show biz

When Dolly Parton sang, “Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living,” it was an understatement.

The legendary country singer, who died Tuesday after a brief battle with cancer, “worked up until the day she died” on multiple projects, her longtime manager Danny Nozell said in a statement to The Times.

“She loved seeing her dreams come to life, and loved knowing her work brought people joy,” Nozell said. “Ever the planner, Dolly worked with the team that she handpicked, for the past several years to build a project roadmap that will guide us for decades to come.”

The projects vary from a line of Dolly Parton dolls, which will launch online Sept. 15, to a biopic and a docuseries with release dates to be revealed later. A scripted show and an animated series based on Parton’s “Billy the Kid” book franchise are scheduled to be released on a date to be determined.

Other projects announced were Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop — a travel center in Cornersville, Tenn. — which will celebrate National Truck Driver Appreciation Week beginning Sept. 13; and Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel in Nashville, where patrons can book stays starting Sept. 14, with a grand opening scheduled for Sept. 29.

The Parton estate will open the 20,000-square-foot Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum at the SongTeller Hotel on Sept. 29 and launch Dolly’s Cup of Ambition Coffee online on the same day. The coffee line will be available at retail stores starting spring 2027.

Dolly’s Dog Treats are on the calendar for early 2027, along with Dolly Bedding & Home Decor debuting in the third quarter of next year.

Broadway previews for “Dolly: A True Original Musical” will begin in December, with opening night scheduled for Jan. 19, 2027. The estate is also collaborating again with fashion designer Kendra Scott for a “9 to 5” jewelry collection.

Nozell guaranteed Parton’s fans that if any unreleased music, products, books, experiences and campaigns are launched through the official Dolly Parton channel, each was personally stamped on by the singer.

“As the leader of the team responsible for overseeing her legacy, we will ensure the many dreams she had yet to fulfill are brought to life,” Nozell said. “Many projects were in various stages of development, and we want to be transparent with her fans about this fact.”

After Tim Curry finished playing the flamboyant Dr. Frank-N-Furter — first onstage, then in the 1975 film “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” — the actor never returned to the role that made him famous. Not once, over decades of “Rocky Horror” revivals from the West End to Broadway, did he ever put those fishnets back on.

For Curry, who died Tuesday at 80 in Los Angeles, there were too many characters to play, and too much fun to be had, for him to spend much time looking back.

“I’ve always moved on,” Curry told me last year, sitting in the Roxy Theatre on the Sunset Strip, where he’d played Frank to great acclaim in 1974, after originating the role in London. “That was part of the attraction of being an actor. I really didn’t want to come out of the same box every time.”

Last year, as “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” was being celebrated for its 50th anniversary, he agreed to meet at the Roxy, which he called “another home for me.” The stage show there had been a local sensation, and it was clear he still had pride and great affection for his role in the movie adaptation, which remains the longest continuous theatrical release in film history.

A stroke in 2012 left him partially paralyzed, interrupting a busy acting career. But he was quick to laugh and joke as he remembered playing Frank, including his nightly entrance at the Roxy, marching down a catwalk in heels and Dracula cape. The long life that “Rocky Horror” has enjoyed as a midnight movie, with shadow casts of costumed fans lip-syncing along, was a surprise to everyone.

Frank-N-Furter was a vivid invitation to fans to let their own freak flag fly. Even amid the era’s accelerating glam rock movement, “Rocky Horror” pushed the boundaries of mainstream pop culture as an outré musical about a mad scientist with a theme song called “Sweet Transvestite.”

“It was part of the sexual revolution, really,” Curry said of the film and its audience. “Experiment was in the air and it was palpable. I gave them permission to be who they discovered they wanted to be. I’m proud of that.”

He was also pleased with other roles that showed off his gifts, including a 1982 film version of “Annie,” directed by John Huston. Curry was the playfully crooked Rooster Hannigan, and had a standout scene singing and dancing in a pencil mustache and slicked back hair to “Easy Street,” alongside Carol Burnett and Bernadette Peters.

Tim Curry, left, in the 1985 movie “Clue.”

(American Cinematheque)

In 1996’s “Muppet Treasure Island,” Curry was a duplicitous but layered Long John Silver, a wild-eyed pirate motivated by greed but with a hint of humanity, as he sang songs and grappled with the strange, felt-covered puppet heroes.

“I love the Muppets,” he said last year. “One of the things that used to fascinate me was that the Muppeteers, when they had the Muppet on their hand, would only speak to you as the character. If you said, ‘Hello’ or ‘What’s the weather like outside,’ they would tell you as the character.”

Never humorless, Curry played the ruthlessly villainous Cardinal Richelieu in the 1993 adaptation of “The Three Musketeers.” Conceived as a vehicle for several Brat Pack actors of the time including Charlie Sheen and Kiefer Sutherland, the film nonetheless belonged to Curry, who relished every line of villainy. The actor again stole the show with theatrical flair as the Lord of Darkness in Ridley Scott’s bleak 1985 fantasy “Legend,” playing a demonic horned figure opposite Tom Cruise.

Curry brought the same energy to more relatable comedic roles in the beloved ensemble mystery “Clue” as the highly suspect Wadsworth the Butler, and “Home Alone 2,” as a four-star hotel concierge outmatched by a 10-year-old boy hero.

“Rocky Horror” gave him a film career and even led to a music sideline, with the 1979 radio hit “I Do the Rock.”

“When I did ‘Hair’ in London, my first gig, I was not sure whether I wanted to be a singer or an actor,” Curry told me. “And doing that show kind of postponed the decision long enough and I realized that I really wanted to be an actor more than anything, and I took it very seriously. And worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company. I saw myself having the trajectory of a serious English actor.”

The roles turned out wilder and more varied than he might have expected but his seriousness and sense of fun never faded, pushing boundaries and himself. No one was ever bored watching Tim Curry onscreen.

“It’s not a man. It’s IT!”

Stephen King’s epic novel “It” injected a devilish twist on the traditionally joyful image of circus clowns with his introduction of Pennywise, a deadly clown who feeds on children. The murderous entity has earned iconic status in pop culture thanks to its central role in “It,” “It: Chapter Two” and HBO’s “It: Welcome to Derry.”

But though Bill Skarsgård’s eerie portrayal of Pennywise in the films and TV series has won high acclaim, it’s Tim Curry’s Pennywise in the 1990 ABC miniseries “It” that is considered by some horror buffs to be the most iconic version of the creature — or at minimum, the most memorable.

Curry, who died Tuesday at 80, made a gleefully evil turn as a clown that sparked nightmares for legions of Gen X and millennial viewers that continue to haunt to this day. His Pennywise is among the career-defining roles that showcased the actor’s uncanny ability to morph into a villain, whether it was as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” the Lord of Darkness in “Legend” or Rooster Hannigan in “Annie.”

Curry’s performance is even more impressive given his limited screen time — his scattered appearances as Pennywise total less than 20 minutes over a three-hour running time. But he makes all of his brief scenes count, whether he’s in a storm drain, emerging from the drain in a shower room or standing in a marsh, and his gravelly voice layers a number of chilling moments.

The two-part adaptation of “It” aired on ABC in November 1990, and drew a huge audience, attracting a reported 30 million viewers. The project starred several top stars of the time, including John Ritter, Richard Thomas, Tim Reid, Annette O’Toole, Harry Anderson and Dennis Christopher. Curry’s on-screen credit reads “special appearance.”

With a massive shock of red hair, bone-white makeup and oversized brow, Curry looked like a hellish Bozo the Clown. He would charm his victims with light banter and offers of a balloon before moving in for the kill, armed with a deep guttural voice and razor-sharp fangs.

In one of the series’ most terrifying scenes, Pennywise comes to life inside a black-and-white photo of Derry 200 years ago when it was a mining town. As the young members of the Losers Club look on in horror, the clown addresses them directly with a lethal glare.

“I am every nightmare you’ve ever had,” he tells them. “I am your worst dream come true. I’m everything you ever were afraid of.” A gloved hand comes out of the picture to grab them.

In a later confrontation, Pennywise tells the youths, “You all taste so good when you’re afraid. I am the eater of worlds, and of children.”

Matt Lucas has opened up about his new look, joking about his ‘bizarre’ beard

Matt Lucas appeared on Wednesday’s The One Show.

The actor, 52, was on the BBC One show, which also aired an emotional tribute to Dolly Parton, to talk about playing Fagin in Lionel Bart’s musical Oliver! for six weeks only at the Gielgud Theatre in the West End.

As well as Oliver!, Matt will also appear on Taskmaster alongside the likes of Richard Ayoade, Isy Suttie, Chloe Petts and Nina Conti.

Matt said of his new theatre role: “I’m growing this bizarre beard” to which host, JB Gill, said: “It looks good!” while co-host Clara Amfo, quipped: “Well, let’s talk about that. I don’t think we’ve ever seen you this way.”

This prompted Matt to admit: “Well, I’ve never ever tried. I grew a moustache for three weeks in the pandemic, but I mean, I, you know, I’ve talked about this before. I have alopecia. Lost my hair when I was six, shortly after that photo [a picture on screen] was taken, actually.

“So seven weeks ago, when I knew I was doing this, I went, ‘Right, what happens if I don’t shave?’ And this is what, so my aim is to keep growing it down to my ankles.

“And then when I’m at the football and it’s freezing in the winter. Wrap it as a scarf!” with Clara joking: “I love that. Function and fashion. Fantastic.”

Taking to Twitter, now X, viewers were also quick to comment on and praise Matt’s new look.

One person said: “Didn’t recognise Matt Lucas, quite a change since I last seen him. Looking good though. #theoneshow!”

A different viewer wrote: “Matt Lucas looks like a different person. #theoneshow” while another show watcher joked over how unrecognisable Matt looked: “They definitely said Matt Lucas was on #theoneshow tonight …. still waiting.”

Meanwhile, a different show watcher added: “Cant wait to see @RealMattLucas take on fagan in @OliverOnStage #theoneshow.”

It comes as Matt, who shot to fame on Little Britain and has more recently returned to the comic relief role of Thenardier in Les Miserables for the musical’s mammoth 40th anniversary celebrations, recently received his OBE for services to theatre.

The One Show airs on weeknights at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer

JESY Nelson has shared a loved up snap with her new boyfriend Ben Davies after they were caught up in a bar row last week.

The former Little Mix star, 35, took to her Instagram stories on Wednesday evening to post the sweet picture.

In the photo, Ben could be seen driving as he had one hand on the steering wheel and the other interlocked into Jesy’s hand.

He was sporting an all-black look with a Givenchy t-shirt and a matching cap.

The pair appeared to be loved-up as she posted the picture during their outing together.

The Sun first linked Jesy to landscape gardener Ben earlier this month.

ROW-MANCE

Shock moment Jesy Nelson caught in bar row as new man ‘gets in people’s faces’

DIGGING IT

Jesy Nelson snogs gardener boyfriend as couple are seen together for first time

The two were spotted together at the London venue Jin Bo Law after appearing to grow close, with the singer later sharing a picture of a tattooed arm as she enjoyed drinks on a rooftop.

An eyewitness who saw them together at the time said Jesy “looked like she was having a great time”, adding that it was “massively deserved after everything she’s been through”.

She’s been through an incredibly tough time over the past year and a half after her twin daughters Ocean Jade and Story Monroe were diagnosed with the muscle-wasting condition Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1.

The rare and severe condition causes muscle weakness and can affect movement, breathing and swallowing.

Jesy has been documenting her daughters’ health battle and has spoken openly about the emotional toll of watching them undergo treatment.

Jesy has previously described the girls’ health journey as one of the hardest experiences of her life.

She recently revealed to her followers that her little girls had undergone a “terrifying” operation.

The X Factor star split from her ex Zion Foster in January this year and they continue to co-parent together.

Last week, Jesy and new beau Ben were caught up in a heated confrontation as she enjoyed some well-earned time off from mum duties.

The pair were asked to leave rooftop bar Madison in St. Paul’s, which caused a face-off with the security present.

Jesy attempted to calm the situation down as she de-escalated the argument.

Video footage obtained exclusively by The Sun showed Jesy and members of the group interacting with a bouncer as they appear to discuss the situation.

Kate Winslet and Maxine Peake staring in Netflix drama in one of many new shows.

Kate Winslet will team up with Maxine Peake to play two sisters on the run in new Netflix drama The Unheard.

The five part series was announced at the Edinburgh TV Festival and has been written by Jack Thorne who co-wrote the critically acclaimed Adolescence for Netflix.

Teasing the series Anne Mensah VP of content UK on Netflix said: “Maxim Peake and Kate Winslet are coming to join us in The Unheard. It is the best script with the best talent, we couldn’t be more happy about it.”

The two sisters, played by Winslet and Peake, go on the run “after an act of vengeance goes wrong”.

Netflix bosses have also signed up Gary Lineker and Richard Osman to be involved in live darts show Beat Luke Littler.

Lineker will host with Osman helping with stats as World Champion Littler takes on 20 top amateurs. If anyone can beat him over a leg they will take home £501,000.

In 2027, there will also be two stand alone series from the world of hit drama Top Boy which ended in 2023. Barry Keoghan is reprising his role as Jonny in five part series ‘Jonny Boy’. And ‘Jaq’ will be a new series centered on the character of Jaq with Jasmine Jobson set to return.

Jig, is a new six part mockumentary comedy series from Derry Girls Creator Lisa McGee. It is set in the high-stakes world of competitive Irish dancing, will shoot in Northern Ireland next year.

Netflix will also go into the world of Roald Dahl with a new series based on the author’s short stories for adults. The cast for the untitled drama includes ‘Bridgerton’ star Nicola Coughlan, ‘The Crown’s Imelda Staunton, and ‘The Wire’ actor Dominic West with filming beginning in Manchester this month.

Writer Danny Brocklehurst said: “The short stories of Roald Dahl were what first made me want to become a writer. His enthralling, macabre and always unexpected tales gave life to vibrant, larger than life characters like The Landlady, Mister Boggis and the mysterious Fingersmith. To be given the chance to bring these characters to life in a contemporary setting is a dream come true. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be partnering with Orchid Pictures, Netflix and this outstanding cast.”

And Bella Mackie’s bestselling novel How To Kill Your Family is being made into a Netflix series with a cast which includes Clive Owen, Orlando Norman and Anya Taylor Joy.

Mensah added: “In the amazingly competitive UK landscape, it’s not good enough to be just ok. You need to swing for exceptional.

“Across drama, comedy, entertainment, live and factual programming, our slate underscores the risks we are happy to take and the extraordinary UK creativity we are proud to champion. Bring on 2027, we can’t wait.”

She would not be drawn on the Duchess of Sussex appearing in The Gentlemen series three, saying: “Everybody has talked about it, I am boring by comparison.”

Pushed on Megan’s possible appearance, Manda Levin, director of scripted series added: “All bets are off.”

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BBC’s Escape to the Country saw couple Matt and Jamie embark on a house hunt in Devon, where they were wowed by a clever country house feature

Escape to the Country host Sonali Shah admitted she was “obsessed” with one property as the BBC show accompanied two new house hunters to Devon.

As the property series supports prospective buyers, it was down to Sonali to help Matt and Jamie find their rural dream home in and around the idyllic county of South West England during Wednesday’s (August 26) episode of the BBC series.

Jamie, an NHS genetic counselor based in the Oxfordshire town of Wantage, and her partner Matt, an aerospace engineer living in Eastleigh, Hampshire, had a budget of £550,000 to purchase their property together, with hopes of the house becoming a family home in the future.

When Sonali visited the third property on her list, she shared her excitement and said: “Our mystery house is all about location, and I can’t wait to see their reaction about being smack bang in the middle of the village. The house itself, oh my word.”

The host later confessed to Jamie and Matt: “I’m going to be straight, I am obsessed with this house,” before Jamie later confirmed it was a “dream home.”

The handsome Georgian house, situated in Ipplepen, offered four bedrooms and two reception rooms, nestled in the very heart of the village, and was priced at £530,000.

As Matt and Jamie explored the charming home, they were particularly struck by one standout feature — a first-floor laundry room.

Matt said, “It’s a clever use of space, actually,” as Jamie replied, “It is a really smart idea. You’re not having to lug washing baskets up and down the stairs every five minutes. I don’t know why everyone doesn’t do that.”

Despite Jamie highlighting the “perfection” of the property’s interior design, she noted the garden offered no room for a workshop — something that could prove a dealbreaker. Matt conceded the home fell short of their “practical needs”, yet remained keen.

Later in the episode, which originally aired in 2024, Jamie and Matt unveiled the outcome of their property search on Escape to the Country.

The couple delightedly announced they had placed an offer on the very first property, with Matt saying: “After seeing the second and third one, the first was the best fit for us.”

Their offer had been accepted, and Matt and Jamie had successfully purchased a property in Mutterton which was on the market for £550,000. The 19th-century cottage boasted three bedrooms, an annexe, and a sizeable kitchen.

Escape to the Country airs on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer

British actor Tim Curry, who famously commanded attention as the seductive mad scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter in cult classic oddball musical “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” has died. He was 80.

The Daytime Emmy-winning actor’s longtime manager and friend Marcia Hurwitz confirmed that Curry died Wednesday at his home in Toluca Lake, in a statement shared with The Times. A cause of death was not revealed. The Cheshire native suffered a stroke in 2013, impairing his ability to walk. Though he remained in a wheelchair until his death, the actor continued working through his final years.

“Though widely known for his inimitable, flamboyant characters and colorful stage performances,” the statement said of Curry, “his greatest legacies to those who knew him were his curious, expansive mind and generous, gentle heart, both of which remained open and filled with anticipation until his final breath.”

Curry is best known for originating the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the self-proclaimed “Sweet Transvestite” and purveyor of pleasure who guides a stranded young couple — and audiences — through an unpredictable evening of sexual exploration and liberation. He debuted the offbeat experimental musical in fishnets and pearls in 1973 on the tiny stage upstairs at the Royal Court Theater in London, where it first became an underground sensation.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” hit the big screen in 1975, with Susan Sarandon as Janet and Barry Bostwick as Brad. A rock ‘n’ roll take on sci-fi and horror B-movies, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” became the original midnight movie that endeared generations of audiences with its flamboyant characters, spawned interactive screenings across the country and secured its spot in the pop culture lexicon.

“It was part of the sexual revolution, really,” Curry told The Times in 2025 upon the film’s 50th anniversary. “Experiment was in the air and it was palpable. I gave them permission to be who they discovered they wanted to be. I’m proud of that.”

Curry flexed his versatile acting through more than Frank-N-Furter’s showy elevator debut and his vulnerable “I’m Going Home” finale. He was also a sinister Pennywise in the miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s “It,” a secretive butler named Wadsworth in “Clue,” and the evil Lord of Darkness in “Legend.” A screen chameleon capable of morphing from the supernatural to the pedestrian, Curry was also known for his work as fabled pirate Long John Silver in “Muppet Treasure Island” and as a skeptical hotel concierge in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.”

He was a prolific voice actor known for the environmental classic “FernGully: The Last Rainforest” and TV series “The Wild Thornberries,” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “Over the Garden Wall” and “Aaahh!!! Real Monsters.”

Timothy James Curry was born April 19, 1946, to father Jim Curry, a Navy chaplain, and mother Maura Curry. After losing his father at age 12, Curry earned a scholarship to the Kingswood School in Bath. Curry’s grandfather took him to music halls, fostering his love for the art.

“I was really taken with the great Technicolor musicals; it’s the form that’s closest to my heart in a way,” Curry told The Times in 1992. “It’s the most comfortable synthesis of all the things I do.”

School productions eventually led Curry to the University of Birmingham, where he studied drama and English from 1965 to 1968, according to his website.

Curry made his professional debut in 1968 in the original London production of “Hair.” He had fibbed about having previous professional experience and an Equity card, but the production team thought Curry’s talents were reason enough to sponsor him. After he starred in several productions including “Titus Andronicus,” “Cinderella” and “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” co-star Richard O’Brien in 1973 invited the actor to audition for a new work — one that would later solidify Curry as a generational screen and stage icon.

With Curry anchoring as Frank-N-Furter, O’Brien’s “Rocky Horror Picture Show” first came to life at the Royal Court’s Theatre Upstairs. Then larger venues overseas included L.A.’s Roxy Theatre. Eventually, with the support of producer Lou Adler, the show made it to the screen. The same year “Rocky Horror Picture Show” hit cinemas in 1975, its Broadway run at the Belasco Theatre shuttered after 45 showings and negative reviews. Over the years, harsh criticism proved no match for “Rocky Horror Picture Show’s” unexpected staying power.

The musical had been revived numerous times in New York and London, including in 2001 with the Broadway revival earning multiple Tony Award nominations including a nomination for revival of a musical.

The “Rocky Horror Picture Show” film and Curry’s melodramatic Frank-N-Furter have remained cultural touchstones, spawning the popular “anticipation” online meme and inspiring spoofs on “Glee,” “The Simpsons” and a beloved character (with hormone-manipulating abilities) in the popular Japanese manga and anime “One Piece.”

To Curry, Frank-N-Furter was more than just that “sweet transvestite” obsessed with manufacturing the perfect man.

“He’s a fairly complex guy,” he told The Times in 1974. “He just takes anything he can get. He’s not fussy, really. Though I think he’s something of a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am.”

Through the late 70s to early aughts, Curry balanced stage commitments with screen projects and musical endeavors. His stage resumé includes productions of Tom Stoppard’s “Travesties” for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the title role in playwright Peter Shaffer’s “Amadeus” (that would earn him a Tony nomination) and Joseph Papp’s take on “Pirates of Penzance.” All the while, he gained fame for roles in “Annie,” “Clue,” “Home Alone 2” and “Addams Family Reunion.” As a recording artist, Curry released three albums between 1978 and 1981: “Read My Lips,” “Fearless” and “Simplicity.”

In 1988 Curry returned stateside for a U.S. tour of “Me & My Girl,” which he followed with a residency at the Pantages. It was then the actor decided to permanently return to Los Angeles as a resident. His move to Southern California coincided with the beginning of his Emmy-winning voice acting career, which started with a role for Hanna Barbera’s animated adaptation of “The Creation.”

Curry won his Daytime Emmy Award in 1991 for voicing Captain Hook in “Peter Pan and the Pirates” and earned a Grammy nomination in 2002 for the audiobook of “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.” He performed voice roles for video games including television and film tie-ins “Brutal Legend” and “Dragon Age: Origins.”

The British star primarily worked in voice roles after he suffered a major stroke in 2013. Since then, Curry had been in a wheelchair, with on-screen cameos including as the criminologist in the 2016 TV remake of “Rocky Horror.” Still, the image of Curry’s fierce Frank-N-Furter continues to pervade pop culture — even if that wasn’t his original intention.

“None of it was planned, really. I just knew I had to take risks,” he told The Times in 1974. “Life is like acting in that way. You’ve got to take risks. If you take big risks, it’s then up to you whether or not you pull it off.”

More than 50 years after that interview, Curry told The Times that he had no doubt in what he was doing. Revisiting his home away from home, the Roxy Theatre, in the fall of 2025, Curry said it had become “my stomping ground.”

“I had to appear as though I owned it — and I kind of did.”

LONDON — Prince Harry and his wife Meghan arrived in the United Kingdom on Wednesday, as they make a fresh start in Britain after six years in the United States, U.K. media reported.

The news comes less than a week after the couple surprised fans and critics alike with plans to return to Britain. The return was reported by media such as the BBC and the Daily Telegraph, with the newspaper reporting that their plane landed at Birmingham International Airport around noon.

Flight tracking websites showed a private charter flight from Van Nuys, arrived at the airport at 11:56 a.m.

The couple’s children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have already enrolled at British schools and will start classes in September. The family plans to live at a private, nonroyal residence outside of London, but haven’t said exactly where that will be.

Harry and Meghan gave up their royal duties and moved to California more than six years ago to earn their living through lucrative contracts with Netflix and Spotify.

Relations with the rest of the royal family quickly soured as the couple said palace staff had been insensitive to Meghan’s mental health and leveled charges of racism and media manipulation at members of the royal family.

Harry recently expressed an interest in reconciliation so he could spend more time with his father, King Charles III, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer. But relations with his brother, Prince William, who is heir to the throne, remain tense.

The British game show was first hosted by the legendary Cilla Black before Paul O’Grady took over

The reboot of eighties game show Blind Date has finally found its host.

Originally hosted by the late Cilla Black, the show saw total strangers getting to know each other on stage with a barrier between them. The format saw three aspiring daters quizzed by a single contestant of the opposite sex with a live audience watching on.

Over the course of the episode each contestant would reveal more about themselves and eventually one of the three would be chosen to go on a date. Only then would the newly-matched pair be revealed to each other face-to-face.

The show sparked some iconic moments which still go viral today, including no-nonsense host Cilla’s brutal takedown of a Cosmopolitan journalist who had gone undercover on the show for an article.

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“I feel awfully, deeply saddened by this,” Cilla began while the cameras were still rolling. “But you don’t work as a temporary secretary, I know for a fact that actually you’re an undercover journalist and you’ve robbed somebody of coming on a proper blind date,” prompting boos from the live audience.

Cilla hosted the original series from 1985 until 2003, with Paul O’Grady cast as host when it was once against revived in 2017. Now, Disney Plus are rebooting it again and this time Love Island, I’m A Celebrity and Traitors US star Maura Higgins will be at the helm.

Irish TV personality Maura shot to fame on the fifth series of ITV2 reality show Love Island back in 2019. She shared the iconic villa with the likes of Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury – who went on to marry – as well as the season’s eventual winners, Amber Gill and Greg O’Shea.

Announcing the news today (August 26), Angela Jain, Head of Content, Disney+ EMEA, commented: “Maura is the perfect match for our version of ‘Blind Date’. Her distinctive straight-talking humour, coupled with her experience as a reality dating show contestant, means we know she has the gravitas plus the wit to bring ‘Blind Date’ to new audiences. We’re very much looking forward to Maura helping our daters navigate their own journeys to find love as she steps into the famed ‘Blind Date’ host role.”

Meanwhile, speaking at Edinburgh TV Festival, Sean Doyle, Vice President of Unscripted Originals at Disney+ also confirmed: “We have Maura Higgins hosting Blind Date which is great.”

He continued: “I was concerned that we had such a great track record of hit shows and dating shows is such a crowded market.

“I thought it was risky launching a brand new dating show and I think bringing Blind Date to Disney+ is head turning and will feel completely different to the original format.”

Disney Plus announced it was rebooting the hit game show back in 2025. At the time they teased that it would “bigger, better and bolder than ever.”

Its synopsis continued: “The new series will begin in a secret Blind Date location, where contestants must choose between three potential suitors, hidden from view behind the legendary Blind Date wall, the only thing standing between them and their potential true love just metres away.

‘With a host of unique, innovative and head-turning format twists, our daters will see if forever love can truly grow as they spend the summer living together but potential new partners are always lurking behind the wall…”

A release date for Blind Date is yet to be announced.

A new drama following Nicola Sturgeon and her estranged husband’s fall from grace has been commissioned as television movie for Channel 5 following his embezzlement scandal

Nicola Sturgeon and her estranged husband’s dramatic fall from grace is to be turned into a movie length drama for TV.

Channel 5 announced today they will make a 90 minute factual drama about how Sturgeon’s husband, Peter Murrell, embezzled £400,000 from the SNP over a 12 year period.

Called ‘To Nicola, Love Peter’ it will follow the channel’s success with Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards. The drama creators say they will draw on an extensive range of factual sources including evidence gathered by Police Scotland, The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service as well as extensive TV and newspaper interviews with Nicola Sturgeon and interviews with other key protagonists.

Ben Frow, Chief Content Officer, 5 said: “This is an epic tale of Shakespearean proportions. An extraordinary tale of power, envy, deception and greed.

“It’s both a high-stakes political melodrama and bizarre domestic drama that has dominated headlines and gossip columns. We will be pulling together the events and characters involved to create a compelling revealing drama, as well as answering that very important question – why would anyone pay £2,600 for a pair of salt & pepper grinders…?!”

In June, former SNP chief executive Murrell was sentenced to five years and three months in jail after he admitted to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party.

Murrell – the estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon – used the funds to buy goods ranging from cars and a motorhome to kitchenware and toiletries.

The Glasgow home he shared with Sturgeon was searched as part of the police operation, as was the SNP headquarters in Edinburgh.

Murrell’s largest single purchase, in 2020, was a £124,550 luxury motorhome, paid for entirely with party funds. When it was seized by police three years later, it had only ever been driven four miles.

Murrell also used party funds to buy further items including a £3,223 coffee machine, a £3,000 robotic lawn mower, £2,600 salt and pepper grinders and a £425 gold pendant that Sturgeon was photographed wearing.

Sturgeon has said she was not aware that Murrell had purchased many of the high-value items listed in court documents. The former first minister has consistently insisted that she had no reason to believe that Murrell had not used his own money for the items he was buying.

Sturgeon had stepped down as first minister in March 2023 and was arrested In June 2023. But she was later told she was not being investigated.

Last year Sturgeon announced that the pair were ending their marriage. She appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe earlier this month and in an on stage interview told the audiences she “feels like a mug” for caring about estranged husband Murrell.

She also claimed he “lied right up until he pled guilty”, and said she won’t be visiting him in prison.

Sturgeon also said: “Over the years, he never really levelled with me. The day he pled guilty, I was still learning about some of the detail of what he had done for the first time. I suddenly realised I had been living with somebody that I never really knew properly.”

Casting for ‘To Nicola, Love Peter’ is currently underway with filming likely to begin later this year. it is expected to air on 5 in 2027.

Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards pulled in almost two million viewers when it aired earlier this year on 5.

* Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

A contestant on The Great British Sewing Bee has shared an emotional statement after their exit.

A contestant on The Great British Sewing Bee has broken their silence after being forced to leave the competition. The beloved BBC show has returned with its 12th season, with Esme Young and Patrick Grant reprising their roles as judges, whilst comedian Sophie Willan replaced Sara Pascoe as presenter.

The episode airing Tuesday, August 25, saw the remaining amateur sewers “hit all the right notes” for music week, for a place in the quarter-final. In the Pattern Challenge, they paid homage to the original Material Girl, making cone bras inspired by the Jean Paul Gaultier creations Madonna wore in the 1990s.

The Transformation Challenge saw the sewers tested in teams, as they had to use bedroom furnishings to create outfits for two different pop acts. And the theme was DISCO for Made-to-Measure, with the sewers creating outfits inspired by the genre that defined 1970s pop music.

However, sadly, one sewer was forced to leave the competition, with primary school teacher Adele going. She’s now addressed her exit on social media and been supported by a new legion of fans.

The 36-year-old shared: “My incredible Sewing Bee journey has come to an end. What a fantastic experience it has been, with memories I’ll cherish forever. (Watch to the end for my favourite photo EVER!) I have 11 special sewing friends for life! We all supported and looked after each other. Our little Bee family.

“I am so proud that I pushed myself to do it, despite the overwhelming nerves. It’s so terrifying putting yourself out there, but I really wanted to encourage others to give it a go too!

“A huge thank you to my supportive husband Steve, who has encouraged me so much and held the fort at home with the kids, even though I said I’d probably be sent home after the first episode! Also, a big thank you to my mum, who helped look after the kids so I could practice all the made-to-measure last summer.

“Thank you to my beautiful models @amygr.y (Team Ginger!) and the lovely Janvii, who absolutely nailed it and really encouraged me.

“Never in a million years did I think I’d reach episode 7. I only started dressmaking 5 years ago, after being encouraged by the Sewing Bee to start. What a dream come true.”

As part of her post, Adele shared snippets from her Sewing Bee journey, and added: “It’s been the BEST experience of my life. I hope I’ve made everyone at home and my children proud. Believe in yourself and have confidence to chase your dreams. See what magic you can create.”

Adele was showered in support after sharing her post. One follower wrote: “You are amazing, and my son and I have loved watching every moment of you on the Bee and cheering you on. You should be so so proud of yourself.”

The Great British Sewing Bee is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

BROOKLYN Beckham has once again divided fans over his cooking methods after sharing his latest creation.

The budding chef often shares his recipes to Instagram, and this time confused some fans over the way he made his mashed potato for a cottage pie.

Filming himself as he created the recipe, Brooklyn was seen boiling the potatoes for the pie with the skins on and then peeling them once they were already soft boiled.

This was instead of peeling the skins off before cooking the potatoes, which is the traditional method.

The move divided fans in the comments, with some unsure over the method.

“Why don’t you peel the spuds first?” asked one.

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“Why would not peel the potatoes before?” agreed another.

A third said: “It looks nice and he obviously loves cooking… weirdest way to do potatoes though…? Like if they’re going to to be mashed up anyway 🤷🏻‍♀️”.

However, some agreed with Brooklyn’s method and said they did the same at home.

“Because it’s easier and less time consuming the way he did it,” hit back one, a follower argued back.

“It’s much easier to peel after cooking the potatoes,” agreed a second.

Brooklyn did also take to the comment section of the post to remind fans he isn’t a professional chef.

The famous son of David and Victoria wrote: “Im obviously not a professional chef haha x just love cooking and eating xx love all the lovely comments ❤️”

Whilst he may not be a professional, Brooklyn often shares cooking videos online and has fronted digital series such as Cookin’ With Brooklyn.

However, the star – who has also attempted careers in the likes of photography and modelling – is often subjected to backlash over his creations.

Dolly Parton’s death has left the music, film and television worlds reeling, with stars and luminaries across those industries and more paying tribute to the beloved entertainer’s life and legacy.

Parton, the accomplished country music star who became a national treasure and pop culture icon, died Tuesday at age 80, her nephew Bryan Seaver announced. The singer-actor-philanthropist died after a series of health issues that led her to postpone several performing commitments last year, including a residency in Vegas. She revealed in May that her “immune system and digestive system got all out of whack” in recent years.

The entertainer, an authentic and bright personality whose appearance was made even brighter with bedazzled and fringed ensembles, leaves behind a legacy that includes classics “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” (later popularized by powerhouse singer Whitney Houston) that influenced modern country music acts. Her career also included acting, most notably roles in “Steel Magnolias,” “Hannah Montana” and “9 to 5.”

Lily Tomlin, Parton’s co-star on the 1980 comedy “9 to 5,” uploaded a picture of the two to her Instagram profile with the caption: “No words…” along with a broken heart emoji.

Jane Fonda, who also starred in the workplace comedy, posted on Instagram that she was “devastated.”

“I never knew anyone like her. She was simultaneously a naughty, playful southern gal from the hollows of Tennessee and a deep, soulful thinker who could see through people right down to their true selves,” the “Monster-in-Law” star wrote in the caption. “She was the voluptuous embodiment of empathy.”

Country singer and actor Reba McEntire dedicated a heartfelt tribute to Parton on her Instagram account.

“There will never ever be another you. We will remember and cherish every memory and every note you ever played and sang,” she wrote.

The carousel on the post featured various images of the two, who first crossed paths at the Grand Ole Opry’s Opry100 celebration in 1977. Throughout their decades-long friendship, the pair were frequent collaborators; Parton was a guest on McEntire‘s 2001 self-titled sitcom. In 2021, the country stars finally joined forces for their first duet, an acoustic rendition of “Does He Love You” for McEntire’s “Revived Remixed Revisited.”

In an email to The Times, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus recalled the legacy Parton left behind.

“Like every little boy, I grew up loving Dolly Parton. She was a part of our lives, on our TVs, right in our living rooms,” Cyrus wrote.

The two stars developed a close friendship after Cyrus opened for her on tour following his 1992 hit “Achy Breaky Heart.”

“I’ll never forget walking into her dressing room to apologize for all the tabloid stories which claimed I was having an affair with her,” Cyrus added. “In true Dolly fashion, she just looked at me, winked and said, ‘Honey, this trash sells records!’”

Pop starlet Sabrina Carpenter — who reimagined her hit song “Please Please Please” as a country-pop song alongside Parton last year — shared still images of the two in their music video to Instagram.

“I will cherish our laughter and conversations and I will keep your wisdom, your playful outlook on life, and perfect sense of humor in my pocket for the rainy days,” Carpenter wrote in the caption.

Singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, who shared the stage with Parton in 2025 for a Stand Up to Cancer benefit concert, wrote on her Instagram story: “There is a hole in the universe. There was and will never be anyone like @dollyparton.”

“Dolly Parton had a way of making everyone feel seen,” wrote Kelly Clarkson in an Instagram post, who just yesterday shared a cover that she had done of Parton’s “9 to 5” for the Season 1 premiere of “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”

“I will miss her heart and her voice as I am sure millions will. What an incredible gift and talent she was and still is with an amazing catalogue of art she has left behind for all of us,” the “American Idol” star added to her post.

The late singer later appeared on Season 4 of Clarkson’s talk show, for an impromptu duet of her 1974 song “I Will Always Love You,” a clip that was uploaded to the TV show’s Instagram account hours before Parton’s death was officially announced.

Actors Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Jessica Parker and Drew Barrymore also expressed sorrow for the loss of Parton on their Instagram accounts.

Grammy-winning singer Kacey Musgraves reacted on X (formerly Twitter) to Parton’s death, writing, “the world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden.”

The Muppets celebrated Parton on Threads, writing “there will never be another quite like Dolly Parton” and posted photos of the musician sharing the screen with Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog.

The account for the puppet troupe continued: “She was the ultimate singer, songwriter, actress, performer, and philanthropist. She filled the world with light and we are so grateful for every second we got to spend with her onstage and off.”

Carole King shared on Threads that she was heartbroken by the news. Parton “was an exemplary human being,” she wrote.

The Grand Ole Opry said on Instagram that Parton’s death “will be deeply felt for generations to come” and said the legendary musician “taught us to lead with kindness, generosity, and compassion.”

“One of the most extraordinary musical experiences of my life was recording with her,” said Linda Ronstadt on Instagram. Ronstadt recorded two albums with Parton and Emmylou Harris, 1987’s “Trio” and 1999’s “Trio II.” “The world is a poorer place without her.”

Country music star Maren Morris, the Academy of Country Music, and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum also paid tribute to Parton for her contributions to music, entertainment and beyond.

Paul McCartney recalled on Instagram first meeting the star at Grand Ole Opry ahead of her solo career.

“She was so bubbly and full of life it is difficult to take in the news that she passed,” said the Beatles singer, who collaborated with Parton on her rendition of “Let It Be” for her 2023 album, “Rockstar.”

In a post uploaded to Instagram, actor Jamie Lee Curtis upheld Dolly’s bravery, writing that “she was more than they thought she was.”

“The Mandalorian” actor Pedro Pascal posted an image of Parton to his Instagram with a caption that read: “One of one [broken heart]. We must make more.”

“Some people are so extraordinary, their existence feels almost impossible. Dolly was one of those people,” wrote Khloé Kardashian on her Instagram story about the country star, who last year was a guest on her podcast, “Khloé in Wonderland.”

“A once-in-a-lifetime soul. A woman whose light, heart, talent and humanity changed this world forever,” the 42-year-old Kardashian wrote. “To have admired her was a gift.”

United States politicians also chimed in to pay their respects.

President Trump celebrated Parton “one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER” on a post to Truth Social and said “this is a true loss for millions of people.” He also announced that he would lower the American flag across the country for a week beginning Tuesday evening.

“Rest in Peace, Dolly!” he continued, “the World loves you.”

On X, former President Obama also underscored Parton’s altruistic legacy, including her donation to Vanderbilt University for coronavirus research in 2020.

“Born in a one-room cabin, she earned 11 Grammys and an Emmy, built a business empire, helped millions of kids learn to read, and — as if that wasn’t enough — helped accelerate the research that led to the Moderna COVID vaccine,” wrote Obama.

In a post on Threads, Vice President Kamala Harris called Parton a “true American icon,” highlighting her work through Imagination Library, a global book-gifting program that sends free books to children ages 5 and under.

The new series will see how the couple, former Made in Chelsea stars, adapt to family life, returning to work and going on new family adventures

Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo are returning to Disney+ for a second series of their ‘Raising Chelsea’ series with new faces also joining the show.

Season one, which premiered on Disney+ in April, saw Sophie’s raw journey through pregnancy and the chaotic early days of welcoming their baby boy, Ziggy.

The new series will see how the couple, former Made in Chelsea stars, adapt to family life, returning to work and going on new family adventures.

In a joint statement, Jamie and Sophie said: “We were blown away by the response to the show and are so excited to keep sharing our journey. The experience of working with Disney+ for season one made it easy for us to say yes.

“We’ve always documented our lives over the years and continuing to do this on a bigger scale is just amazing. We hope that fans and viewers carry on enjoying our honesty as we continue to navigate raising Ziggy, together with balancing our family and professional lives. We can’t wait to bring you in more.”

Together with the return of the couple’s mums Penny Baines and Sarah Wigley, the second series will also feature Sophie’s sister Georgia Habboo, and Jamie’s best-friend, Oliver Proudlock.

It is produced by the award-winning production company behind critically acclaimed series ‘Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story’ and the EMMY nominated ‘Pamela, A Love Story.’

Sean Doyle, VP, Unscripted, Disney+ EMEA, said: “We loved Jamie and Sophie’s pregnancy story in season one and meeting baby Ziggy, and we can’t wait to follow their family in season two.”

Disney+ also announced this week that another former Made In Chelsea star will get a new documentary on their streaming platform.

Documentary makers followed Spencer Matthews at the end of 2025 as he took on his greatest challenge yet – seven full distance 140-mile triathlons across all seven continents in just 21 days.

The feature-length documentary has the working title ‘Breaking Spencer Matthews’ and Spencer said: “This challenge has become about far more than completing seven Ironman’s across all seven continents. What began as an extreme physical pursuit has evolved into a journey of self-discovery and transformation that has tested me in ways I could never have anticipated. There were moments of exhaustion, doubt, and struggle where I had to dig deeper than ever before, treading a fine line between one of the greatest adventures imaginable and life-threatening danger.

“I hope this film inspires people to question their own limits and to see that what feels impossible, physically, emotionally, or personally can often be the very thing that transforms us.”

ENDS

“Everywhere I go, the kids call me ‘the book lady.’”

Dolly Parton wore the moniker like a badge of honor, and she earned it too. Through her Imagination Library program, launched by the Dollywood Foundation in 1995, she put more than 330 million books into the hands of children across America, Canada, the U.K., Australia and the Republic of Ireland.

The program is rooted in a childhood of poverty and illiteracy — roots that those who knew Parton said she never denied or abandoned.

Parton, 80, died Tuesday after a brief battle with cancer. And although the country western superstar collected accolades — including 10 Grammy Awards, a National Medal of the Arts and two Academy Award nominations — across her storied career, Parton said her contributions to children’s literacy were most precious to her.

In 2023, the American Library Assn. awarded the singer-songwriter, book lady and philanthropist its highest honor — lifetime membership — to recognize her lasting impact on literacy and inspiring a love of reading in children.

“Dolly Parton represented the very best of America,” ALA President Maria McCauley told The Times on Tuesday, adding that, like people all over the world, she’s been playing Parton’s music since news of her death broke, particularly the song “I Can See the Light of a Clear Blue Morning.”

“That song has so much resonance right now,” she said, noting its lyrics capture a theme of resilience and faith in overcoming dark times.

“We want to make sure that Dolly’s vision, that reading is for everyone, becomes a reality. That’s something that we can all carry forward in memory of Dolly.”

Parton’s Imagination Library gifts a book a month to children signed up for the program from the time they are born until they are 5 years old. Parton described the program best when speaking with librarian Carla Hayden in 2018. “We send the book in the mail with their name on it. It’s not in the care of Mom and Dad — it’s got their little name on it, and they love to think, ‘This is mine.’ They wait at the mailbox. They get their little books, and to them, it’s personal.”

Parton understood the novelty of owning your very own book. Growing up in the Great Smoky Mountains town of Sevierville in east Tennessee, Parton was the fourth of 12 kids. Her father, a tobacco sharecropper, couldn’t read or write, and the family lived in a one-room cabin with no electricity. There were no books in the home, aside from the Bible.

The singer’s upbringing, particularly her father’s illiteracy and his shame around what he considered a shortcoming, was what inspired her to launch the Imagination Library. With the help of her dad, they set out to foster a love of reading in the kids of Sevier County. Reading, she believed, was the gateway to dreaming, and dreaming, the first step in the path toward success.

By 2000, the program had expanded beyond the Smoky Mountains and into a nationwide movement. By 2003, the Imagination Library had mailed 1 million books to budding readers. After the United States, the gifting initiative launched in Canada in 2006, then the U.K. in 2007, Australia in 2013 and the Republic of Ireland in 2019.

The program operates on a shared funding model split between the Dollywood Foundation — which manages the central overhead, administration, and global book-selection strategy of the Imagination Library — and local community partners including businesses, school districts, small or large organizations, or individuals who share in the mission.

Selina Brown, a U.K. author whose book “My Rice Is Best” was selected by the Imagination Library this year, said that 14,000 copies had been distributed across the U.K. to children in underprivileged areas. “To know that my book has gone into the hands of young children across the U.K. is absolutely incredible,” she told The Times.

Brown said that public figures often make shallow promises and vanity moves, but “with Dolly Parton, you can actually see her work manifest, and it really makes an impact. In the U.K. alone, there are children who do not have books in their house, and because of Dolly Parton, they now have their own library.”

Canadian author Melanie Florence, who penned “Sarabeth’s Garage” — another of Imagination Library’s picks — also grew up in a small town, with no bookstore, during a time with no online retailers. “If that had existed when I was a kid, being gifted a book that you get to keep, it’s a big thing, especially for a kid like I was, who just lived to read,” Florence told The Times.

“I think that’s such a beautiful legacy,” Florence said, “her music and this spirit of generosity.”

But it’s also a working legacy that Parton built to last, according to Dollywood Foundation’s president, Jeff Conyers.

“Dolly’s legacy was never meant to be something we simply preserve or look back upon,” Conyers said. “She built things that could keep doing good in the world.”

Conyers said the foundation was set to “make certain the love at the heart of her work continues reaching children, families and communities long into the future.”

Although the foundation is heartbroken after Parton’s death, he said, “the mission she gave us is as clear today as it has ever been, and we will carry it forward for generations to come.”

Dolly Parton marks the 100 millionth book donation by her Imagination Library to the Library of Congress collection in 2018.

(Andrew Harnik / Associated Press)

Washington, D.C., Councilmember Charles Allen said he was visiting family in east Tennessee more than decade ago when his 2-year-old niece went tottering off toward the mailbox. When her parents brought her back in, she was holding a book with her name on it. Allen said his brother had signed her up for Parton’s Imagination Library at the hospital just after she was born — “right then and there.”

Allen said he was inspired by “the joy on my own niece’s face when she opened up a book with her name on it” to write a D.C. law called “Books From Birth.”

“We basically borrowed that program and then partnered with them,” he said. “And now every child in D.C. from the time they’re born ’til they’re 5 years old gets a free book delivered.”

Allen said that the program is now 10 years old, and 4 million books have been distributed to about 100,000 kids: “It’s made a big impact.”

Allen met with Parton years ago and said she never forgot her roots.

“Watching her own parents struggle with literacy and kind of hiding it, she realized very quickly the power that she had as this just massive cultural and musical star,” he said, adding that she was going to use that power for something that would outlast her. “It’ll outlast me. It’ll outlast everybody.”

Children of D.C. “they know Dolly Parton,” he added. “They know she’s the lady that delivered the books. I have all the confidence in the world that she is smiling somewhere, knowing that so many people think of her as the book lady. That she was going to battle illiteracy, one kid, one family, one household at a time.”

In 2018, Parton donated her 100 millionth book to the Library of Congress.

During the ceremony Hayden, the librarian, asked the country star if she ever thought she’d be known so widely as “the book lady.”

Parton responded with her signature self-deprecating wit and wisdom: “I never thought about being the book lady — the painted lady, yes. The overexaggerated, overdressed lady — yes. But that just goes to show you that you can’t judge a book by looking at the cover, right? Or even a 100 millionth book by looking at the cover.”

In September, 336,004,951 books will have been distributed through Imagination Library. More than 3.6 million families have been registered globally.

I still remember the moment when I heard “Cien Años” for the first time. I can vividly recall the haunting aftertaste, the glorious specificity of the experience.

I had moved from Buenos Aires to Los Angeles, and somehow managed to make a living writing about Latin music. I‘d seen Los Tigres del Norte in concert, shared a lengthy conversation with Vicente Fernández outside the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, and spent months poring through the songbook of José Alfredo Jiménez. But listening to the 1953 recording of “Cien Años” by Mexican legend Pedro Infante was a game changer — an existential milestone that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

I was in my home office, researching a story about the golden era of Mexican music. “Cien Años” played on, the elusive contours of its melody floating in the afternoon air. Three minutes and 33 seconds later, when it ended, you could hear a pin drop. I sat still for a few minutes, transfixed. Then I played it again. And again. Ten, 15, 20 times in a row.

A composition by Rubén Fuentes and Alberto Cervantes, the song wasn’t just another lilting ranchera from the 1950s — that much was clear. On the contrary, it felt like an otherworldly manifestation from the gods above, as if a UFO had landed in the Mexican capital decades ago, and an advanced race of extraterrestrials left this artifact behind as some sort of exquisite offering — a reminder of everything that could be but wasn’t.

There‘s the matter of that sinuous electric guitar intro, halfway between tropical psychedelia and merry-go-round anthem. Then, the main melody: forlorn, hallucinogenic. Infante’s aristocratic delivery collides head on with the brutal indifference of the girl he will carry on loving for the rest of his embittered existence. His voice, so soft and fragile, could belong to both man and woman; the universal scar of romantic rejection.

Clearly there was a mystery attached to this evergreen standard that people got to see on the big screen in 1954, when Infante performed it in the film “Cuidado Con El Amor.” The song also reminded me of Schubert — maybe a page off “Winterreise,” the romantic song cycle composed in 1827.

Had I accidentally discovered a supernatural portal where time and space didn’t exist, one where random phenomena of blinding beauty could materialize on this plane without any logical explanation?

To figure out why “Cien Años” still resonates, I decided to consult with a few notable singer-songwriters.

First I thought of Spanish rock star and longtime Los Angeles resident Enrique Bunbury, who himself traffics in the diffuse territories of the ominous and esoteric. I sent him a rambling voice memo, trying to convey my bewilderment as best as I could. True to his character, he replied with a terse but eloquent text.

“I apologize for the delay in responding, as I was busy promoting my new album,” he wrote. “I have to agree that Pedro Infante’s version has an incredibly evocative air to it that is not common in rancheras. This may be related to the classical violin training of Rubén Fuentes, who was also an arranger. Alberto Cervantes, on the other hand, was a bolero guy. I imagine he contributed the intense Acapulco scent that emanates from this song. I’m so sorry that my ignorance on this subject will probably not be of great help in your inquiry.”

I marveled at Bunbury’s humility, but agreed with him that the mystery was far from solved.

Maybe a young Mexican singer could shed some illumination, I thought, before sending a somewhat incoherent email to Silvana Estrada. I was right to assume that the 29-year-old prodigy behind 2025’s “Vendrán Suaves Lluvias” — one of the most spiritually devastating albums of the decade, and the second best album of last year — would have something to say.

“This is one of the most gorgeous boleros in the Mexican repertoire,” Estrada replied.

“I always thought the Pedro Infante version was mind-boggling. There is something in the string arrangement that sounds a bit impressionistic to me, but also profoundly Mexican, with the trumpets doubling the violin lines. There’s also a sense of maximalism that sums up the old Mexico as a time of splendor. And when I think of this song, I think of something splendid.”

At least now I knew that I was not alone in my overwhelming passion for this strange little gem. But neither Bunbury nor Estrada had addressed the eerie supernatural vibe that emanates from the recording — the feeling that when “Cien Años” was recorded somewhere in Mexico City, Pedro and company connected with another dimension.

I was scheduled to interview Mexican American singer Lila Downs the following day, and I decided to bring this up at the end of our chat. She was sitting down in her stately Oaxaca home when we connected over Zoom, and smiled widely the moment I brought up my metaphysical query.

“I’ve experienced a similar feeling with other songs that I’ve performed,” she said. “It’s like they transport me to a más allá [a far beyond], a certain undefined something that doesn’t belong in my own era. ‘La Llorona,’ in fact, connects me to something that is not even human — a force that exists in the shape of waves. It’s the essence of the very mystery that music itself evokes in all of us.”

Downs pointed out an important detail: that “Cien Años” could not have emerged from any country other than Mexico.

“Our subconscious is loaded with the spirit of the ancestors,” she added. “There is a deep connection with the cosmos in Mexico. I’ve seen it in anthropology books; this vision of art as a healing agent that facilitates spiritual growth.”

I was finally ready to put the matter aside, when I spoke to Gepe. The Chilean singer-songwriter has crafted many tracks that have a timeless, soulful quality to them. “Desastre,” a lovely tune released in 2024, feels almost as unearthly to me as “Cien Años.”

I asked him to listen to the song.

“That intro is definitely striking,” he told me in the first of many voice memos. “It has a psychedelic tinge that didn’t really exist in the 1950s. It reminds me of someone like Peter Drake and his slide guitar playing, which had more of a Hawaiian sound. I think it’s beautiful that such a short intro can leave you with more questions than answers. That’s part of the magic, isn’t it?”

Gepe made an astute observation: that my life-changing experience with “Cien Años” was not due to a single factor. It was a layered, complex combination of different details.

“You have this incredible, hypersensitive performance by Pedro, coupled with a timeless arrangement which was definitely ahead of its time,” he explained. “The cinematic, almost Hawaiian touch on the guitar, but also a strong affinity to the bolero aesthetic — there’s a subtle softness in the maracas, so that the voice can grow and shine with so much sweetness.”

And then, he told me the one thing that brought it all together.

“It’s funny, because you keep saying that this song sounds like it landed from another world, but there’s a stark contradiction in that statement,” he said. “Pedro’s delivery is so marvelous and sensitive, that it goes beyond male or female — it sums up the human experience in all its subtlety and aching beauty. I think what happened here was that the composers, arrangers, musicians and Pedro got together in a studio and created something so immense and luminous that it ended up transcending its own sense of time.”

A former Emmerdale actress is apparently returning to the ITV soap for a mystery new storyline.

Former Emmerdale actress Ali Mylon is making a comeback – years after her previous stint. The actress’ management team have let slip that the actress is filming with the ITV soap very soon.

She was on the soap briefly back in 2017 as a hotel guest who had a row with Eric Pollard. Her character was furious when she accused Eric of spying on her while she was getting dressed in her hotel room.

Now, it’s been revealed Ali is heading back to the show. It’s not known if she will play the same character or a new one. Her management posted on Facebook and Instagram: “NEWS Non stop client @alimylon is to make a return @emmerdale. She begins filming this month.

“Ali recently appeared @callthemidwife.official Her credits include @coronationstreet, Just Act Normal (The Forge Entertainment), We Are Not Alone (Big Talk Productions), and Peaky Blinders (Tiger Aspect).”

Her other credits include stints in Coronation Street, Peaky Blinders and Call the Midwife.

Meanwhile, spoilers for next week on the ITV soap reveal Serena Sugden’s [Casey Al-Shaqsy] taken aback by DS Thea Ramsden’s [Chelsea Edge] plan. In the police interview room, Ramsden relishes in the emotional pain she’s inflicting on a villager. A flashback soon reveals there is more going on.

An arrival in the village brings accusations with devastating consequences. Elsewhere, Sarah Sugden [Katie Hill] and Charity Dingle [Emma Atkins] keep up their lie about Dr. Todd’s murder, but Sarah spirals as she feels guilty about her crime.

As the day of Dr. Todd’s [Caroline Harker] funeral arrives, Sarah’s guilt spikes, especially when Ds Ramsden arrives to speak with Charity about some anomalies in her statement about Dr. Todd’s death.

As Charity is escorted to the police station, Sarah is wracked with guilt. At the station, Charity panics when her account of fighting off Todd is questioned.

Sarah decides it’s time to confess, and Serena fears this will lead to them both being locked up. Also next week, Vinny Dingle [ Bradley Johnson ] tells Kev Townsend [Chris Coghill] he’s decided to postpone proposing to Lewis Barton [Bradley Riches].

Vinny is soon worried when he’s left thinking Kev may have overheard his private conversation with Gabby Thomas [ Rosie Bentham ]. Kev swears secrecy, leading to Vinny opening up to him.

But when Kev reacts angrily about Vinny’s confession, Vinny thinks he’s made a big mistake in speaking to Kev. Finally, something is clearly weighing heavily on Gabby’s mind.

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Dolly Parton had reportedly been battling cancer before her death.

A spokesperson for Parton’s estate confirmed the cause of death to the New York Times.

In a statement, also shared with People, a representative for the country music icon said: “After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.”

The type of cancer was not specified. TMZ had previously reported that Parton had been hospitalized early Friday for kidney and autoimmune issues.

Parton’s death at age 80 was announced earlier Tuesday by her nephew Bryan Seaver in a news release and in a video shared to the singer’s Instagram page. Tributes from entertainment luminaries, politicians and others immediately followed.

An entertainer and philanthropist, Parton had previously had a series of health issues that led her to postpone several public appearances and performances. She missed the announcement of a Dollywood attraction to recover from a kidney stone in September 2025. Later that month, she delayed her residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for unspecified “health challenges.”

“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched,” the statement from her representatives read. “Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.

“Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact.”

Perez Hilton’s family has revealed new details about the blogger’s health before and after his mental health crisis earlier this month.

On Monday, Hilton’s brother-in-law, Tom (who did not provide a last name), appeared on “The Perez Hilton Podcast With Chris Booker” to talk about the 48-year-old’s self-harming incident that occurred Aug. 4 on a TikTok livestream.

Tom — who is married to Perez’s sister, Barbara Lavandeira — shared that the celebrity gossip columnist was now in a “lucid” state after receiving treatment for his physical injuries and his care would be “transitioning into the mental side of things.”

“He’s going to be going into a facility that is going to focus on his mental recovery,” he said on the podcast. “I don’t think you’re going to see him pop up in a few days.”

On Aug. 4, Miami police responded to calls around 9 p.m. concerning a TikTok livestream where Hilton harmed himself repeatedly with a box cutter and knife and expressed suicidal intent. After authorities safely recovered Hilton, he was placed in a 72-hour hold under Florida’s Baker Act, which allows for detention to assess mental health.

“There was some broken bones,” his brother-in-law said of Hilton’s physical injuries from his self-harming incident. “There [were] some other things stemming back from his sepsis.”

In March, Hilton was hospitalized in Las Vegas for 21 days due to severe sepsis, he shared a video, in which he said God presented himself to him and that he was a changed man. After recovering from the life-threatening illness, Hilton made the decision to relocate his family to Miami in June.

His brother-in-law — who said he had known the blogger for more than 20 years — did not believe the abrupt move was a red flag, considering past relocations to New York City in 2016 and to Las Vegas in 2023, though he did call it “a little surprising.”

“He can be a little impulsive at times; that’s part of his personality,” said Tom. “[But] we’ve never had a situation with him as serious as we’ve ever seen medically with that sepsis situation.”

Born Mario Lavandeira, the Cuban American has been a pop culture personality since the mid-2000s, running a popular online entertainment site. Originally from Miami, Hilton has a large familial support system in the area, which was one of the primary reasons for the move earlier this summer, according to his brother-in-law.

“That part made sense,” said Tom. “There is that structure of support there [in Miami] and he did just go through that near-fatal health scare.”

However, Tom revealed that Perez was not happy with his decision from the moment he landed in his new city.

“Mario, the moving truck isn’t even in Arizona yet,” Tom told Perez. “You’ve been to the airport and the house and you’ve now come to the decision in your head that this was a bad idea.”

Following the mental health crisis, Hilton’s mother, Teresita Lavandeira, filed a petition Aug. 7 for temporary custody of his three minor children, according to the Miami-Dade court case database.

Earlier reporting by The Times stated that Hilton was granted supervised visits with his children, but his brother-in-law said he had not had any contact. “They were not allowed in that section of the facility,” he said, “and eventually we’ll segue them back in.”

To deal with the fallout — and any misinformation out there — the family has hired a public relations team, said Tom. “We were concerned about what bad information was getting out there that [Child Protective Services] may be reading that was just simply not true,” he said.

While Perez undergoes treatment, the family is trying to figure out what could have triggered the mental health crisis.

As for whether Perez Hilton will continue being the saucy online personality the world has come to know — and criticize — Tom seems to have no doubts about that: “He does what he does because he loves doing it. He got into this because he loves celebrity gossip.”

Time staff writer Emily St. Martin contributed to this report.

Celebrity Hunted aired a dramatic finale as four ‘fugitives’ successfully managed to outrun the hunters

The winners of Celebrity Hunted have been confirmed in a dramatic end to the series, while one fugitive was sent home.

On Tuesday evening (August 25), the grand finale of the Channel 4 show kicked off with five celebrities still on the run from the Hunters. Former EastEnders star Brian Conley and his daughter Lucy were still a team, remaining undetected, along with Strictly Come Dancing pros Amy Dowden and Carlos Gu. It comes as disability advocates JJ Chalmers and Sophie Morgan were caught on Monday’s episode.

And on Tuesday’s episode, television presenter Scarlette Douglas was on her own after her brother Stuart was caught in a previous episode, yet the end was in sight, and she made a bid for the extraction point. As she headed to the motorway in a car being driven by her friend, the Hunters were hot on Scarlette’s heels, and after she tried to run away on foot, she was captured moments later.

“I’m gutted that I didn’t get all the way to the end. But I managed to do three days without my brother, and that has made me super proud”, Scarlette said as she was eliminated from the series.

Across the country, the two remaining teams headed to Birmingham train station to retrieve details of the extraction point from a left luggage facility, and the Hunters wasted no time in following them.

Carlos and Amy tried to dress up in hopes of not being caught on CCTV, while Brian waited in a pub as his trusty daughter headed over to retrieve the information, but they were all captured on camera, and the Hunters closed in.

With details of the extraction point stored on a burner phone, the teams headed to Black Rock Sands beach in North Wales, where they stayed overnight in local B&Bs before heading for the checkpoint.

Amy, Carlos, Brian and Lucy concealed themselves in the sand dunes while they waited for extraction, which came in the form of a small aeroplane that could land directly on the beach.

The teams sprinted to the aircraft as the Hunters raced across the beach on foot and by car, with help from a helicopter.

Amy and Carlos jumped through the doors of the plane, followed by Lucy, but Brian struggled to run across the sand and was seen holding his lower back.

Thankfully, the 65-year-old made it into the aircraft, which began moving down the sand, ready to take off and complete the extraction.

The Hunters made one final push to cut them off, racing alongside the plane in their car, but they failed as the plane took off, leaving Brian, Lucy, Amy, and Carlos as the show’s winners and the Hunters at HQ annoyed.

Celebrity Hunted is available to stream on Channel 4

DOLLY Parton’s cause of death has been revealed as the country music superstar died following a “brief battle with cancer”, aged 80.

The Queen of Country passed away on Tuesday after suffering from a number of health issues in recent months.

It has now been revealed that Dolly died “surrounded by loved ones” in Nashville after a “brief battle” with cancer, reports People.

Representatives revealed the news in a statement to the outlet which did not reveal the type of cancer Dolly had been battling.

The statement read: “Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched.

“Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.

BITTERSWEET GOODBYE

Dolly Parton’s funeral plans revealed after family announces her death

‘A TRUE LOSS’

American flags to be lowered for a week to honor Dolly Parton, Trump says

It comes as:

“Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact.

“After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.”

Dolly’s nephew Bryan Seaver announced her death in a heartbreaking statement on her official Instagram page Tuesday afternoon, shocking her fans worldwide.

Dolly had been struggling with her health for some time before her passing and was forced to bow out of numerous gigs.

She told PEOPLE on Friday: “I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl.”

Her beloved husband of 60 years, Carl Thomas Dean, died last March after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2019. He was 82 years old.

After cancelling a slew of shows in December, the Tennessee native admitted she needed to go through “a few procedures”.

Last October, Dolly’s sister Frieda had pleaded with her fans to pray for her sibling due to fears around her health.

It was only earlier this month that she shared an update with fans on social media saying she had a “few little health issues”.

She added that “sometimes I get a little dizzy and I get dehydrated”, saying her doctors had banned her from traveling to the opening of Dollywood’s latest ride.

But during her last public appearance, Dolly appeared upbeat at the unveiling of her new Nashville truck stop.

And just one week before her death, she shared about her excitement to open a new museum in her very last post.

Dolly has no children but leaves behind her legacy in music.

Across her illustrious career, Dolly became one of the most-honored female country performers of all time.

Dolly Parton’s Career Highlights

Dolly Parton is one of the most well-known country stars in the business, and her career has continued to flourish. Here’s a look at the highlights of the music legend’s decades-long career.

• Dolly wrote and released her first single, Puppy Love, including the B-track Girl Left Alone, on Goldband Records when she was 11 years old.
• Although her single wasn’t a big hit, she ended up performing at Nashville, Tennessee’s Grand Ole Opry for the first time at 13 years old and was introduced by Johnny Cash.
• Dolly made the Billboard country charts in January 1967 with two singles from Monument Records: Dumb Blonde and Something Fishy.
• The singer earned her first number-one hit in 1971 with her single Joshua.
• In 1974, Dolly’s arguably most well-known song, Jolene, reached number one on the country charts.
• Her music continued to succeed, and she was awarded the Female Vocalist of the Year award at the CMAs in 1975.
• Dolly’s track, Here You Come Again, achieved platinum status in 1978, and the album earned her a Grammy award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
• In 1980, Dolly starred in her first film, 9 to 5, alongside Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda and released her hit song of the same name.
• The star opened her famed amusement park, Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in 1986.
• Later that year, she was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
• At 75 years old, Dolly recreated her 1978 Playboy Cover for her husband Carl Dean’s birthday.
• In May 2022, it was announced that Dolly would officially be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, alongside Eminem, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, Eurythmics, Duran Duran, and Pat Benatar.

A total of 25 of her singles or albums became Gold, Platinum or Multi-Platinum records. 

She had 26 songs reach number one on the Billboard country charts – a record for a female artist – and 42 career top 10 country albums.

As of 2012, she had written more than 3,000 songs and sold more than 100 million records.

She also boasts a whole host of awards including 11 Grammy Awards alongside 55 nominations.

Dolly is also in several halls of fame across the US including the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

In 2023, she was even ranked at number 27 on Rolling Stone‘s 2023 list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.