For 10 days, the center of the cinematic universe is the Toronto International Film Festival, whose closest geographical landmark is currently a ludicrous controversy.
“Welcome to TIFF and welcome to the beautiful shore of — say it with me — Lake Ontario,” festival CEO Cameron Bailey said on opening night as he introduced “Being Heumann,” director Sian Heder’s crowd-pleasing follow-up to her best picture Oscar-winner “CODA.”
The crowd said it back. Google Maps, however, insists that the festival is actually a 15-minute stroll to Lake America. I’ve yet to hear a single person call it that without an eyeroll.
What’s in a name? Last year in the spirit of patriotism, my favorite Toronto coffee shop taped over the menu listing for its Americano to re-dub it a Canadiano. This fall, the sign has returned to Americano. Taking a pause from politics, I ordered a flat white.
Yet, the festival’s programmers seem to be decentralizing their attention-hogging neighbors to the south. Typically, TIFF is a launch pad for awards contenders. But there are fewer high profile Hollywood filmmakers this year than usual — which was also the case in Cannes. Perhaps these international festivals are testing their own waters to see if they’re obliged to invite Americans to their party.
Instead, the Toronto line-up boasts pointed films about fascism. On its surface, Michaël R. Roskam’s “Le Faux Soir” is a procedural account of how a network of rebels in occupied Belgium published its own parody issue of a pro-Nazi newspaper on the 25th anniversary of Armistice Day in 1943. Most of the script’s energy goes to talking about typesetting and rotary press flongs, but right before the end credits roll, “Le Faux Soir” blurts out its timeliness about combating Le Fox News with comedy. Metaphorically alluding to the satirical newspaper “The Onion,” the narrator says that to pull off this operation, the team had to stick together like layers of an onion: “Never forget, onion is strength.”
Plenty of local comedies abound, including “The Stunt Driver” by Michael Dowse (“Goon”), an energetic biopic about Ken “The Mad Canadian” Carter, the ’70s speedster who vowed to vault across the mile-wide river between Ottawa and New York in a rocket-powered Lincoln Continental. The site of Carter’s jump is four hours away from the fest, although at his car’s top speed of 280 mph, you could get there in less than one. Safer just to enjoy Jay Baruchel’s funny and endearing portrait of a reckless risk-taker who hates being called a daredevil as much as he resents Ben Foster’s Evel Knievel attempting to give him some advice. “Canadians are God’s chosen people,” Carter growls defiantly. “The last thing we need is a Yankee doodle dandy telling us how to do our jobs.”
It’s also possible that this year’s lack of big films — unlike 2025’s “Frankenstein,”“The Smashing Machine” and “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” — is just a reflection of the industry’s changing tides. Two of the buzziest guests at this year’s fest have been Inde Navarrette of the micro-budget horror hit “Obsession,” which premiered at last year’s TIFF, and British Columbia-born Hudson Williams of the TV hockey romance “Heated Rivalry.” Twelve months ago, both actors were anonymous Gen Z-ers who could have easily popped into Tim Hortons for a maple-glazed donut without causing a stir. Now they’re stars.
Personally, I’m all for fresh talent. Audiences and critics alike are bored of film executives clinging to the same proven names and proven plots as tightly as worry beads. Yes, I’m hoping to see some Oscar contenders while I’m here and have my fingers crossed for a few movies I’ll be seeing shortly. But for the sake of filmgoing at large, I’d be more thrilled to spot another under-the-radar “Obsession.”
So far, I haven’t found one. However, I have seen ingenuity made for peanuts, like Jenna Cato Bass’ “Future Tense,” a South African sci-fi drama about a travel service that allows the wealthy to blip back to the 1600s to hot tub under the clear skies before the land was ruined by centuries of trash, trade and colonization. Mismatched new couple Tara and Lwando (Kristen Raath and Lawrence Maleka) — she’s white and sunny, he’s Black and snide — take a blistering vacation that their relationship might not survive.
The script gets screwy in the last act, but Bass proves she can pull off a bold time travel premise using only tastefully bland décor, gorgeous nature footage and a couple of menacing brutes with guns. As a bonus, Raath, her lead, has the spunk, charm and smile of Karen Allen, giving a breakout performance that’s such a delight that you could almost swear the “Raiders of the Lost Ark” ingenue had leapt back four decades to star in the film.
An image from “Voices,” a musical drama set in the 1960s.
(TIFF)
While we’re talking about pivotal moments in personal histories, nine years ago Deanté Gray was a rookie wide receiver for the Houston Texans. He tore his ACL in practice and, after muscling through that disappointment, is now a first-time feature director with “Voices,” a lean and loud musical-thriller about thwarted dreams. Set in one tatty motel room in 1967 Detroit, “Voices” is a vicious flick about rising two soul acts hellbent on getting on stage that night to impress Motown Records’ Barry Gordy.
Technically, only the Harmony Brothers, Bubbles and Melvin (Joe Maye and Jamal R. Averett), are booked to play the gig. But a fame-hungry bellboy, Jordan (Francis C. Edemobi), and his cousin Derrick (Ezekiel Ajeigbe) hatch an impulsive, half-baked plan to perform in their rivals’ place. Egged on by Derrick’s ambitious girlfriend Mia (Raél Ba), who’s angling to be the duo’s opening act, this bad idea crescendos with a half-dozen original songs — and a body count.
The sound design of “Voices” is raw and the rumored $50,000 budget so strapped that minor period piece inconsistencies like cheap plastic trash cans sneak into the frame. Who cares? Sam Buckner III and Charlie T. Savage’s smart and surprising screenplay is crowded with scenes that let its cast shine. Someone — ideally, several people — in here will wind up getting their own major break.
Admittedly, I’m biased. Morbid musicals are one of my favorite micro-genres, from “Little Shop of Horrors” and “All That Jazz” to “A Star Is Born” and “Cabaret.” (If you haven’t seen Steve Martin’s 1981 Depression-era hoofer “Pennies From Heaven,” do that this week.)
Add Theo Rhys’ “Stuffed” to that list. Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”) plays a goth taxidermist; Harry Melling (“Pillion”) is a lonely man terrified of dying, buried and forgotten. Can she convince the sad sack to kill himself now to become a piece of her permanent collection?
The plot alone gives you the shivers, nodding to predatory internet meet-ups and that volatile mix of victimization and egomania that causes people to hurt themselves and/or others. Dark as the story is, though, co-writer Joss Holden-Rea’s tunes are stunners with limber melodies and creatively off-kilter lyrics. “My past is still before me,” Melling belts, picturing himself proudly mounted in a velvet suit and bronze plaque.
“Stuffed” isn’t for everyone. But my fellow sickos are going to love this bleak and lovely tragicomedy once it sets sail from these shores (whatever they’re called by then) to a theater near you.
Cheryl looks poised to replace Sir Tom Jones on The Voice following his explosive statement on his axing and the latest bookies odds which seem to be in her favour
Cheryl could be about to replace Sir Tom Jones on The Voice(Image: PA)
Cheryl looks poised to replace Sir Tom Jones on The Voice. The former Girls Aloud star, 42, has taken time out of the spotlight in recent years but, almost 20 years after she joined The X Factor, it’s thought that she could be about to become a TV talent show judge all over again.
It all comes just days after it emerged that music legend Tom, 86, who first appeared on The Voice in 2012, had been axed from his position and made it clear that he didn’t want to leave.
The insider went on to claim that the whole situation could’ve been dealt with better and alleged that Tom’s fans have been left “furious” by the whole thing.
It comes as bookmaker Coral has priced up the contenders to join the new coaching panel on The Voice UK, with former I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! star Aitch long odds-on at 1-8 and Cheryl even shorter at 1-10 to take one of the hot seats.
With ITV reportedly planning a major shake-up to the hit singing show, Coral makes Olly Murs 6-1 to be signed up, Rita Ora can be backed at 8-1 and Jess Glynne is 10-1.
“The odds suggest Aitch and Cheryl look very likely to join the new-look coaching panel on the next series of The Voice. Both have been popular in our betting, and it would be a big surprise if they did not appear on the red seats next year,” said Coral’s John Hill.
In his post, Tom said he was ‘not thrilled’ by what ITV have offered him. He wrote: “To be clear, I did not want to leave The Voice as I love the show and really appreciate the audience. “ITV made this decision – obviously a while ago, and I was just told recently.
“The reason given is because of a financial difficulty with insurance. They now say in the press they want to ‘refresh’ the show, and a new coaching line-up there wouldn’t be a chair for me.
“They are offering a much-reduced role where I would make an appearance but without being actually involved from the start, and I’m not thrilled about that. So the only thing I know right now is that there’s never a good time to fire an 86-year-old who’s still pretty good at his job.”
A spokesperson for The Voice told the Mirror: “We have loved working with Sir Tom Jones over the past nine years on The Voice UK. While he will no longer be a full-time coach on series 15, we continue to talk to Sir Tom and his team about his involvement in the next series.”
A contestant on The Voice UK shared the inspirational support he’d received behind the scenes.
The Voice UK star was left emotional (Image: ITV)
A coach on The Voice UK was left in tears moments before Saturday’s episode came to an end.
The ITV competition has returned, with Kelly Rowland joining will.i.am, Sir Tom Jones and duo Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones. During the third round of the blind auditions on Saturday (September 5), viewers saw a show-first, as a Scottish singer made history, becoming the first contestant to be given the Rewind. ITV had earlier teased the game-changing format, saying: “If a coach realises they have made a mistake, they can hit Rewind, bring the act back, and offer them a place on their team.
“However, with only one Rewind available to each coach, they must choose their moment wisely. For an act who thought their journey was over, it could change everything…”
Elsewhere during the show, an emotional final audition left Kelly wiping back tears. 24-year-old Aaren was the last performer that day, hoping to impress the coaches.
Before taking to the stage, the ambulance care assistant, from Warrington, opened up about the support he’d received behind-the-scenes. He shared: “I live with my nan, she means the absolute world to me, she’s like a second mum.”
He went on to reveal that his nan had been diagnosed with breast cancer, adding: “There was a level of uncertainty there, whether we would have to say goodbye, when that would be, so I moved over to look after her.”
Aaren’s nan went on to praise him as “such a lovely person, inside and out”. “This is all you’ve wanted to do,” she added, talking about his audition.
Aaren shared: “This is one of the most nerve-wracking things I’ve done, and probably ever will do. But the amount of times my nan will say, I wish I’d have done this when I was younger. I don’t ever want to get older and have any regrets, I want to be able to say that I’ve tried.”
After his performance, both Kelly and Sir Tom turned around, hoping to win Aaren onto their team. Kelly shared: “I turned around because I love a male soulful voice, that wants to croon. Like nobody sings from their gut, heart and soul anymore… it’s a talent.”
As she heard about Aaren’s nan, she broke down in tears. She said: “That was sweet, to watch him love his grandmother like that, I love that.” She added: “You always want them to have this really sweet space for a woman who is a rock in their life.”
After the auditions came to an end, Kelly added: “Aaren had me moved to tears, he just makes me kind of putty. He’s so honest, he was a really special guy so I’m really excited.”
August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” the first of his plays to reach Broadway, catapulted the author’s playwriting career.
It’s the only drama in Wilson’s 10-play American Century Cycle not set in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. But the series might never have come to fruition were it not for the way “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” heralded the emergence of a major new American dramatist.
Although it’s still one of his most produced works, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” has the hallmarks of an early piece. Wilson discovers his playwriting voice in this play, but he’s still working out his approach to dramatic structure.
I wasn’t champing at the bit to see another production of “Ma Rainey’s,” but I’m glad I didn’t miss this latest Wilson revival at A Noise Within, directed by Gregg T. Daniel. Acted with breathtaking ensemble naturalness, the play seems lived in rather than performed.
Francis C. Edemobi, from left, Amber Liekhus and CJ Obilom in August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” at A Noise Within.
(Craig Schwartz)
The voices of the characters come through as though we’re eavesdropping from a discreet distance on their banter and squabbles. There’s nothing more riveting on stage than the truth, and here we have human beings in all their flagrant, unadorned and seemingly irreconcilable complications.
Set in a Chicago recording studio in 1927, the play splits its focus between the title character, a fictitious re-creation of the great blues singer Ma Rainey engaged in a power struggle with her white industry overlords, and the exchanges of her sidemen, a quartet of Black men with markedly different ambitions and sensibilities.
Levee, the role magnificently played by Chadwick Boseman in George C. Wolfe‘s 2020 film adaptation, may have more of a claim on the protagonist role than even Ma Rainey, who’s the play’s thematic center. As she throws her diva weight around in defense of a talent born out of Black suffering, she crystallizes the racial politics that Wilson powerfully illuminates.
But Levee’s role is the most dynamic in the play. A trumpeter who wants to move the band in a more musically sophisticated direction, he’s written his own arrangement of the song “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” that they’ve come to the studio to record. But Ma Rainey insists on doing it her way, even if Levee’s version is more interesting from a jazz perspective.
Overcome with anger from a traumatic childhood in which he witnessed his mother being raped by a mob of white men, he can’t tolerate slights, big or small. And his fiery temper, igniting at every possible moment with his older and more accommodating bandmates, turns this snapshot of history into genuine tragedy.
Kai A. Ealy, from left, Alex Morris, Gerald C. Rivers and Jamar Gilbert in August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” at A Noise Within.
(Craig Schwartz)
The bedraggled studio has been visually renovated with the wood-slatted elegance of Tesshi Nakagawa’s scenic design. Daniel’s production demands that we experience the play in a fresh light. The period is respected but never allowed to become stiff or artificial. This isn’t a waxwork staging.
Standing microphones, placed on different tiers of the set, never let us forget that Wilson was first and foremost a conductor of voices. He bestows on his characters arias, and Daniel’s cast delivers them as though the words were expressly made for these particular actors.
Jamar Gilbert’s Levee moves through the world as if it’s a battle zone, which of course for him it has been. Conflict has dogged him his entire life, and injustice is what he’s come to expect. His focus is on himself, his music, his sensual pleasures and his determination not to be anyone’s victim. He takes as much pride in the shine of his new shoes as he does in the flirtatious giggle of a pretty woman.
Toledo (Gerald C. Rivers), the philosopher and historian of the group, tries to broaden Levee’s perspective, but the two men have a knack for getting under each other’s skin. Their antagonism is fueled in part by Levee’s immaturity, but there’s also a divide in their worldview: Levee wants society to change in time for him to make good while Toledo is more concerned with the collective spirit of his people.
Meanwhile, Slow Drag (Alex Morris) mostly wants to get on with the session, collect his money and enjoy life as it was meant to be enjoyed, with whiskey, a little reefer and good-looking women. Cutler (Kai A. Ealy) tries to be a moderating influence, but he winds up as exasperated by Levee as Toledo.
Alex Morris, from left, Amber Liekhus and Jamar Gilbert in August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” at A Noise Within.
(Craig Schwartz)
The authenticity of the production encompasses the music. These actors don’t mime making music, as is often the case in revivals. They jam together, modestly but effectively enough to make their recording session real to us.
There’s nothing at all modest about Amber Liekhus’ musical talent. Indeed, Liekhus is the first actor who was able to convince me that the character of Ma Rainey really is a professional, jobbing singer. She doesn’t imitate being the mother of the blues, as her character is known. She earns the distinction through the wondrous depths of her soulful singing.
She refuses to be bulldozed by either Irvin (Bert Emmett), her manager, or Sturdyvant (Matt Foyer), the owner of the recording studio, knowing full well that they depend on her gift for their pile of money. Her insistence that Sylvester (Francis C. Edemobi), her nephew with a pronounced stutter, speaks the intro to her new record, is her way of asserting human control over corporate greed.
Liekhus’ Ma Rainey isn’t merely being temperamental, as Sturdyvant and Irvin assume. She’s using her limited leverage in whatever ways she can. There’s something touching about her imperiousness, a regal vulnerability that shines through even in her romantic interaction with Dussie Mae (CJ Obilom), whom Levee has his predatory eye on.
The honesty of the acting is so enlivening that I’m tempted to rank this production among the very best Wilson revivals I’ve seen. If there’s one slight misstep, it happens at the play’s violent climax. The moment makes perfect psychological and dramatic sense, but the confrontation needs a few more beats than Daniel allows.
But this encounter with “Ma Rainey” reveals that even early Wilson can, in the right hands, offer unadulterated playwriting greatness.
‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
Where: A Noise Within, 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena
MICHAEL Jackson’s daughter Paris has released a moving song tribute on his 68th birthday with the icon’s voice on track.
The singer’s personal new song entitled The Breeze appears to include a private recording featuring the voice of her father.
Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris has released a moving song tribute on his 68th birthday with the icon’s voice on trackCredit: GettyAt the end of her single you can hear her father telling her he loves herCredit: PA
In the emotional audio, Michael can be heard telling his daughter: “Love you, Paris. I love you, Paris!”
A young Paris is then heard sweetly replying: “I love you.”
Paris has explained that her new tracks are not a demonstration of any kindCredit: Splash NewsParis has been open about missing her fatherCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
“It’s not a demonstration of any kind. It is a letter. It is a poem of the sonic variety.
“It is my honest experience – with love, loss, and para-social relationships vs a personal one.”
Fans flocked to comment and one wrote: “I love both tracks. Beautiful work.
Another added: “Daddy’s little girl.”
“Oh no, I’m not going to be able to listen,” said another fan.
A fourth wrote: “My eyes are red from crying so much I can’t this is so beautifullll.”
A fifth added: “I’m crying too!”
Paris is the only daughter of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe.
Hollywood A-listers are more comfortable than ever with cloning their voice and likeness to create a new stream of income, despite the threat of viewer backlash to artificial intelligence.
Sunny Hostin of the popular daily talk show “The View” has licensed her image and likeness to AI production studio Fountain 0, which will make film adaptations of her novels.
“To be able to bring my novels to life in movie and TV form, and actually have my image inserted in the productions, so that audiences can relate to me through my stories beyond my role as an author, is incredibly exciting to me,” Hostin said in a statement.
“AI can give me a way to both more fully develop, and more fully immerse myself in, IP I have developed,” she said.
The Overton window for acceptable AI use in Hollywood continues to widen as Hollywood actors, television hosts, and influencers embrace cloning with protections and compensation. As high-quality synthetic re-creations become cheap and accessible, cloning has become a more desirable option for studios struggling with runaway production costs.
Audiences will be subject to more AI content on the big screen that’s indistinguishable from real human performances.
Fountain 0 is the producer behind “Dreams of Violets,” a fully AI-generated film inspired by anti-government protests in Tehran. The 75-minute drama was made with a budget of $2,000 without a cast or a crew, and was the first fully AI-generated film accepted at the Tribeca Film Festival.
“We are incredibly gratified that Sunny is willing to be the talent pioneer willing to step out and take advantage of this new form of creative expression,” said Ash Koosha, co-founder and CEO of Fountain 0, in a release.
The production company will be releasing its second fully AI-generated film, “Odysseus: The Fall,” later this year. The film uses the likeness of many people, including the film’s creator Koosha, who stars as Odysseus.
Fountain 0’s executive chariman told CNBC that the film is designed to ride the buzz around Christopher Nolan’s ‘’The Odyssey” and give people the opportunity to compare the height of human filmmaking with AI filmmaking.
Proponents of AI argue that it allows writers and creators to take on blockbuster-scale films without financial constraints. Many creators oppose AI because it could replace humans and was built using the unauthorized scraping of creative works used to train generative AI video and image models.
Online reactions to news of Hostin’s cloning were fierce.
“Basically, no film studio wants to give her the budget to turn her books into a movie with real actors, so she’s resorting to AI studios,” wrote one person on Reddit.
Hollywood has fought hard for protections from AI in the prolonged writers’ and actors’ strikes of 2023. SAG-AFTRA, the union representing about 160,000 actors and other performers, has been demanding informed consent, fair compensation, more control and transparency over the use of digital replicas.
The latest agreement, signed in June, introduced limits on studios’ use of digital replicas. The contract requires studios to notify actors before using their voices to create a replica. After a project is complete, actors must sign off and be paid the equivalent of an in-person performance if their replica is used.
Additionally, studios need to pay residuals to digital replicas used in reruns, and replicas cannot be used during a strike.
Hiring fully AI-generated characters such as Tilly Norwood, created without hiring a human performer, is not impossible but comes with a very high threshold for use under the 2026 union contract. Producers must notify the union in advance and prove the AI character brings “significant additional value” to the role.
Still, a fissure remains between those actors who stay morally opposed to cloning, and those who embrace this new reality.
ElevenLabs’ voice marketplace features clones of dozens of personalities — including actress Judy Garland, physicist Richard Feynman and popular characters such as Mr. Potato Head for creators to legally license and get compensated for their use.
This has created a contentious ecosystem in which A-listers are gaining millions from cloning with safeguards and building a new stream of passive income from their intellectual property, while early-career actors complain that their likenesses are being misappropriated and opportunities are being driven away. A massive lobbying effort is underway to institute a uniform standard for protecting an individual’s voice and likeness as property rights.
Peter Cullen, the voice actor whose regal timbre as the heroic Optimus Prime in the “Transformers” franchise and deep tone as the gloomy Eeyore in “Winnie the Pooh” projects who was beloved by generations, has died. He was 85.
Cullen died Wednesday in his Los Angeles home, his agent Kevin Motley confirmed to The Times on Thursday. A cause of death was not given.
He “passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family — and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide,” his family said in a statement. They ask “that you honor his remarkable legacy by serving your communities and leading others with compassion, integrity, and loyalty and always remember ‘be strong enough to be gentle.’ ”
A prolific voice actor whose work spanned television shows, movies, video games and even theme park rides, Cullen amassed more than 200 credits over his career. This includes the eponymous giant ape in the 1976 remake of “King Kong,” the villainous vehicle KARR (Knight Automated Roving Robot) in the “Knight Rider” TV series and the clicks and trills of the deadly alien hunter in the original “Predator” film.
But Cullen is best known for his work in animation and children’s cartoons in the 1980s and ‘90s.
His signature role was Optimus Prime, the leader of a heroic faction of sentient alien robots known as Autobots who battle the villainous Decepticons in the “Transformers” franchise. Cullen often spoke about how his voice for the leader — who transforms into a truck — was inspired by his older brother, Larry, a Marine who had served in Vietnam.
On the day of his “Transformers” audition, Cullen had mentioned to Larry, his roommate at the time, that he was on his way to try out to be the voice of “a hero truck.”
Larry responded, “Well, if you’re gonna be a hero, be a real hero. Don’t be a jerk … Be strong enough to be gentle. Be understanding. Be compassionate, and be able to kick ass — in a good way,” Cullen previously told The Times.
“He said it in a voice that was subdued and calm,” Cullen continued. “He’s 13 months older and 6 inches taller. Made of steel. He was my hero. [His words] weighed heavily on me. So I’m at the audition reading the breakdown of the character and what I have to say in the audition. I can just feel Larry’s words coming out of my mouth. So, I took his sound — my first words were, ‘My name is Optimus Prime.’ ”
“Transformers” voice actors Peter Cullen, left, and Frank Welker at the 2024 Comic-Con Fan Expo in Rosemont, Ill.
(Rob Grabowski / Invision/Associated Press)
Cullen originated the role in the 1980s animated “Transformers” series, referred to by fans as “G1” or “Generation 1.” The era also includes the big-screen “The Transformers: The Movie” (1986), which featured the beloved character’s controversial death, but the character eventually returned after fan outcry.
He told NPR that returning to play Optimus Prime in these films was “like slipping into an old pair of shoes that you hid in the back of your closet.”
Cullen was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for his work as Optimus Prime in the TV series “Transformers: Prime” in 2011 and won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Children’s and Family Emmy Awards in 2023.
Peter Claver Cullen was born on July 28, 1941, in Montreal, to American parents Henry and Muriel Cullen. One of four children, he graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada in 1963. He later did Shakespeare for a summer in Stratford, Ontario, before working for a year at the Crest Theatre in Toronto as a member of the repertory company, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
He told NPR he discovered his talent for doing different voices while working on a farm as a child and imitating animals.
Besides Optimus Prime, one of Cullen’s favorite roles was Eeyore, the endearing but pessimistic donkey from “Winnie the Pooh.” Cullen first voiced the character in “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” series, which aired from 1988–1991. He continued his work as Eeyore through numerous franchise installments, including “The Tigger Movie” (2000), “Piglet’s Big Movie” (2003) and “The Book of Pooh” series.
“I enjoyed doing Eeyore because he was simply charming,” Cullen said to NPR. “And I get an awful lot of reactions from, especially, young kids, when I go up and just say [in Eeyore’s voice], ‘Hello. Thanks for noticing me.’ And to see their faces light up, that to me is one of the great joys.”
Cullen is survived by his four children, Angus, Claire, Pilar and Clay, according to the Associated Press.
Emma Willis, host of The Voice UK, underwent keyhole heart surgery last year after discovering she had unknowingly lived with a congenital hole in her heart
Emma Willis underwent keyhole heart surgery in 2025 after discovering she had unknowingly lived with a congenital hole in her heart(Image: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
The Voice UK presenter Emma Willis previously opened up about a health condition she had no idea about for over four decades.
The 50-year-old will be back on screens tonight (Saturday, August 22) to present the latest series of the ITV singing competition, with Destiny’s Child superstar Kelly Rowland joining as a coach alongside Sir Tom Jones, will.i.am and duo Danny Jones and Tom Fletcher.
Emma revealed she underwent successful keyhole heart surgery in early 2025 after discovering she had unknowingly lived with a congenital hole in her heart and an enlarged side for 48 years.
She has since recovered well with the support of her husband, Matt Willis. Routine health checks and an MRI revealed an enlarged heart, which led to further investigation by a cardiologist who found the congenital heart defect.
The mother-of-three underwent a successful keyhole procedure at the Royal Brompton Hospital. and while the physical healing was smooth, she noted that the psychological adjustment of recovering from internal heart changes took time.
Taking to Instagram to share snaps from hospital after she had keyhole heart surgery, Emma penned: :A big humungous THANK YOU to the team at the Royal Brompton Hospital for their care and support. A few weeks ago, I had keyhole heart surgery, which feels very strange to write, and even stranger when I say it out loud.
“From investigations last year, to diagnosis and then surgery, they were absolutely incredible. As was @mattjwillis who never left my side. Turns out, I’ve been pottering around for 48 years blissfully unaware I had a hole in my heart isn’t it bonkers what’s happening in our bodies that we have no idea about.
“What blows my mind even more is the wonders of modern medicine, and the spectacular people that save, fix and help us every single day. Can you imagine what it must feel like to have a pair of hands that can do that job?! They are the real superstar”
She continued:”A few of those people are Dr Alexander Lyon who investigated like a true super sleuth. Professor Wei Li, echocardiogram extraordinaire. Catrina, Carl and Tim who kept me at ease and humoured me when they were putting me to sleep.
“Marcus, Janet, Jayne, Hannah and Reem who monitored me at various points. Paulette, who was always up for a chat, gave great hugs, and loves a cinnamon slice as much as I do!
“There was a lovely woman with me in recovery but I was so out of it I can’t remember her name (so so sorry ) and my surgeon, Dr Ee Ling Heng… She was recommended as ‘a spectacular pair of hands’, but my god, she’s that and so much more.
“She has an ease and warmth that made me feel instantly comfortable all whilst being incredible professional and informative. I ask a million questions, and she answered them with the patience of a saint I knew as soon as we met that she was the woman I wanted poking around in my heart. Thank you Ee Ling, you’re one in a trillion.”
Emma, who will host Strictly Come Dancing when it returns to BBC One next month, has since partnered with the British Heart Foundation to raise awareness for cardiovascular conditions.
The Voice UK returns on Saturday, August 22 at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX while Strictly Come Dancing kicks off next month on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
The 41-year-old McFly singer-songwriter and author will be back in the hot seat as a coach on ITV’s The Voice UK this evening (Saturday, August 22). However, what fans might not know is that the musician suffers from a mental health condition.
He previously told Fearne Cotton how the condition had affected him since childhood. Tom explained: “Ever since I was a child, I’ve always been highly emotional. I’d feel excited one moment, then the polar opposite the next. But I think everyone just thought that’s who I was.”
It was only later that Tom was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. According to the NHS : “Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition where you have extreme mood changes. Medicines and talking therapy can help manage it.”
Some of the main symptoms include high moods and low moods, which last a few days or weeks at a time. However, the NHS goes on to state that there are times when a person’s mood is stable, and they don’t have any symptoms for weeks, months or even years.
However, it wasn’t just mood swings that affected him, and he stopped eating, choosing to “just” drink coffee, saying it was “so unhealthy”. Tom also kept much of his mental health struggles from his wife, actress and podcaster Giovanna Fletcher.
The musician reflected that he was sure he was “a nightmare to be with” during his down periods. “Like many men, quite often I would hide it from the people I was closest to,” Tom said.
He has also explained to Mother and Baby in 2025 how he also suffered from depression as part of their Where’s Your Head At? campaign. Tom admitted he only realised he had depression after watching a Stephen Fry documentary back in 2011 and it moved him to tears.
Tom said: “I was at a particularly low point when I saw it, and it was that that made me reach out and go and speak to someone. It was a really defining moment of my life.” He went on to say he was now in a “really good place” and said the programme was “so important” for him and added: “That really changed my life.”
Since then, Tom has been going from success to success after he recently won a highly coveted Olivier Award in April in the Best New Musical category for Paddington: The Musical. He wrote the music and lyrics for the musical, which will make its Broadway debut in spring 2027.
Before then, Tom will be trying to find the next big pop star on The Voice UK. Alongside Tom, Black Eyed Peas star will.i.am, Sir Tom Jones and Danny Jones will be returning to the show.
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However, there will be a new face joining them this time, with Destiny’s Child legend Kelly Rowland also becoming a coach. This year, there will also be a big change with the Rewind button, which will allow the coaches to bring someone back after regretting letting them go the first time.
The Voice UK starts on ITV tonight at 7pm
If you are struggling with mental health, you can speak to a trained advisor from Mind mental health charity on 0300 123 3393 or emailinfo@mind.org.uk. For help and support on eating disorders contact Beat Eating Disorders on 0808 801 0677
