Keri Russell has been a recognisable face on TV screens since the 90s – and she has a famous partner
Netflix’s The Diplomat is back with a third season, featuring Kate Wyler (portrayed by Keri Russell) in an unexpected new role.
Keri Russell, a 49 year old American actress, has been celebrated for her television roles since the 90s.
Born and raised in California, she has an older brother and a younger sister, and due to her father’s job as a Nissan Motors executive, the family moved around frequently.
In 1999, she bagged a Golden Globe Award for her performance in the drama Felicity, and has received four additional nominations for her roles in The Americans and The Diplomat.
In recognition of her contributions to television, she was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2017.
One of her earliest roles was at the tender age of 15, when she featured in the Disney Channel’s revival of The Mickey Mouse Club.
Her dancing skills, honed during her middle school and high school years, helped her secure a spot on the show.
She was a regular cast member from 1991 to 1994, and during this period, she made her film debut in Honey, I Blew Up the Kid.
From 2013 to 2018, she starred opposite Matthew Rhys in the series The Americans, where he played her character’s husband.
The on-screen couple became real-life partners during this period.
Who is Keri Russell’s famous partner?
The Diplomat star was previously married to Shane Deary, a Brooklyn-based contractor whom she met through mutual friends.
They tied the knot in 2007 and have two children – a son and a daughter.
The pair parted ways in 2014 and since then, she’s been romantically linked with Welsh actor Matthew Rhys, famed for his roles in Brothers and Sisters and Perry Mason.
They share a son and despite affectionately referring to each other as husband and wife, they haven’t tied the knot.
The duo have voiced their eagerness to collaborate professionally once more, with Russell suggesting to People that her partner could “totally” join the cast of The Diplomat.
“I think that would probably be more in his court,” she added, indicating their mutual desire to work together again.
“But he’s pretty busy doing a million other things. He’s got, like, five other jobs or something,” she quipped.
A third Camp Rock film has been confirmed by Disney but Demi Lovato, who shot to global fame in the leading role of Mitchie Torres, will not be a part of the cast
23:55, 17 Sep 2025Updated 23:59, 17 Sep 2025
The Sorry Not Sorry singer shot to fame as a teenager alongside the Jonas Brothers with her Camp Rock role (Image: Getty Images)
Demi Lovato will not return for Camp Rock 3. The pop star, 33, shot to fame when she took on the leading role of Mitchie Torres in the Disney Channel Original movie in 2008, and appeared alongside the Jonas Brothers, as well as other network stars like Alyson Stoner and Meaghan Martin.
Mitchie was an aspiring singer/songwriter desperate to attend the titular summer camp, but could only afford to do so if her mother was employed there as a chef. The film came about after the success of High School Musical, which made a star out of Zac Efron and became the network’s second-most successful franchise behind Hannah Montana. Camp Rock followed Demi’s character as she battled with camp rivalries and eventually plucked up the courage to belt out This Is Me in a grand competition.
Demi played Mitchie Torres in the TV film, whereas the Burnin’ Up hitmakers starred as fictional boyband Connect 3 (Image: DISNEY CHANNEL)
Now, a third instalment of Camp Rock has been confirmed and Kevin, Nick and Joe Jonas, will return in their roles as members of the fictional boyband Connect 3. Also making a comeback is Maria Canals-Barrera, who played Demi’s mother Connie. Fans will also recognise her for starring as Theresa, the on-screen mother of Selena Gomez on Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place.
Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television, said: “Camp Rock is an important part of the Disney Channel Original Movie legacy, with unforgettable music, energetic storytelling, and characters that live in the hearts of fans to this day. Bringing it back with Kevin, Joe, Nick and Demi is such a full-circle moment, and we can’t wait to reintroduce this world to a new generation.”
According to TMZ, Demi is not part of the cast but will instead serve as an executive producer alongside the Jonas Brothers.
Joy Ride actress Sherry Cola has joined the cast in the role of Lark, and will be seen alongside by Liamani Segura, Malachi Barto, Lumi Pollack, Hudson Stone, Brooklynn Pitts, Casey Trotter and Ava Jean, all of whom will play newcomers to the camp. The plot will see Connect 3 lose their support act for an upcoming reunion tour, and they return to Camp Rock in search of an up-and-coming star to act as a replacement.
Demi has gone onto a major career in pop music but will not return to the role that made her famous (Image: Getty Images)
In the late 2000s, Demi, who also dated Joe Jonas for a period of time, was a mainstay on Disney Channel and was part of a cohort of young stars like Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, as well as twins Dylan and Cole Sprouse.. Earlier this year, Demi treated fans to a surprise Camp Rock reunion when she and the Jonas Brothers got together to sing their most famous song from the Disney movie.
The Jonas Brothers were performing for their 20th anniversary tour in New Jersey and included the song Gotta Find You form the iconic movie.
After the performance, Demi shared a video singing with Joe witht he caption: “thanks for having me @jonasbrothers”, which sent fans wild.
One person commented: “most important moment of my life”, while another added: “THIS WILL BE STUDIED AT HISTORY BOOKS”.
A third fan commented: “First we get Freakier Friday, Princess Diaries 3 is being filmed, Miley announced she wants to do something special for Hannah Montana, and now this, life is good!”, while another added: “I can’t fully explain but this was healing”.
A British woman who is obsessed with travelling has now revealed what it is like working on a cruise ship – from no days off to cheeky guests ‘cheating’ on board
A cruise ship worker spent some time on Marella Cruises – and has shared her experience(Image: Alan Morris via Getty Images)
Many of us adore cruise holidays, but could you imagine making a ship your permanent home? While we catch glimpses of maritime life through TV programmes like Below Deck or Disney Channel‘s Suite Life on Deck, you might wonder what the reality is actually like. Fortunately, a young British woman has satisfied this curiosity.
Travel enthusiast Anaya revealed what life is genuinely like residing on a cruise ship – from all the benefits she receives, as well as the exhausting shift patterns. She has been able to journey to destinations including Bali, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Bali, Amsterdam, Singapore, Laos, Dominican Republic, Australia, Italy, Monaco, Spain, Germany, Portugal and Antigua – to mention just a few.
Anaya is employed by Marella Cruises, owned by TUI, in destination services – assisting people in crafting their ideal trip when they disembark the ship, as well as helping them navigate their way around new locations and arranging excursions and activities.
Although she gets to undertake extensive travelling, enjoys exciting experiences and the facilities aboard the vessel, Anaya acknowledges she also grafts tremendously hard. And apparently, securing any time off is virtually impossible, she claims.
Speaking on TikTok, Anaya revealed: “Basically, it’s like an unwritten rule that when you work on a cruise ship, you just don’t get a day off for the entirety of your contract. Because the cruise is running nearly every day of the year, we can’t have any days off.”
Anaya typically works several hours, enjoys some leisure time, then returns to her duties later in the day. During breaks from her responsibilities aboard the vessel, she’s able to experience ship life and discover the destinations she visits.
The cruise ship employee explained that while each shift differs, she never exceeds 10 hours of work daily.
The travel enthusiast revealed: “Sometimes we have breaks off in the middle of the day and I work in the excursions department so I spend a lot of time on the trips and seeing the places that way.”
In the comments section of her video, someone enquired what occurs if a crew member becomes unwell.
Anaya responded: “You would see the medical centre if you were ill. If they thought you were too sick to work then you’d get ‘signed off’. If you’ve not been signed off by medical then you’d still have to work.”
The cruise ship worker clarified that employment contracts for staff can span from three months to eight months.
She continued: “In my department you wouldn’t really do more than seven [months], but in my experience I haven’t really done more than five and a half.”
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Anaya says people frequently assume you must speak several languages to work aboard a cruise ship, though this isn’t necessarily true. The vessel she works on chiefly accommodates English and Canadian passengers, so she doesn’t need to be multilingual. Nevertheless, other companies might require this on job applications. On top of this, she doesn’t have to fork out rent for her cabin.
She also receives complimentary meals daily and can enjoy onboard entertainment without any extra cost.
Another bonus is that she’s exempt from paying tax while aboard the vessel. What’s more, social gatherings are frequently arranged for crew members each month.
These evenings off can become quite raucous – as Anaya disclosed it’s “very common” for passengers to be unfaithful to their partners while on board.
So could you cope with life on the ocean? If you’re not scared of grafting hard, it sounds like it could be an absolutely brilliant way to explore the globe.
Disney Channel fans are just realising that you can experience a holiday just like Camp Rock in real life; there is an almost identical spot with beautiful lakes, campfires and more
Fans are just realising that you can actually go to Camp Rock (file)(Image: DISNEY CHANNEL)
Every noughties child who was glued to the Disney Channel had one dream: to rock out at Camp Rock and rub shoulders with the Jonas Brothers, just like Demi Lovato’s character, Mitchie Torres. Nearly two decades on from the film’s release, fans are still belting out tunes from the Camp Rock soundtrack and its follow-up, Camp Rock 2.
Now, die-hard movie buffs can rejoice as there’s a ‘real-life Camp Rock’ where they can live out their musical fantasies. Nestled in Haliburton in Ontario, Canada, Kilcoo Camp offers idyllic scenes that could be straight out of the movie, featuring quaint cabins and lush woodlands set against the backdrop of the pristine Lake Wanakita.
A TikTok user recently shared a sneak peak of her time there. TikTok user @nomswithcat declared she was “living out my childhood dreams” while posting about her last meal at the camp.
Her final day kicked off with a “splendid view” and a breakfast of bread cake. “I had it every single day, it’s literally just jam and bread,” she confessed.
After breakfast, she warmed up for a dance session, later indulging in a hearty lunch of spaghetti and meatballs smothered in marinara sauce, which she described as “sweet and savoury”.
The camp experience wrapped up with a classic evening of fireside barbecue and s’mores.
“It was such a lovely way to end off camp,” the TikToker said, admitting she would miss the camp cuisine.
Fans of the iconic film were left stunned to discover that Camp Rock isn’t mere fiction.
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One flabbergasted fan exclaimed: “Camp rock is a real place why didn’t anyone tell me.” Another lamented: “You mean to tell me I could have saved all my money to go here?”
“Wait you’re telling me that we can go to Camp Rock,” echoed another, full of surprise. “Wait, what this is real?” one asked in disbelief.
While another shared their astonishment: “Why didn’t I know this was a thing?” “Oh wow never knew it was real,” admitted yet another fan.
The location, known for hosting summer camps and educational trips, also offers private retreats.
However, enthusiasts dreaming of their own Camp Rock experience should note that it comes with a hefty price tag; a four-week stay this summer will set you back $6,675 (£4902), while a two-week stint costs $3,950 (£2901).
Would you visit the real Camp Rock? Comment below.
Celebrities and the world’s toddlers adore the long-running Aussie children’s TV entertainers, but now in it’s third reincarnation, the punishing schedule has taken its toll on the kiddie supergroup
(Image: Getty Images)
Robert De Niro, Dolly Parton and Jessie J are fans, they’re worth millions and play sell-out concerts around the world. The Wiggles – aka The Beatles for toddlers – are a preschooler’s entertainment juggernaut that has taken over the world.
They’ve got a new country album out, Wiggle Up Giddy Up, featuring two songs with the rhinestone queen herself, Dolly Parton. And tickets to their current world tour are hotter than an Oasis reunion gig.
They have previously sold out Madison Square Garden in New York for 12 days in a row and, ahead of this week’s show in the US, Hollywood legend De Niro, 81, was granted a backstage pass with his two-year-old daughter, Gia, to meet her idol – founder member, Anthony Field (Blue Wiggle).
Like most people over the age of five, De Niro didn’t have a clue about this global phenomenon until he had Gia with professional martial artist girlfriend Tiffany Chen, 45.
The Wiggles sang their classic banger Rock-A-Bye Your Bear for the veteran actor’s family, which drew a rare smile. And De Niro admitted: “I didn’t know of them until I started seeing them and my daughter loves to watch them… but they’re great!”
Jessie J and son Sky meet The Wiggles and Tree of Wisdom at their Bouncing Balls Tour in Croydon in May 2025(Image: Mike Marsland/Getty Images for T)
With the advent of YouTube and the arrival of their shows on Netflix, a new British audience is embracing The Wiggles.
When they came to the UK recently, Jessie J met them with her son Sky and was treated to some of the Tree of Wisdom’s viral TikTok dance moves.
They’re also part of a wave of Australian children’s TV, like Bluey, that is captivating British kids, giving them Aussie accents and pushing CBeebies off the map.
Borkowski PR’s Gregor Cubie expects his 19-month-old to join the fan club soon, and wonders if ‘Aussie-ness’ is the magic ingredient wooing international audiences.
“In the same way that Bluey is almost universally popular and accessible, The Wiggles’ sheer Aussie-ness might work in their favour when it comes to their reputation,” he says.
But, scratch the surface, according to Gregor, and you’ll find a long-running supergroup, dogged by controversy, ill health and accusations of “going woke”.
The Wiggles’ original line-up Jeff Fatt, Anthony Field, Greg Page and Murray Cook perform in Sydney in December 2012(Image: Getty Images)
One of Australia’s most successful exports, The Wiggles take it in turns with pop sensation Kylie Minogue and Hollywood actor Russell Crowe to top the Aussie rich list.
Majority owner Anthony is estimated to be worth £25m, on top of the £10 million a year the band rakes in from tours, TV shows, new releases, merchandise and sponsorships.
They have their own TV series Ready, Steady, Wiggle, have produced 62 studio albums, sold 40 million books, CDs and DVDS, and attracted more than 5 billion views on YouTube and 3 billion streams across various music services.
They’ve been making ear-worm sing-a-long pop since 1991, when kindergarten teaching students Anthony and Jeff Fatt, who were members of the R&B pop band the Cockroaches, and got together with two fellow students – Murray Cook and Greg Page – in Sydney, to make an album of simple, catchy songs for pre-schoolers
After Anthony’s infant niece tragically died from sudden infant death syndrome, the Cockroaches disbanded.
Founder Blue Wiggle Anthony performs at Falls Festival Melbourne in December 2022(Image: Getty Images)
One of the songs Anthony wrote, Get Ready to Wiggle, inspired the new band’s name because they thought “wiggling” describes how children dance.
“We met at university doing a course in early childhood – this connection with music and teaching is what became The Wiggles,” explains Anthony.
While The Wiggles has evolved since those early days, the four original members hold a special place in people’s hearts – Anthony and Jeff Fatt (Purple Wiggle), Murray Cook (Red Wiggle) and Greg Page (Yellow Wiggle). And their hits like Hot Potato and Fruit Salad, were toddler dance floor fillers for the next two decades.
While members have changed, the primary colours of red, yellow, blue and purple that they wear is no doubt the secret of the Wiggles’ success with the ankle biters.
In Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles 2023 documentary, Anthony says: “It doesn’t matter who wears the skivvies, as long as we reflect our audience and communicate with children.”
The Wriggles with stand-in Sam Moran after he replaced Yellow Wriggle Greg Page who had to leave the band due to illness in 2006(Image: Getty Images)
Like any band, they had to break America to go truly global – and when the Disney Channel played them four times a day to their 85 million subscribers, their success was meteoric. All of a sudden, they were playing 10,000 seater arenas.
PR, Gregor puts their success down to a “combination of their prolific output with its ceaseless ability to hypnotise toddlers”.
He adds: “Also, a less extreme version of the Royal Family’s ‘never complain, never explain’ approach. Instead of saying nothing, they say the bare minimum and carry on as if nothing happened.
“You rarely see naval-gazing and the consistency and popularity of their work keeps generations of kids coming back for more.”
While there aren’t many skeletons to rattle in The Wiggle cupboards, behind their happy faces and signature finger point, members have been dogged by setbacks.
Jeff Fatt, Murray Cook, Greg Page and Anthony Field attend the Hot Potato: The Story Of The Wiggles world premiere in Sydney in October 2023(Image: Getty Images for SXSW Sydney)
Controversies include the Hot Potato incident two years ago, when a council in Western Australia played their famous song on loop to deter anti-social behaviour at a homeless shelter.
The Wiggles complained, saying their music should only be used to “spread joy and happiness” but the damage was done.
But the fact De Niro was happy to be pictured with The Wiggles is a massive endorsement.
“Robert De Niro seems increasingly like the kind of guy who considers how his every public appearance and utterance might affect his legacy, so it’s a pretty major stamp of approval that he’s happy to be publicly associated with the Wiggles. Fundamentally they are free of reputation risk,” says Gregor.
“The irony is that the Wiggles have had a few controversies which are fairly stereotypical of long-running bands – walkouts, inter-band marriages and divorces; allegations that a song is racially insensitive, accusations of going ‘woke.’ They’ve been ruthlessly parodied on 30 Rock and, of course, the Hot Potato incident was unpleasant.”
Robert De Niro meets Captain Feathersword aka Paul Paddick of The Wiggles on June 28, 2025 in New York City(Image: Getty Images)
For members of The Wiggles, the squeaky clean expectations can be tricky.
“During my time in The Wiggles, I was out at a gig one night and I was having a drink, and the next day a newspaper reported: ‘The Wiggles member caught having a beer’, and that was a shock. I am an adult!” says Murray.
And doing 400 to 500 shows a year – cramming up to three gigs into a single day – took its toll on the original members, with Jeff, Murray and Greg retiring for health reasons in 2012.
A mystery illness forced Greg to leave in 2006. He was replaced by Sam Morans, but came back in 2012. Then he suffered a heart attack on stage during a 2020 reunion show. That same year, Murray had open heart surgery.
Revealing his own struggles, Anthony released a memoir Out Of The Blue last year, detailing the years of mental and physical health problems he’s suffered, including depression, undiagnosed ADHD and chronic pain.
The second Wiggles line-up, left to right, Simon Pryce, Emma Watkins, Lachlan Gillespie and Anthony in New York in 2015(Image: Getty Images)
Yet Field created a second generation of Wiggles with Simon Pryce (Red Wiggle), Lachlan Gillespie (Purple Wiggle) and the first female, Emma Watkins (Yellow Wiggle).
“We might be responsible for their first experience of music,” says Emma, speaking about their responsibility to their tiny fans
Sadly, trouble soon upended their paradise, as shortly after Yellow Wiggle Emma married Purple Wiggle Lachie, they divorced and she left the group not long after.
Another shake-up in 2021 saw 15-year-old Tsehay Hawkins becoming Yellow Wiggle.
Now 62, Anthony is the only remaining original Wiggle, in a group of eight performers – Tsehay, Lachlan, and Simon, as well as Caterina Mete, Lucia Field, Simon Pryce, Evie Ferris, John Pearce – who are as gender-diverse and racially-diverse as their millions of fans.
The new extended Wiggles crew at Croydon meeting Jessie J in Croydon in May 2025(Image: Mike Marsland/Getty Images for T)
Costumed characters, played by the more junior Wiggles, include Dorothy the Dinosaur, Henry the Octopus, Wags the Dog, and Captain Feathersword.
While some of the newer members say their estimated £72,000 earnings are a fraction of the big bucks of the original members, they have given the group a bigger presence on social media, where the Tree of Wisdom (played by Anthony’s nephew, Dominic Field) regularly goes viral on TikTok, with his exuberant dance moves.
And, in recent years, they’ve been noticing something new – a generational crossover, as kids grow up, but remain fans.
Dorothy the Dinosaur is also now a DJ, who remixes the original Wiggles classics for the older audience. And they’ve been getting down with the cool kids – covering songs by Fatboy Slim, White Stripes and Tame Impala’s Elephant.
“We’re bringing back happy memories,” says Anthony. “And it’s a real privilege to do that.”
Altogether now, kids, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle!
Classic kids TV groups down the years:
The Monkees, 1960s – Four cute surfer boys Davy Jones, Mickey Donlenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith running around in zany plots to brilliant pop tracks, in a sitcom that captured the spirit of the era.
The Banana Splits, 1970s – Four costumed animal characters who’d perform songs and comedy skits in a psychedelic world, was just as weird and fun as it sounds. The makers had clearly been on the wacky baccy.
The Teletubbies on their 25th anniversary in 2022(Image: PA)
Rainbow, 1980s – Presenter Geoffrey and his camp puppets Zippy, George and Bungle and hippy singers Rod, Jane and Freddy took us “Up above the streets and houses, Rainbow climbing high” every week. I still miss them.
Teletubbies, 1990s – Some called it the most disturbing children’s show on TV – but even now millions of babies are glued to repeats of these four tubby aliens, Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-laa, and Po, with coat hangers on their heads living on a mini golf course.
Zingzillas, 2000s – Puppet monkey band Zak, Tang, Panzee and Drum lived on a tropical island and made real music together and introduced tots to rock, soul, jazz and samba styles – along with some dodgy titles like Do You Didgeridoo?
