group debuted on the “Smurfs 2” soundtrack with “Vacation” in July 2013 and, in early 2014, they were featured on Pitbull’s “Wild Wild Love.” In the summer of 2014, they dropped “Ugly Heart,” the lead single of their self-titled EP, but in September, founding member Battle died by suicide. G.R.L. split up the following year. By 2016, the group reformed as a trio with Bennett, Slayton and new member Jazzy Mejia.

Bennett welcomed her daughter, Harlow, with partner and “Footloose” star Kenny Wormald in 2019. Wormald often shared photos of Bennett on his Instagram with loving captions.

Longtime friend and music producer Josh Stevens, who co-wrote and engineered LMFAO’s sophomore album “Sorry for Party Rocking,” posted a tribute to Bennett on Monday, writing, “My friend [Lauren Bennett] we will deeply miss you. I was lucky enough to witness you change the world! We traveled the globe party rocking from night clubs to stadiums, a wild and crazy time. A true legend!

“Later on in life our children had the same birthday, I remember us texting each other while you were in labor and my wife was in labor on the same day, same time, both in the hospital. We were laughing and it somewhat seemed calming to know to each was going thru this at the same time.

“We will very much miss you.”

Netflix fans say the gripping drama is the best true crime show they’ve ever watched

Fans are begging for even more episodes of a true crime drama sitting quietly in Netflix‘s library.

Viewers might have missed a harrowing docuseries that is hiding in plain sight on the streaming platform.

Homicide first hit screens in 2024 with five episodes diving into chilling murders that have taken place in Los Angeles. Seasons 2 and 3 closely followed with a fresh focus on New York crimes.

The series comes from Law & Order creator Dick Wolf and examines gruesome killings from the perspectives of those directly impacted. Viewers hear from detectives and prosecutors, as well as the families of the victims.

It offers a complete overview of how law enforcement approached the cases, and how citizens were forced to mourn their loved ones.

Season 3, which is titled Homicide: New York, focuses on a serial offender who targeted victims in Central Park, a suspicious drowning at Soho House, and an unfiltered recounting of 9/11 from the officers who were at Ground Zero.

While many Netflix subscribers may have missed the show, those who caught it upon its release were thoroughly impressed.

An IMDb user raved “we need more,” before writing: “Amazing!! The editing was simply perfect, but the true stories oh my they were so sad but very interesting to hear.

“The people behind all the hard work to find out the results were brilliant and very well spoken about the cases and families involved! Need another 5 episodes!!!”

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Someone else agreed with the praise, adding: “In True Crime Drama…This one STANDS ABOVE. There are a lot of documentaries out there regarding true crime. Dick Wolf has done an extraordinary job on bringing this one to the screen. I would say it’s one of the best written, true crime dramas ever made.”

While an X, formerly Twitter, user urged others to tune in. “If anyone’s looking for a good murder mystery, definitely recommend Homicide New York on Netflix,” they said.

Yet another fan agreed, stating: “Homicide: New York is insaneeeeeee. if you’re into true crime, you definitely want to watch it.”

All fifteen episodes of Homicide are available to stream now on Netflix