stars

Diversity’s Ashley Banjo expresses concern for future dance stars amid rising costs and program cuts

Next generation of dance stars are being priced out the industry, study reveals.

The next generation of dance stars is being priced out of following in the footsteps of Shirley Ballas, Darcey Bussell and Ashley Banjo, according to a study.

Industry data from ONS revealed the number of people working as dancers and choreographers has fallen by 32 per cent since 2019.

While a separate poll of 2,000 adults found 68 per cent of Brits said dance is an important part of British culture, yet six in 10 believe the next generation of dance talent is being priced out of the industry.

And 55 per cent think only those from wealthier backgrounds can realistically pursue a career in dance.

BANJO NO!

Ashley Banjo breaks silence after appearing in Bonnie Blue documentary

GREATEST SHOW

Ashley Banjo teases very special Dancing On Ice performance

The research was commissioned by The Sky Foundation to mark the launch of the Julia Rausing Sky Arts Bursaries, a new programme providing funding, mentoring and industry support to 20 dance-makers across the UK.

The broadcaster also teamed up with Ashley Banjo MBE, the frontman of the group Diversity, to support the campaign.

Commenting on the poll, the choreographer said: “Dance opened so many doors for me growing up.

“I was lucky my Mum ran a dance school, so I was surrounded by dance from an early age and had access to opportunities that helped shape my future.

“But opportunities are becoming harder to access today, particularly for people who don’t come from an affluent background.

“Creative potential should never be determined by a family’s finances, yet these findings suggest cost is becoming an increasingly significant barrier to pursuing a career in dance.

“That’s a real concern, because talent exists everywhere – and we can’t afford to lose the next generation of dance artists and what they’ll contribute to our culture.”

The study also found 45 per cent feel the UK is missing out on dance talent which could contribute to culture, creative industries and the arts sector.

Participants believe this is due to families not being able to afford the costs of travel, equipment and competitions (63 per cent) and some young people not being able to afford creative careers (57 per cent).

Meanwhile, 67 per cent believe talent is being overlooked because they live in parts of the country with fewer creative pathways.

In total, 80 per cent believe those from less affluent backgrounds face more barriers to pursuing careers in dance.

Just six per cent believe they are on a truly even keel when it comes to making it in the industry according to the OnePoll.com data.

And only 29 per cent believe there are enough opportunities for young people to dance in their area.

This rises to 39 per cent for Londoners yet falls as low as 19 per cent for people of Yorkshire and the Humber – the lowest of any region.

Choreographers, dance-makers and artists have been encouraged to sign up to the bursary on the Julia Rausing Sky Arts Bursaries website.

Phil Edgar-Jones, trustee of the foundation and executive director of unscripted content at Sky, said: “Dance is one of Britain’s great creative strengths. It’s an artform that brings people together, tells powerful stories and reflects the diversity of communities across the UK.

“With public funding under pressure, many dance artists increasingly rely on the support of dance organisations, charities and funders to develop their careers.

“That’s why initiatives like this are so important.”

Ashley Banjo added: “No young person should feel that a career in dance is out of reach because they can’t afford lessons, travel or competitions, or because there aren’t enough opportunities close to home.

“Talent can come from anywhere, and your background shouldn’t determine your future.”

A wartime detective drama series based on real-life historical events has viewers declaring they’ve ‘never seen a better show on television’ — streaming free on ITVX

A wartime drama based on real events during and after the Second World War has completely enamoured audiences, with fans of the ITV series giving it ‘maximum stars’.

Describing the detective war drama as ‘mesmerising’, viewers are saying they’ve ‘never seen a better show on television’.

Foyle’s War — available to stream free on ITVX — is a historical wartime detective drama series created by author Anthony Horowitz who was the screenwriter of the acclaimed Midsomer Murders.

The series stars the talented Michael Kitchen in the lead as DCS Christopher Foyle. Honeysuckle Weeks, Anthony Howell, Julian Ovenden, and Ellie Haddington join Kitchen to round out an altogether stellar cast, all of whom, especially Weeks, have been praised for their performances on the show.

Foyle’s War first premiered on television in October 2002 and saw an eight-season run till 2015. The series was cancelled in 2007 and revived in 2010 owing to encouraging audience numbers for the last series that premiered on telly.

The series was nominated for three BAFTA Television Awards, of which it bagged one, and has gone on to become a highly acclaimed wartime drama for both audiences and critics.

One reviewer said of the wartime series: “This is quality, smart stuff — plot points hinge on citizenship classifications, ration coupons, the location of safe houses. It requires that viewers watch carefully, and pay attention to details.”

While another critic said: “Foyle’s War… returns to Mystery!… with the admirable Michael Kitchen in his usual top form.”

A third critic shared: “You don’t have to pay close attention to Foyle’s War, but it’s worth it for the detail-rich historical context of Anthony Horowitz’s plots, especially now the series has arrived in the murky moral fog of post-war London.”

Audiences can’t stop praising the war drama, with one viewer writing on Rotten Tomatoes: “On our second watching of the entire series. It’s so well-acted and thoughtful, and you learn a bit of history with each episode. Michael Kitchen and Honeysuckle Weeks are so engaging, such a delight to watch, it’s mesmerizing.”

A IMDB user review of the series says: “One of the best! My wife and I became obsessed with the British crime series Midsomer Murders. We’ve seen all the episodes available. Then my wife latched onto Foyle’s War and we’ve become big, big fans of this series also.

“We agree with everyone about Michael Kitchen’s performances and the historical background against which the story unfolds. Everything about this show looks authentic, feels authentic and sounds authentic. Not having lived through that time we are learning so much about the period.”

While one fan of the show said: “Maximum Stars. I’ve never seen a better show on television. “Foyle’s War” is deep, thoughtful television art. Great premise. Acting is tremendous. Only the bad guys overact. To see the characters is to love them. Sets and details have been discussed at length and it’s all just gorgeous.”

Another user review reads: “Outstanding! One of the very best series of all time! This is what great TV is. An outstanding series, taking place from the start of WW2 to the start of the Cold War, but told with the perspective of those ‘back home’ whom the Wars impacted.

“A remarkable achievement. The cast, first and foremost Michael Kitchen as Foyle, are remarkable. TV, or filmed entertainment just does not get any better than this.”

Foyle’s War is available to stream for free on ITVX.

Leeds Rhinos head coach Brad Arthur told BBC Radio Leeds:

“It’s the closest we’ve got to 80 minutes. I was pretty pleased with that performance. I thought we showed good resilience, good fight, the attitude was really good, too.

“I asked the boys for a bit extra tonight in their effort and physicality and they delivered.

“I thought the opposition were really good early, they made us fight and we were probably fortunate to go in [at half-time] at 18-0, but that’s exactly what we needed.

“Our resilience before half-time and then even at the end of the game on the try line, just to keep turning up for each other, and that’s an attitude thing, so I was really pleased with that.”

Leeds: Miller; Lumb, McCormack, Bird, Newman; Croft, Connor; Oledzki, O’Connor, Jenkins, Hankinson, McDonnell, Watkins.

Interchanges: Smith, Lloyd, Cassell, Holroyd.

Toulouse: Polselli; Laguerre, Tropis, Quai-Ward, Ulberg; Collin, Rouge; Butler, Marion, Belmas, O’Kane, Jassaume, Cator.

Interchanges: Garrigues, Chan, Toleafoa, Wallace.

Referee: Tara Jones.

The reality TV regular has landed her own show which arrives on Disney Plus in a matter of days

Fans of the Real Housewives and Vanderpump Rules have a new must-see show for their watch lists.

House of Stassi premiered in the US this week with its UK release now just days away. The eight-episode series will be available to stream on Disney Plus from August 12.

It documents former Vanderpump Rules star, Stassi Schroeder, as she returns to the spotlight after her sacking from the show back in 2020. While she previously dipped her toe back in to reality TV with spin-off Vanderpump Villa, her own series will take fans deeper into her life and inner circle.

As per the Disney Plus synopsis: “House of Stassi follows reality TV icon Stassi Schroeder as she steps into her next act. In this meta-docuseries, Stassi navigates her long-awaited return to television – this time with the people she loves most by her side.

“As her ambition pulls her back into the spotlight, those around her level up. But as cameras roll and truths surface, her closest relationships are put to the test.”

Why is Stassi Schroeder famous?

She got her big break on the long-running reality series, Vanderpump Rules. A spin-off of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, the show began in 2013 and follows fan favourite housewife Lisa Vanderpump and the lives of the staff working across her restaurants and bars.

Stassi was on the show from the very start as a worker at Lisa’s West Hollywood restaurant, SUR. Her outspoken nature made her a standout personality across the eight seasons she featured in. She has also launched a successful podcast and has written three best-selling books.

Stassi Schroeder controversy explained

Back in 2020, Bravo confirmed it had fired Stassi and her co-star Kristen Doute from Vanderpump Rules. It came after a past incident from 2018 resurfaced in which the pair had called the police on black TV personality, Faith Stowers, for a crime she did not commit, claiming she resembled a suspect.

Stassi later issued a statement addressing the “racially insensitive comments”, writing: “I did not recognise the serious ramifications that could have transpired because of my actions. What I did to Faith was wrong. I apologise and I do not expect forgiveness.”

She added: “I am going to continue to look closer at myself and my actions – to take the time to listen, to learn, and to take accountability for my privilege.”

Meanwhile Kristen did the same, saying: “Although, my actions were not racially driven, I am now completely aware of how my privilege blinded me from the reality of law enforcement’s treatment of the black community, and how dangerous my actions would have been to her,” adding that she would “do better.”

Meghan Markle feud

Stassi claimed on her podcast in 2025 that she was “furious” at Meghan Markle and was boycotting her Netflix show With Love, Meghan. It came after she was allegedly refused freebies from Meghan’s As Ever brand, despite Stassi publicly supporting her in the past.

“The way she moves through social media, I think that she’s stuck in 2017, and she just thinks I’m a lowly reality person,” Stassi told her podcast listeners. “That’s what I think, and I am furious, and this is the last straw. I’m not watching her show anymore.”

Noticing that a PR package had been sent to another podcast host who had been critical of Meghan in the past only added fuel to the fire, and Stassi vowed: “I’m going to unfollow her right now. Literally, I’m unfollowing her. Done!”

Meghan has never commented on the supposed PR package snub nor the remarks made by Stassi.

House of Stassi arrives on Disney+ from August 12.

POP superstar George Michael’s estate is suing his former best pal over footage from the recording of a lost album.

Andros Georgiou, 63, faces court for charging fans to watch scenes which he recorded of the ex-Wham! star.

George’s former best friend said he would be “turning in his grave” after the pop singer’s estate sued him over video footage of a secret unreleased album.

The Wham! star’s lawyers are taking Andros to court after he released almost 90 minutes of unseen footage shot in 1992 and 1993.

Andros launched a website last month charging fans to watch the film Trojan Souls — The Greatest Album That Was Never Made.

The record was to feature Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Janet Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Bryan Ferry, Seal and Sade.

NAGA QUITS

Bullying row & crude jokes – Naga’s Munchetty’s downfall as she quits BBC

wild ROMANCE

Princess Andre can’t keep up with ‘extreme’ mum Katie Price’s marriage to Lee

But the legal team from George’s estate has now lodged a case against him at London’s Intellectual Property and Enterprise Court, claiming its rights have been breached.

Furious Andros, 63, said the legal claim was “a case of sheer greed”.

On George, he said: “Yes, we fell out, but we loved and cared for each other deeply, and I find the baseless claims and the constant attempts to erase me from history both disrespectful and, frankly, a bit desperate.

“The film belongs to me.

“Trojan Souls belongs to me.

“They’ve opened Pandora’s Box.

“They won’t want me on the stand.

“I know way too much.

“Bring it on.”

Andros’s film shows the making of tracks for Trojan Souls: The Voice of Reason, a collaboration album with global superstars.

Pop fans are being asked to pay £4.99 for 48 hours of access to the 90-minute video online.

Tribe Media is also selling £19.99 VIP tiers, promising access to never-before-heard recordings of George’s unreleased songs from the record.

Andros shot the video using a camcorder given to him by Sony while they were in Japan on George’s Faith tour.

Andros said: “First and foremost — my brother in arms, my best friend, George Michael to you, Yog to me — would turn in his grave knowing what Russells (the estate’s lawyers) are attempting — and spending his money to do it.”

He went on: “It is well known Yog and I were working on Trojan Souls through my record label, Hardback Records.

“The film I have released was shot by me, with Yog’s full approval.

“This was a home video leaked over 30 years ago.

“It kept resurfacing on YouTube.

“So I decided, if you can’t beat them, put the film out myself, since others were already profiting from my home video.”

The legal case lists Andros and Tribe Media, the production house distributing the film.

The claimants are Robobuild Limited and Big Geoff Overseas Limited, the holding companies George used to manage royalties and world tours.

Andros and George were estranged before the star’s death on Christmas Day, 2016, but had been planning to reconcile.

They fell out after George’s arrest in an LA public toilet in 1998.

But Andros had spoken to his pal on the phone in the final weeks of his life.

The pair had a close friendship for decades after their fathers moved to the UK from Cyprus together in 1953.

Most of the one-hour 24-minute film shows George playing the piano, performing vocals with backing singers, grabbing a bass and talking to producers about his track list in an LA studio.

George lost interest in the album when his then-partner Anselmo Feleppa’s health declined.

Anselmo, who suffered from Aids, died in March 1993.

George never completed the album.

It can take up to two years for a case at the court to reach trial.

Lawyers for George Michael’s estate were asked to comment.

Love Island All Stars has been confirmed to return in 2027 and it remains to be seen which of the latest series might give the villa life another go in South Africa

The latest Love Island winner might have just been announced, but some fans aren’t ready to let the reality TV fun leave us. With Julia and Lorenzo being crowned this year’s winner, they have high hopes they won’t have to feature in the upcoming All Stars offering.

But for others, they could be chomping at the bit to head to the South African series and give love – or drama – another go. And it might only be months away after bosses revealed its return.

The last All Stars cast took to the South African villa on Monday 13 January, and it’s expected the next edition will be at a similar time next year.

One bombshell that has already been tipped to appear from the current line-up is Dublin-based social media influencer Charleen Murphy. She entered the ITV2 dating programme during the Casa Amor phase of the current series, but despite making it into the main villa, her link-up with Kavan wasn’t strong enough to continue.

Viewers were shocked when Kent-based Kavan experienced a swift change of heart on his return to the main villa and almost immediately broke things off with Charleen when choosing to recouple with Jasmine at the first opportunity.

Geordie bombshell Tommy revealed in the live final that he had already been making moves outside the villa with Charleen, but it seems as though she might have her eyes on another shot at villa life. And it wouldn’t be a surprise if Tommy followed her after a drama-filled stint of his own.

In this year’s All Stars, villa hopefuls headed to the show for six weeks instead of five. Speaking on the renewal at the time, Mike Spencer-Hayter, Creative Director at Lifted Entertainment, said: “Love Island: All Stars has quickly established itself as a stand-alone hit, keeping fans of the show gripped by iconic Islanders from the past 10 years returning for another chance to find love.

“We are very excited about series 3, and you can expect the twists and turns to continue in All Stars, after an incredible smash hit summer series.”

The season saw Samie Elishi and Ciaran Davies, but sadly the relationship didn’t work on the outside.

And while we know All Stars is set to grace the small screen again, it remains to be seen whether Maya Jama will be presenting it once again. Maya took over from Laura Whitmore in 2022, but speaking to Deadline, the TV host was open and honest about her potential Love Island future.

She said: “I never know. I never decide if I’m doing the next series until the end of one. So it’s fake news that I’m leaving, but I always decide at the end of a series if I’m going to continue the next year. So we’ll find out.”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

After a difficult start to his international career in England, teen prodigy Sooryavanshi stepped up against Zimbabwe.

India’s teenage batting sensation ‌Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has shown remarkable maturity over the past six months, a quality ⁠that has enabled ⁠him to thrive in high-pressure matches after a rapid rise in cricket, India T20 coach VVS Laxman said.

Sooryavanshi smashed an 18-ball half-century in the opening ⁠T20 against Zimbabwe before scoring 81 on Sunday as India completed a 3-0 sweep of the hosts.

The 15-year-old, who was fast-tracked into international cricket following a breakthrough Indian Premier League ⁠season, was named the player of the series after scoring two half-centuries in the three-match contest.

“Very mature. That’s what I really appreciate about Vaibhav,” Laxman told reporters in Zimbabwe.

“With every experience and every match, he understands, assesses and gets better. He reviews every practice session, not just matches.

“His maturity, ‌understanding and awareness over the last six months have skyrocketed. That’s why he’s been able to handle tough situations and perform under pressure against the best players.”

Sooryavanshi’s success in Southern Africa came after a difficult start to his international career in England earlier this month.

The youngest player to represent India registered scores of 14, 13 and 15 in his first three T20 internationals before being left out of the fifth ⁠match.

Laxman, who has tracked Sooryavanshi’s progress from age-group cricket through ⁠the IPL and into the senior national side, said the teenager’s willingness to learn had been one of his greatest strengths, but managing his fitness remained an important area of development.

“The one area we want him ⁠to improve is his overall fitness,” Laxman said.

“He’s a very young boy. He himself wants to get better in every aspect ⁠of the game.

“Even today, when he got injured, he still wanted to stay on the field”, the coach added, referring to Sooryavanshi’s effort while ⁠attempting a diving catch running in from deep square leg.

“It was our physio who asked him to come off. That’s the eagerness and earnestness he has to contribute in ‌every possible way to the team.”

Laxman said he was not concerned by the left-hander’s struggles in England and backed him to build on his strong start to international cricket.

“I’m ‌sure ‌he will progress and break all the records at the international level. He’s got all the potential and ability to do that,” he added.

Minutes into the new series of Granite Harbour, viewers were left thrilled after spotting two stars reuniting.

BBC viewers have been left rejoicing as an iconic duo reunited 20 years later.

Granite Harbour returned for a third series on Friday, July 24, starring Romario Simpson as DC Davis Lindo and Hannah Donaldson as DS Lara ‘Bart’ Bartlett.

Alongside them, the Aberdeen drama saw Dawn Steele reprising her role as DCI Cora Macmillan.

The actress is perhaps best known for her role as Lexie Macdonald in Monarch of the Glen, which ran for seven series between 2000 and 2005.

The comedy drama followed young restaurateur Archie MacDonald attempting to restore his childhood home in the Scottish highlands.

Loosely based on Compton Mackenzie’s Highland Novels, Dawn starred alongside Alastair Mackenzie, Richard Briers and Susan Hampshire, and Alastair has now joined her in Granite Harbour.

The actor is playing Richard Loughty in the crime drama, an affable and highly-regarded landowner who appears to be remarkably generous to those around him, including the local traveller community residing on his property.

But cracks soon begin to form as his apparent charm falls aside and the truth emerges.

Alastair teased, regarding his new role: “Cracks begin to appear in this charming veneer of his when sketchy things start happening on his estate and, without giving to much away, things go from bad to worse for him. Maybe there’s more to him than meets the eye.”

Monarch of the Glen fans were thrilled to see the duo reunite, with one writing: “How cool is it to see Alastair Mackenzie and Dawn Steele reunited in #GraniteHarbour . Absolutely love that #MonarchoftheGlen.”

Another said: “Watching the first episode of the new series #GraniteHarbour and immediately spot the Monarch of the Glen reunion between Alastair MacKenzie and Dawn Steele.”

Ahead of the new season of Granite Harbour, Shetland actress Dawn said: “Cora faces a personal health scare, and I loved having the chance to show a more vulnerable side to her. At the same time, she’s under immense pressure to solve the case while also dealing with the SPIS investigation into Malik’s dismissal from last series.”

The new series follows the Major Investigations Team focused on a complicated murder investigation after bodies are found, as they discover long-buried secrets that could divide communities.

Granite Harbour is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

IT was 15 years ago today that the shocking news broke that Amy Winehouse had died, aged just 27.

She had released just two albums during her eight-year career, but her massive success and larger-than-life character meant her death sent shockwaves around the world — and today her impact on culture is more apparent than ever.

In music, fashion and art, she has inspired an entire generation of artists. British music is being dominated by women whose sound, style and brand is packed with references to the late superstar.

In recent weeks rapper Cardi B and actress Zendaya have been spotted dressed like Amy, with her trademark beehive hairdo.

And one artist who is frequently compared with Amy is Raye, who, much like the late singer, has become a celebrated industry darling, thanks to her brassy Motown influences and brutally truthful lyrics.

But Raye feels the weight of comparison more than most, and said: “I’m aware that what she did is irreplaceable and inimitable.

WORTHY SIGNING

‘Amazing’ Brit pop star lined up to headline Glasto alongside Harry Styles

SHAK OF THE NET

Shakira makes history as Dai Dai tops Spotify’s global music video chart

“Amy did it so well that no one can ever do what she did. And, God rest her soul, she gave her whole life for us to enjoy the music that she left behind.”

Like Amy, Raye went to South London creative arts academy The Brit School, whose starry former pupils also include Adele and Olivia Dean.

Raye recalled her years at the school, and how she would walk down the corridors and see photos on the wall of alumni such as Amy and say: “That’s gonna be me one day.”

Amy’s star certainly burned brightly, but all too briefly. Her body was discovered at her home in Camden, North London on July 23, 2011, by her security guard Andrew Morris.

Toxicology reports later revealed her blood alcohol content was five times the legal drink-drive limit, and the coroner’s report stated her “sudden and unexpected” death was caused by misadventure due to alcohol poisoning.

Amy had battled drug addiction for years, inspiring her 2006 single Rehab, but she had got clean from illegal substances before she died.

As a fiercely unapologetic woman in the music world, she blazed a trail for a new way to be an artist — and for future star Lola Young, who was just ten years old when Amy died, she was an inspiration.

The One Thing singer carries a gritty London identity similar to Amy’s and produces familiarly confessional lyrics.

She is even managed by Nick Shymansky, the same industry executive who guided Amy’s career during her breakout success.

After Amy, he swore he would never manage another artist, but was so won over by Lola’s talent — and subtle similarities to Amy — that he decided to take her on, and she has since sold millions of records.

When Amy found fame in the Noughties the music landscape was dominated by indie and processed pop, but she forged a new path with her neo-soul, Sixties pop and jazz sound — and now that sound is everywhere.

Olivia Dean’s easy-listening collection The Art Of Loving is on course to be the biggest-selling album in the UK this year, despite the fact it was released last September.

And even more recently, British newcomer Sienna Spiro has followed Amy with her vintage aesthetic and her breakout single Back To Blonde — mirroring Amy’s 2006 album and single Back To Black.

It is paying off, as last week Sienna shot to No2 in the charts with her debut album Visitor.

The impact of Back To Black, Amy’s second album, was felt worldwide. With classic songs such as Rehab and Tears Dry On Their Own, it became the fifth best-selling album of the 21st century so far, shifting 20million copies.

Amy sang about toxic co-dependency, addiction, dating disasters and her flaws, all in graphic detail, then wrapped them up in palatable and catchy songs.

It was all the more interesting for listeners, as her tumultuous personal life, including a rollercoaster relationship with her boyfriend and then husband Blake Fielder-Civil, and her drug use, became front-page news.

The saga taught lessons to youngsters such as future superstar Billie Eilish, who saw the tragedy unfold as she was growing up in California.

She said: “The things that inspire me about Amy are also the kind of things that are sad about it.

“You knew she wasn’t doing anything that she did for attention or in a weird, fake way because from what I gather, she didn’t really want that s**t, you know.

“It showed me that she was kind of raw for what she was creating, and she wasn’t trying to be anything she wasn’t, because she didn’t even want to be that.

“She changed a whole generation of music. Everyone, when listing off the people that inspired them, Amy Winehouse is always in that list.

“Everything about her, she just mixed a whole bunch of stuff together, and created the most beautiful things.”

And it’s not just female fellow stars who are Amy’s admirers.

Mark Ronson, who produced her Back To Black album and co-wrote the song of the same name, has credited Amy with his entire career.

Accepting the Outstanding Contribution to Music prize at February’s Brit Awards, he said his multiple chart-topping collaborations with other artists would never have happened if it wasn’t for her.

He said: “I realised on the way here that on Thursday, March 6, it’ll be 20 years to the day that Amy Winehouse came up to my studio in New York City. We went upstairs and talked for four hours and that night we wrote Back To Black, and that day changed my life for ever.”

Mark has since gone on to sell millions of records by working with superstars such as Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and Miley Cyrus.

But he added: “I know the music I made with Amy is the reason any of them know who I am anyway. That’s why I’ll always treasure her voice, her talent, our bond, all of it.” And this month The Rolling Stones have celebrated Amy’s legacy by covering her song You Know I’m No Good on new album Foreign Tongues.

Guitarist Keith Richards said: “Loved the song. Always thought that Amy was a sad story in many ways, but she was one of the best to come out of England, and probably had so much more potential.”

Such was her star power, she shared the stage with the Stones at the 2007 Isle of Wight Festival, covering the Temptations’ Ain’t Too Proud To Beg, just four years after releasing her debut album Frank.

Street artist Pegasus was a close friend of Amy’s and launched his career on the day she died.

He has since become famous for his stencilled portraits of the singer, such as his “Fallen Angel” mural near Camden Lock, close to where they used to hang out.

Pegasus, whose real name is Chris Turner, told The Sun: “Amy was one of those people who come along every so often, makes a massive impact, unfortunately isn’t around for long but leaves a lasting legacy.

Her light will always shine bright. Her unique style, her love for the greats, like Etta James, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone, introduced and inspired a generation of artists that came after her.

“I am always seeing bits of Amy everywhere and it makes me so proud.”

“The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Angie Katsanevas and her husband, Shawn Trujillo, are calling it quits.

According to Page Six, the reality television personalities have separated after 27 years of marriage. The news comes after years of rumors, starting during Season 4 of “RHOSLC,” that Trujillo was involved in affairs with numerous men. The drama played out onscreen and bled into Season 5 of the reality series.

The former couple denied the rumors repeatedly.

During a 2023 appearance on the “Behind the Velvet Rope Podcast,” Trujillo called the rumors “pretty ridiculous.” The same year, he and Katsanevas spoke with Andy Cohen on “Watch What Happens Live,” and Trujillo said it wasn’t the rumor that he was gay that offended him, but the rumor that he’d been unfaithful.

“It’s not a gay/straight thing,” Trujillo said. “It’s an infidelity thing. We love our gay community. We’ve been embedded in it for 30 years now, just based on what we do for our business.”

“I’m here to support Angie, and I’ll take the hits,” he added.

Katsanevas noted that Salt Lake City had “come a long way,” and that stereotyping a man for being a hairdresser might have been commonplace 15 years ago but that there had never been infidelity rumors around her marriage “in Salt Lake City or anywhere.”

The former couple tied the knot the same year they launched their business, Lunatic Fringe Salon, in 1999. The husband-and-wife team ultimately expanded the luxury beauty business into a successful franchise that operates across Utah, Idaho and Ohio, with the flagship store located in Salt Lake.

As recently as January, Katsanevas was gushing about Trujillo on “The Viall Files” podcast. The businesswoman and housewife told hosts Nick Viall (of “The Bachelor” fame) and his wife, Natalie Joy Viall, that she and Trujillo met in a hair salon when she stopped by for a haircut more than three decades ago.

“He was working there with his big muscles and his long hair and his hoop earrings and he was so good looking and he was a bodybuilder and a hairdresser,” she said. “You didn’t see straight men doing hair at that time, which I know sounds crazy. Obviously things have changed since then; there are a lot of straight men that are hairdressers, but he was so kind and so sweet, and not really a macho guy. He was soft-spoken, quiet, very focused on his career and shy. And I just love that about him.”

The two became an item when Katsanevas started working at the salon when she was 21 and Trujillo was 24. “He would flirt with me in the back room and hold my hand under the table, and then he asked me to dinner one Valentine’s night,” she said.

According to the salon owner, when she was invited to join the cast of “RHOSLC” in 2021, she wasn’t prepared for the jabs that would be aimed at Trujillo or the toll it would take. “I had no idea what I was signing up for. I had no idea people would say or question my marriage after 30 years,” she said.

Bravo has not yet announced a release date for Season 7 of “RHOSLC,” but the forthcoming season wrapped filming in May and is expected to air this fall. Whether the former couple’s split will play out in the new season remains uncertain.

Katsanevas and Trujillo did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.

Italian singer Pausini told the BBC’s Carl Nasman that she’s “very excited” and “proud” to be performing alongside Williams and Scherzinger at the closing ceremony.

“When Robbie [Williams] invited me to sing with him, I felt goosebumps everywhere because Robbie’s one of my favorite singer, songwriter, and performer,” Pausini told the BBC.

The celebrity line-up will continue at half-time with performances by Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira and BTS.

Madonna, the best-selling female music artist of all time, is set to perform after the launch of her new album, Confessions II, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart in July.

Bieber also returned to the spotlight earlier this year, with his biggest live performance in four years at the Coachella music festival after cancelling his Justice world tour because of health issues.

Coronation Street’s Betsy Swain has taken centre stage this week as the ITV soap tackles the silent dangers of non-fatal strangulation in a powerful stroke awareness storyline

Coronation Street’s Betsy Swain is currently part of a hard-hitting storyline.

The hit ITV soap is tackling the silent dangers of non-fatal strangulation in a powerful stroke awareness storyline. Only recently, Ryan Connor discovered an unconscious Betsy, where she was rushed to hospital.

Doctors confirmed that she had suffered a stroke caused by a blood clot which was the result of neck artery damage from a temporary loss of circulation.

Once stabilised having suffered a second stroke, an embarrassed and vulnerable Betsy eventually managed to reveal that her boyfriend Dylan Wilson strangled her during consensual sex, despite both believing the pressure applied was minimal.

In the coming months, viewers will witness Betsy’s challenging recovery journeys as she transitions from hospital to home, navigating significant life changes. With Betsy taking centre stage, soap watchers are keen to learn more about actress Sydney Martin’s life from her real age to her normal job before Corrie fame…

Real age

Sydney shot to fame when she joined the ITV soap as Betsy, daughter of fan favourite DS Lisa Swain, played by Vicky Myers.

In the soap, Betsy’s age is 18 with the character having been born in September 2007, meaning she will turn 19 later this year. However, in real life, actress Sydney is in fact 24.

Back in October, Sydney celebrated her birthday, sharing a post on her Instagram revealing she was 24. Reacting to Sydney’s real age, soap fans were left floored at the time.

On a Coronation Street Facebook fan page, one person said: “Happy 24th birthday to Sydney Martin who plays Betsy Swain!“

Someone else declared: “Never knew she was 24!” A third chimed in and quipped: “I need a moment! She’s 24 What?!” Echoing their thoughts, another person penned: “Def looks younger doesn’t she.”

Normal job before Corrie fame

Before landing her Coronation Street role, Sydney was working at supermarket Tesco and immediately handed her notice in after getting the life-changing call.

Previously talking to The Sun, Sydney recalled how she was watching the film Pitch Perfect 3 with flatmates in Manchester when she got the call to say she had won the role of Betsy.

The actress told the publication: “I just ran to the corner of the flat to answer the phone. I said, ‘It’s going to be a no, so keep watching the film’, and then my agent said, ‘Go hand in your notice’.

“I was doing six days at Tesco, so it’s quite the career change. My flatmate picked me up and we just cried. We didn’t finish Pitch Perfect. I could not have asked for a ­better first opportunity.

“My parents are my biggest fans. They are over the moon. I had my first picture in a magazine recently and they bought ten copies.”

Sydney admitted that she had previously auditioned for two smaller roles before landing Betsy and it was a two-month process before getting the job.

Coronation Street continues on weekdays at 8:30pm on ITV and ITVX.

EXCLUSIVE: Love Island star weighed in on Ellie Chadwick’s dramatic departure at ITV’s reality event in London today.

Love Island stars have been having their say on the dramatic moment Ellie Chadwick made a shock exit from the villa.

Charleen Murphy, 27, found fame when she joined the cast of this year’s edition of the hit ITV2 dating show but was dumped from the villa after 30 days on screen. Meanwhile, Ellie was enjoying a blossoming romance with Finley Maddock but it all started to go wrong when he fell for Elicia, bombshell who entered the villa.

In shock scenes that aired on Thursday night, Fin was voted out of the villa by his co-stars and Ellie, in floods of tears, decided to leave as well, claiming that she couldn’t see herself finding love with anyone else.

Speaking about the dramatic moment, Charleen exclusively told The Mirror: “Her journey was definitely with him and it made sense to finish it with him but it was sad to see her go.”

Meanwhile, Lola Deal, who recently departed the island with Sean Fitzgerald, was asked if she was shocked by the sudden exit and told us: “Not if Fin was leaving. She really, really likes Fin, and it was always a thing that if he was going, she was going. So as soon as he was voted out, I think we knew she was going.”

Asked if could’ve told Ellie anything or given any advice, Sean said: “I would’ve told her to probably just weigh up how much you were gonna take of him switching what he was gonna be doing. He does really like her.

“They talked about their future together and everything, and she’s probably a bit further along with how much she likes him. She’s had a longer journey, she’s gone through all the other relationships she’s had. When he says he owes it to himself to get to know other people but he does really like her.”

Former Islander and current Love Island: The Debrief host Shakira Khan said: “I wasn’t surprised she left, i just wish she knew how loved she was on the outside and how supported she was.”

When Fin was voted out by his fellow contestants, Ellie simply said: “It’s fine. It’s done.” But she then whispered: “I can’t do it. I’m going,” and promptly burst into tears.

Ellie then insisted that there was no one else who would enter the villa who would make her as happy as Fin had and begged her co-stars to stop arguing over their decision.

She said: “Who is gonna walk through these doors and I’m gonna have a connection in two weeks like I did with you? F*****g leave it, stop arguing.

“I’m going. You’ve done what you had to do so I’m going so please don’t f***g argue with each other.”

She then reassured Lorenzo that she had “made peace” with her decision and was looking forward to seeing her family. Reacting to the news, viewers flooded social media with their opinions on all the action that had just exploded across their screens.

One wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Why would Ellie do this for a boy? She could have recoupled and still win. Everyone loves her over here. Why would you do this for fin?”

Another said: “They know Finley was using Ellie as a free ticket to the final. That was the ideal outcome tbh,” and a third wrote: “To be honest, if Ellie wants to leave, they should let her go and stop trying to make her stay. Crying over a guy who found you boring and moved on the way he did with Elicia?? The show isn’t about her.”

Like this story? F or more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The spotlight on Sunday’s World Cup final will shine brightest on two men, one playing the last game of his sixth tournament and the other the final game of his first.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi, 39, is arguably the greatest player in World Cup history, having played more games, scored more goals and collected more assists than anyone who has gone before him. If Argentina wins Sunday, he’ll match another record as captain of the first team to win back-to-back titles in 64 years.

Spain’s Lamine Yamal, who turned 19 on Monday, may be the heir to all that. He’s already scored 56 goals and won seven major trophies for club and country; Messi had 11 goals and four trophies at the same age.

But these are more than just two ships passing in the night. If fact, this isn’t even their first meeting, although neither remembers the day they were introduced in 2007.

Messi was a shaggy-haired 20-year-old, just beginning his unparalleled career with Barcelona while Yamal was a cherubic 3-month-old, just beginning his life. They came together after Yamal’s mother, Sheila, won a raffle run by a local newspaper and Barcelona’s shirt sponsor, the children’s charity UNICEF. She was told the child would pose with an unnamed first-team player for a photo that would appear in a fundraising calendar.

When she carried her son into the dressing room at Barcelona’s stadium for the photo shoot, Messi appeared, having been chosen by chance. The pictures of a clearly uncomfortable Messi helping Sheila bathe her son in a blue plastic tub were published, then forgotten, until Yamal helped Spain win the 2024 European Championship. After the tournament Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, posted the picture online with the caption “The beginning of two legends.”

Lionel Messi, then 20, helps bathe Lamine Yamal, who was 3 months old, with help from Yamal’s mother, Sheila Ebana, during a photo shoot in September 2007 in Barcelona.

(Joan Monfort/Associated Press)

“It’s unbelievable,” Yamal’s teammate Mikel Merino said Friday. “The first time I saw it, I thought it was AI. It’s funny how life works sometimes. You have these situations you think is scripted by someone. But it’s just how life works, the coincidences of life.”

That they’ll meet again Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium seems more like destiny than coincidence, but who wins the reunion may be decided, in part, by factors other than the play on the field. Smoke from nearly 900 wildfires burning in Canada have blanketed a large swath of the U.S., from Chicago to New York, resulting in poor air quality that forced the postponement of one MLS game Thursday.

The sky above the open-air stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., was noticeably clearer Friday and could improve even more with the heavy rains forecast for Saturday. If those rains linger, however, that could also affect what is shaping up to be a battle of the ages.

Messi has carried Argentina into its third World Cup final since 2014, matching France’s Kylian Mbappé with a tournament-best eight goals and leading all players with 12 goal contributions. Four of his scores either tied the game or put Argentina in front and in Wednesday’s frantic comeback win over England, Messi assisted on the tying and winning goals seven minutes apart.

He seems guaranteed to win his third Golden Ball, which goes to the tournament’s outstanding player. He’s already the only player to win the award twice.

Yamal now plays at Barcelona, Messi’s home for 17 years, and he’s proven to be the same kind of game-changing left-footed playmaker, leading the team in goals (24) and assists (17) in all competition and winning La Liga’s player of the year award this season. Last year, at 18, he finished second in the voting for the Ballon d’Or, an award Messi won eight times.

He’s been quieter in the World Cup, with just a goal in seven games, but Spain has never lost a match he’s played in, going 21-0-6.

Yamal’s father was born in Morocco and his mother in Equatorial Guinea before moving to Catalonia with their families as children. Yamal grew up in a working-class, largely immigrant neighborhood the Spanish newspaper El País described as “forgotten, isolated and stigmatized.” His parents separated when he was 3 and while both remained present in his life, it was his paternal grandmother, Fatima, who sacrificed to support the boy, managing his daily routine to make sure he attended training sessions.

That devotion paid off when Yamal, then just 7, was invited to live and train at Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, the same academy the Argentina-born Messi had entered at 13. When Yamal signed his first long-term contract with the team 14 months ago — a contract that could pay him more than $45 million a year in wages, bonuses and sponsorships, making him the team’s best-paid player, as Messi once was — he was given the No. 10 shirt Messi wore.

“In every match he shows that he is the best player in history,” Yamal told a Spanish newspaper. “If someone has doubts, it is because they are looking for them. There is nothing more to say there. For me, he is the best.”

Spain forward Lamine Yamal controls the ball during a World Cup quarterfinal against Belgium at SoFi Stadium on July 10.

(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)

The comparisons and the praise flatter him, said Messi, who then used the same words to describe Yamal as the best.

“There is a new generation of footballers who are very good and who have many years ahead of them. But if I have to choose one because of age, for what he has done so far and for the future he may have, it is Lamine,” he told the Spanish sports journal Diario Sport in May.”There’s no doubt, for me, he’s the best.”

For all the similarities, there are differences. Yamal plays with much more speed and street-football flair and is far more prolific than Messi was at the same age. And while a young Messi focused almost entirely on soccer, Yamal has learned to speak three languages fluently and, unlike Messi, hasn’t kept his politics hidden, waving a Palestinian flag during the club’s parade through Barcelona celebrating its La Liga title last May.

And remember that charity calendar photo with Messi? The one that raised money for UNICEF? Last month Yamal became a goodwill ambassador for the group, focusing on the right to play and supporting children living through humanitarian emergencies.

Turns out some pictures are worth more than a thousand words.

Roger Hawes and Janey Smith are engaged, three years after they found fame, and love, on the first series of Davina McCall’s hit ITV dating series My Mum Your Dad

Roger Hawes and Janey Smith are engaged. The TV stars found fame when the signed up to appear on My Mum Your Dad, which follows Davina McCall as she oversees two single parents try to find love, have been one of the programme’s biggest success stories and appeared all the way back in the very first series when it aired in 2023.

On Friday, the couple took to Instagram to share the news that they are to wed after Roger popped the question just ahead of the weekend.

Alongside a snap of Janey showing off her ring, Roger wrote: “dreams do come true … x” and then another photo, this time of Roger’s dog, appeared and a message engraved on the pooch’s collar read: “Will you marry my daddy?”

Roger became a widower when he lost his first wife and it was their daughter Jess who sent off his application off for the show, which was axed in early 2025, in the first place. Meanwhile, Janey went on the show with her son Will, and the happy news comes just weeks after Janey was rushed to hospital.

At the time, she explained in an Instagram post: “They did a CT scan straight away and found my appendix had blown and needed surgery asap. I was in hospital for a week as the infection had filled my stomach.”

After their romance blossomed, the pair made a joint appearance on Loose Women together in 2024, where Roger explained: “It didn’t show on the show itself but she just came in and I obviously liked what I saw straight away.”

“We just hit it off; she just said randomly, ‘What am I like?’ and I said, ‘I know what you’re like!’ And everybody else was just looking at us and we were just off in our own little world!”

At the time, Janey also admitted just how emotional it had been to see her love story play out on screen. She said: “When you see it, it’s like ‘oh no, don’t set me off.’ It was a very emotional time. There was anxiety, it was a big thing. It does take you back. It’s an outer body experience really.”

She also recounted the pivotal advice from her father as she explained: “We like Roger, don’t push him away,” which led her to tackle her personal issues head-on during a live TV appearance.

She added: “They said, ‘So why are you here?’ and I could feel it coming, I wasn’t going to say anything but I thought, ‘I’ve got to be honest here,’ I know I’ve pushed people away in the past. There’s some traits in me and adopted people that you carry and never address it.”

Reflecting on her candid moment, she expressed pride: “I felt for the first time in my life, ‘Well done Janey, you’ve just gone and said it on live TV.’ You don’t even tell people you meet but thank goodness I did.”

Janey previously admitted that she never worried Roger would leave her even though her son was concerned he might not be ready for another relationship after losing his wife.

She said: “It’s funny, I didn’t worry about that with him. With Roger what you see is what you get. He’s definitely a one-woman man and just not out to hurt me at all. I remember my son [William] being a bit worried that Roger wasn’t quite ready to date yet, but I think because Roger had gone through his own form of grief, we helped each other.

“The only worry I had early on was similar to my son’s – I didn’t want to be an experiment for someone to dip their toe back in.

Like this story? F or more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

This article contains many spoilers for “Heartstopper Forever.”

In the early minutes of “Heartstopper Forever” — the feature film finale of Netflix’s hit teen romantic dramedy series — Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) notices a crooked photo strip on his boyfriend Nick Nelson’s (Kit Connor) bedroom wall. Gently pulling down the pictures, taken on the beach day they made their relationship official, Charlie smiles wistfully at their younger selves: “We look like babies.”

It’s a line that applies to the characters as much as it does to Locke and Connor. Four years after being catapulted into global stardom, the pair are bidding a bittersweet farewell to the roles that have defined their own coming of age.

“Season 1 does feel like an immensely long time ago that I do look back and think, ‘Yeah, we do look like babies,’” Connor says, with Locke nodding in agreement next to him on a recent video call from London. “‘Heartstopper’ itself was this tiny little show that was clearly something quite special to us, but we didn’t really think or know anyone was going to watch. And, suddenly, it became this thing that was immensely important to a lot of people.”

Adapted by Alice Oseman from her own bestselling graphic novels, which originated as a webcomic in 2016, “Heartstopper” chronicles the endearing love story between high-strung, gay overthinker Charlie and kind-hearted, bisexual rugby player Nick at an all-boys’ school in England.

Nick (Kit Connor) and Charlie (Joe Locke) in a scene from Season 1 of “Heartstopper.”

(Netflix)

Upon its debut in 2022, the show was lauded for its unabashedly joyful, tender portrayal of queer youth — a refreshing departure from the trauma-heavy narratives that dominate other teen dramas. Even as “Heartstopper” ventured into darker thematic territory, such as Charlie’s history of eating disorders and struggles with self-harm, Oseman’s writing never lost its deft, light touch.

From the outset, Oseman knew she wanted to end “Heartstopper” with Nick going off to university in Leeds and Charlie, who is a year younger, finding independence as head boy at school. But with her cast growing increasingly more in demand every year, the author-turned-screenwriter says it would have been logistically difficult to make a fourth and final season.

After Netflix greenlit a two-hour finale instead, Oseman elected to zero in on her protagonists — not unlike her comics — rather than give each character their own, heavily condensed arc. “I think that was definitely the right decision, because we really get to spend a lot of time with Nick and Charlie and not feel like we’re missing anything,” she says.

Directed by Wash Westmoreland (“Colette,” “Still Alice”), “Forever” finds the first loves grappling with the reality of an impending long-distance relationship, leading to a rash breakup and, ultimately, an emotional reconciliation. In a surprising role reversal, as Charlie confidently steps into a leadership role as an advocate for other LGBTQ+ students, Nick is left to discover his own identity and self-worth outside of being the protective, supportive boyfriend.

On the set of “Heartstopper Forever” as Connor and Locke film a scene from the movie.

(Samuel Dore / Netflix)

Connor, who also executive produced the film with Locke, felt Charlie and Nick’s romance would be better wrapped up in a feature-length format. “There were a few very important and crucial, but short and intense [plot points] — the breakup and the time apart, and the eventual makeup and the two of them discovering who they are without one another,” he explains. “Doing it in a shorter period, I thought, would make those things hit that much harder and feel that much more visceral.”

Unlike previous seasons in which she could rely on her existing comics as storyboards for the show, Oseman was working simultaneously last year on the sixth and final volume of the “Heartstopper” comics, released earlier this month, and the “Forever” screenplay.

Juggling the same story in two different formats turned out to benefit each end product. “When I finished writing the first draft of the script, it actually made me do a really big rewrite of the comic, because it helped me see which moments were really important and which moments didn’t need to be there,” she says. (One of the pivotal scenes was the Pride parade, filmed on the last morning of production.)

As first-time producers, Locke and Connor also provided script notes that directly influenced the story. For instance, “there was no scene between Charlie and Mr. Ajayi in the original script,” says Locke, referring to the gay art teacher, played by Fisayo Akinade, whose classroom became Charlie’s safe haven from bullying before he befriended Nick. “I was like, ‘That scene in Season 1 with them is so pivotal to the story. It would be really lovely to have just a little moment for them in the film that circles on that chapter of their relationship.’ And straight away, Alice was like, ‘Yeah, great idea. Let’s do this.’”

For his part, Connor always feared that the show’s “rose-tinted” approach, though part of the story’s appeal, “would not be nuanced enough to talk about the complexities of being human and being young.”

Locke says he proposed a scene with Fisayo Akinade, who plays art teacher Mr. Ajayi, as a way to circle back on their relationship.

(Netflix)

“There was one moment where I was like, ‘Oh God, I hope these young people watching “Heartstopper” don’t suddenly forget that these kids are human, and that these kids can make mistakes and still be lovely, delightful and good people,’” Connor says. With Oseman and Locke, Connor was adamant about “finding the place [where] these characters were being treated in a way that we all felt good about.”

According to Oseman, Locke and Connor were also heavily involved in selecting a new intimacy coordinator, Robbie Taylor Hunt. Over the years, the amount of sex — or lack thereof — in “Heartstopper” has been the subject of much discourse. “It always annoyed me slightly that people were like, ‘Oh, this is so unrealistic. They’re not having sex.’ They were underage. What do you want us to do?” Locke says with a wry laugh.

Oseman has learned to tune out that online chatter, accepting that she cannot please everyone — let alone represent the entire spectrum of the young queer experience. With each season and now this film, her creative team chose to age up the story slightly. After Charlie and Nick lost their virginity to each other at the end of Season 3, the film uses physical intimacy to reveal more about their maturing relationship.

Locke says those scenes were necessary to the plot. “The pier sex scene is this carnal lust between these two people who need to get it out. The sex scene in the pillow fort is a moment of connection for them,” he says. “And the big sex scene at the end of the film is the reconciliation of their relationship.”

In the end, Nick and Charlie decide to give their relationship another shot, confident that their love can defy the conventional wisdom that teen romances rarely last. But what they learn during their split is “that you can’t put all of your hopes and dreams, your mental health and your ability to survive into one person, because it’s not fair on yourself and on that other person,” Connor says.

Over the years, the amount of sex, or lack of it, in “Heartstopper” has been the subject of online discourse. The film shows more physical intimacy.

(Netflix)

The film’s epilogue, like in the comics, offers a brief glimpse of Charlie visiting Nick for a weekend in Leeds, ending with the two of them looking through the pages of a scrapbook that still has room for new photos. While Oseman has her own vision of Nick and Charlie’s future in 10 years — they’d be newly married with a dog, she believes — the actors who play them aren’t so sure.

“I feel like the beauty of ‘Heartstopper’ is that we get to see a chapter of these two young men’s lives, and it ends in a way that doesn’t promise anything,” Connor says. “Even if they were to not end up together eventually, it wouldn’t make the experience that they shared together any less special or pivotal to who they are as people. I think that’s kind of beautiful.”

Locke is reluctant to divulge his own interpretation of the characters’ future, preferring instead to let viewers make sense of the hopeful ending. “I hope they’re happy,” he says simply. (But for the record, the actors both believe that Charlie and Nick will stay together. “Of course, we all hope so,” Connor clarifies.)

Although she is ready to tell new stories, Oseman believes that she will be revisiting Nick and Charlie, who first appeared in her 2014 debut novel “Solitaire,” “in small ways for the rest of my life.”

“I think there definitely won’t be another 10-year-long webcomic — probably not — but I love thinking about what Nick and Charlie might be up to when they’re 40 or 60,” Oseman says. However, she adds, “I think the main story of ‘Heartstopper’ has concluded, and I do feel good about that.”

Like their high school characters, Locke and Connor are ready to graduate from the “Heartstopper” universe. Wary of being typecast, they have established themselves as versatile stage actors, making their Broadway debuts in “Sweeney Todd” and “Romeo + Juliet,” respectively. Onscreen, Locke joined the Marvel universe in “Agatha All Along,” while Connor has explored vastly different cinematic genres — his next major project, the film adaptation of the dark fantasy video game “Elden Ring,” will reunite him with “Warfare” director Alex Garland.

Even on the day of our interview, Connor and Locke looked a world away from Nick and Charlie. Locke wore an all-black designer outfit, while Connor — dressed in a light blue striped button-down over a white tank and khakis — had traded Nick’s signature floppy hair for designer stubble. Yet both actors have made peace with the reality that they will forever be linked to each other and their roles. “That’s part and parcel of the job,” Connor says.

Fittingly, the last scene Connor and Locke filmed as Nick and Charlie was the anniversary scene in the park where there is a fallen tree with the letters “N+C” carved into the trunk. “It was lovely because it was back to how a lot of the ‘Heartstopper’ experience has been, which is just me and Joe,” Connor says.

“I love thinking about what Nick and Charlie might be up to when they’re 40 or 60,” says creator Alice Oseman. However, she adds, “I think the main story of ‘Heartstopper’ has concluded, and I do feel good about that.”

(Netflix)

Would they be open to revisiting Charlie and Nick’s love story as older adults? “In 10, 15, 20 years, who knows? Maybe,” Connor says. “Even if Alice were to decide that they wanted to make a TV show about another character in the universe of ‘Heartstopper’ and they wanted us to cameo or something, then, hey, maybe.”

While the “Heartstopper” team expected the series to resonate with younger audiences, they have been particularly moved by the reactions of older queer viewers, who have marveled at the strides in LGBTQ+ representation onscreen. Coming from the world of young-adult fiction — where she notes stories of queer joy are abundant — Oseman recalls being surprised that “Heartstopper” was treated as an anomaly in mainstream media. Still, she is proud to have helped move the needle on LGBTQ+ representation, particularly when such characters remain underrepresented.

“My hope is that people will be able to look back … and say, ‘Hey, “Heartstopper” did really well. Let’s make another queer show that’s got the [same] ‘queer joy’ vibes,’” Oseman says. “I hope it’s been able to give that encouragement to the people in power to let there be more stories out there because we just need more, different kinds of queer stories.”

Connor believes that anyone can enjoy the show because “Heartstopper” simply captures the universality of “human beings being happy and being in love.”

“Obviously, the [queer] representation is incredibly important. I think that the very existence of the show and the comfort and safety that it can bring people is one of the things that makes it so special,” Connor says. And the demand for such stories “isn’t going to change,” he adds. “Queer people are always going to exist.”

Erling Haaland and SoFi Stadium, ladies and gentlemen. Your breakout stars of the World Cup.

We’ve all fallen for the blond forward who has rowed Norway to its first World Cup quarterfinal berth — and also for SoFi Stadium.

Or “Los Angeles Stadium,” FIFA’s designation for the $5.5-billion architectural masterpiece that welcomed the world to Inglewood.

I cover Rams and Chargers games there regularly, but the World Cup changed how I feel about the place. It has more soul now, more character.

There is more history attached, “core memories,” as Kevin Demoff, president of parent company Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, put it.

The exultation when the United States went up 1-0 in the seventh minute of its tournament-opening, 4-1 victory over Paraguay? “That’s now a core memory of this stadium,” Demoff said.

So is the proud Iranian diaspora showing up en masse to mostly support Team Melli twice, in draws with New Zealand and Belgium.

And the goal by LAFC’s Stephen Eustáquio in the second minute of second-half stoppage time to lead Canada to a 1-0 victory over South Africa in its first knockout game.

And Spain’s taut, 2-1 victory over Belgium in Friday’s high-stakes quarterfinals match.

FIFA might say these sensational scenes put L.A. — our tiny hamlet of more than 18 million people — “on the map.”

What they did was put SoFi Stadium on everyone’s radar as one of the world’s foremost football stadiums.

Jose Ovalle, a 34-year-old from Reynosa, Mexico, has watched matches at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and Estadio BBVA in Monterey, both sites of World Cup action this summer.

“They’re amazing stadiums — a lot of history, so much history,” Ovalle said Friday. “But [SoFi Stadium] is one of the top stadiums in the world.”

Spain midfielder Fabián Ruiz, left, celebrates after scoring past Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, right, in the World Cup quarterfinals at SoFi Stadium on Friday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Nah, said New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley: “This is the best football stadium I’ve ever been in.”

Swiss center back Manuel Akanji plays for Inter Milan and roots for the Atlanta Falcons. It was a big deal for him to play at their home field, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, in last year’s FIFA Club World Cup.

“It’s really nice, but this is the best,” Akanji said after Switzerland defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina in group play at Sofi Stadium. “This is the best I’ve seen overall among all the stadiums I’ve ever been to. It’s amazing.”

Eight matches, five group stage games, two round-of-32 knockout affairs, Friday’s quarterfinal and a partridge in a pear tree — it was a monthlong run that was everything SoFi Stadium’s team could have wished for when it began preparing to host eight years ago. And more.

“I don’t think you can envision the passion of national team fans,” Demoff said. “We’ve seen so many great events here, NFL games, concerts, but the pride of a national event and seeing people come to Los Angeles and the U.S. for the first time, and seeing this building for the first time…

“There’s something magical about 30,000 Bosnians in blue singing, marching from the airport to here. You can’t properly envision that, no matter how many times you’ve been here.”

People raved about sight lines and sound. They admired the architecture and the infinity screen and the way the canopy kept things cool. In line to buy merchandise Friday, Orange County’s Nick Valencia looked around and mused: “Wow, humans made this.”

Players had the run of the place on real grass, not the artificial turf in place for NFL games. (Don’t expect that to change, Demoff said, noting that upkeep would be doubly challenging at SoFi Stadium with two NFL teams using the field.)

Soccer fans amplified their positive reviews online, where the only complaint having to do with SoFi Stadium was that FIFA decided to give the World Cup final to the archaic-by-comparison MetLife Stadium — a.k.a. “New York/New Jersey Stadium” — instead.

The stadium popped in person and on TV, its distinctive, futuristic shape making it immediately recognizable in a way that not every stadium is.

Vibes were good among volunteers and visitors from around the world and every corner of the United States — and among stadium staffers, who won raises in a late-breaking contract agreement that resulted in increases to more than $30 per hour.

The Rams’ house — and Chargers’ — was full almost every match, with four sold-out crowds of 70,492 and an eight-game total of 561,656.

People paid thousands of dollars for tickets and got their money’s worth at the world’s most-expensive stadium, a modern marvel that’s only getting better with age.

Dodger Stadium is dripping in lore, from Kirk Gibson’s legendary walk-off home run in 1988 to more history, like Shohei Ohtani playing perhaps the greatest game ever last postseason.

Staples — er, Crypto.com Arena — is where Kobe Bryant dropped 81. Decathlete Rafer Johnson lit the Olympic flame in 1984 at the Los Angeles Coliseum. And we all can picture Brandi Chastain ripping off her top in her iconic celebration after scoring the game-winning penalty kick in the 1999 Women’s World Cup at the Rose Bowl.

“We may not have the Brandi Chastain moment from ‘99,” Demoff said. “But we’ve had so many great moments off this tournament that I think will be replayed over and over and over again.”

There are more moments to come, with SoFi Stadium slated to host Super Bowl LXI in February and then, in 2028, to stage the Olympic Opening Ceremony and the Olympic swimming competition.

“Where the U.S. scored the opening goal,” Demoff said, “is going to be the middle of the Olympic swimming pool. I think that contrast blows people’s minds. It certainly blows mine.”

And for the past month, Los Angeles’ stadium blew the world’s mind.

Away from Coronation Street, Dylan Wilson actor Liam McCheyne has a well-known sibling

Dylan Wilson has been a staple on Coronation Street for years – but what do we know about actor Liam McCheyne?

Liam plays Dylan Wilson, the son of Sean Tully (Anthony Cotton) and Violet Wilson (Jenny Platt). He first arrived on the cobbles in 2011 and later returned in 2022.

Liam’s role on the show has progressed significantly over the years, as over on the soap recently, it was confirmed that Dylan and girlfriend Betsy Swajn (Sydney Martin) are set for a new dramatic storyline examining the devastating life-altering consequences of non-fatal strangulation.

In Wednesday’s episode (July 15) Betsy is found unconscious and rushed to hospital, with doctors confirming that she has suffered a stroke caused by a blood clot. So, with more drama to come on the cobbles we’re taking a look inside Dylan actor Liam’s life, including his relationship with his soap co-star brother.

Liam on working with his brother on Corrie

The character of Dylan was originally played by both Liam and his twin brother Connor. And while Liam has continued his acting career, Connor seems to have hung up his acting shoes in favour of sport.

Talking about him and his brother landing the role of Dylan on Corrie, Liam previously said: “We were three years old and it was a total fluke way to get it.

“My neighbour across the road was on work experience for a local agency and she asked my mum if we would want to go and do an audition for her. She said even if we didn’t get it, it would help her with her work experience.

“My mum, dad and even nursery teachers all thought we would be too shy to do it. When we got here, and were in the casting, as soon as the cameras were on, we were like totally different children with our confidence and were laughing away.”

Liam and twin brother’s close relationship

Liam is still very close to Connor and regularly shares photos of them enjoying time together. Earlier this year, Liam shared a special update with his brother as in January, the pair took to their Instagram to share a post celebrating their 19th birthday.

Alongside photos of the twins over the years, Liam wrote in his caption: “Happy birthday to you best mate and right hand man @connormccheyne1 Here’s to the best memories throughout chapter 19!” Meanwhile, Connor penned: “Happy birthday to this one. @liammccheyne here’s to a top 2026.”

Liam’s Corrie return ‘was hard to take for Connor’

Meanwhile in 2024, Liam revealed that fans often stop his twin brother thinking it’s him. He said: “The funnier story is when people think Connor, my twin brother, is Dylan.

The actor added: “He’ll get stopped in Manchester on his way to college and won’t have enough time to say it’s not him before someone has a camera asking for a picture.”

Liam also previously revealed that when Dylan returned to the soap in 2020, both he and his twin brother were up for the role – and it was a hard decision for Corrie producers.

“They couldn’t decide here at Corrie who would be cast, so they sent it to an external casting agency in London. They literally went off my CV, based on the fact that I’d just come off Last Tango,” he said.

“That was hard to take for Connor, because he was very good. But we’ve both agreed in the past, and we’ve said publicly in the press, that it’s led to another opportunity for him. Acting wasn’t his thing in the end and it’s opened another door for him.”

Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX

With his father – former big leaguer Clay Bellinger – in attendance, the New York Yankees player earned MVP honours.

Cody Bellinger had a night for the ages.

His young daughters sat next to him and his father watched from the back of the room as he spoke about winning Major League Baseball’s (MLB) All-Star Game’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

“Just being able to hang out and watching him win an award, it’s pretty cool,” former Yankee Clay Bellinger said after his son’s two-run single in the first inning off Cristopher Sanchez started the American League to a 4-0 win on Tuesday night.

Cody re-signed with the Yankees last winter for a $162.5m, five-year deal and he has been a key part of the offence. He was hitting .280 through mid-June before a slump dropped his average to .254 heading into the All-Star break. Bellinger hasn’t homered in a month.

“Baseball is the craziest game in the world. It really is. Sometimes it’s unexplainable,” he said. “Going into the break, I actually was feeling pretty good. I felt like I was on the right track.”

Clay Bellinger was an outfielder and infielder for the Yankees from 1999 to 2001, winning a pair of World Series titles, and then finished his big league career with the Anaheim Angels in 2002.

Cody was five years old when his father won his second World Series title. Clay never imagined the player Cody would turn into.

“I knew he was good, but not this good,” Clay said.

‘Took a long time to get back’

Cody became the fourth Yankees player to win the All-Star Game MVP after Derek Jeter (2000), Mariano Rivera (2013) and Giancarlo Stanton (2022).

“Wearing this jersey – I feel proud wearing it,” he said. “It comes with a lot.”

Bellinger, who turned 31 on Monday, was a fourth-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013 and made the All-Star team in 2017, when he was voted NL Rookie of the Year. He hit 47 homers in 2019 and was voted the NL MVP after making his second All-Star team.

“I was, like, ‘Oh, I’ll be here every year,’” he said. “It took a long time to get back. It’s such a competitive league.”

He followed with three straight subpar seasons, missing time in 2021 because of calf, hamstring and rib injuries. He was cut after the 2022 season and signed a $17.5m, one-year deal with the Cubs.

Bellinger hit a career-high .307 with 29 homers and 97 RBIs, became a free agent again and signed an $80m, three-year contract with the Cubs. After a subpar, injury-slowed season, he was dealt to the Yankees.

He tested the free-agent market, then decided to stay in pinstripes.

“He loves it there,” Clay said. “He loves the teammates, loves the city, loves playing in Yankee Stadium. So, it was kind of a no-brainer.”

Daughters Caiden and Cy accompanied Cody onto the field along with his wife, Chase, for photos after he received his award from Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt.

“You always hope for your kids to do well, whether or not it’s playing baseball or doing whatever they like to do,” Clay said. “He’s been pretty good at it for quite a long time.”

Before Paul Mescal became a blockbuster star in films like Gladiator II and Aftersun, he played a supporting role in a gripping Irish psychological thriller now streaming on Channel 5

Fans of the Heartthrob Irish actor, best known for his break out role in Normal People, should turn to this lesser known thriller for the perfect binge-watch.

Actor Paul Mescal who has since appeared in the likes of Gladiator II, Hamnet and Aftersun plays a supporting role in this TV series, portraying the character of Sean McKeogh, a local builder in Ireland and volunteer firefighter.

He serves as Ophelia, the protagonists’ confidant and the person she turns to for support as she attempts to uncover the truth behind a devastating death.

The Deceived, released in 2020, follows her time as a university student who becomes romantically entangled with her married lecturer Michael Callaghan, at Cambridge University. Although, her Irish lecturer is from the fictional village of Knockdara in County Donegal, where most of the show is set.

Inevitably, their affair spirals into tragedy, leaving her ensnared in an ever-growing web of deceit and gaslighting, caught up in a dangerous power struggle with her secret lover, and now, a murder case.

Written by the same writer behind the award-winning Irish television series Derry Girls, this show offers something entirely distinct, yet is every bit as deserving of a binge-watch session.

The Deceived is a 2020 mini-series that unfolds a psychological thriller across four episodes. Since its release, the Irish-British production has largely slipped under the radar, despite having a popular actor.

A review of the programme on IMDb compares the story to that of Rebecca, claiming that the show clearly draws on it as inspiration. They wrote: “This is a spooky thriller with obvious references to Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. I loved it.

“I don’t get the negative reviews. It had good twists and turns. I thought the acting was very good. I looked forward to each episode.

“It was rather unsettling at times, best watched in the company of someone else, not by yourself. If you like Rebecca you’ll love this. Loved the ending.”

Another reads: “This was a truly excellent four part drama, The Deceived is a smart, creepy, sinister series, which will have you gripped until its conclusion. I would agree with the comments about this having more than a hint of Rebecca about it, very much so, and despite being set in modern day, the story has a wonderful vintage feel to it, it could have been written in 1946.

“Very nicely produced, well made, very well acted indeed, Emmett J Scanlan gives a very good, captivating performance throughout.”

Joining Mescal in the cast are Emmet J Canlan as the lecturer and Emily Reid as the student, alongside Eleanor Methven, Catherine Walker and Ciara Berkeley. While critical reception has largely celebrated the performances of those involved, the majority of complaints appear to be directed at weaknesses in the script and storyline.

A critic points out: “The script is very underwhelming as some conversations are awkward and cut way too short with unanswered questions. It’s very unnatural and makes everyone seem odd and disconnected from each other.”

As a series that flew largely under the radar following its ill-timed release during the pandemic, it seems the show is still waiting to reach the wider audience it deserves. If nothing else, devoted Paul Mescal fans would do well to seek it out and witness one of his lesser-known early roles, before he rose to become the Hollywood heavyweight he is today.

All four episodes of The Deceived are available to stream now for free on Channel 5.

The full line-up for Celebrity Hunted on Channel 4 has been released, with stars from Strictly Come Dancing, EastEnders, Love Island and more battling the Hunters.

Celebrity Hunted is officially returning to our screens, with a fresh batch of stars going on the run to help raise money for Stand Up To Cancer.

More than a decade after the first series of Hunted aired on Channel 4, the hit show will be returning to our screens very soon – as a string of famous faces will become fugitives in August.

EastEnders icon Brian Conley will be competing with his daughter Lucy, while Strictly Come Dancing stars Amy Dowden and Carlos Gu are also hoping to go unnoticed by Ray Howard and his “elite team of Hunters”.

Love Islanders Chris Taylor and Toby Aromolaran will be taking part, beside JJ Chalmers and Sophie Morgan, and presenters and siblings Scarlette and Stuart Douglas. Comedians Jen Brister and Laura Smythe also make up the line-up.

The celebrity pairs will have to “vanish into mainland Britain, cutting themselves off from the lives – and the fame – they’ve always relied upon. For 14 relentless days they must stay hidden, think fast and trust no one because the moment they leave a trail, the hunt is on.

“In a world where almost every movement leaves a footprint, can these celebrity fugitives escape the glare of the spotlight and remain under the radar, or will the Hunters bring every fugitive into custody before the 14 days are up?”

While Hunted first aired in 2015, the celebrity version began two years later – The Wanted singers Jay McGuinness and Siva Kaneswaran outwitted the Hunters to take home the crown in 2017.

The most recent season aired at the beginning of last year, with Christine McGuinness and Duncan James defeating the Hunters.

Shedding light on the upcoming season of Celebrity Hunted, which will begin filming next month, Factual Entertainment Commissioning Editor for Channel 4 Ian Dunkley said: ”When celebrities go on the run and are forced to engage the help of us mere mortals, chaos and comedy inevitably ensue.

“Hunted down by a motivated team of police and security professionals, this series reveals what it takes to remain hidden when everybody knows what you look like.’’

Matt Bennett, Director of Programmes for Shine TV, added: “Celebrity Hunted is the only TV series – alongside its cousin, Hunted – which continues to remind us of the powers of the state in an entertaining and engaging way.

“This is our most ambitious series yet, beginning with a breathtaking aerial launch amongst the skyscrapers of London, then a daring escape at the end of the run for any who evade capture… with a great deal of entertaining mischief in between.”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .