teases

The BBC has confirmed the start date for the second series of The Night Manager, as a new trailer has been released for the upcoming series.

After nearly ten years of anticipation, BBC viewers were delighted to discover that a fresh instalment of The Night Manager was being developed.

In 2016, the gripping thriller proved hugely successful as it chronicled former soldier Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) working as a hotel night manager who becomes enlisted by British intelligence operative Angela Burr (Olivia Coleman).

The eagerly-awaited second instalment will resume years following the dramatic conclusion, with audiences witnessing Jonathan as a junior MI6 operative managing a discreet surveillance team in London dubbed ‘The Night Owls’.

This week, the BBC unveiled a thrilling trailer for the upcoming series, confirming it will broadcast on January 1.

The preview reveals Jonathan in his fresh position, whilst a narrator directs him to ‘watch, listen and report’. Yet the voice then sternly warns: “You do not hunt down.”

Cutting to Colombia, the MI6 operative must investigate Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva), suspected of trafficking weapons into the nation with British Intelligence assistance, reports the Express.

Adopting a fresh identity, Jonathan becomes deeply entangled in a deadly conspiracy. Betrayal appears imminent as he challenges Agent Burr, declaring she ‘lied’ to him, prompting her reply: “I had no choice!”

A montage of rapid-fire sequences follows, featuring heart-stopping pursuit scenes and Jonathan fleeing through a structure as explosions erupt around him.

In a chilling moment, Jonathan is seen being restrained by Teddy as he questions, ‘Who are you, Matthew?Why are you really here?” While a woman’s voice accuses him of ‘playing her’.

The trailer, shared on social media, sparked an immediate reaction from fans, with many expressing their excitement for the show’s return. One fan exclaimed: “Wow wow wow wow.” Another chimed in: “FINALLY!!!!”

Speaking about the series, Tom Hiddleston told the BBC: “The first series of The Night Manager was one of the most creatively fulfilling projects I have ever worked on. “”The depth, range and complexity of Jonathan Pine was, and remains, a thrilling prospect.

I’m so looking forward to reuniting with Simon and Stephen Cornwell, David Farr and Stephen Garrett, and to working with Georgi Banks-Davies to tell the next chapter of our story. I can’t wait.”

The BBC has also confirmed that The Night Manager will be returning for another series following this upcoming one.

Tune into the new series of The Night Manager from 1 January on BBC iPlayer in the UK, and from 11 January on Prime Video where available.

HER sixth album Brat topped the charts and won her five Brit Awards, but Charli XCX feared her label was going to drop her over it because it is so out there.

In a new interview, she explained: “I think when I was making it, I wasn’t thinking about the response at all.

“I actually made this record being like, ‘OK, I’m just going to do this one for me.

“And maybe I’m going to get dropped by my label and that’s fine’.

“That was kind of the headspace that I was in.

“There’s a lot of luck with timing and the way that culture is moving.

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“I think when I released this record, it’s like people were wanting something that felt very real and messy.

“And I think that’s just the way that culture was swinging.”

Charli previously suggested she was going to have a lengthy break from music following the success of the record, released in June last year, but she has now teased that she’s working on “inherently different” tracks.

The Guess singer continued: “I’m really interested to see what comes next in pop culture, especially in the music space, what people are ­craving.

“I really like to work in contrast. I think whatever I do next will just inherently be different to Brat because that’s what feels natural.

“I’m exploring a lot of stuff with strings at the moment, which I’m really enjoying and I haven’t really worked in that space before.”

And with a series of movies on the way — including Faces Of Death and I Want Your Sex, Charli said she is committed to becoming an actress.

Speaking to Gwyneth Paltrow on her Goop podcast, she said: “I’ve been making music since I was 14.

“And don’t get me wrong, I love making music, but I think there was just a point where I was kind of like, OK, I really need to exercise my creativity in a different way.

“I don’t actually really listen to that much music ever. I never really have.

“But what I am doing is I’m always watching films.”

And Charli also reflected on the prospect of starting a family, having mused on her indecision about ­becoming a mother on her song I Think About It All The Time, which was on the Brat album.

The Brit, who wed The 1975 drummer George Daniel in July, said: “There is, I think, still a bit of stigma perhaps around women who don’t really want to have ­children, you know, and I think for me it’s like I’m always swinging between the two.

“Right now, I’m on the side of, like, actually I’m not sure that that is for me, but that could go back.”

BENSON BACK

BENSON BOONE shook off illness and returned to the stage for a killer sold-out show at London’s O2 Arena.

The American singer had to cancel his gig in Birmingham on Saturday after struggling with his voice but he was on song on Monday when he sailed through tracks including Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else, Young American Heart and Mr Electric Blue along with a cover of Coldplay‘s Sparks.

Welcoming out his friend and photographer McLean Long to the stage armed with a T-shirt cannon, Benson said: “Every night I sing one song that is a cover song.

“I love this song very much, so we’re going to have a friend come out and help us figure out which song we’re singing.”

Another poignant moment in the evening came when Benson performed In The Stars, which he wrote as a tribute to his great-grandmother who died aged 96.

Benson said: “I think the loveliest thing about this song is this is a song about me, about my life.

“My experiences, somebody that I know, something I felt, something I went through, but when you listen to it it’s no longer about me, it’s about you.”

RITA’S A PINK LADY

THERE was no missing Rita Ora in this pink dress at the Music Industry Trusts Awards, but it was Jessie J who stole the show with an amazing rendition of Whitney Houston‘s I Have Nothing.

Speaking at the ceremony on Monday night, Jessie referenced her breast cancer diagnosis and said: “This is one of my favourite songs to sing. There is no hiding in this song. It’s very exposing.

“This year has changed my whole world – my perspective, what battles I’m going to pick.

“You know, death comes knocking at your door and you kind of dance and f***ing kick it away.

“It just changes everything.

““I will say this, I don’t care how old you are or how long you have been doing this, enjoy your f***ing life.

“Be kind to each other.”

Ashley Tabor-King, founder of Global Media, whose radio stations include Heart and Capital, was honoured on the night, with video messages from Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift.

Rita flew in especially from Los Angeles to perform, and Olly Murs was there for a night out after becoming a dad for a second time.

“Albert is nine weeks old now,” Olly said.

“Another one next year? We are happy with two at the moment.

“Who knows, in a few years’ time we will see.

“I have got time next year to spend a bit more time with the family.

“It has been a busy few years.”

KATY HAS A POP AT BLOOM

KATY PERRY is returning with a new single tomorrow and it sounds as though it will hint heavily at her split from Orlando Bloom.

The Roar singer announced the track Bandaids last night, following a tricky year which saw her break-up with the English actor after almost a decade, and start dating ex-Canadian PM Justin Trudeau.

Insiders have claimed she worked on it with top writer and producer Cirkut, who worked on her No1s Part Of Me and Roar, as well as Greg Kurstin, who co-wrote Adele’s heartbreak singles Hello and Easy On Me.

Last night, Katy played the latest show on her Lifetimes tour in Paris, ahead of the end of the 91-show jaunt next month.

I’M imploring the BBC to put cash behind another series of Daisy May Cooper‘s brilliant TV series This Country.

Daisy told Fearne Cotton on her Happy Place podcast: “It’s difficult and we get asked all the time.

“If we got paid enough to do another series, we’d f***ing do it but that’s all it comes down to.”

Tim Davie, sort it out.

OASIS GET ONE OVER TOUTS DOWN UNDER

OASIS have scored another victory over the vile ticket touts – this time in Australia.

Thanks to the Major Events law in Victoria, ­scalpers were shut out of their three sold-out shows there.

The rules in the Australian state means that anyone flogging tickets for more than ten per cent above face value at an event ­protected by the Major Events Act faces a fine of up to £270,000.

In a statement, Noel and Liam Gallagher‘s management team told me: “It’s great to see Victoria’s Major Events declaration doing exactly what it’s meant to – Viagogo can’t list our Melbourne shows – and that’s a huge win for real fans.

“When government and the live industry work together, we can stop large-scale scalping in its tracks.

“We’d love to see other states follow Victoria’s lead so fans everywhere get a fair go.”

The success of the law means that the 180,000 tickets sold for the shows in Victoria went to genuine fans for the right price.

The brothers will play two more shows in Australia this week, with back-to-back sold-out gigs in Sydney on Friday and Saturday, before they take their Oasis Live 25 tour to South America.

COLDPLAY OFF TO CHURCH

IF you missed out on Coldplay tickets earlier this summer then fear not.

The band’s Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland have announced a one-off, intimate show on Wednesday, December 3, in aid of War Child and Crisis.

But it will be even harder to get in than catching one of their ten nights at Wembley, as it will take place at Hackney Church in East London, with a public ballot for 150 pairs of tickets is now open online.

Last year Chris and Jonny’s Hackney Church performance raised £350,000 for charity.

I’m sure kind-hearted fans will dig deep again this year.

ED-ING WHERE IT BEGAN

ED SHEERAN headed back to Dublin for a special ­concert to celebrate his songs which had clocked up more than one billion streams.

And he had plenty to pick from, with the star performing hits including Thinking Out Loud, Castle On The Hill, I See Fire and Galway Girl.

The gig saw the 2,000 fans packed into Industries Hall at the Royal Society Dublin going wild – and I got to join them after my lovely friends at Spotify flew me out on Monday.

Speaking at his Billions Club Live set, Ed said: “The reason I wanted to do it in Dublin is this is the place where I decided I wanted to be a singer- songwriter when I was a kid.

“It’s a special place for me with my family but it’s also a ­special place for me musically.

“I feel like this is where it all began.”

Ed also used his time on stage to remind the crowd that he last headlined Glastonbury back in 2017, which makes me think he’s a sure-fire bet to return to Worthy Farm in 2027 to ­mark ten years.

Watch this space.

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ARIANA GRANDE was forced to miss the world premiere of Wicked: For Good in Brazil last night after a safety issue with her private jet.

She was on board her plane to fly to Sao Paulo yesterday but had to get off when a fault was found, leaving her “beyond devastated” because there was no other way to make the journey in time.

TAYLOR Swift shows how she means to stay top of the crops for at least another 12 months. 

The singer, 35, posed in a black top and trousers in this windswept image for her 2026 calendar.

In another shot, Taylor — who this month released her 12th studio album The Life Of A Showgirl — stares down the lens as she clutches a bedsheet to her face. 

The black-and-white shoot was originally used on her record-breaking 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department. 

It is said to be about her split from British actor Joe Alwyn, 34.

The couple began dating in October 2016, shortly after Taylor split from Hollywood movie star Tom Hiddleston in September of that year.

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Their secret relationship was revealed in The Sun in May 2017, a year after they met at the Met Gala, the annual A-list fashion event in New York City.

The couple were extremely tight-lipped about their romance during its duration — even refusing to confirm or deny engagement rumours.

“If I had a pound for every time I think I’ve been told I’ve been engaged, then I’d have a lot of pound coins,” Joe told the Wall Street Journal in April 2022.

“I mean, the truth is, if the answer was yes, I wouldn’t say, and if the answer was no, I wouldn’t say.”

Joe also helped write songs on her albums Folklore and Evermore under the pseudonym William Bowery.

He is said to be the inspiration for her song London Boy.

On April 9, 2023, Swifties were left shocked when it was revealed that Taylor had split from Joe.

Catherine Tyldesley says her returning Coronation Street character Eva Price is set to lock horns once more with nemesis Maria Connor, while a ‘scary’ new arrival will also see a clash

There’s set to be plenty of drama on Coronation Street as Eva Price makes her big return.

Catherine Tyldesley reprises her role very soon, and it seems there’s more than one character she will clash with. Viewers will recall Eva’s feud with Maria Connor over Aidan Connor, with catfights and even a fight in a water fountain on Eva’s wedding day.

Well, we can confirm that conflict between the characters is still very much there, and it will be reignited when Eva makes her comeback. But it isn’t just Maria that Eva is set to clash with, as a “scary” new character features in dramatic scenes with the new Rovers Return landlady.

Catherine told The Mirror: “I was so thrilled when Kate Brooks said we’d be playing that out [between Eva and Maria]. Kate referenced Gail Platt and Eileen Grimshaw, which I just absolutely loved.

“She is a dog with a bone, she will lock onto things in the same way that Maria does. And Eva really loved Aidan, she really loved him. Although she’s moved on and she loves Ben, she finds that very hard to let go of and she loves a grudge, so I think that’s going to be a long-term thing. Don’t let them near any water features, I think.”

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Then there’s Eva’s “mother-in-law from hell” Maggie Driscoll, and the pair do not get on. Catherine spilled: “I’ve watched a lot of what Pauline McLynn’s done and when I’m watching what she’s doing on set, sometimes I’ll just watch the monitor and I know I am seeing a Corrie icon.

“The writers have structured things for our characters, it’s hilarious, it’s constant jibes. But I think deep down, there’s a moment that we did not so long ago where Eva, in a roundabout way, says ‘If I wasn’t with Ben and I’d just met Maggie, I think we’d be mates.’ There’s a lot of similarities.

“They both love the family, they’re both striving for the same thing, it’s just that now and again they come to blows. But that’s great fun to play.” Things will get heated between them, with Catherine hinting that scenes will reveal just how “scary” Maggie can be.

She explained: “It’s an interesting one, because early doors, I wouldn’t say she’s scared of her, she’s more irritated by her. But as time goes on, Eva does start to see this side to her that’s like ‘Wow, okay, I’ve got your number’ and I think that element develops where she goes ‘Yeah, I am a little bit scared of her now and intimidated’, yes.”

There’s more nostalgia too when Eva bumps into her ex Adam Barlow, but Catherine says Eva’s new partner Ben has nothing to worry about. She told us: “The day that Eva left Weatherfield, Adam was slightly heartbroken but said ‘I really care about you.’

“They’ve maintained that and they’ve stayed in touch. You know when you can be friends with an ex – it’s rare, but it happens – and they’ve kept that. Ben doesn’t have anything to worry about there.”

Catherine also offered a glimpse of what we can expect with Eva being the new landlady. She shared: “I think it’s easy to underestimate Eva as a dizzy blonde. She does have that side to her and she’s great fun and can be dizzy and spontaneous but she is a very strong woman and we start to see even more reasons why, as time goes on, why she has got this inner strength.

“And also, she’s her mother’s daughter, Stella was a really strong woman, and that is probably part of the reason why her and Maggie clash so much, they’re such strong personalities. But again, to bring that fun dynamic into The Rovers, especially with Sean and Glenda, has just been an absolute scream.”

Catherine’s also thrilled to be reunited with co-stars Jane Danson and Georgia Taylor, who play Eva’s sisters Leanne and Toyah Battersby. She teased: “I’ve pretty much stayed in touch with everybody, so it’s extra lovely to come back to. That dynamic, the three witches reunited, it’s great.

“It’s strong women, again, and when they’re together, they’re even stronger, they’re a real force to be reckoned with. They’ve got each other’s backs, it’s that solidarity, it’s such a joy to play as an actress. The three concubines of Nick Tilsley, and the girls are just a dream and we’ve stayed in touch. I felt really welcomed by everyone, especially my sisters, so it’s great that we’ve got lots of stuff coming up together.”

Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Dearest gentle reader, Lady Whistledown — voiced by Julie Andrews — is back.

Netflix released a trailer for the fourth season of “Bridgerton” on Monday, and the Ton’s resident gossip columnist promised to have all the delightful details. The teaser also revealed that the next chapter of the Regency-era romance will be released in two parts on Jan. 29 and Feb. 26.

The eight-episode season will follow Benedict Bridgerton’s (Luke Thompson) fairy tale-inspired romance. The beloved second-eldest sibling of the Bridgerton brood is is known for being commitment averse and uninterested in marriage, but, if the trailer is to be trusted, it seems a masked mystery woman he brushes past on a staircase might change that.

“With each passing season, one is known to experience plenty of ups and downs,” Whistledown says in the teaser footage. “So then we must ask ourselves, do we rise to the occasion? As always, time — and this author — will tell.”

Unbeknownst to Benedict, the mystery woman, also known as the Lady in Silver, is Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha). According to Netflix’s in-house blog Tudum, the staircase encounter featured in the trailer is the first time the pair cross paths during Lady Bridgerton’s masquerade ball.

Benedict and Sophie’s romance is based on the events in “An Offer From a Gentleman,” the third book in Julia Quinn’s “Bridgerton” book series. Much like the wicked matriarch in “Cinderella,” Sophie’s stepmother (Katie Leung) is more concerned about her two daughters’ (Michelle Mao, Isabella Wei) societal debut and marriage prospects than whatever her stepdaughter is getting up to.

“Bridgerton” showrunner Jess Brownell previously told The Times that Benedict’s character arc “has a lot to do with being someone who is learning how to exist between society and and being unconventional.”

“Benedict [is] trying to figure out what his place is in the world and how to circumvent certain rules, which is something Tilley Arnold (Hannah New) [taught] him [in Season 3],” she said last year. “I think we will continue telling the story of his [sexual] fluidity going forward.”

The brief “Bridgerton” Season 4 teaser focuses solely on Benedict and Sophie. Those interested in updates about the state of Penelope’s writing career or what Francesca, John and Michaela Stirling have been up to since the end of the third season will have to keep waiting.

Emmerdale actress Katie Hill, who plays Sarah Sugden on the ITV soap, has hinted her character may not forgive her grandmother Charity Dingle’s betrayal amid a baby twist

One Emmerdale star has teased a family could face heartache if a sad betrayal is to come to light.

Katie Hill, who plays Sarah Sugden on the ITV soap, hinted that regardless of the outcome of her character’s surrogacy storyline, a family could be torn apart. Viewers know that Sarah learned the distressing news earlier this year that she could not carry a child.

After treatment following a cancer diagnosis, a complication meant that Sarah could not have a successful pregnancy. Her grandmother Charity Dingle then offered to be a surrogate for Sarah and her partner Jacob Gallagher, offering to carry their child.

Charity underwent an embryo transfer, but after suffering from bleeding she was left fearing it had been unsuccessful and she ended up drowning her sorrows. This led to her cheating on her husband Mack Boyd with her ex flame Ross Barton.

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When Charity found out she was pregnant, she had no idea if she was carrying Sarah’s baby or her own with Ross. Ross has demanded a DNA test, while Charity has not told Sarah that the child may not be her own.

Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, actress Katie confessed she is unsure how Sarah would react if the truth ever came out. With it yet to be confirmed if the baby is Sarah’s or not, either way it will leave Sarah feeling betrayed due to the lies amid what is such a “massive” thing for her.

Katie hinted Sarah might not be able to forgive Charity after everything that she has been through. Asked if she could move past it, she told us: “I don’t know, it is a massive thing. She is so set on having her own baby, it’s all she has gone on about.

“I think it could be a big moment for Charity and Sarah if she ever found out. We’ll have to wait and see cos I don’t know how she would react. I can’t say anything, but it is big stuff and fans should keep watching.”

Spoilers have revealed that Charity struggles to keep her secret in upcoming scenes, especially as Ross keeps pushing her about whether he is the father or not. Charity sparks suspicion with her husband Mack who notices she seems uneasy.

As Charity continues to hide the truth from her loved ones, how long will it be before someone finds out? At some point she will find out whether the baby is her child or Sarah’s, but whether she tells anyone remains to be seen.

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is being released this week and despite the subtitle of the film, it’s already been teased that the story may not be over for fans just yet

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale fans are expecting to bid farewell to characters from the beloved franchise when it’s released on Friday. The third film in the series, it follows on from Downton Abbey (2019) and A New Era (2022).

Focusing on the Crawley family and their staff as they navigate how to lead Downton Abbey into the future, the film sees the story enter the 1930s. It’s previously been teased that it will “close off” the stories that began on the ITV show, which ran for six seasons from 2010 to 2015.

Despite being billed as the “grand finale,” it’s been suggested that fans may not have to say goodbye just yet. There’s been hints about potential spin-offs already and it’s now teased that a prequel series could be underway in the future.

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Allen Leech, known for his role as former chauffeur Tom Branson, has teased that the story may not be over despite the marketing of the film. He’s suggested that a future prequel could delve into the backstory of Violet Crawley, played by the late Dame Maggie Smith.

Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, was a matriarchal figure in the franchise but was killed off in the second film, released three years ago. Cast member Maggie then herself died, aged 89, just last year.

Allen, 44, said on Virgin Radio this week that Violet’s history could be explored in a prequel project. He shared that it could be in the pipeline moving forward, following rumours last year of a spin-off about Violet’s younger years.

Speaking on the Ryan Tubridy Show, he said: “I was chatting to the director, yesterday, Simon [Curtis], over lunch and he was saying there is a great poignancy about this movie, not just for Downton fans but for anyone. It’s about letting go and it’s about moving on.”

Asked about the potential for more stories, he said: “From what I hear, the plan is if they’re ever gonna do anything with it, they’re either gonna go back in time and [do a] prequel [about Violet] in her younger years, which would be very interesting.”

Allen added that a project set in the 1970s at the property could be on the cards instead. He said: “Or they’re gonna go seventies [and] all the debauched madness that happened in the house then. I think it’d be kind of interesting.”

The upcoming film has previously been described as a “last tributing” to Maggie. Speaking on the radio station last year, her on-screen son Hugh Bonneville, 61, said about the latest film: “It’s very much set in the house and saying goodbye to all these characters and we obviously say goodbye to Dame Maggie, which was very poignant on screen and now in real life. She’ll be sorely missed. But the final film will obviously be a great lasting tribute to her.”

Maggie had been among the cast when Downton Abbey first aired in the UK in 2010. It later proved popular in the US and its six seasons have been followed by the film continuations. As well as receiving critical acclaim, the show is said to have boosted tourism to villages like Bampton in Oxfordshire and Highclere Castle in Hampshire.

Speaking ahead of the third film’s release, creator Julian Fellowes, 76, told the Writing Studio: “It feels quite complete. I’m not saying we’ll never see Downton Abbey in any other form – one should never say never, but I think it feels natural and right that we have made the journey with the original concept and the original cast, so I’m rather pleased about that.”

He has however suggested that several characters could be worthy of spin-offs. Discussing the prospect of one centred on Thomas Barrow, played by Rob James-Collier, Julian told RadioTimes: “I think you could make a case for many of them.”

Fans eager for more Downton Abbey don’t have long to wait as ITV will also be releasing a special about the franchise on the day of the film’s release. It’s teased that the doors to the iconic property will be “opening one last time” for Downton Abbey Celebrates The Grand Finale as the cast reunite to share memories and secrets from the last 15 years.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is released on Friday in the UK. Downton Abbey Celebrates The Grand Finale will be available on ITVX then too and the special will later air on ITV3 on Saturday at 9pm.

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

Beat the Chasers is back and in an exclusive first look clip host Bradley Walsh has a question for the Chasers

Beat the Chasers is back for a brand new episode on Sunday night where Bradley Walsh has a question for the Chasers.

The hit ITV gameshow series sees contestants take on the Chasers in a bid to win big money and it’s currently airing its seventh season.

In an exclusive clip of this Sunday’s show (Sunday 7 September) it sees host Bradley Walsh ask The Chasers — Mark Labbett, Shaun Wallace, Anne Hegerty, Paul Sinha, Jenny Ryan, Darragh Ennis — a very “important” question…

Bradley, 65, says: “Let me ask you this, when they make Beat the Chasers the movie, who will play you, Governess [Anne’s Chaser name]…”

To which Anne, 67, responds: “I’m holding out for Margot Robbie” with Bradley quipping: “Aren’t we all!” as the audience bursts out laughing.

Anne continues: “She’s going to have to scrub up a bit but I think she’s got the basics!”

Bradley then says: “Yes, thank you, Vixen?” as he moves onto fellow Chaser Jenny Ryan who replies: “I think the key thing for a Beat the Chasers movie would be [who would play you]?” Viewers will have to tune in on Sunday night to see the rest of the stars’ answers.

It comes as Beat the Chasers star Mark quipped “I’ll get my coat” and made his exit after a contestant snatched a staggering £100,000 from under his nose in an episode on Sunday August 31.

Meanwhile host Bradley recently cautioned that he would be “fired” from The Chase if he implemented any major alterations on the hit ITV series.

The cherished host has fronted the ITV quiz show since it launched in 2009, and has graced our screens again with a fresh new series. Ahead of the new series’ release last month, Bradley assured viewers it won’t differ from the usual format.

Whilst appearing on The One Show back on Friday 15 August, Bradley faced questions about his hectic timetable.

“You’ve got The Chase coming up, you’ve got Beat The Chasers as well, anything different we can expect from these series?” presenter Clara Amfo enquired.

To which Bradley promptly responded: “No they’re the same, they’re what you see on the tin. I’m not allowed to do anything different, I think I’d get fired if I did anything different. You’ve got to stick to the rules, and stick to the format.”

He continued: “You can have a laugh in between.”

Beat the Chasers airs Sundays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITV X.

The trailer for the fifth season of Slow Horses has been released by Apple TV+ and sees the return of Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb

The fifth season of Slow Horses is just around the bend, and Apple TV+ has just given us a sneak peek with the release of the trailer for the BAFTA Award-winning spy drama.

This six-episode series is based on London Rules, the subsequent novel in Mick Herron’s popular book series.

The trailer sees Sir Gary Oldman reprising his role as Jackson Lamb, the genius yet grumpy leader of the espionage team.

In this new instalment, eyebrows are raised when resident tech whizz Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung) brings a stunning new girlfriend into the picture.

As a string of peculiar incidents unfold across the city, it’s up to the Slow Horses to connect the dots, reports the Express.

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The trailer features Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) detailing how eleven individuals were fatally shot, an incident they suspect Ho might be involved in.

Jackson immediately doubts his new flame as it emerges that “sinister forces” are attempting to destabilise the nation.

With the clock ticking, the Slow Horses have just sixty minutes to prevent the perpetrators from executing their next violent act, potentially endangering over 5,000 lives.

To make matters worse, it seems the Slow Horses have been duped by one of their own following a suspected breach in their system.

Viewers have already rushed to the comments section to express their excitement about the captivating trailer, which features Emmy Award nominee Jack Lowden, Saskia Reeves, Rosalind Eleazar, Christopher Chung, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Ruth Bradley, James Callis, Tom Brooke, and Academy Award nominee Jonathan Pryce.

One viewer gushed: “One of the best shows ever created,” whilst another enthused: “Oh that’s cheered me up.”

A third remarked: “I have to watch this,” and a fourth declared: “This show made me fall in love with the quality of Apple Tv. Never gonna leave Apple TV.”

The fifth series will also feature Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed making a special guest appearance.

Reviewers praised it as “undoubtedly the best spy series on television,” describing it as a “truly epic espionage thriller” that is “utterly brilliant”.

Slow Horses launches in September with the opening episode, then continues with weekly instalments until October 29.

The sixth and seventh series of the darkly comic espionage drama have already been confirmed.

Slow Horses season 5 will debut on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, September 24.

Coronation Street viewers saw Aadi Alahan, played by Adam Hussain, leaving Weatherfield on Tuesday night, though it’s already been teased that he could return in the future

Former Coronation Street cast member Adam Hussain has opened up about his departure from the show and teased that he could return in the future. His character, Aadi Alahan, was seen leaving Weatherfield earlier this week.

The actor, 24, had joined the cast of the ITV show in 2020, taking over the role from Zennon Ditchett. Adam announced earlier this year that he had decided to leave Corrie after five years, with his on-screen departure from the soap having then aired on Tuesday night.

His character, Aadi, whose recent storylines had included one centred on drink spiking, was seen heading off to embark on a new life in India. He was bid farewell by loved ones including his twin sister Asha Alahan (played by Tanisha Gorey) and their father Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin).

Following the episode, a message from Adam was shared with fans through the show’s Instagram account. He said in the video that he had “grown” as an actor whilst in the cast and teased that he wasn’t saying “goodbye forever”.

Adam said: “I just want to say thank you so much to everyone for watching Aadi on Corrie over the years. Y’know, these past five years have been so educational and such an experience. I’ve made friends that will last a lifetime.

“I’ve grown, not just as an actor, but as a person as well. But I just want to say that it’s not goodbye forever – more like a see you later. And if you want to keep watching me, then I will be around in other stuff, so keep your eyes peeled.”

He opened up further about his departure in an interview with The Mirror. Adam explained that he felt that it was the “right time” to leave Corrie, saying that he wanted to “spread his wings” and try other roles.

Adam told us: “I am going to be 25 in October, and I felt it was the right time to leave. It was my decision, and the producers were so understanding. I want to spread my wings a little, go out in the big world and see what else I can do.

“I am really excited as I’ve got a new role in a horror feature film. I can’t say too much yet, but I am looking forward to it. I feel lucky as I’ve also been to lots of other auditions since I finished filming my Corrie scenes in June, and I’ve filmed a part in a short film, Spice For Life, too. We are sending it off to film festivals at the moment. It’s an exploration of cultures coming together.”

The actor shared that relief over Aadi having not been killed off on the show, which means there’s a possibility of the character returning in the future. Adam said: “It’s very relieving to know I can always return whenever I want to.”

He said: “They’ve told me the door will always be left open if I ever want to come back.” Asked if he think he will ever return, he teased in the recent interview: “Never say never! But I do hope Aadi does get a second chance in India.”

Coronation Street continues tomorrow night from 8pm on ITV and ITVX.

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

READ MORE: This Morning’s Josie Gibson looks elegant in ‘autumn must-have’ wine-red maxi dress

Reach Screen Time spoke exclusively to Lucian Msamati about working with Suranne Jones

One of the leading actors from Netflix‘s new adrenaline-fuelled political thriller Hostage, has given us a sneak peek behind the scenes, following lead actress Suranne Jones’ unexpected revelation, reports the Manchester Evening News.

In an exclusive chinwag with Reach Screen Time, Lucian Msamati, known for his roles in Gangs of London and Game of Thrones, spilled the beans about the twist-filled series and his experience working alongside the Gentleman Jack star.

Msamati, 49, shared: “I think there was great spark. Suranne and I just got on like a house on fire and we sort of became work husband and wife, which is really at the centre of both of their jobs.

“They’re both hard-headed, they’re both very good at what they do and they both care.”

He hinted: “I think the scenes, without giving too much away, there are later scenes to come which were tough in good way. But that’s the juice that we’re after.”

READ MORE: Inside Netflix’s Hostage star Suranne Jones’ offscreen life from sweet marriage to crippling anxietyREAD MORE: Inside the inspiration for Netflix thriller Hostage

Hostage is a five-part Netflix series and marks Coronation Street and Vigil actress Jones’ first venture with the streaming behemoth.

The star collaborated closely with creator and Oscar-nominated writer Matt Charman, who penned the script for Hollywood film Bridge of Spies, on the story. She also wore the hat of a producer on the TV series.

Msamati portrays prime ministerial aide Kofi Adomako, who is tasked with advising Jones’ British premier Abigail Dalton after her husband is kidnapped and her resignation is demanded as the ransom for his release.

The distinguished British-Tanzanian actor revealed he was attracted to the project by Charman, and disclosed how the playwright rang him about the role which was penned specifically with the star in mind.

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Looking back on his preparation for the character of Adomako, the actor explained: “I think I’ve had the benefit of playing lots of conciliatory types, lots of right-hand, king of the hand type characters. This is watching people who are immediately behind the throne.

“There were some really interesting books, the calculation that has to happen. A person whose job it is to anticipate, the person whose job it is to go, ‘What are the possible outcomes here? Can I get ahead of this?’ Just being, you know, ultimately loyal, ultimately responsible.”

He continued: “And he sort of, for myself, this guys’s been there, he’s done that, several governments, he knows his stuff. We don’t know his political allegiance but we know he’s first duty is to the office of the prime minister.”

Msamati is currently occupied with numerous other ventures and according to IMDb, he will be featuring in the mini-series Run Away.

The star also revealed: “There are a few interesting theatrical projects bubbling and brewing and there may or may not be another well-known television series that may or may not be coming out later this year that I may or may not be a part of. You’ll just have to wait and see.”

The interview coincides with Sky’s confirmation of a fourth season for Gangs of London. However, considering the recent plot developments, it seems improbable that Msamati will make a comeback.

Hostage is streaming on Netflix now

Puerto Rican pop visionary Rauw Alejandro will be honored at the 38th annual Hispanic Heritage Awards.

On Wednesday, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation announced that the singer-songwriter will receive the 2025 Hispanic Heritage Award for Vision, a title that honors his groundbreaking contributions to Latin music and his role in shaping its global future.

“As an artist in constant motion, Rauw Alejandro embodies the very essence of the vision award, bold in creativity, future-focused in his global impact and unapologetically original in everything he does,” says Antonio Tijerino, president and chief executive of HHF. “His work is not just music, it’s a movement that confirms what Latin artists mean to the world.”

The award, established by the White House in 1998, is bestowed on notable public figures for their accomplishments and cultural contributions to the Latino community. Past honorees, specifically in the vision category, include Wisin, Ivy Queen, Bad Bunny, Residente and more.

The 32-year-old songwriter from San Juan welcomed the award with an unveiling of his own: the title of his next album, “Cosa Nuestra: Capítulo 0.”

“This is just the beginning … with my next project ‘Capítulo 0’ I want to keep showcasing not only Puerto Rico, but the full essence of the Caribbean.”

News of this honor should not come as a surprise to those who have been following Rauw Alejandro’s career and hustle. His 2020 debut album, “Afrodisíaco,” earned him his first Grammy nomination for best urban music album, as well as a Grammy nod for best new artist.

Throughout the years, the eclectic singer-songwriter and dance phenom has innovated the Latin music scene with the release of experimental albums like his electronic and R&B-inspired LP, “Vice Versa,” in 2021; his techno-infused psychedelic album, “Saturno,” in 2022; and his beachy follow-up, “Playa Saturno,” in 2023.

In 2024, Rauw Alejandro released his fifth studio album, “Cosa Nuestra,” a project inspired by New York City’s salsa music scene in the 1970s. Upon its release, the record landed him the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Latin Albums chart, and No. 6 on the Billboard 200. The critically-acclaimed album is likely to claim top prizes at the upcoming 2025 Latin Grammys.

“‘Cosa Nuestra’ has always been my way of representing my island, my culture, and my people — wherever they may be,” said Rauw Alejandro in a statement. “Every detail — the beats, the visuals, the dancing — reflects part of our Puerto Rican roots and our connection with other sister cultures, because we’ve been shaping the history of music for a long time.”

The 38th annual Hispanic Heritage Awards will take place on Sept. 4 at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. To date, this year’s honorees include NPR’s Felix Contreras, stoner comic Cheech Marin, Rizos Curls chief executive Julissa Prado and more.

The Mirror spoke exclusively with Hollyoaks’ Rex Gallagher actor Jonny Labey and Jacob Omari star Ethaniel Davy about the return of Clare Devine, their emotional storyline and what’s ahead

We got the lowdown on Hollyoaks villain Clare Devine from two co-stars working closely with actress Gemma Bissix currently on the Channel 4 soap.

Clare made her big return months ago, as part of a dark trafficking storyline involving other characters and some of the teenagers in the village. Clare’s sister Grace black and half-brother Rex Gallagher were also caught up in the drama, with us soon learning all about Rex’s past and backstory.

Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, Rex actor Jonny Labey praised the move to explore what Rex faced when he was younger, and how it shaped him – leading to him taking a criminal path. Jonny discussed how fans finally saw why he was the way he was, calling him “a product of his environment”.

He added how Rex’s “unexpected” romance with Ste Hay changed things, and gave Rex something to push for. That said, Jonny loves the drama his role brings, and was thrilled to get to work with co-star Gemma as she made her comeback.

READ MORE: Hollyoaks star hints at unexpected twist for Tom amid Clare and Grace drama

He wasn’t the only one as newcomer Ethaniel Davy, whose character Jacob Omari took centre stage in the sad trafficking plot, also shared how much he loved working with the soap icon. Jonny shared: “Another long-lost sister! It’s honestly the best working with Gemma.

“She is such a joy, she brings such a bouncy energy to set. She gets stuck in to storylines, she holds no prisoners, she’s just a ruthless and fantastic character. It really brings in that female power character to the show.”

Ethaniel agreed: “Gemma is so lovely. Clare can be sympathetic as well though. She’s not just pure evil, she has a soft side and a bit of a backstory, and she has another side to her. Sometimes she’s got the wrong intentions but for the right reasons.”

Actor Ethaniel was thrilled to rejoin the show recently, having first joined earlier in the year. He told us: “It’s definitely a new experience for me. It’s lovely, I’ve enjoyed it.

“It’s great and I am very grateful. We’ve just got to see how the storyline goes!” On the fans backing his character, he went on: “It was lovely because to get the role was a big thing, and then it was brilliant to keep going after a few months of not working.

“I got called back, and so getting good feedback was great to hear.” He also praised co-star Jonny for “showing him the ropes” and looking after him on set.

As for Jonny, he welcomed the changes to his character as fans have gotten to see a different side to him. He told us: “You have got this thing with Rex where he is a product of his environment and unfortunately, even since doing the storyline, the sex trafficking storyline, it’s way more common than people realise.

“It seems like such a wild storyline but it’s something that affects so many people in the UK, specifically the younger generation. It’s that passed-on trauma. I’m glad we’ve got to see these sides to Rex now.

“We can understand where it all comes form because when I first joined it was six months of arguments, fights and him being a villain. It was cool but he’s got a nice undertone now. The love interest with Ste has taken him by surprise.

“But it has shown him there is a way out from that life. I think that roundedness now is really beautiful to play. He still doesn’t back down easy and he’s not a push-around though. It is just a dream role honestly, to play a character like that. I have always wanted to play a troubled character with depth.”

His comments about Ste, and Rex turning his life around could be a hint at what’s ahead with a happy future. But with Rex currently in prison, will he find a way back to the village?

Hollyoaks is available to stream on Channel 4’s streaming service now, while it also airs Mondays to Wednesdays on E4 at 7PM. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Taskmaster creator Alex Horne has teased a new series of the Bafta-winning Channel 4 comedy.

Taskmaster creator Alex Horne has teased big changes in store for the Channel 4 programme’s 21st season.

For the uninitiated, the long-running comedy series sees a batch of five celebrities pitted against each other as they take on various bizarre tasks to be crowned the winner.

From filling an egg cup with their own tears, attempting to make a bridge out of straws, rubbers and chewing gum, to hula hooping on stage in front of a live audience, or making a creepy nursery rhyme, Taskmaster really has seen it all.

The series, hosted by Greg Davies and “Little” Alex Horne as his assistant, first aired in 2019, and over that time has seen more than a hundred celebrities take part, including Munya Chawawa, Judi Love, Joe Lycett, Katherine Ryan and Bob Mortimer.

The latest season featured Fatiha El-Ghorri, Jason Mantzoukas, Matthew Baynton, Rosie Ramsey and Stevie Martin battle it out, with Ghosts actor Mathew crowned the winner.

And although season 20’s line-up has only just been announced, with the series yet to air later this year, Alex has already teased the following instalment.

In an interview with Radio Times , he shared: “There are two things that are new. We’re filming somewhere as well as the house – somewhere that’s pretty mad.”

He then added: “And we have a special guest this series from somewhere exotic who you’ll recognise. That’s all I can say.”

He went on to tell the publication: “20’s coming out soon. All going well. We’re just in the middle of filming the next one and I’m still enjoying it. I’m still weirdly finding it exciting.”

Though there’s no telling who that could be, fans were left delighted when the season 20 line-up dropped.

It will see Ania Magliano, Maisie Adam, Phil Ellis, Reece Shearsmith and Sanjeev Bhaskar go head to head to be named champion, while a New Year ’s special is also presumed to air, with past specials having seen the likes of Claudia Winkleman, Sir Mo Farah, Carol Vorderman, Martin Lewis and Rylan Clark take part.

After a teaser showing the five new comedians filming a task for season 20, as part of the line-up announcement, fans were left delighted.

One wrote: “My prayers have been answered I have wanted maisie adam on taskmaster for so long.”

Another said: “Oh this is going to be GOOD!!”

“FINALLY REECE OH MY GOD IVE WAITED MY WHOLE LIFE FOR THIS,” a fourth commented.

Meanwhile, Horrible Histories star Mathew reflected on his win in a recent interview with Metro, and revealed his plans to return.

“I’m just really happy. I was having so much fun…,” he shared.

After a suggestion of returning for the Champion of Champions series, which has the previous winners battle it out against each other, he added: “I did start thinking, oh, it would be really nice [to win] because winning means a repeat of the experience. The number one thing about winning is thinking, Oh, great, I get to go back.

“I guess the only sadness about getting to go back is that I won’t be sat with those guys [the season 19 contestants] because they were so much fun.”

Taskmaster is available to watch on Channel 4.

A Benidorm actress has share some exciting news about a potential new series of the much-loved ITV comedy

A much-loved Benidorm star has given fans a glimmer of hope about the return of the cult ITV comedy series.

Launching in 2007, the show captivated audiences as it charted the hilarious escapades of Brits basking in the sunshine at the Solana Resort. Over its glittering run, Benidorm scooped up numerous accolades including BAFTAs and NTAs, securing its status as a viewer’s delight.

Despite an all-star cast featuring Sheridan Smith, Siobhan Finneran, and Johnny Vegas, the show came to an untimely end after 11 years in 2018, much to devotees’ dismay.

Whispers of a revival have been circulating, spurred on by hints from the cast and even creator Derren Litten himself, reports OK!.

Sherrie Hewson, renowned for her portrayal of Joyce Temple-Savage, dropped a bombshell during her ‘An Evening With Sherrie Hewson’ on Sunday (July 6) in Barnsley. She revealed: “I do know ITV have got new scripts and they love them and think they are wonderful.”

Yet, she tempered expectations by stating: “The problem with Benidorm is that it’s probably one of the most expensive shows ever because it’s in Spain, we have a Spanish crew, we have a British crew, so it costs a fortune to make.”

Still, she remains optimistic, adding: “But it’s on twice a day every day and those ratings are still as high as they ever were, so I think it will [return].”

Fans loyal to Benidorm may just see their beloved characters gracing the screens once again thanks to ITV’s apparent adoration for the new material presented to them.

Sherrie hinted at good news: “And I think they [ITV bosses] love the scripts anyway and Derren said he laughed out loud when he wrote them so I don’t think there’s any question, it’s just when.”

In other news, Benidorm creator Derren Litten had fans buzzing in April when he announced that he is in negotiations with ITV about a potential revival of the fan-favourite show.

During a Facebook Live session reported by The Sun, Derren divulged some tantalising details: “Have I been talking to ITV in the last few months? Yes I have.”

He continued, giving fans a glimmer of hope: “Have ITV commissioned a special or a series at the moment? No. Might they in the next few weeks [or] couple of months? Yeah they might. They might.”

Derren concluded, aiming to uplift fans with anticipation: “So I hope that gives you [the fans] some hope, and I hope that gives you some idea of where we are,” indicating that the beloved sitcom may soon return to the small screen.

Coronation Street’s Maria Connor will be left devastated to learn her husband Gary Windass has been attacked, and now actress Samia Longchambon has teased who did it

There could be a revenge twist looming on Coronation Street as the identity of who attacked Gary Windass is set to come to light.

Maria Connor will be left concerned over her husband’s disappearance in upcoming scenes when she realises something bad has happened. What she doesn’t know though is Gary is in a coma in hospital after being attacked.

While we know Nina Lucas and Summer Spellman are linked to the crime, we have no clue yet as to who committed the assault. That said, spoilers have confirmed Gary’s attacker is covering their tracks, even pretending to be his next of kin as he remains in a coma.

The mystery person has given the hospital a fake identity for Gary too, so Maria and his loved ones have not been informed. Ahead of their identity being revealed to viewers, Maria actress Samia Longchambon has teased what’s really happened to the character.

Ahead of Maria hunting for her missing husband and then eventually finding out he’s been in hospital, the actress teased who could be behind it. She shared: “Maria’s mind is spiralling now but she doesn’t stop for a second to think who actually attacked him and put him in a coma.

READ MORE: Coronation Street Gary Windass faces death as secret attacker covers up grim crime

“She’s aware Gary has got a lot of enemies from over the years who could have potentially wanted to take revenge on him.” So could Gary’s attack be a mystery revenge plot, and is it someone from his past?

Maria will turn to detective Kit Green in upcoming episodes, sure something is terribly wrong. Determined to find him, Samia teased Maria could take matters into her own hands to figure out what has happened.

After an unknown coma patient is found, Maria will be told by Kit that it isn’t Gary. On what’s ahead, Samia spilled: “I think she feels comfort that Kit has assured her that he’ll do everything he can to find Gary, but that absolutely wouldn’t stop Maria from doing everything she can to find him.”

The news about the coma patient not being Gary leaves Maria with mixed emotions as she fears her husband could be dead. Samia explained: “When Maria learns that Gary isn’t the coma patient, she is with Kit and confides in him that she knows it’s awful but she actually wishes it was him just so she knew where he was.

“It’s bittersweet for Maria because she’s of course glad Gary isn’t in a coma, although little does she know he actually is, but at the same time she’s worried even more now because her fear is he could be in a worse condition or even dead.” The disappearance came after Maria and Gary rowed over Lou, while Maria is yet to discover how Lou tried to kiss him before blackmailing him before he left to visit his mother Anna Windass.

But amid her initial thoughts on Gary staying away because of their drama, something leads to Maria panicking. Samia said: “It was definitely when Gary misses Liam’s birthday that Maria starts getting really panicked and nervous.

“She was obviously worried before where he was because he had been gone a long time and was ignoring her messages and phone calls and thought they would have sorted it out long before that. But as soon as he misses Liam’s birthday she absolutely has a gut feeling that something isn’t right and thinks something awful might have happened to him.”

She went on: “She’s really upset that he’s gone but it’s not until he’s been gone too long that she realises something is really wrong and is even more worried. Her emotions turn from being upset about the fact that they’ve fallen out to being worried about his safety.”

Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Love Island star Shaughna Phillips, who only recently announced her pregnancy, teased her baby’s gender in a recent social media post

Love Island star Shaughna Phillips teased the gender of her baby in a social media post shared with fans during a Q&A session. The TV personality, who got pregnant with her second child with boyfriend Billy Webb while he was still serving prison time, announced her pregnancy last week.

During a Q&A with her Instagram followers, one fan asked: “So pleased for you! Are you going to find out the gender?” Shaughna shared a screengrab of herself from a longer video where she was seen with her mouth wide open in shock. She wrote: “We do know the gender, this was my reaction.”

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The star added she’s due to give birth in November but will be undergoing a C-Section after having a ‘rough’ birth with daughter Lucia, who she also shared with convicted drug dealer Billy.

Speaking about Lucia’s birth, she said: “Induction, 2 days labour, pushed for an hour and she was not moving, She got really stressed and was rushed for forceps which FAILED because she turned around, and then she was rushed for an emergency C-Section and ended up with a postpartum haemorrhage.”

The star got pregnant during a brief home visit from her boyfriend Billy Webb – who’s currently serving a nine-year sentence for Class A drug offences.

Billy was sentenced to nine years in prison pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply 4.5 kilograms of cocaine worth at least £360,000.

Shaughna said she planned the pregnancy, even tracking her ovulation to boost her chances of conceiving, but was stunned that her baby dream came true so quickly.

“It was the first time that my ovulation window coincided with Billy being home,” Shaughna said to The Mirror. “I was like, ‘You know what? Why not? Let’s just see’. And literally, the next day, I said to Billy, ‘I think I’m pregnant.’”

Her gut feeling was confirmed ten days later, when multiple pregnancy tests showed up positive. “I found out very, very early on,” she added. “I was doing maybe five tests a day. I’m not even exaggerating.”

Shaughna said Billy, who went to jail in 2023, is allowed out on home visits “a few days” every month.

And while she has so far been forced to raise her daughter as a single parent, the star says Billy is due for early release and should be reunited with his family in time for their new arrival.

“I know the date that he’s due to be home, but I’m not saying it just because anything could happen,” she added. “But hopefully he will be fully home before my baby is due.”

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In the latest episode of The Envelope video podcast, we sit down with “Paradise” creator Dan Fogelman in front of a live audience at the Newport Beach TV Festival to hear what he has planned for Season 2 of Hulu’s buzzy dystopian drama and much more.

Kelvin Washington: Hey, everybody, welcome to this week’s episode of The Envelope. Kelvin Washington here alongside Yvonne Villarreal and Mark Olsen as usual. You two, we want to have a conversation about Emmy nominations. We know they’re gonna be coming up — this will be the last episode before we find out who is nominated — so you got some some bold takes? You got some things on your mind? Don’t roll your eyes!

Yvonne Villarreal: No, not rolling! I’m getting ready. You know, streaming obviously still dominates a lot of the conversation, whether it’s “Severance” or “The Studio.” But I’m going to say, I look forward to seeing my girl Kathy Bates get a nomination for “Matlock” on CBS. That is my prediction and I’m sticking with it.

Washington: All right, Mark, you got a bold one for us?

Olsen: I’m going to go with Matt Berry for “What We Do in the Shadows.” The show just wrapped up its sixth and final season. And he’s just been such a comedic powerhouse on that show. And season after season, he’s been so inventive, so fun. And I just think it’d be great to see him recognized for the totality of the work that he’s done there.

Washington: The person I’m gonna name is in this show you mentioned, “Severance.” Tramell Tillman. Milchick. There’s a moment on my other show that I do, I danced and everyone said, “Oh, you’re Milchick! What do you think, you’re Milchick?” Everyone’s just screaming — it was a whole thing. That was one of the signature moments of the season, I think.

Villarreal: Why don’t you ever do that here?

Washington: First off, it’s early. You don’t know what I’m gonna do the rest of this episode. You don’t know.

Villarreal: I don’t have a drumline here.

Olsen: He’s in the new “Mission: Impossible,” “The Final Reckoning,” and I saw that at a public [screening], and the moment he came onscreen, people cheered in the audience. Like he has such a fan base from the show.

Villarreal: Well earned.

Olsen: Beautiful thing for him! Let’s talk about, you had something cool you got to do, Yvonne, speaking with someone that you’re familiar with, Dan Fogelman, showrunner for “Paradise.” You got to this at the Newport Beach TV Festival, where you sat down and had this conversation in front of a live audience. He got a showrunner of the year award as well. It was really cool, right?

Villarreal: It was very scary. I do like audiences, but I do get a little nervous. Speaking with somebody that I’ve talked to many times helps ease the sort of stage fright there. Dan Fogelman is somebody that I have spoken to a lot of times over the years because I covered “This Is Us” from beginning to end.

And it’s funny because I remember, last year I was on the set of “Only Murders in the Building,” which he is a producer on, and they were filming on the Paramount lot for their sort of trip to L.A. last season. And he had just started production on “Paradise” on the same lot. And he took a break and headed over to our neck of the woods on the Paramount lot to show everybody a cut of a scene that they had just wrapped for “Paradise.” He was so excited to share that with everyone, and he’s like, “Yvonne, you gotta see this, you gotta see this,” and it’s Sterling K. Brown doing a scene and you’re just in awe of it. This show has political intrigue, there’s a murder mystery, there’s the destruction of the planet, and the premise is Sterling K. Brown plays a Secret Service agent who’s accused of killing the president and is sort of trying to unravel who was really at fault here, and that’s just on the surface. There’s a lot more to it than that because Dan Fogelman is known for his twists, and he didn’t disappoint here. So it was really fun to unpack that with him in front of an audience

Washington: A whole lot of twists in that show, for sure. All right, without further ado, let’s get to that chat with Dan Fogelman. Here’s Yvonne.

Sterling K. Brown in “Paradise.”

(Brian Roedel / Disney)

Villarreal: Dan and I go way back.

Fogelman: “This Is Us” days.

Villarreal: I had the great privilege of covering “This Is Us” from beginning to end. And that show, I would often come to you and say, “Why are you making me cry?” And “Can you make me cry some more?” This show, it was very much, “What is going on here?” Talk about the genesis of this show, because it actually predates “This Is Us,” the kernel of the idea.

Fogelman: I’d started thinking about this show long before “This Is Us.” When I was a young writer in Hollywood, they start sending you on all these “general” meetings, which is, basically, you go to meetings with important people with no agenda. And it can be a very awkward dance. You tell your same origin story a hundred times. At one of these meetings, I was meeting with a captain of industry, a very important person. As that person was speaking to me, I was not hearing anything he or she was saying. I was calculating how much money I thought they were worth. I was thinking, “Is this a billionaire? Am I in the room with a billionaire?” And on the way home — this was a long time ago — it was in the shadow of 9/11, and a nearby construction site dropped something, and it made a loud boom, one of those booms that shakes you for a second, and I thought to myself, “Wow, when the s— really hits the fan, that guy’s gonna be as screwed as all the rest of us, because all the people that must take care of him are going to run after taking care of their own people.”

I started thinking about that. I started to think about a Secret Service agent and a president, somebody whose job it is to take a bullet. And this idea of telling a murder mystery of an ex-president underground and learning later that the world has ended above. That was the impetus behind it. I kind of put it away. I wrote “This Is Us.” I talked with some big sci-fi writers about the idea, thinking maybe I could produce it for somebody better than me to make it. And then when “This Is Us” ended, I was like, “I’m gonna try and do that one.” And so it took like 15 years to come back around.

Villarreal: What do you remember about those conversations with the other sci-fi writers?

Fogelman: People thought, “Oh, that’s a cool idea.” But that’s as far as it goes because that’s lot of work to then figure out the cool idea. And that became the problem with this show. I wrote it and I had to sit down and figure out how we were going to do it, and what was the tone going to be, and what were the twists and turns. They all kind of said, “Thanks but no thanks,” because it seemed really hard, I think. I just waited and did it. It takes a while and it takes a village; it takes a lot of writers sitting with you and figuring out how to shape the world.

Villarreal: How much was it tugging at you during “This Is Us”?

Fogelman: During “This Is Us,” I was pretty in “This Is Us” and a couple of other projects at the time. The last two years were like fraught with COVID, and there was no more in-person stuff, and everybody was wearing masks on set. It was a really tough two years of a six-year show. At the end, in the final season, we did 18 episodes and I had 18 Post-it notes on my wall in my office, and each time I would finish a script, I would “X” it out. And each time I’d finish an edit, I’d “X” it out. Because that was how much left I had to do. They’re still on my wall in my office to this day because it was so exhausting and it was such a big accomplishment to just be done with that, when it was over, I was like, “Oh, now’s the part where I take the Post-it notes off the wall.” And I never did. They’re just still hanging on by a thread there. But then I took a break for six months, and I started getting the itch to write something. That idea kept poking through and poking through. I just wrote it without telling anybody first.

Villarreal: One of my favorite things about a creator like Dan, a writer like Dan, is you’re that person who likes to watch people watch something. During “This Is Us,” I remember you would be so excited about a scene or something, and you’d be like, “You gotta see this,” and you would screen it in the next room. “Paradise” too — when “Only Murders in the Building” was shooting on the Paramount lot for their trip to L.A., you were doing “Paradise” at the same time, and you took a break to sort of come see the set of “Only Murders,” which you’re an executive producer on. And you had this scene with Sterling and you wanted to show it.

But you were hesitant about pitching this to Sterling, which I’m sort of surprised by because I think you know when something’s good. Talk a little bit about what made you nervous about giving it to him and what he would say.

Fogelman: I’m a person who operates off of obligation. My best friend, [who] gave a speech at my wedding, said, “You can ask Dan for anything and he’ll feel too guilty not to do it.” He’s like, “He’s my ride home tonight” — that was his joke at my wedding. I felt worried that Sterling would feel obligated after “This Is Us.” When we ended “This Is Us,” I remember very vividly Sterling wrapping, and I did a little impromptu quick thing when he was wrapping and I was like, “Sterling, you go out in the world now and make us proud.” We could all see what’s coming for Sterling and what remains to be coming for him. I was like, “Go win your Oscars. Don’t forget us when you’re even more famous” — that kind of thing. To come back to him a year and a half later with a script for another TV show with the same guy, I wasn’t worried that he wouldn’t like it; I was worried that it would put him in a weird position. He was so gracious. I sent it to him. I had written it picturing Sterling but never vocalizing that to myself. Then I started letting friends read it to get their feedback, and they’re like, “Did you develop this with Sterling, or was it his idea?” And I was like, “No, I’ve never talked to Sterling about this.” And it started occurring to me that if I didn’t get Sterling, I had a huge problem because that is who I’ve been picturing. I sent it to him, and he read it that day and called me back and said, “Tell me where it goes” — because obviously if you watch the pilot, it doesn’t tell you a lot about where it’s going. I gave him the broad strokes of where it was going for three seasons. I said: “It’s three seasons, I want to shoot it in L.A. Here’s what the arc of it is. Here’s where it’s going. Here’s what happened in the world.” And he said, “I’m in.” We just kind of shook hands. And that day we were off to the races.

Villarreal: What did he think about the twists in that first episode?

Fogelman: Sterling emotes, right? Sterling will come into the writers’ room — he’s an executive producer on the show — and if you pitch him something surprising, he falls to the floor and rolls on his back like a golden retriever. He reacts and he emotes. So, he was really into it. He had the same question I think everybody had after the pilot, which is, “What happens now?” I kind of had the rough answers. As you know, he’s the best guy. I was just outside, and somebody was asking me, like, “How do you get Julianne Nicholson and James Marsden to do your show?” I’m like, “Well, it helps if you already have Sterling K. Brown because they all want to work with Sterling.” And hopefully they tolerate me and the script. It’s been a gift with him.

Villarreal: You said Sterling sort of became the person you were thinking about as it evolved. How did you decide who should be which characters? Why was Sterling right for Xavier? Why was Julianne right for this tech billionaire?

Fogelman: There’s not a lot of art to it. You just kind of see it in your brain a little bit. Sterling I’d worked with, I had known Julianne and James from their work, not personally. The other actors in the show, for the most part, I’d known of their work or whatnot. Most of them read, and when you’re doing this job, a big part of your job is you see a lot of really beautiful, talented people read the same lines of dialogue. And your job is to think, “Which person fits it? And which person makes it most interesting?” Jon Beavers, who plays Billy Pace, was an actor I didn’t know. And I really wanted him from the moment I saw him on tape. I was like, “This is the guy for that part.” But I knew, because it was only four episodes, that there might be a clamoring for a bigger name in the part. Because it would be possible. Because you could go cast anybody because it’s a month of work if they were willing to pay him. And so Jon came in and he read and he read again. And then you get to a part where it’s like chemistry tests. And he was reading with Nicole [Brydon Bloom] and a couple of other people who [were in the running to] play Jane. And I just loved him. He walked out of the room at the end of it, and I ran out after him and I said, “Jon, would you ever look at a new scene that I haven’t given you yet? It’s from the fourth episode, and you’ve only got the pilot to audition off of.” I knew the scene was big, and I wanted to have a piece of material that would be undeniable if I needed it to win with the powers that be. And Jon sat with the scene for three minutes and came in to me and said, “I’m ready.” And he came in, and it became his big scene right before his death in the show where he confronts Julianne’s character, Sinatra. And actually, when I first Zoomed with Julianne, I showed her the scene. I was like, you want to see something cool? This guy did this in three minutes without any preparation and look how good it is. And so part of it is just like a gut instinct or really liking somebody for it. And I had that with everybody in the cast on this one.

Should I be funnier? I feel like I should be funny.

Villarreal: Do you have a Sterling story?

Fogelman: What’s my best Sterling story…

Villarreal: He’s bare naked in this.

Fogelman: Oh, my God. When I first showed him — because Sterling takes eight years to watch or read anything, except for this pilot. And it drives me crazy because I want Sterling to like it, and I’m very excited. I’m like, “Have you seen the second episode?” He’s like, “I haven’t had time, man.” I’m like, “You haven’t had time to watch a 50-minute episode of television? It’s been a month!” And it drives you crazy. But then he finally saw that third episode and he was like, “Dan, all anyone’s going to talk about is my ass. Is it gonna be released in the first batch of episodes?” ’Cause he went a hundred years down the road and was seeing the press where they always wanted to ask a question about his ass. But he loves it. He’s so proud of it. And the first person to see “Paradise” was my mother-in-law [and wife]. I showed them the first three episodes at home before anyone had seen it. [My mother-in-law] had lived and breathed “This Is Us” with me; my wife was in the show. And when that part came on, the shower, she started fanning herself. And she said “Oh, Sterling!” That made him very happy. That was his proudest moment of the show, I think.

Villarreal: This show is marketed as a political thriller, and the question that looms over the season is, “Who killed the president?” But then you get to the final moments of that season opener and you realize, “OK, there’s a lot more to this. This seemingly all-American town is really this community carved under a Colorado mountain after an apocalyptic event.” What was going through your mind in terms of how to piece it out? How meticulous were you in the edit — like, is this is revealing too much too soon?

Fogelman: It’s less in the edit, because at the edit you’re already pretty bound to what you’ve scripted, but it was in the writing stages. My intent for the show was that in the first season of eight episodes, we were going to provide answers every week, ask new questions and hopefully have provided a complete meal by the end of the season where, for the most part, I think any question you’ve been asking in the course of the first series of the show is answered by the end of the season. I was very clinical about that. I get frustrated when shows give you too much too quickly but also when they withhold for too long. I thought, for this one, I wanted to be really calculated about it. In the second episode, you start learning, “Oh, wow, the world really did end, something catastrophic happened” and you’re learning more about Sinatra; in the opening sequence of [Episode] 2, Sinatra is telling all these other scientists that something imminent is coming for the world. We would constantly, in the writers’ room, put ourselves in the minds of the television audience. If I was watching at home, I’d say, “Oh, they’re all in the ‘Truman Show’; this is all fake, it’s a social experiment.” At what point do we get rid of that theory for the audience? At what point do we tell the audience and show the audience what actually happened on the day the world ended? And so that was really calculated with how we were gonna parse it out.

Villarreal: The press get episodes ahead of time. But it was interesting watching people watch it week to week and see their reactions on social media. The show launched with three episodes, then it switched to weekly. How much were you involved in those discussions about starting with three episodes at launch?

Fogelman: That was a big conversation. I’ve got a great studio and network who involve me in the conversations. I don’t know if I could move the needle if I disagreed strongly with anything, but they at least involve me. My first instinct had been, “Let’s let the pilot be the only thing that gets put out in the world and let people talk about it and what that ending says.” But then you have to acknowledge the fact that people are being served television in just a very different way these days. The whole point of the show is I wanted to make something that was hopefully artful and well done but also propulsive, and you don’t want to frustrate people. We’re accustomed to hitting that drip of next episode, next episode. So while I did want that week-to-week build and momentum, I was also aware we have to give them a little bit more to hook them in. And ultimately you trust the people that are like, “We know how things play.” I wanted this show to get seen. That was a big conversation: Was it one episode? Was it two? Or was it three? Ultimately, they decided three. The downside of that is you get less weeks to build the momentum of a television show that people are starting to talk about. It worked in our favor this time. I think it’s what we’re going to do this coming season, most likely. We do it on “Only Murders” as well — release two or three up top. I did “This Is Us” and other network television shows where it was like, you know when “This Is Us” launched, it had that big twist ending, and then people sat on it for a week and talked. But it was a different time. It was 2016, and we were not as on that Netflix kind of drip of just sitting like hamsters hitting the dopamine button. You have to weigh that. I love a weekly release. My whole goal with this show was to capture a small sliver of the zeitgeist where people could be talking about something, hypothesizing and talking, and I knew that required a weekly release. But how many [episodes to launch with] to get people like locked and loaded was a big debate.

Villarreal: What was the episode or the moment that you were most eager to see how people responded to?

Fogelman: So, my process always has been, I find strangers — I could pick out 20; I try and have them vetted by people who know them, so friends of my writers, friends of actors — and I start bringing them into my edit bay early and screen for them. There’s this old screening process that used to happen in television and film, which is really bad, because you just literally give people dials. You guys familiar with this? You give people dials and you say, “When are you liking something? Turn up your dial.” All you’ll hear is they don’t like that actor, they don’t like that moment. And I’m like, “Well, yeah, the grandfather was dying. I don’t expect them to be going, ‘Weeeee!’” It was a very broken system. But I do believe in screening stuff for people and seeing how they react, even if you’re not going to change it; even if you go, “Well, you’re stupid, you don’t get how brilliant I am.” I bring people into my edit bay all the time and strangers who sign [nondisclosure agreements] — I would do that on “This Is Us,” I did that here. I was very interested to see what happened at the end of the pilot to people. Are they following it? Are they following the ending the right way, the way I want them to? After that, you would start hearing murmurings in the room as the camera’s rising and as the guy’s going “the world’s ending” and they realize they’re underground. After, I will say things like, “When did you start realizing something was amiss? Did any of you get ahead of it?” I will get a little bit more granular. It was exciting in the fourth episode when we killed a character, watching an audience in my small little edit bay, watching them go with that episode, knowing we were about to pull the rug out from under them. And that they were going to have a reaction — that was exciting. It’s exciting when it goes the way you want it to go. They were turning to me going, “You motherf—, you can’t!” You’re like, “Oh, good. That’s good. That’s a good day at work!” Watching people watch that last episode and feeling them move with the explosions, that’s my most exciting thing. I started doing films, and this experience of communally watching stuff you don’t get in television. For me, you get limited opportunities to watch people react to the thing that you slave over every detail of as a group. I have 300 people making our TV show right now, and we never get to see people watch it. That’s a really exciting part.

Villarreal: Fans are so savvy — they can rewatch, they can zoom in, they can pause and really look at details. Are you ever worried they’re going to get to the mystery before you’ve gotten there?

Fogelman: I screen ad nauseam. As an example, in our premiere, there’s an assassination attempt of the president in the premiere, and the guy doing the assassination attempt is a character that hides in plain sight throughout the series; then we get to the end, and that’s the murderer.

Villarreal: Spoiler alert.

Fogelman: But that actor’s mother, or longtime manager, was at the premiere and said to the actor, “I wish I got to see an episode you were in.” And he was like, “I was in that episode.” And she said, “What?” We do that level of testing where we feel pretty confident when it’s going out in the world, it’s not gonna get spoiled. But we were locking our pilot, the first episode, before Christmas, to air in January, and the big expensive shot was the big final shot that goes up and reveals the inner workings of the dome. I showed my brother-in-law and my sister-in law. My brother-in-law had taken way too many weed gummies, so he wasn’t the best audience, but at the end, he’s like, “Are they in outer space?” I kind of was like, “You’re so stoned. You need to stop with the weed gummies.” But then somebody else in the room was like, “Oh, I thought that for a second.” I went back into my writers; I was like, “Go screen it for your families more.” And one out of every 20 persons was having a misunderstanding that they were in a space station. So we went back and we spent a fortune — I had people work over the holidays because I got more granular. I was like, “What is it that’s saying space station to people?” And it was these red lights we had combined with a couple of other different lighting choices, and we went to the drawing board with our visual effects to make sure there was no confusion about what was going on at the end of it. I’ve always said good television is made by people who take it way too seriously. And I have like 20 people in my writers’ room and 300 people on my crew that take it really seriously and that’s part of it.

Villarreal: How does it compare to sort of the secrecy that surrounded “This Is Us”? There were red scripts, there were NDAs.

Fogelman: The world has moved faster now, so I’m less worried about it. “This Is Us” was an anomaly because it was so in the zeitgeist for a moment — “How did he die? What were the secrets?” But it was also so early in this moment of the internet and spoilers and whatnot that now I’ve kind of chilled out a little bit. I do “Only Murders in the Building,” and the showrunner of that show, John Hoffman, is very frenetic all the time that if one little Easter egg is in a trailer, it’s going to ruin the surprise for everybody. And I worry a little bit less now, maybe because I’m old and lazy, but I worry a little less. I think the media is pretty forgiving. I watch “Survivor,” it’s my favorite show, and I’m so tired of those blurbs you see on your timeline that they show the face of the person who got voted out the night before; it drives me absolutely insane. I have to like blur my vision all the time. I hate it. But I think for the most part, the media’s done a better job [with] if there’s a spoiler, you’re going to have to dig for it as opposed to it being accidentally in your face. I thought “White Lotus,” did it [well]; everybody was really responsible with it this year.

Villarreal: Inherent to this apocalyptic event is this idea of starting over, starting fresh and trying to correct some of the mistakes or errors of the past. What intrigued you about those existential questions at play here?

Fogelman: I think we’re all there a little bit right now. I had this idea 15 years ago, and the idea that everything was changing and it was quicksand under our feet was a little less prevalent back then. I was very drawn into the early years of “The Walking Dead” — those early seasons of that show were so good because ultimately it wasn’t about zombies or apocalypse, it was about, “If the s— hits your fan, what levels will you go to to protect the people you love? How far would you break bad?” I was interested in that notion. I was interested in the notion of putting a really good man in the center of it as opposed to an antihero. Because Sterling exudes decency as a human being, and this character is so hard and quiet and [an] old-school action hero. I was curious about what it was like to put that guy in that world, so that appealed to me.

I went to a little carnival recently, and my little boy wanted to get a balloon animal. He was really patiently waiting in line for the balloon animal. And I was watching him, and he was really patiently just waiting and waiting, and this mother kept coming over and bringing multiple kids and cutting the line in front of him because her kid was in front him, and she kept bringing friends and other kids. And I was using it as a case study and I was watching my little boy; I’m like, “I wonder how he’s gonna react.” He stood there patiently, but the balloon animal guy said “five more minutes and I’m packing up.” I was like, “Oh, is he gonna run out of time?” I was originally watching it as a case study on my little boy. Then I started filling with rage. And I was like, “I’m going to kill this woman. I’m going to have to go over and be the parent who says, ‘Excuse me, ma’am, your children are not in line for the balloon animal. My son is.’” And I was like, “No, don’t do it, don’t do it.” It fascinated me what started happening in me as I held back and didn’t say anything. And he got his balloon animal. He’s a spoiled little brat. He’s fine. But that stuff really intrigues me, especially if you raise the stakes to end of the world and all of that.

Villarreal: What did it make you think about in terms of the lengths you’ll go to?

Fogelman: I think we’d all go to extraordinary lengths. And whereas “The Walking Dead” focused on that, this focuses a little bit more on what the people in power do. As you learn more about Julianne’s character, Sinatra, [the question becomes], “What length will you go to save not just your own family but a portion of humanity? What are the right things to do in these situations?” And so it takes my balloon animal story and puts it on steroids a little. And that was really interesting to me.

Villarreal: Speaking of case studies, I feel like we’re living a case study right now in terms of a president and the people around him and the influence or power that they have. And obviously [the show] predates some of the [recent] headlines — whether it’s Trump and Elon Musk or whomever. What was the research you were seeing about the power dynamics in a role like that that were interesting to you at the time?

Fogelman: That really caught us off guard, the Elon Musk-president relationship, because there was one point in our third episode where, in a flashback, Julianne [as Sinatra] walks into the Oval Office from a side room, and I remember having my bulls— meter going off on my own television show going like, “Is this realistic? She’s not the chief of staff of this guy. Could she really be walking in and out of the Oval Office?” And lo and behold, here we are, all this time later. So I was like, “I guess it’s realistic.” Our research was actually somewhat more focused on the logistics of building a bunker city, of governing in a bunker city, of, “What would the electric vehicles be like? How would they source food and clothing?” There are so many more answers hidden in the production design of the show than you actually see onscreen. We had a dissertation written by a professor of sociology on how the best way to govern would be. A benevolent dictatorship was deemed the best form of government for this particular situation by people who said, “How would you keep people alive and in a functional way?” I’m not talking in the United States, I’m talking about in this bunker city. That’s what we think in our mind’s eye Sinatra had the research to see and say, “I’m going to try and do the right thing for all these people down below as best I can and try and keep the people at bay.” We did a lot of research on governance, on infrastructure, on things about nuclear and thermal energy that I can’t fathom nor understand, but that my writers all understood — how the place was powered and all of that. A little less on power dynamics between billionaires and power just because I think you kinda know what that is. It’s a lot of people in a room who are used to being the only person who everybody listens to.

Villarreal: But also, who do you trust? Cal [the president, played by James Marsden] has Xavier, he’s got Sinatra. It’s interesting to see whose input he takes in.

Fogelman: And ultimately, we try and make everybody fallible, but also everybody kind of have a point of view and a place where they’re coming from. I think in the second season of the show, you’ll see where Sinatra was coming from on the big picture even more. You kind of know where Marsden’s coming from, you know where Sterling’s coming form, and those are all the people pushing against one another in the show.

Villarreal: No matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on, I feel like everybody feels like we’re in a doomsday situation at the moment and change is needed. How do you create escapist TV at a time like this where people have issues on either side?

Fogelman: I remember when the show was coming out, having a degree of concern about that, just based off the timing and things I couldn’t control. We’ve been here in different ways before. When you look at all the periods of history, it always felt at different points of our history, like, “Oh my, wow, the sky is really falling. This is for real this time. This isn’t like it was for our parents’ generation or the generation before; this is worse.” The X factor right now that’s making people say, “No, this is the one that’s the worst” is the technology has shifted so dramatically. When the Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated, it was with a single person. Now those single people have much more scary stuff. The technology and the AI is much scarier. I wanted to make something that had climate change as a factor, but I also wanted to create a scenario that wouldn’t be the one that would keep people up at night. This is an extreme kind of worst-case scenario fluke occurrence that could happen. It’s based in some science, but it’s not the most likely way the world is going to end. We were trying to find ways so it could be palatable.

Villarreal: Thanks for that assurance because that was my concern. How likely is this to happen?

Fogelman: We have a writer on our show who’s one of the foremost experts on climate change.

Villarreal: Please talk about that.

Fogelman: Stephen Markley. He wrote a novel recently — it’s a masterpiece of a novel. He was hired for the show because of it — called “The Deluge.” Part of entertainment is we created a big tsunami and a big crazy action-adventure episode of television. The reality of climate change will happen quickly, but in less world-encompassing kind of ways. And if we don’t get on top of it, it’s a huge, huge catastrophe waiting to happen. As an example, and Stephen covers this in his book: I’m by no means a climate-change expert, but a lot of us roll our eyes when we talk about six inches of sea-level rise because it doesn’t seem like the thing that’s going to necessarily end the world. But along with the many, many, many, things that come along with that, when that inevitably happens, if we don’t stop, when parts of Miami go underwater, it won’t be a drowning of a half of a state or a city necessarily, because it will happen slowly and then quickly. What will happen is, as we’ve seen out here in California with the fires, you’re talking about an economic and housing collapse that will dwarf anything we saw in 2008. If you think about how hard it is to get your home insured now in California, just wait. That’s the stuff that’s less sexy than a tsunami sweeping over a 400-story building. But unless we get our heads out of our asses, it’s coming. Our balancing act is, “How do we make something not pedantic, make it entertainment, make it so that you can do it, but also maybe shake people a little at the same time?”

Villarreal: The conversations in that writers’ room must be insane — just TED Talks all the time.

Fogelman: It’s also a lot of fart jokes. It’s a nice balance. But it’s a heady, heady place. Season 2 deals with a lot really heady stuff, and I try and understand it as best I can and then let the smart people battle it out.

Villarreal: I want to get into some of the details of the show because details make everything. Can you talk to me about why Wii?

Fogelman: We just thought it was funny. But also, in Season 2, you’ll learn the origin of the Wii for Jane. Our sixth episode that we’re shooting right now actually is called “Jane,” and it’s her backstory episode.

Villarreal: How about the fries? How did you land on the cashew cheese fries?

Fogelman: We landed on the fries primarily because we decided there would be no dairy down below because having real dairy would require so much maintenance of chickens and eggs and infrastructure and animals and cows that it wouldn’t be feasible. Cashew and nut cheese was the thing that they would put on cheese fries. We thought it was an interesting way of making it a key clue in the show, but that also tied into where they were and what they don’t have.

Villarreal: Are we going to learn any of the other songs on Cal’s mixtape? Are they important?

Fogelman: No, there is another song that plays heavily towards the end of our season from his oeuvre of music, but no. We’re actually getting very Elvis-heavy [in] Season 2, not related to Cal’s music. That’s a little bit of a spoiler.

Villarreal: Can you talk about Phil Collins of it all and finding that cover? Was it originally like, “We want the Phil Collins version”? Or “We want this really eerie, scary version”?

Fogelman: Originally, the show was called “Paradise City,” and the song at the end was Guns N’ Roses’ “Paradise City.” Then I soured on it as a title and it made the song being the song less important. When I got my first editor’s cut of the pilot, she had found that cover — Julia [Grove], our editor — and put it in. And I was like, “Oh, yeah, that’s it. That’s the one.” In my mind, I always thought it would probably be a cover of one of those two songs. I don’t know why, because there’s something about ’80s music — you’re really on a fine line when you use it on a show or in a movie; it can get funny quickly, even if accidentally. Like, “We Built This City,” if you put that in without it being a cover, it makes you smile, but maybe in the wrong way in the genre of television. We felt that it would be good to use covers from the very beginning that could evoke the songs but kind of transform them a little bit.

Villarreal: This show has you thinking about budgets in a different way because you’re dealing with special effects or action scenes in a way you weren’t on “This Is Us.” What’s a scene from the series we’d be surprised got a lot of notes because you have to be like, “I don’t know if we can do it this grand because this is what we’re working with…”?

Fogelman: We never got that. We have a really great studio and network that work with us. We’re given the money we have, and then it’s how we choose to use it. We knew Episode 7 was going to be an expensive episode for us where you show the world actually ending. So what we would do is on Episodes 5 and 6, if we needed to cut a corner here or there, we would do that to save up the money for that. But we never really had that on this show. We also stayed on budget. I’m sure we would have had that if we were over budget, but we never really had that.

Villarreal: You’re about to get the showrunner of the year award, and as a fellow writer who’s very fearful of ever becoming management, I’m very interested to know how your creative process has changed since becoming a showrunner.

Fogelman: It’s a big job. I don’t always relish it. I was with a group of showrunners the other night for a different thing, and we were all just lamenting how exhausted and miserable we all were — in a funny way, because we also all love it. The management is tough. You’re the CEO of a large company. I say 200, 300 people, [but] it’s really 1,000 people when you talk about the people who day play and do special effects and visual effects and all of the stuff. It’s a lot of bodies, and you’re managing a lot of people, and managing people is the hardest part of your job. It takes up a lot time. I don’t go to set very much anymore. I did at the beginning of my showrunning career because I felt like I should and because I wanted to be there because I was the boss. And I started realizing it was just not a good use of my time. I mainly focus on writing, breaking the episodes, writing them and editing them, and that’s where my time goes. But you need to be there for people. On any given day, there’s somebody on your crew who’s not happy with something, and you’re putting out those fires. It’s a tremendous amount of work. One of the things that’s been striking to me, and I say this to people all the time, is, at the end of “This Is Us,” I would make gestures to people who worked on the show, whatever they were, but what would stand out more than anything, and I always felt like it was doing so little, [was] to write somebody a note on stationery. And I was constantly struck by how much it meant to people to be individually seen. People are really kind of lovely and great and don’t require that much. They just wanna be seen and they want their work to be seen. And it’s the difference between writing a little note to somebody that says, “You’re doing a great job” versus “I saw what you did on Tuesday, on Thursday, with that scene, and it’s not lost on me, and I see you, and I appreciate you.” It takes one minute of my time, but I’ve learned how meaningful it can be to people. You try to be better at it and then you inevitably fail. If you were a decent person, you go home and you’re scolding yourself, but it’s been an eye-opening, weird experience.

Villarreal: Well, before we wrap, I know we talked earlier backstage that you’re about halfway through shooting Season 2. What can you share?

Fogelman: I’m really excited about it. I just started editing. Like you said, I show people stuff all too much. And so I’ve just started editing the first two [episodes] and they’re really good.

Villarreal: How soon do things pick up?

Fogelman: Right after. It’s a slightly different show at times in the second season in that part of the season lives outside in the world. We’ve lived almost entirely claustrophobically inside the bunker [so far], and we do live there a lot in [Season 2] and pick up directly from where we left that world. But you’re also living in Sterling’s story and the story of the people he comes across, and those stories eventually collide. It’s a different, exciting show. Shailene Woodley joins the cast this year. I just wrote her a note. She’s extraordinary in the show. I’m really excited for people to see her in it. When you’re doing something different, it’s exciting and daunting, and that’s the best kind of feeling. You’re like, “Oh, I’m not dead inside. I’m very excited about this season.”

Villarreal: Is there something that won’t make sense now but will when we watch?

Fogelman: Elvis.

Villarreal: Any other people from “This Is Us” making an appearance?

Fogelman: Right now, yes, there’s a few. I’m careful about it because I don’t want it to get distracting with Sterling. I did a show called “Galavant,” and one of my actors in it, Tim Omundson, was one of my favorite actors ever, and he had a part in “This Is Us” and now is joining in a part here. There’s another one that I think they’ll yell at me if I announce it, but it’s smaller. I’m always looking at stuff to do with those guys. I just saw Mandy [Moore] and Chris Sullivan the other day, and I’m always looking for stuff for those guys; Milo [Ventimiglia] and Justin [Hartley] and all those guys.

U and U&Drama’s new historical series Outrageous has scored rave reviews, but will the Mitford sisters’ story continue?

The cast of Outrageous are all keen to return for a second series of the gripping historical drama following its premiere this week.

Releasing this Thursday (19th June) on U, U&Drama and BritBox, the six-part first outing follows Nancy Mitford (played by Bessie Carter) and her five sisters’ ascent to notoriety in the 1930s.

While Nancy was becoming a reputable author and journalist, her sisters were either breaking the rules of society or rubbing shoulders with fascists.

After taking off the rose-tinted glasses for a key era of British history, will Outrageous continue the scandalous narrative in a second outing?

Acclaimed star James Purefoy, who portrays the Mitfords’ father, insists: “They’d be mad not to, I think.”

Reach chatted to Purefoy and the rest of the cast at the show’s London premiere, and enthusiasm to continue was high across the board.

“I think it’s a great show and there’s a lot more meat on these bones,” he continued. “We’re only at 1937, with loads more to come.”

Along with Bridgerton star Carter portraying Nancy, the Mitford family is brought to life by a crop of both established stars and new talent to watch out for.

In addition to Anna Chancellor portraying their dedicated mother, Joanna Vanderham and Shannon Watson portray fascist sympathisers Diana and Unity and Isobel Jesper Jones plays Pamela Mitford, who defied gender norms of the time.

Zoe Brough and Orla Hill portray the youngest sisters, Jessica and Deborah and, finally, Toby Regbo portrays the only brother, Tom Mitford.

Jones teases of a potential second season: “There is so much history to cover. It’s the tip of the iceberg, there’s so much more they go on to do.

“Pamela’s story, in particular, is so interesting beyond the 1930s. I really hope that we’ll get to do that. If anything it gets more chaotic and more outrageous.”

And Hill was equally enthusiastic to return, saying: “I would love to.

“I’m desperate to because Deborah starts to come out to society and then had a crazy, teenage… her sweet 16 was pretty [crazy], hanging out with the Kennedys.

“One of the most interesting things about Outrageous is you have all those really famous historical figures that we know just trickling in,” she added.

“Having some of that for my character’s storyline would be really fun.”

From the first episode’s surprise appearance of Winston Churchill (Robert Daws), it’s clear the Mitfords were one of the most well-connected families in Britain during the early 20th Century.

With plenty more history to cover, a second season could feature cameos galore from famous faces as well as plenty more scandalous revelations about the Mitfords.

Outrageous is available to stream on U, U&Drama and BritBox.

EastEnders actress Kitty Castledine has teased what’s ahead for Penny Branning, with her co-star Jacqueline Jossa hinting at a love triangle with Harry Mitchell

There could be a big love triangle on EastEnders, with one star teasing things could get awkward for Penny Branning.

The actress playing her, Kitty Castledine, has confessed huge storylines are on the way, hinting the soap was about to get “better and better”. With that, her co-star Jacqueline Jossa hinted Kitty’s character Penny would be caught up in a love triangle.

Speaking exclusively to The Mirror at the British Soap Awards, Kitty addressed whether Penny and Harry Mitchell would give romance another go. But amid another character possibly also getting involved, it seems a triangle is on the cards.

As we asked Kitty and Jacqueline about the Penny and Harry romance, both appeared to confirm the storyline would be revisited. It’s then that Jacqueline told us: “I can sense a little triangle coming. I say no more.”

Pressed for who the other character was who might be involved with Harry, both stars declined to reveal all. But when asked if romance could be on the cards, Kitty told us: “It’s EastEnders so probably!”

READ MORE: EastEnders surprise return causes devastation for Elaine as world turned upside down

We also got Kitty’s take on Nicola Mitchell amid her villainous ways. But the actress isn’t put off from having Penny go head-to-head in scenes with Harry’s mother, after recent drama in Walford.

In fact, Kitty confessed that while it might not be the best idea for Penny to dabble with the Mitchells, she thinks conflict between the women would be “great”. Jacqueline confessed she’d love to see Penny in with the family, battling with Nicola over Harry – while it wouldn’t exactly end well given what happened to Harry’s ex Shireen.

Kitty told us of wanting to work more with Nicola actress Laura Doddington: “Scenes with Nicola could be great. The thing is, they butt heads because they are quite similar. They’ve got similar attitudes.”

Ready for the action, Jacqueline added: “I think we would want to see it. I’d wanna see it.” As for what’s coming up on the BBC soap as a new Executive Producer takes over, Kitty teased there would good things to come.

She shared: “The show is in a good place, and it is only going to get better from here.” Jacqueline also teased big returns on the way amid rumours that Max and Oscar Branning will be back.

Jacqueline told us: “I’ve heard some rumbles. I heard Kate Oates’ source say maybe there are gonna be some returns and for me that excites me, whoever it is.” While she did not give away who was coming back, she seemed to give away it’s more than one character.

The actress also hinted there were massive plots on the way, teasing where the show will be at in six months time. She teased: “I’m a massive fan of the show. I am so excited for [what’s happening], cut to 6 months time, where the show will be [in six months time]. It excites me. You don’t know but we know, it’s very exciting.”

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .