Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones looked cosy together as they posed for photographs on the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain red carpet this week – despite a suggestion they had split
Helen and Gethin’s love story and split as they reunite at Pride of Britain(Image: PA)
BBC bosses reportedly want popular duo Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones to come clean about the true nature of their relationship – for the sake of the viewers.
But on Monday night, Gethin, 47, put his arm around 42-year-old Helen on the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain red carpet in London. The cosy photographs led to further speculation the couple had rekindled their romance, but the “confusion” has reportedly irked some management at the BBC.
One boss told the Daily Mail: “There’s a common feeling among them [BBC bosses] that it’s time for Helen and Gethin to confirm where they stand and stop playing around with the viewers. It’s time for clarity.
“Standing together on that red carpet has only confused viewers, who truly do want them to be an item, and it’s not fair anymore to keep the speculation going. It’s starting to feel on purpose as they’re really leaning into it.”
Gethin was one of the original hosts of Morning Live when it first aired five years ago, and Helen joined him in 2023. She started the post around one year after splitting with Richie Myler, a now retired rugby league player, with whom she has three children.
Chatter emerged Gethin and Helen’s friendship had become a relationship in May this year after the presenters were seen leaving the BAFTAs together. Though neither confirmed a relationship, they were spotted again with each other off-set several times in the spring. Similar gossip spread this week after the pictures at the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain event, which the stars reportedly left within minutes of each other.
Yet Gethin, who in 2011 split from fellow Welsh star opera singer Katherine Jenkins, nor Helen have confirmed or denied whether or not they are together now.
It is thought when Helen, a former Blue Peter host, was brought in to join Gethin on Morning Live the BBC hoped the pair would build a strong rapport to continue its success in its timeslot.
When Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan were chosen to launch This Morning on ITV in 1998, it quickly became a success and, though the pair were long married by then, it is believed their strong charisma together drew in the viewers. The BBC, it is understood, felt that a similar onscreen chemistry was exactly what it needed to win the daytime ratings war in 2023 – and it was undoubtedly worked onscreen.
Chatter remains whether that move has seen things blossom off it too.
The sight of the fit-again Ollie Rathbone – last year’s player of the season – in the matchday squad for the first time since early pre-season adds weight to those sentiments.
At the same time, Parkinson is unlikely to be swayed in ignoring the steady progress so far, even if many fans saw the Stoke display as a step backwards.
While the run of games will bring pressure, it also brings opportunity, with Kieffer Moore among those adamant that Wrexham are not far from clicking and that they will be a real threat when they do.
Before the next international break – and all inside the space of three weeks – Wrexham also have games against Portsmouth and Charlton Athletic, even if the Addicks have done eye-catchingly well since their own promotion.
And then there is the small matter of the chance to reach the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup when they welcome Welsh rivals Cardiff City.
Get it right and Wrexham will have people talking for all the right reasons. Something Parkinson will know full well.
“We need to just analyse the performance and not get too down about it,” Parkinson said.
“It says something about how far we’ve come that we come to Stoke in front of 25,000 and are disappointed not to get something from the game.
“But we have got to look at ourselves. I think it’s good to be frustrated, I think it’s good to be a bit annoyed and that we don’t have pats on the back and say ‘Oh, we’ve come to Stoke and done okay’.
“They are a good group of lads who are working really hard and I’m excited about what we’ve got in the building, I really am.
“We have taken a knock, but we’ll come back fighting on Wednesday.”
And with plenty looking hard at Wrexham – and maybe even looking for them to fail – a win would do much to wrestle back control of that narrative.
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who spent the week belting “You Don’t Own Me” with the same gusto as an empowered ex-wife dressed in white.
Diane Keaton died this week at age 79 at her Los Angeles home. The L.A. native had a career that spanned more than five decades and included a wide-ranging and indelible list of performances in films such as “The Godfather” saga, “Annie,” Baby Boom,” “Father of the Bride” (and its sequel), “The First Wives Club,” “Something’s Gotta Give,” “The Family Stone” — the list goes on and on. Take a moment to read film editor Joshua Rothkop’s illuminating snapshot of Keaton’s life. Of course, her legacy goes far beyond the performance. Times film critic Amy Nicholson wrote how Keaton showed us how to dress up our insecurities and embrace the kooky. And if you want to take a dive into her oeuvre, we have a roundup of 10 Keaton performances worth watching. Pluto TV is featuring an on-demand collection called “Remembering Diane Keaton,” with 15 of her most beloved films available to stream anytime.
And speaking of women who leave a lasting impression — this week saw the return of Keri Russell as Kate Wyler, the highly competent seasoned foreign service officer, with the arrival of “The Diplomat’s” third season. The Netflix series has spent its time tracking the career diplomat’s journey being primed to assume the role of vice president. Its backdrop storyline of an aging president who is expected to pass the torch to a younger female vice president — and the chaos that ensues when the plan is upended — may have real-world parallels, but the show’s creator, Debora Cahn, whose other credits include “The West Wing” and “Homeland,” insists the series is not a commentary. She stopped by Guest Spot to discuss the political thriller.
Also in this week’s Screen Gab, our streaming recommendations are an eclectic pair: a documentary that chronicles the 60-year movement to convert abandoned railroads into public spaces around America and, for those looking to make their viewing of Guillermo Del Toro’s take on “Frankenstein” a double-feature kind of night, we make the case for a ‘90s gory horror-comedy twist on the legend.
ICYMI
Must-read stories you might have missed
Diane Keaton arrives at a news conference at the 40th Cannes Film Festival to introduce her feature directorial debut, “Heaven,” in 1987.
Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times
A view of the Island Line Trail in “From Rails to Trails.”
(PBS)
“From Rails to Trails” (PBS.org)
Trains ran close to where I grew up, and I’m still stupidly excited whenever I see one in action. There are fewer now than there were then, but part of their romance is the alternative routes they carved through the land. “From Rails to Trails” documents the 60-year movement to transform abandoned rail lines — which is to say, most rail lines — into paths for biking and hiking, turning them into linear public parks, making the countryside accessible but also remaking urban spaces. It’s a movement not without its opponents, its reversals and consequences, including the gentrification that can follow them. But this often moving hour-long documentary is a paean to old-fashioned coalition building and community activism — needed now more than ever — and the success of a new idea many now take for granted. Former Vermont governor Howard Dean and former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg chime in. New voice of the everyman Edward Norton narrates. — Robert Lloyd
“Frankenhooker” (Pluto TV, Tubi)
The lament of “The Bride of Frankenstein” is that the heroine herself is only onscreen for a few minutes. Get your fix by watching Frank Henenlotter’s “Frankenhooker.” This sleazy-brilliant 1990 romp is so clever it ranks (severed) head and shoulders with the black-and-white classics. An inventor, Jeffrey (James Lorinz), is bereft over losing his fiancée Elizabeth (Patty Mullen) to a freak lawnmower accident. He vows to rebuild his future bride — but hotterr. “I can make you the centerfold goddess of the century,” Jeffrey says with a leer. The real vanity is his. He wants a sexy, mindless babe. Henenlotter (also of the schlock hit “Basket Case”) claimed he didn’t think deeply about the subtext of his horror movies, a feint that dates back farther than George A. Romero pretending “Night of the Living Dead’s” martyred Black hero wasn’t a comment on race. They’re both fibbers. “Frankenhooker” is a giddy, popcorn-chomping comment on the disposability of women, especially the sex workers Jeffrey murders for spare parts. But what brings it to life is Mullen’s uproarious resurrected sexpot. Stomping around wearing a purple bra and a ghastly sneer, she belongs to no man — ring on her finger or not. Make it a double feature with Guillermo Del Toro’s terrific new “Frankenstein” in theaters this week. — Amy Nicholson
Guest spot
A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching
Allison Janney as Grace, Rufus Sewell as Hal Wyler and Keri Russell as Kate Wyler in Season 3 scene from “The Diplomat.”
(Alex Bailey / Netflix)
Will the U.S. ever be ready for a female president? Time will tell. But “The Diplomat” has provided its contribution to the list of fictional ones. The Netflix drama, a fast-paced look at the art of diplomacy, stars Keri Russell as Kate Wyler, a newly-appointed U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom who is tapped from the ranks of career diplomats to be quietly prepped to become vice president. The plan, of course, hasn’t gone as expected. In the whirlwind final moments of last season, the president dies and suddenly the person Kate was enlisted to push out, Vice President Grace Penn (Allison Janney), is whisked into duty — just as Kate has discovered the VP is responsible for hatching a terrorist plot. The show returned for its third season earlier this week and explores the aftermath as Penn is sworn in as president. Here, creator Debora Cahn shares what she was interested in unpacking in Season 3’s marriage dynamics, orchestrating a “West Wing” reunion and the time she met former Vice President Kamala Harris. There are some mild spoilers ahead, so bookmark for later if you haven’t begun the season! — Yvonne Villarreal
What did you want out of Kate’s journey this season? Her professional ambitions are once again tested by her marriage. Hal keeps claiming it’s Kate’s time to be in the spotlight and yet he manages to steal it.
We wanted to look at how it happens that someone like Hal winds up in the spotlight even when he’s desperately trying not to; the circumstances that surround decisions like this, which make it such that even the people in the middle of them don’t really have any control over it. You can look at what Grace is doing, and you can understand why she thinks Kate is fantastic, but that the choice, in terms of what’s going to make it easier for her to get through the day, is Hal. And we didn’t want to have a science fiction White House where there are two women happily running the country. That’s just not the world that we’re living in. And it felt like the most honest thing that we could do is tell a story about what it means to be really qualified and really experienced and really ready, and then watch it all slip away at the last second.
The season includes a delightful “West Wing” reunion, a show you wrote for. Allison Janney returns as VP-turned-President Grace Penn and Bradley Whitford portrays her husband, Todd. What was it like to see them back together onscreen? And what did you want their marriage dynamic to say?
It was like first day of school jitters for the first day that each of them was on set. We really wanted to make sure that this was something new and it wasn’t a reference to the work that we’d done together in the past. And the second they started, it was just clear that we were watching a new relationship that these two great actors were building together and informed by the fact that they know each other quite well and that they’ve been good friends for 20 years, but using that to create something new and fresh and really, really satisfying.
This is a marriage that has some very similar structural dynamics to Kate and Hal, but there are some fundamental differences, which is, there was never an assumption that Todd’s career could continue to function alongside Grace’s once she became vice president; and certainly when she becomes president, there’s no question that will become the focus for both of them. And so there are dynamics that Kate and Hal still wrestle with, which we see are kind of absolved with Todd and Grace. And in some ways that helps, and in some ways it doesn’t help.
We’re looking at a couple that’s 10 years farther down the road in their marriage and have made, in some ways, a more pragmatic decision about what it means to have two smart, capable people with careers existing at the same time. Their decision is that one of them isn’t going to exist right now. I think the thing that I enjoy most about both Hal and Todd is that these are people who really, really, really love their wives and really want to be supportive and they still fail or they struggle so, so mightily. We’ve talked about this before: I don’t like writing villains. I don’t want to write politicians that have bad values or selfish goals. I also don’t want to write people in a marriage who don’t give a s— about each other. I would much rather look at the much larger problem, which is, you do really care about each other. You do really want the best for each other, and you still can’t manage to make it happen.
Allison Janney as President Grace Penn and Bradley Whitford as First Gentleman Todd Penn in “The Diplomat.”
(Clifton Prescod / Netflix)
“The Diplomat” premiered in a different political climate from the one it’s in now. The show is not a direct commentary on what’s happening now, but how does the current reality, particularly as it relates to what those in civil service are facing, inform how you think about or build stories moving forward? What sorts of questions are you asking now of people who work in the government?
We write a story two years before the audience watches it, so we we don’t want to be making a direct commentary. Even if we did, the world is moving so fast, we couldn’t try and keep up. But we do want to be in the foreign policy headspace that the world is in, and try to be looking at what are the bigger questions and bigger conflicts that face people who are working in this field. We think a lot about the fact that 300,000 people were fired from the federal government. We think a lot about what it’s like to work for this administration and — I’m trying to figure out what to say without getting into Season 4, which I don’t want to do. It doesn’t inform the specifics of any of the stories that we’re telling, but it does inform the worldview and the bigger questions that face people in this field as the field changes. As the world changes.
You’re writing about people whose job it is to make hard decisions every day. What was the hardest decision you had to make for this third season — either in the writing phase or the production phase?
We moved the base of production from the UK back to New York. The first two seasons we were based in the UK, and then for Season 3, we did half and half. There were a lot of really good reasons for that. It also meant that we had a crew that grew this organism with us — and we were very close to them; they had huge influence on the show — and leaving them behind was really, really terrible. It’s a tough time in the film and television industry right now, and we felt pretty good about bringing jobs back to this community. That was something that was important to us and we really wanted to do. So, we are comfortable with the decision that we made, but, boy, it sure wasn’t fun making it and going through it. It’s people’s livelihood. It’s not a small thing.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris recently released a book chronicling her whirlwind and brief campaign as a 2024 presidential candidate. Have you read it?
I have not read it. But did I tell you about when we met her?
No. Tell me. You were also filming this third season during the election, right?
We were we were shooting it during the election. We were writing it during the election. And we we were worried about how it was going to look. We didn’t want it to look like a commentary on this presidency. But we did have a female vice president that we liked a whole lot, and a male president that we really loved and was of a certain age and didn’t make it through the process — the dynamics kept getting more and more troubling.
Keri and I were at the [White House Correspondents’] Dinner. And there was a receiving line, and we met and shook hands with the president and the first lady and the vice president and the second gentleman. And I said, “Ma’am, I’m writing a story about what it’s like for a woman who’s really experienced and really smart and really capable and really ready to do a job who then gets passed over for someone who is perhaps less qualified.” And she laughed. Then she said, “Call me.”
Have you called?
I have not called. I felt like she had some stuff going on. I didn’t really want to bother her and say, “Heyyyyy … let’s talk about how that went …”
What have you watched recently that you are recommending to everyone you know?
“Dying for Sex” [Hulu, Disney+]. It was brutal and intense and very funny and extremely well-written. And I just thought what they did from a public health service perspective, sharing practical information about what it actually means to go through the process of death, I thought it was just a huge public service.
What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the movie or TV show you go back to again and again?
“Postcards from the Edge” [VOD] — it is just so smart and so funny and both Shirley MacLaine and Meryl Streep are just absolutely to die for.
The due diligence already completed towards Postecoglou’s possible replacement provides a clear indication of the jeopardy the Australian faces.
It would be hard for any manager to change the direction of travel in these circumstances.
Of course, Postecoglou will back himself to turn it around. That’s his nature.
Speaking in his pre-match news conference on Friday, he said: “Some look at the weeds but I look at what is growing. I am really excited as I have a group of young players willing to change.
“I just don’t fit, not here, just in general. If you look at it through the prism of ‘I’m a failed manager who’s lucky to get this job’ then of course this first five weeks looks like ‘this guy’s under pressure’. There is an alternative story that you could look at it.”
Owner Marinakis wants him to succeed, having backed Postecoglou’s track record of winning silverware as one of the key factors in why he appointed him in the first place.
Indeed, prior to their previous Premier League outing against Newcastle – that resulted in a 2-0 loss – well-placed sources told BBC Sport Postecoglou still maintained the immediate backing of the Forest owner.
There was, though, recognition that the result and manner of performance at St James’ Park would have a key influence on how Marinakis viewed his manager’s future.
Likewise, there is a feeling Postecoglou has not been helped by refereeing decisions.
For instance, during the Europa League defeat by FC Midtjylland – during which supporters turned on Postecoglou – earlier this month, there was a feeling as many as 14 key decisions went against Forest.
But with that said, the internal scrutiny on Postecoglou is intense.
Victory over Chelsea could mean he takes the first step towards what appears an unlikely road to recovery at Forest.
Lose the game, and the writing is already on the wall.
The seven-time champion is a supporter of Vasseur, who was instrumental in signing him.
Speaking during the drivers’ news conference before this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, Hamilton said: “It is a little bit distracting for us as a team. The team have made it clear where they stand in terms of re-signing Fred.
“Fred and the whole team are working really hard on a future for the team.”
Vasseur’s contract was due to expire at the end of this season, but it was renewed just two and a half months ago.
Ferrari tend not to comment on stories about the future of the team, considering it media speculation.
But when reports linking Horner to the team first emerged in the summer, Ferrari used channels to communicate to the media that there was no truth in the claim. The company’s position has not changed since.
Wales’ players were crestfallen at the final whistle, glazed looks in their eyes as it dawned on them that a huge opportunity had slipped through their grasp.
Belgium’s goalless draw with North Macedonia on Friday had opened the door for Wales, who needed to win their remaining three games to finish top of Group J and qualify automatically for the World Cup.
But they fell at the first hurdle, outgunned by Belgium in another chaotic shootout after losing 4-3 in Brussels in June.
Again, Wales’ bold approach – to press and to pour forward at every opportunity – left them exposed defensively, and once again they were ruthlessly punished by Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne and the rest.
On reflection, did Bellamy feel his side were just a little too open?
“We felt the best way of being able to combat this team was to have the ball,” he answered. “And we created a lot of chances, but we felt that was the way of being able to beat this team because we needed to win.
“It was as simple as that, and you could see even towards the end, we opened up more. We lost a bit of control in the game. But I always believe the way you can stop the opposition from scoring is by having the ball.
“But that transition moment, with Jeremy, it’s so fearful every time you have the ball that if it turns over, this kid, he’s just that.
“I’ve experienced it. I had him on my team [at Anderlecht], and I knew how dangerous he was, but going against him… We knew there were going to be difficult moments in that game.”
This has been a bruising window for Bellamy, whose decision to take on England in a friendly at Wembley last Thursday was met with a mixture of scepticism, bemusement and outright criticism.
The outcome, a chastening 3-0 defeat, intensified the fans’ discontent, though they were willing to keep an open mind if it helped Wales beat Belgium.
Supporters will be less forgiving now Wales have lost – making it 12 goals conceded in five games – and seen their hopes of qualifying automatically go up in smoke.
But nothing will deter Bellamy, unshakeable in his beliefs.
“I’ve seen a lot today that makes me feel we can get close to these. We can get close. We need to keep improving,” he said.
“But I told you at the start when I was going to do this. I’m going to press, and I won’t sit back. I know that goes against some people, but this is who I am.
“And today, I’ve seen a team with flaws because I have them. A team that wants to do something, because I want to. I’m grateful for that.”
“Monster,” the gruesome and graphic anthology series from longtime collaborators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, has dramatized the chilling story of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and the highly publicized and complex case of Lyle and Erik Menendez, brothers who were convicted for the 1989 murder of their parents. The third installment of the Netflix series, which was released last week, puts its twist on the legend of Gein, a killer who inspired fictional villains like Norman Bates and Leatherface. Brennan, who wrote the season, stopped by Guest Spot to discuss the fantastical approach to the season and that “Mindhunter” hat tip.
Also in this week’s Screen Gab, our streaming recommendations include a “Frontline” documentary that continues its chronicle on the lingering impact of poverty and a spinoff of “The Boys” set at America’s only college for superheroes.
ICYMI
Must-read stories you might have missed
Illustration of John Candy with his hands on his cheeks.
Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times
A still from “Frontline: Born Poor,” which filmed over 14 years with kids from three families, from adolescents to adults, to explore how poverty has affected them.
(Frontline PBS)
“Frontline: Born Poor” (PBS.org)
Television is glutted with “reality,” but there are still filmmakers who prefer to look at how people live when they’re not contestants in a dating game or bunked up with competitive strangers. Jezza Neumann’s “Born Poor” is the third installment in a moving documentary series that began 14 years ago with “Poor Kids,” and, like Michael Apted’s “7 Up” films, has visited its subjects in intervals over the years since. Set in the Quad Cities area, where Illinois meets Iowa along the Mississippi River, it follows Brittany, Johnny and Kayli from bright-eyed childhood into chastened, though still optimistic adulthood, as they deal with life on the margins — power lost, houses lost, school impossible, food unpredictable. Now, with kids of their own, all are concerned to provide them a better life than the ones they had. With Washington waging a war on the poor to protect the rich, it’s a valuable watch. — Robert Lloyd
Derek Luh (Jordan Li), from left, Jaz Sinclair (Marie Moreau), Keeya King (Annabeth Moreau), Lizze Broadway (Emma Meyer) in “Gen V.”
(Jasper Savage / Prime)
“Gen V” (Prime Video)
Just two weeks out from its Season 2 finale and the satirical superhero series continues to deliver merciless dark humor and sharp topical commentary on America’s great crumble — inside of a tale about misfits enduring the rigors of college life.
Spun off from the brilliant “The Boys” franchise, this series from Eric Kripke, Craig Rosenberg and Evan Goldberg follows a group of students at Godolkin University, an institution designed to identify and train the next generation of superheroes. But the co-eds soon discover that their supposed higher education is in fact a clandestine operation to create “Supe” soldiers for an impending war between the super-powered and non-powered humans. Returning to the fold is Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair), who emerges as the rebel group’s most powerful weapon against the school’s nefarious plot. Working alongside her are Emma (Lizze Broadway), Cate (Maddie Phillips), Jordan (London Thor and Derek Luh) and Sam (Asa Germann). The wonderfully unnerving Hamish Linklater (“Midnight Mass”) joins the cast as the school’s new dean.
Is “Gen V” just as gory as “The Boys”? Absolutely. Watch with caution. But nothing else is quite as fearless in calling out the contradictions and absurdities of our times, be it corrupt politics, corporate domination or false religiosity. — Lorraine Ali
Guest spot
A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching
Charlie Hunnam as Ed Gein in an episode of “Monster: The Ed Gein Story.”
(Netflix)
“Monster: The Ed Gein Story” stars Charlie Hunnam as the so-called “Butcher of Plainfield,” whose gruesome crimes in 1950s small-town Wisconsin went on to inspire pop culture classics like “Psycho” and “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.” The season leans into Gein’s diagnosed schizophrenia and his legacy in Hollywood to present a deeply fictionalized version of his horrifying activities. All eight episodes of the season are now streaming. Ian Brennan, who co-created the anthology series with Ryan Murphy and helmed the latest installment, stopped by Guest Spot to discuss the season’s approach to fact vs. fiction, that “Mindhunter” nod and the documentary that earns his rewatch time. — Yvonne Villarreal
We often hear from actors about the roles that stay with them long after they’re done filming. Are there elements of “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” that you still can’t shake?
Ed Gein was schizophrenic, and I find the internal life he would have suffered through for decades — alone and hearing voices, primarily that of his dead mother — completely harrowing. He wasn’t medicated until late in his life, and until he was, his mind was a hall of mirrors of images he saw and couldn’t unsee — most shockingly photos of Nazi atrocities during the Holocaust. I believe the only way he could cope was to try to normalize these things — digging up bodies, skinning them, making things from them — and the nagging voice of his mother ultimately drove him to murder at least two women, Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden, maybe more. Ed Gein wasn’t the local boogeyman — his neighbors didn’t find him scary — he was the guy you’d have watch your kids if the babysitter canceled last-minute. And yet, in those four inches between his ears there existed a bizarre, terrifying hellscape of profound loneliness and total confusion. Every day in this country we see what happens when the lethal combination of male loneliness and mental illness goes ignored. The thought of an Ed Gein living just down the street from me is chilling.
“Based on a true story” depictions typically have a loose relationship with the truth due to storytelling needs. This season of “Monster” bakes that idea into the narrative — whether because of Ed’s understanding of events or the way in which he, or his crimes, inspired deeply fictionalized villains like Norman Bates (“Psycho”), Leatherface (“The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”) and Buffalo Bill (“The Silence of the Lambs”) — in trying to unpack the “Who is the monster?” question. What questions were swirling in your head as you tried to weave this story together? And how did that inform where and how you took your liberties?
Ed’s story is, in many ways, fragmented — he didn’t remember many details of the acts he committed, and he passed polygraph tests when interrogated about cold cases police suspected he may have perpetrated. So we knew from the very beginning that there would be gaps to fill in when telling his story — and it seemed the obvious way to do it was to let the true story interplay with the fictionalized versions of Ed Gein that he inspired. There’s a subtle thematic bleed between the versions of Ed we see in the series and the monsters in the movies he inspired — in the first three episodes, we see a “Psycho”-inflected Ed Gein obsessed with his mother; next a much more sexualized, violent Ed Gein that would become “Leatherface”; then an Ed Gein who so fetishized the female body and who was made so ill by the repression of that urge that he became obsessed with building a suit made from women’s bodies. These versions of Ed, to me, are like the blind men feeling different parts of the elephant in the parable — each true in their own way, but each also just a fragment of a shattered whole that will probably never be fully understood.
The season finale features a “Mindhunter” nod. Happy Anderson, who played serial killer Jerry Brudos on that show, reprises his role as the Shoe Fetish Slayer, talking to characters meant to be Holden Ford and Bill Tench, though they’re named John Douglas and Robert Ressler, the real FBI agents who inspired the fictional ones. When and why did you realize you wanted to have that hat tip? Was there an attempt to try to get Jonathan Groff or Holt McCallany?
Having written three seasons of this anthology so far, we’ve realized each time that the emotional climax always comes in the penultimate episode and the finales are always particularly difficult to figure out. We knew we needed to top the episodes that had preceded it by shifting the show’s look and tone — and we had in our hands the nugget that John Douglas and Robert Ressler had, indeed, interviewed Ed Gein in person. Ryan and I both find David Fincher’s oeuvre almost uniquely inspiring, so once we pictured an episode that played as an homage to Fincher’s tone and style and narrative approach, it was something I, at least, just couldn’t unsee. If we were going to go down the rabbit hole of what this chapter of Ed’s story might have looked like, I could only really picture it in Fincher’s terms — so your guess is as good as mine as to why casting the “Mindhunter” pair of Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany in the roles didn’t feel right (we both love both of those actors), but it just didn’t.
There are so many dark moments for the actors. What scene struck you as especially difficult to write and shoot?
I was at once excited and terrified by the challenge of depicting necrophilia on our show. I’m fairly certain it’s never been done before on TV, and I knew it ran the risk of seeming arbitrarily shocking or exploitative (though I think choosing to tell Ed’s story in an easier manner by avoiding this chapter and not showing it would be the actually exploitative choice). Needless to say, even after I’d written the scene, it preoccupied me, as I had to also direct it. I felt greatly helped by the new industry standard of intimacy coordinators on set — and ours, Katie Groves, was spectacular — but still I worried about the scene just playing as cringey or unwatchable. But Charlie Hunnam, as with every scene he acted in on the show, came at the sequence with honesty and deep concern to capture all of the strangeness of the bizarre, disturbing act we were depicting — and what it said about what was going on inside Ed to lead him to commit such an act.
What have you watched recently that you are recommending to everyone you know?
I just saw PT Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” — which was shot by one of our two directors of photography, Michael Bauman — and was just completely floored and delighted. I’m sure it’s rife with homage to films that have gone before, but I could detect no inheritance at all; it felt like a genre to itself — completely original and new. And I still find the time I watched Jonathan Glazer’s “Zone of Interest” to be among the most profound experiences of my life. He took what is maybe cinema’s most settled, well-trodden genres and turned it on its head in a way I found shocking and revelatory. If there is a better portrait of the proximity and ubiquity and the banality of human evil, I haven’t seen it. I think it is as brilliant a slice of human ingenuity as has ever been crafted. I have thought about that movie every day since I first saw it.
What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the movie or TV show you go back to again and again?
It’s annoying to say it, but I don’t watch a lot of television. It’s like spending all day at the sausage factory then coming home to watch sausage footage. But the big exception is Peter Jackson’s Beatles documentary “Get Back” [Disney+] chronicling the making of the film and album “Let it Be.” I basically just watch it over and over again. I came late to the Beatles (I loved the Who and resented that they always sat squarely in the Beatles’ shadow), but when they hit me, they hit me hard, and watching them in this documentary at the height of their powers is a master class in the craft of collaboration and the hard work of genius. Also, everything I thought I knew about the Beatles at the end of their stretch as a band is wrong — fighting all the time? A bit but not really. Paul hated Yoko? He actually seems to really like her. I don’t know how many hours the documentary clocks in at, but I wish it were 10 times as long.
EX-FOOTIE star and manager Iain Dowie faces being made bankrupt after being taken to court by the taxman.
Cult hero Dowie, 60 – who coined the term “bouncebackability” – has been hit with the bankruptcy petition by HMRC with a hearing due at the High Court.
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Former football manager Iain Dowie faces being made bankrupt after being taken to court by the taxmanCredit: Getty
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The cult hero has been hit with the bankruptcy petition by HMRC with a hearing due at the High CourtCredit: Getty
It comes almost two decades after ex-Luton, Southampton and West Ham striker Dowie was clobbered with a huge legal bill after leaving Crystal Palace as manager.
A court ruled in 2007 that Dowie deceived Palace into waiving a £1 million compensation clause when he quit.
And a source said: “It looks like Iain’s financial problems might date back to that legal action – there doesn’t seem to be any other reason for it.
“It is a shame for him as he’s such a likeable bloke, but he hasn’t cashed in with punditry as much as some other ex-players and he probably could have done.
“But Iain is a bright bloke and I am sure he will bounce back.”
After leaving Palace, Dowie joined Charlton – but left the Addicks after just 15 games.
His contract contained a clause that Palace would receive £1 million in compensation if Dowie left to join another club.
The 59-cap Northern Ireland international worked as a sales manager and a Sky Sports pundit since his football career ended.
In 2023, Dowie told how he had landed a new position – as a mortgage advisor at a law firm.
He joined Alexander Grace Law, based near Burnley, as a business director leading its re-mortgaging team.
Carlo Ancelotti sentenced to one year for tax fraud
Dad of two Dowie, whose wife Debbie was also working for the company, said: “While people may wonder how I’ve gone from the football pitch to the office I have been working within the conveyancing arena for some four years now and when I was asked if I would come on board with them it was a no-brainer.”
After he was treated by other gym-goers and paramedics, Dowie backed calls for more people to learn CPR and said he survived due to the “brilliance of everyone involved”.
Dowie famously used the word “boucebackability” to describe a Crystal Palace comeback and it entered the Oxford dictionary in 2005.
A spokesperson for the star did not respond to a request for comment.
There is one very strict rule for would-be homebuyers applying to take part in the long-running Channel 4 show, producer Siobhan O’Gorman has revealed
The show’s producers vet would-be homebuyers very carefully(Image: Channel 4)
Siobhan O’Gorman, the TV producer who leads the A Place In The Sun team, has lifted the lid on how the hit Channel 4 show picks would-be house buyers to appear on the series.
She points out that some things have changed a lot since A Place In The Sun first aired 25 years ago: “The first-ever episode 25 years ago featured a couple looking for a holiday home in the French Pyrenees with a budget of £40,000,’ she told the Daily Mail. “That wasn’t a bad budget then, but today you wouldn’t get much for that.”
But other aspects are still very much the same, Siobhan adds: “We need to be sure every applicant is in a position to put in a genuine offer,” she says. “We have great relationships with estate agents all over Europe and beyond, so it’s important to maintain that.”
While something like two-thirds of applicants are hoping for a new home in Spain, many others get in touch with dreams of finding properties in Cyprus, Portugal and Greece.
“But we’re also seeing increased interest in countries such as Croatia, Turkey and Dubai,” Siobhan says.
Wherever they want to end up, applicants start by filling in a 12-page application form. Then Siobhan and the team go through every one, to identify house-hunters who are looking for properties in the areas that align with countries that the show is planning to visit in the coming season.
The next stage is an on-camera interview to assess whether the applicants will make for good TV, and whether their aspirations are realistic.
Competition is intense, Siobhan says: “‘It’s fair to say we have at least ten applications for every show and it’s 20 for some of the more popular resorts.”
Siobhan adds: “We like to reflect a variety of budgets and areas in each country, though, so we wouldn’t do six shows with the same budget and the same wish list in Mijas Costa in Spain, but we may do two shows there with differing budgets.”
All of this behind-the-scenes work helps A Place In The Sun look smooth and well-organised on screen. However, presenter Laura Hamilton, who has been with the show since 2012, describes one incident that she playfully christened “Mudgate” where anything that could go wrong, did go wrong.
As the team were trying to help a would-be expat find a retirement home in Abruzzo, Italy, a massive downpour caused mayhem.
The team were in multiple vehicles for social distancing reasons, and one by one, each one of them become mired down in slippery mud.
“We were there for three hours and had to have tractors pull us out,” Laura recalled. “I’m known for wearing high heels on the show because I’m quite short. I remember having these ridiculously high heels on and they got caked in mud.
“House hunter Sue was “mortified,” Laura recalled, blaming herself for choosing a remote rural location that didn’t even have proper tarmac roads. house. Laura tried to reassure Sue, telling her “It’s not your fault – and I always say you’ve got to love a house come rain or shine,” to which the embarrassed homebuyer replied: “Well, I definitely don’t love this one!”
However, Shore said R360, which organisers say has attracted investment from a variety of funds and individuals, is fundamentally different to PWR, which supports the rest of the game.
“Our league houses just over 500 players, and they go from 18-year-olds up to players in their 30s with 100 caps for their country,” Shore said.
“Our job is not just the athlete with 100 caps, though.
“Our clubs have invested millions in schools, in colleges, in university partnerships, in building out their pathway projects and work with the Rugby Football Union, who are doing the same.
“If R360 are a private, limited company they don’t have to do that. Their purpose is to do something that’s innovative and exciting at the top of the game.
“The one thing that you do read consistently is that they plan to break even in year two. So the goal is to make money for the people who invest in it.”
The unions said in their joint statement that R360 was “designed to generate profits and return them to a very small elite, potentially hollowing out the investment that national unions and existing leagues make in community rugby, player development and participation pathways”.
Yann Roubert, the head of the French club game, said, external on Wednesday that “you don’t build a sport by bypassing those who build it”.
R360 said it will put “players first” and offer the highest standards of support, and that the investment and attention it will attract can help the sport as a whole.
Jet2 CEO Steve Heapy has criticised the Spanish left-wing government for allegedly attracting rich travellers to the country, saying it goes against its ‘socialist utopia’
Milo Boyd Digital Travel Reporter and Laura Zilincanova
12:46, 08 Oct 2025
The Jet2 boss has laid into the Spanish tourism board(Image: NurPhoto, NurPhoto via Getty Images)
An airline chief has slammed Spain’s government, accusing it of courting hypocrisy by supposedly targeting wealthy tourists to visit the country.
Jet2 CEO Steve Heapy believes this contradicts the nation’s ‘socialist utopia’ principles. Speaking at the Association of British Travel Agents’ annual conference – taking place on the Spanish island of Mallorca – he branded tourism officials’ desire for affluent holidaymakers as “absolutely disgraceful”.
Mr Heapy addressed the government’s campaign “Think you know Spain? Think again”, which the airline boss has argued is calling for a different, richer type of tourist to visit the country.
“When you boil down what they’ve said, ‘we want a different type of customer’. They basically want rich people, which doesn’t fit given Spain is supposed to be a socialist utopia,” the Jet2 boss said.
“I don’t think it’s very fair. I don’t think holidays should be something for the rich and privileged. I think holidays should be something for everyone. And if a prerequisite to going on holidays is being rich, I think that’s absolutely disgraceful.”, reports the Express.
The promotional material comes after widespread demonstrations against tourism across Spain, with protesters telling visitors to “go home” and even dousing them with water pistols. Earlier this year, Mr Heapy revealed Jet2 “had people ringing the call centre and going into travel agents, asking questions like ‘is Spain safe’, ‘are we still welcome in the resort’.”
He noted this is “becoming a big issue, unfortunately, and perception becomes truth.”
The Spanish government is using adverts to encourage tourists to enjoy slower, more sustainable holidays, showcasing attractions such as wineries, luxury medieval castle hotels, surf camps, truffle tasting, and “gastronomic experiences with seasonal produce”.
The campaign’s website states: “There is another way to travel. Calmer, more aware, more personal. In Spain you will want to stop in every village and landscape to discover its culture and connect with the environment.”
Mr Heapy admitted that several of Spain’s top tourist hotspots are grappling with issues stemming from poor tourism management. He largely blamed this on unregulated short-term rentals, especially through platforms like Airbnb.
He proposed that hosts operating without the correct licences or tax registration should face hefty fines – up to €250,000 (around £217,000) – and potential prison time if fines remain unpaid. Jet2, Britain’s biggest package-holiday airline, transported nearly 18 million passengers last year, according to The Telegraph.
In recent years, more destinations and their tourism boards have spoken of wanting ‘high-value tourists’. The term has emerged in response to mass tourism and the problems that it can cause for local populations.
High volumes of holidaymakers on cheap package holidays can put strain on public services and push up house prices, while not adding as much to the local economy as some would like.
Shifting a destination’s tourism model from one that attracts mass-market visitors to a smaller group of richer travellers is not easy, however, as perceptions of a place tend to stick, and facilities take time and money to improve.
Joshua Allen, the dancer who took home the crown on the fourth season of “So You Think You Can Dance,” has died after he was struck by a train in Fort Worth.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s database confirmed that Allen died early Tuesday morning at a local hospital. His manner of death and cause of death are pending, the database says. Allen was 36.
Police responded Tuesday around 1 a.m. to railroad tracks near the intersection of Millbrook Lane and Nuffield Lane, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. Officers found Allen, who had been struck by a train, and took him to a nearby hospital where he died, police told the outlet. Police did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment Wednesday.
Christina Price, who represented Allen, also confirmed his death, saying in a statement that “what stood out most about Joshua was his heart.”
“He had a natural gift for movement — no formal training, yet he could watch something once and his body just knew how to do it,” Price added.”Beyond his talent, he gave back, teaching kids in Texas through dance workshops.”
Allen’s family member confirmed the entertainer’s death to TMZ, which first broke the news. The family member did not disclose his cause of death and asked fans for “privacy and prayers.”
The Texas-based dancer auditioned for “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2008, impressing judges with his fluid movements, controlled popping and locking and springy leaps. Throughout the season, he proved his ability to take on a variety of dance styles ranging from contemporary to Bollywood. He remained a strong competitor, eventually besting fellow contestants for the grand prize.
Allen notably bested Stephen “Twitch” Boss, who died by suicide in December 2022. Boss was 40. Allen mourned Boss on Instagram, writing “NO WORDS will ever be enough to explain the LOVE I have for you Stephen.” At the time, he recalled connecting with Boss prior to their auditions and wrote, “This isn’t goodbye more so I’ll see you later.”
Price, who also represented Boss, said his death “weighed heavily on Allen” and that “it’s heartbreaking to now be grieving Joshua as well.”
After his “So You Think You Can Dance” days, Allen’s work included a McDonald’s commercial, a role in the debut season of “American Horror Story” and appearances in “Freak Dance,” “Step Up 3D,” and the 2011 “Footloose” remake, according to IMDb. He was also an instructor for several dance competitions.
Allen faced legal troubles in summer 2016, when he was accused of attacking his girlfriend at a coffee shop. The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office charged him with two felony counts of willfully injuring his girlfriend, one felony assault with a deadly weapon and four misdemeanors related to battery, vandalism and violating a protective order, according to TMZ. Allen was poised to be a mentor on Season 13 of “SYTYCD,” but longtime host Cat Deeley announced his departure from the series on-air amid his domestic violence case.
He pleaded no contest in August 2016 and was sentenced to one year in jail.
“I don’t see where Wirtz gets into the team,” ex-England captain Wayne Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show. “I think it was a lot of money. I think Wirtz actually damages the balance of Liverpool and how they play.
“He’s a top player and I’m sure he will get better – but he’s had a slow start and I think there’s no denying that.”
Wirtz’s current struggles are not down to a shortage of endeavour. He attempted more dribbles or shots on goal than anyone else for Liverpool in Istanbul. He will hope his hard work is rewarded soon.
Liverpool statistics also back up the theory they are now easier to get at, needing late goals against Bournemouth, Newcastle , Arsenal, Burnley, Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and Southampton in the Carabao Cup. They also conceded two-goal leads against Bournemouth, Newcastle and Atletico.
And, again, you can compare the start of this season to the beginning of last – they have had only two clean sheets in 10 games this season having kept six in their first 10 last season.
“Right now they’re not there yet,” said ex-Liverpool forward Daniel Sturridge on Amazon Prime. “When you look at the way they’re playing right now they’re not the same team as last year. You can see the chemistry is not right at this present moment in this time – but they have plenty of time to get it right. It’s not panic stations.”
Slot, perfectly understandably, delivered measured perspective as he said: “We are not so far off the level shown last season. This is sometimes what the schedule can bring, Galatasaray is not a simple game. We now play Chelsea away, a difficult game.
“The margins are small and they were last season. For the second time in a row we are on the wrong side.
“I saw a lot of things in the first half, but the second half was much less. I don’t think in the second half there was a lot of playing time, their striker was on the floor four or five times. It was difficult to get momentum in the game.”
For all that, however, the sense of calm control and composure that was the hallmark of Liverpool’s title win has been lost – and was missing again the fierce surroundings of Istanbul.
Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has been given a one-match ban for “unsporting conduct” by Uefa following his clash with Liverpool supporters at Anfield earlier this month.
After Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk scored a 92nd-minute winner in Atletico’s 3-2 defeat, Simeone reacted after he appeared to be goaded by a small number of home fans.
The Argentine complained to the fourth official with a number of stewards positioned between him and the Liverpool supporters.
Simeone had to be dragged away from the scene and continued his protests before he was sent off and walked down the tunnel.
His ban lasts for one competitive Uefa fixture, meaning he will miss his side’s home game against Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday (20:00 BST).
Speaking in the news conference after the Liverpool match, the 55-year-old said: “Firstly I regret the part I played. It’s clear we are in a position where we do not have the right to react and it is not good when we react.”
Simone said he “could not remember exactly” what had been, but he took issue with the “insults throughout the whole game” from the home supporters.
“We [managers] are in a position where we are protagonists/standard bearers, so in the same manner that we fight against racism and insults in stadiums today, we could also fight on behalf of the managers, against the insults we receive throughout the whole game.
“It’s not easy to be in the position we are in and receive insults for the whole game. I saw it from far away after the third goal. I saw the third goal go in and I turned, the insults continued, and well, I’m a person.”
Liverpool, meanwhile, have been fined 4,000 euros (£3,492) for the throwing of objects.
Before facing England on the field, Wales have been taking on their neighbours by trying to convince Tottenham Hotspur winger Mikey Moore to switch international allegiance to play for them.
Moore, who is on loan at Scottish Premiership side Rangers, has represented England Under-19s but qualifies for Wales through a grandparent.
“We look at every player that’s available,” he said. “I’d prefer it if it wasn’t aired, if I’m being honest, it does us no favours.
“We do our work behind the scenes. We do it for every player we feel is going to offer us something, but I’m always against pressure from the outside.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of players we feel would definitely benefit us in the future – we need a big squad, so we’re always aware of that. We would be naive not to be aware of it.
“No individual, I don’t believe, especially young players, should be in the public domain. I understand it but it’s not how I go about it. For me to mention individuals, I never do.
“But for us, we’re always aware of who can represent us. Do they have the mentality, do they have the ability to add to us? And if they do, then we’re always aware and always trying to be as active as we can, as we have been for a number of years.”
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who feels as cantankerous as Jackson Lamb by the end of the workweek.
The fifth season of “Slow Horses” premiered this week. And everyone’s favorite team of disgraced British spies are back to connect the dots of a new mysterious threat. Once an underrated gem, the spy thriller’s move into the awards spotlight has brought more attention to the critical darling. But in following the very British model of releasing six-episode seasons, the entertaining ride can feel fleeting — luckily, two more seasons are already in the works. Will Smith, the show’s head writer, who is stepping down after this current season, stopped by Guest Spot to talk about the sleeper hit.
Also in this week’s Screen Gab, our streaming recommendations include an Italian-set action-drama about a fixer at a luxury resort and a beloved baking competition series that always serves up a refreshing dose of wholesome goodness and showstopping sweet treats.
P.S.: Last week’s newsletter incorrectly stated that new episodes of ABC’s “High Potential” air on Wednesdays. They air on Tuesdays, and are available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ the next day. Don’t tell Morgan or she’ll add us to the murder board!
ICYMI
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How Beyond Fest became L.A.’s best film festival: An event that started off as a bluff has outgrown its genre roots to become a legitimate destination for rabid film fans, boasting rarities and prestige titles alike.
Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times
Jordan Alexandra as Genny and Jesse Williams as Daniel De Luca in a scene from “Hotel Costeria.”
(Virginia Bettoja / Prime)
“Hotel Costiera” (Prime Video)
A charming Jesse Williams, the “Grey’s Anatomy” alum, plays Daniel De Luca, a sort of action concierge at a high-end boutique hotel on the Amalfi Coast in this easygoing mix of “The White Lotus” and a midcentury Continental adventure show, like “The Saint” or “The Protectors.” A long-arc plot involving the missing daughter (Amanda Campana) of Daniel’s hotelier boss (Tommaso Ragno) runs alongside episodic stories — the search for a missing guest, sourcing a flight-worthy coffin, stealing an important bracelet from a local crime figure — mixing mysteries with human interest and a lot of local color. (Williams speaks Italian with persuasive fluency.) Assisting Daniel in his investigations is a team of classic types — a beautiful yet brainy woman (Jordan Alexandra); a comical aristocrat (Sam Haygarth), like Bertie Wooster by way of Mr. Bean; and a rotund restaurateur Bigné (Antonio Gerardi), at whose trattoria they all hang out, plotting whatever needs to be plotted. It’s saying nothing against the rest of this pleasantly diverting series that these scenes are the heart of the show, and, yes, I would like a cappuccino, grazie. — Robert Lloyd
Paul Hollywood, left, Alison Hammond, Prue Leith and Noah Fielding in a promotional still from “The Great British Baking Show.”
(Mark Bourdillon / Channel 5 / Netflix)
“Great British Baking Show,” Collection 13 (Netflix)
September means the arrival of fall and another season of the best baking show on TV. Over the years, the series has stuck to a simple yet effective recipe of beautiful bakes, friendly competition and soothing voiceovers (thanks to Noel Fielding). This season’s contestants are just as talented and endearing as previous ones, but now that we’re three episodes in — and past the dreaded Bread Week — we’re down to nine bakers. Among them are Nataliia, a Ukrainian immigrant living in East Yorkshire; Iain, a short king and self-proclaimed “yeastie boy” from Belfast; and Jasmine, an ever-smiling 23-year-old medical student. In this week’s back-to-school-themed episode, the bakers’ challenges include making flapjacks (in the U.K., they’re like a granola bar) and school cake (a sponge with icing and sprinkles). They sound simple, but no recipe is what it seems on this show. And those low-stakes surprises and competition are precisely what makes “Baking Show” a balm for the soul right now. — Maira Garcia
Guest spot
A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching
Rosalind Eleazar, left, Christopher Chung, Saskia Reeves, Aimee-Ffion Edwards and Jack Lowden in “Slow Horses.”
(Jack English / Apple TV+)
Do you ever look at your boss and feel both deep gratitude and disappointment because they’re not Jackson Lamb? There’s at least a new season of “Slow Horses” to vicariously experience the walking HR nightmare and his joyously rumpled, smelly and messy leadership style, as expertly portrayed by Gary Oldman. Based on Mick Herron’s “Slough House” novels, the espionage thriller/workplace dramedy centers on a misfit crew of MI5 outcasts — led by Lamb — who’ve blown their careers and now find themselves banished to Slough House, a dumping ground where the agency hopes they’ll be forgotten. The Apple TV+ series returned this week with its eponymous group of spies investigating a series of coordinated terror attacks that have struck London. A new episode will be released every Wednesday until the season finale on Oct. 29. In his last season as head writer, Will Smith stopped by Guest Spot to discuss his creative collaboration with Oldman, his pick for most the competent agent and the best show he’s seen in years. — Yvonne Villarreal
This once–sleeper hit has become such a force with critics and fans. Knowing Season 5 would be your last as head writer, did it feel any different writing this first episode? What was the most important decision you made in this season opener?
You just always want to make it the best it can be and you don’t want to repeat. You need to give the audience enough of what drew them to the show in the first place without making them think, “I’ve seen this,” and you need to give them enough that’s new without them going, “This isn’t the show any more.” The same goes for the cast, by the way; they have to feel their characters are moving on but in an organic way, that you’re acknowledging what went before and building on it. Luckily, that’s Mick’s approach with the books too. And it really helps having the same crew and returning director Saul Metzstein (from Season 3) — Saul and the camera team know what’s gone before and are continually finding new ways to shoot in our existing locations. A really obvious example of how we try to move things on but keep it all connected is Slough House itself. I know it’s a cliche, but it really is a character in the series; to me, it’s an embodiment of Lamb, it reflects so much about him, but it’s never the same. We establish it in Season 1, in Season 2 it’s a discomforting sweatbox, in Season 3 it’s full of boxes of files, which completely changes how people move around it. In Season 4 it’s shot to pieces, and in Season 5 we see the cheap repairs have been started and left. So I hope we’ve hit that same sweet spot with this series, that it gives you exactly what you want and then some things you didn’t know you wanted but feel totally in keeping with the show.
The episode opens with both a mass shooting and a fatal sniper shot in London. While it’s a sequence in the books and was written months ago, it could feel all too timely and provoking depending on the news cycle in which it’s being viewed. How do you decide what to show, how much is enough, what will engage and what will overwhelm?
This weighed quite heavily on us as we sadly knew that some horrific event could happen around the launch of the show that could affect how it was viewed. We actually had a version that cut out after he first opened fire, but felt that that didn’t go far enough. So we went and filmed a pickup where we stayed with the shooter and see his victims fall in the distance. We didn’t want the horror to be overwhelming, although being with him and his blank detachment in this version is disturbingly chilling. And then we took it as far as the assassin himself being killed out of nowhere. Which is a shock and a twist — what the hell is going on? The audience are confused in a good way. I hope by now they trust that all will be explained.
How involved is Gary in terms of script and character development? Can you give an example of a detail or moment over the run of the series that he advocated for or against that proved valuable to the story?
Gary is an incredibly generous and deferential collaborator. As I’ve said before, he’s not just one of the greatest actors of his generation, he’s also a hugely talented writer and director, and he’s completely respectful of myself and Saul Metzstein and the other directors. I think it helps that we’re very in tune creatively. Gary and I both have a love and respect for the source material, so he knows I’m not going to junk the book — we’re going to work on it and bring a version of it to life. The other brilliant thing about Gary is that he’s not intimidated by the fact that Lamb’s arc is all in the backstory. He absorbs and plays that, even if he doesn’t know the specifics. You just get the sense that Lamb has been through some bad stuff. Lamb is a cautionary tale, a smoking ruin; he’s not going to change now. The changes come to our perspective when we learn a little bit more about him and what he’s been through. The moment he was most involved in I can’t talk about in detail because it’s a spoiler. But it came from an idea his wife, Gisele, had. Gary and I then discussed the best version of it in story terms, and then we shot it twice as Saul had an even better idea as to how to make it land. We put an awful lot of thought into it, and actually it’s the one area where we do depart from the book (with Mick’s blessing). I’m very excited about it and what it can lead to in future series that I’m looking forward to watching as a fan.
If you were running the spies, who would you say is the most competent agent? And what have you learned about how to walk the line between keeping the “misfits and losers” bit believable but also allowing the Slow Horses to actually triumph in the end?
After Lamb, Catherine is the smartest agent in the building, although River is the most effective field agent. Catherine is not trained as a spy but has been around them most of her adult life. She’s incredibly bright and perceptive but lacks confidence. She’s often the person putting the pieces together but never gets the credit. I think Lamb wants her around for that reason, as well as the twisted mix of protecting her and goading her and having her as a living reminder of his own fallibility — they were both betrayed by Charles Partner (Catherine’s boss, Lamb’s friend and mentor) and Lamb had to execute him. I’m not saying Lamb was sunshine and light before that, I think he’s always been a hard-living cynic, but that really did break something in him. And yes, it’s a delicate balance maintaining the premise of the show — these people are useless yet every season they save the day but are still not allowed out of exile. I think the compromise and unfairness is what makes it believable. Although at some point I feel they either have to redeem themselves or accept that it’s fruitless and move on. But again, usually Mick will kill them off before they reach that crossroads.
In “Clown Town,” Herron’s latest installment in the book series, he references the language of the show. There’s a line — “It’s like explaining Denmark to a cat”— that feels like a direct reference to the Season 1 line, “It’s like explaining Norway to a dog.” As a writer, what’s it like to see the way he has acknowledged and tipped his hat to the show?
One of the things I’m proudest of is how much Mick and his readers love the show. Sometimes I think a line is Mick’s and it turns out to be mine or vice versa, and Mick has the same confusion. He’s also read out the opening scene of Season 4 at events and said he didn’t write it, but he would have done [it] if he’d thought of it. Knowing I’m in tune with him and his characters and stories has been absolutely wonderful because I started this and finish it as a huge fan of his work.
What have you watched recently that you are recommending to everyone you know?
“Lost Boys and Fairies” by Daf James on the BBC [available to stream on Britbox] is the best show I’ve seen in years. It’s about a gay couple going through the adoption process and is charming, tragic, playful, sad and uplifting. It’s so deftly written by Daf and wonderfully directed by James Kent and stars one of my favorite actors, Sion Daniel Young, whom “Slow Horses fans” will know as Douglas from Season 3.
What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the movie or TV show you go back to again and again?
I will always watch Michael Mann’s “Heat” [Prime Video] whenever I chance upon it, and watch it by choice at least one a year. It’s perfect. But for true comfort, I return again and again to the Hal Roach-era comedies of Laurel and Hardy, which have brought me unlimited joy throughout my life.
Ibiza Final Boss Jack Kay looks completely unrecognisable in an unearthed snap that was taken before his incredible rise to fame on social media over the summer
Ibiza Final Boss Jack Kay shot to fame on TikTok(Image: Jack kay Instagram)
Ibiza Final Boss Jack Kay looks completely unrecognisable in an unearthed snap that was taken before his incredible rise to fame. The 26-year-old construction worker, who hails from Newcastle, has become instantly known thanks to an eight second video posted on TikTok that has landed him a Channel 4 documentary and a multi-figure brand deal.
The viral social media star is known for his famous haircut, but in a newly-resurfaced photograph, the influencer looks totally different with a style that is worlds away from his signature look.
Standing on the right end in a snap taken in a pub, Jack can posing in front of a pint and is sporting with a much-less defined fringe whilst his beard and chain are nowhere to be seen.
Speaking about his incredible rise to fame, he said: “Where I’m from is like a council estate. Not much happens round there for people like me. People like me don’t get the chance to make it to this level, do you know what I mean? To make it to this level is like a dream, honest to god!”
On August 3, Jack was dancing at a party when he caught the attention of clothing label Zero Six West Ibiza. He had black and gold sunglasses on to match his black vest and massive gold chain. His muscled arms were on display and his now iconic bowl haircut had been shaped to perfection. The clothing label posted an eight-second clip of Jack dancing, and asked: “Does anyone know this absolute legend coz we’ve got 2 free guestlist with his name on it!”
On TikTok alone, the video has had almost 30million views and Jack became a meme, dubbed the Ibiza Final Boss. He captured the attention of many and soon signed with a talent agency and embarking on a club appearance tour, which one PR expert estimated could earn him £1k-5k per night. With at least eight appearances under his belt, that is an estimated earning of anywhere between £8k and £40k from club appearances.
The new film follows Jack as he adjusts to life in the spotlight and tries to find longevity in his newfound career as an internet personality. When asked why millions went wild for his unique look, Jack said: “I think why people love that video because it’s just my aura.
“I think no one has seen us before. When I’ve just stepped in the dance, looking the way I’m looking with my shades and my hair. My tattoos, my muscles, my beard and stuff. People think, ‘Who’s he?’ That’s what I think.”
He went onto reveal that he now goes to the hairdresser three times a week to keep up his look – and spends nearly £80 weekly.
“Before the fame, it was twice a week but now it’s three times,” he said. “I’ve got to keep myself on point.
“Three, four years ago, I had long hair, like a slick-back. I got sick of it and changed it to a Scouse trim. It’s basically just a low fade. Brush my hair to the side, put a bit of hairspray on. It’s got to be spot on.”
He added: “It looks fresh doesn’t it? Everyone loves it. Especially the birds. They loved it before the fame and now.”
Men’s team manager Arne Slot said Beard “did great things for this football club”.
“I think the Melwood staff and everyone that worked with him liked him so much – and that’s probably even a more important legacy to leave behind than the trophies you win,” he added.
“The person you are is always more important than what you’ve won. But in his situation, both things were combined: so successful as a manager and a great human being.
“It’s not only that he gets all the respect he deserves here at Liverpool but I think all around women’s football.”
Liverpool Women managing director Andy O’Boyle also paid tribute to Beard, saying: “On behalf of everyone at Liverpool Football Club, I’d just like to extend our greatest condolences to Matt’s family; his wife Debbie, his children Harry and Ellie, and his wider family and friends.
“It has been a really sad time for everyone. You have seen how the club and football have come together, and we extend our sympathies to Matt’s family and friends at this time.
“Matt has been an iconic figure in the women’s game. Obviously winning two WSL titles with Liverpool and then also getting promoted from the Championship up to the WSL. You can see over the years the success he has brought to the club.
“Not just the success on the pitch, the success off the pitch as well in terms of the people, the players, the staff, colleagues within the game – you can see how much love and joy he brought to Liverpool, the football club and also to women’s football and wider football.”
Microsoft says its new $30bn (£22bn) investment in the UK’s AI sector – its largest outside of the US – should significantly boost Britain’s economy in the next few years.
The package forms a major part of a £31bnagreement made between the UK government and various other US tech giants, including Nvidia and Google, to invest in British-based infrastructure to support AI technology, largely in the form of data centres.
Microsoft will also now be involved in the creation of a powerful new supercomputer in Loughton, Essex.
Speaking exclusively to the BBC Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told the BBC of the tech’s potential impact on economic growth.”
“It may happen faster, so our hope is not ten years but maybe five”.
“Whenever anyone gets excited about AI, I want to see it ultimately in the economic growth and the GDP growth.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the US-UK deal marked “a generational step change in our relationship with the US”.
He added that the agreement was “creating highly skilled jobs, putting more money in people’s pockets and ensuring this partnership benefits every corner of the United Kingdom.”
The UK economy has remained stubbornly sluggish in recent months.
Nadella compared the economic benefits of the meteoric rise of AI with the impact of the personal computer when it became common in the workplace, about ten years after it first started scaling in the 1990s.
But there are also growing mutterings that AI is a very lucrative bubble that is about to burst. Nadella conceded that “all tech things are about booms and busts and bubbles” and warned that AI should not be over-hyped or under-hyped but also said the newborn tech would still bring about new products, new systems and new infrastructure.
He acknowledged that its energy consumption remains “very high” but argued that its potential benefits, especially in the fields of healthcare, public services, and business productivity, were worthwhile. He added that investing in data centres was “effectively” also investing in modernising the power grid but did not say that money would be shared directly with the UK’s power supplier, the National Grid.
The campaign group Foxglove has warned that the UK could end up “footing the bill for the colossal amounts of power the giants need”.
The supercomputer, to be built in Loughton, Essex, was already announced by the government in January, but Microsoft has now come on board to the project.
Big tech comes to town
Mr Nadella, revealed the investment as Donald Trump has arrived in the UK on a three-day state visit.
The UK and US have signed a “Tech Prosperity Deal” as part of the visit, with an aim of strengthening ties on AI, quantum computing and nuclear power.
Google has promised £5bn for AI research and infrastructure over the next two years.
Nvidia also pledged to develop AI in the UK, which will help fuel innovation, economic growth and jobs, a spokesperson for the chip giant told the BBC.
The company said that along with its partners it will invest up to £11bn in the UK, in what it called the largest AI infrastructure rollout in the country’s history.
UK Chancellor Rachel Reevesalsoopened a £735m data centre as part of the investment on Tuesday in Hertfordshire.
There are some concerns that accepting so much money from US investors will mean the UK relies too much on foreign technology.
One of the ways it stated it would do this was to “export American AI to allies and partners.”
The UK government has signed number of deals with US technology companies, including an agreement to use OpenAI services in the public sector and a £400m contract to use Google Cloud services in the Ministry of Defence.
Satya Nadella said he thought the agreement defined “the next phase of globalisation” and argued that having access to foreign tech services leveraged digital sovereignty rather than threatened it.
On the growing issue of AI taking over jobs, Nadella said Microsoft also had to “change with the changes in technology”, having laid off thousands of staff this year despite record sales and profits. He described it as “the hard process of renewal”.
AI growth zone in north-east England
The government also said there was “potential for more than 5,000 jobs and billions in private investment” in north-east England, which has been designated as a new “AI growth zone“.
It has now announced another data centre project dubbed Stargate UK from OpenAI, chipmaker Nvidia, semiconductor company Arm and Nscale.
That will be based at Cobalt Park in Northumberland.
OpenAI boss Sam Altman said Stargate UK would “help accelerate scientific breakthroughs, improve productivity, and drive economic growth.”
However the UK version is a fraction of the firm’s US-based Stargate project, which OpenAI launched in January with a commitment to invest $500 billion over the next four years building new AI infrastructure for itself.
So far, reaction to the agreement has been broadly positive, but it is clear that there are many challenges ahead for the UK if it is to fulfil its intended potential.
The Tony Blair Institute described the news as a “breakthrough moment” but added that Britain had some work to do: “reforming planning rules, accelerating the delivery of clean energy projects, and building the necessary digital infrastructure for powering the country’s tech-enabled growth agenda,” said Dr Keegan McBride, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change’s emerging tech and geopolitics expert.
Matthew Sinclair, UK director of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, hailed the agreement as “a powerful demonstration of the scale of the AI opportunity for the UK economy.”
But the Conservative Party highlighted that other big international companies such as the pharmaceutical giant Merck have recently cancelled or delayed their UK expansion plans.
Satya Nadella spoke to the BBC News in between board meetings, shortly before jumping on a flight to join Donald Trump as he arrives in the UK on a three-day state visit. Nadella will be among other tech leaders, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, attending the Royal state banquet on Wednesday.
He said he would use Microsoft’s AI tool Copilot to help him decide what to wear.
“I was very surprised that there was a very different dress protocol, which I’m really not sure that I’m ready for,” he said.
