staggering

A new report has revealed the large sum of money owed to the unpaid Manchester Pride artists and venues.

Back in October, the charity behind the long-running LGBTQIA+ festival made headlines after various performers revealed that they hadn’t been paid for this year’s event, including Drag Race UK star Saki Yew.

“It’s gone too far. As performers, we’re used to waiting for money, but there’s no communication and no answer. A lot of performers are starting to give up hope of being paid,” Saki told BBC Newsbeat in October.

Drag Race UK star Zahirah Zapanta and Adam Ali echoed similar sentiments, with the latter publishing a letter on behalf of other acts who were awaiting payment.

Following immense backlash, Manchester Pride’s Board of Trustees released a statement on 16 October, revealing that they were in “the process of determining the best way forward” with their legal and financial advisers.

A week later, the event’s board of trustees confirmed that Manchester Pride had started the “legal process of voluntary liquidation.”

“A combination of rising costs, which are affecting the entire events and hospitality industries, declining ticket sales and an ambitious refresh of the format aimed to challenge these issues, along with an unsuccessful bid to host Euro Pride, has led to the organisation no longer being financially viable,” they wrote in a statement released on 22 October.

“The Manchester Pride team have now handed over the details of suppliers and artists who are owed money to the liquidators who will be handling the affairs of the Charity and contacting everyone,” the board concluded.

Now, a new financial report from KR8 Advisory has revealed the staggering debt Manchester Pride had accumlated before they went into voluntary liquidation.

According to the Manchester Evening News, the charity owes £1.3m to performers, venues and suppliers.

Included in the extensive list are 182 companies and individuals who are reportedly owed between £30 and £330,329.

Manchester Pride was also unable to pay the £47,330.40 bill for first aid charity St John Ambulance, the £330,329 fee for Mayfield Depot, nor the £167,892 price tag for security firm Practical Event Solutions.

The event’s headliners, Nelly Furtado and Olly Alexander, were also left unpaid, with the former owed £145,775.75 and the latter £48,000.

In addition to their debt, the report gave further insight into the events leading up to the charity going bust.

Following lower-than-expected ticket sales, Manchester Pride directors allegedly sought out legal advice at the start of September.

They also attempted to dig themselves out of their financial hole by exploring “rescue proposals” such as the Mardi Gras event at Mayfield Depot.

“But as delivery of the festival drew closer, the pace of ticket sales did not accelerate as expected,” the document revealed.

The charity, which reportedly entered 2025 with “challenging circumstances,” also sought help from Manchester City Council, but after weeks of deliberation, the authority declared that they were unable to assist.

Amid their attempts to save the charity, organisers were also waiting to see if they had been selected to host EuroPride 2028, which would have garnered “significant grant funding and sponsorship support.”

When Ireland was selected over Manchester, the board called an emergency meeting to discuss additional solutions before agreeing to put the organisation into liquidation.

While Manchester Pride has been embroiled in financial issues, it’s not the end of the long-running festival.

In a statement, the Manchester City Council confirmed that “a new chapter” for the festival will take place in August 2026.

“The council will play a full and active role in bringing together the LGBTQ community to help shape how the city moves forward to ensure a bright and thriving future for Manchester Pride,” the council added.

The Studio, satirical cringe comedy on Apple TV about floundering film production company Continental Studios, has been praised for its humour, direction and cinematography

Apple TV series The Studio has today broken an Emmy Awards record for wins by a comedy in a season.

The programme picked up 13 awards, including Seth Rogen’s gong for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, at the ceremony at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. The Studio’s success beats last year’s record for The Bear, which won 11 awards at the Emmys for one season.

Speaking after his win for best comedy actor, Seth, 43, said: “I could not wrap my head around this happening. I’ve never won anything in my life.” Seth co-directs and stars in The Studio, which is a satirical cringe comedy about floundering film production company Continental Studios.

Seth shares the directing Emmy with his longtime collaborator and Studio co-creator Evan Goldberg. In a recent review, Seth is praised highly. It reads: “Rogen has made a lot of very funny stuff over the years, but this is by far the best thing he’s ever done. It’s been said that in order to make an effective satire, you first have to love, or at least care about, the thing you’re mocking.”

READ MORE: Emmys 2025: Seth Rogen’s humble joke as he wins his first Emmy AwardREAD MORE: Myleene Klass and Holly Willoughby sip fizz with famous friends after skipping NTAs

It was a successful night for Apple TV as Britt Lower and Tramell Tillman took trophies for Severance. Britt won best actress in a drama for “Severance” and Tramell won best supporting actor in a drama. It was the first career Emmy for each.

“My first acting coach was tough, y’all,” Tramell, wearing an all-white tuxedo, said from the stage. “But all great mothers are.”

He looked out to his mother in the audience and told her, “You were there for me where no one else was, and no one else would show up.” His win had been widely expected but Lower’s was a surprise in a category where Kathy Bates was considered a heavy favorite, for “Matlock.”

READ MORE: Netflix reveals cast for ‘chaotic’ family drama based on hit novel

Jean Smart won best actress in a comedy for “Hacks” for the fourth time, at 73 extending her own record for the oldest woman ever to win the category. Her castmate and constant scene partner Hannah Einbinder, who had also been nominated for all four seasons but unlike Smart had never won, took best supporting actress in a comedy.

She said she had become committed to a bit where “it was cooler to lose.”

“But this is cool too!” she shouted, then ended her speech by cursing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and saying “Free Palestine!”

If your summer holiday saw screen time soar, you’re not alone. New research shows kids spend up to 67 per cent of their time on them while off school. Mum-of-two Hannah Britt reveals how cutting back made her feel like a better parent – and you can do it too

Our summer was full of sea, sand, sun… and screen time. K-Pop Demon Hunters, anyone? But with September now in full swing, it’s time to crack down – and fast. And I am by no means alone. In fact, the latest statistics show that, for primary-aged children, 29 per cent spend two or more hours per day on screens during the school week, but that number jumps to an eye watering 67 per cent during the holidays.

Parenting expert Kirsty Ketley explains. “School provides children with structure and built-in limits on screen use, and of course, once home, there are less hours in the day for screens, but once the holidays arrive, that structure disappears,” she says. “Parents are often juggling work, childcare, and the cost of keeping kids entertained, so screens naturally become a convenient option. On top of that, digital entertainment is designed to be engaging and hard to switch off from, so it’s no surprise children gravitate towards it when they have long stretches of free time.”

So what’s the issue? “It’s not that screens are inherently ‘bad’,” says Kirsty. “In fact, they can be educational, social, and even calming at times. However, when screen time dominates, it can crowd out other important activities like active play, real-world socialising, outdoor time, and rest. High levels of screen use are also linked to disrupted sleep, reduced concentration, and higher stress levels in both children and adults. The key issue isn’t the screen itself, but what’s being displaced when usage creeps up too high. It’s why having consistent boundaries around screen time is important, so that kids strike a healthy balance.”

Having done some serious Netflix parenting over the summer holidays, I decided to pull the plug – and go cold turkey when it came to screens. Indeed, experts agree the benefits of reducing screen time are huge. “Reducing screen time means more space for connection. Families who put healthy limits in place often find they talk more, laugh more, and feel less stressed,” advises Kirsty. “Sleep improves, behaviour often does too, and there’s more opportunity for shared activities – from board games to walks, to simply sitting around the table together.”

Looking around our home, my eyes glanced upon the TV, the iPad, various laptops, a Nintendo, the Kindle and two phones. So I booked an Airbnb, and we hopped in the car to the Lake District. And there the screen time stopped.

For our digital detox I chose Dodd’s Lee, a 17th Century farmhouse, located in the village of Dockray, near Ullswater. It was a Guest Favourite (easy to recognise as they have a special logo on the properties, and a collection of the most-loved homes on Airbnb, according to guests), and around £400 per night, with four bedrooms. It looked ideal – there was a pub at the end of the road, walks to Aira Force waterfall, Ulswater and more from the door and plenty of board games to enjoy while we were there. It was so well located, I wouldn’t even need Google maps to explore.

Once there, my partner John and I put our phones, along with Molly’s Kindle, and the TV remote in a little bag and hid them in an upstairs wardrobe. “What now”, I thought. “Can I watch Mr Bean?” asked my five-year-old, Molly. When the answer was no, she huffed. Getting out the board games, we started our digital detox by playing dominos. Then Monopoly. Molly’s grump gave way to laughter as she beat both me and her dad.

Then, it was time for a walk, for which we headed down the hill from Dockray to a little beach on the banks of Ullswater. I found myself reaching for my phone several times out of habit. Whatever I would have done on it, check Instagram, reply to a text, it could wait. Holding hands with Molly, we chatted all the way instead, and she told me stories, clearly happy her mummy was fully engaged. That evening came stories and songs, and when the children were in bed John and I set about talking away before we too hit the hay.

The next morning, Molly didn’t ask for her Kindle but to play snap. She beat us again. Lunch came in the form of a trip to the pub, where John tried in vain to teach us the rules to giant chess. We fell about laughing, getting our rooks mixed up with our pawns.

After three days, when checking out of our wonderfully cosy Airbnb, I almost didn’t want to get my phone out of its bag. And in fact, after just a few minutes of a Disney film in the car on the way home, Molly set her Kindle aside and asked for a family sing song. A complete digital wipeout might not be possible in the modern age in which we live. But a detox every now and again might be just what we need.

How to reduce your family’s screen time

Kirsty shares her advice:

OFFER ALTERNATIVES

For me, the most effective way isn’t to ban screens altogether, but to add in alternatives, and have rules and boundaries in place – they need to be fair and realistic, too. Children need things to do instead, whether that’s setting up playdates, encouraging outdoor activities, or giving them creative projects at home.

SCREEN-FREE ZONES

Having screen-free zones or times of day (like during meals or the hour before bed) also helps build natural boundaries. Start small and be realistic: shaving an hour off daily use by swapping it for something else is far more sustainable than trying to go cold turkey. Also, when creating boundaries for the kids, incorporate some as whole family rules – no screens at the table, after a certain time, in bedrooms, for instance.

SET AN EXAMPLE

Children copy what they see, so if we’re always scrolling, they’ll think that’s normal. Modelling balanced screen use is powerful. That might mean putting your phone away at dinner, not checking emails late into the evening, or choosing to read, cook, or go for a walk instead of defaulting to a device. Being honest with kids about your own screen habits can also help. If you explain, “I’m putting my phone down because I want to spend time with you,” it sends a strong message.

BLACK Sabbath fans were left stunned by sky-high prices at Villa Park – with a pint setting punters back up to £8 during the legendary band’s final hometown gig.

The Back to the Beginning supershow, held at Aston Villa’s stadium in Birmingham, marks Ozzy Osbourne’s last ever live performance – and the first time the full band have played together in two decades.

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But for many fans, the bar and food prices were almost as jaw-dropping as the music.

Inside the venue, a pint of Poretti lager was going for £8, with a half pint at £4.

A pint of Somersby cider wasn’t far behind at £7, or £3.50 for a half.

Cocktail fans after something stronger had to fork out £13 for a draught Rum Punch – while even a bottle of water cost £3.50.

In the Doug Ellis stand, the prices were just as steep – with a Carlsberg Pilsner priced at £6.50, a glass of wine for £7, and both a gin and tonic and a vodka lemonade costing £7.50 each.

And it wasn’t just the drinks that had fans digging deep.

Food options were limited and pricey too – with a sausage roll setting you back £5, a steaky pasty £6.50, and Yardbirds chicken and chips costing a whopping £15.

Even the basics weren’t cheap – a can of Coke was £3.50, a bar of chocolate £2.50, and a bag of Walkers crisps £2.20.

Fancy a hot drink? That’s £3.95 for a tea and £4.50 for an espresso.

Fans weren’t impressed.

Some took to social media to vent their frustration, saying the prices were “festival-level rip-offs” and that it “left a bad taste before the music even started”.

One gig-goer told us: “I knew it’d be expensive but £8 for a pint and £7 for chips? That’s taking the Mick.”

Another said: “You expect a bit of markup, but this is madness.

Ozzy’s not the only one going out with a bang – so is my bank account.”

The backlash over food and drink prices follows recent criticism surrounding the cost of VIP meet-and-greet packages with Ozzy Osbourne, set to take place during his upcoming appearance at Comic Con Midlands.

Fans are being charged £666 for the ‘Ultimate Sin’ VIP package – which includes a group photo with Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly, and Jack. But only two people are allowed per photo (except under-5s).

Want an autograph? That’ll cost extra.

Ozzy will sign a book for £225, or a poster, album or toy for £375. And if you want him to sign your guitar or mic?

That’ll be £750 – bringing the total package cost to £1,416.

Fan backlash has been fierce. One wrote: “Laughable prices, genuinely laughable.”

Another joked: “Time to start selling me kidney.”

While fans might be fuming over costs, the buzz inside Villa Park is electric.

This is a historic night – the last time Birmingham’s own heavy metal gods will share the stage in their hometown.

Ozzy, who’s battled serious health issues in recent years, admitted he won’t be performing a full set.

He said: “We’re only playing a couple of songs each.

“I don’t want people thinking ‘we’re getting ripped off’, because it’s just going to be … what’s the word? … a sample.”

He added: “I’ll be there, and I’ll do the best I can. So all I can do is turn up.”

The Back to the Beginning festival line-up is packed with legends, including Metallica, Slayer and Pantera – all joining in to celebrate Black Sabbath’s final bow.

Fans from across the UK – and some flying in from overseas – have packed out the stadium to say one last goodbye to the band that helped invent heavy metal.

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MORE than half of Brits who used to watch Doctor Who say they turned off because it had become “woke, boring rubbish”.

That is the result of an ­independent survey conducted as star Ncuti Gatwa exited the Tardis with a paltry 2.3 million viewers on Saturday.

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In a shock twist, he appeared to regenerate into the Doctor’s former companion Rose Tyler, played by Billie Piper — but many are not convinced she is the Time Lord’s 16th incarnation.

The Sun exclusively revealed last month that Ncuti, 32, would be leaving the role after two series — the shortest tenure of any actor in the role since Christopher Eccleston, who left the rebooted BBC show after one series in 2005.

The survey quizzed 2,135 adults and found 42 per cent of current and former viewers said it had got worse since its relaunch two decades ago, with ­stories increasingly preachy and worthy.

Even one in three current viewers think it has got worse.

Plotlines over the past three years have featured trans heroines, non-binary baddies and drag-queen villains — and the Doctor coming out as gay, and crying in most episodes.

James Johnson of pollsters JL Partners said: “This is the first ever major poll done on attitudes to Doctor Who and the results are bleak.

“The public believe a once-great show has lost its way — and their biggest complaint is it puts pursuit of wokeness above entertainment value.

“The main words associated with it are rubbish, boring, and woke.

“If the BBC want to grow the show’s audience once more, they will need a total revamp.

“And to get back to telling entertaining stories rather than preaching lessons that simply do not have an audience among the British public.”

The poll found 46 per cent of current viewers think it puts social justice and woke issues above quality, compared with 37 per cent who believe the show puts quality first.

Those who have stopped watching say it puts social justice and woke issues first by a ratio of three to one.

The average age of current viewers is 42, compared with 51 for ex-fans.

They are also heavily Labour voters compared to a more politically diverse former audience.

The wokery ratcheted up after Doctor Who was taken over for a second time by showrunner Russell T Davies in 2023.

He was the man who rebooted the show in 2005 with Eccleston, followed by David Tennant.

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Who has starred in Doctor Who?

Which actors have portrayed the famous Time Lord over the years?

• First Doctor: William Hartnell (1963 – 1966)
• Second Doctor: Patrick Troughton (1966 – 1969)
• Third Doctor: Jon Pertwee (1970 – 1974)
• Fourth Doctor: Tom Baker (1974 – 1981)
• Fifth Doctor: Peter Davidson (1982 – 1984)
• Sixth Doctor: Colin Baker (1984 – 1986)
• Seventh Doctor: Sylvester McCoy (1987 – 1989)
• Eighth Doctor: Paul McGann (1996)
• Ninth Doctor: Christopher Eccleston (2005)
• Tenth Doctor: David Tennant (2005 – 2010)
• 11th Doctor: Matt Smith (2010 – 2013)
• 12th Doctor: Peter Capaldi (2014 – 2017)
• 13th Doctor: Jodie Whittaker (2018 – 2022)
• 14th Doctor: David Tennant (2023)
• 15th Doctor: Ncuti Gatwa (2023 – present)

A respectable 5.1 million tuned in to see his “comeback episode” with David returning to play the Doctor for a second time in 2023.

The actor then handed over to Ncuti who had his first full series as the Fifteenth Doctor last year.

One Whovian writing on X/Twitter, said: “Thanks to RTD (Russell T Davies) Ncuti is tainted and ‘15’ will be remembered as the worst Doctor with the worst era in the history of Doctor Who.”

The Sun revealed BBC bosses were considering a hiatus for the show, though execs maintained they would not make a decision until the second series had aired.

Russell T Davies teased a return on Saturday, saying: “After 62 years, the Doctor’s adventures are only just beginning!”

But that seems optimistic given their current multimillion-pound deal partnership with Disney+ is facing an uncertain future — and the viewing figures for one episode of the last series fell as low as 1.6 million.

A spokeswoman for Doctor Who said: “Doctor Who remains one of the biggest dramas on the BBC and is the most watched drama for under-35s, as well as being one of the most popular brands on BBC iPlayer.

“As we have previously stated, a decision on any future deal between the BBC and Disney+ regarding Doctor Who is yet to be made and any other claims are pure speculation.”

DONALD Trump’s luxury “sky Palace” gifted to him by Qatar will cost a few billion dollars, says the President of Emirates airline.

The US government now faces a “Herculean task” to transform the huge Boeing 747-8 into a new Air Force One fit for a president, warns Sir Tim Clark.

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President Trump, 78, sparked concerns earlier this month with his willingness to accept the plush flying mansion from the Qatari royal family.

The giant gift, worth an estimated $400m (£300m), has raised several ethical questions about if the US leader should be allowed to accept such expensive goods from other states.

But despite the controversy, Trump gladly took the 13-year-old mega jet back to Washington with him.

He now plans to make it part of his Air Force One fleet alongside two other Boeing 747-200 jumbo jets.

They have been operational since 1990 but are now said to be not up to scratch compared to modern planes such as Qatar‘s 747-8.

In order for it to become a fully fledged member of the president’s aviation arsenal however, it will need to go through some serious work.

It would have to be kitted out with top-tier communications and security tech before ever ferrying around Trump.

And significant retrofitting and clearance from security officials would be required.

Sir Tim, president of Emirates, told Piers Morgan Uncensored that President Trump’s flashy plans may cost a “couple of billion dollars”.

He explained to Piers: “I think you’re talking a couple of billion dollars to start with.

“Just roll back a little bit and look at what it takes for us to convert our 777s – from the old to the new – because we haven’t got the Boeing’s coming in at the pace we want them so we’re having to reconfigure all of them.”

The top aviation boss said trying to fix up all the jets as an airline has been an extremely tough task.

Tim admitted to “pulling his hair out” over the regulators and the tiny tweaks that have to be made to modernise a plane of that size and stature.

And he believes the US government will face an even trickier – and much more expensive – battle to get the gifted plane ready for presidential trips.

He said: “It’s a Herculean task, make no mistake about it.

“Whether President Trump will adapt fully, this present from Qatar, to an Air Force One I doubt it, but he’ll certainly get a lot of it done.”

Aviation specialist Jeff Wise also told The Sun that he expects the Air Force One replacement to take years and need billions of dollars pumped into the project to make the jet viable.

Trump’s Air Force One jets currently in use come with dozens of specialised security features.

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These include armoured glass and plating, on board flares to confuse enemy missiles, mirror-ball defences and even an electric jamming system.

Another unique yet needed element is an electromagnetic shield for nuclear explosions.

This has to be on a presidential plane as the leader of Washington can actually launch a nuke from the aircraft.

But the new Qatari jet lacks most of these security features.

Instead, the lavish aeroplane boasts a luxurious interior, featuring spacious suites and rooms with ornate interior decoration.

It also has glittering gold-coloured furnishings and hallways that echo Trump’s well-know interior design preferences.

The president is believed to have spent an hour inspecting the plan when when it was parked at West Palm Beach International Airport back in February.

The luxury Boeing was once even listed for a whopping $400 million, according to the Business Jet Traveler.

During his first stint in office, Trump had ordered two new Air Force One jumbo jets from Boeing to replace the pair that have been in service since George H. W. Bush’s presidency.

But the Boeing contract has faced delays, and reports suggest the new plans would not be ready until after Trump leaves the Oval Office.

Fears Trump’s new Air Force One replacement is vulnerable to devastating HACKS – or worse

By Chief Foreign Reporter, Katie Davis

A LAVISH jumbo jet Donald Trump plans to receive from Qatar will be vulnerable to hacking, an expert has warned.

The Boeing 747 – dubbed a “palace in the sky” – could even be blasted out the sky, aviation specialist Jeff Wise believes.

He fears Trump may bypass necessary measures to save time and money – which could therefore invite hacking or a devastating assassination attempt.

Wise told The Sun: “This Air Force One would be a major intelligence target for any adversary nation or even our allies, because allies love to spy on each other.

“The United States is being given this albatross that they are going to have to spend billions of dollars on to fix up for the personal use of Trump.

“If your job is to protect the President of the United States or if your job is to protect the secrets of the United States, then this is a massive headache for you.

“This is a plane that does not have secure communications and the anti-missiles defence systems that a normal Air Force One has. It’s just wide open.

“This is an administration that is completely irresponsible in the way they use their personal devices. They’re using these off-brand apps to communicate. It’s just a hacker’s dream.”

Wise continued: “I would say an increasing number of people would like to target Air Force One. 

“America’s list of enemies is growing longer and longer as we become an increasingly horrible nation, from the Houthis to the Iranians to the Russians.”

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THE Lady-Datejust, the Pearlmaster, the Oyster or the Yachtie – whatever your favourite Rolex is, it’s probably worth well over £10,000. 

The Swiss watch brand is synonymous with luxury, and us normal folk will probably spend our whole lives dreaming of owning one of its timepieces. 

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But where do we turn when saving up the five figures needed for an opulent watch is impossible? As it goes, Primark. 

The fast fashion giant has released a Rolex dupe for a mere £10. 

The affordable design is a copycat of the luxury brand’s Lady-Datejust in oyster steel and yellow gold – which costs a staggering £17,300 to buy direct. 

“Gold is coveted for its lustre and nobility,” a Rolex blurb reads. “Steel reinforces strength and reliability. 

“Together, they harmoniously combine the best of their properties.”

Money-saving content creator Aimee Michelle unearthed the imitation watch in her local Primark and took to Instagram to alert fellow fashionistas. 

“The comparison is uncanny,” she said. 

“Everything down to the fluted bezzle, the stainless steel with the gold and even the ‘mother of pearl’ face.

“It’s the only one they have currently in store… but this is big news.”

The Primark watch’s official name is The Edit Metal Watch, and it is made from 80% steel and 20% zinc. 

“Add a touch of luxury to your accessories edit with this timelessly sophisticated metal watch,” high street bosses said. 

The timepiece has a classic and timeless design that will be relevant and stylish throughout every season, meaning you’ll get way over your £10’s worth of wear. 

Like the Lady-Datejust, it is smaller and more delicate compared to many other watches.

As such, it’s ideal for women who prefer a more understated and elegant size without compromising on style.